This year, we wanted to bring you something special for Valentine’s Day. A few area restaurants and small businesses were willing to donate a few items for our giveaway.

The following businesses are here to enhance your Valentine’s Day offerings to friends, family and loved ones.  We encourage you to check them out because there is something here for whatever you have planned this weekend.  These businesses were generous enough to offer us a combined $400 in giveaways for YOU!  Make sure to comment…3 Winners!!

There will be 3 Gift Baskets:

#1
Stock Pot Gift Certificate for 2 to any cooking class ($80 value)
Shogun Gift Certificate ($25)
Cosi Gift Certificate ($20)
Small Picture from Sweet Tooth Candy Co.
Coffee Mug from Sweet Tooth Candy Co.
Gift Card for Bellacino’s 8″ Pizza
Bag of Topeca Coffee
Deck of Cards

#2
Stock Pot Gift Certificate for 2 to any cooking class ($80 value)
Cosi Gift Certificate ($20)
Small Picture from Sweet Tooth Candy Co.
Gift Card for Bellacino’s 8″ Pizza
Bag of Topeca Coffee
Deck of Cards

#3
Stock Pot Gift Certificate for 2 to any cooking class ($80 value)
Shogun Gift Certificate ($25)
Gift Card for Bellacino’s 8″ Pizza
Bag of Topeca Coffee
Deck of Cards

TO ENTER: Comment on this post and tell us what your plans are for Valentine’s Day. Hint: Try to be creative…maybe even involve one of our sponsors in your plans!

Giveaway Sponsors:

Topeca Coffee is a family-owned roasting company with over 150 years of experience growing specialty, El Salvadoran coffee on the slopes of the Santa Ana volcano. Since 2001, they have focused their efforts on perfecting every step of the “Seed-to-Cup” process: first they grow and harvest the coffee beans on the family plantation in El Salvador, then they ship the beans to Tulsa where they roast them in their very own roastery.
http://www.topecacoffee.com/

Cosi was founded on the idea that If life is a journey, food is the fuel that lets us keep exploring what’s ahead. Good food will make that journey all the more delicious. Così is more than a restaurant, it is a constantly surprising, always delightful experience. A place where people gather to relax, dine and share their common belief that “Life Should Be Delicious®”. My favorite part is the open-flame oven located by the front of the restaurant. All of the bread is baked fresh in this oven throughout the day.
http://www.getcosi.com/

Shogun Steakhouse is a traditional Japanese hibachi steakhouse, which features the Japanese cooking method known as “Teppanyaki.” your meal is prepared fresh right before your eyes by our showman chefs. The business has been in the hands of the same family since day one and Shogun has been able to master and maintain two key elements; the quality and quantity of the food we serve. Known around Tulsa as the “Best Tasting Show in Town.”
http://www.shoguntulsa.com

Sweet Tooth Candy Company is an amazing place in Tulsa. Family owned for 9 years, this candy company/gift shoppe is a one of a kind. From delicious, handmade truffles to beautiful jewelry and unique art…this place is sure to impress anyone looking for that special gift. Candy buffets are one very popular service that Sweet tooth offers. Choose your favorite candy from over 150 unique flavors and they will design a buffet to meet any expectation.The owners take immense pride in what they do and offer something very unique to the Tulsa community.
http://www.facebook.com/SweetToothOK

The Stock Pot is a great place to go if you are looking for an awesome, interactive date idea. The goal of The Stock Pot Cooking School is to go beyond just teaching recipes. They strive to teach you about what tools, skills and techniques are involved in the cooking process. The staff’s goal is to make you feel comfortable and confident in the kitchen whether you hate to cook or are a seasoned food enthusiast. All of our chefs will prepare their recipes and offer plenty of food for you to sample, plus provide tips and suggestions for an extraordinary experience. They also sell top of the line cooking utensils and anything else needed in the kitchen.
http://www.thestockpots.com/

