We had lunch with Russians at an Indian restaurant on Saturday (the wonderful Madras Cafe on Powerline, where we joined Indian families at a bountiful buffet) and lunch with Poles at a Greek restaurant on Sunday (the excellent, and inexpensive, The Greek Joint in Hollywood). "Do you know what language we're speaking?" I asked the waiter. "Polish," he said confidently. "How'd you know?" I asked him. "I'm from Romania," he said.
But the highlight of the weekend was going to Bal Harbour for Fashion's Night Out. I felt a little awkward following the directive of Anna Wintour, not quite believing that what the country needs now is a surge in shopping. But when you're a freelance writer working at home you'll grab any excuse to get out of the house.
And Bal Harbour on Friday was the perfect place for the accidental hermit. I had not seen a greater collection of beautiful women since I last climbed the stairs between classes at the English Language College in Warsaw. Most of the shops had champagne buckets sitting on their counters, and the courtyard buzzed with an open bar and free buffet. (Right next to the bocce courts.) We joined the line at the latter, talking to two sisters from Bogota with a Jack Russell on a leash before scoring miniature hot dogs with sauerkraut on the side. Models made the rounds, slinking effortlessly through the crowds like an exotic and superior species. In Saks, a band played at one end, in front of a table of Grey Goose cocktails, while Michelle Bernstein and her minions turned out mini portions of noodles in peanut sauce. A man here on vacation from San Francisco told us, in a heavy Russian accent, that he'd just had his picture taken with a model from Poland. (What did I tell you?) At the other end, up one level, Mitchell Kaplan stood in Books & Books waiting for the arrival of Tracy Mourning, while a young woman from the cafe passed out samples of the store's delicious frozen yogurt. It went beautifully after the hot dogs and noodles. I began to feel some appreciation for Anna Wintour.
