The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 66

2F Th SUNDAY Ttnnewan JANUARY IS. 1989 wvm iii mi 1 1 y-. Bangkok Palace doesn't 'Thai' with others yet 3 i pr- it'-: v-, -t 1 i'L -Mr tit -A: V- 4 born chef as your tour guide? I can't And when the chef is our own Sigi Eisenberger, Culinary Olympic gold medal winner and owner of Chef Sigi's, the idea is even more exciting. Slgi will host a 1 2-day, seven-city 30AttPEW REVIEW 1 eating tour of Switzerland and France this April with famous restaurants including Mlchelin Two Star Chateau de Divonne at Lake Geneva, Three Star La Cour des Loges in Lyon, Three star Georges Blanc and UEsperance in Burgundy and Two Star Les Ambas-I 'V sadeurs In Paris. This extraordinary trip, arranged through Ambassador Travel, has limited space so reservations must be made sooa For more Information, call George Hearn at 385-2000.

Sigi Is making big plans for cold. 'mm Marriott's Desert Springs is the largest resort hotel in the Palm Springs area. 7. Palm Springs fights for survival- place else. dark February.

He's going to warm up the month with a gala Venetian masquerade ball at the restaurant Call 269-9999 or drop by Chef Sigi's for details. Nicole's, my favorite meat-and-two (or three, or four) restaurant has opened a second location at Third and Church. If you like Southern crawl-in-your-mama's-lap comfort cooking, you'll love Nicole's. Randy Rayburn, managing partner at F. Scott's, has already fulfilled his New Year's resolution.

(I haven't Bangkok Palace should offer Brentwood residents a pleasant alternative to O'Charley's and Par-go's, two nearby AH-American res-' taurants. But even those who crave Thai-Oriental cuisine regularly won't be likely to make this new restaurant a favorite hangout until some of the kinks are worked out. Much of the food is good, but just as much isn't And several items on the menu were not available the night I was there from simple egg roll to whole deep-fried fish, a Thai specialty. The small, clean restaurant lacks atmosphere. Except for three little golden Thai dolls adorning one large wall, there is no decor, nothing to suggest its namesake city which is filled with colorful, ornate temples, mysterious buddhas and exotic waterways.

The service is polite and friendly, but not well executed. For example, our waiter was attentive in taking orders and refilling glasses, but ignored the dirty dishes on our table until we asked to have them removed. Our party of six began with Chicken Satay, Tod Munn Koong (shrimp cake), Shrimp Tempura, Naem Sohd (ground pork), Mee Krob (rice noodles with shrimp), $5.25, and Imperial Chicken all from the appetizer list. The satay was strips of chicken marinated in fresh coconut milk and curry, served with a good, spicy peanut sauce. The shrimp cake was spongy and it had a subtle, unpleasant un-dertaste of lemon soap.

The tempura fared no better. The shrimp tasted fine, but the batter was soggy- The Mee Krob, on the other hand, was lovely sweet, crisp thin rice noodles with fresh shrimp, bean sprouts and scallions. Naem Sohd, ground lean pork marinated in lemon juice, was so hot with spice I couldn't distinguish flavor. The peanuts sprinkled around it seemed grossly out of place. Yet Imperial Chicken deep fried chicken wings stuffed with pork, shrimp, crab meat and bean thread was excellent.

The wings had been shaped into little balls, fried crisp on the outside and moist tender and flavorful within. And so it went throughout the meal. For every dish that tasted good, there was a disappointing counterbalance. I was especially disappointed with the Kai-Tom-Kha, a spicy coconut soup with chicken. My palate fondly remembers the coconut soup at the Slam Cafe, 316 McCall, just off Nolensville Road, where this soup is one of the most divine flavors I have ever put in my mouth.

At Bangkok Palace it Is thin, bland and watery. And the TonvYum-Kal (hot and sour chicken soup with lemon-grass) was too spicy for all but one diner. As entrees we ordered Moo-Pad-Preow-Whan (sweet and sour pork with tomatoes), Kai-Pad-Ma-Mung (chicken with bell peppers, onions and cashew nuts), Koong-Oop (baked shrimp with black mushrooms), Gang-Peod-Kal (chicken breast in coconut milk with curry); Roasted Duck Imperial, $10.95, and Pla-Num-Dang (fried red snapper filet). The snapper was by far the best, but none of these dishes was outstanding. I preferred the sauteed mixed vegetables and the fried rice (Kac-pad-pak) over any of them.

