Playing God: Stuck in limbo with just a handheld and a clue

A while back, I started hearing whispers about a magical drive-through on the Eastside that serves up some of the best Thai food in town. I was skeptical. Not only is it hard to imagine the words “magical” and “drive-through” in the same sentence, but every time I drove out that direction with an eye open for it, the elusive little shop escaped my notice. I was starting to think that this so-called Thai on the Fly was an urban myth, when finally I caught sight of the tiny trailer tucked next to the Xpress Lube at Greenwood and 7th St. It is a wonder that food of this caliber can come out of such modest digs and at such a reasonable price point. But it is, in no small part, chef and owner Kaew Sumner's way with customers that keeps them coming back. To Sumner, everyone is “honey” and from her perch at the drive-through window treated like a special dinner guest.

A while back, I started hearing whispers about a magical drive-through on the Eastside that serves up some of the best Thai food in town. I was skeptical. Not only is it hard to imagine the words “magical” and “drive-through” in the same sentence, but every time I drove out that direction with an eye open for it, the elusive little shop escaped my notice. I was starting to think that this so-called Thai on the Fly was an urban myth, when finally I caught sight of the tiny trailer tucked next to the Xpress Lube at Greenwood and 7th St. It is a wonder that food of this caliber can come out of such modest digs and at such a reasonable price point. But it is, in no small part, chef and owner Kaew Sumner's way with customers that keeps them coming back. To Sumner, everyone is “honey” and from her perch at the drive-through window treated like a special dinner guest.

I've been working on taking my diet to the next level by adding as much organic, locally grown fair to my plate as possible. Zydeco came up in conversation as the place to do this. An hour later, friends in tow, we took our seats under an outdoor heater on Bond Street. Our waiter asked if anyone would like the gluten-free menu. “I'll take the vegan one,” I said. They didn't have one; but our waiter told me, the chef had created a vegan special earlier that was reportedly some kind of wonderful. Perfect, bring it over!
While waiting for our table, I overheard a young woman mention Zydeco's crispy fries ($4) were the best in town. I needed no further encouragement. We ordered two cups of fries for the table and one cheese-less Acadian Flatbread ($11), a crispy hand-rolled cracker-bread, topped with oven-fried tomatoes, pearl onions and pepper. I could have eaten the entire thing myself; three, in fact.

I've been working on taking my diet to the next level by adding as much organic, locally grown fair to my plate as possible. Zydeco came up in conversation as the place to do this. An hour later, friends in tow, we took our seats under an outdoor heater on Bond Street. Our waiter asked if anyone would like the gluten-free menu. “I'll take the vegan one,” I said. They didn't have one; but our waiter told me, the chef had created a vegan special earlier that was reportedly some kind of wonderful. Perfect, bring it over!
While waiting for our table, I overheard a young woman mention Zydeco's crispy fries ($4) were the best in town. I needed no further encouragement. We ordered two cups of fries for the table and one cheese-less Acadian Flatbread ($11), a crispy hand-rolled cracker-bread, topped with oven-fried tomatoes, pearl onions and pepper. I could have eaten the entire thing myself; three, in fact.