Even Thai Food Novices Can Be Dazzled by Pho Thai Nam

The other night, we were coming home from the Harrisburg Farm Show when the in-laws suggested that we go out for "Chinese." Why is Chinese in quotes? Because, and I suspect this was done on purpose due to my own culinary fears, when we actually showed up at the restaurant, it was not Chinese at all. It was Thai/Vietnamese. To be a little more exact, it was Pho Thai Nam, a restaurant in East Norriton, Pa. I have to say, I was none too pleased when we showed up at the spot and I realized what was going on. However, I quickly realized what a wonderful hidden jewel this place was, and how much I had been missing by avoiding Thai food all these years.

First of all, I had a great time just sitting in the restaurant. I found the decor to be quite pleasing with bold colors, overhead lamps that were shaped like flowers, and some tables being formed in the way of bamboo gazebos. Was it a little kitschy to have Thai television programs playing on a TV screen above the wait station? Perhaps. But I bought in, although I think that could also be due to the incredibly friendly service we got from our main server and another gentleman who looked to be a manager.

The Blue Route Taco Truck at Whole Foods: Eat the Tacos, but Hold the Chicken

There was a time when I probably would not have been caught dead in a Whole Foods. They quite simply did not have enough unhealthy options for my fat-and-sugar-loving palette. But now that the wife has me eating healthy (fruits and vegetables can taste good; how about that), I find myself going there a little more often. Plus, the fact that they serve beer not only in six-packs, but incredibly cheap growlers helps.

Well, add one more line to that list of reasons not to dread going to Whole Foods: they have tacos!

This past Thursday, the wife, myself, and Saucy Jr. checked out the Blue Route Taco Truck, a charmingly underadvertised haven for the taco lover on the roof of the market chain's Plymouth Meeting store. They had a Happy Hour deal (one that I believe will still be going on every Thursday for a few more weeks) from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. where you could get three tacos for five dollars as well as one of their selection of canned beers for $1.99, and we figured, "Heck, why not? It's fun for three people to eat for less than $14. Let's give it a try."

Dear...You: The Neighborhood Qdoba Restaurant

Dear Qdoba,
I know you have been wondering why I stopped coming to see you! After all, you are right across the street from my abode. It was so convenient. There was a time that I would make a weekly appearance to sample your pleasures! The people who work for you were beginning to know my name and my preferred dishes! Why would such a comfortable relationship have to come to an end?

The fact is I needed to lose some weight! I was pushing two-hunny! My musculature was beginning to disappear like dictatorships in the Middle East. My man-boobs were beginning to rival Phillies broadcaster Tom McCarthy’s for sheer voluptuousness. My waist was beginning to display more jiggle than an episode of Boardwalk Empire that features Paz de la Huerta prominently. The final straw was a visit to the doctor for a physical. She inserted a syringe into my arm. She drew some blood. She went to look at the results. And then she straight up came back into the room and asked who was getting my film collection once I’ve moved on. Evidently she too liked films by Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock, and was eager for a bequeathing.