Thursday, February 03, 2000
BenGal takes pompoms to Pro Bowl
BY JIM KNIPPENBERG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
So then, how about one more football note? Something about pompoms and rah-rahs?
Fine. Watch Sunday's Pro Bowl closely and you'll see BenGal Nikki Lanzetta cheering with 29 other NFL cheerleaders. Lanzetta, a BenGal for four years, was nominated by squad coordinator Charlotte Jacobs, then accepted by the Pro Bowl committee in charge of these things.
It took a video of her at work, several photos and a loooong letter of nomination to get her there.
“I'll tell you why I wanted her to go so much,” Jacobs says. “She's about the most responsible person I know. She does what she's supposed to do, when she's supposed to do it and does it well. Really well.”
Lanzetta flew to Hawaii Monday to learn and rehearse routines that will be used at the game. “That won't be a problem for her,” Jacobs says. “She's a professional dancer who can learn anything right now.”
Indeed. When she's not on the field, Lanzetta teaches dance at her own studio, a Fairfield place called Dance Loft. And apparently does it right well: Her students' parents like her so much, says parent Pat Carlson, they took up a collection so she'd have pin money in Hawaii.
She's back early next week.
ENCORE: Merciful heavens, look who's back and feeding folk. It's Jimmy Rosati, late of Covington's beloved Boot and Coach and Four.
This time it's Margo & Jimmy's (404 Pike St., Covington) with the kind of food that made his first two places a hit. He previewed the it at a party Tuesday.
Big party, that, with tons of restaurateurs, lawyers (business partner Margo Grubbs is one), and old Boot and Coach fans munching lemon steak, pecan chicken, salmon poppers and tavern chips.
And chatting it up:
• Restaurateur (Mike Fink, BB Riverboats) Shirley Bernstein beaming: “I'm madly in love. It's my high school sweetheart that I've been out of touch with for 60 years. It feels good.”
• Frisch's VP Karen Maier giving advice: “You know who to make a small fortune in the restaurant business? Start with a large one.”
• Real estate broker Judie Guttadauro, after a lengthy search for her coat: “I hate these chic parties. Everyone has a black coat.”
It opens for diners Friday.
CHOW DOWN: Dang, talk about your meat and potatoes kinda guy — Larry Gatlin that is. He was here for two weeks starring in Civil War and ate at the same place almost every night: Jeff Ruby's.
Massive steaks and potatoes every night. Hung out lots and lots with Johnny Bench, too, also at the above said Ruby's and at least once in WKRC-AM's studio, where the two of them did Pat Barry's afternoon drive-time show.
The Civil War's other star, meanwhile, spent time in church. Specifically, BeBe Winans popped in at Christ Emanuel Christian Fellowship Church before the run even started and liked the choir so much he put it in the show. They sang in 12 of the 16 performances.
Winans also sang at a Martin Luther King tribute and an Urban League luncheon.
And as if all that didn't keep him busy enough, he also recorded two songs for his new album down at Legends, the same studio Blessid Union of Souls uses.
The cast left town after Sunday's show.
Knip's Eye View appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Have an item to report? Call Jim Knippenberg at 768-8513; fax: 768-8330.
