As for the Topic of the Day... Part Deux...
As for Thai, I believe my favorite Thai restaurant is Rabieng in Falls Church (Bailey's Crossroads), Virginia. It is the sister restaurant to
Duangrat's which is just around the corner. Rabieng started off as a small Thai "supermarket", but eventually became a restaurant. It serves more of the Thai "comfort food" and homestyle dishes, whereas Duangrat's serves more of the "Royal Thai" cuisine. Both places serve wonderful food, but I'd have to give the edge to Rabieng for the variety of their menu. However, Duangrat's has a quite nice dining room atmosphere, and their waitresses are dressed in traditional beautiful Thai dresses.
New York City does have it's share of great Thai places too, and to pick a true favorite would require a bit more exploration.

*Thai Diner Too here in Richmond is surprisingly good too, and it's one of the very few places where when the menu says "Thai Hot" (on a scale of "Mild, Medium, Hot, Thai Hot") you can trust that the heat level will meet - and usually surpass - your liking. They feature a line of curry dishes where the curry pastes are not tamed by coconut milk - YEOW!!!!!!