If we didn't have any other Thai places In town to compare the Pal- -ace with, it would still be ordinary. But the International Market on Belmont has much more interesting food and the Siam Cafe offers outstanding Thai cuisine. The Bangkok Palace is going to have to do better to earn a faithful following. BANGKOK PALACE, 4932 Thoroughbred Lane, Brentwood; 373-591 serving Monday through Saturday, 1 1 a.m.-10 p.m.; credit cards accepted; wheelchair access, no separate smoking. LAGNIAPPE Can you imagine a better way of taking a restaurant tour of Europe than with a world-famous European- even made my list yet!) At the request These Xanadus of the desert have been built one after another in recent years: Ji The current title-holder as biggest resort in the valley is Marriott's Desert Springs hotel.

The 400-acre Palm Desert resort has 891 rooms, five restaurants, four bars, 19 shops and an in-house spa that offers herbal wraps and underwater massage. The hotel has its own lake and beach, three outdoor pools, 16 tennis courts and two 18-hole golf All this for $230 a day and up during peak season. Hyatt Grand Champions in Indian Wells has 340 rooms, three restaurants, two bars, four swimmingpools, two spas, 12 tennis courts and two 18-hole golf courses. Hotel suites start at $85 a night in summer to peak season, and villas rangefjrom $400 to $2,850 a night Scheduled to open next September is the Stouf fer Esmeralda Resort, with 450 rooms and various restaurants, bars, shops and a 36-hole golf of customers, more and more of whom don't want to Inhale someone else's cigarette smoke while eating, he has designated half the restaurant for non-smokers. This is all a part of his 1989 wellness program at F.

Scott's, which will good for the valley is good for Palm Springs because the city will always get a share of any increase in valley tourism. Many of the Palm Canyon Drive merchants and small-hotel owners are in the traditionalist camp, pushing for restrictions that would keep all city promotion money focused on Palm Springs proper. The merchants want to reverse the trend for once-glamorous shops turning into vacant storefronts or T-shirt marts that cater to day-trip tourists. Bono supports downtown revitaliza-tlon efforts but leans to the rising-tide-lifts-all-shlps philosophy, pushing for a merger of the city's convention and visitors bureau with its counterpart that represents other valley communities. Palm Springs still has about 7,000 of the valley's 12,000 hotel rooms.

Including some of the newer resorts, such as the glitzy Maxim's of Paris hotel in the middle of Palm Canyon Drive (which provides courtesy limousine service to the city airport). But the grandest of the megaresorts have emerged outside Palm Springs, referred to as "destination resorts" once you're there, encircled by swimming pools, tennis courts and golf courses, you don't need to go any Bono whose political Involvement began with a battle over a new sign he wanted for his Palm Springs restaurant envisions a renaissance for the city that would transform it into "the French Riviera of the Unit-ed States." After only a few months In of flee, it's too soon to measure Bono's progress toward the Mediterranean ideal. But even his critics agree that the celebrity mayor has made more people aware of Palm Springs. The irony is that what most people associate with the name Palm Springs the winter home of Frank Sinatra, site of the Bob Hope Desert Classic and other golf tournaments, the Betty Ford Clinic are outside of Palm Springs. And compared with some neighboring resort towns, Palm Springs with an average annual family income of $30,000 is a poor cousin.

The average is $80,000 in Indian Wells. A controversy rages in Palm Springs over whether the city is better or worse off being identified with the rest of the valley. The traditionalists want to recapture the tourist trade that has drifted down-valley. Others argue that whafs Include special dishes created by pro fessional nutritionists to be added to the menu beginning next month. Romantic suooer club dlnine and dancing is making a comeback, and not a moment too soon for me! It's already a hot trend In New York and LA You can Indulge yourself light here In Nashville, too.

Mickey Ciraco of draco's Italian Restaurant 21st course at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains. And then there's Sunterra, a $1 billion development past the drawing board stage but yet to break ground in Indian Wells. Avenue has added music and danc-l ins in his eourmet dlnine room. The Vineyard Room. Steve Glbb (he wrote Who decides WDCN programming? Kenny Rogers' Big hit She Believes In iwej piays roraanang Wednesday through Sunday nights, 7:30 to midnight '-t-tS i Crossword Puzzle Solution on Page 6F Edited by James C.

Boldt and Joyce Nichols Lewis expensive offerings and Ayersdid not feel the material justified the expense. Fred Willis, manager of the Memphis public television station for 29 years, said, "We occasionally get some complaints about American Playhouse, but you're talking about dramatic presentations that may offend one out of a thousand. j. "We air European Journal aa Friday at 1 1:30 p.m. where we hada programming hole open up.

