In the end, there was no mix-up of frites. Upper East Siders (and Jane Fonda) were left confused after Joe Biden (who was in town for his wife Jill’s book launch event) dined at the “accidental” Italian restaurant Fumo on Tuesday night.
Rumors spread in the neighborhood that he might have mistaken Fumo for that, since he was actually supposed to be at the famous red sauce shop Elio’s (beloved by Gwyneth Paltrow, Joan Didion, Nora Ephron, and more) across the street.
A Page Six spy said Fonda and Martha Stewart were both eating at Elio’s and overheard the “Barbarella” star joking, “Don’t you know you’re supposed to be here?”
But the gossip arguably overestimated Biden’s turbulent reputation a little too much. Elio and others say they did not expect the former president to show up.
In fact, after scolding us that they had nothing more to report, Elio’s staff told Page Six that their neighbor across the street was actually “very popular” and particularly praised the artichokes.
Biden was greeted with applause as he entered the restaurant, and a crowd had gathered by the time he left. They cheered as he got into the car.
There was no word on their orders, but Biden was having dinner with one of his granddaughters.
Jill was promoting her memoir, “The View from the East Wing,” and stopped by the 92nd Street Y to be interviewed by Whoopi Goldberg on ABC’s “The View.”
At 92Y’s audience question section on the night of the event, Joe got up from his seat, walked to the front of the stage, and without using the microphone said, “I have a question.”
“Who do you love most in the world?” Biden asked. “Whoopi,” Jill replied, and the audience burst into laughter.
The former first lady finally gave in and said, “I love you the most, Joe. Is that all? Is that the answer he wanted?”
