Usually when a restaurant has a big sign promising authentic food, it’s a lie to lure the tourists, but here in this hidden zone that’s never seen a tourist, it means what it says. Authentic or not, the interior has its charms.

Menu? There’s no printed menu. There’s a big billboard (you can see part of it to the right in the photo), almost entirely in Spanish, and lots of photos to help those who don’t speak it. A lot of the menu is about what you’d expect: tacos (and lots of them), tortas (huge subway-style sandwiches), quesadillas, wet burritos, super burritos, super nachos, guacamole, beef, fish, shrimp and chicken, breakfast dishes. And then there’s this. A counter, a window to the kitchen, and a tiny blackboard on the side.

They make something wonderful and new every day and write it on the blackboard. Mole poblano, cactus and egg, chicken with red and green sauces, Molcajete Sauce (hand-ground with mortar and pestle), the list went on and on. Sometimes, there’s weirder stuff too: tripe, tongue, pork rind with green sauce, cow’s head with onions. Sadly for me, it was Monday and those were weekend specials and they didn’t have any of them. But they did have one plate of Birria ($9). That made me happy. Birria is a time-consuming famous Mexican dish that many Mexican households prepare only on holidays. I got it.

Birria is a spicy stew, made with a blend of different kinds of roasted chili peppers (ancho, guajillo), with some spices (cumin, bay leaf and oregano and more). It’s simmered for hours and hours. This one was good indeed, better than a version I had in New York, with a rich and fiery taste. (Not super-spicy though.) A wonderful meal. It’s traditionally served with onions and cilantro and corn tacos, and that’s what I got here. It came with creamy, delicious refried beans and some nice rice too. I think they serve this every weekend and it’s definitely worth the trip.

Betty got a Torta Cubana, their version of Miami’s Cuban Sandwich.

“I can’t lift it!” she said. It was that big. Stuffed with roast pork and ham and who knows what else. But she loved it. And Cathe loved what she got.

That’s Carne Ranchera, marinated grilled steak. The meat itself wasn’t that great but the marinade gave it a really good flavor. The portions were huge and we all left satisfied.

Tacos El Rinconcito
4705 S. Braden Ave.
576-6087
Open daily from morning till 8 PM (closes slightly earlier on Sunday)

I found a lovely article about this place in This Land. This guy writes incredibly well and I’m happy he’s not a restaurant reviewer competing with me.
http://thislandpress.com/07/14/2011/tacos-el-rinconcito/

Brian Schwartz: Author

Born in NYC, age 0, on my birthday. College in Oxford at age 16. Law School in New Haven, Conn. 6 years travel in Africa and Asia. Haven’t done much lately. Still, I’m the only Tulsa member of the little-known Omega Society.  www.theomegasociety.com

I speak enough Chinese to order food not on any English menu. Spanish French Italian too (not fluently but food-ently) My favorite restaurant is Jean-Georges in New York. But those NYC chefs would sell their soul to get the produce available from the farms around Inola.

“A writer writes alone. His words tumble forth from a magical inner void that is mysterious even to himself, and that no one else can enter.” And yet, the most important thing to me the writer is YOU. Without you to hear them, my words are worth less than silence.

Partners and local food fans, Derrick Jones and Helen Pals acted on the need to create a small scale, intimate venue for demonstration style and hands-on cooking classes as well as Chef’s Prix Fixe Wine Dinners with an emphasis on classic techniques and methods similar to those taught in top culinary institutes. With classically trained Chef Brad Hulvey and Tulsa favorite “The Cheese Wench” Chef Amanda Simcoe, menus feature fresh, seasonal ingredients prepared and presented in a manner which rivals top restaurants around the country.

The *Du Jour kitchen is located at 3711 South Harvard and intentionally limits the number of guests for demonstration style classes, Prix Fixe Wine dinners to no more than 20 in order to create an intimate atmosphere where interaction with the Chefs is part of the learning experience and ambiance.

All demonstration classes and dinners are at least four, full courses with wine pairings. The exception will be with an occasional “Chefs Tasting” menu which can feature as many as 8-12 plates. As a *Du Jour signature, guests are greeted with glass of bubbly and an amuse bouche to enjoy while other guests arrive and the first course is being plated.

*Du Jour Catering specializes in small gatherings from 2 to 100 people. Menus are custom designed to fit the clients’ theme or celebration and utilizing fresh and local ingredients when possible. Although some of *Du Jour signature dishes may be requested, such as their Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail Shooter or Steak & Potato hors devoures with Arugula and Horseradish Cream, they make adjustments to the ingredients and presentation to make it unique for their client.

Because all *Du Jour dinners and classes are small gatherings, registration is required prior to events. Prices for all events include wine pairings. Guests may register by calling *Du Jour at 918.850.5100; online registration and the website will be available soon. Class and event schedules may be viewed on Facebook or an email can be sent directly to those interested by calling 918.850.5100 and requesting to be on the email list.

Du Jour
918.850.5100
3711-D S. Harvard, 74135
On Facebook

Headed to the patio, I spotted the usual suspects of Sam Adams, Guinness, Shock Top, Amber Bock, etc, on tap. Along with some local brews too. I didn’t get a chance to go over the bottle selection, but it looked pretty decent. We sat down, and after 9 minutes of not a peep from a waitress or the bartender, we decided to move back indoors. I’ve heard 50/50 on the service here. Not a great way to start with me, especially since I decided to take my mom and my stepdad out for a nice lunch. He won another award for “Top Commercial Agent” of the year. I think that makes 30 years in the row now. Pretty awesome. Sorry, had to brag a little.

Anyway, all was put to rest. Our waiter, Doug, was nice, attentive, and there for every need. As stated, the menu is diverse. Fish’n'chips, to roasted chicken, to shepards pie, to baby back ribs, to a slew of salads, a few sandwiches, brick-oven pizzas, and a good alcohol list. The menu isn’t overwhelmingly big either. He started me out right with a Marshall Atlas IPA (oh how I love Marshalls) and the Rochester Lancers Dip. Really, its just a fancy name for artichoke spinach dip, but it was very good and decent sized as well with plenty of chips.

Mom got the soup of the day, which was chicken tortilla soup. Not too original, as just about every time I go to some restaurant it just happens to be the same soup of the day. But its a classic and people love it. This soup was pretty tasty too. Creamy, cheesy, rich, and just the right amount of spice.

Fish tacos is what I ordered, blackened. Complete with pico, cabbage, avocado, and chipotle aioli. Plus a black bean and corn relish. It was very good. The fish wasn’t dominated by the other ingredients. It was just right. I loved it. And the beer was perfect with it.

They ordered the cobb salad, which was a monster, and the steak salad, cooked rare. A note, my step-dad said the steak was perfectly cooked and very tender.

Consensus was mutual. It’s a nice place to eat or just to go have drinks. It started off a tad slow, but our waiter picked things up quick, and the food topped off the experience. Business lunch, family dinner, sports on the tube, a spot on the weekends to relax and have some good drinks…Charlie Mitchell’s Modern Pub is a fine place.

