Getting the flu during the worst heat wave in the summer? Miserable, let me tell you. I've been sneezing and coughing and getting drunk on TheraFlu all week. But I've kept up on the scene, vicariously at least.

First off, did anyone catch Hyde owner Sam Nazarian flex his thespian muscle on "Entourage" on Sunday? I really need to get HBO. Meanwhile at Hyde this week: Mel B had trouble controlling her hormones and LC hid from the paparazzi, which is kind of like going to The Ivy and getting annoyed that there are cameras.

Over on E!'s "Dr. 90210," Les Deux's bartender Brian got his perspiration issues in check by having the sweat glands under his armpits Botoxed. (Umm...) Paris and Stavros, however, probably didn't stay as dry when they reunited at Les Deux this week.

Before I crawl back into bed, I leave you with a photo gallery of Les Deux from last Tuesday's party. Click in.

The Labor Day parties haven’t even kicked off yet and already my attention has shifted to Award Season and all the glamorous after-parties we have to look forward to. The Emmy Awards, of course, will get the party started in L.A. on September 16. The two events everyone’s buzzing about: The TV Guide bash at Les Deux and the Entertainment Tonight/People fete at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Yes, I said the Walt Disney Concert Hall. With all of my favorite TV stars. I think I might die and go to heaven.



Here’s the scoop.

The music:
A *surprise* Grammy award-winner is headlining—my guess is John Legend
KCRW DJ Jason Bentley

The drinks:
Entertain-mint mojitos
A-list twists
Paparazzi punch

The food (c/o Patina):
Blinis with caviar and crème fraiche
Mini smoked scallop burgers
Beef tenderloin with roasted garlic
Yellowtail snapper with a passion fruit buerre blanc saunce

The sweets (c/o Godiva):
A chocolate tree with fresh strawberries, brownies and macaroons
A truffletini bar

The party favors:
Maybeline and Garnier make-up bags
A sustainable, eco-friendly Cole Haan bag packed with goodies from Crabtreen & Evelyn, YogaWorks, massage gift certificates and more

Now, the only question is: How will I get myself on the list for this lavish party? Oh yeah: And what will I wear?  

I told you Avalon's quarterly Made in Brazil party was hotter than Gisele Bündchen in a Victoria's Secret catalog. Exhibits A and B.

Miss Saturday night's party? Click in for more photos.

I went to Green Door on Wednesday and it’s all I’ve been able to think about since.

When you walk in, it’s like you’re whisked away to another world, another century even. It has all the fixings of a turn-of-the-century French castle with red velvet couches, green and gold curtains, chandeliers, a stone fireplace, regal portraits, museum-worthy murals and walls that have been painted in earth tones to give the impression of age. It also has a secretive and mysterious vibe; a bit like the game Clue, but instead of searching for “who done it," the impeccably dressed crowd is looking for who they want to do. The other night, most of the girls were in dresses and the dudes were dapper in vests, pinstriped shirts, skinny ties and loafers—very Jude Law in "The Talented Mr. Ripley."

Here's a quick look inside, though my DIY pics don't do it justice!

With regulars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Bosworth, getting in is not easy, but I’m pretty sure that a dinner reservation is a ticket past the velvet rope. The food (available until 1 a.m.) looks good too, especially the crepes and the steak frites.

On a side note:
There's a hair iron for use in the bathroom. Confusing, yes, but I kind of love that you can fix your hair on the fly.

Some teens celebrate their 18th birthday by buying lotto tickets and getting lap dances. Not Hayden Panettiere. Her first order of business this week was to register to vote (with a photo op, of course) and on Saturday she’s hitting the kick-off party for the “young professional division” of the Barack Obama campaign.

Want to go? Here are the details.
Where: Falcon

When: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Who: Um, Hayden! And Will.i.am is co-hosting the event with promoter Pantera Sarah. (Barack, however, will be in Florida.)

Cost: $25

Party favor: Sweet t-shirts silk-screened with graphics like this!

Success! The space formerly known as Dublin's has finally, truly been reborn into a club that's sure to be a hit on the Sunset Strip. Last night's opening party of The Beach was packed to the gills with a bronzed crowd—either they lay out at the real beach or, most likely, they fake 'n bake at Sunset Tan nearby.

