The Playboy Mansion was known for its unusual dining rules.
This famous residence, where Playboy founder Hugh Hefner hosted numerous high-profile events, was also the setting for the reality TV series, The Girls Next Door, during the 2000s.
The series showcased the lives of Hefner and his ‘Playboy Bunnies,’ along with other playmates residing in the mansion. While living there had its advantages, it also came with its own set of regulations.
These rules extended to mealtimes, which were shaped by Hefner’s unique culinary tastes and his directive to provide a nutritious diet for the women, staff, and visitors.
Despite this focus on health, the 91-year-old had a penchant for sweets, prompting William S. Bloxsom-Carter, the Playboy Mansion’s head chef for over twenty years, to keep the kitchen well-supplied with pies, cakes, and other treats.
“You should see his little cookie drawer,” the chef shared with Gourmet in 2021. “It’s actually not all that little.”
The selection included peanut butter and jelly cookies, brownies, Rice Krispies treats, and Hefner’s favorite, oatmeal cookies.
For healthier options, he requested ‘low fat, no cream soups’ with ‘everything fresh’ and ‘no freezer meat.’
“We stay away from butter and use lots of natural reductions instead,” Bloxsom-Carter noted.
Hefner’s breakfast often featured ‘half a grapefruit every day,’ accompanied by a jelly donut from Winchell’s.
Post-breakfast, his meals were irregular, with lunch sometimes skipped or served much later, around 5:30 pm, and dinners often delayed until 10:30 pm.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Hefner disclosed that he rarely had lunch but would snack on items like banana cream pie and milk.
Regardless of the hour, lamb chops were a staple on the menu at least once a week, accompanied by a sauce, baked potato, vegetables, and apple sauce.
An unusual aspect was how the chops were plated—with the bones pointing to the center and sauce drizzled over each, while the potato was served separately without butter.
Hefner also had a detailed list of 31 specific meals and items he could order anytime, as explained by Bloxsom-Carter.
“So he can call down to the kitchen and say, ‘I’d like the number 6 [grilled cheese sandwich, potato chips, apple sauce, and two oatmeal cookies], or the number 21 [fried chicken strips, baked potato, caper dip, and two oatmeal cookies],” the head chef explained.