Vanderpump Rules reality star Lala Kent usually Instagrams photos of her lip gloss line, Hermès shopping sprees, or herself hanging out in a thong bikini on a yacht. But Kent’s 1 million Instagram followers got something a little different last month, when D.C. chef Adam Greenberg of upcoming NoMa restaurant Coconut Club popped up on Kent’s feed.
In a video message, Greenberg promised to cook with Kent in the future, something that Kent’s fiancé Randall Emmett set up for her as a Christmas present. Lala wrote in the caption: “Best gift everrrr!”
Greenberg filled Eater in on the backstory of how this came together, and it all stems back to the fact that he lives by the adage, “Real Men Watch Bravo.”
“My wife is an avid fan of Bravo. I started off like pretty much most husbands and partners, I’d walk in on it from behind the couch and be like, ‘Who is that?’” he said. Before long, he was sucked in to everything from Real Housewives of New York to Vanderpump Rules, a show which revolves around bartenders, hostesses, and servers at Beverly Hills restaurants.
“People call it trashy tv whatever but take Vanderpump,” Greenberg said. “Everybody if you’ve worked in the restaurant, everyone has a Tom Schwartz. Everyone has a Jax [Taylor]. It’s easily relatable to people in the industry...Any restaurant, as much as we say we try to keep drama out of it, every restaurant is filled with drama.”
That fandom includes commenting on the reality TV star’s social media page.
The Chopped champion had interacted earlier with Kent on Twitter years ago, and when he recently posted a comment on Emmet’s Instagram, he got a DM back. That’s how Emmet’s gift came about, and Greenberg was completely surprised that Food Network fan Kent posted his video directly on her Instagram (which he filmed while wearing a sweatshirt of her face).
The details are still being hammered out: Greenberg might go to L.A. to cook alongside the couple, or possibly invite them to Coconut Club. “I really hope we can get Randall and Lala to come to D.C. to do some sightseeing with their kids and come to the restaurant,” he said.
Coconut Club’s opening is drawing near. Greenberg’s furniture is now mostly in place after a delayed a arrival from China.
The beachy spot isn’t going to take itself too seriously, and Greenberg is even toying with appealing to Bravo viewers.
“I would love to name drinks, Ramona and Sonja. If we can get Ramona’s Pinot Grigio, let’s do it,” he joked. Coconut Club doesn’t have TVs, but Greenberg is getting a projector, possibly for Bravo watch parties to go along with its cocktails served in disco balls. “If there’s one thing I want to say, it’s just come have fun,” he says.