I wasn't able to stay for the performances (went to The Green Door and it's amazing; more on that later), but I did see the awesome Ryan Silver (right) and his cohort Spike, who stopped by before heading to Opera, where they promote hugely successful parties on Wednesdays.


Some other "highlights" of the evening:


While most people were chilling out downstairs last night, I can tell you that the upstairs lounge, which looks like a living room, will become the best spot in the house, especially during football season. And with a menu like this, how could you not stay all day, all night?

Sadness. Trifecta finally bit the bullet and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. And rumor has it that one of my favorite wine bars, Bodega DeCordova, is closing down too. At least I'll have The Beach's opening party to cheer me up tonight. The party starts at 8 p.m. and food and booze is free until 10 p.m. Steve Aoki is DJing (hot) and Jesse McCartney and Ryan Cabrera are performing (ummm?), but mainly I'm excited to dive into the Wipeout margarita. I also hear that there'll be lifeguard booths out front. RSVP for tonight's bash at rsvp@platformgrp.com.

The bar at Malo was the drinking destination at Sunset Junction this past weekend. Their big special was $3 Dewar's, which just kills me because it's such an old man's drink. (Guess they're desperate to hook a younger generation on its booze now that their current customer base is dying off.) Scotch just does not equal party, unless you're Augusten Burroughs before rehab—and even that wasn't so much of a party. What does equal a party? Malo's mojitos, which are so good the bartender actually took a sip of my drink before handing it to me. Normally that'd freak me out, but this time it actually earned her a bigger tip.

Sunset Junction is this weekend, but before you go drink your brains out, might I pass along there three important things to you?

One: The rules to break if you want to survive the weekend.

Two: Where to get wasted.

Three: The bands to catch in between binge drinking.

I know: We Metromixers are always so prepared. 

Oh sh-t! It looks like there's going to be a Sunset Strip rivalry between The Beach and Harlot, both new bars that aim to break "Hollywood" rules by not charging inflated drink prices or imposing VIP BS at the door. I already filled you in on The Beach and its 50-ounce cocktails, which come in glasses that could double as spacious birdbaths.

Now let me tell you about Harlot, formerly known as Wet and before that The Falls. The owners are hopping it'll be known as "the little French whore across the street from the Chateau Marmont." And indeed, the bar will be cheap and easy when it opens in early September.

The bar's marketing manager Jamie Barren (you also know him as a promoter at hot spots Sugar and Privilege) says, "We won't have a happy hour because we'll be happy all the time." Indeed! They too will have mega-sized cocktails, served in 60-ounce glasses, and Jamie says they'll be cheaper than those at The Beach. And the mix drinks will only cost $6 (a good $3 cheaper than other bars in the neighborhood) and be made with Effen vodka, which is pretty f'n amazing considering it's premium booze. 

As for actual harlots frequenting the bar? It's on the Strip. What do you think?

Remember Sunset Beach, the SoCal-themed restaurant and club inside the old Dublin's space on Sunset Boulevard? No? That's OK because it never really took off—despite its prime location—because the owners (Steve Marlton from Sugar and James Castro) couldn't agree on anything and were quite vocal about it to the press. Anyway, the venue's back, only it's been reborn into The Beach. I hung out there with Steve on Saturday and I can tell you this: You will not leave here with the ability to walk a straight line or touch your finger to your nose. (Click in to see photos of drinks that are larger than your head!)

For now The Beach is in "soft opening" phase. The grand opening goes down on August 22 with Steve Aoki--and possibly DJ AM--on the decks.

Vice, which is located in the club formerly known as Star Shoes, had its soft opening on Wednesday. I couldn't go, unfortunately, so our MMX intern Randi Eichenbaum—always up for a velvet rope challenge—hit the scene for me.

As expected, there were a lot of scantily-clad girls there. (Co-owner Steve Fowler loves a blonde that's barely dressed!) Also, no surprise: Rex Lee was in the house. He's been everywhere lately.

What was surprising was how chill the scene was for a hot new Hollywood club. The door dudes were nice, the space was cozy, the bartenders were hot and cordial and the drinks were strong.

