I love being able to respond to “where should we eat tonight” with “there’s a wonderful little Thai place around the corner!” A local Thai gem is necessary in any living situation, and Panang Noodles gets the job done for River North in Chicago. You won’t find tourists dining here, only residents catching up with friends, enjoying a book with their pad thai, or someone picking up their dinner on the way home from a late night at work in the Loop. I’ve been each of these characters in the last 6 months. I can personally speak to the Pad Thai, which ranks among the best of this Thai staple that I have ever tasted. Another less common dish I’ve enjoyed is the Prik Pao noodles, which are marked as “spicy” but I think anyone could stand the heat. The veggies taste very fresh, and have that noticable crunch to them, which indicates freshness as well as being properly cooked. The atmosphere is minimalist, and the service is very quick. Another fun feature is that Panang is BYOB, and won’t charge a cent to furnish your brought-from-home wine bottle with wine glasses from the back of the restaurant. I highly recommend you give this place a try (I just found out you can even order online from their website), and I know you won’t be disappointed.