Bellacino’s may be Tulsa’s only spot to get a real Grinder.  With pizza, pastas and delicious hot sandwiches, Bellacino’s is a great place for delicious take-out or dining-in options.  My personal favorite is the Chicago Steak Grinder with added Blue Cheese.  I am looking forward to trying the pizzas, but everyone I have talked to raves about them.  Check it out for yourself!!
http://www.bellacinostulsa.com

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Valentine’s Day is a special time to really show what you are made of to your spouse. This year we are really challenging you to go above and beyond to express one thing…that’s Love. We know that Tulsa isn’t the city of love, however, there are many locally owned romantic restaurants that are sure to make your Valentine’s weekend or evening a memorable one.

We have collaborated with one of our friends and fellow Tulsa bloggers Tasha – Tasha Does Tulsa to bring you some of our favorite and most romantic restaurants in Tulsa. If you haven’t visited Tasha’s blog…it is your guide to fighting boredom in Tulsa. Be sure to bookmark her website and visit it at least a few times a week to figure out best ways to take advantage of this amazing city we live in.

Bodean Seafood – Fine Dining

$ Denotes Price (1 being lowest, 5 being highest price).

Stonehorse Cafe ($$$)

“Wonderful wine list and all their food is made from scratch: from sauces, pastas to ice cream. The meat is always of utmost quality and seafood is very fresh. Located in Utica Square, so perfect for a nice walk before or after dinner.”-Tulsa Food Blog

“It’s easy to get cozy at Stonehorse. It’s even easier to get an unforgettable dinner at this Utica Square Cafe – everything, and I mean everything, on the menu is outstanding.” -Tasha Does Tulsa

Recommendations: The Bleu Salad; Pizza Margherita; Anything made with Stonehorse’s housemade sausage; Bread Pudding

Saturday: 11am-11pm
(918) 712-7470
1748 Utica Square

The Brasserie ($$$$)

“Very classy French restaurant. The food is prepared with great attention to detail & atmosphere is superb. Very top-notch wine list.” – Tulsa Food Blog

“The French know love, sure, but they also know food. Get French-inspired cuisine by one of Tulsa’s top (and hottest) chefs in a chic, old-world atmosphere.” – Tasha Does Tulsa

Recommendations:Alsatian tarte flambe; steak tartare; brioche French toast; Steak Frites

10am-9pm; open for brunch
(918) 779-7070
3509 S. Peoria Avenue

In the Raw ($$$)

“Oklahoma company that offers an amazing sushi experience. Great sushi but a little pricey. South location is located on a hill with a great view.”-Tulsa Food Blog

“There’s a reason this swanky sushi joint is always packed. It’s got the food and the atmosphere to make your V-Day special.”-Tasha Does Tulsa

Recommendations: Volcano Roll, Spider Roll, Macadamia nut Halibut

Saturday night 5pm-12am; Sunday open at 5pm
61st & Sheridan: (918)524-0063
6151 S. Sheridan on the Hill
Brookside: (918)744-1300
3321 S. Peoria Avenue on Brookside

Palace Cafe ($$$)

“Very private booth seating, perfect low lighting. Everything from gourmet lobster corndogs to daily catches and steaks. The chef here has a good outlook on food and is opposed to processed food.” -Tulsa Food Blog

“Palace Cafe offers the most romantic dining atmosphere in Tulsa, hands down. The food, as scores of natives know, is some of the best in the region.” – Tasha Does Tulsa

Recommendations: Smoked Grilled Salmon and Gourmet Lobster Corn-dogs

Saturday: 5pm-10pm Brunch: 9am-2pm
(918) 582-4321
1301 E. 15th Street

Caramel Dessert Bar ($$)

“The chocolate chip cookies are to die for! This is the perfect place to come after you have a nice dinner and want something sweet. Dinner on Brookside? Make it a 2-step date night. Dinner…then Caramel!” -Tulsa Food Blog

“Chef Durano and her wide selection of sweets brings a warm glow to Brookside’s Center 1. Have a dazzling dessert for Valentine’s Day (I love the dark chocolate mousse cup), but be sure to snag a few chocolate chip cookies for the road.” – Tasha Does Tulsa

Recommendations: Shareable Caramel Cheesecake, chocolate chip cookies or Dessert for Two: includes a plateful of different desserts, gelatos, fruit and chocolate.