Charlie Mitchell’s Modern Pub
4848 South Yale Avenue
Tulsa, OK 74135
www.charliemitchells.com

Jeremiah Ramey: Author – www.aleskitchen.com

I’m a home cook with a little professional dabbling experience. A lover of craft beer! And if you don’t know about craft beer, then you will. Effervescent, vivacious, flavorful, and extremely wonderful. Happiness in a bottle….or can. Craft beer is an amazingly diverse and complex drink. Around one hundred different styles of beer in the world and thousands of breweries. A booming industry right now in America! And still, craft beer is deserving of MUCH greater culinary respect than it has been receiving.

I believe there is a beer for everyone and a beer for every delectable dish out there. I believe it stands up to wine just as well and even better in the culinary world. Cooking, pairing, drinking, and education. I hope to bring some useful knowledge into the foodie world concerning great beer with great food. Not everything is about beer, but it sure does make it better. Cheers!

DEMO GRILL SALE: We have 5 Legacy 131 Demo grills (shown above) on sale for $750 (plus tax). These grills will be used the day of the contest and available for pick up on May 19th at the end of the contest or anytime the following week. LOCAL PICK UP ONLY! We will not box, ship, or clean the demo grills. These 5 grills will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. The grill must be paid for in advance to secure that you get it so call today before they’re gone!

A limited amount of Contest t-shirts are also on sale for $10 (plus tax)! T-shirts are grey with black print.

COME JOIN US FOR A DAY OF FUN IN THE SUN!

10:00am-4:00pm
Saturday, May 19th

Hasty-Bake
1313 S. Lewis Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74104
918-665-8220

www.hastybake.com

At the brand-new Woodland Hills Napoli’s at the corner of 61st and Memorial, the welcome is especially warm. Walk in and the owner runs over to greet you. He takes you to a table (“any table you like”) and hovers expectantly, as if to say, please give me an especially difficult task so I can do it and prove how happy I am that you stopped by! The waiter was just as accommodating, which was just as well because after he arrived with a plate of delicious fresh-baked rolls (warning: it’s easy to eat so many of these rolls that you have no room for your dinner) I DID have a task for him. But first let me back up and show you the dining room.

I’d been to the Sand Springs Napoli’s last year, and reviewed it here. (“That’s my nephew,” said the owner, “he runs the Sand Springs place.”) There the interior, which used to be a trolley station eighty years ago, looks like something you’d find on a side street in New York’s Little Italy. Well here it doesn’t, but the food and service are both fine, and that’s what counts. Getting back to the waiter, I’d always wanted to try Veal Damabianka. They have it in Sand Springs and the menu description (“sauteed with mushrooms in rich brandy cream sauce”) sounds enticing. Sadly, they don’t have it here. But the waiter ran and checked with the chef and said they would prepare it just for me. And they did.

If you go to Napoli’s it’s worth asking if they can do the same for you. It’s a lovely dish and it tastes as good as it looks. The rich creamy sauce is a lot like the sauce Veal Marsala. Two big pieces of veal. A great deal for $13.

Lots of other stuff on the menu. All the pasta you’d expect — lasagna, ravioli, baked ziti, spaghetti with meatballs, and lots more — for around $9. (It’s $7 at lunchtime.) Lots of chicken dishes — Piccata, Cacciatore, Parmigiana — some unusual ones too, like Chicken Carchovi with sauteed artichoke hearts in a creamy wine sauce ($11) and Chicken Albanese with tomatoes, onions, basil and wine in an Alfredo sauce ($11). (Many of these are $9 at lunch.) Veal and seafood too.

The rest of us opted for chicken. Here’s their version of Chicken Scarpariello ($11).

Most East Coast versions of this dish (it’s unknown in Italy) feature sausages and a clear long-simmered sauce. Here there are no sausages (but there are peppers and mushrooms), a creamy sauce, and melted cheese baked on top. It’s different, but it’s very good. And so was the Chicken Florentino ($11).

That does have a clear broth, a bit like chicken soup (a very good chicken soup) and it’s a good choice too.

In sum, I liked Napoli’s. It doesn’t rival Mondo’s on Brookside, but if you’re near Woodland Hills Mall and want a cheap, friendly place that’s not run from a corporate office in Chicago or Dallas, it’s definitely worth a try.

Napoli’s Italian Restaurant
8228 E 61 St
254-1111
Open every day from 11 AM to 9 PM

Brian Schwartz: Author

Born in NYC, age 0, on my birthday. College in Oxford at age 16. Law School in New Haven, Conn. 6 years travel in Africa and Asia. Haven’t done much lately. Still, I’m the only Tulsa member of the little-known Omega Society.  www.theomegasociety.com

I speak enough Chinese to order food not on any English menu. Spanish French Italian too (not fluently but food-ently) My favorite restaurant is Jean-Georges in New York. But those NYC chefs would sell their soul to get the produce available from the farms around Inola.

“A writer writes alone. His words tumble forth from a magical inner void that is mysterious even to himself, and that no one else can enter.” And yet, the most important thing to me the writer is YOU. Without you to hear them, my words are worth less than silence.

In an attempt of combining two awesome things, Fried Chicken and Segway, we set off by way of Segway only to find that we where not going to fit in the door. Check out the video below to see what happens.

[Video link to Fried Chicken on a Segway]

We were looking for the perfect fried chicken experience and that is what we found at Wanda J’s off Elm in Broken Arrow.

Oh, yeah! Check out the chicken fried steak…. might be the best you ever had! We will return to investigate! From the single bite I had it was OMG!

Wanda J’s
(918) 258-5588
1105 North Elm Place Map.acd55e3
Broken Arrow, OK 74012

Like a Norman Rockwell painting, just the sight of it brings a touch of gladness to your heart. You know, just looking at it, that there’s a fine old history behind the place, that fifty years ago and more it was considered a nice place to linger over ribs and beer. (It was.) You know you’ll find a big old-fashioned barbecue pit out back. (And you do… no fancy modern smokers here.)

You know that you’ll be welcomed like family if you step inside. (You are.) And you know that inside is nice and homey too. (It is, more than this photo suggests.)

And of course you know you’ll find barbecue so good you’ll want to shout and sing. But unfortunately this last bit wasn’t true… until now. I’d been to Stutts many times, each time drawn by the ambiance, each time disappointed. Until last Monday. A blogger I trust (Travis) had just ranked Stutts as best barbecue in Tulsa and I wanted to see what I’d missed. We drove up, parked, got the outside photo, and walked in to the usual warm welcome. I’m not sure whether it was Almead Stutts herself or one of her daughters behind the counter. Almead took over the place almost 20 years ago; before that she worked at Wilson’s and that’s where she learned her trade. But whoever it was made sure we knew that on Mondays all dinners were $5.25. Well we didn’t know this but it was fine by us. (Dinners are usually $8 but include two sides. Monday dinner came with one side.)

Just look at this five dollar dinner!!

I sent a photo to my friend’s cellphone and she wrote back “Oh man I could eat my phone, that picture looks so good.” That about sums it up. On the left, chopped beef; on the right, rib tips. The only bad thing about this dinner is that’s what Betty ordered, not me. But I did get to taste the rib tip and it was firm, juicy and bursting with flavor. I think I liked it even better than the ribs.

