No gambling and no cigars. Those were the only two restraints that Hotel ZaZa GM Matthew Nuss put on Suzy Bergner as she planned her "Suzy B Bad Spring Fling Spa and Pool Day" at the hotel's sexy Urban Oasis.

Damn! She had envisioned craps tables with serious money exchanging hands and handsome caballeros rolling cigars around the pool while her guests sipped Veuve Cliquot. So instead of money, she rounded up an auction chair's dream of donations (a weekend on Lake Travis, dinner at Philippe's, Tootsies gift cards, etc.) for last week's fete. "I felt as though I was a 501 c3," she quipped.

As many as 50 party animals rocked and rolled at one time or another around the pool from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. That's right, it was a daytime thing with guests indulging in ZaSpa treatments, sipping and grazing, dancing to DJ tunes and having their fortunes told.

Highlight of the day was the New Orleans style brass band that juked around the terrace and across the pool bridge while guests formed a second line with Suzy leading the way with her official second line umbrella. "ZaZa guests and employees all got in on the act," she e-mailed. "People were hanging off the balconies, just like in NOLA!!! It was awesome!!!"

As a surprise for Suzy, Nuss had T-shirts made for the hotel spa and pool staff that read "A Suzy B Bad Production."

It was a mixed bag of guests that included Houston Dynamos Brian Ching and Michael Chabala, De Beer's Bridgette Bottone, sportscaster Lisa Malosky, Astrid Van Dyke, Laura Heffron, Kelly Anzilotti, Brenda Fant, Reece Davenport, Brad Madrid and Beverle Ostrofsky.

The Mayor hits 55

What cooler place for a 21st century mayor — that would be Annise Parker — to celebrate her birthday than at the vintage Continental Club on Main Street? That's where several hundred supporters turned out Sunday to raise campaign funds and help blow out the candles. Suggested contributions — $55 or $555. Only hours after riding in the Art Car parade, Mayor Parker moved across town for the fundraiser.

Lane Schultz, wife of club owner Bob Schultz, hosted the bash that featured barbecue and Tex-Mex, two birthday cakes and the warbling of songbird Yvonne Washington.

Big surprise of the party was arrival of the MOB (Rice University's Marching Owl Band) that performed "Happy Birthday" for the Mayor, a Rice grad, in case you forgot.

Among those offering best wishes were Adam Harris, Mary Bell, Mini Timmaraju, Norm Nelson, Neil and Kris Thomas, METRO board member Dwight Jefferson and wife Elaine, David Arpin, Alex Martinez, Yolanda Navarro and Diana Espitia.

A pop of the cork and dinner is planned

Key forces in the Best Cellars Celebrity Dinner fundraiser for cancer research —wine hosts Brent Sloan and Franelle Rogers and benefit chairs Jeanie and Jim Janke — hosted a wine reception at Nos Caves Vin to stir up interest in the Sept. 13 evening benefiting the T.J. Martell Foundation.

Impressed by the dinner that last year raised $91,000 for cancer research, several wine collectors and enthusiasts signed on as wine hosts including Tom Burke, Ray Sawaya, Steve Toplansky, Gina and Dr. Devinder Bhatia and Caroline Kenney.

Key to much of the pleasure of the September dinner was announcement by celebrity chef Robert Del Grande of RDG that his colleague Dean Fearing of Dallas would be joining him again this year to create a stellar four-course meal paired with wines from the private cellars of each wine host.

More big news — Lee Ann Womack and Christian Kane will return as celebrity guests. Dennis Lord will join the Jankes as dinner co-chair.

Power lunching

There might be some growing competition in the neighborhood but La Griglia seems to continue its reign at top gun lunch spot for the city's movers and shakers. Consider the crowd Tuesday: Port Commissioner Elyse Lanier with Courtney Lanier Sarofim and Christopher Sarofim, legal eagles Lee Kaplan and Larry Veselka, Municipal Judge Theresa Chang, Republic Service's exec Lea Gibson, HISD board president Paula McCann Harris, marketing whiz Cindy Clifford and Jason Fuller, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's regional director.