The proof is at Sukho Thai, a small Thai place over near Opryland on Music Valley Drive. It’s not your white tablecloth sort of spot but they’ve got all kinds of tasty Asian dishes and do it well. Plus it sits right next to the Grand Old Golf mini golf course and go-kart track!
The track goes right by the front window so you can enjoy the action while getting some Thai food satisfaction. Feel free to use that line, guys. It’s free.

But come on, as interesting afternoons go, can you do better than some satay (love that peanut sauce) or whatever and pushing the pedal to the metal in a go-kart? If there is I don’t know about it.

Dane

I have a colleague here at the hotel who is always giving me a bad time about being a country fan. He is more your rock dude. More cowbell, he always says. So I’m always trying to find country artists he likes too.

A recent one he couldn’t deny is Patsy Cline. At first, he tried to tell me she wasn’t country. Ha. So for his birthday Dora and I got him two tickets to Always…Patsy Cline at the Ryman. We saw it already last month and thought it was great.

I guess you could call it a musical play. It follows her friendship with a fan from Houston in the 60s who she kept up a correspondence with over the years. It’s funny and moving in spots and full of a lot of her great music.

The show runs until May 23 and I think may make my best case with that friend that country music don’t need no cowbell at all.

Dane

Hey everybody. You need a reason to come on over to Hotel Preston for a visit? Here’s a game to help out. Find the special that fits you, and then give us a call.

1.    Spring Has Sprung! — Get a map to walking trails in the area, a free shuttle drop-you off at the closest trailhead, a backpack with Kashi Organic Trail bars and water, and a Greentini in the Pink Slip Lounge.

2.    Mommy Me Time — Mom gets an in-room massage session while Dad takes the kids to the Imax and the Adventure Science Center, and then brunch for the whole family at Café Isabella.

3.    Rockstar Daddy — Dad gets a hot steam shave and shoe shine at the Trim Classic Barber and a trip to the Nashville Superspeedway to ride shotgun in a two-seat NASCAR-style stock car driven by a professional at speeds up to 165 MPH.

Check out the hotel’s other packages in Special Offers. There’s sure one to fit you. See you here.

Dane

You’ve seen Iron Chef on TV. How can you not love that crazy show? It brings food together with sports and adds a ticking clock. Well, Nashville has its own version called Iron Fork that pits five local chefs in head-to-head battle. Last year Deb Paquette from Zola won. It sold out.

But Iron Fork 2009 is on our agenda. This year the kitchen will see five new chefs go at each other for the Iron Fork title. They include Tandy Wilson of City House, Jeremy Barlow of Tayst, Guerry McComas of Yellow Porch, Bart Pickens of Saffire, Jason Love of Ombi.

The culinary battle kicks off at 6 p.m. on May 6 at the Country Music Hall of Fame. As for the secret ingredient, they’re keeping that under wraps. Whole Foods Market will choose and then chefs will have an hour to decide what to do with it.

Your ticket purchase gets you three drink tickets. So I’ll be waiting in the Blue Moon Beer Garden.

Dane