Taste of Thai - A Local Favorite

Have you ever avoided a restaurant just because the exterior was not appealing to the eye?  When I worked downtown Appleton, I passed a restaurant every day on my morning and afternoon commute.  I absolutely love Thai food but this particular building did not appear to be inviting.

Several friends and colleagues have praised this restaurant and their delicious entrees.  One evening we decided to give it a try. 

Taste of Thai is located downtown Appleton, near the Lawrence University campus.  After experiencing incredible Thai food while visiting Plover (read that review here), my standards were set fairly high. 

The interior reminded me of the restaurant scene from the movie "The Sweetest Thing".  It is your typical Asian restaurant with a full-service bar.  You can also place orders for pick up.  My only criticism would be the awkward chairs that restrict your arm motions; which is kind of important while dining.

We started the meal with "Fresh Salad Rolls" served with a peanut dipping sauce.  It was amazing.  The crunchy texture paired very well with the sweet and salty sauce. 

Our server was extremely prompt, reactive and aware.  I asked her for an entree recommendation.  She suggested the "Volcano Chicken" which is the most popular item on the menu.  The server also explained that orders can be created on a spicy scale; 1 is not very spicy and 5 is the spiciest possible.  I took her suggestion and ordered a level 3.  Next time, I will order at level 4.

I would give Taste of Thai an overall score of 8 (out of 10) on my scale.  If you are looking for authentic ethnic food... check out Taste of Thai.  The service is outstanding and the food is exceptional in flavor. 

We could all use a hint of more time!

Copyright 2011 Hint of Thyme.  All rights reserved.

Find the European Treasure in Your City

Have you found a hidden treasure in your city yet?  We recently discovered a local European grocery and deli in our city.  My husband loves European cooking and has fond memories of eating particular Russian dishes.

Russian Delights, located in Appleton, is a secret of the city.  It is like stepping into Russia, Poland, Ukraine and other surrounding countries (or so I'm told since I have not yet been to Europe). 

This grocery store has imported goods from many of the northwest European countries.  The small grocery area has items such as canned goods, cookies, beer, bread, etc.  The deli has meats, cheeses and even frozen items. 

We absolutely rave about the home-made perogies!  The owner makes about 3 different varieties from what we have seen. There is the typical potato/onion perogie and also a feta/spinach perogie.  She recently introduced me to a new perogie with "cabbage" or sauerkraut.  The German heritage in me just could not pass that up.

I'm sure there is more than one way to make the perogie.  Keep them frozen until ready to cook.  We boil the perogies in water until slightly translucent and they begin to float to the top.  Drain and serve with butter, salt, and pepper.  That's all it needs.  These home-made dumplings will melt in your mouth.

Head over to Russian Delights to enjoy a taste of Russia! 

If you don't live in the Fox Valley, we encourage you to find the European treasure in your city and give it a try!

Finding Harmony in the Cafe

Downtown Appleton has a variety of places to eat, drink and hang out.  One of my favorite lunch spots is definitely the Harmony Cafe (take a look at the menu).

One of the best things about the Cafe is that they offer sandwich options for everyone - vegan, vegetarian, meat... they got it!  I also enjoy sipping a latte while waiting for my sandwich order to come up.  My only complaint about the Cafe is that they have forgotten my order more than once and I've had to wait a bit longer.  Not the end of the world though.

If you are in the downtown area and looking for a healthy sandwich, I would recommend the Presto Pesto or the Durkee Street Wrap.  Yum!!  The hummus has an excellent flavor in the Street Wrap.  The Pesto sandwich also has a very nice grilled flavor but without any meat.  If you are looking for something with meat, I would suggest trying the Southwest Chicken Wrap.  This sandwich still offers a healthy option of chicken while giving it a kick of spiciness.

Try one of these sandwiches today!