It was a pretty evening to be out and about – the temp has dropped a bit!
I snacked on cereal this afternoon and then walked to prenatal yoga. Afterwards, I met Hillary for Thai! This time at Monsoon. Matt and I used to get Thai curries all the time our sophomore year of college when our meal plans ended Friday at lunch and picked up on Sunday night. Green curry was my fav and Panang was a close second. [Locals, I can’t remember the name of the place, but it was on S. Main Street in Cornelius. It was cheap and loaded with bamboo shoots!] Ever since we tried out Downtown Thai here a few weeks ago (expensive and not too good), I’ve been on the hunt for a really good curry. I’m sorry to say that I haven’t quite found one that is as good as our college staple. There are 2 more places to try, but unfortunately neither are within walking distance.
I ordered the Panang with Tofu – brown rice was extra on the side. It was pretty darn spicy and very flavorful but it lacked the coconut milk texture I was after. (Probably a little lighter for this reason though?) Good, but not quiiiiite there.
MY OTHER RECIPES
Interesting brown rice mix – but it was good!
All mixed up:
My dinner date and I had lots of girl talk to catch up on, plus a 2-person book club of Fifty Shades (although neither of us have finished). I have a list of 25 things I don’t like about the book and 1 major reason why I love it (hint: it’s not the sex scenes). More on that after I’m through!
Karen is gone to visit a friend for the night; Matt just returned from the Pen Park market and is eating party leftovers with Mythbusters and I’m about to get in bed with my books! I’m kind of enjoying reading multiple books at once – 20 minutes of pregnancy reading to start (I’m starting something new tonight probably), then 30 minutes of book club (History of Love) and then the rest goes to 50 Shades. Makes me feel productive!
Is that place new? You inspire me to read more. Haven’t touched a book in a loooong time.
Nope! It’s on the corner of Market and 2nd
My mother needs to finish 50 Shades so I can start!!
Hahah. Now that would be an interesting 2 person book club!
You know, I am quite enjoying Fifty Shades (even if the sex bits start to be a bit too much after a while and just make the book drag..). Can’t wait to hear your thoughts about it! It would be great to have an online book club 🙂
Hahahah, yes it might be one of those we both read but don’t discuss! Definitely not sure that I could go see the movie with her!
This post was posted twice! Thought I’d let you know! I just finished The Devil in Massachusetts yesterday. I was reading it for a History class I was taking and had to get it read and reviewed in 2 days! Fastest I’ve read a book in a long time. It was very interesting though. Loved learning more about the Salem Witch Trials! Have a good relaxing reading night!
Weird!! My computer gave me an error the first time. Thanks!
Have you seen about Month 10’s Expectant Mamas club? I know two of the women and they are wonderful!
http://www.month10.com/
Cool, nice service. My birth doula does a postpartum visit, but I’ll keep this in mind
OH my goodness, this food looks delicious. Thai is hands down my favorite.
Enjoy all this reading time!! Seriously!
And I know how it is when you have a restaurant/meal/food memory and you search hi and lo to recreate it or find a replacement and nothing quite comes exactly close enough but like you said, your search isn’t over yet!
That place closed while I was still in school and awkwardly the woman that owned it got a job in the union cafe!
Oh my gosh, really!? It was a really nice place!
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on 50 Shades. I haven’t read them yet but have heard they are written poorly.
I really need to experiment more with Thai food…looks really good! My mom just finished Fifty Shades of Grey…will start soon.
We read 50 Shades for my book club and the reader sent out a list of guys rumored to play the dude. The next week we found out our friend was dating one of those actors. People flipped out!!!
OMG it has to be Ian summerhouse…… Whatever his last name is! So hot and perfect for the part. Some of the other suggestions were terrible! Do you have the inside scoop on when the movie casting and production begin?
nope, but do you mean ian somerhalder from Lost? we are supposed to be in another movie together if things go well down the line!!!
Yes and oh. My. Gosh! You’ve met him?!
