Thai me up

I pride myself on trying any type of food once, regardless of if I think I'm going to like it or not. Perhaps I'd been to squimish to try conch penis or hang with Andrew Z. The bizzare foods guy but aside from sexual organs, and live food, or delicacies that still have eyes or beaks I'd be a willing participate for anything food related you put on my plate.

Anyway I have a coworker and friend who is a picky. It amazes me that people will pass up such good things. She's not one for much veggies but atleast she likes Thai food although she always gets the same entree with the same soup with the same and asks them to leave out the veggies and other stuff she doesn't like. As for me I wonder around the menu sometimes sticking to an old favorite when I'm super hungry or craving something but going more adventurous and try to tackle everything on the menu.

There is this little joint we go to called Red Bamboo we had found it by accident. Isn't that how all great restaurant stories start out? It was raining and the parking for the place we were going to was packed, instead of walking in the rain we saw a little place that had parking up near the front. It had plenty of patrons but wasn't over crowded. 

Tom Kha Gai Soup

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This place was screaming with spicy goodness at very good prices. The portions were large and full of wonderful ingredients unlike the more expensive Thai place we went to in which you paid double what you did here and your plate always seemed to look like the skimped on the seafood and meat.

We have been going back now for over a year and a few weeks ago we noticed that the place was under new management. I hate that, new owners come in and it usually ends up being horrible. They change what was once good. The food was good but we had much better in the past there was a problem with my friends rice being overcooked which they promptly took back and gave her a new plate full of good rice. I noticed the prices were a tab bit more.

 It's got to be this fucking economy. It's ruining all these small family owned restaurants. We've become a society in which we reach for the cheapest most processed crap foods and what is worse is that our palletes and our taste are beginning to go blah. A slapped together processed cheese burger from McDonalds shouldn't be something that we look forward to eating, neither should we be glad to get the death wheels at generic chain pizza restaurants and 5 dollar foot longs at a place that sells something they call a sub but really taste like crap and trust me that processed meat has been dropped on the floor and the guy they pay 6 bucks an hour to put your crapmarine sandwich together doesn't get paid well enough to care.

Sadly I thought to myself. Is this it? I mean it has the potential to get worse right. Pretty soon the portions will be smaller and they will lack all that plump shrimp that had once adorned my Pad Thai. They may even introduce new items that are not even thai at all but because they are money makers. The regulars stop coming and with not enough new patrons the restaurant could eventually close.  It was 12:30 and as I looked around there were barely 3 other tables occupied. Maybe the regulars had stop coming!!!! Maybe I was witnessing the beginning of the end.  As I left I

shrimp_pad_thai

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thought maybe this place wouldn't be here the next time I come. Maybe I'll try next week or the week after only to see boards on the doors and building for sale sign.

Welp, Yesterday we went back and the doors were open. Our food was even better than the last time we visited. Still not a lot of people in for the lunch crowd. So I hope they continue with the good service and food and hope they can continue to be open during the ressession.

When going out this week try going to a local joint that could use some patronage. We need to keep our precious local unique restaurants open and operating. So instead of going to "insert chain restaur here". Try the local place down the street. Save your lunch money instead of buying a a few 5 dollar footlongs a week spend your 10-15 dollars on a real sandwich that cuban place that serves authentic cuban sandwiches or Ralphs deli, where you can get a roast beef sandwich in which Ralph actually cooks his own roast beef and slices it for you. Instead of going to McDonalds try the historic place that has been serving up good burgers for decades.