"Sometimes, we forget what it’s like to feel alive. When that happens, we go to Chao Thai. Yes, the food here usually packs a good amount of heat—but the dishes have so much else going on that they also jump-start the neurons in our brains. The crispy duck salad, with cashews, pineapple, ginger and onions, for example, is a galaxy unto itself. Get it, try the sour sausage salad as well, and bring a friend or two to help you eat everything at this tiny cash-only place." - will hartman, bryan kim, hannah albertine, neha talreja, willa moore