January 19

Thai It, You'll Like It

As you may have guessed by now, I'm a bit of a Thai food snob, especially when it comes to places proclaiming their authenticity.  I have no patience for overly sweet pad thai; I disdain establishments that sell som tom, only to substitute cabbage and carrots for crispy, green, shredded papaya.  So it was with some excitement - and fear for its very survival - that I happened to eat at Kan Pou recently, a family-run Thai joint on Western Avenue, almost equidistant from Sticky Rice and Opart up the street.  From delicate, tapioca dumplings stuffed with ground shrimp to one of the best larb salads I've had in some time, you can tell that many of the items are prepared with care and reverence for the classic combinations.  

That larb (pictured, left), for example, not only held perfectly-ground bits of seasoned pork, but managed to incorporate the limes, peanuts and onions so that each mouthful was a textural and flavorful swallow.  

Their pad Thai - a typical "barometer" dish for me - was textbook street food; well-balanced, notes of fish sauce, lime juice, crunchy peanuts and tamarind, all nestled within perfectly-cooked rice noodles.  Most surprising of all, they took the time to make an elaborate egg "nest" across the top of the plate, which I had previously only seen in Chiang Mai.  Be warned: the curries are just o.k. (they assured me they made them from scratch, rather then use a can, but I'm dubious) and there are some real duds on the menu, mainly in the seafood section (artificial krab anyone?) but I'm hoping they can somehow withstand the current economic climate, and get busy through word-of-mouth.  On the Thursday night we ate there - BYOB, by the way - we were the only table there, and I had this sinking feeling that Monday-Wednesday was no better. 

January 9

Hi kids, and Happy New Year!  I've been pretty lazy lately, so sorry I haven't been blogging as much.  I've been working on establishing a Hungry Hound Group on Facebook (hopefully, you're all members by now), which allows me to send out quick blasts of information about upcoming events, appearances and other Hound related activities.  It was funny how, just a few days before the Food Network repeated "Battle: Rabbit" on January 1st, I had send out a little note reminding people to watch as I judged, and was bombarded with responses from people who either: a) have a lot of time on their hands and check their Facebook messages frequently, or b) have very little free time, but manage to check their Facebook messages and respond via mobile devices.  I've also been extremely lax in blogging for the Chicago Huffington Post, but promise to file something within the week. 

Most recently, I've been eating some very good Thai food in surprising locations;  from banana blossom salads to larb- the traditional ground chicken/pork salad, as well as som tom - a crunchy, vibrant papaya salad.  Pictures and specifics to follow shortly..

The burger craze continues unabated in the Chicago area as well.  In the last six months, we've seen imports, such as The Counter, Fatburger and Five Guys; we've also seen some locally-grown talent such as Epic Burger, Patty Burger (not a fan) and Meatheads, which just opened in Naperville, after setting up its first store in Bloomington, IL.  More on my experience there later today.

Here's one non-food note to tell you about: my kids are playing in the School of Rock's Folk Concert this weekend at The Beat Kitchen in Chicago.  Saturday and Sunday shows are at 2 p.m., tickets are $10.  If you have a chance, come down and check these young rockers out.  They are just as good as the Jack Black movie, honest.