Three for the Weekend, Happy Valentine's Day!

Carroll Gardens newcomer Hungry Thirsty offers a dish even hotter than its predecessor

This weekly column appears every Friday. In it, I’ll suggest fun dining spots worth devoting your leisure time to on the weekend. Places recently opened get special emphasis, as do long-forgotten chestnuts that are still superb. Many places feature corollary attractions, such as hikes, museums, eminent architecture, and neighborhoods distinguished by their unique feel.

---

Kang Khoong, the new hottest Thai dish in town, is served with crudite for dipping.

Ouch! Says your mouth in Carroll Gardens

When Ugly Baby opened up its colorful muraled interior as summer was waning in 2017, it was in the vanguard of an era that would remake our expectations for Thai food. Not only did regional dishes come marching in from the country’s four corners, but Thai-born chefs began embroidering on their own heritage to create new dishes, as the number of Thai restaurants in town multiplied. Ugly Baby played its part by cornering the market on fiery dishes and became an instant destination for lovers of extreme spiciness.