Are you lust worthy?

Creative Loafing had a casting call Wednesday night at Madison's uptown for its 2008 Lust List.
I showed up expecting the place to be packed full of hotties, but the open call was off to a slow start until the Bobcats game let out. CL's Brittney Cason interviewed potential lust-worthy guys and girls, and even Brotha' Fred showed up with a Fox News Edge camera crew to to talk to editor Carlton Hargro.

My guess for a shoo-in on the list? Forum bartender Rolando. Yum.

Also Wednesday, I managed to venture out of my uptown bubble and down to The Arboretum in south Charlotte. Shocking, I know.

The band MOB performs hard rock at Phil and Tony's every Wednesday. They played everything from Johnny Cash to The Ramones to Tool while I was there. Sounded great, but my only complaint -- turn down those amps. I couldn't even carry on a conversation with the people across the table from me without standing up and shouting into their ears. It's not a large-capacity arena, people.



Phil and Tony's came under new ownership in October. With it came new carpeting. Gone is the leopard print of years past. New owner Rateb Rabie and his manager-daughter Reem hope to continue the restaurant's neighborhood feel, and it seems like the regulars are sticking so far. Several patrons told me they have been going to the bar on a regular basis for as many as seven years.

Can't get much more loyal than that.













Next up: the Martinis & Heels party at On the Roxx in Ballantyne and the launch party for Blu Magazine at Play.