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Get spicy food and drink for a five-spot.

Monday Dec 25, 2006.     By Erin Brereton

Lifestyle Feed

Five-dollar martini nights aren't always all they promise to me. True, $5 for a martini is a deal, but not if it's watered down and tastes like a dissolved sugar cane (the object of having cocktails, after all, is to get buzzed, not descend into a diabetic coma).

Likewise, I sometimes feel like there's a Thai restaurant or a Walgreens on every street in this city, and I'm never sure which are good and which are great renditions of the same theme. One thing I can count on is finding a bottle of Advil, which I just might need after a cheap swill.

Enter $5 martini night at one of the most unlikely places—a Thai restaurant—offering one of the week's best deals in terms of quality and quantity. For $5 Opart Thai House in the South Loop serves up a variety of absolutely huge (seriously, I could only handle one) martinis twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I went to check this restaurant out recently (there's parking!), one of three Oparts in the Chicagoland area; it's clean, well lit and fairly quiet, so you can sip in peace (after parking!).

The list of about 10 martinis abounds with fruity—orange and raspberry—and mostly sweet concoctions, like cosmo-esque and apple martinis; the one I ordered had citrus liquor and juices. Delicious! To get the deal, you have to order from the list of approved martinis, mixed with Three Olives Vodka, which I'd never heard of, but enjoyed (I hear it's British).

And here's the good news: The food is great. Really, really great. Actually maybe the best Thai food I've had yet in the city. The menu offers a number of spicy options, including several curries, for those who like their food H-O-T. I am T-A-M-E, so I opted for the not-so-saucy pad Thai, which wasn't greasy at all and featured a heaping of perfectly grilled tofu. The steamed dumplings we split for an appetizer also were delish. For dessert, I had green tea ice cream—not the best I've had, but as I suspect Opart doesn't have a creamery behind the bar, you can't really blame the chefs for just so-so ice cream.

Like the drinks, the food is pretty cheap. Entrees are mostly in the $6-$9 range, with some pricier $12 items like snapper and catfish (no one ever said finding Nemo would be inexpensive).

Overall, my Opart dinner and martinis was a perfectly pleasant experience. No one rushed us out, no one pressed us to order more. And the food was so tasty, I've since ordered it from my home. Unfortunately you can't order a martini with takeout. Bah hambug.

Want to check out the tasty Thai food and drink deals for yourself? Opart Thai House is at 1906 S. State St., 312-567-9898.

Erin Brereton is our resident urban cowgirl on a bi-weekly search for life on the cheap. If you know of a Cheap Thrill, do clue her in.