So Betsy had started the corned beef when her brother-in-law called- he invited us to join he and her sister on a journey to Queens. We decided the corned beef would be great on day 2, and jumped at the chance to go to the famous SriPraPhai.
St Paddys is a good day to go, while fairly full there was no line. We ate an assortment of dishes, though since Kath and Cal are presce-vegetarians we didn't order any meat. Well, I was compelled to order the beef tendon in dark (blood) sauce (amazing, with cinnamon and citrus zest flavors), while others shared tom yum. But after that is was seafood all the way:
papaya salad with catfish
fried watercress salad with squid and shrimp
Steamed calamari w/chili & lime
Drunken noodles with shrimp, chili & basil
Shrimp, squid, trout & mussels w/garlic, peppers, ginger, and basil
whole red snapper with a basil and lemongrass sauce
Everything excellent. We ordered mild, knowing that everything would still be hotter than anything listed as hot and spicy on a typical Americanized Thai menu. Kath got a Singha, the rest enjoyed a Riesling I'd brought along, the 2006 JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Auslese. I sometimes find pairing young Auslesen hard, but this was a good wine for these varied dishes, united by the hot chiles and some Riesling friendly flavors like ginger. Rich sweetness, but a bracing acidity keeps in light-feeling. Somewhat floral nose (some sulfur, but not excessive for me), rich body of pear fruit accented with peach and lime, long loooonngg slatey finish. This is showing as young as expected, could use some time, but a lovely and long bottle of Riesling. A-
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.