Thai Tom   

Benevolent elephants look down from the burnished gold walls of Thai Tom, a hole-in-the-wall in the heart of the University District. Long a favorite with students, prices are so low they scarcely dent even the slimmest of wallets. Flavorful dishes are delivered, steaming, in big banana leaf-shaped bowls, including familiar friends like phad thai, and the house favorite Special Thai Sauce, stir fried with veggies and chicken or beef. The nod for dessert goes to black sticky rice with coconut milk. If you avoid peak dining hours, you'll be more likely to snag one of the 20 or so seats available, either at the bar or on a square stool pulled close to a rustic wood table. (Otherwise, there's always takeout.) Sure, the bar is hotter, but it's fun to watch the cooks dance around the stove and each other. -- Ginny Morey