THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 25, 1996 TAG: 9601240159
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: On The Town
SOURCE: Sam Martinette
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
The Artful Setting, set for the weekend of Feb. 9-11 at The Chrysler Museum of Art, will celebrate the fine art of entertaining and the artistry of presenting food in the most favorable setting.
The event offers displays created by decorators, designers, private hosts and garden clubs, as well as a series of lectures on entertaining and style.
In its second year, The Artful Setting opens Feb. 9, with a 7 to 10 p.m. preview party catered by The Max Restaurant. The party will include live jazz, hors d'oeuvres and desserts.
The preview party is the first opportunity for the public to view some 35 table-scapes that will range form the whimsical to the formal. The table-scape designers each have picked a specific work of art in the Chrysler and have designed a setting that will play off that work, according to Patti Wainger, a spokesperson for The Chrysler Council, a group that supports the museum and the sponsor for The Artful Setting.
``The event will benefit the museum and its Changing Exhibition Fund,'' Wainger explained, ``so in reality the public is paying to attend, but the money will ultimately come back to it in the form of public exhibits.''
In addition to the table-scapes, there will be workshops and demonstrations. There also will be lectures on Saturday and Sunday by such internationally known experts on style as Jay Cantor, director of Museum Services for Christies in New York; Pat Ross, author of ``Formal Country'' and ``Formal Country Entertaining''; and Marjorie Reed-Gordon, known as ``The Common Sense Hostess'' and a frequent guest on network TV shows when the subject is entertaining.
``You'll be able to meet Jay Cantor and Pat Ross at the preview party,'' Wainger said. ``And in addition to the displays and lectures there will be demonstrations on Sunday from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Anita Bradley, a scenic and decorative artist, will demonstrate faux finishes, and Shizuko Takeuchi Dower will demonstrate Makimoto, the ancient Japanese technique of cutting vegetables and fruits into forms of nature.''
The Artful Setting will continue throughout the weekend of February 10 and 11. Tickets for Friday's preview party are $50 per person. Tickets to view the table-scapes on Saturday or Sunday are $10, and each lecture is $25 per person. For more information on The Artful Setting, or for ticket information, call 664-6287.
The venerable Szechuan Garden (123 Charlotte St., 627-6130), open since May of 1980, is for the first time offering a buffet luncheon. According to owner King San Nee, the buffet is in response to customer requests.
Lunch is $4.95, and the buffet is offered every day but Saturday. The evening buffet is offered every day but Saturday. The evening buffet is offered seven nights a week, form 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 5 to 9 on Saturday, and from 5 to 8 on Sunday. Children less than 4 feet tall pay half price, and with groups of four or more one person may eat free. The 20-item buffet (plus salad bar and desserts) changes daily and also includes a choice of soup. The regular menu is always available, by the way.
Last week I sampled much more than I should have, including a Shanghai spring roll, tempura-fried shrimp, Kung Bao chicken, chicken with broccoli, pepper steak, tangerine beef, shrimp egg foo young, pork-fried rice, Chinese rice stick (noodles), even chicken chow mein, and from the vegetarian section of the menu - Gan Bien string beans and fresh mushrooms with an oyster sauce.
``We always have four vegetarian dishes,'' King San Nee explained, ``and we rotate the other 16 items form among the poultry, beef, seafood and pork dishes.''
So far the buffet has been very busy at lunch, and Nee is hoping that the dinner buffet will prove as popular.
``We hope we can help downtown at night, bring more people out,'' he said.
Free parking is always available, day or night, at the bank lot next door, he said, even if there is a special event at Scope or Chrysler Hall. Patrons need only have their parking ticket validated by the restaurant. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by SAM MARTINETTE
Responding to customer requests, King San Nee now has a buffet at
Szechuan Garden.
by CNB