People need to know what's happening in Europe because it affects the United States." In Knoxville, PBS station WSJK has carried American Playhouse since it first aired. "There has to be a place for Creative drama and that sort of thing" according to Hop Edwards, program manager, who said he is pretty much on his own when making programming decisions for the statiom" "I don't agree with everything they do on American Playhouse, but I can't make decisions for everybody," Shepherd, at WDCN, acknowledges he has heard from a number of viewers who would like to see imeri-can Playhouse, but said that hesup-ports Ayers' decision not to air U. "We can't be all things to all people," he said. "I think when you look at our goals you'll see we've done a tional critical and viewer acclaim on PBS stations in larger cities such as New York and San Francisco. Vincent Canby, film critic for The New Yorfe Times, counted It among the 10 best films he had seen in 1988, despite the fact it was a television show.

It is the story of a man's return to life from bizarre mental and physical Illnesses. It is unusual, shocking, hilariously funny and contains considerable profanity with some nudity an exceptionally powerful seven hours of film, made for adults. But it has proved too weird and disturbing a show for many American public stations only about 27 have aired it so far and WDCN was, of course, no exception. "I looked at it and said the general public is going to be offended by parts of it" said Ayers. American Playhouse is a critically acclaimed series that has shown some of the best of contemporary American drama and film for the past seven seasons.

It opens its eighth season Feb. 1 with Raisin in the Sun, which Gannett News Service calls "magnificent" and "powerful." American Playhouse has aired on and off in Nashville since 1982, but it has not been seen here the last two seasons because it Is one of PBS' most 83 Notable Tivoll residence 86 for one 87 High peak 88 Tide type 89 Rent 90 Aardvark's diet 92 On the briny 94 Seat, in Berlin 95 Fauna's companion 96 Toronto museum, for short 97 Captain Hook's sidekick 98 Defendants, in law 100 Start the card game 102 Hwys. 103 Architect 105 Eton College's neighbor 108 Snaky 109 Ban 110 Unquestion- 14 violinist 48 Fictional 75 First or ably Teshiya Simon foreign 111 Rose essence 15 Snack 49 Actress 77 Heart beat 112 Bone furniture Ullmann 78 Window substance 16 Consumed 52 One-horse worker 113 Loses 17 Eighth part of vehicle 79 Accompanied traction a circle 53 Threadlike 80 Frightens 19 Insensitive structures 82 Western DOWN person 54 Assimilate movies 1 Middle- 20 Zaire 55 Hardy's pal 84 Disappoint-, western river 56 Best Picture ment sights 22 Stable of 1960 85 Cleared the 2 Lawsuit sounds 57 Indian tape instigator 27 Goddesses of weights 90 Circle 3 was the seasons 58 Kin's partner segments 30 Posh property 61 Employee's 91 Waterwheel 4 Morrison and 32 Perched concern 92 Love, in Lyons Tennille 34 WW I battle 62 Fangs 93 Greek 5 Author site 63 "William Tell" theologian Bagnold 35 Look into composer 94 Move laterally 6 Part of 37 Cuckooplnt 67 Challenge 95 Steak variety HOMES 39 Actor Brian 68 Ess leaders 97 Portico 7 Ole, at Shea 41 Greek 69 Ukrainian 99 Tolkien trees 8 Rocket stage 42 Maiden or capital 101 Galatea's love 9 Snoopy Marx 70 Take to a 104 Self: Prefix 10 Young ones 43 "The higher court 105 Court 11 Utter Immoralist" 72 Overlays 108 Capuchin 12 Actress author 73 Canadian monkey Talia 44 Exercise peninsula 107 Controversial 13 Ann or May 45 Chopin pieces 74 Stole del. program people in this market want to see, and that's my goal" WDCN is administered by the Nashville Public Television Council for the Metro Board of Education, which holds the station's license. The council can "assist in the shaping of programming and broadcast according to its bylaws, but it does not review Ayers programming decisions, nor assist him, "The council does not take an ac- tlve role in programming," said Ayers, who has been at WDCN since 1970.