I got the ribs. And a fine plate it was. Two of those ribs, including the one on the right, were just about perfect… great crust and smoke ring and loaded with tender meat. (The other two were a bit dry but still very good.) I always eat my ribs dry with no sauce but Travis had said that the sauce here made it perfect and he was right. Cathe got chicken and beef.

This was a good choice too. The chicken was nice and tender. They must have liked us, because before we left they brought us, free, three pieces of Almead’s famous buttermilk pie! (Normally they’re about $2 each.)

Oh these were incredible. Normally she cooks tiny miniature pies but the flavor on these was so much better. And so we left with a sweet taste.

Stutts House of Bar-B-Que
2021 E Apache
428-2355
Open Monday from 11 AM to 7 PM, Tuesday through Thursday to 9 PM, Friday and Saturday to 10 PM and open the first Sunday of every month from noon to 5 PM. Closed all other Sundays.
Menu: http://www.urbanspoon.com/u/menu/631345

Brian Schwartz: Author

Born in NYC, age 0, on my birthday. College in Oxford at age 16. Law School in New Haven, Conn. 6 years travel in Africa and Asia. Haven’t done much lately. Still, I’m the only Tulsa member of the little-known Omega Society.  www.theomegasociety.com

I speak enough Chinese to order food not on any English menu. Spanish French Italian too (not fluently but food-ently) My favorite restaurant is Jean-Georges in New York. But those NYC chefs would sell their soul to get the produce available from the farms around Inola.

“A writer writes alone. His words tumble forth from a magical inner void that is mysterious even to himself, and that no one else can enter.” And yet, the most important thing to me the writer is YOU. Without you to hear them, my words are worth less than silence.

Every few years I make a tacos truck run around town. Hopping from one to another, I sample a few tacos at each location in search of more then just a quick fix, but rather a new found food therapy. The last 3 times I’ve taken this journey I’ve always ended at the same spot, Mr. Tacos.

To honor one of my favorite taco stops in Tulsa, I decided to pay my respects by visiting it with a group of friends in a limo

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!!

[video link - Mr. Tacos in a Limo]

Mr. Tacos
130 N Lewis Ave Tulsa, OK 74110
(918) 582-6373

The plan was to go out to dinner after the garage sale, to celebrate it being over. But plans have a way of changing and my husband’s friend John, who manages the concessions at OneOK field, called on Saturday afternoon and offered us two tickets to the baseball game. I’ve never been to a Drillers game and Joel hadn’t been to one at the new stadium yet, so we jumped at the chance.

In keeping with the ballpark theme, and because I wasn’t sure what the state of vegetarian-friendly concessions would be, I grilled some Field Roast Frankfurters (amazing meat-free sausages, seriously – try them) and asparagus for a quick pre-game dinner.

When we got to the park, I was amazed at the crowd – it was a sold-out game and the energy was incredible. First stop was the cart that sells 6 point beer. They had an impressive selection of local microbrews – I started with a Marshall Red Revival Ale and the husband had a Coop Native Amber. It was a good compare-contrast session of similar beers from local breweries – I’ve been a huge Coop fan from day one, and the Native is my old standby, but I have to say I prefer the Red Revival. Coop Native Amber can be a bit metallic, whereas the Marshall has a nicely balance malt-hop-citrus profile.

When we located our seats, just a few rows behind first base, my husband was thrilled to find built-in cup holders, an apparent upgrade from the old stadium. A few innings later, it was time for more beer and some snacks. I’m a sucker for stadium nachos and who can resist a bag of Cracker Jacks at a baseball game? (While waiting for the food, I noticed that the main concession stands had not one but two veggie “entree” options – a Boca burger and a veggie hot dog. Impressive!)

Round two of beer was a micro brew IPA on draft for me (not local, though I can’t for the life of me remember which one) and a Coop Horny Toad for him. Then, to celebrate Kent Matthes’ SECOND home run of the night, we got a couple of soft serve twists, served in little plastic Drillers helmets.

The Drillers won (yay!), there were fireworks after the game and we had a blast (pun intended). I’ll go back to eating real food next week!

Aubrae Filipiak: Author – wanderingchefproductions.com

I have always loved restaurants.

As a kid, I would beg to go out to eat almost every night. It was something about the spectacle of it all that got me hooked – the sequence of service unfolding like a plot, four meals hitting the table simultaneously, the servers moving lithely among tables packed with chattering guests. The food was almost an afterthought.

My first job was as a waitress in a small Mexican restaurant at age 16. I’d been bitten by the bug and I’ve never looked back. Fast forward more years than I’d like to admit and I am a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and have made a career out of working in restaurants around the country. The food’s much more important to me now, but the spectacle still has the power to captivate me.

Now, let’s eat!

This place is not just a cafe. It’s also a saloon, gift shop, and game room. The gift shop is full of novelties. The game room for the kids includes some ski ball, pool, few arcade games, and a few other games of interest. And the saloon has 20 beers on tap and over 175 beers in bottle! What? Are you kidding me? I would never expect to find this here. The place is set up like a biergarten too. Big, thick benches lined in a row, big families lined up in them, beer pouring all around, people having a good time, and good country food being served.

Sadly, I missed the Great Divide “18th Anniversary” wood aged IPA they had on tap. Ugh. The luck. Plus, OK’s own Coop Ale Works “F5″ IPA had just run out too. Double ugh. It must be a sign. I need to drink light tonight anyway. So, I’m going with a “Brekles Brown” from Anchor Brewing Co. A 6% brown ale with a smooth, mid-light body, and lower, natural-feeling carbonation. It pours a dark mahogany color with a small head. Sweet caramel, toasted malts, and a hint of cocoa wafting to my nose. The same aroma is in the taste, but with a subtle citrus hop presence as well. I know this beer is going to go well with the fried mushrooms and chicken fried steak sandwich I just ordered. Sweetness to pair well with the mushrooms and meat with just enough carbonation and hops to cut through the fat, battter, and gravy, and scrub the palate clean for a fresh bite every time.

Fried mushrooms showed up with a side of ranch. Just as suspected, they tasted like fried mushrooms with ranch. Crispy, flaky, battered mushrooms. These mushrooms were good. Not fancy. Just right.

On to the monolith of what they call the chicken fried steak sandwich. Bun, mayo, lettuce tomato, chicken fried steak, bun. As if that wasn’t enough, there is gravy to pour on this thing too. This sandwich could feed a small village in Africa! Somehow, I wolfed it down. Pure country goodness. My friend ordered the same thing and he was struggling.

My lady ordered the regular chicken fried steak, with mashed potatoes and gravy, and fried okra. The kid ordered corn dog and fries. My friend’s wife ordered the tilapia, with mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans. The consensus was everyone was pleased. I know my wallet was pleased too. 3 hearty meals, 1 big app, a couple beers later, and I didn’t even break $40!

Get out of the house and take a drive. Be a nomad for a day. It’s needed every now and then, and also quite refreshing. Make your way to Collinsville. Stop at Silver Dollar Cafe for some good family fun, huge portions of good down home cookin’, and a surprisingly fantastic craft beer selection.

Beer Rating: 5 out of 5
Food Rating: 3 out of 5

Silver Dollar Cafe
1022 W. Main Street
Collinsville, OK 74021
http://www.silverdollarcollinsville.com/

It’s easy to miss. Cruise down Memorial on a sunny summer evening and make a turn into a road as narrow as a Soi in Bangkok and you’ll find a tiny house that could be on one of those tiny Bangkok streets.

