Venetian Minds

A California culture club

A Saturday afternoon on Venice's fabled Boardwalk: the muscle men, roller skaters, tourists, and junkies all pay tribute to the pagan gods of Southern California. But just a block from the beach, at 72 Market St., Tony Bill's coolly understated eating place, a more Apollonian spirit rules. For here, once a month, over white wine, pate, and fresh oysters, the actor-producer-restaurateur hosts the 72 Market St. lecture series, informal chats with visitors from the worlds of business, science, and the arts. So let the Dionysians cavort outside; inside, the life of the mind is served up as the special of the day.

The whole experiment grew out of a party that Bill held last year for The Paris Review. Brain cells astir, Bill's upwardly intellectual pals began agitating for more such afternoons. Dr. Paul MacCready, "the father of human-powered flight," took center table one Saturday to explain his man-pedaled flying machine, the Gossamer Condor. Dressed like the prototypical pen-in-pocket scientist, MacCready also inveighed against astrology—to the nervous laughter of the many Aquarians in the room. Zandra Rhodes has lectured; the Mums have juggled. June saw the return of George Plimpton and his Paris Reviewsttes. This month, a mystery guest is on the menu. (Hint: Think classical.)

Gregg Kilday