The restaurant was playing host to an after-party for the opening night of the Broadway revival of "Finian's Rainbow," and it was filled with stars like Abigail Breslin and Allison Pill. Hasselhoff, whose stage resume includes turns in "Jekyll & Hyde" and "Chicago," said he enjoyed the show, a mid-century comedy about Irish immigrants in the fictional state of Missitucky. "It just made me smile," he said.

Hasselhoff wore a three-piece, pinstriped suit and two-tone patent leather shoes. When asked who designed it, he smiled. "David Hasselhoff," he said. "I designed this suit." Apparently, the look was a carryover from his judging gig on "America's Got Talent."

We got back to talking about the play, in which leprechauns are central to the plot. If Hasselhoff were granted three wishes, he said, here's what they would be: "To get to my table because there's a beautiful girl waiting there, to be in another musical in New York, and to finish this interview."

What, no talking car?