Ah Mynt, the club so many love yet so few get into. It was in hibernation for the past two months while the décor was given new life by renowned designer Juan Carlos Arcila-Duque. The reopening showed off a more spacious joint while the color scheme went from frosty pastels to a full and vibrant forest and olive green. By the way, they were still painting until 11:00 p.m. You could smell the fresh paint, but it made for a pleasant high.
The festivities went off with a bang. DJ Mark Leventhal spun AC/DC (yeah!). Owner Nicola Siervo made his rounds among the admiring A-list patrons -- Adriana and Charlie Schreiner, Michael Capponi, Florida Marlins' Luis Castillo (who was hanging with Sammy Sosa's brother!?), Antonio Misuraca, and the lovely Tara Solomon, self-proclaimed queen of the night and my inspiration. She was with her handsome fiancé, Nick D'Annunzio. Man, if I had known she liked younger men I'd have thrown myself at her feet long ago. She's one sexy ... (I better shut my mouth). And I gotta mention the two tall guys, Mynt's co-owner Rony Seikaly and manager Jeff Miller, because I want them on my Hoop It Up team.
But the most eventful occurrence was my encounter with Louis Puig over my recent sarcastic piece ("Spaced Out," October 9) about Space 34's predicament. He put his arm around me and began leading me into a corner of the room. I thought things were gonna get ugly. But I'll be honest: Puig handled himself with class. He gave his side, then heard mine. In the middle of all this, people were trying to gently defuse the situation with timely interruptions. Right before we parted ways peacefully, he reminded me of something my "young, ignorant ass will eventually learn about." Consequences. Maybe he's right, maybe I'm a jerk.
Mynt Lounge is located at 1921 Collins Ave, Miami Beach. Call 786-276-6132.
