Fried Rice & a Smile

I often complain about the lack of food options in my Berry Hill neighborhood, but I have a rather lengthy list of establishments I have yet to patron. One of those being The Smiling Elephant, a quaint Thai restaurant on 8th Ave. S. that touts itself as the "best Pad Thai restaurant in Nashville."

This is one place I have driven by multiple times, often overlooked, and eagerly waited to try. That day finally came! A few weeks ago, a wonderful email appeared in my inbox. The boss was making a run to The Smiling Elephant, did anyone want to place an order? Yes, please!

I ordered the Chicken Fried Rice, a safe yet authentic-seeming Thai dish. When she arrived, my to-go box was overflowing with jasmine rice teeming with tomatoes, carrots, onions, eggs, cilantro, a spicy green that my uneducated tongue can not identify, and of course, fresh chicken. The lime slice garnish set the flavors in motion. With every bite, I felt the dish got better and better. It was one of those dining experiences when you know you should stop eating half-way through and save the rest for later, but it was all so good I just could not stop myself. It was rather embarrassing, so I was grateful to be eating alone at my desk.

Cut to last weekend, when a friend was visiting from out of town. We essentially ate our way through Music City, sampling everything from Italian to German to gussied-up American, to down home country cookin'. We were ready for something of a different variety. When Jenn suggested Asian, I knew The Smiling Elephant was the place to take her. I was excited to finally get to visit the tiny spot.

And tiny it was! In fact, the fire codes only allow for 30 people at a time! Upon entering, I felt like I'd been transformed to a Thai palace. Guests sit so close to each other that each is barely afforded the elbow room to use the chop sticks. In lieu of chairs, each table has small square benches, which made the "What to do with my coat?" question interesting. (Most folks sat on theirs!) The service was fast and friendly, despite the crowds. The flair on the walls described the Thai culture and traditional Thai meals. Ethnic and quaint without being overwhelming or making you feel as though you don't belong there.

The End Notes:

• If dining here on the weekend, arrive early! It got quite crowded by 6:30 p.m.
• Lunch is reasonably priced ($8.95) but I felt I got less food at dinner for more money ($10.95). 
• Definitely a good option and worth the drive from any part of town!