Whispers

Bonjour, Sushi

There is another Hello Sushi, but it’s not in Baton Rouge. In fact, it is not even owned by local restaurateur Angela Finch. An astute traveler sent in this photo of a sushi joint on Rue Sainte-Anne in Paris that copies not only the name, but also the cartoonish J-pop style of Baton Rouge’s Hello Sushi logo. “It seems that they’ve only copied our name and our ‘Gogo’—probably taken from our Web site,” Finch says. “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I can’t help feeling possessive of these images that directly contribute to the distinctive character of our brand. We hold the trademark in the U.S. in case we do decide to expand, but I don’t think that we plan on opening in Paris any time soon.”

Johnny vs. Louis

Speaking of restaurants with similar names, a dispute over the use of the DeAngelo family name in the pizza business is brewing between relatives Johnny and Louis DeAngelo. Louis (pictured), who is Johnny’s nephew, has operated the popular and successful DeAngelo’s Pizzeria for 16 years. But a year ago, Johnny—also a New Jersey transplant—opened DeAngelo’s New York Pizza Co. on Jones Creek Road. Johnny’s profile has increased steadily, and then in December he sent an e-mail blast to hundreds of customers, announcing “I will be sued for Christmas: ‘Bah Humbug!” But in a written statement in response to the news, Louis downplayed the situation. “There is no lawsuit that has been filed. This is a copyright protection issue that we will pursue after the first of the year,” he wrote.

Backstage with Jay

Tonight Show host Jay Leno did a 90-minute set of original comedy at Baton Rouge Community College in December, and 225 was on hand to hang out backstage. Affable and patient, Leno posed for photos, answered questions and poked fun at his parents and his traditional Italian upbringing. Turns out the king of late-night television juggles his regular job with about 160 comedy concerts per year. If every show fetched $200 per ticket, which the BRCC show did, we’d be tempted to moonlight, too. Mayor Kip Holden gave Leno a key to the city, and after he read the proclamation, Leno cracked, “So your real name’s Melvin? No wonder you like to be called Kip.” Check out a photo of Jay backstage on page 14.