With so many items to choose from, Thalia Spice can be a bit overwhelming at first. Soups, wraps, rolls, salads, sushi, noodles, stir-fried dishes, curries and more fill the menu at this high-ceilinged, two-level, loft-style restaurant.

Thalia offers pan-Asian food served in tapas-size portions. Prices range from $3 for veggie egg rolls and shrimp rolls to $15 for a sampling platter of crab cake, grilled tuna and shrimp tempura. Entrees ($7-$14) run the gamut from pad Thai, rama broccoli and yellow curry dishes to more spicy fare like Thalia Spice Fish (pan-fried tilapia or grilled salmon topped with an exotic, tantalizing sauce) and Asian Spice Fire Dish, which features three hot peppers next to it on the menu and includes bamboo shoots, basil, bell peppers, mushrooms, Thai chili, cilantro root and pepper with your choice of meat, fish, veggies or tofu.

Japanese gyoza ($4), fried dumplings filled with chicken and vegetables, were crisp to perfection and hit the spot when dipped in sweet sesame soy sauce. Thalia dips ($6), ground chicken simmered in coconut cream sauce served with rice chips, also got the evening off to a good start; the warm, fragrant, fresh-off-the-stove sauce tasted great on a cold night.

Thalia offers many lunch specials: Get one appetizer and a main dish for $7, one appetizer, a soup and a main dish for $9 or three courses for $14. Desserts also entice, from coconut and banana ice cream to Thai custard to mochi ice cream.

The restaurant has a fun, festive feel, and with so many tempting menu items worth sampling, it's best to bring a group of pals for sharing the food and having maximum enjoyment.

Centerstage Reviewer: Mary Susan Littlepage