On the right you can see a garden that stretches around the house. Perhaps you’ll see a Thai lady planting flowers. We did. (And maybe it was the chef! It’s her garden.) The garden also provides greens and fresh herbs for the restaurant. Walk through those unassuming doors and you’ll get a surprise.

Suddenly you’re in a flashy sports bar. Chances are you’ll see the manager Gerrod Kennedy pouring drinks. You can dine there if you like, or you can walk farther back to the spare modern dining room.

It’s decorated with antique Cambodian wood bas-reliefs. (The one in the photo is 300 years old and is in the style of much older Khmer stone sculpture. It shows a scene from the Ramayana, an attack by the Monkey King Hanuman and his armies.)

Don’t miss the appetizers. They showcase Chef Renu Jansala’s artistry. (And they’re half-price on weekdays between 5 and 6.) Here’s the Thai Tofu ($7).

The blocks of tofu have been breaded and lightly fried to give them a lovely creamy texture. This isn’t a Thai technique. You’d be more likely to find it in Hong Kong. But the topping is pure Thai. Thai cooking favors a blend of sharp, distinct flavors. Here the salad provides that. You can taste the crunchy green apple and, by contrast, the sharp red onion and herbal cilantro, all marinated in ginger and lime. Another great appetizer is the Rambutan Chicken ($6).

Chicken meatballs are wrapped with noodles, then deep-fried. They don’t contain rambutans. They are designed to look like rambutans, a kind of fruit found only in southeast Asia. Here’s a rambutan.

[insert http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Rambutan_white_background_alt.jpg/220px-Rambutan_white_background_alt.jpg which is not copyright]

You can see the similarity. The meatballs, juicy with crispy breading, are just fine by themselves, and the Thai peanut sauce, made with peanuts and not just peanut butter, makes them even better.

On to the entrees. We focused on the section of the menu entitled “Fresh Off the Grill”. You can choose from a list of eight fish, including Chilean sea bass, swordfish and mahi mahi. Then there’s a list of five sauces including lemon butter, rainbow herb, and sweet and sour. You also get one side; sides include corn cakes, asparagus and basil fries. Here’s what I got.

Scallops with red curry sauce, beautifully and perfectly presented. The scallops were just about perfect. The rich sauce, made to order and made like a traditional Thai curry, features lemongrass and coconut milk. The sauces, the owner told one newspaper, are meant to accent the fish and not overwhelm it. The rich intense curry leaned more to the overwhelm end of the spectrum… but it was a lovely sauce. Betty’s sauce might have been a better choice.

This is salmon with sweet pepper mango sauce. The salmon was nicely cooked, succulent. The sauce was wisely put in the salad on the side rather than being poured over the fish. That salad, featuring red onions, mango and cilantro, and that sweet mango dressing, was the perfect accompaniment to a lovely fish.

There are other entrees too, all of them creative and far from the humdrum norm, including duck with tamarind sauce ($19), strip steak with a sweet Thai steak sauce ($19), fried chicken with yellow curry and spaghetti ($12), and catfish sandwich with Thai peanut spread ($10). Cathe got the Shrimp Macaroni ($14)

Big lovely shrimp with elbow pasta in a sweet and sour sauce. Good flavors but in my opinion overshadowed by the grilled fish. Along with all this, they gave us a plate of greens fresh from the garden.

I have quite a few friends in Thailand right now. I bet they wish they were eating here.

The Tropical Restaurant and Bar
8125 E 49 Street (just east of Memorial)
895-6433
www.thetropicaltulsa.com
Open daily from 11 AM to 3 PM and from 5 PM to 10 PM

Brian Schwartz: Author

Born in NYC, age 0, on my birthday. College in Oxford at age 16. Law School in New Haven, Conn. 6 years travel in Africa and Asia. Haven’t done much lately. Still, I’m the only Tulsa member of the little-known Omega Society.  www.theomegasociety.com

I speak enough Chinese to order food not on any English menu. Spanish French Italian too (not fluently but food-ently) My favorite restaurant is Jean-Georges in New York. But those NYC chefs would sell their soul to get the produce available from the farms around Inola.

“A writer writes alone. His words tumble forth from a magical inner void that is mysterious even to himself, and that no one else can enter.” And yet, the most important thing to me the writer is YOU. Without you to hear them, my words are worth less than silence.

Your trip outside of the metro will end at a Haskell Gas Station that serves up one of my favorite Oklahoma food therapies, Chicken and Cheese. So very simple and yet, an ultimate comfort food for those needing a little indulgence of the soul, nice scenery and a taste of incredible fried chicken with rolls and cheese.

When you arrive, go straight to the hot bar. There, you’ll see a few types of fried chicken, but just ask for, “the Chicken and cheese” and they will get right to work. Don’t bother with the other chicken on the bar, but you may want to try some of the mini fried cheese burritos or the other fried meat pies. I tend to stick with my usual, chicken and cheese, plus some extra rolls. I’m never disappointed.

Once you order, grab your food and take a seat right there in the middle of the store and start dipp’n. I’m talking pure heaven… slightly crispy chicken with a steamy hot inside, a doughy white roll, and thick, spicy nacho cheese. Nothing could be better. Go ahead–rip off a piece of bread, stack with some chicken, dip or dunk….and enjoy. There’s just something about this combo that takes my worries away. You could call it my happy place.

I have my good friend and Haskell local Aaron Pardue to thank for this experience. He first clued me in about chicken and cheese, and I’ve never been the same. Believe me, the experience cannot be duplicated and is a full afternoon of enjoyment… the drive, leaving the metro behind, heading into Tulsa’s Green countryside and then sitting down to simple indulgence you wont forget.

Kwik Karry – Ask for the Chicken & Cheese
302 N Haskell Blvd,
Haskell, OK 74436

(918) 482-3031

For my main course, I chose mudardara (though they listed it as mdrada on their menu, a spelling variation I wasn’t familiar with). At $6.95, this hugely filling plate was a bargain. For the uninitiated, mudardara is a stew of brown lentils and rice, topped with fried onions and cool yogurt. Dena’s version has a healthy dose of tzatziki standing in for the yogurt, much to my delight. It came with hummus and pita, which were the only dull moments of the meal. The hummus was too thin for my liking, and rather flavorless, while the pita wedges were stale and not at all remarkable. I took one taste and skipped the rest to focus on the savory and comforting mudardara.

I took a piece of baklava for dessert ($1.35). They make it in house daily and it shows. The layers were crisp, with just a hint of pistachio between each. The honeyed glaze left me licking my fingers and resisting the urge to go back for seconds.

Dena’s is a hidden gem on Tulsa’s 11th St corridor. It’s fantastic Lebanese cuisine and is priced and located perfectly to become part of my standard rotation.

Dena’s Lebanese Cuisine
2615 E. 11th St.
Tulsa, OK 74104
918.599.9623
M-F 11a-3p/5p-8p
Sat 11a-3p

Aubrae Filipiak: Author – wanderingchefproductions.com

I have always loved restaurants.

