Stars Turn Out for Asia de Cuba

Although it opened a mere two weeks ago, Asia de Cuba--the Mondrian Hotel’s tony new restaurant--is whetting the appetites and imagination of lots of celebrities. Tommy Hilfiger booked a table for 20 that included the Rolling Stones, and Sean “Puffy” Combs had a hotty-totty party there on Monday.

Maybe the lure is the white-hot feeling you get when you look around and see waiters and busboys just waiting for you to have a sip of water so they can replenish the glass. The place has that died-and-gone-to-heaven vibe that seems to be attracting the likes of Wesley Snipes, k.d. lang, Michael Richards, Foxy Brown, Rebecca De Mornay, Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley, who joined the restaurant at its opening party. (For more on Asia de Cuba, see First Impressions, Page 47.)

Those lucky enough to also score a table at the Sky Bar after dining on such naughty delectable treats as the Latin Lover (a waaaay chocolaty mousse dessert that comes with a chocolate heart and dagger) got a chance to see that L.A. view in all its glory.

Forget the people; the real celebrity is that poolside view. It just doesn’t get much better. . . .

Meanwhile, back in the trenches of Hollywood, at long last the Burgundy Room got its liquor license, and those who came out to play rejoiced this weekend with the opportunity to choose from more than clever variations of beer and wine. The already popular bar, which seems to have an excellent deejay no matter which night you pop in, will be standing-room-only for a while. . . .

Sunday’s invite-only show by Hole at the Palace in Hollywood, which was covered by MTV and “E.T.,” attracted the likes of Jim Carrey, Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Gilbert, Edward Furlong and hundreds of other balcony-seated VIPs, who came to see Courtney Love in all her raging glory. . . .

Speaking of pretty on the inside, seems L.A. just gets more and more beautilicious, and that’s probably why the owners of Beauty Bar, a pinky, slinky bar in New York, are scouting locations in Hollywood. After successfully debuting a Beauty Bar in San Francisco’s Mission district two months ago, they’re looking to launch here next. I don’t know about you, but we’re ready for our close-up. . . .

Celebrating 10 years in the rough-and-tumble club promotion business, Brent Bolthouse took over two rooms of the Hollywood Athletic Club last Friday, reviving his famed dance spot, Papa Willy. The event attracted about 700 guests and is scheduled to be a weekly affair through the summer. Many of Papa Willy’s original deejays were in the house, spinning mucho groovy stuff, and among the well-wishers were Jared Leto, Balthazar Getty, Bijou Phillips and Lara Flynn Boyle (who was seen the following night at Asia de Cuba, high-fiving her waiter after what apparently was a satisfactory visit). . . .

Went to the prettiest rock ‘n’ roll wedding over the weekend, Sunday’s union of Red 5’s Jennifer McElrath and Fluorescein’s Rocco Bidlovski, who were joined in blissed-out heavenly matrimony at L.A.’s Wilshire Ebell Theatre. At our table were two Vandals (singer Dave Quackenbush and drummer Josh Freese, who also drums in Guns N’ Roses and Devo), drummer Adrian Young of No Doubt, bassist Mitchell Townsend of Red 5 and visits by 22 Jacks frontman Joe Sib and Fluorescein singer Greg Mora. But it wasn’t a matter of who’s who, it was a matter of L-U-V. Many rock ‘n’ roll wishes and wind-swept kisses to the happy bride and groom.