Actors used to have to win awards to qualify as A-list celebrities, but nowadays you really haven't made it until you open a restaurant.

Gerard Butler of "300" is the latest to join the actor/restaurateur crowd: His Korean BBQ joint SHIN opened in Hollywood earlier this week.

Butler, who was spotted making out with reality star Shanna Moakler at the restaurant opening, has a bevy of celeb-investor friends on board, including music producer Mark Ronson, Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas and DJ Steve Aoki.

Oh yeah, and the food. The traditional Seoul-style dishes--thick sliced pork belly, bone-out marinated beef ribs and BBQ tiger shrimp have us interested in more than just star factor.

Related Stories:
· SHIN [Official Site]
· Gerard Butler & Shanna Moakler = New Couple? [Just Jared]
· Celebrity Restaurants coverage [Jaunted]

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Two of the most basic expectations on a visit to Manhattan are sampling some kick-ass food and having a celebrity sighting. Both goals are highly attainable, but you can always double your chances by dining at a celeb-owned eatery.

Sure, everyone knows Robert DeNiro has a stake in Nobu and Justin Timberlake owns Southern Hospitality, but were you aware that Chris Noth owns a bar in the Flatiron District and Japanese pop star Miwa Yoshida has a place in the Village?

Luckily, Cityfile just put together a Google Map mashup of all the NYC celeb-owned restaurants, and it's impressively comprehensive.

Related Stories:
· Celeb Restaurants Map [City File]
· Celebrity Restaurant Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]> BS 2008-08-14T10:30:10-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/11/20/6116/5950

Coming soon to the land of Bollywood... India is going to get its very own Planet Hollywood. Sounds like an interesting combination.

News is that celebrity-owned Planet Hollywood has done a deal with the Arch Millennium Corporation to set up franchised Planet Hollywood restaurants in India. The first should hit Mumbai early next year with more restaurants planned for New Delhi, Bangalore, Goa and Hyderabad.

And while the restaurant names won't honor the wonders of the Indian cinema industry, the menu might: The plan is to include some dishes named after Bollywood stars. Can't wait to read that menu.

Related Stories:
· Planet Hollywood to Open Restaurants in India [Thaindian News]
· India Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino [HotelChatter]

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Now that the WGA picket lines have been going strong almost two weeks and production on current series is stopping, stars beholden to their shows' writers might need to get into another line of work. That's why Eva Longoria is following in the footsteps of Justin Timberlake and spending her hours off the "Desperate Housewives" set to open a Mexican restaurant in L.A. called Beso.

Longoria told People magazine, "I'm a big, big cooker in my family, so this is kind of an extension of my house. I feel like everybody's going to be in my living room." Unlike most vanity projects, though, she's not going it alone; instead, she got Boston chef and "Top Chef" finale guest Todd English to collaborate with her on Beso.

Despite Wednesday's preview party, the restaurant isn't quite ready to open yet (it's missing a liquor license, for one), but when it does open maybe Eva can create a half-priced strikers' special. Tacos for everyone!

Related Stories:
· Justin Timberlake Takes On Harlem Soul Food [Jaunted]
· Hollywood Update: Beso Plywood Down [Eater LA]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

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Is there anything Justin Timberlake loves more than moving in on other people's territory? The blond wonder was just one-fifth of a boy band before he decided to tackle the pop world solo; then he and publicist-denied-girlfriend Jessica Biel decided to become the new Brangelina by traveling the world. Now he and childhood friend Trace Ayala are planning to follow in the footsteps of Britney Spears, J-Lo, and Chrissie Hynde -- by getting into the restaurant business. JT's restaurant Southern Hospitality on Second Avenue on the Upper East Side, opens Wednesday.

The eatery is a barbecue-and-soul-food joint to reflect Timberlake's Memphis roots. But is he ready to play in the big leagues, with famous soul-food purveyors like Righteous Urban Barbeque and Sylvia's Soul Food? Will the high-society types take to sauce-covered outfits?

Related Stories:
· Chrissie Hynde's Akron, Ohio Restaurant [Jaunted]
· Justin And Jessica Travel The World [Jaunted]

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From Planet Hollywood to Britney Spears' short-lived club/eatery NYLA, restaurants opened by celebrities are hardly exempt from the same pressures that cause most new establishments to go under. Let's hope The Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde has some savvy partners or advisers to stand by her when she opens VegeTerranean, a new health-food joint in her home city of Akron, Ohio.

Hynde's meatless kitchen will open September 15, according to the reports, which promises a concert by the owner herself. In response to the increased competition, Robert DeNiro will pick one lucky table every night at the eatery he co-owns, New York's Tribeca Grill, to be the lucky receiver of a Travis Bickle-style interrogation.

Related Stories:
· Chrissie Hynde Fights the Bullfighters [Jaunted]
· Bob DeNiro's Downtown Hotel [HotelChatter]

[Photo: Rip It Up]

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