Now You Can Take A Bite of The Hot and Saucy "Mayor's Mistress"

As spotted by my friend Joe, from a recent Thrillist email about new pizzeria Apollonia's, it's the "Mayor's Mistress" pizza -- pepperoni, Italian sausage, tomato basil and garlic. Sounds delicious. Do Mirthala (above) or Lu get a discount?

Your Pick for Favorite Villaraigosa News Babe: Mirthala, By a Landslide

Sorry, Lu, it wasn't even close. Even though former local Telemundo/KVEA anchor Mirthala Salinas was embroiled in a much bigger scandal with Antonio Villaraigosa, voters of last week's Franklin Avenue Wednesday Poll overwhelmingly chose her as their favorite Mayor V galpal.

Salinas picked up 65% of the vote, compared to Lu Parker's 23%. The remainder went to six write-in votes, which included:Beverly White, Huell Howser, Vera Jimenez, Sharon Tay, Paul Moyer and Elita Loresca.

Wednesday Poll: Mirthala vs. Lu

All right, it's a smackdown of local TV news proportions. Which Antonio Villaraigosa paramour do you choose? Are you a member of Team Mirthala or Team Lu? OR... is there another local TV news star you think Mayor V oughta be with (Jackie Johnson? Sharon Tay?) Vote below.

Really, Mayor Villaraigosa? Really?

(KNBC photo by David Reese.)

KNBC's website first broke the news today that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has a new girlfriend -- and like the last one, the new one comes from the world of TV journalism.

Villaraigosa is involved with KTLA anchor (and former Miss USA) Lu Parker, the station confirmed this afternoon.

Villaraigosa, of course, famously had an affair with former KVEA anchor Mirthala Salinas while still married to his wife; Villaraigosa eventually split from his wife and later Salinas as well. Salinas left the Telemundo station after being reassigned because of the relationship.

With a nod to "Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update," I think this brings us to an edition of... "Really?"



REALLY, Mayor V?! Another TV newscaster? How'd that last one turn out? OH YEAH, she was yanked from her anchor chair and sent packing to a Riverside bureau before she quit. And although your relationship didn't last long, it had a permanent impact on your image and reputation as a politician. Sure, you were easily re-elected... but that's because your most serious competitor was a right-wing nutjob. And now, you're still pondering a run for Governor, so whaddyuh do... you go ahead and start dating another high-profile newscaster, just to remind everyone of how disappointed they were in you the last time you did it.

Plus, this all comes out the same month your picture with the word "FAILURE" underneath can be seen on newsstands and in grocery store checkouts across Southern California (via Los Angeles mag). REALLY, Mayor Antonio? This is the time to let this relationship go public?

I will say this much: Given the plight of journalism and journalists these days, it's heartening to know that you're a big supporter of the people -- well, I suppose, certain people -- who make up our trade.



REALLY, Lu Parker?! You saw what happened to Mirthala Salinas' career. and you still think this is a good idea? And you anchor for a major L.A. TV station, and have covered the Mayor -- as recently as Sunday night, reporting on the possibility he's dropping his plans to run for Governor. You were dating the Mayor, yet went ahead with that report anyway. (Do you have inside knowledge that he has no plans? Perhaps he wouldn't be hanging out with you in Larchmont book stores if he was plotting a run?)

KTLA finally said yesterday that Parker will no longer cover local politics. REALLY, KTLA? Wouldn't you and your competitors have to actually cover local politics in order to pull someone off the politics beat?

And Lu, what's up with the website and the blog? You're not alone in this, several local anchors have posted semi-racy or revealing photos on their sites, so I don't want to just single you out. (I still don't get it though -- you guys are all still reporters. I don't remember seeing Hal Fishman or Jerry Dunphy posting pics of themselves in a Speedo on their sites -- or even cheesecake photos of earlier female anchors like Christine Lund popping up.)

But REALLY, your most recent blog post starts off with the protest that your blog is "by no means about me." Yet that post is right next to... a revealing shot of you in a bikini top, with your arms seductively up. REALLY, Lu? Not about you?



And then there's you, KNBC. You REALLY can't hide your glee at discovering that Mayor Villaraigosa has a thing with Parker. Your website even broke the news not with a normal news story, but rather with this snarky post.

REALLY, KNBC? I seem to recall that Salinas was an anchor on YOUR SISTER STATION, KVEA. And although it's a tad weird and journalistically questionable that Parker is dating Villaraigosa, he is a single man now. Back in 2007, it was your anchor who was dating a still-married Villaraigosa --a relationship that, again, tarnished his career.

And that concludes "REALLY?!: The Villaraigosa Edition."

Los Angeles Magazine's Website Goes Live

Los Angeles magazine has finally taken the wraps off it's long-awaited website revamp -- check it out here.

The site contains several stories from this month's issue (including the exclusive Mirthala Salinas profile), as well as selected columns and features.

Meanwhile, the site is so far sticking to three themed blogs: The Digest Blog (food-related), The Chic Leak Blog (shopping) and The Spyglass Blog.

My favorite part of the new site, however, is the LA to Z section, which collects some of LA mag's most recent lists. Besides the current "64 Greatest Things About LA" feature and recent "75 Best Restaurants" list, it includes: "The 40 Best Places to Furnish Your Home in LA," "25 Ways to Go Green and Stay Sane," "The City's Top 25 Beauty Secrets," "What's Not to Like? LA's Top Ten Delis," "Cheers! The Best New Bars in Town" and "The 122 Most Influential People in LA."

Executive editor Mary Melton weighs in on the relaunch:

With the official launch of lamag.com, we hope to do what the city itself has done—extend our reach to the rest of the world. This site will complement the magazine. We promise our readers award-winning feature articles, insightful criticism, investigative reports, and expansive guides that transcend mere listings by being both discerning and objective. We bring out the Best of L.A. every month in the magazine, and on lamag.com, we’ll deliver the Best of L.A. every day.

Ex-Mayor Gal Pal's Fiance Wants Everyone to Know: Mirthala's Back To Her Senses

The site's front page -- "I am Marrying my Best Friend!" shortened from the original line, "I am Marrying my Best Friend now That She has Stopped Banging the Mayor!"

There's no better web find today than Curbed LA's discovery of the cheesy online wedding site for Mirthala Salinas and b.f. Yanni Raz.

Mirthala, of course, made headlines last year when she started dating Antonio Villaraigosa -- all while reporting on Villaraigosa's separation from his wife as an anchor at Telemundo's KVEA/Channel 52. (Check out Los Angeles magazine's profile of Mirthala here.)

Well, she and the mayor broke up at the end of last year, she parted ways with Telemundo and eventually landed a new job as a morning host on Spanish talk radio 690 AM. And... she's now engaged to marry real estate agent Raz.

Now, their site. For starters, the headline "My Woman Is Back on Track again" links to a few graphs on Mirthala's new job at 690 AM... as well as a link to an ABC7 story about the gig. The ABC7 story's lede? "Mirthala Salinas, the mayor's ex-girlfriend, is back on the air and back in the news."

OK, really? You want everyone visiting your wedding website to be reminded of Mirthala's tawdry year in the headlines?

Now, this:


Yanni Raz Really didn't know that his basically locking him self in "SALINAS PRISON" That's, um, sweet?

And this:


Mirthala Salinas Understands today that the world is YANNI CHINGASSSSSSSSSSS Take that, Mayor V!

Mirthala Salinas: The Younger, Short-Haired, Mexican Restaurant-Eating Days

What once was just another headshot from another random local TV news personality is suddenly a collectors' item! Here, a younger Mirthala -- now Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's honey -- resides on the wall of La Cabanita restaurant in Montrose.