Thai Place, Worcester

Using ingredients culled from the Massachusetts countryside, the chefs at Thai Place whip up a combination of traditional and modern Thai dishes. They create several curries not commonly found at Thai eateries, including soft-shell crab in yellow curry, butternut squash with chicken in red curry, and roasted duckling in choo chee curry. They also pair crispy roasted duckling with plum sauce, dollop a housemade mango sauce over deep-fried chicken, and spice up a sautéed seafood mix with sriracha (a popular chili-based condiment named after a small coastal town in Thailand).

To cool tongues off, Thai Place sends out imported Thai beer, such as Singha and Chang. It also frequently updates an extensive wine list that's designed with food pairings in mind.