Time to drill your Brunswick and trim your mullet, muchacho, because bowling is back in a big way. In the colossal new Pittsburgh Mills Mall, a 40-foot bowling pin marks the spot of Lucky Strike Lanes . Not the nerdy 10-pin parlor of yore, it's the hippest, high-tech roll in the fast lane we ever saw. Blending and bending Wednesday's preview bash into a benefit for Gilda's Club of Western Pennsylvania , several hundred urban hipsters and the just plain curious streamed into the totally cool hang that has Hollywood written all over it. In neon lights. Think bowling alley meets MTV for an idea of the vibe. Along with an arsenal of balls and multi-screen videos flashing film clips, art and icons over the lanes, Lucky Strike is a cosmic complex of pool tables, a sophisticated bar, and a really big retro-chic cocktail lounge that gives bowlers something to do with their hands between throwing strikes. And a booming sound system. While the menu looked appealing, the kitchen was sending out platters heaped with pizza and deep-fried mystery food. Beware of the dress code, with 13 no-no's and a bouncer at the door to enforce them. Faded jeans make the cut, but not your Juicy Couture hoodie, sweats, skullcaps or (get a grip) chains. Vintage bowling shirts were the party's best looks ... although we saw beauties bowling in short-shorts and alley-grazing skirts. In our spare time (heh heh), we spotted such sharpshooters as LSL CEO Bill Scheidhauer of Chicago; Gilda's Club director Carol Lennon; Hal Waldman; Jenifer and Mark Evans; Bill Steen; Kathy Slencak and Leigh Ann Izzi in pink bowling shirts; Gilda's Club architect Alan Dunn and Paula; Art McAuley; Carol and Mark Gray; Jill Neeley; Darlene Schiller; Dan Catanzaro; Deb Docherty and Evan Shapira; Maryann Miller; Jen McCrady; Heidi Norman; Sally and Walt Quinn; Andrea and Bob Hill with Alissa and Kylan; Mercedes and Ed Frantz; Colleen Ley ; and Peg Curry . Plus such other urban hipsters as Shelley Deemer; Jenny Losago; Colleen Miller; Barbara Klein; Susan and John Hogan; Bob Lazear; Jamie and Jon Morris; Lauren Schein; Michele DeMarion; Katie Kurtzman; Meredith Matthews; Sean Stefanik; Rick Riegler; Doug Kristoff; Ron Cavanaugh; Heather Winter and Jeremy Hafemann; Matt Lowes; Donna and Elliott Sanft; Vicki Veltri; Cheyenne Johnson; Shasta Meixelsberger; Geri Magee ; and Bonnie with Saul Markowitz , whose ad agency planned the preview do that buzzed with good times. Moi• Couldn't stay out of the gutter.

Racing Form

Even Saturday's driving rain (heh, heh, heh) couldn't dampen the spirits of hundreds of classic car aficionados who slogged over hill and dale in Schenley Park that was dotted with party tents and the most audaciously alluring, astronomically priced automobiles you won't find in your local dealership's back lot. But beauty was more than chrome deep in the qualifying heats of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix , where the only thing that counted was under the hood ornament. "It's about great cars, great people and a great cause," PVGP prez Mike Connelly shouted over the turbo-charged roars. "These cars are like priceless pieces of jewelry, and drivers take them out of the vault for this race." Now in its 23rd year with drivers from as far afield as California, the eastern seaboard and Canada, it also ranks as one of the largest of its kind stateside. And it runs as smoothly as a Rolex, thanks to the volunteers (2,000 strong this year!) who have piloted it from the first checkered flag. All to benefit the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley School . Between cars and drivers we spotted Bobby Rahal's Eric Hessinger ; drivers Dick Scott, Bill Lightfoot and Tivvy Shenton (five-time champ in his class!); Carolyn Wean and Alan Patterson; John Mills; Richard Scudder; Gigi Saladna; Christy and Greg Farrell; Don Brown; Reza Liaghat; Richard Scudder; Sally and Tom Horsmann; Steve Weber; Amy Fisk; Anna Kissell; Beth and Chris Sandvig; Bill Seman; Elaine Capen; John Kerr; Bill Seman; Barry Kaplan; Jim Farrar and son Jeff; Chris Granche; Bill Haus; Donna McDonough ; and Ted Sohier , voice of the PVGP for 23 years. Spare tire not included.

