Pages

▼

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Squid Eats: Bangkok Bistro in the Alley

Bangkok Bistro in the Alley is a relatively recent resurrection of a restaurant that ran in Burlington from 2002-2012.  It is our favorite Thai restaurant in town, more conveniently located than the also good East West Cafe.  Our daughter and I went on Saturday night as a prelude to a VSO concert.  My wife was out of town so it was some good bonding time for us.  The girl is suddenly more open to talks about her future - simultaneously exciting, bittersweet and terrifying.  She's growing up...

Image result for bangkok bistro in the alley burlington vt
via Facebook

We got spring rolls and potstickers to start.  The girl was especially impressed by the Penang sauce that came with the dumplings, eventually dunking all of her food in it.  I got the Ga Pow for my main - seriously hot but enjoyable.  I can take hot, crave it even.  The Ga Pow didn't quite move me to tears but it was intense.  Sadly, they were out of mango sticky rice by the time we got to dessert, even though it was on the specials menu and it was early in the evening.  Oh well.

Due to illness, the featured violinist for the concert, and her piece, had to be replaced on short notice.  Enter Shannon Lee with the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, fortunately an orchestra standard that can be thrown together quickly.  Lee was dynamite.  The audience gave her a standing ovation after the first movement - a bit gauche but certainly sincere.

The real treat for the girl and me, though, was Mendelssohn's Fifth Symphony - aka "Restoration" - to close the evening.  As noted in this post, she has played the fourth movement herself with her youth orchestra.  Apart from being generally magnificent, it is a woodwind-heavy piece which suits our family tastes well.  I will never tire of posting this:

at

14 comments:

  1. NataliaJanuary 29, 2020 at 6:50 AM

    Sounds yum!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Susan KaneJanuary 29, 2020 at 3:35 PM

    Such music!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Armchair SquidFebruary 1, 2020 at 4:37 PM

      Such an amazing piece, and definitely an arrival point in our daughter's musical career!

      Delete
  3. Andrew LeonJanuary 29, 2020 at 4:43 PM

    We don't have a good Thai place nearby anymore.
    The one we used to like -- which is still the best, actually -- was sold to new owners and the quality of the food went down substantially along with a raise in the prices. That it is still the best Thai place in the area says a lot about the poor quality of the other options.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Armchair SquidFebruary 1, 2020 at 4:38 PM

      That's too bad! One would think California would be bursting at the seams with good Thai places.

      Delete
    2. Andrew LeonFebruary 1, 2020 at 4:41 PM

      I'm sure it is.
      Just not where I am.
      I bet SF is full of great places.

      Delete
    3. The Armchair SquidFebruary 1, 2020 at 4:55 PM

      SoCal, too. Though I think my sister's family's favorite in Pasadena has closed.

      Delete
  4. Commander ZaiusJanuary 29, 2020 at 5:44 PM

    Columbia doesn't really have a good Thai restaurant anymore. The one my wife and I enjoyed went bankrupt and was replaced with an Applebees clone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Armchair SquidFebruary 1, 2020 at 4:43 PM

      How is Columbia as a food town? Thoughts of Charleston make my mouth water: sea food, red rice, soul food. Yum! How does Columbia compare?

      Delete
  5. angryparsnipJanuary 29, 2020 at 6:38 PM

    Love Thai Food.
    Woodwind or Arizona Flute music is a favorite for me. Not sure if you can find this but . . .
    Desert Dreams: Celebrating the Five Seasons of the Sonoran Desert.

    Is wonderful. I had a copy but sent it to my Japanese Family.
    Agave and Yucca wood make lovely flues.
    parsnip

    ReplyDelete
  6. The Armchair SquidFebruary 1, 2020 at 4:44 PM

    I'll keep an eye out for it. Thanks for the recommendation.

    ReplyDelete
  7. DMSFebruary 2, 2020 at 10:51 AM

    The food sounds tasty. I love hot, but the older I get hot doesn't love me- so I only indulge occasionally. What a beautiful piece you shared. It is lovely. I work at a dance and music studio and love hearing instruments play. Thanks for sharing. :)
    ~Jess

    ReplyDelete