On television’s Mad Men, Vincent Kartheiser plays Peter Campbell, a Junior Account Executive at the fictional ad agency, Sterling Cooper. In real life, Vincent Kartheiser is a chef’s dream.

Sure he’s a vegetarian, which might make some offal-loving chefs a little batty; but he doesn’t let it get in his way of digging into a menu. As a matter of fact, he relishes the opportunity to let a chef’s talent shine through. Kartheiser explains, “It’s really easy being a vegetarian. I never have a problem finding something to eat. I’m actually one of the few people who say ‘chef’s preference – please cook it how the chef chose it to be made’ rather than asking for everything on the side.”

Chefs like David Rosenberger, Executive Chef at Kitchen 24, LA’s hot new 24-hour restaurant on Cahuenga Boulevard where we caught up with Kartheiser recently, welcome diners like this award- winning actor. And he welcomes all the finicky eaters who make their way to Kitchen 24 and aren’t as laid back as Kartheiser. You’ve got to welcome everyone with open arms when you run a 24-hour restaurant in the heart of a gentrifying area populated at night by hungry patrons, pouring out of local lounges and nightclubs smack in the middle of a culinarily underserved neighborhood.

Open less than a year, Rosenberger notes that already they’ve got a regular clientele coming in; from studio execs to partiers, to the guy who runs the coffee shop down the street. Despite the economy, the restaurant has been outpacing projected earnings and seeing more covers than anticipated. The menu is comprehensive; covering all the bases from breakfast to dinner and presented as a step up from classic diner food. Rosenberger comments on how they’ve managed to be so successful in this economy as he says, “We opened to contribute to the positive growth of this neighborhood. The whole area used to be run down and wasn’t a nice area. We want to contribute to a positive element with a low price point and good food and give back to the neighborhood that way. So a tremendous amount of thought was put into costing out - we made sure we compared and didn’t break certain barriers. We were careful to not break a price point that would intimidate people. There was also a tremendous amount of thought put into keeping the food at a certain quality level and at an affordable price that would draw them back again and again.”

Kartheiser returns again and again for a number of reasons. For one, he loves the neighborhood. He comments, “I love this neighborhood because it is diverse. The buildings here are beautiful, classic Hollywood 1930s and 1940s style. Now it is starting to change a lot. Cahuenga is becoming more of a consumer zone. In LA, I guess as with most cities, places don’t stay the same – they either get better or slummier. Though it is gentrification, it is a good thing.” Another good thing for Kartheiser is the extensive vegetarian options on the menu. A self proclaimed plain cook who notes, “Not by any means am I a chef. I chop up vegetables and put them in things. I’ll make pasta, sandwiches with veggies.” Kartheiser can enjoy classic diner foods like Kitchen 24’s vanilla milkshake and veggie chili that Rosenberg knows, “everyone goes nutty over.”

While diners may go nutty for Rosenberg’s menu, and there have been reports of late night dancing fueled by cupcakes and champagne, it’s a place where stars can quietly enjoy a meal with friends. Hollywood heavyweights like Lionel Richie, Danny Masterson and Paula Abdul have been spotted making pit stops for some late night food and, besides Kartheiser and his friends, many other young Hollywood faces like Lauren Conrad, Scott Speedman, Megan Fox, Gisele Bundchen, Lindsay Lohan, Samantha Ronson, Brody Jenner, and Audrina Patridge are also flocking to Kitchen 24. The lively pink and brown hued restaurant, designed by Kristofer Keith, evokes a retro feel in a contemporary setting, making everyone comfortable.

Kartheiser was particularly comfortable there on the day of our photo shoot. And well fed. A generous spread came out of the kitchen for him to enjoy as we talked. Later Kartheiser even commented, “They didn’t make anything special for me, all that stuff was on the menu.”

It’s this thoroughness in the pre-opening menu planning that ensures the success of a restaurant. Much like thorough planning for an audition can impact the success of an actor. Kartheiser has been at this acting craft for about 23 years. And he still loves it – even the audition process. He says,” sometimes auditions can be really amazing. A real opportunity to work and collaborate. You go into a room with people you’ve never met before and you get to bring in an idea of your own about the work they’ve written and love and there are new ideas sparking off each other.”

Though someone had the wise idea to give much thought solid menu engineering, Rosenberg and Kitchen 24’s owners, JT Torresgianai, Errol and Kimberly Roussel, David Dickerson and JT Fox, are all pleasantly surprised at how the restaurant has exceeded their expectations. And Kartheiser, in his role as a Kitchen 24 patron, is pleased that he can always find something there to eat.

gallery