The glamour of the grub

It started simply enough. On the first day of the writers guild strike, Jay Leno brought three boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts to the picket line outside his offices at NBC’s Burbank studio. Down the street, Rachel Griffiths went on a Starbucks run for the writers on the Disney lot. And elsewhere, Patricia Arquette sent “Medium” writers cookies.

But by the second day, the celebrity food stakes had already been upped -- Eva Longoria Parker sent lunch in the form of Domino’s Pizza -- and by day three, Jimmy Kimmel was providing a full spread of Mexican delicacies.

It can’t continue forever, but for now celebrities have two ways of showing their support for striking writers: 1.) Strike with them. 2.) Send them food.

What follows is a look at who sent what, and when -- and what is says about the donor. (Photos at latimes.com/hollywoodwriters).

Patricia Arquette. Date of delivery: Nov. 5. What she brought: Large cookies. How she did it: Arranged to have them delivered, but did not distribute herself. Guesstimated health level: Big cookies? 2 out of 10. What it says about her: She may be a big-time TV star, but this gesture has “Mom” written all over it.

Jay Leno. Date of delivery: Nov. 5. What he brought: Three boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. How he did it: From the back of his Harley. Guesstimated health level: 1 out of 10. What the choice says about him: Leno was the first celeb out there delivering food. And the decision to bring doughnuts shows that he knows writers.

Rachel Griffiths. Date of delivery: Nov. 5. What she brought: Starbucks drinks. How she did it: On a break from filming “Brothers & Sisters.” Guesstimated health level: 10 out of 10. (Caffeine is a necessity, right?) What this says about her: It was a thoughtful, if not grand, gesture. But still, a clear sign of appreciation.

Eva Longoria Parker. Date of delivery: Nov. 6. What she brought: Domino’s Pizza. How she did it: On a break from filming “Desperate Housewives” Guesstimated health level: 3 out of 10. What the choice says about her: Thoughtful gesture, but too little too late? The pizzas were delivered only after Julia Louis-Dreyfus led a team of strikers shouting “We write the story-a, Eva Longoria.”

Danny Bonaduce. Date of delivery: Nov. 6. What he brought: Girl Scout cookies. How he did it: A big box in the trunk of his car. Guesstimated health level: They’re cookies! What the choice says about him: An appropriate gesture from a man who hasn’t had lines written for him in quite some time.

Jimmy Kimmel. Date of delivery: Nov. 7. What he brought: Mexican food from a stand at the Farmers Market. How he did it: White van, team of assistants. Guesstimated health level: 5 out of 10. What the choice says about him: Only good things. This wasn’t some cursory gesture -- this was a full meal.

Richard Belzer. Date of delivery: Nov. 7. What he brought: Hot sandwiches. How he did it: Holding a tray and shouting “Hot sandwiches, hot sandwiches!” Guesstimated health level: Eh . . . 5 out of 10? What it says about him: He thought hot, and in the cold New York November weather, hot is key.

William Baldwin. Date of delivery: Nov. 7. What he brought: Starbucks. How he did it: In style from his convertible on his way to the set of “Dirty Sexy Money.” Guesstimated health level: As we’ve said, caffeine can be a necessity. 10 out of 10. What it says about him: Nice gesture, made even nicer because he stuck around until he had less than 10 minutes until his call time.

APA agents. Date of delivery: Nov. 7. What they brought: Capri Sun and granola bars. How they did it: Three employees showed up, passed it out. Guesstimated health level: 6 out of 10. What it says about them: Things are slower in the literary department than usual and they think of writers as fourth-graders, but no matter. It was a nice thing to do.

Ray Romano. Date of delivery: Nov. 8. What he brought: Bagels, cream cheese and fruit juice. How he did it: Pulled the bags from the back of his car. Guesstimated health level: 7 out of 10. What the choice says about him: A solid guy brings solid breakfast food to the picket line.

CAA agents. Date of delivery: Nov. 9. What they brought: Churros! How they did it: Carrying platters to the rally on the Fox lot, suits intact. Guesstimated health level: -2 out of 10. What the choice says about them: Your business is our concern. Your weight is not.

deborah.netburn@latimes.com