The Smiling Elephant is a small Thai restaurant on Franklin Road in Nashville. The owner was previously a mechanic who decided he wanted to make Thai food instead, so he flipped his mechanic space to create a Thai restaurant. The food is very authentic, and the restaurant has been named Best Thai in Nashville multiple times. I love food without too many flavors and am a massive fan of fried rice. I do not say this lightly: The Smiling Elephant is the owner of the finest chicken fried rice I’ve ever tasted. The rice is so smooth, the chicken grilled just right, and the green things (you can see them in the picture) are a perfect counter of crunch to the chewiness of the rice and chicken. And the tomatoes–so juicy. Everything comes together to create a super comfy, warm and delicious dish!