As a kid, I would beg to go out to eat almost every night. It was something about the spectacle of it all that got me hooked – the sequence of service unfolding like a plot, four meals hitting the table simultaneously, the servers moving lithely among tables packed with chattering guests. The food was almost an afterthought.

My first job was as a waitress in a small Mexican restaurant at age 16. I’d been bitten by the bug and I’ve never looked back. Fast forward more years than I’d like to admit and I am a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and have made a career out of working in restaurants around the country. The food’s much more important to me now, but the spectacle still has the power to captivate me.

Now, let’s eat!

I’m sitting on the patio, enjoying the peace and the good selection in tunes. I see the happy, panting faces of the canines enjoying the cool breeze of the shade under the popped umbrellas. Beer in hand, I feel a sense of ease. This place is nice. Not just the decor, but in general. I really fit in here. Honestly, not too often do I feel I comfortable in certain places. Anyway, I’m here for the beer and food. And I heard rumor of the delectable fish’n'chips here, and I’m a sucker for that dish. Even on burger night (Wednesday nights), I’m ordering the fish. I’ll let my friends order the burgers.

Starting off our night, I’m enjoying some Great Divide “Denver Pale Ale”. It’s on draft. Perfect. A refreshing brew. Clear amber color with a nice frothy head that’s slow to dissipate. Floral hops, bready malts, and light citrus aroma permeates the nose. Again in the taste, floral and citrusy hops, bready yeasts and caramely malts, with a nice balance of earthiness throughout. At 5.4%abv, a perfect summer brew on draft at this joint.

Awww, food arrives. Fish’n'chips with a beer batter on top of steak frites/matchstick fries. The batter on the cod fish was thin and flavorful. Light and delicate and falling apart in my mouth. The fries were well seasoned. The dish overall was probably the top example of fish’n'chips I’ve tried in the surrounding area. Seriously! I can’t say numero uno, as I haven’t tried every fish’n'chips around, but damn this was good, man!

My friends ate the burgers, as it was burger night. Black angus burgers charred to a nice degree with plenty of topping choices. The consensus from them was the burgers were good. Not great though. A tad on the salty side, but still very enjoyable. Nothin an accompanying beer can’t handle. And as natural Oklahoma fashion, they were cooked till dead…or in other words, well done. Really, it’s OK to eat a burger at medium. Pink in the middle. Trust me. It is definitely more flavorful that way. Many restaurants and pubs don’t do this though. But whatever. That really won’t detour me from eating there again. Oh, and their nacho’s and beer battered jalapenos are are great as well.

As the sun dropped, we paid our tab and parted ways. This picture doesn’t do it justice. For some weird reason, mostly everybody moved inside instead of staying on the patio. Its great weather out. Oh well.

If you’re feeling different and want to eat some great pub food from a varied menu, and want to enjoy some good brews, then mosey over to Georges. Everybody is welcome. The food is great. The prices are great. The beers are plentiful. The staff is very nice. And most of all, you feel comfortable and welcome.

Beer rating 3.75 out of 5
Food rating 3.75 out of 5

George’s Pub
108 N. 1st St
Jenks, OK 74037
(918) 296-9711

Defies the rules, and triumphs. Loyal Philadelphians have been flocking to their steak stands ever since that day in the early 1930s when a guy named Pat Olivieri sliced a steak and threw it on the griddle, mixed in onions and sold it as a sandwich. Pat’s cheesesteak shop (and its arch-rival Geno’s) is still around down by Passyunk Avenue in south Philly. In Tulsa, cheesesteaks began with a little downtown shack called Phat Philly’s. It opened about 5 years ago, and when it closed last year grown men cried. Now it’s back.

Bright, airy, and right near Cherry Street. They even serve beer now. You can get great brews like Marshall’s IPA on tap. But I’m not here for the beer. So I head for the counter.

This is where the magic is done. So I proudly order the way I read it’s done in Philly. “One Whiz wit!” At Pat’s in Philly, that means one cheesesteak made with Cheez Whiz, with onions. (Yes, Cheez Whiz. That’s the Philly tradition and critics agree that’s what tastes best, though some holdouts argue for Provolone.) They look at me as if I had ordered in Chinese. Except for one guy, he knows what I’m talking about. I think he’s the boss. “We do an Okie take on cheesesteak,” he says. For instance, he says, they use a slightly softer roll than Philadelphia’s Amoroso’s Bakery bakes for Pat’s. But they do use the traditional Cheez Whiz, though they call it “cheddar”. You can get Jack cheese instead, or, for a small fee, lots of extra toppings. You can get burgers, a vegetarian sandwich, and even chicken cheesesteak. But I went with tradition. And out it came.

Let me say that the waffle fries were great. I tasted one as I unwrapped my sandwich ($12, smaller version for around $7 available). And here it is.

Oh it was delicious! I couldn’t see the Whiz and I even asked if they had forgot to put it in. But it had melted in, blended with the hacked sirloin and onions to form a rich, marvelous creation, bursting with meat flavor made rich by browning, made even deeper by the processed cheese. It was the sort of flavor you’d hope to get if you ordered slow-braised short ribs in a restaurant where they spent 12 hours simmering them to perfection. And yet this gooey goodness was obtained after only 5 minutes on the griddle.

Now here’s where Tulsa’s own Phat Philly’s improves on Pat’s version. At Pat’s and Geno’s, as far as I know, they cook the meat (and have much longer slices) and then put it on the bread, and then, after the sandwich is ready, they put the Cheez Whiz on top. You can see it as a separate layer in this photo of a Pat’s sandwich.

But they do things differently here on Cherry Street. They spread the Cheez Whiz on the bun. Then they push the bun down on the meat as the meat is still cooking on the griddle. Then they take the bun off and splop more cheese on the cooking meat and push the cheese in. The result is this.

The cheese cooks into the meat. And it tastes better! Hey Philadelphia, check it out!

Phat Philly’s
1305 S Peoria
382-7428
Open from 10 AM to 10 PM Monday through Thursday, and to 4 AM Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday
http://www.phatphillys.com (website under construction)

Brian Schwartz: Author

Born in NYC, age 0, on my birthday. College in Oxford at age 16. Law School in New Haven, Conn. 6 years travel in Africa and Asia. Haven’t done much lately. Still, I’m the only Tulsa member of the little-known Omega Society.  www.theomegasociety.com

I speak enough Chinese to order food not on any English menu. Spanish French Italian too (not fluently but food-ently) My favorite restaurant is Jean-Georges in New York. But those NYC chefs would sell their soul to get the produce available from the farms around Inola.

“A writer writes alone. His words tumble forth from a magical inner void that is mysterious even to himself, and that no one else can enter.” And yet, the most important thing to me the writer is YOU. Without you to hear them, my words are worth less than silence.

I regularly find myself in a conundrum, regarding Tex Mex restaurants in Tulsa – either they have good (and in some cases, great) margaritas, but the food disappoints, or the food’s great but they only serve 3.2 beer. I don’t know about you, but I require a margarita with my Tex Mex. It’s pretty much non-negotiable. So while I appreciate places like La Hacienda and El Rio Verde and the like, they don’t often make the cut.

I was talking about this problem last week with some coworkers and one suggested La Mansion, at 41st and Garnett. In his words “decent food and dirt-cheap margaritas,” it sounded like it was worth a shot, so last night the husb and I made the trek.

