By Dave Donnelly
Thursday, February 6, 1997
Barbi Benton, Alice Medrich
Barbi Benton, Alice Medrich
SCORE one for NBC. While the other networks, including CNN, opted to carry Bill Clinton's "State of the Union" message Tuesday, the NBC on-air people led by Tom Brokaw seemed unclear on how they were going to handle the fact that there was a breaking story on the minds of millions - the O.J. Simpson verdict about to be rendered - at the same time the president would be making his address in which advance copies of the speech revealed no surprises. Brokaw seemed up in the air until 10 minutes before the decision had to be made, when it was relayed to him that the NBC network would switch to Washington for the speech. But thanks to the far-sighted folks who started MSNBC, thereby creating a kind of shadow network, the Simpson story would be covered nonstop there. It worked out well, and my guess is that it'll result in MSNBC's highest rating to date ... ‘Shadow’ network
saw light on SimpsonFINAL note on Simpson. That Baskin-Robbins stop on the way home from hearing the $8.5 million judgment against him was, you can bet, designed to show him a good dad, getting ice cream for the kids. I couldn't help thinking, "He got his just desserts - why shouldn't they?" ...
WE segue now, oh so subtly, to the revelation that the Windward Spouse Abuse Shelter is offering candy bouquets for Valentine's Day. The bouquets will be available under the center court escalators at the Windward Mall information booth, and a donation to the shelter is requested from those picking up the bouquets ... And while Easter is months away, all eyes were on a bunny at Cascada the other night when former Playboy "Playmate" Barbi Benton dined there with friends. No, she didn't order hasenpfeffer, opting for chef Nick Sayada's signature eggplant and zucchini souffle with fresh opakapaka and peppercorns ...
IT began as a little surprise 40th birthday dinner for Academy of Arts development director Sharon McDonald-Tiknis last week, arranged by her husband, Michael Tiknis, exec director of the Honolulu Symphony. He'd flown in her sister from Florida and sister-in-law from Arizona for the surprise, and when her dad on the mainland caught wind of it, he and his wife floored everyone by coming in themselves. Michael hid them out at the Halekulani and on Tuesday, the actual birthday, they were waiting at the table at Orchids when the Tiknis party arrived. Tears all around ... Happy Birthweek
WE in Hawaii are such a homogenous group that we don't seem to have strict racial and gender categories like they do in some places, such as so many women, so many blacks, etc. But the city that may take the cake for ratios has to be San Francisco where Mayor Willie Brown has appointed Gavin Newsome, the 29-year-old partner of Billy Getty in PlumpJack Enterprises, to the City Board of Supervisors. The explanation, as found in the San Francisco Chronicle, was that the board needed a heterosexual white male with a "Y" chromosome. (I'm not making this up.) Newsome was mentioned here recently as negotiating with partner Getty (as in Getty Oil) to buy the Hotel Hana Ranch ...
THE founder of California's Cocolat bakeries, Alice Medrich, will be giving demonstrations on how to make decadent chocolate desserts - just what you need for after the holidays - on Feb. 22 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. In addition, her desserts will be featured at Bali-by-the-Sea and Gold Dragon restaurants from Feb. 19 to 28 to coincide with her visit here. Call 947-7877 for more info ...
IF today's column were to have a theme, it would have to revolve around desserts, just and unjustly decadent. Cyrus Goo, whose dessert specialties ought to be called "Goo-ey," owns Cafe Laufer in Kaimuki where his coffees and desserts have built up a loyal clientele. Now he's opened a new spot called Cup of Gold in the Waikiki Trade Center, and already some top chefs have stopped by for a cuppa and taste. They include Halekulani pastry chef Franz Schaier, Alan Wong Restaurant's pastry chef Mark Okumura and 3660 on the Rise owner and chef Russell Siu ... More desserts
