Marilyn Monroe's Nearly Nightly Steak Routine

Marilyn Monroe is forever cemented as an icon in pop culture. Known for her fashion, persona, physique, and hit movies (like "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"), many today have tried to copy Monroe's lifestyle to emulate the star's effortless beauty. You might be surprised to learn that Monroe wasn't a starlet who subsisted on salad — rather, she enjoyed steak, liver, or lamb chops on a nightly basis. 

British Vogue reported on Monroe's daily routines that she shared with Pageant magazine in 1952. "Every night I stop at the market near my hotel and pick up a steak, lamb chops, or some liver," Monroe told Pageant. The "Some Like It Hot" star didn't have a fancy kitchen, and made do with a hot plate and electric oven (which she used to broil her steak, liver, or lamb chops) in her room at the Beverly Hills Hotel (she didn't purchase a property of her own until 1952). Alongside her dinner, she enjoyed a bounty of raw carrots, saying, "I must be part rabbit; I never get bored with raw carrots." 

While Monroe stuck to this routine most of the time, she had no problem dining out — her favorite restaurant was Gino of Capri in Manhattan, where she was known for ordering lamb chops and pasta (she was also reported to love frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity 3, a still-standing hot spot in Manhattan's Upper East Side).

The dining habits of old Hollywood stars are fascinating, and Marilyn Monroe isn't the only one who had interesting go-to culinary routines. Monroe's second husband Joe DiMaggio, the Hall of Fame baseball player, didn't share her love for meat-and-veggies meals. He generally opted for pasta (spaghetti and meatballs was his go-to), or three hot dogs with mustard. Monroe was also close with singer and actor Frank Sinatra, and the two shared a penchant for steak. Sinatra was known for ordering a New York strip alongside a dish of clams casino and oysters Rockefeller.

Another Hollywood icon of the time, Elizabeth Taylor — a casual acquaintance of Monroe's — shared her love for simple meat and vegetable dinners. In 1987, Taylor published a hybrid diet book/memoir where she shared her daily meal plans, which included plenty of vegetables, chicken, and fish. Superstar Eartha Kitt ate similarly — plenty of vegetables and herbs alongside fish, chicken, and lean meats. While the stars of old Hollywood didn't eat in exactly the same ways as one another, it's clear to see that culinary simplicity reigned king.