10am-9pm
(918) 938-7977
3410 S. Peoria Avenue

Lucky’s ($$$)

“One of our favorite restaurants in Tulsa, run by a husband/wife team of culinary geniuses. These two have brought an unmatched sense of style and beautiful quality food that has kept us coming back time and time again.” – Tulsa Food Blog

“Find the most innovative fine dining menu in town at Lucky’s on Cherry Street. Be sure to have a glass of the many biodynamic wines available at the bar with dinner.”-Tasha Does Tulsa

Recommendations: Grilled Flatbread, Asian Style Porkchop, Bacon Wrapped Halibut, Lucky’s Cheeseburger

Saturday: 5pm -11pm Sunday: 11am-3pm
(918) 592-5825
1536 E. 15th Street

Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro ($$$)

“This is an awesome place to go for a light dinner and drinks. It has a very pleasant atmosphere with one of the best wine lists in Tulsa. The Chef pays so much attention to detail and the food is phenomenal.”-Tulsa Food Blog

“The wine list at Sonoma is built to be the best – and one of the largest – in town. Plus, the food could stand up to what’s available in Sonoma County any day.” -Tasha Does Tulsa

Recommendations: BBQ Salmon Tamale, White Pizza, Tomato Bisque Soup.

Saturday: 11am-11pm Sunday: 11am-9pm
(918) 747-9463
3523 S. Peoria Avenue

Tucci’s ($$$)

“This is one of Tulsa’s hidden treasures. The food is so fresh, and the pizza to die for! I couldn’t believe how fresh the ingredients on the pizza were. Great place for a lunch date & dinner reservation.”

Recommendations: Chicken Florentine Pizza, Pasta l’Arabiata

Saturday open at 5pm
(918) 582-3456
1344 E. 15th Street

Ti Amo ($$)

“Wonderful atmosphere…and very romantic. The live music really sets the tone for the evening. The food is standard Italian and is located in a beautiful location downtown and also in South Tulsa. We recommend the Downtown location.” – Tulsa Food Blog

“There’s a reason I went to Ti Amo for dinner before my high school prom, and while the food is fabulous, the atmosphere is the epitome of le romance – especially at the cozy, underground downtown location.” -Tasha Does Tulsa

Recommendations: Ravioli Fritti, Penne Toscana, Chicken Marsala

Saturday: 5pm-10pm Sunday: 11am-9pm
Downtown: (918) 592-5151
219 S. Cheyenne Avenue downtown
South: (918) 499-1919
6024 S. Sheridan Avenue

Bodean’s Seafood Restaurant ($$$$$)

“Two times a day seafood is flown in from the coast. This is the most upscale restaurant in Tulsa. Beautiful atmosphere. This is a great place for a very special occasion and is sure to impress the one you love!! Voted by TIME magazine as one of the top restaurants in the nation.” -Tulsa Food Blog

“THE freshest seafood in town, available as it’s flown in daily to family-owned Bodean’s. If you’d rather dine at home, check out Bodean’s fish market, facing 51st Street.” – Tasha Does Tulsa
Recommendations: Sesame crusted Gulf Yellow Fin Tuna, Pecan wood grilled Costa Rican Mahi Mahi. If cooking at home: The Maine lobsters are so fresh and make a perfect meal…any of the seafood at Bodean’s Market is top-notch.