"I work by broad guidelines set by the Board of Education. From there on, it's pretty much my decision, although I do bounce a lot of ideas off people on staff." No member or committee of the Nashville Public Television Council is told about other public TV programming options which shows are available at comparable prices. "The NPTC could look at programming, but it doesn't have the authority to change the programming," according to Robert Shepherd, general manager of WDCN. "The council would be free to offer suggestions, but what they can't do is dictate programming policy. The licensee and only the licensee are the ones who can do that" The station also uses letters, phone calls, ratings and specialized surveys to determine whether the public is pleased with what the station Is offering.

Shepherd said. "All the comments we have indicate the public is quite satisfied with what they get" said Mary Jane Wer-than, vice president of the council. Programming decisions at other Tennessee PBS stations are made in a similar fashion, but results differ. WCTE-TV in Cookeville will carry both American Playhouse and European Journal this season, according to Donna Castle, promotion and program director. "We enjoy European Journal, and we air it twice a week," she said.

"It's a magazine-type program that tells you what's up in Europe and we've had a number of people comment that they like and watch the program." The Singing Detective is a seven- hour miniseries originally done tor England's BBC It has aired to excep- pretty good job." APTA plans historic pilgrimage By Allio Mice) ACROSS 1 Home or blue 6 Praying figures 12 Public display 17 Prayer 18 City on Ise Bay 19 Posh French abode 21 1943 Vincente Minnelli picture 23 Clever reply 24 Cravat 25 Brainstorm 26 Carrie or Louis 27 Roll-call answer 28 Aviv 29 Where Van Gogh painted 31 Former Met diva Petina 33 Hit, biblical style 35 Cornbread 36 Indian Ocean island 37 Exchange premium 38 "Kate and Ailie" actress Meyer 39 Comment from Sandy 40 Stretching nail 43 Garbo- Barrymore film of 1932 47 Kind of symbol 48 Like the ocean 50 Sales lure 51 Highlander's cap 52 Measured step 53 Pyromaniac 54 Der Adenauer 57 Put aside 58 Potter's oven 59 Orch. conductor 60 Scrooge expletive 61 Lieu 63 Moon feature 64 Ample shoe width 65 "A Boy Named 66 Ethereal 67 Siouan 70 African fox 71 Prophets 73 Adorned to excess 74 Strike, dialectically 76 Echo 77 Analyzes grammatically 78 Grouses 81 Washington guest quarters The Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities plans a spring pilgrimage to Jackson, Vicksburg and Natchez, Miss. Dates are March 9-12. The motorcoach will leave from Belle Meade Mansion at 8 am on the departure date Participants will have lunch in Memphis and then continue to Jackson to spend the night The fol lowing morning, the tourists travel to Vicksburg and then on to Natchez. Cost of the tour is $398.

Included in the tour are stops at historic homes and battlefields and tickets to a play, Southern Exposur'K For additional information, call Betty Walker (352-6844) or Sard Bond (352-8247). mm 6uhdy 5 3 fi i 6 i Ii mo in i 12 13 115 i6 17 Ta ig 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 ST" 29 30 31 32 33" 34 mm jr bi mmmm 40 41 42 j43 44 45 48 47 48 49 I Lj- -la 'm-' 54 55 56 57 "fit 59 60 bT 63 ST" ST 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 j7J 76 77 78 79 801 82 8S I 86 07 i 88 90 91 92 93 494 '-ZZzli 96 97 98 99' IOO" 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 10S T09 110 "Tvii Til 1. It Derek married Rob, she'd a) ruTTT l. Mi. Home, meet Ms.

Turner. (2) BY TRICKY RICKY KAN'S Every answer a rhyming pair of words (like FAX CAT and DOUBLE TROUBLE), and tbejrwfll tit In the letter qojirei. The number afar the definition tells yon bow many syllables In each word. To Vin 10, send your original rhymes with your definitions to this newspaper. All entries beebme the property of UFS, INCn ISM Unttxl FMIurt Syndiftp.

Inc. J. Zasu' comedle routines (1) I I 11 1 ID 4. If Tlerney married Martin, she'd be. (1) i i i i i 5.

Landowska had she wed Henry (2) Thaoktaud 11Q. to Fidel ViilegliT Sa Amnio, TX for 7. Send yotf entry to this newspaper. 6. Springsteen's deficits (2) i ii i i i ii i i Correction In a story published in the Jan.

8 Style section, the price of The Tie That Binds was incorrectly reported. Due to cost increases, the manufacturer of The Tie That Binds changed the price on Jan. 1 from $16.50 to $19.50. The tie is available through the Vietnam Veterans of America, 459 South Rochester, NY (716-454-2539). The Tennessean regrets the error.

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