I’ll spare you the details of the excruciating traffic on 64/51 and just say that it’s a bit of a hike from our midtown home, so we were famished when we arrived. Lucky for us, the theme of the meal was swift.

The minute we were seated, chips and salsa arrived like manna from heaven. Our server came, two margaritas ($1.79 ea – really!) were ordered and presto, there they were. Really, the only thing slowing down the process was my indecision when it came to ordering.

The menu is standard OK Tex Mex – all your usual suspects, a couple of “house specialties”, nothing out of the ordinary. I’m normally a fajita faithful, so I made myself branch out and chose a Shrimp Chimichanga ($8.99), branded as “New!” on the menu. The husb chose the Chile Relleno dinner ($7.99) after affirming that it was, indeed, vegetarian.

The meals, too, arrived swiftly and that’s where the problem lay. Both our entrees were fried and both hit the table too quickly to have been fried to order. Our suspicion was confirmed with the first bite – soggy breading covered his chile and my “crisp tortilla shell” was insanely chewy. The crazy thing is that the flavors were great – the relleno filling was well seasoned, the shrimp/onions/peppers inside my chimi were just right. If they’d only fry the items to order, rather than in batches ahead of time, it would have been a top notch meal.

(Note: I read a review from about a year ago in Urban Tulsa Weekly which cites the manager of La Mansion as saying their top priority is speed – getting the food to the diners as quickly as possible. For fried food, I’d bet most are willing to wait that extra 2-3 minutes for freshness…)

Our post dinner discussion went something like this:
Me: 1-5 stars, where would you put this? A solid 2?
Husb: Eh, 2.5 – my beans were awesome. And the margaritas were cheap!
Me: Okay, worth the drive?
Husb: Definitely not. I guess maybe if I were on this side of town, and I really needed a margarita…

So there you have it. Dirt cheap margaritas, check. Quick service, double check. And the food may be good if you stay away from fried items. Unfortunately, fried-and-held food is too egregious an error for a restaurant to come back from, no matter how cheap their drinks are. If you find yourself on the east side of town and need a drink, check it out, but it’s not trek-worthy.

La Mansion
10818 East 41st Street  Tulsa, OK 74146
270-2933
Su-Sa 11-close (time varies by night)

Aubrae Filipiak: wanderingchefproductions.com

I have always loved restaurants.

As a kid, I would beg to go out to eat almost every night. It was something about the spectacle of it all that got me hooked – the sequence of service unfolding like a plot, four meals hitting the table simultaneously, the servers moving lithely among tables packed with chattering guests. The food was almost an afterthought.

My first job was as a waitress in a small Mexican restaurant at age 16. I’d been bitten by the bug and I’ve never looked back. Fast forward more years than I’d like to admit and I am a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and have made a career out of working in restaurants around the country. The food’s much more important to me now, but the spectacle still has the power to captivate me.

Now, let’s eat!

BrewBurger has always been my goto burger joint for my favorite Double burger with bacon, blue cheese, and grilled onions/jalapenos, cooked to a bloody medium rare. When Rob is grilling this burger , it is Tulsa’s  best hands down. Even if he isn’t there don’t worry…the other guys get it real close. If you have not experienced BrewBurger, please, check it out and if you want my advice, “go double… and med-rare”…. it’s that good!

Brewburger
http://brewburgertulsa.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brewburger/117456394939969

6577 E 71st Street  Tulsa, OK 74133
(918) 591-2818

There’s one place in Tulsa however that has really perfected the right balance between healthy and delicious in their smoothie: Camille’s Sidewalk Café. They have a brand new non-fat yogurt smoothie line that I think is really good and I think most will too.

The new line is priced at $4.69 for 20 ounces, which seems to be the going rate for smoothies. All flavors on the menu look absolutely great: Strawberry Tweet, Peanut Butter Treat, Choco Peel, Island Time, Get Going, My Oasis, and Blueberry Pie.

I sampled the Strawberry Tweet, Peanut Butter Treat, Island Time and My Oasis. Everything I tasted was really, really delicious. Creamy texture, sweet but not toxic, fruity and well blended.
I also got a behind the scenes peek of them making the smoothies.

I was very impressed. Everything is made fresh with real fruit. And, for an added boost, you can try their health enhancers including Anti-oxidant, Fat Burner, Whey Protein and Fiber Fuel.

New Spring Grill

While there, I also got to try two dishes off their new spring menu. I had their Pecan Crusted Salad, which is a creation of fresh cut Romaine lettuce with Feta cheese, tomatoes, glazed pecans, craisins, breast of chicken and mandarin oranges, all served with a flavorful Balsamic Vinaigrette.

I also had their Turkey Pretzel Roll, which is a pretzel roll bread filled with turkey breast, swiss cheese and honey mustard dressing baked to perfection. Wow, great stuff!

Love the new smoothies and love the spring grill…thnx Camille, you didn’t disappoint.

http://www.camillescafe.com

Get two for the price of one here! – One day left on this deal!

May – Spanish Tapas: learn to recreate an authentic Spanish experience, with these savory and sweet small bites. Spanish tapas are tons of fun to make, eat and share with friends!

June – French Picnic: the flowers are blooming and it’s not too hot yet, making June the perfect month for a French-inspired picnic. We’ll learn to make dishes best served at room temperature and best enjoyed on a blanket in the park, with a bottle of rose!

July – Cooking with your Kids: planning a “stay-cation” this year? Looking for a great hobby to share with the kiddos? Learn to cook together! We’ll re-imagine some family favorites, making them simple, healthful and delicious, not to mention easy to recreate at home.

August – Summer Soups and Salads: when it’s too hot to turn on your oven, it’s time to turn to no-cook soups and salads for dinner. Learn to make gazpachos and other chilled soups, paired with veggie-packed salads, straight from the farmer’s market.

September – A Taste of Tuscany: tour one of Italy’s most famous culinary regions with us. Dishes will be inspired by the earthy, herbal flavors favored by Tuscany’s top chefs.

October – Oklahoma Harvest Feast: fall is a great time of year for Oklahoma farmers and we’ll create a meal based on their harvest. All ingredients for this one will be from local farms!

November – Thanksgiving Tips and Tricks: creating a stellar Thanksgiving meal doesn’t have to be stressful! I’ll share tips, tricks and shortcuts to make your Thanksgiving day preparations a breeze.

December – Holiday Hors d’Oeuvres: ’tis the season for holiday parties, drop-in guests and hosts short of time. I’ll provide you with an arsenal of delicious hors d’oeuvres that only look like you’ve slaved over them for hours!

To schedule, or for more information, drop me a line or give a call today!

wanderingchefproductions@gmail.com

845-702-5480

La Madeleine was founded about 30 years ago in Dallas and now has 60 branches in Texas, Louisiana and other points south. Trying to research its history, I found this gem in Wikipedia. Wikipedia allows unlimited use of its material, and this, which reads as if written by the chain’s head of publicity, is too good not to. “La Madeleine Country French Café was created by French native Patrick Esquerré in the early 1980s to provide his guests the ability to ‘step into the French countryside – where the love of fresh food is celebrated, and everyday eating remains one of the simple pleasures of life.’ Patrick Leon Esquerré brought the tastes of the French countryside with him when he came to America. He grew up in the Loire Valley region of post-World War II France, where meal times revolved around homegrown, hand-prepared food, friends, family and heartfelt conversation. Patrick missed the joys of his hometown. He yearned for the aroma of fresh-baked baguettes and lingering over an espresso at the corner café. So, he decided to create his own. With little else besides his boundless enthusiasm and charming broken English, the self-described ‘French country boy’ began to bring his vision to life. Patrick found inspiration from his mother, Monique, who not only gave la Madeleine the secrets of her French cooking, but also the special atmosphere of French country living that she taught her son.”

