Mayor Villaraigosa may have missed the Texas party for Hillary Clinton after Steve Lopez came gunning for him, but His Honor looks like he had a pretty good time last night anyway. The Guide in the LAT caught up with Villaraigosa, Robert DeNiro and chef Nobu Matsuhisa at the opening of Nobu Los Angeles (actually in the city of West Hollywood See note below.) Jessica Gelt writes:

Standing next to the brightly-lighted sushi bar, De Niro looked serious but dapper with graying hair and a light blue shirt. “I came to Matsuhisa [Nobu’s first L.A. restaurant] 20 years ago and I told Nobu if he ever wanted to open a restaurant in New York to let me know. It was a no-brainer but I never expected it to be as popular as it is,” he said.

The mayor, dressed in a smart gray suit with a bright yellow tie, oozed enthusiasm. “The food is great and there’s elegance, but the graciousness is there whether you’re in Tokyo or L.A.” De Niro nodded and stuck out his lower lip while Villaraigosa went on to tout the significance of Nobu’s new flagship restaurant being in L.A. “L.A. is the cultural and entertainment capital of the world,” he said. “He’s supposed to say that,” De Niro joked dryly.

Chief Bratton was there too, along with Carla Gugino, Fran Drescher, Bill Maher, Cedd Moses, Brent Bolthouse and David Rockwell.

* Geography note: An LAO reader looked up the alcohol license for the new Nobu and found it is located within Los Angeles. Nobu itself claims to be in West Hollywood.

Photo: The Guide