The 411  

South Beach Gets a Taste of American Pie

 
Tara Reid. Photo by Mitchell Zachs

By Jon Warech
Columnist

It was a week to be thankful and remember the good things in life: cheap booze, long weekends and great weather. It was a good time for turkey and stuffing in Miami and the club scene got a taste of American Pie as actress Tara Reid was pretty much everywhere imaginable this week, often with hockey star and new dude Sergei Fedorov, and even with musician Kid Rock on Friday night. They hit the trendy restaurants and closed the clubs down, breaking only to do whatever it is an aging, locked-out Russian hockey star and a 29-year old actress who can still play a college student do for Thanksgiving.

After a week of my regular celebrity stalking, I learned a lot about Reid – mainly that she is a lot like you and me. Yeah, she goes out and parties too much at times, a crime we are all guilty of, but I think she gets a bad rap. Of course, this column will come out and two days later she’ll get arrested for something stupid and I’ll look like a fool. But until then, I don’t think Reid deserves to get trashed in all the rags, because she seems like a pretty nice girl. And that Fedorov is a lucky guy. I think even the East German judge would give Fedorov a gold medal for pulling in Reid and Anna Kournikova in one lifetime – especially with that hairline. Now, he is someone who knows a thing or two about being thankful.

 
Anna Nicole Smith and DJ Matt E Love

Spin Doctor for the Stars

There was a time, when I could go out to a bar and impress any woman by telling her I was a writer. Well before I actually was a writer, that line was rock solid with the ladies. These days, being a DJ is a much more impressive gig, and DJ Matt E Love has both Paris Hilton and Anna Nicole Smith to vouch for him.

Matt E recently spun House music for the voluptuous model with a plus-size drinking problem at her birthday party, poolside at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. Smith and 60 of her friends partied hard all night. I know, I can’t believe she really has 60 friends either. The gang rolled up in a TrimSpa tour bus and her whole crew of loony-tunes was there, as the party was filmed for her reality show.

I personally witnessed Matt E at work at the October grand opening of Pawn Shop, a downtown party spot, when Paris Hilton got on top of the DJ booth and did a little song and dance for the crowd. Trust me when I say he had the best seat in the house. Matt E brings the House music with retro classic remixes to Onda Lounge on Washington Ave. every Thursday night beginning this week.

 
Jessica McCann from The Rebel Billionaire

Birthday Bash 

Lincoln Road restaurant/late night lounge Rumi celebrated its third anniversary Friday night, which in South Beach years is like 75. The brainchild of promoters-turned-owners Sean Saladino and Alan Roth, Rumi has played host to some hot parties over the years. I’ve witnessed everything from Britney Spears sucking down 40 packs of cigarettes and still having enough gas to lead a dance-off with her tour dancers, to a private acoustic performance by Staind lead singer Aaron Lewis. Lasting another three years would be a South Beach miracle, but they have one big thing going for them: The food is actually good.

Oh No! It’s Yoko

The White Party, not a throwback to segregation, but a tribute to a wardrobe that any of the attendees will tell you cannot be worn after Labor Day, took place last week at various venues around South Florida. The weeklong party, in its 20^th year of paying homage to South Florida’s gay community, featured a guest performance by Yoko Ono at the Coconut Grove Expo Center on Saturday night. Who knew Ono could do more than break up the greatest band of all time? Nonetheless, crowds flocked to the Grove to watch Ono and Jason Walker and party to the DJ stylings of Junior Vasquez and Tony Moran.

Diesel Hits the Drive

There are certain things in life you can count on. Phil Mickelson will never win a major, the Red Sox will never win a World Series and no man will ever grace the cover of Ocean Drive magazine. The apocalypse must be near, because Ocean Drive publisher Jerry Powers announced Wednesday that Miami Heat center and South Beach stud, Shaquille O’Neal will be the first front page guy in the magazine’s decade-plus history. This, of course, furthers my theory that Shaq is the best thing to come to Miami since sand. His presence gives this city a buzz and not to mention fills the American Airlines Arena. I think he is the perfect person to break OD’s odd reverse sexual discrimination thing. Somewhere Betty Friedan is pretty pissed off.

Hangin’ with…

… Jessica McCann, the 27-year-old contestant in Richard Branson’s FOX reality show The Rebel Billionaire, who stripped down in last week’s show. McCann (JessMcCann.com) hosts the Saturday night party at Mansion this week with Rebel buddy Steve Berke.

JW: What was the most rebellious thing you did as a kid?

JM: I would sneak out of my house at two in the morning when I was 14 and push my dad’s car out of the garage and pick up my friends. I got busted once because I popped a tire. I had to call my dad. He was not happy.

JW: Who is someone you would want to see get naked on a TV show?

JM: I think Justin Timberlake is pretty cute. I like his whole persona and I like his music. He’s pretty easy on the eyes.

JW: Where is your favorite place to party in Miami?

JM: I like Touch. The food was great and the atmosphere was great too. The Osso Buco was amazing.

JW: If you had Branson’s money, what is the first thing you would buy?

JM: I would buy my grandparents a big house with a pool.

Spotted

* Sex and the City actor Jason Lewis hanging out in the VIP section of the hip-hop room of Prive Friday night. Sponsored by 42 Below Vodka, his table had a couple complimentary bottles, but local socialites were quick to make cocktails.
 

* Hip-hop/ Surreal Life star Flavor Flav in the hizzy at the Sunday Ritual party at Opium Garden. No word on whether Full House star Dave Coulier was also in attendance.

 

* Shoe designer Donald J Pliner dining with his wife and another couple at Tuscan Steak on Saturday night.

* Rapper Busta Rhymes and the Flipmode Squad partying with Vince Carter, Jalen Rose, Rafer Alston and a number of Toronto Raptors at BED Monday night for the Empire Events “Secret Society” party.

You got the 411? Send all comments, news items and subpoenas to JonWarech@aol.com.