Thai Me Up, Throw Me In Your Trunk And Drive Me Back To 'Taste of Thai'

Thai is one of those cuisines that cannot be substituted when I NEED IT. A masaman curry makes me feel warm and sensual inside, like i'm wearing a slinky satin robe of silky coconut sauce while stretching out onto a bed of fluffy, cloud-like starchy white rice. Was that too weird? I'm sure it was. Anyways...

Upon arrival, the interior of this place looked like something was going to be left to my imagination. In fact, the lack of decor actually sat me between a retail display of golden Buddha's, candle sticks and some old brown baby booster seats. Now, I have learned time and time again, that from the deepest depths of the darkest mud pits rises the most beautiful of Lotus flowers, and 'Taste of Thai' is no exception to this age old tale. (The decor is not for the foodie looking to find the serene, mellow Thai experience of waterfalls and trickling rock gardens, but more for the restaurant sleuth who wants to get their food fast, love it, finish it and lick their fingers and lips for the rest of the day while secretly planning their next trip back.) So, the inside kinda sucks. In the immortal words of Garfield, "Big. Fat. Hairy. Deal".

The food, on the other hand is definitely in the Top 3 of all Thai food I have ever had. I'm not sure if it's fair to say that over some Tom Yum (traditional lemongrass & mushroom soup), and a huge plate of #19... the masaman curry (meat sauteed with avocado, roasted cashews and broccoli in rich creamy coconut milk with masaman curry spice), but it's my story and i'm sticking to it. This food was incredible! It was all three  of my most favorite things in a Thai restaurant: 1. FRESH, 2. FAST, 3. SPICY, but not blowing my face off my head. I mean, I like a good amount spice, but I also like to be able to taste the elements of the dish, e.g., the individual flavors of the meat, the sauce, the veggies, and how they make a new completely different overall flavor, (I find it difficult for Thai restaurants to execute all three of these seemingly simply elements, and when just one of them is missing, it tends to really ruin a dish or an entire meal for me....especially the 'FRESH' element) but not to worry, this place gets it.
The hubby, being the tried and true kinda guy that he is, got the Pad Thai, (classic stir-fried thin rice noodles with meat, bean sprouts, egg and ground peanuts). It was also notably delicious. Heaping bowl of spicy noodles + quiet eating wife = happy hubby. Easy math.

The service was as short and sweet as any Thai place I have ever visited, making it a 22 1/2  min. in-and-out experience that will forever remind me of why I will turn my head 180 degrees to stare at it as long as possible every time we pass it, remembering my first bite, seventh bite, last bite and most of all, the warm, calm feeling we had walking out the door. Great prices, great service, amazing FRESH, fast Thai.

Colleen's yummy rating 5/5.

Find their menu here.

Sweet P's vs. Man vs. Food vs. Me: The Great BBQ Debate That I Don't Belong In

I'm going to have to start this entry with an apology. It's not to Sweet P's, or Travel Channel, or even my increasingly cool in-laws for paying for my meal, but to the real BBQ junkies, flunkies and enthusiasts out there. I'm sorry I have no discerning tongue for this stuff. I can't tell you if the brisket has been smoked with applewood chips, maple planks, or cherry-wood chunks, and based on the flavor of the char, if the smoker was older than 1955. I do, however recognize that people who can do that are out there; and reading this may make them mad as hell. So for that, in addition to being a Yankee reviewing a BBQ place, (with a bullet) I'm sorry. Also, i'm not going to touch on the burrito challenge featured on the Travel Channel, because this picture of Sweet P's owner is way sweeter. PBR for life!

The more I talk about this place to other Knoxvilians, the more I get the same story: "I didn't even know it was there until I saw it on the Man vs. Food: Knoxville". And I, always answer with the same reply, "Me too, but i'm sure glad I found it." That's because Sweet P's had it all; the meat, the sides, the Southern Hospitality, and the water-side locale that lets hungry boaters go dockside for a meat-fest only beer, sunshine and coca-cola can conjure up. 

Naturally, after being south of the Mason-Dixon Line for the better part of 5 years, I have had my fair share of BBQ. I'm talking ribs, chicken, smoked wings, brisket, pulled everything, and sauces to be categorized as thick, thin, Carolina-style, Texas-style and my #1 favorite (in black marker on the side of the bottle: 'GOOD'. (It was!) Sweet P's had all the major players, including thick and thin sauces, and the better part of 10 sides to pick from. I went for the ribs (seriously, i'm NOT here to try your chicken,) and the mixed beans. A huge slab of ribs and 2 sections of my paper plate was now covered with steaming hot BBQ goodness, and grabbing my unsweet tea was all there was left to do before the carnage could ensue. The ribs were cooked PERFECTLY. Did you hear that? PERFECTLY! (Like, WOW!...These ribs actually couldn't be cooked ANY better). They were juicy and tender and had so much meat on them that my father in-law gave me 'the look' when I said "These ribs are really meaty!". Good for him, it was a stupid thing to say out loud. Now, as for the beans, they were just kinda there. They were hot, they were beany, but as for flavor... I took my husband's advice on beans at a BBQ place: "They're never over the top, just put some salt & pepper and sauce on them and they get GREAT!" So I did, and of course, they were. Yes, Sweet P's...this means I like your sauce. Alot.
I'm now taking a moment to interrupt this review with a quick side note. I am NOT 'Southern', therefore NOT qualified to make remarks about secret seasoning rubs, sauces, and injecting methods of cooking BBQ, and I know that. I will, however say that the flavor of the ribs was smokey, and meaty, but I'll have to leave it at that. The rub did not blow my mind out of the back of my head, but the quality of the ribs and the attention to how well they were cooked did. The flavor was most definitely there, but it left me begging for more. And, this is where the great BBQ debate begins, and I gracefully have to bow out. I have no business fighting in this ring, and my two cents hold no water. Thankfully, I have become acclimated enough to know that, and it makes me giggle every time I say it. With that, I will say that Sweet P's was a great meal, and probably does the best BBQ I have had since moving to Knoxville. There are some other key players in town, but as Dolly Parton says in 'Steel Magnolias, "If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit next to me", so those places will be discussed at a later date. This review now holds a very special place in my heart, as I have laid all my true Yankee cards on the table. Sweet P's is a flavor debate that I could not win. Actually, I had no business trying in the first place. 

I'll be back to Sweet P's though! Hopefully, it'll be on a boat, and hopefully with some people who want to let me know that I know absolutely nothing about BBQ.
Check out their menus/site here.

Colleen yummy food rating= 4.5/5.