Baxter Bark Twice

Do as I say, never as I do

Posts Tagged ‘travel’

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Best in Show: Thai

Posted by AllieB on October 13, 2010

Having lived in Thailand for a few months a few years ago, I am a huge fan of all things Thai – the beaches and the noodles, in particular. While the beaches are difficult to re-create in this hemisphere (I do love Tybee, but…it’s not quite the same), the noodles can be – and they often are quite well.

In addition to the noodle dishes – Pad Thai, Pad See Ew (wide, flat noodles in a heavier soy sauce – SO good) – all of  the Thai restaurants do appetizers really well: calamari, satay skewers, fresh basil rolls…and, to top it off, they have the best condiments of any other ethnic cuisine, IMO.

Here are some places of note:

  • Surin of Thailand – N. Highland: it’s a collegey-crowd after hours, but the food is legit. I went there on an awful date once and the guy, midway through the meal, interrupted my story to tell me how poorly my breath smelled and that maybe I should find some gum. I did not prefer his company. ANYway – their stir fry dishes are really good, and when they have 3 – 4 chilis next to an item to denote spiciness, they are not messing around.
  • Tuk Tuk Thai – South Buckhead: trying to emulate the whole “street food” idea of Bangkok; very authentic dishes. The beef skewers and the sticky rice with peanut sauce are two of my faves. I very much like the outdoor seating with the unencumbered view of the ATL skyline. Good for groups.
  • Little Bangkok – Cheshire Bridge: a real gem…I like the Pad Thai, people rave about the stir fry dishes…not much for ambiance, but food is awesome. They also serve Chinese cuisine. Best for: Sunday supper.
  • Rama V – Buckhead: great for a dinner pre-going out because they lost their liquor license and it’s now BYO, they also have an extensive sushi menu good for lighter fare…haven’t had their food in awhile, but it’s still many people’s go-to.
  • Annie’s Thai Castle and Aqua Bistro are also noteworthy and ideal for Sunday Suppers…and other nights, too. I wonder of AquaB still has that fishbowl special on Thursday evenings…?
  • Nan – Midtown: if someone would please take me here, I would be more than happy to go. Not sure I really seem them jumping on the Groupon bandwagon…

Now I’m hungry. And I want to go back to Thailand, preferably back to Rai Leh Beach (shown below). I hate it when I do this.

I didn't Google Image this; I took it with my very own camera. It was awesome.

Posted in Food & Drink, Imparting Wisdom | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

Case.In.Point.

Posted by AllieB on August 16, 2010

In my very first entry, Be Advised, I mentioned that I do not prefer flying and included a frightening video that indicated why this was so.

Since that post all of three weeks ago, the following absurdities have taken place in the so-called “friendly skies:”

1. On July 21, United Flight 967 from Washington D.C. to L.A. went thru aggressive turbulence and was forced to divert to Denver, where 22 people were treated for injuries. (Source)

2. Today, August 16, an Aires flight bound for Colombia, South America was struck by lightning. Only one person died, which, given this is how the plane looked after the emergency landing, is unbelievable. (Source)

do NOT want

3. And, lastly, on my plane ride to Paris a week ago, I saw a woman die. She was old and it was her time, but it was really unpleasant. She had a seizure six hours into the flight, and the flight attendants and various passengers worked hard to revive her, but I think she died kind of as soon as it happened – she was laid out in the aisle about six inches from my seat and I saw EVERYTHING. We had to divert to Ireland where her body was carried off the plane in a some sort of makeshift sling…I know this was worse for her and her loved ones than it was for me, but that still didn’t make it okay. She was so close to my seat that flight attendants keep pushing at me to move – well, it’s an airplane and my options were limited, so I sat in my sister’s lap for an hour (the guy next to her had taken a sleeping pill meant for cattle and slept thru the whole thing – lucky).

WTF. I’m just glad to have made it home in one piece. Next time I fly, I plan to do so under the influence of that sleeping pill meant for cattle.

Posted in Arbitrary, Really? | Tagged: , , | 7 Comments »

IT’S ALL RELATIVE

Posted by AllieB on August 16, 2010

Family vacation –  in the words of Dickens (thanks, goog): “it was the best of times; it was the worst of times…”

Since I was old enough to realize how fortunate I was to grow up in a family like mine, I have appreciated how hard my parents have worked to take my two sisters and I on some pretty fantastic trips. They’ve instilled in all of us the curiosity and desire to explore the world beyond our city, state, and country, and I’ve been some awesome places and done some awesome things as a result.

However. Travel is stressful, particularly in foreign countries, particularly when the GPS goes defunct in the back roads of northern France, and particularly when everyone is positive they are correct in whether we should go straight thru the roundabout, or take the third turn.

In the grand scheme of things, the freakouts and harsh words are worth it for the unforgettable things we get to see…

Cerisay - my aunt and uncle's home in France, about two hours northeast of Paris.

We just returned from a nine day trip to France, and, while it was not without incident (a woman DIED on our plane trip over – she had a seizure in the aisle not one foot from my chair…it was not pleasant), we persevered with our twisted Baxter humor and had an incredible trip.

Merci beaucoup, Mom and Dad…

Baxter Five at Chateau d'O

Posted in Arbitrary | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

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