Gossip Should Have No Friends

[February 15th, 2006] A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS The Portland International Film Festival , the Northwest Film Center's annual showcase of new world cinema, had a little drama of its own when it was discovered that a money bag containing revenues collected from Friday night's opening soiree was missing . Although it was a relatively small amount (under $500), at press time Film Center staffers (and Portland's finest) still had yet to figure out exactly where the money went.

BARELY DRINKING In town for a show at the Aladdin Theater, effervescent singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik just wanted a drink of the good stuff. So imagine his sweet surprise last Thursday night when a barkeep at P-town's famed strip joint Mary's Club was able to accommodate his request for a glass of pinot grigio. Wine snob Sheik confessed to the bartender, "I fucking hate chardonnay," to which she replied: "We hear that a lot...that's why we added pinot grigio to the menu a couple of months ago." Not to get all Phil Stanford on our readers, but really, we've gotta say it: "Only in Portland."

SHY GUY Speaking of stripping, former Mercury editor and onetime mayoral candidate Phil Busse refused to take it all off last Friday night at No Fish Go Fish's Strip Jeopardy contest, despite his early game elimination. We're not sure what he had to hide—everything else not hidden beneath his white boxer briefs was certainly worthy of a viewing. Note: The views expressed by intern Laura Parisi may not necessarily be shared by the rest of the WW staff.

FLY AWAY A note posted on the Little Wing Cafe's door last week announced that after opening nearly 13 years ago in a "quiet Pearl District," co-owner Bob Weisman has shuttered the cafe to be closer to family on the East Coast.