Bice Ristorante
A website on Google says Bice most often is used as a female name in Italy, and pronounced bicha. In English, a similar word, with one letter added and one removed, is similarly pronounced, without the last syllable. It likewise is applied to a female, but not in a flattering way, if you get my drift.
The word has another use in Italy, and that’s likely the one that the owners of the upscale Bice Ristorante in Palm Beach had in mind when they named it. The word mean traveler, and the ocean-side town draws a lot of tourists. Travelers tend to read a lot – passing the time on a plane trip, enjoying an ocean cruise, relaxing on the beach or poolside.
Perhaps that’s what the proprietors had in mind when they decided to host a summer series of book signings at the establishment. Or they just realized their clientele was culturally oriented. Or both.
Whatever the name’s provenance, Bice is set to hold the final book signing of its three-part series at 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18. Ten members of the Palm Beach Writers Group will display their books, meet guests, and sign copies. I am one of them, and cordially invite attendees to stop at my table to chat about my two novels – or maybe just to solve the world’s problem.
The current novel is titled MURDER IN PALM BEACH: The Homicide That Never Died. It’s closely based on a highly sensational murder that occurred in January 1976, and has been garnering rave reviews, including one that said the book “could easily rival John Grisham,” if you can believe that. I chose to, and had to have my doorway widened so my head would fit through. A park on South A1A in Palm Beach is named after the murder victim, Richard Kreusler. In the thin guise of fiction, it contains explosive information never before publicly revealed.
The earlier book is Breaking Out, a coming of age novel that won the Editors Choice designation from the publisher. A young man with his head screwed on backward – I seem to be fixated on cranial problems – runs into a plumber with a giant pipe wrench, which he plies to turn the guy’s head in the right direction, so he can begin walking like Fred Astaire instead of Ginger Rogers. Just kidding.
Now where were we? Oh yes, Bice. You only have to pay for the drinks and books you choose to buy, but please don’t drink and read at the same time. It could be hazardous to your comprehension. Free hors d’oeuvres will be passed around. By the way, my books are discounted.
See you there.
