|
Montgomery, Alabama This is a throwback dining memory. Don and I visited Montgomery in February 2020, before the pandemic put a halt to our travel and dining adventures. We arrived on a drizzly day. After checking into our hotel, we walked a block to admire this beautiful train station from 1898. Lit Up! We didn't realize there was a restaurant hidden in the train station, until we saw their sign at night. We love Thai food. And I love a restaurant with a clever name, that "Thais" into the theme of the building. Plus the reviews on TripAdvisor, raved about the food. Entrance I'm not even sure why I took this photo of the entrance, when we arrived, over a year ago. Maybe I was intrigued with the winding ramp and its endless railing. Or maybe I was amused by the chef sign, which looked a little out of place. Who knows. But now, my eyes are drawn to the bottle of hand sanitizer. Lek's Restaurant was so ahead of the game, in February 2020. Open Space Once we made it up the ramp, we were greeted with a lovely, open dining space. I could still feel a bit of the old station, with the high ceilings and narrow, iron columns. Another wall had tall windows, looking out toward the tracks. Thai Decor There was lots of decor that we wouldn't have seen in the station, over a century ago. The carved doors, the elephant and the golden figures, came to the station with the owners in 1997. Our waiter said his wife was related to the family who started this restaurant in Birmingham, before it came to Montgomery. I think he said they had the doors carved for the restaurant. But I could have that wrong. Quiet We arrived on the late side that evening, so the restaurant was nearly empty. It was nice that I could peek around without bothering diners. There were so many curious treasures, but my eyes were drawn to the photographs. I always want to know about people in photos. Family? Don asked more questions and I looked at more photos. I noticed the framed portraits, hung high. Could that good looking couple be the owners, when they were young? I was wrong. The King and Wife I was surprised to learn that this casual portrait, was an image of Thailand's previous king and his wife. I never would have guessed that the man in the sunglasses was the well respected king, who died a few years ago. I tried to remember what my daughter-in-law taught me in 2017, when we visited her family's home in Thailand. There are strict laws that prohibit criticism of Thai Royalty. So, I won't say much. Let's just say, the new king is not exactly adored. Formal Portraits Above the doorway, I saw two more portraits. I believe these are also images of the previous king and his wife. The country mourned his loss when he died in 2016. Evidently he reigned for 70 years and 126 days. He was highly revered by the people of Thailand. His son does not have so many fans. Maybe that's why he mostly lives in Germany, instead of Thailand. Odd. Food & Drink What I remember well about our evening at Lek's, is that our meal was pretty amazing. Don started off with some Singha beer. Perfect. Panang Curry Don's a huge fan of Panang Curry and he was impressed with this smooth and spicy dish. I later learned that Lek's has earned the title of Best Ethnic Food Restaurant in Montgomery. Pud Thai I often try to step out of my comfort zone and try new dishes. But I couldn't help myself. I chose my favorite, which isn't very adventurous. Good old Pad Thai, called Pud Thai at Lek's. I was more than happy! Festive, but Quiet Before departing I took a quick look at the bar. I was glad to see two men having a relaxed converstaion. I hate being the very last to leave. I admired more Thai decor, sitting right on top of the bar. Now, it's a year later and I'm noticing another bottle of hand sanitizer, on the corner above the high chairs. I guess the Lek family was staying on top of the news better than we were. At the time, Don and I were aware of the Coronavirus scare, but it was all far away. Hand sanitizer was not a thing yet. Lek Family? On the way out, I noticed this photo. I'm not sure if any of these women are members of the Lek family. Actually I'm not really sure if Lek is the name of the family at all. I was able to find so little on the internet. I would love to know more.
Luckily, it looks like the restaurant survived the challenges of 2020... and 2021, so far. Hopefully we'll be able to return, one of these days. I think I'll order Tom Yum soup. Then, I'll ask about that elephant head on the wall.
0 Comments
A Dining Adventure Memory in Castroville In 2015, Don and I had a unique dining experience in a small Texas town. I never wrote it up, but ran across photos and notes, while planning a trip back to Castroville. Sadly, I learned that we can no longer visit this magical little place. Castroville Six years ago, Don and I stopped in for lunch at La Chat Noir, after exploring the small Alsatian-Texas town. We were only 30 minutes from San Antonio, but it felt like were in France... or did it feel like Germany? The Alsace region is confusing... south-east France, on the border of Germany?? In 1844, the town was established by Henri Castro. The families who came over from Europe mostly spoke Alsatian. They built homes that reflected the colonial structures of the buildings in Alsace. The Steinbach Haus above, was actually built in in France, in the 1600's. It was dismantled and gifted to Castroville in 1998. (A 4-year project!) Le Chat Noir in 2015 After wandering the town of Castroville, we spotted this charming little stucco building. There was a black cat on the hanging wooden sign and an Open sign on the door. We headed in! Cozy Rooms We were seated in this room, with 18-inch, limestone walls and brick floor. I was impressed. When you have lunch in a Texas town with a population of less than 3,000, you don't expect white tablecloths! Windows I don't have a photo of the cute little sunroom with the slanted ceiling. The windows on the yellow wall, looked into the sunroom. That's a very blurry photo, looking through the window, the cozy dining sunroom. The wall with stained glass windows, looked out towards the courtyard. Lunch I actually remember this sandwich well. It was a tenderloin & portobella mushroom sandwich on chewy French bread. Seasoned mix of regular and sweet potato fries! This is making me hungry! Patio in Back After we ate, we wandered outside to see the patio. It was a curious looking building, from behind. I'm sure it was originally a home. What kind of family lived here 150 years ago? Before Plumbing I'm sure this home was built, long before indoor plumbing. Who knows when these bathrooms were added. I was pretty amused by the plywood doors, especially the one that led to the Ladies Room. There was a padlock hanging on the handle. Use if you dare! No More Black Cat We said good-bye to Cafe Chat Noir. I meant to ask if they had a black cat on the premises. For years, Don and I have hoped to return to Castroville. Today I booked a night at the Landmark Inn, for mid May. I was sad when I looked on the internet and learned that our little restaurant had closed. Long before the pandemic, I believe.
I'm glad we caught it when we did! |
The Dining Blog
This is a blog about Dining Adventures. Sometimes, I talk about food. Below, you can read how this started. On July 4th 2011, I set a goal to try 50 culturally diverse restaurants in one year! (I knew that was possible, living in the Houston area) I spent the year pulling in friends and family to join me, on some unusual dining adventures. I met some curious people, tried some scary foods and explored places and cultures I never would have otherwise. Even though I met my goal, I learned too much to end my adventures in dining. I have continued blogging about memorable dining adventures of all kinds, near and far... and all the discoveries and funny things I've learned along the way! Locations and types of dining adventures, are listed further down. Archives
November 2023
Categories
All
|