DINE
Tucson, Arizona
Bangkok Cafe known for fresh spring rolls, top-notch Thai
Some of the best Thai food ever can be found here, in a town where you expect to be overwhelmed by Mexican. At Bangkok Cafe, there are many dishes not on Denver menus, which makes it all the more intriguing, and the pad krapraw horapa krob topped with crispy fried basil leaves was particularly enjoyable. While you wait for a table, peek into the kitchen to watch the Thai ladies line up at a table making spring rolls, one right after another – that’s how you know they’re fresh. The small, pretty dining room is furnished with wicker furniture imported from Thailand, including the cutest children’s highchairs, and the wait staff scurries between the tables at a dizzying rate. Bangkok Cafe, 2511 E. Speedway Blvd., 520-323-6555
SEE
Des Moines, Iowa
“Art of Richard Tuttle” features 300 works from the celebrated artist
Let’s be honest. When most people think of cultured cities, this Midwestern community certainly is not the first, second or even third one that comes to mind. And that’s unfortunate, because the Des Moines Art Center is one of the finest modern and contemporary art museums in the country. For proof, look no further than the exhibition it’s hosting Friday through June 11. Titled “The Art of Richard Tuttle,” the retrospective includes more than 300 works by the celebrated if unconventional artist. Other stops on the show’s tour include the Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art (Nov. 11-Feb. 4); and the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (March 18, 2007-June 25, 2007). Admission is free.
Des Moines Art Center,
4700 Grand Ave., 515-271-0338 or desmoinesartcenter.org.
SEE
Houston,Texas
Art Car Weekend revs up 250 mobile works of art downtown
Downtown Houston turns into “Rubberneck, Texas” the weekend of May 13 when the 2006 Everyones Art Car Parade rolls into town with 250 mobile works of art lining up to honk their horns. Sponsored by The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, the visual spectacles – which last year came from 15 states, Mexico and Canada – will include a fire-breathing, 112-foot, moving marvel built from recycled oil drums and equipped with a full bar, as well as a Texas-style hybrid vehicle combining the transportation wonders of a bicycle and a canoe, and a car covered with condiment packages. Prizes will be awarded, and games and refreshments are part of the festivities as well. Everyones Art Car Parade, 713-926-6368
PLAY
London England
Tate Boat gets you from Tate Britain to Modern in comfy style
Why suffer the crush of the Tube when you can travel to London’s top art stops aboard a boat designed by British bad boy Damien Hirst? The Tate Boat is a stylish power catamaran that cruises between the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern with a stop at the London Eye every 40 minutes from about 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. It’s a great way to sample the eye-popping architecture that lines the Thames. One-way fares run about $7 for adults, or about $12 for the unlimited River Roamer ticket, which lets you get on and off as many times as you wish. The fares drop to about $4.50 and $7 if you present a Tube Travelcard at time of purchase. Tickets are available at both Tate museums and at the London Eye, or onboard. Tate Boat, board from the Millbank and
Bankside Piers, tate.org.uk/tatetotate
– Denver Post staff and wire reports
