David and Victoria Beckham Hit the Town After Debut

America’s newly minted celebrities, soccer player David Beckham and wife Posh Spice, didn’t miss a step last night.

Even though Beckham only played his debut game with the L.A. Galaxy for a few minutes, the couple wined and dined about 15 family and friends at Wolfgang Puck’s emporium of incredibly delicious beef, Cut.

The Beckham crowd took up a huge table, but their members did not include other celebrities. Restaurant staff were told that representatives of both Beckham’s family and his wife’s were there.

One thing’s for sure: the couple was very romantic at the table, at one point nuzzling each other’s necks as Puck’s succulent cuts of beef were delivered to the table.

When Beckham took a bathroom break, we ran into him in the lobby of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, where Cut is located. Did he get to play tonight?

"For about 10 minutes," he said, "I have a bad ankle."

Was he looking forward to the big shindig being planned for Sunday night in his honor? "Oh, yes," he said. David Beckham is not a man of many words.

The party to which I alluded was assembled at the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Geffen warehouse. When I stopped by on Friday afternoon, large chandeliers were being installed, and huge modern white couches were being placed in the concrete vault of a room. Also, huge bouquets of flowers were being delivered.

If nothing else, the Beckham welcome party, hosted by Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith, was supposed to rival Vanity Fair’s Oscar party. The 600-person guest list, left on a security table, looked like a phone book.

Meanwhile, in Beverly Hills, a tent was set up for those who want to drop their car and take a shuttle to downtown Los Angeles. Most Hollywood types have never ventured to the corner of 1st and Central in the downtown Arts district. But that’s where this party was to take place, so it could be roped off from gawkers, press and paparazzi. Oh my!

Back at the restaurant, a diner asked Victoria Beckham if she liked Los Angeles.

"Love it!" she cried as she and hubby were escorted through a secret hatch in Cut so paparazzi outside couldn’t photograph them. Their guests were stuck going out the regular exit into the parking lot.

And why wouldn’t the Beckhams be happy? Four years ago, they tried this PR onslaught. They were unsuccessful then in their hostile takeover of the US. There was no lack of trying. They even did a weepy interview with Barbara Walters on "20/20." But nothing worked and the Becks were sent home.

Alas, now equipped with new powerful pal Tom Cruise, they feel invincible. Katie Holmes attended the Galaxy game last night before going home, donning an apron and making 600 plates of foie gras pate hors d'oeuvres for consuming on Sunday night. (Just kidding!)

Posh and Becks, as they are known in the U.K., just want a little piece of the action in this town. They may yet get it.