Lemongrass -- Great (Last reviewed May 1,2009)

Lemongrass is like an oasis in this part of the city -- a hip, Thai restaurant in what can only be an up and coming part of extended Harbor East. The larger than life Indian goddess greets you upon entry and makes you feel like just a little feller in downtown Bangkok. So being a huge Thai food fan, this place was destined for a good review. There was a steady lunch time crowd, an encouraging sign. The menu is very diverse, reasonably priced and Thai funky. I was probably blabbering too much and not focused on the menu so I defaulted to Chicken Pad Thai. I know this is like ordering a burger and fries in a diner but look people, I was under a lot of pressure. The earthy watress was growing understandably impatient after the third pass. They did a very nice job with this staple dish -- good size portion, a little on the sweet side, fresh and yummy. Ok, so a few digs. I was hoping for a little something over the top like hot tea but maybe I am confusing Chinese with Thai. Why would you build such a huge bar in the entryway? It kind of messes up my Thai karma ... why not a fountain or a Buddha dude, straw mats or something along those lines instead of a really long saloon style bar.

I was so intrigued by this place that I went back three days later for dinner. Equally good but I felt as if I was leaving my loyal followers a little short on jabs, so here's a few. I tried to go for the tea thing again and struck out. I got a beer glass with hot water and grocery store looking tea bag. Boo. Our server, more Pigtown than Thai, chose to wear a nasty kitchen towel around his waist. Hey buddy, good look if you are actually in the kitchen, not so much if you are serving. He seemed more familiar with the menu from KFC than Lemongrass. I had Red Curry which was awesome and unusual. I also sampled a little Drunken Noodle which was really tasty. As with lunch, I again had kalamari as an appetizer which was good but a little too rubbery for this world renowned critic.