Wok and Roll

Where there's smoke, there's 35 Pittsburgh scenesters and pols playing with fire at Benihana's in Green Tree. At Tuesday's sixth annual Dave Thomas Celebrity Cookoff , these Emerils-come-lately were cooking to their own drummer and diners were loving the beat. The edible complex was packed wall-to-wall at two sittings and raised $75,000 to support the Three Rivers Adoption Council and its mission of improving adoption opportunities for all kids growing up without a permanent family. The food• Who cares• The hijinks were worth their weight in jade. For hai moments, Izzazu's shear delights, Emilio Cornacchione and Gino Chiodo , held court in crowns. Then the jury weighed in on the side of judges Kim Clark, Patricia McCullough and Alan Hertzberg for their slicing and dicing. Sure, WQED chef Chris Fennimore pulled it off like he was sinking a two-foot put. But we're talking samurai showmanship by Ian "Survivor" Rosenberger , Steelers' alum Robin Cole and Bubba of Star 100.7, whose hibachi table roared with laughter and, reprising their stint, Johnny Angel and the Halos added a doo-wap thrill to their grill. A tip of the toque to such other panhandlers who even auctioned the aprons off their backs for our kids' sake: WTAE's Sally Wiggin, Jerry and Melane Martz ; Sen. Wayne Fontana ; Urban League's Esther Bush ('graphing her apron "President Bush"); KQV's Elaine Effort; Scott Brown of Citizen's Bank; Darryl Ford Williams; Russ Streiner ; musician Walt Maddox ; KDKA's Brenda Waters and Yvonne Zanos; Anji and Vickie Hill of WAMO; WQED's Tonia Caruso and Dave Hallawell; Jessica Keglovich ; Fox's Alby Oxenriter; Jeff French; Debbie Norrell ; and TRAC's Jackie Wilson . In omakase we trust.

Taste Odyssey

At last Monday's James Beard House dinner, top Pittsburgh toque Toni Pais made a steamy Manhattan summer evening hotter still. A Taste of Portugal , celebrating the food and wine of Pais' native land, proved to be a coupe de cuisine and camaraderie. Friends, family, Pittsburgh envoys, global suits and New York gourmands, 55 strong, gleefully mingled -- interacting with bustling chefs in the open kitchen or conversing in the garden with multi-lingual exuberance. Getting an invitation to stage a dinner at the former Greenwich Village home of "the father of American gastronomy" is a career highlight for the world's best chefs. Cooking in that famous kitchen puts culinary skills center stage. And Pais, with his talented chef crew, certainly delivered a show-time sensation. In the kitchen with Toni were staff chefs Carl Lashley, Shane McCombs, Shawn Carlson and Mike Noll . Wife/partner Becky Pais ' son Josh Masslon , whom Toni mentored, flew in from his job as sushi chef at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalau, Hawaii, to join the team. Becky, gorgeous as always in a royal purple halter dress, created the unusual fresh-flower centerpieces with dramatic cabbage-like blooms. Pittsburgh delegates included stunning Yvette Bobonis Flaxman with boat show baron husband Jerry ; Pitt business prof Bob Atkin with Monique ; and Sarah Masslon , Becky's daughter now living in NYC. Kudos all, and what's next Toni?! -- Ann Haigh

Quick Takes

Grande Dame of the Amazon. While rallying to save the Amazon rain forests from destruction, the late explorer and artist Margaret Mee painted the rarest of orchids and plant life to document her travels. Wednesday, at Phipps Conservatory, the American Society for the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew in London hosted An Afternoon of Botany in Bloom , a showcasing lecture on the indomitable woman and her art. After indulging in a veddy English tea, catered by Rania and graced by Tim Condron's dewy fresh bouquets in the outdoor garden, guests continued on to a stunning exhibit of Mee's work, "The Flowering Amazon," in the Hunt Institute at CMU. In the crowd were such as the show's curator Ruth Stiff; James White and Lougene Bruno of the Hunt; Katherine Giarratani; Chari Levy; Marion Finegold; Nancy Smith; Susie Parker; Jean Mikkula; Ruth and Dr. Wilfred Rouleau; Melissa Craig; Alison Wardrop; Phyllis Katz ; and Nancy Knauss . Additional Information:

Photo Gallery

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