Taste this: Drunken noodles, $15 at Thai It Up, a local food truck
Creator: Beau Weaver and Stephanie Cardarelli
Locally sourced ingredients: Vegetables are sourced through Restaurant Depot or one of the area’s many Asian markets.
Eye test: The drunken noodles plate includes a large portion of thick rice noodles with choice of protein — beef, chicken, shrimp or tofu — stir fried in Weaver’s rich, brown sauce and tossed together with fresh red and green peppers, broccoli, mushrooms and basil leaf. The dish can be enjoyed with chopsticks or a fork.
Beverage pairing: Thai tea, Pepsi or Coca-Cola
What makes this dish special: Weaver grew up in Thailand with a mother who owned restaurants, so he was exposed to cooking at a young age. He describes the special brown sauce he created for the drunken noodles as a little bit sweet but with a slight kick. For those who like it hot, he adds a touch of chili pepper and sometimes garlic. His drunken noodles are popular because an array of protein and vegetables can be added, substituted or held to suit each customer’s preference; vegetarian options are also available. With a myriad of veggies on the Thai It Up menu, customers are spoiled for choice.
Process: All vegetables are chopped the same day, so everything is fresh. Sauces are premade — seven to eight are typically available — so making it in batches keeps taste consistent. Rice noodles are soaked in water the night before events. As each dish is prepared, the rice noodles are briefly dipped into a boiler, keeping them al dente, then tossed over the fire in Thai It Up’s special brown sauce with the other ingredients. It’s served hot.
Back story: Cardarelli and Weaver met in 2019. She had taught English as a Second Language in Thailand, but, by then, she had returned to the United States, where Weaver was already living.
While teaching, she came to love the vibrancy of Thailand — its colors, customs, and, of course, food. So, back in the United States in 2019, while looking for authentic Thai food, Cardarelli discovered Bangkok Thai Restaurant. The Stow eatery was owned by Katherine Gibson — Weaver’s sister.
“I was actually in search of some authentic green curry,” Cardarelli said. “I had tried several different ones, and I just couldn’t find the taste I was looking for. I stumbled upon his sister’s restaurant, and her food resonated most with me. It was like the most authentic flavor I could find. And then I met him there.”
At the time, Weaver’s friend owned a food truck, and, knowing of Weaver’s culinary talent, encouraged him to work the truck with him. But Weaver wasn’t ready to commit to a new business.
He observed his friend’s work for about a year. By 2023, Weaver and Cardarelli were ready to launch Thai it Up food truck. They sought advice on the menu from Gibson because they wanted a variety of popular dishes.
“We wanted to have a curry, because Thai food is known for curry and not everybody really knows Thai food yet,” she said. “General Tso and sesame chicken, they’re really popular. And Weaver has his own sauce he likes to use for those. We definitely needed to have something that people know and like, so we wanted to make sure there was a little bit of everything.”
Displaying bright kelly green, orange and gold, Thai It Up food truck’s design is a nod to Weaver and Cardarelli’s shared love of Thailand’s culture and vibrancy.
Passion for cuisine: Weaver and Gibson’s mother operated two restaurants in Thailand, he said, where he began helping to cook at 10 years old.
“Me and my sister were raised with a kind of restaurant life,” he said. “We’d go shopping with her for food at the market, help chop the vegetables, deliver food. She taught us about the ingredients and what kind of spice to use, you know, basic stuff.”
Cardarelli, however, realized Weaver’s skills went beyond basic.
“It amazed me when I first met him, the way he could just throw ingredients together like so quickly and without a recipe. For me, I need a recipe, and I need everything laid out. It takes me three hours, and it takes him, like, 20 minutes.” And Weaver’s talents were underscored when the couple entertained friends. “People would come over, we’d have parties, and everybody wants to take the food home,” Cardarelli said.
A true natural, Weaver said he enjoys cooking and finds it relaxing. But Cardarelli said everyone’s born with a special gift. “Beau’s is cooking,” she said, and she encourages him to share it with the world.
For now, that’s through Thai It Up food truck, but the wheels are in motion to establish one or two locations to operate during the week while continuing catering and working events on weekends.
How to buy: Thai It Up food truck can be found at outdoor events and festivals around Northeast Ohio. The couple also caters special events. Check out Thai It Up’s schedule here.
