Scene in the Tropics

Idol Thoughts

Spotted in Wild Oats on Alton Road today with a "cart full of food," according to our witness, American Idol winner Ruben Studdard. Studdard said he was in Miami, "just chillin'," and when asked who he thought would win this year's stiff competition, he said either Chris or Katharine. But based on Elliot Yamin's stellar performances tonight, perhaps Kat won't be so lucky. Wait a minute. Oversized Studdard at a health food store. Wow, that's big!

Hunky Housewives star says no to dudes

Jesse Metcalfe clearly doesn't care that half his admirers happen to be GAY MEN. That's right, the Desperate  Housewives hottie, who is en route to Miami for a party at crobar Saturday night, refuses to allow men into his meet and greet. According to one of our most excellent moles, Metcalfe's rider (list of demands) with crobar states that he's only to meet and shake hands with women Saturday night and that all gay men are strictly prohibited from attending. We wonder why the comely Metcalfe doth protest too much. Hmmm.

Barking mad

Lisa Pliner, wife of shoe king Donald, had a hissy fit when she was dining at Sushi Siam on Lincoln Road with frequent Pliner model , Baby Doll Pliner, the family Maltese. Lisa ordered a salmon plate just for the dog and when a waiter caught the pampered pooch eating off the plate, he went ballistic and took the plate away screaming that dogs do not eat off plates. Lisa paid her check and left, but don't expect the Pliners to shoe up at Sushi Siam ever again. We promise you they won't.

Can't Touch this.

Yikes! Was that Star Jones dining at Touch last Saturday night? Apparently it was, albeit a liposucked version of the original portly one. She and friends ate like it was their last meal, gorging themselves on Kobe steak, 2.5 lb lobster, angus filet and washed it all down with Opus One. According to our spy, people had no clue who it was, nor did they seem to care.

Girls, he's ENGAGED!

We wonder if Matt Damon wasn't a celebrity, would girls still find him irresistable? We frankly think he's blah, not even cute along the lines of a Muppet or a Hobbit, for that matter. But whatever.

The newly engaged (read: off the market)  Damon was at Prime 112 on Saturday night with party of 6. Despite the engagement news, a group of 10 blonde bachelorettes kept coming over to the table to meet him.

According to our spy there, it was getting very irritating, especially for the staffers who couldn't turn over the table since Damon was being interrupted so often and his din din took such a long time.

Shaq's new home

Shaquille O'Neal and wife Shaunie did dinner at Grazie, the new-ish Italian eatery on South Beach last Thursday. Shaunie ate chopped salad and penne pomodoro and Shaq was good, eating just grilled chicken. Shaq and the missus loved it so much they told owner Moshe Petel that it would be their new home--ah, so that's where Shaq's moving to!

JLo and behold

spotted at the Forge last night at a girlie girl dinner party was none other than Jennifer Lopez, sans slight hubby Marc Anthony.

According to our spy witness, if you were wondering if Miss Lo was preggo, the answer is no--sort of. "Her stomach was as flat as a pin, but, girl, that ass could carry twins."

Just after the girl friend blew out her birthday candles, Miss Lo grabbed a mirror, fixed her lipstick and fled into the night, kind of as if she was expecting throngs of snappers out front clammoring to take her mug.

"Not a single paparazzi was outside," said the spy. "Not a one."

Nemo meet Neptune, part deux

Pharrell and Paulina Rubio showed up at Nemo's brunch together last week because they are working on a song together…or so he says.

Nemo, meet Neptune (and Barry Manilow, too)

Mega producer and hip hopper Pharrell Williams loves the brunch at Nemo. He goes every Sunday and loads up on pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith’s amazing white chocolate banana bread pudding, and is always with gorgeous girls. We hear Barry Manilow happened to be there last Sunday brunch as well, and loved the Wok Charred Wild King Salmon – he visited the buffet twice for seconds. Could it be magic?