5-10pm
(918) 749-1407
3376 E. 51st Street

Garlic Rose ($$$)

“The food is superb and has a fantastic presentation. Make sure to park around back and walk through the courtyard. Going to this restaurant gave me an out of Tulsa, out of country experience. We like to call ahead and ask for a spot by the fireplace. We recommend the Brookside location, however the Riverside location is very nice and if not too cold, a walk around the river’s edge is quite romantic. There is actually a bench swing for two by the river.”-Tulsa Food Blog

Recommendations: Baked Brie, Complementary bread w/ roasted garlic and Canneloni.

Riverside: (918) 392-5550
9904 Riverside Parkway on the river
Brookside: (918) 746-4900
3509 S. Peoria Avenue on Brookside

McGills ($$$$)

“Very traditional, reminds me of a clubhouse that you would find at a country club. The wait staff is very attentive and professional, taking care of every need. Intimate setting with a warm inviting feel. Great place to get a steak.” – Tulsa Food Blog

“McGill’s is the place to be for those of you who equate V-Day with a glorious steak dinner. If you’re feeling really fancy, check out McGill’s on 19 at Hard Rock Casino in Catoosa. ”

Recommendations: Pasta Lobster, Coconut Beer Shrimp and Crab Cakes

Friday and Saturday, 5-11pm
South: (918) 388-8080;
6058 S. Yale Avenue in South Tulsa
North: (918) 742-8080
1560 S. 21st Street in Midtown
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino: (918) 384-7500
I-44 and S. 193rd E. Avenue in Catoosa

KEO ($$)

“Very modern, sophisticated restaurant with a very classy open feel. The 2 of the main walls are glass, so you are able to people-watch from inside the restaurant. The owners are fabulous…Zahidah grew up in Asia and brought back many of her families recipes to Tulsa. Her and Bill make a great team. The food is very unique and full of flavor…great place for cocktails or a nice date.”-Tulsa Food Blog

“KEO is home to some of the most artful and innovative dishes in Tulsa, not to mention the most authentic to Asian culinary traditions. If a swanky atmosphere is a must-have this V-Day, KEO is your spot.” -Tasha Does Tulsa

Recommendations: Spring Rolls, Keo Sampler, Thai Green Curry, Pad Thai, Banana wonton w/ vanilla bean gelato, anything from the sake menu

Friday and Saturday, 11am-11pm
(918) 794-8200
3524 S. Peoria Avenue

ShoGun Japanese Steakhouse ($$$)

“At Shogun, it’s all about the entertainment. Chefs cook the food on a hibachi grill right in front of you and your party. All chefs have gone through extensive training in order to make this a fun evening for you…the food is awesome….a lot of food! Grab a drink at the bar while waiting for your reservation.” -Tulsa Food Blog

“Some couples like their food served to them. Others prefer their food tossed at them, and only after it’s sliced, diced and cooked right in front of them. For you, there’s ShoGun.” -Tasha Does Tulsa

Recommendations: Hibachi Sesame Chicken, Shogun Special

Friday and Saturday, 5-10pm; Sunday, 5-9pm
(918) 254-2134
6808 S. Memorial Drive, No. 224

The Chalkboard ($$$)

“This place has some of the best brunch in Tulsa. It is located in the beautiful Hotel Ambassador Downtown. The European style goes right along with the food and creates a wonderful place to spend the evening.”- Tulsa Food Blog

“The Chalkboard is a bonafide Tulsa tradition. The lunch is good, dinner is great and brunch is legendary. It tastes even better after a night’s stay in the Hotel Ambassador, which houses this celebrated cafe.” -Tasha Does Tulsa

Recommendations: Eggs Benedict, Mimosas, Atlantic Salmon, Chicken Kiev

Dinner on Saturday, 5-10:30 and Sunday, 5-9pm Brunch: Saturday & Sunday 11am-2:30pm
(918) 582-1964
1324 S. Main Street

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The Polo Grill is one of the most decorated and revered restaurant in Oklahoma having won multiple local, state and national honor for both their food and wine selections. One of the top meals I’ve ever had was at The Polo Grill in Utica Square consisting of the chef’s tasting menu a while back.   The highlight of the meal that night was the Chef bringing every course out to us and the Rack of Lamb that was one of around seven courses.  I’ve dreamed of that Rack of Lamb ever since.  Last night a couple of friends and I decided to stop by The Polo Grill for a bite to eat and I had to go back to the Rack of Lamb.