The verdict: She loves it! In fact, it was one of those nights that made her question moving to New York at the end of the month.

Stop the presses. I just heard a rumor that '80s glam metal band Poison is playing at Sugar this Saturday. Sugar’s owner Steve Marlton confirmed, but he’s not yet sure if the whole band is coming. As of now, Bret Michaels and C.C. DeVille are confirmed. I know. Totally bizarre, but I love it!

Atwater Village isn’t exactly known for its nightlife scene outside of the Bigfoot Lodge and The Roost, both kitschy bars known for occasionally attracting Morrissey (the former) and Karen O (the latter). But that might change with The Griffin, a new bar from the dudes behind Eagle Rock's Swiss-inspired bar The Chalet. Manager Andy All tells me the space is evocative of a castle, with a domed brick ceiling, two fireplaces that sit on oval brick platforms, paintings of landscapes and knights, and two bars, one of which is available for private parties Wednesday through Sunday nights. So why haven’t you heard of The Griffin? “We opened last Wednesday on a whim,” says All. “We don’t do grand openings.” The bar is currently open daily from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., but that will change with the introduction of a happy hour and “nice” appetizers. And there will be a signature cocktail, but they’re not sure what that is yet. In fact, the only thing that’s set in stone for now is its location: 300 Los Feliz Boulevard. 

The pool parties on "Entourage" must have inspired promoter Craig Clemens because he's started a new wet 'n wild Wednesday bash worthy of Vincent Chase and the boys. Each week, he takes over a different mansion with a sweet pool, sets up a VeeV-sponsored bar, and lures about 60 of this town's sexiest and youngest power players to party. Last week it was at his place on Mt. Olympus. This week? Invitees will find out at the last minute. How do you get on Craig's list? MySpace him for consideration—and while you're on his page, check out the MTV-style web video from one of his previous pool bashes. You'll especially like this line: "'Cause when the sun goes down...the panties go down?"

X Games has taken over L.A. Never mind the actual sporting events, which are awesome enough—every night there’s another bash to celebrate the athletes most likely to get themselves bashed up. Half of younf Hollywood joined Travis Barker and Steve Aoki at Opera on Wednesday night to party in the name of X and last night the sporting fest was represented at Area, where new mom Jaime Pressly talked smack about Britney Spears’ wild ways. (Britney, meanwhile, was at Winston’s.) The X Games celebrations will continue this weekend at Ritual on Saturday night. Here’s the flier. Note the free booze from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Email scfowler@aol.com to get on the list.

Every night, it seems, a new ultra lounge opens up, from Teddy’s to Stone Rose Lounge to my all-time-favorite bar Winston’s, all of which manage to balance exclusivity with the laid-back vibe of a neighborhood bar.

Crimson, which opened last night next to Opera, is the latest bar to hop on board the ultra-lounge bandwagon, but its spectacular design puts it at the head of the pack. Say goodbye to chandeliers! The dance floor here is lit by a mesmerizing blown-glass installation. And that’s just the beginning. The walls are lined with python skin and soft chinchilla fur (both faux, of course!); the ceiling’s tiled with red glass; the mirrors are smoked; and the large, casual smoking patio is one of the best in town.  

For now, Crimson will be open the first half of the week, with David & David and Jean Paul manning the scene on Wednesday nights. Last night, they lured in the vintage-chic crowd; the girls were sexy in tattered dresses paired with headbands and oversize Marc Jacobs purses and the boys were all about their peg-leg jeans and fedoras, except for Danny Masterson who is still all about his beard. Promoter Jean Paul, of course, was sexy in a dress.

As for the music: That’s what really sealed the deal into making this best new spot in town. DJs Lady's Love and Temporary Spaces' Sean Patrick kept the crowd going with Blur, Depeche Mode and Prince; and they brilliantly ended the night with Tommy James and the Shondells’ “Crimson and Clover.”

Was there a full moon or something last night? For once, paparazzi-hater Avril Lavigne played nice for the cameras at Les Deux while Lauren "LC" Conrad and Audrina Partridge, who let MTV film their lives for "The Hills" avoided the paps like the plague.