Q: One of my favorite desserts is mango sticky rice. Who has the best?
Tom: A Thai restaurant classic! Khao Niew Mamuang or mango sticky rice is a traditional Thai dessert and popular street food composed of chewy glutinous rice that is soaked in sweet-and-salty coconut milk and served with ripe mango, often dusted with toasted or black sesame seeds. I really like the one at R+D Bar, the late-night alternative concept inside Thai Taste on East Boulevard. It’s different than the daytime version, which is also quite good. The dessert especially goes well with the house Mango Sticky Icky cocktail, made with premium rice vodka. If you want to go on a mango sticky rice pilgrimage, check out Rice & Spice Thai Street Food in South Charlotte, Bahn Thai in Ballantyne, Thai Orchid on Providence Road, and Thai House in Cotswold. If you like the food truck scene, see where Deejai Food Truck is popping up. There are also a couple of fun riffs you might enjoy. Rai Lay Thai in South End serves a condensed-milk rice pudding with fresh mango, while Deejai Noodle Bar in NoDa tops its sweet coconut rice with fresh mango and ice cream. Note that mangoes are seasonal, so hitting the mango sticky rice jackpot isn’t always guaranteed.

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Q:  Any chance the UP meat & potatoes dinner will make a comeback?
Tom: Kristen and I talk about this all … the … time. It’s my absolute favorite UP event, giving area chefs a chance to break away from the mainsteam to prepare meat dishes using non-traditional animal cuts. The last one was in 2023 at Mimosa Grill, so yes, a return is definitely overdue. The issue is finding a place that can fit five or six chefs in the kitchen and a date where everyone can be available, which is getting much harder to do as the city’s culinary scene continues to skyrocket. But neither of us have given up hope. So knock-wood, someday it will return. When it does, you’ll read about it here.

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