HARRY & SONS

She says:
Our latest eating adventure was at the well-known Harry & Sons, one of the several Thai restaurants situated amid the bustle of Virginia Highlands. Unlike the vast majority of "ethnic" restaurants, Harry & Sons is not cheesy, divey, or trendy. It's just sort of... normal. Besides the fact that it has a great location and consistently decent food, I'm not sure why people speak so highly of it. But maybe that's all you really need, because the place is always packed.

It does have an outdoor patio (always an asset in Atlanta), which is where Downtown Boy and I sat to discuss the menu and sip our over-sweetened Thai iced teas. A few specialty entrees definitely stood out.

He says:
Harry & Sons shines when it comes to poultry. Their roasted duck is among the finest in this city. The crispy skin has just the right amount of crunch, and it blends beautifully with the supple cuts of meat, which have been marinated in red curry, Kiffir leaf, and tomato. That same red curry makes a welcome appearance in the chicken Panang, where it is accompanied by bell peppers, basil, and a healthy dose of coconut milk to create a base simultaneously spicy and creamy. Here, again, the chicken breast is flawlessly prepared.

She says:
We also tried the "Three Flavor Fish." The red snapper is decent; some parts were pleasantly crispy on the exterior, although not consistently so. The three-flavor sauce is a nice combo of tangy, sweet, and spicy, with chopped bell pepper and green chili scattered throughout. However, the spicy basil stir fry we ordered is barely worth mentioning, save for the tofu which was neither too airy nor spongy. I asked for the spiciness to be toned down from 3 stars ("Thai hot") to 2 stars ("hot"), which was a mistake, as the dish just turned out bland.

We say:
Harry & Sons is an unconventional name for an Asian restaurant, but its consistent (if underwhelming) cuisine makes it a solid choice if you're in the mood for Thai.



Harry & Sons
820 N. Highland Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306
http://www.harryandsonsrestaurant.com/