Posted inFood & Drink

A Quiet Success: Thai Thai takes a lighter approach to its dishes

I follow a quirky rule of thumb not to frequent restaurants with pictures of their food on the menu. So my heart sank a bit when I opened the menu at Thai Thai, the new Thai restaurant in Northwest Crossing last week. Luckily, thanks to spot-on recommendations from an enthusiastic waitress and prime seating for a picturesque sunset over the Cascades, Thai Thai exceeded my initial expectations. The restaurant kept much of the inherited furnishings from the previous owners of the Mt. Washington Drive restaurants, which included 38 Degrees, Aloha Café and most recently NWX Bar and Grill. New owners and longtime Bend residents Corey Bock and Vivah Bachiraseneekul, who moved to the U.S. from Thailand ten years ago, have added a Thai flare with elephant candleholders and wall decorations, photography of a floating market in Bangkok and other small touches.
My party was seated in the back of the restaurant, facing west toward the mountains. Paula, our enthusiastic waitress, was quick to check in with us and point out some of her favorite dishes on the menu. Overall, Thai Thai's dishes are on the mild side, so if you're looking to clear your sinuses when you go there, order your dish extra spicy. We started with the satay chicken ($7.50), served with two small dishes of peanut and cucumber dipping sauce. The accompanying peanut dressing lacked the super rich flavor I tend to associate with satay. Later on, I learned from Bachiraseneekul, head chef at Thai Thai, that the lighter flavors are intentional.

Posted inOpinion

McDonald's Super Sized Signage

There are few symbols – save Old Glory and maybe a slice of apple pie – more symbolic of mainstream American culture than McDonald's sweeping yellow arches.
While there is nothing wrong with McDonald's per se – we enjoy a basket of fries and Big Mac as much as the next person, maybe more – there is a big problem with America's dietary relationship with McDonald's and the rest of the fast food industry that McDonald's has rightly or wrongly come to represent. That relationship is more like dealer and junkie than that of restaurant and customer, something that Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock noted a few years back when he reported that McDonald's refers to its frequent customers, as “heavy users.” It's a relationship that McDonald's courts with its aggressive marketing toward children (McDonald's distributes more toys than the nation's biggest toy retailers in any given year) and its oversized portions.

Posted inOpinion

Take the Wheel, Kid

Do you remember when your mom, dad or grandpa put you on his or her lap and let you, just a child, steer the car down some vacant rural road? Yeah, a lot of us have that memory and for the most part, it was probably hardly dangerous. Such behavior is probably more frowned upon now – thanks a lot Bin Laden – but then it was just good, clean fun.

Posted inOpinion

Bigger Is So Much Better

Remember when about the only people who owned crew cab pickup trucks were railroad and oil field crews? If someone offered to give you one of those it would have been a really bad investment. Now the average – must have – three-quarter-ton, four-door pickup, after getting its lift kit, and giant tire makeover, spends most of its spare time in the detail shop getting a perm. It may seem hard to believe, but it used to be that when ranchers needed to take the family to town they did it in a car and no one seemed to question their manhood. The odd thing now is that there seems to be a disproportionate number of young men and grandpas without families or crews driving them around. I asked a dealer once why people were buying four-door pickups. His answer: “because they love them.” I am guessing the depth of this salesman's love was equally strong.
Maybe soon there will be four-door semi tractors. Besides going to Costco and skiing, you could haul a refer load of something down to L.A. and make some money! And if you hit someone head on it would be all over for him or her, but not you. You could have video games for the kids in the back to keep them occupied until the cop lets you go – high fives!!!

Posted inOpinion

Share the lakes

I am a windsurfer who, along with several other friends, enjoys sailing on the lakes around here. Recently, on two different occasions, I encountered a lack of courtesy and lack of knowledge of the right-of-way rules by motorboats on both Cultus and Odell lakes.
Both times I was sailing across the lake and the boats were coming at a 90-degree angle on a collision course toward me. They never attempted to slow down or go behind me, so I had to slow down and navigate across the wake they left.

Posted inCulture

Our picks for 8/4 – 8/12: Michael Franti & Spearhead, Flobots, William Fitsimmons, Art and more

Michael Franti & Spearhead, Flobots
thursday 5
The show, a big faction of Bend's live music, that fans have been waiting for is finally here as the benevolent Michael Franti and his band return to the LSA, this time joined by indie hip-hoppers Flobots. See the On Stage column for more. 6:30pm. Les Schwab Amphitheater, 344 SW Shevlin Hixon Dr. All ages. $37 plus fees.
Dar Williams
thursday 5
This poppy folk artist has been touring the country for almost 20 years now, all the while creating excellently crafted songs with a distinct sound that has since been the calling card of the New York-based artist. She's also known for her social and environmental activism, some of which can be heard in her passionate songs. Reserved seating: $29 & $37/adv, $32 & $40/day of show. 8pm-10pm, Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St.

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