Wednesday, November 25, 2009

participants mingling: Eva La Rue from CSI: Miami

J.R. and Loren Ridinger opened up their Miami Beach home, better said, estate, to partygoers Friday night.

The Market America tycoons' outdoor shindig kicked off the Rally for Kids With Cancer, an automotive scavenger cup and fundraiser rolled into one, which took place Saturday morning. The fund raiser was for Jackson Memorial Foundation, International Kids Fund and Holtz Children's Hospital.

Now we know why the North Bay Road palazzo is called Casa de Sueños (House of Dreams). The grounds look like a mini Vizcaya, with lushly trimmed hedges, Greek statues and a $3.6 million yacht, the Utopia III, parked out back (Mike Piazza had his 2005 wedding aboard it). And we also know why Jennifer Lopez, Fergie and Eva Longoria Parker choose to set up camp there instead of at a hotel when they're visiting.

Guests were treated to a Chinese meatball and noodle station, cupcake buffet and gobs of raw treats -- from beef carpaccio to tuna tartare.

Parker, who spearheaded the rally, came tardy to the party due to travel issues, but we saw a number of other celebs/rally participants mingling: Eva La Rue from CSI: Miami (``I'm the taller Eva,'' she joked); Tichina Arnold from the now-dead Everybody Hates Chris; former supermodel Veronica Webb; Sex and the City hunk Gilles Marini; and Crank: High Voltage star Bai Ling.

Dressed in a stilettos with zippers; a mini, mini skirt; and plunging white tuxedo-like jacket with nothing underneath (because the accompanying vest ``was too big''), the Chinese actress worked the va-va voom.

``Everything's from Italy,'' said Ling, who added that she has eight films in post production. ``I'm so bad with [designer] names. I just felt like everything just fit.''

Poolside, we caught up with Ingrid Hoffman, host of Food Network's Simply Delicioso.

The TV personality was still nursing a knee injury but looking good and staying busy. She and fiancé Jim Heins are launching a new ``restaurant,'' Latin Burger and Taco soon.

``It's a mobile truck with a rolling gourmet kitchen hitting the late-night crowds all around town -- Coral Gables, the Grove, even Homestead,'' said Heins.

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