I had both Korean and Ethiopian today, but I have to say Thai is still wayyyyyyyyyy up there in my top 3 of favorite types of food. So fresh!
I love Ethiopian too! Not sure if there is a good place here though
We were just there having dinner tonight too! I had the pad Thai, which is my standard gauge for how good a Thai place is. I was super disappointed! Gotta find our go-to C’ville Thai soon …and I don’t think Monsoon will be it.
Oh yeah! Must have just missed you. Welcome to cville!
Thai is our go-to dinner-out option; we love it! Green curry is our favorite curry as well. Got to love the coconutty curry cream. Sorry to hear that tonight’s was lacking in the creamy department.
hopefully you find a nice thai place soon! there is a DELICIOUS one near me… thankfully, since there are only a few restaurants really close. it offers thai, chinese, and japanese, and they’re all pretty delicious. i’ve stayed away from the curries because they were too spicy, and have been getting avo + cucumber rolls or pad thai. i miss the curries, though, and i’m sure they’d do “mild” for me.
also love your productive reading! i always used to read 8 books at once, but i realized it was because i wasn’t interested in many of them. now i just put it down if i’m not enjoying myself. 🙂
Gorgeous photo of Charlottesville! I think I have a soft spot for downtown 🙂
Good whole grains at a restaurant always makes me so happy! That looks like a delicious meal, but I know what you mean – sometimes it’s the coconut milk that you really need (if anyone ever really needed a certain food)
I must the only person who hasn’t read 50 shades yet…soon for sure!!
I was in the store yesterday, and I saw this little old man buying 3 copies of 50 shades of grey. Why he needed 3, I am not sure.
Oh, and I LOVE Thai food. My husband makes an awesome Rendang.
Haha!
Green curry is definitely my favourite thai dish but i don’t think i’ve ever eaten it in a restaurant better than i’ve cooked it myself 🙂 That plus brown rice = best dinner ever.
I’ve never had Thai food, but this looks delicious!
I’m refusing to jump on the 50 Shades bandwagon!
The thai food looks delicious though >.<
I always seem to be on two books too. Although I read one at one point during the day and the other at another time. Never both in one sitting. 🙂
I have not read 50 shades but heard all about it! Infact, our tiler said to my hubby yesterday that since his wife been reading the books, she won’t leave him alone…lol…that cracked me up! Hubby asking me when I will start reading them!!!
I know it isn’t within walking distance of downtown, but my favorite panang curry is from Thai 99 II on 29 N. I’m not too fond of their pad thai, so if that’s what I’m looking for I go to Lime Leaf across the street. I think Lime Leaf is the best Thai in Charlottesville overall, but Thai 99 II cannot be beat for panang curry!
I wish I could eat Thai – but there are always too many nuts in the restaurants for it to be safe for me! Plus I recently developed an allergy to curry powder, which complicates things even more! 😛
I hope you have a physical list of those 25 reasons! And that you bring it along for book discussions hahaha
The brown rice looks really good. I need to hunt up a recipe for it.
That food looks incredible. And now I’m seriously craving thai food!
I love love love green curry! The best I have ever had was in Thailand (imagine that) and close second was in San Fran! yum. 🙂 You completely made me crave some Thai food.
I am not sure if I have ever had Thai food. If I did, I do not remember.
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
I didn’t love the first 50 shades book but just started the third and it get a lot better!
Thai is definitely my favorite takeout. I keep it pretty simple and usually just get pad thai though.
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, right?
Michelle
You might want to try Thai 99 behind Pier 1. The lunch specials are a good value and the curry is pretty good.
Hmm, any idea what was in the brown rice mix? I’ve never seen anything like that before…looks good, though!
Brown rice is much healthier than white rice especially for pregnant women. I’ve eaten Panang with Tofu and Pad Thai in Bangkok during my first Thai travel. Thailand is indeed a country of unique and diverse flavours!:)
History of Love is one of my all time faves! How are you liking it?
A bit hard to follow, but liking it