WAY TO A DONOR'S WALLET IS THROUGH HIS STOMACH.

Byline: Lisa Friedman Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Goodbye, rubber chicken. Hello, ``filet in a duvet.''

Political fund-raisers in Los Angeles have taken an upscale twist, with the 2004 presidential candidates more apt to serve shrimp with mango chutney or smoked salmon pizza than the more traditional banquet fare.

What politicians serve and where they serve it can be a telling indicator of their desired audience. That's particularly true in Southern California, with its fine blend of wealth, glamour and corporate muscle spread over a wide region.

Holding an event at the private City Club on Bunker Hill, for instance, as Vermont Gov. Howard Dean did in May, ``means they're targeting the downtown business community,'' said Southern California political analyst Sherry Bebitch Jeffe.

Then there's the glitzy Regency Club in Westwood, where President Bush, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., held recent fund-raisers. At the Regency, Jeffe noted, ``you're reaching the really heavy-hitters and you're paying court to (owner and billionaire developer) David Murdock.''

``You do target your location to the people you want to reach,'' she said.

Since announcing their candidacies, the nine declared Democratic presidential contenders have spent a collective $829,730 on fund-raising events and catering - about $120,000 of it in Southern California, according to campaign finance reports.

Bush, meanwhile, has spent $401,037 on rental halls and catering. Campaign reports show his Southern California event spending alone topped $149,000 - more than of all the Democratic candidates combined.

When in the region, Bush - like many GOP lawmakers - favors the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City. That's where Ronald Reagan held his victory party in 1980 on the night of his first presidential election win, and it's where Bush held his re-election kickoff before 1,800 guests on June 27.

Campaign reports show Bush spent $139,000 on that event, which grossed $3 million for the campaign.

Both parties tend to favor the Regency Club. Kerry spoke there at a January cocktail reception hosted by philanthropist Daphna Edwards, and Bush regularly pauses there for fund-raisers on his swings through California.

In addition to the Century Plaza, say Golden State event planners, Republicans also tend to hold events at Marriott Hotels - in no small part because chain founders J. Willard and Alice Sheets Marriott were longtime GOP activists.

Democrats, meanwhile, also like the Century Plaza - Clinton held numerous events there - but also lean toward the Bonaventure Hotel, the Biltmore, the Beverly Hilton and the Beverly Wilshire - all union hotels.

When it comes to food, though, all partisan bets are off.

One may assume the big-money donors at Republican fund raisers chow down on steak while the Democrats pick at tofu and bean sprouts. ``Not true,'' said Scott Roeb, founder of Scott Roeb Catering & Events in Los Angeles.

Roeb, who is producer Lawrence Bender's exclusive caterer and whose political clientele has included both Clintons, former New York gubernatorial hopeful Andrew Cuomo and nearly all of the 2004 Democratic presidential contenders, said food crosses the political spectrum.

When Roeb catered the recent ``Young Hollywood'' event for Kerry that Bender hosted at his Bel Air home, the menu featured Indian samosas with tamarind dipping sauce. Another Bender event - this one for Rep. Richard Gephardt, D-Mo. - served up miniature waffles with pieces of fried chicken.

Republicans and Democrats alike, Roeb said, gobble up the mini-beef Wellington hors d'oeuvres he likes to call ``filet in a duvet.''

Lisa Friedman, [phone]

lisa.friedman(at)langnews.com

LOCAL FLAVOR

The favorite Southern California fund-raiser locations of 2004 presidential candidates:

Carol Moseley Braun 

Total catering expenses: $2,784

Moseley Braun's SoCal favorites: none

Howard Dean

Total catering expenses: $123,697

Dean's SoCal faves:

--Chin Chin, Santa Monica

--City Club on Bunker Hill, Los Angeles

--Scott Roeb Catering & Events, Los Angeles

--Wolfgang Puck Catering & Events, Los Angeles

John Edwards

Total catering expenses: $58,557

Edwards' SoCal faves:

--Crumble, Los Angeles

--Crystal Valet, Los Angeles

Richard Gephardt

Total catering expenses: $150,058

Gephardt's SoCal faves:

--Scott Roeb Catering & Events, Los Angeles

--The Peninsula Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills

--Wolfgang Puck Catering & Events, Los Angeles

--Yvonne E. White & Co., Los Angeles

Bob Graham

Total catering expenses: $15,453

Graham's SoCal faves: none

John Kerry

Total catering expenses: $249,057

Kerry's SoCal faves:

--Along Came Mary Productions, Los Angeles

--John and Pete's, West Hollywood

--Regency Club, Los Angeles

--The Kitchen, Pasadena

Dennis Kucinich

Total catering expenses: $8,849

Kucinich's SoCal faves:

--Fred Deni Catering, Santa Monica

Joseph Lieberman

Total catering expenses: $221,275

Lieberman's SoCal faves:

--Ambrosia, Malibu

--Clementine Foods, Los Angeles

--Griff's, Los Angeles

--Pacific Club, Newport Beach

--Regency Club, Los Angeles

Al Sharpton

Total catering expenses: none

George W. Bush

Total catering expenses: $401,037

Bush's SoCal faves:

--Century Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles

--Regency Club, Los Angeles

--Sutton Place Hotel, Newport Beach

Source: Federal Election Commission reports

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