"Oh, Roscoe Village, where passersby will sneeze and trip on a stroller. Family-friendly fare rules this neighborhood, but what if it were possible to create a restaurant that could appeal to the kid who brought his basketball into the restaurant and the adult who just wanted a stiff cocktail? Same Same, which opened earlier this year, could be on to something with small menu of Thai street food and a fun bar scene including “Short Round,” a mezcal and bourbon drink that's a tribute to the character from the Indiana Jones movies. The khao soi neua is a dish for diners who like different textures. The wheat noodles are chewy at the bottom of the bowl and topped with crispy fried wonton-style noodles. The braised beef chunks are wonderfully pink in the middle and complemented by a hint of cardamom and cilantro. Doctor it up with Same Same’s house sriracha sauce, and save some room for the fried chicken. The chicken thighs take two hands to take down, so no dribbling the basketball while eating, junior." - Ashok Selvam