“Happy New Year Members,” opened San Vicente Bungalows newsletter distributed to a who’s who of insiders on Jan. 1 to kick off 2022. The cheer-filled communication announced new menu options (Fuyu persimmon and cucumber salad, cioppino and braised short ribs, to name a few) and a standing invitation as home base for “finding great company, celebrating creativity, honoring innovation and appreciate the warmth of community.”
But the brief blast, sent to THR by a source, also served another purpose — to clear up the rumor mill.
Owner Jeff Klein, who also runs Hollywood-favored Sunset Tower, tacked a message on the bottom that read, “I want to put some rumors to bed once and for all and confirm that Dimitri is still with us at SVB,” Klein said in reference to Dimitri Dimitrov, the bespectacled and beloved maître d’ who has been serving SVB since 2018 after a long stint at Sunset Tower’s Tower Bar. “Therefore, he will be at SVB three to four days a week, and will start taking some well-earned vacations.”
Klein noted that Dimitrov, 72, deserves the breather after serving the hospitality industry for 54 years. No word yet on who will be stepping in for him on those days off but rumor has it this is far from retirement. “There are no words that can describe the depth of my appreciation for everything Dimitri has done for me personally and professionally. I owe him an eternal debt of gratitude for all he has contributed to make SVB the magical place that it is.”
This story first appeared in the Jan. 5 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