Pinot Noir & Champagne

We started off the evening with a very nice Pinot Noir and Champagne.  Both were amazing.

Colorado Rack of Lamb with Asparagus, Stone Ground Grits, and Pistachio Jalapeno Apple Mint Relish
The Rack of Lamb was as great as I remembered, cooked to a perfect medium/medium rare.  The accompanying stone ground grits, asparagus, and pistachio jalapeno apple mint relish put the meal over the top.  I really loved the grits and relish.  My big disappointment was forgetting to bring home the bones so that my dog and I could fight over them.

Chocolate Lava with Coffee Bean Ice Cream

Bread Pudding
We decided to split a couple of deserts – one consisting of the Chocolate Lava with Coffee Bean Ice Cream and the other being the Bread Pudding.   The chocolate lava was good but the star was the coffee bean ice cream.  I would order the coffee bean ice cream by itself.  I’m a bread pudding addict, but this bread pudding was just okay since it was a little dry and not very hot.  This still did not distract from the wonderful mean we had.
Till next time you luscious Rack of Lamb.
Polo Grill
2038 Utica Square
Tulsa, OK 74114-1635
(918) 744-4280
http://www.pologrill.com/
About: Joe Price

I’m just a not so average Joe that loves his burgers. This is my search for the perfect burger. My mission is to search and inform one burger at a time. A burger consists of ground meat with a bun, condiments and toppings. From that the whole burger world is a journey.

I love all types of burgers, all thicknesses, different cheeses, prefer mayo on top to pair with the cheese and sometimes mustard on bottom to enhance the meat. I normally go with an american or cheddar cheese but will sometimes completely blow the whole taste experience and go with a blue cheese (which I love). I prefer grilled or broiled for thicker burgers while the griddle works best for thin. Must have a good sear. If the burger is medium or thick then juiciness is a must which is partially determined by the fat content (minimum 80/20 blend) and the degree the meat is cooked. If the meat or restaurant is of high quality I will go with either medium or medium rare doneness. The bun must be fresh and prefer toasted but any type of bun works for me. I love onions on my burger (grilled or fried) but normally skip the lettuce and tomato (if I wanted a fricking salad I’d order one).

www.JoesBurgerSearch.com

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You guessed it, Valentine’s day is coming up. Our goal is to offer you unique and memorable ideas to make Valentine’s Day special for you and the one you love.

They are hoping for good weather, but if not the fireplace and wood stove are cozy and inviting. The indoor dining room will be set up “couple’s Bistro style.” Saturday lunch reservations are suggested, favoring early or late arrivals. Friday and Saturday dinner reservations and Sunday brunch reservations are required. Reservation information is listed with each menu.

Valentine’s Weekend Menu:

Friday Night Italian Bistro Menu: $45/person*
6pm to 8pm – Fri., Feb.12
Reservations required: Silver Spoon Catering – 918-787-5236
Chef’s Choice Hors d’Oeuvres
Classic Caesar Salad with house made dressing & Parmesan Tuile.
Baked tender chicken breast filled with a flavorful meatball & pesto blend,encrusted with Parmesan cheese & Panko breadcrumbs.
Accompanied by robust Silver Spoon signature Marinara sauce, spaghetti & roasted seasonal vegetables.
Decadent Chocolate Kahlua Fantasy Cake

Sweetheart Lunch for Two::$25/couple*
11am to 3pm – Sat, Feb.13
Reservations accepted: Stone Bluff Cellars – 918-482-5655
One-half Stone Bluff Club filled with ham, turkey, bacon, cheddar, red onion and baby spinach in a Panini-style grilled sandwich with a savory apricot-fig spread on fresh Italian loaf bread with kettle-style chips. Cup of homemade French Onion or Potato soup.
Chocolate Mousse dessert for two

