Irish and Thai:

Sometimes going out to dinner can be a chore. My girlfriend and I have been known to drive all over town, pointing out places we don't like, unable to decide on a place with which we're both satisfied. At some point we had to start expanding our comfort zone by trying new places. To solve our dining dilemma, we turned to Thai food. There aren't more than a handful of Thai restaurants in Green Bay. In fact, I think you could count them on three fingers. The limited selection makes it easier to declare the best Thai choice available, Bangkok Garden. Located in the historic Broadway district, on the corner of N. Broadway and Dousman Street, Bangkok Garden is the northern point of Green Bay's Wednesday evening farmers market and a great spot to meet for lunch. The restaurant offers a reasonably priced weekday lunch buffet. It typically features soups, egg rolls, lo mein, fried rice, a red and a yellow curry dish and a rotating selection of four or five other dishes. Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the buffet is $8.50. If buffets aren't your style, Bangkok Garden has 15 lunch specials priced less than $8. Each is accompanied by a cup of soup and an appetizer. The restaurant also offers its full dinner menu during all hours of operation for more substantial parties. Bangkok Garden's dinner menu has everything one would expect from a Thai restaurant. There is an assortment of curries ranging from tame to scorching. The restaurant has a great coconut soup. Satay appetizers thoroughly satisfy guests with marinated, barbecued meat cravings. Pad Thai and other flavorful noodle dishes are scattered throughout the menu to offer novice Thai connoisseurs Americanized options. Those unfamiliar with Thai dining should make an effort to try a few different dishes in their first trip to any Thai restaurant. You don't want to make the mistake of ordering just Kow Neo (steamed sweet rice) for yourself. It's a side dish. You might end up thinking that all Thai food tastes like sweetened steamed rice and, thereby, overlook a culture of food that you might otherwise enjoy. My suggestion would be to go to dinner with three or four people, order five different dishes, set them all in the center of the table and share. So what if there's one you don't like? Maybe there are two or three you do. Bangkok Garden opens everyday at 11 a.m. It will close after lunch, typically from 2:45 to 4 p.m. It then opens again for dinner at 4 p.m. Dinner is served most days until 9:30 p.m., however, on Sundays the kitchen closes half an hour early and on Fridays and Saturdays, it stays open an hour later.. The restaurant shares a bar with the neighboring Irish tavern, Mikey's Pub. Although Mikey's doesn't open its doors for business until 4 p.m., the Bangkok Garden has access to its full bar all day long. Its an interesting pairing of two totally different establishments working together to bring in an eclectic group of customers. Patrons of Mikey's Pub are privy to all the charms of an Irish alehouse. Plus they have the interesting opportunity to indulge in tropical flaming volcano drinks, if they feel the urge. Mikey's Pub is a friendly tavern, for the most part. The drinks are fairly priced and the pool table is level. Theres usually room to throw darts or play foosball. Most nights you'll find a crowd, but wont feel crowded. The pub's featured karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights is worth a look. Sometimes karaoke is synonymous for terrible, but, at Mikey's, its not so bad. Stop in and give it a try this weekend. For more information on either the Bangkok Garden or Mikey's Pub, contact them by phone at (920) 433-9901.