Mmmmm, boy. Beau Nash is bringing a little bit of Cajun flavor to Big D, and in more ways than one. Tonight the N'awlins Gumbo Kings will be busting out their brand of serious New Orleans jazz in the bar while patrons can work on busting out their waistbands with Cajun appetizers. We figure it best to cut a rug to the band and then have some grub. We don't want to wait the 30 long minutes for that mini soft-shell crab po'boy to digest before we can shake it Louisiana-style. The menu also features other varieties of po'boys, fried-crawfish hush puppies with whipped herb butter and Gulf Coast crab dip with roasted chilies on sliced baguette. Get over to Beau Nash, Hotel Crescent Court at 400 Crescent Court, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. for spicy music and tasty treats that you'll love like a pig loves corn. Hey, give us a break, it's an old Cajun saying. Call 214-871-3240.
Friday, August 15
"This is the Story." "As Long as I Have You," I'm looking for "A Little Less Conversation" and a show that costs only "A Little Bit of Green." It's "(Such An) Easy Question," but "Didja' Ever" wish you could see a living legend just "For Ol' Times Sake?" While other folks are having "Fun in Acapulco," you can "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" (or at least the King of Rock and Roll) Friday at the Palace Arts Center for the Dave "Elvis" Tapley and the Cavalcade of Stars shows at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. "Suspicious Minds" should give it a shot ("Once is Enough," or maybe not) and gaze upon the "Guitar Man" whose got a "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On." We may be so "Paralyzed" and "All Shook Up" once it's over that we'll wish someone had just told Elvis that fateful night, "Your Time Hasn't Come Yet Baby." "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," just pay $20 to $35 for a ticket. "Doncha' Think It's Time" to call 817-410-3100?
Saturday, August 16
Apparently, The Neverending Story is one of the best fantasy films ever made, according to the plethora of folks who reprimand those of us who have never seen it. We may as well be flogged, drawn and quartered, because we've never seen The Neverending Story, The Last Unicorn or Legend, and we can't remember what happens in The Dark Crystal. Somewhere in our past, all knowledge of fantastical worlds with really large creatures was lost in some labyrinth of memories. (Speaking of which, we just saw Labyrinth and all of David Bowie's spandexed manhood last month. Wow.) So it's now a mission to see all such films before friends begin disowning us and we miss any other raunchy costumes. As luck (or the Luck Dragon) would have it, the Inwood Theatre, 5458 W. Lovers Lane, features The Neverending Story as this weekend's midnight movie. Tickets are $7.50. Call 214-764-9106.
Sunday, August 17
How often does one end up in a funk on a Sunday afternoon because there is no Russian food to taste, much less a Belarusian specialty to salivate over? Too many times. And too many times this happens with no salvation, no solution. This Sunday, however, finds fans of Russian culture biding their time until A Taste of Russia begins at 4 p.m. and satisfies those cravings. The festival offers a Russian iconography workshop, a vespers service allowing for the experience of Orthodox worship and some delectable fare for the sampling. The best reason to taste Russia, though, is the fact that all the proceeds benefit the widows and other needy people of Belarus (many of whom are still suffering from Chernobyl) via the NADEZHDA Foundation. The foundation is named after the Russian word for "hope," and hope is what the $10 cost of a ticket can offer those rich in culture but not in aid, monetary or otherwise. The festival takes place at St. Seraphim Orthodox Cathedral, 4208 Wycliff. Call 214-368-0762.
Monday, August 18
To a culinary novice, the idea of creating a soufflé undoubtedly baffles, inciting thoughts of sputtering sinking concoctions and wonders at how a loud noise could possibly affect something baking in an oven. In an attempt to help chefs of all levels turn fizzled efforts into fantastic presentations, Central Market offers a hands-on class called French Basics: Soufflés. Though the "hands-on" aspect might be daunting, the market's staff assures us that there is no mystery to mastering the stuff of French fluff. The cooking school demonstrates the key to the beating and folding of egg whites and helps the brave create crab, twice-baked spinach, marmalade and chocolate soufflés. Be ready to beat it from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday at Central Market, Lovers Lane at Greenville Avenue. The cost is $55. Call 214-361-5754.
Tuesday, August 19
We can't count the number of times we've stood with hands on hips, angry grimace painted on, shouting at our doctor, "It's my ovaries, stupid!" We're not lying. We really can't count the times (probably because there haven't been any). But after reading Dr. Elizabeth Vliet's It's My Ovaries, Stupid!, we just might shout that more and more. Vliet addresses female hormonal dysfunction and how it just may be accountable for common problems like depression, panic attacks, migraines and others that are often treated as unrelated ailments. Vliet suggests that the proper treatment of these problems may begin with the ovaries and the hormones they release, since everyday chemicals can disrupt their proper function. Her book details the biology of the egg-droppers and offers answers to questions about ordinary conditions that may really be "female troubles." On Tuesday evening at 7 p.m., the doctor signs and discusses copies of her latest work at Borders, 1601 Preston Road in Plano. Call 972-713-9857.
Wednesday, August 20
Children, we'd like you to meet poetry. Poetry, these are children. Unfortunately, introducing kids to literature is rarely so easy. Most of those feisty urchins need enticement, a gimmick perhaps, to draw them to the ways of literacy. Visuals always help, and visuals we've got. Margaret Clauder uses her child-savvy ways during Library Live! Mother Goose. Dressed in full costume, Clauder employs puppeteering to teach kids about poetry, literacy and, of course, Mother Goose. By the time the show is over, small fries have seen an amazing show, and they just might have gained a new love for rhyme and reading. Mother Goose makes two appearances Wednesday. See her at 10 a.m. at the Park Forest Branch, 3421 Forest Lane, and at 7 p.m. at the Fretz Park Branch, 6990 Belt Line Road. Both shows are free. Check out www.dallaslibrary.org for other Library Live! events.