That’s the dream, or at any rate the promo. When you’re here, you’re family. Let’s see how the real thing measures up.

The dining room’s not bad at all, and yes, there’s a French Provencal feel to it, though it will take a few decades of wear to mellow that brash, new fireplace and oak trim into authenticity. To order, you move to a counter just beyond this room. Bright and sleek, the ordering station follows the new design La Madeleine introduced in Northpark, Texas last year. You order from a long menu — almost nothing is over ten dollars — pay the cashier, and return to the dining room to await your food. It’s not cafeteria-style anymore. So that’s what we did. And then along came this.

Shrimp & Tilapia Provencal ($9). Shrimp, fish, onions, garlic and olives braised in white wine mixed with reduced fat tomato-basil soup, according to the menu. The sauce had a rich, olivey flavor and I rather liked it. Was it prepared from scratch in the kitchen? Or do big pouches of frozen sauce, or frozen entrees, arrive secretly and by night to the back door? I just don’t know. One Dallas magazine (“D”) says that in the new design locations, all items are made fresh, on-site. They use fast-cooking TurboChef ovens. But at any rate it was a great deal for nine dollars!

Cathe ordered a crepe and I got to have half of it.

Shrimp crepe florentine ($11). This is one of the very few things over $10 (another is the $11 whole roast chicken, a good deal too) and it’s worth the price. Lots of flavorful shrimp in a lovely pesto cream sauce. I’d bet this great sauce WAS prepared in-house. Next was Chicken La Madeleine ($9), with a mushroom sauce.

Betty ate this but she wasn’t thrilled by it. We also got a spinach salad with chicken ($8) which we didn’t order but did have to pay for. It was quite a good salad, with a sprightly vinaigrette dressing and good chunks of chicken. And then came dessert.

Dessert is served cafeteria-style. You walk back to the cashier and then select from this.

They keep the case locked because the food looks so good that they’re scared their own staff will grab one and start eating. And they do taste that good. We got the round tart at the far right of the middle, brightly lit row ($4.30). It was vaguely creme bruleeish but the creamy interior under the burnt-sugar top was studded with yummy fruit. It was so good we forgot to take a photo.

La Madeleine
1523 E 15 St.
Open from 6:30 AM to 10 PM every day
www.lamadeleine.com

Excerpt about Franey from McMillan book (worth reading!)
http://www.financialpost.com/todays-paper/dawn+industrial+dining/6231917/story.html

Brian Schwartz: Author

Born in NYC, age 0, on my birthday. College in Oxford at age 16. Law School in New Haven, Conn. 6 years travel in Africa and Asia. Haven’t done much lately. Still, I’m the only Tulsa member of the little-known Omega Society.  www.theomegasociety.com

I speak enough Chinese to order food not on any English menu. Spanish French Italian too (not fluently but food-ently) My favorite restaurant is Jean-Georges in New York. But those NYC chefs would sell their soul to get the produce available from the farms around Inola.

“A writer writes alone. His words tumble forth from a magical inner void that is mysterious even to himself, and that no one else can enter.” And yet, the most important thing to me the writer is YOU. Without you to hear them, my words are worth less than silence.

Okra, tomatoes, peppers and more - an Oklahoma summer’s bounty

While most Tulsans are familiar with the Cherry Street Farmers Market, you may not know that we’ve got plenty of others, as well. In fact, Tulsa has markets four days a week at the peak of the summer growing season and they’re spread all over town. To make it easier for you to buy local this season, I’ve compiled a list of market days, times and places. So find the one nearest you, grab a reusable bag or two and go shopping!

Tuesdays
Downtown Farmers Market
3rd & Boston
May-October
10:30a – 2p

Spring onions, OK grown

Wednesdays
Brookside Farmers Market
Food Pyramid Parking Lot, 39th & Peoria
May-October
8a – 12p
www.cherrystreetfarmersmarket.com    

North Tulsa Farmers Market
TCC NE Campus
June-August
2p – 5p

Fresh Veggies and Live Music at the Pearl Farmers Market

Thursdays
Pearl Farmers Market
Centennial Park, 6th & Peoria
April-September
4p – 7p
pearlfarmersmarket.org

Cherry Street Farmers Market

Saturdays
Cherry Street Farmers Market
15th & Peoria
April-October
7a – 11a
cherrystreetfarmersmarket.com

Newsome Community Farm Market
2620 E 56th St N
June-October
8:30a – 12:30p

Luna Bread - a staple at many Tulsa-area markets, including Pearl and Cherry Street

For more information about these markets and markets in surrounding areas, visit BuyFreshBuyLocalOK.com. See you at the market!

 Photo credit to Celina Burkhart of the Pearl Farmers Market and Melanie Hunter of the Cherry Street Farmers Market

Aubrae Filipiak:

I have always loved restaurants.

As a kid, I would beg to go out to eat almost every night. It was something about the spectacle of it all that got me hooked – the sequence of service unfolding like a plot, four meals hitting the table simultaneously, the servers moving lithely among tables packed with chattering guests. The food was almost an afterthought.

My first job was as a waitress in a small Mexican restaurant at age 16. I’d been bitten by the bug and I’ve never looked back. Fast forward more years than I’d like to admit and I am a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and have made a career out of working in restaurants around the country. The food’s much more important to me now, but the spectacle still has the power to captivate me.

Now, let’s eat!

Not just any beer will do. Not just any style will do. Your favorite vessel, chalice, stein, mug, etc, will just not do in the outdoors. Even bottles are a bad idea when you’re out….they can break causing a mess and/or injury, they’re heavy, and they take up a lot of room. Heck, in some places, bottles aren’t even allowed. The solution is cans! The biggest factors for cans for the outdoors is….cans weigh less, take up less room, and they keep colder longer.

Now, as I said before, not just any style will do. You don’t want to be on a hike in the humid wilderness drinking a stout. You don’t want to be on the lake drinking a high abv (alcohol by volume) double/imperial IPA. You don’t want to be at a BBQ competition drinking a hefeweizen. And you certainly don’t want to be drinking any tasteless, fizzy beer that says “lite” or “light” on it at any time of the day. So, what do you need?

These are my 4 “go-to” beers for the outdoors.

For those early mornings at camp, cooking up breakfast in the cast iron, instead of brewing a batch of coffee, break out a coffee stout! Santa Fe Brewing Co has the perfect beer for this. A nice, roasty stout brewed with coffee beans. Hint of dark chocolate, heavy roasted malts, excellent flavor and aroma of coffee, and earthy hops. With 8%abv, the best part of waking up is “Imperial Java Stout” in your cup. (Beat that, Folgers!)

