Restaurant Mon Jul 21 2008

Negotiations for Thai

This weekend was epic. It was one where I had one of my favorite dishes again. Curry, and the velvety coconut-based Thai curry no less. To get there, a friend and I engaged in a typical lunch-place negotiation, something like, "Want to join me?" "Sure, where do you want to go?" Then it came up: "You have more restrictions than I do." I like to think that I could eat anywhere and keep vegan. And that's mostly true, less perhaps someplace just serving steaks. So, I asked my friend, "Well, where would you go if you were by yourself?" After a long pause, the response was, "I'd go home [and eat]." We were soon en route to Joy's on Broadway on bikes for Thai food, when we deviated for Cozy Noodles & Rice on Sheffield, just north of Clark. It's cutely decorated spot with a few tables outside in front.

We kicked lunch off with spring rolls and a salad of crispy tofu, shaved carrots, thinly sliced onion and green onion in a tart sauce, strengthened by the lime wedge we squeezed over it. Our server asked another worker to describe the crispy white bits over the salad, after I'd asked. It was rice, cooked until crispy, and then finely ground. The person describing it added that it had a nice smell. I liked the crunch, too.

We ordered the green curry without fish sauce, per the menu's offering, and not spicy for my friend, hoping for a change from the menu's clear indication that this was a spicy dish. The mild curry didn't look as fun, with potatoes and green peas. We wanted the bamboo shoots, green peas, carrot, basil leaves and Thai eggplant - with tofu. Minus its hot peppers, it was still a bit spicy, but wonderfully creamy, with soft and gentle tones from the coconut milk. Cozy serves brown rice now, for anyone who's tired of white. 3456 N. Sheffield (at Cornelia). (773) 327-0100.

— Chris Brunn / Comments (0)