Thursday, December 13, 2018

My Thai ~ Baltimore, Maryland


Latest visit: Dec 2018

First visit: Nov 2016

They've recently moved a few blocks east. We have not been to this location.

As my regular readers know, one of the favorite food types for the RJG is Thai. So I was quite worried that there was only one in the vicinity of my work area (Harbor East). And when I asked my friend/coworker/peer who recruited me in the first place (we’ll call him Totero from our days working in Racine, Wisconsin in the late 90s), about Thai restaurants in the area, he wasn’t encouraging. What about My Thai I asked? “It’s OK I guess”. Ugh. Since it was the only Thai option, and it was my first week on the job - on a very cold November evening - I wandered over for dinner. “OK I guess”? What? It was great! I dragged him over for my second visit. “Well, I didn’t get the right dish it appears”. Hmmm-mmm. So on that first visit, I perched myself up to the bar, and unbelievably they had a few local taps. Wow – the perfect combo! And the bartender assured me they rotated at least one local beer frequently. When I ordered my fave kad pa grow (or however they spell it), and asked for it Thai style with ground chicken and a fried egg, and they said no problem, I knew I had a regular dinner place! But it wasn’t so…

One evening a couple of months later, I show up, and the taps are shut. Sure, I can get big cans of Asahi or Sapporo, but that’s not what I want. In the meantime, some of my coworkers have taken a shine to My Thai as well. And though it has served as a happy hour watering hole (it’s not bad for that really!), we’ve moved it to a sober-as-a-judge lunch place. So its legacy is secured. In general, I dine with a co-worker we’ll call The Sword (unfortunately my good friend Totero was let go back in March – and he’s back at Software Company Everyone’s Heard Of – there’s a name old RJG readers will remember!). And lunch is every bit as good as dinner. At first I laid off the more extreme heat, given I was new to the company and didn’t want to “take any chances”. But now I go all in with Thai Hot. And it’s really about perfect. It’s not killer, but it’s not wimpy either. Loads of fresh basil too. And for some reason, the taps remain shut. They keep promising to turn them back on, but it’s been well over a year now. When they do, I’ll have to make a decision if it remains lunch or we go back to dinner.

The following applies to their old location on Central: My Thai, especially in the winter, feels like it’s on the edge of civilization. And it kind of is. The area it sits in is very noirish. The gates of Little Italy are only one block away to the west, but the hardcore ghetto is only a few blocks north itself. And every once in a while a stray panhandler will wander in asking for money. And the bartender chases them out with a stick (seriously). Don’t let that scare you. I’ve never once felt threatened physically (anywhere near there in fact). Honestly, I think it’s just one of the coolest parts of town. It’s definitely not touristy. This is Regular Joe territory.

11/14/16; 8/14/18 (new entry); 12/13/18

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