Going on a hike, out to the lake, floating, mowing the lawn on a hot day, etc? Something that is going to keep your body busy is going to require something nice and light. Paulaner is now in cans. Perfect! An excellent hefeweizen for those hot days or physically exhausting days. I took this brew on a hiking trail and was not disappointed. Aroma’s of cloves, pepper, banana , spicy yeasts and a hint of bubblegum. Tastes of bread, citrus, banana, cloves, and lemon peel. Crisp, light, and dry finish. At only 5.5%abv, this beer will quench everyone’s thirst!

Calming down into the evening hours, dinner is cooking, you grab a beer out of the cooler. Sierra Nevada  “Torpedo”. Bursting with citrusy and piney and grapefruity hops, and balanced with a great malty backbone and a full body, this brew is the quintessential American version of the IPA. Doesn’t get much better than this. And in just recent months, its now available in cans. Lucky us! At 7.2%abv, its an excellent beer to go around the campfire with your steaks and potatoes with green beans foil packets.

An Oklahoma brewing company, Coop Ale Works, puts out a great brew in cans called “Native Amber”. A mighty tasty amber ale with a medium to full body, biscuity, malty and caramely sweetness, and a nice light punch of hops in taste and aroma. This brew is excellent for afternoon and evening adventures. Cookin burgers on the patio, at a BBQ competition, tailgaiting at the races, sitting around the campfire, etc, be sure to have this in hand. At 6.3%abv, it goes down nice and smooth.

There are more I’m not naming that we get in Oklahoma, but right now, these are the standouts. Grab some before your next outdoor adventure!

Jeremiah Ramey: Author – www.aleskitchen.com

I’m a home cook with a little professional dabbling experience. A lover of craft beer! And if you don’t know about craft beer, then you will. Effervescent, vivacious, flavorful, and extremely wonderful. Happiness in a bottle….or can. Craft beer is an amazingly diverse and complex drink. Around one hundred different styles of beer in the world and thousands of breweries. A booming industry right now in America! And still, craft beer is deserving of MUCH greater culinary respect than it has been receiving.

I believe there is a beer for everyone and a beer for every delectable dish out there. I believe it stands up to wine just as well and even better in the culinary world. Cooking, pairing, drinking, and education. I hope to bring some useful knowledge into the foodie world concerning great beer with great food. Not everything is about beer, but it sure does make it better. Cheers!

Now before we step inside, you’re probably wondering how I managed to find a hidden treasure in so unlikely a place. Well, I used a secret trick that every food reviewer uses but few admit in public. I read about it in an article by another food reviewer! (Thank you, Urban Tulsa!) Let’s go inside.

Behind that little counter in the center is the tiny kitchen where the chef works his magic. You can see him in a red apron. That’s Moe Sepahvand, the chef and owner too. He’s not a stranger to the food business. He owned Smoky Mountain Barbecue on Garnett and he’s run various cafes and diners too. He’s talkative and friendly and if he likes you he’ll show his love with free sodas, extra-large portions, etc. There are burgers, sandwiches, and various grilled items on the menu but it’s the deep-fryer that showcases Moe’s talent, so ignore all else and order the catfish dinner ($9).

Yes it’s some of the finest fried catfish I’ve ever tasted, even in a town where you’ll find fine catfish on almost every block. The fish has a fresh clean taste but it’s the cornmeal and flour breading that excels. It has a fine crunch and a blend of spices (Moe’s secret) that just can’t be beat. It just about brought tears to Cathe’s eyes. She is an expert judge of fried food but she’s on a diet and so could have only one piece and the will power required not to eat one or two or even ten more just about tore her up. She did it though. I couldn’t. I ate every piece in the photo. You can see fried okra and hush puppies in that photo, and Moe’s gift for frying extends to them. A totally different breading, of course, from the fish. The okra was very good and the hush puppies amazing.

We ate it all there, on a big metal table with metal benches. Moe fried the catfish and okra after we put our order in, and its freshness was what made it so stellar. If we’d taken it home, it probably wouldn’t have tasted quite as good. We had two catfish dinners and also a smothered chicken dinner ($9).

Not the Southern smothered chicken I expected, no gravy, just grilled chicken breast topped with sauteed mushrooms and melted cheese. Not on the same supernal level as the catfish, but still quite good. It would make a fine hero sandwich (and I think he’ll serve it that way for around $5). There was rice too, and Moe served us a huge extra plate of it.

Nice long-grain rice studded with al dente vegetables such as zucchini and broccoli. I liked this least I think, in part because there was too much pepper. It wasn’t bad at all though, and I happily finished off the huge plate. (If you like it more than I do, it’s available made with beef or chicken or sometimes shrimp as a main course.) I don’t think desserts are available but we were stuffed and didn’t ask.

Moe’s Quick Mart & Grill
547 S Lewis Ave
582-5500
Mon – Sat 11 AM to 8 PM
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Moes-Quick-Mart/132471053504002

Brian Schwartz: Author

Born in NYC, age 0, on my birthday. College in Oxford at age 16. Law School in New Haven, Conn. 6 years travel in Africa and Asia. Haven’t done much lately. Still, I’m the only Tulsa member of the little-known Omega Society.  www.theomegasociety.com

I speak enough Chinese to order food not on any English menu. Spanish French Italian too (not fluently but food-ently) My favorite restaurant is Jean-Georges in New York. But those NYC chefs would sell their soul to get the produce available from the farms around Inola.

“A writer writes alone. His words tumble forth from a magical inner void that is mysterious even to himself, and that no one else can enter.” And yet, the most important thing to me the writer is YOU. Without you to hear them, my words are worth less than silence.

The place wasn’t really busy at all. I’ll blame that on the construction. It’ll be going on a while longer downtown, but when finished, the Brady District will be more accessible. Lots of new roads, bridges, buildings, etc. are being built right now. Tulsa is really growing down there. And The Hunt Club will relish in the traffic. Stop by, have some grub and have a pint, play some shuffle board. Or go out to their awesome two-story patio and chill, there might be a band, and a cool breeze during these upcoming summer nights while sippin’ a cold one will be perfect.

Beer Rating 3 out of 5
Food Rating 3.5 out of 5

The Hunt Club Pub and Grub
224 N. Main
Tulsa, OK 74103
www.thehuntclubtulsa.com

Jeremiah Ramey: Author – www.aleskitchen.com

I’m a home cook with a little professional dabbling experience. A lover of craft beer! And if you don’t know about craft beer, then you will. Effervescent, vivacious, flavorful, and extremely wonderful. Happiness in a bottle….or can. Craft beer is an amazingly diverse and complex drink. Around one hundred different styles of beer in the world and thousands of breweries. A booming industry right now in America! And still, craft beer is deserving of MUCH greater culinary respect than it has been receiving.

I believe there is a beer for everyone and a beer for every delectable dish out there. I believe it stands up to wine just as well and even better in the culinary world. Cooking, pairing, drinking, and education. I hope to bring some useful knowledge into the foodie world concerning great beer with great food. Not everything is about beer, but it sure does make it better. Cheers!

Check out the menu below and before you get stuck day-dreaming…pick up the phone and call! Don’t Miss It!!!!!  Here are a few pictures from one of the past Progressive Wine Dinners…

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