A+E

The chef, who loves bacon and eggs and other American treats he doesn't get in Paris, looked a tad overdressed in a designer suit and turtleneck, but he brought his appetite. He had just completed a 10-mile walk from the Strip to his son's house in Summerlin, which is not unusual for him, and he looked ravenous and ready.

We arrived at 3 p.m., and there was, as usual, a long line. At first, he balked at the idea of American cheese, and I had to suggest an optional topping of grilled onions, but good sport that he is, he soldiered on. "I want to try it American style," he said.

But nothing would induce him to try ketchup on his fries—"eet is horrifiant," French for horrifying, he said—and he only took one sip of his vanilla milkshake. "This, I don't like," he admitted. The burger, however, he devoured with gusto, praising the bread, and a crisp salad of lettuce and tomato stuffed into it along with the meat and cheese.

What most impressed him, though, were the French fries. "There is no residue of oil in the basket," he exclaimed, "and the potatoes are fresh and delicious." The following day I stopped by his restaurant to try some of his pumpkin soup with white Alba truffles, and a little bit of partridge and pheasant in a copper soup kettle. God, I love this job.

Movies: Volver (January 12). Penelope Cruz wears a prosthetic ass in the latest from sensuous Spanish director Pedro Almodovar. Need we say more? Ignore whatever slasher film you might be tempted to see in favor of Pan's Labyrinth (January 19, above), Guillermo del Toro's dark fairy tale set during the waning days of the Spanish Civil War. As for Notes on a Scandal (January 26)—Judi Dench becomes obsessed with Cate Blanchett. Can you blame her?

Music: January 23 is the first big release week of 2007. Here are three to look for then. The Good, the Bad and the Queen, the self-titled debut of a supergroup featuring Blur's Damon Albarn, The Clash's Paul Simonon, The Verve's Simon Tong and legendary Afro-beat drummer Tony Allen—and it was produced by Danger Mouse. For fans of hook-laden indie pop, there's Wincing the Night Away, the long-awaited third album (and the first since 2003) by The Shins. Trust us on this one: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? by Of Montreal.

Books: Before he was a critically acclaimed novelist, Robert Stone logged some serious hang time with Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters, which he recounts in his new memoir, Prime Green: Remembering the Sixties (January 1).

Bertolli Chicken Alla Vodka & Farfalle. You've invited your girlfriend, boyfriend or best friend for dinner. Unfortunately, you had to work late and don't have much time to shop or cook. Bertolli has come up with great microwaveable frozen dinners—complete with vegetables, pasta, sauce and meat. The best of the bunch is the Chicken Alla Vodka & Farfalle. Easy to prepare in under 10 minutes (while you make the salad), the meal includes tender, grilled white chicken, diced tomatoes and asparagus tips in a Romano cheese-flavored tomato sauce, garnished with a splash of vodka. The sauce is upscale and tastes suspiciously like those in some Italian restaurants. Add wine, bread and a salad and you're all set. We know what you're thinking: microwave dinner? Trust us. $7.99 at grocery stores.

Joe Rogan, House of Blues, December 30. “How many of yooou?! Have ever lived in SPACE?!” an astoundingly inebriated Joe Rogan asked from the House of Blues stage Saturday night. Various crowd members had delivered a total of 14 shots and one beer to the edgy comedian and, fresh from his UFC-commentary gig at the MGM Grand, he had downed all but one, which he tossed over his left shoulder. Elsewhere along the line, he laid on his back, showed the crowd his “dirty brown asshole” when a haughty woman failed to comply with the same request and harangued a male attendee into licking a dildo. His material had earned solid laughs at the beginning, but as the show spun out of control, it was mostly shocked-and-nervous laughter. In terms of unscripted humor, live train wrecks can’t possibly get any funnier.