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Dying Happy

Tonight we went to a fabulous Thai food restaurant on the North Shore called Opal's. It's the same restaurant that was featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. The episode won't air for a while yet, but we figured once it does it will be impossible to get a seat. So we ran (well, drove really fast) there for dinner and it was just as good as we had been told.

While we were perusing the menu, the chef came out to our table and asked us what sort of food we usually like to eat at Thai restaurants. First up, we told him that Emily doesn't like Thai food and she's allergic to dairy. He asked her a couple of questions such as, "Do you prefer shrimp or chicken? Rice or noodles?" Then he told her, "I'm going to make you something that will change your life tonight."

He asked each of us the same sort of questions and what we normally like in a Thai restaurant. I'm usually a Green Papaya Salad/Chicken Pad Thai kind of gal. He also asked me if I like curry. Kerry is also a Pad Thai guy, but he's medium spice, where I'm mild. Katie normally likes Rice Noodles and Broccoli in Thai style gravy with beef, but the poor thing was rotten with a cold tonight and just wanted some ice cream. Unfortunately, they were out of ice cream and Katie looked like she was going to burst into tears, so he offered her cheesecake instead.

At this point I figured he must think we spoil her rotten as she was getting ice cream for dinner and nearly cried when told she couldn't have it, so I explained that she had a cold and a sore throat. He popped back up shortly with a glass of some sort of liquid that he swore would cure her if she would drink it. She took a few sips, and we ended up promising to go get her ice cream else where if she would drink half of it. I'd have offered her a pony if it would cure her.

Shortly thereafter, he showed up with four fabulous dishes for us. I wish I had taken a picture. The food was fabulous! It was like he designed the dishes personally for our taste buds. Even Emily ate from all the plates (he made all four dishes dairy free so we could share) and said she wanted more! This from the kid who hates Thai food!

Afterwards we walked to the nearest ice cream parlor for dessert. Emily didn't see anything dairy free, so she asked if she could just have a cone with nothing on it. When the server realized she couldn't have dairy, he produced a dairy free tropical fruit sorbet and served that. She said it was okay, but not as good as actual ice cream.

We had to walk down the street with our ice cream, and as we crossed a parking lot, a car swerved close to us. "I thought we were going to die," said Kerry.

Full of good Thai food and happy with my vanilla macadamia nut ice cream cone, I remarked, "Well, if we did, we'd die happy."

"You'd die happy," said Emily. "I'd die vaguely pleased."
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