Serenity & Spice

I remember years ago, one cloudy afternoon when my dad decided to take me to Vino’s Pizza and Brewery not too long after my 21st birthday. He ordered two beer samplers and then proceeded to go through each one with me. My dad had been a BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) Judge for years and he took this as the perfect opportunity to teach me about beer styles.  It was probably January or February of 2006, and I had recently returned from my first tour in Iraq. Growing up, he had given me tidbits but never gave me an actual class before. To him, a beer tasting was a rite of passage for me. Ken Haycook was determined that his daughter would go out into the world knowing how to drink beer. In honor of Father’s Day, I made I Love You, Dad Pizza . I made pizza crust with 6 Bridges Cream Ale from Vino’s. A few months back, I did a beer and cookie pairing but wasn’t able to include Vino’s in the mix. Given this memory, I felt it deserved something a little more special.  My d...

I wasn’t looking for it, but it found me. After I arrived in Las Vegas, my cousin took a long way home to show me some of the city. It was a beautiful day, and I saw the Hofbrauhaus and part of the Strip. We had an incredible lunch at Oceans One. As we headed south towards her home, I saw it: Lotus of Siam.  During quarantine, I watched Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi on Hulu. She visits cities across the United States and details the immigrant tradition and how it has influenced American foodways. In Episode 9: "The Pad Thai Gamble", she travels to Las Vegas and explores its large Thai community. The last place she went to was the James Beard Award-winning Lotus of Siam. It is praised as the best Thai restaurant in the country specializing in Northern Thai cuisine. After some begging, my cousin agreed to take me there for lunch as one of our last adventures. As the location nearest to the place I was staying was closed due to COVID restrictions, we went to the original ...