It’s Celebrity Spotting at Its Clubbiest

Rarely does a Hollywood night life critic get star-struck. (I’ve said it a thousand times--celepretties are figments of their stylists’ imaginations.) But when we saw Will Ferrell at Sushi Ko, it required great restraint to not swivel around and wax poetic about “A Night at the Roxbury.”

While dining at the Bel-Air sushi spot, I’ve rubbed elbows with Robert Shapiro (where his teenage son was bragging loudly about hanging out at the House of Blues). I’ve been sandwiched between Seal and a Black Crowe (that finey, singer Chris Robinson). But a Butabi eating wasabi? That beats all. As the Butabi brothers, Ferrell and Chris Kattan embodied Westside wannabes who hadn’t quite cracked the clubland code. For the record, the real Butabis are the meat and potatoes of the Hollywood club scene, the ones willing to stand in line, fantasizing about their day behind the rope. And, like the movie, many grow up to be promoters. Payback’s a beee-itch. . . .

Speaking of payback, we hear a cocktail waitress lost a hundred dollars of her tip money at the Viper Room, but, miraculously, it was returned. . . . For Chris Pike, scoring a bullfighters costume was nothing short of a miracle. The designer and co-owner of Las Palmas (which officially opens in March) headed to Tijuana in search of a costume to adorn the club. He met a bullfighter who’d given one to his cousin and the cuz gave it up for cheap (the ornate costumes are made in Spain and are usually muy expensivo). . . . Speaking of costumes, we saw a man at Cherry on Friday sporting overall shorts, Birkenstocks, tube socks, a straw hat and the word “Bumpkin” written across his chest. Boy howdy, bet he didn’t wait in line.

And while we’re on the subject of beauty, Beauty Bar is angling for a mid-February opening, with plans to throw-down weekend happy hours, consisting of manicures, make-overs and martinis. . . . Now can we please be excused? Make-Up’s one-year anniversary party is on Saturday at the El Rey Theatre, and we’ve got some wig shopping to do.