All the King's Men
In the September Vanity Fair , profiler Marjorie Williams offers this
tasty Larry King anecdote:
"One of the most oft told of the Larry Stories that circulate at CNN
concerns his take-out order when he eats dinner at his desk, before the show.
His favorite dish, from a local Chinese restaurant, is a chicken with
cashews--without the fat-laden cashews. When the food arrives, a young intern
or production assistant is charged with combing through it to remove any errant
nuts; then he or she has to swaddle the chicken in paper towels and squeeze out
any excess oil."
A friend of Chatterbox's, who recalls his two-year tenure as King's Grease
Monkey, says that Williams got the story right, but underplays how loopy the
talk-show host is about his vittles.
"I drained Larry's meat for almost two years while working for the show. The
intern/production assistant must open his cranberry juice and pour it over ice
for him, just so . He also wants the packets of hot mustard opened for
him and spread over the chicken. If he spots nuts or excess grease in his grub,
the show is ruined! During commercial breaks, he will harp about the botched
meal, unsettling the King crew and guest alike. The intern/production assistant
can only dive for cover."
The retired Grease Monkey says that the only time there was absolute calm on
the set was when King went out to dinner.
