The Blue Elephant got its start in Brussels more than two decades ago as an exotic outpost of royal Thai cuisine.

It won't be the first time that "Alias" has featured non-English dialogue: there have been dozens of scenes set in exotic outposts where the local agents and counteragents spoke anything from Russian to Arabic to Urdu.

Born in Los Angeles when it was no more than an exotic outpost, Ivers watched the film industry come into existence and establish itself in southern California.

But Dance Theater of Harlem will look to an exotic outpost of this century's ballet history with productions of "Prince Igor" and "The Firebird," two jewels of the Diaghilev era.

Fort Pinshon was an exotic outpost of civilization, built where a unique coincidence of a spring and the sheltering pile of giant plates made possible a sizable human habitation.

His year-round tan evokes exotic outposts at his disposal, his expensive wing-tipped shoes show that he cares about the sport of shopping.

FOR all the exotic outposts, the neighborhood also has something for seekers of predictable quick business lunches and staid pre theater dinners.

"Santa Fe is an El Dorado, an exotic outpost glowing in the sunset, a tourist magnet that has enjoyed a boom since the 1980's," he said.

Then, there was caffe latte, a treat once reserved for gondolas and exotic outposts and now the morning sustenance of construction workers.