Well, It’s One Way to Dress for Dinner

It makes sense that the Palm was an attraction for the out-of-town soccer crowd--Brazilians, Argentines, Italians, Germans. It’s a quintessential American kind of place, famous for giant portions of beef and lobster.

So there we were on a Saturday night at this busy-busy place--even with a reservation, we stood outside for 45 minutes waiting for our table. Then we met a group of Mexican visitors who told us their dinner saga.

They had come directly from a soccer game, but there was a problem. They were wearing shorts and T-shirts or tank tops.

The Palm happens to be one of those few places with a dress code. What’s a hungry man to do?

They grudgingly crossed the street and bought trousers and sport shirts at International Male. We won’t repeat the word they used to describe their new clothes.

Now that’s an expensive steak.

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Non-Extravaganza: While our friends were off to big-ticket extravaganzas--”Encore! The Three Tenors” at Dodger Stadium on one night, Barbra Streisand in Anaheim the next--we thought about what movie we could rent for $1.25 (if you rent Tuesday through Thursday) at Tower Video on Sunset. We weren’t excited about “Boxing Helena” and we already sat through last year’s fairy tale, “Sleepless in Seattle.”

We consulted Davidlee Willson, assistant manager, who suggested “Valley of the Dolls.” “You’re kidding,” we exclaimed.

No, he said. The lurid 1967 film starring Patty Duke, Barbara Parkins and Sharon Tate is one of the most consistent rentals there is. “It’s in the ‘drama’ section, but it’s funny,” Wilson said. “You have to see the wig scene to understand.”

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Vehicle Ogling: Among the vehicles on view at the 14th annual Beverly Hills Charity Car Show are “Cars of the Comics.” They will include Tim Allen’s Saleen Mustang and one of Jay Leno’s yet-to-be identified autos. Ogling these and other cars will take place next Sunday at Beverly Hills High School to benefit several Los Angeles and Beverly Hills charities. And we think we have a germ of an idea for a “Seinfeld” episode.