Saturday Mi Amore Italian Dinner:$45/person*
6:30pm or 7:30pm seating – Sat., Feb.13
Reservations required: Stone Bluff Cellars – 918-482-5655
Antipasto Plate with Lemon Garlic Bread
Sandy’s ‘Family Favorite’ Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons
4-Cheese Stuffed Manicotti with Homemade Marinara or Meat Sauce and sautéed vegetables
Italian Cream Cake or Spumoni Ice Cream with Stone Bluff Cellars Port Sauce

Valentine’s Day Brunch:$18/person and $8/ kids 10 & under*
11am to 2pm – Sun., Feb.14
Reservations required: Silver Spoon Catering – 918-787-5236
Carved Prime Rib with Au Jus & Horseradish Creme
Made to Order Omelets & Pancakes
Breads, Coffeecake & Muffins
Hot & Cold Brunch and Luncheon options
Chocolate Fountain, Assorted Desserts & Fruit Tray

* Stone Bluff Cellars award-winning Oklahoma wines will be available for purchase in the Tasting Room & Gift Shop.

Stone Bluff Cellars
24145 E. 191st Street South
Haskell, Oklahoma 74436
918 482 5655
http://www.stonebluffcellars.com/

Thank you Tasha Does Tulsa for sending us this information!

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I have two great loves, cheese and sweets. Of course, that’s not counting Jeff Martin, my baby animal-loving husband. There’s also Woody Allen and J. Crew. Okay, let’s just say I have two great food-related loves. Somehow, and I’m not sure of the reason, I fell in love with the two worst things for you. I’m sure there’s someone who is in love with wheat-grass and rice cakes, but that’s not me. And I wouldn’t want to go on a road trip with them. I read the other day that the actual term that describes the love of cheese is “turophilia”. It’s a beautiful word. I love this word and I love, love cheese. When did turophilia begin for me? Well it really started when I got a job at Allen’s Gourmet Grocery.

I am sorry to say that Allen’s is closing this month, which to me is a great travesty. And not just from the personal finance standpoint. Lately I feel like I have been living out my own version of the Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks film You’ve Got Mail, without the email romance of course. But unlike that film, there’s no one big bad chain store closing down the little independent. Since we’re talking about that film, I have a confession to make. You’ve Got Mail is my secret favorite movie. Well, not so secret now. Usually when asked what my favorite movie is, I respond with “Annie Hall” and not the overly-cute and perfectly stylized Nora Ephron-directed masterpiece. At least that’s my opinion.

All I have to say about Allen’s closing is, and I know you’ve heard it before, support your local restaurants and shops. I know from time to time they can be a little higher-priced, but it is completely worth it. We do not want to become a city of chains and know-nothing, name tag-wearing customer service droids. Forgive the rant.

So back to the topic at hand. At Allen’s we sold a large selection of cheeses and I was constantly trying to play cheese matchmaker and find a good sweet treat I could bake it into. Surly there must be a way for the two to live in peace and harmony. Right? Finally last summer, after months of research and debating on how to use cheese in sweet baked goods, I came across a recipe for Humboldt Fog Cheesecake. I am aware that cheesecake is usually made with cream cheese or mascarpone and sometimes quark . I like to think of this goat cheesecake as the “Modern Cheesecake”. For those of you who are not familiar with this cheese, allow me to enlighten you. Humboldt is a goat cheese made by Cypress Grove. I just adore Cypress Grove and this cheese in particular. And if you are not familiar with Cypress Grove’s cheeses, I strongly suggest you get familiar with them as soon as humanly possible.

Humboldt Fog, aside from the cool name, is one of my favorite cheeses. Period. And not only is it beautiful (there is a layer of vegetable ash that runs along the middle), but it tastes so darn good. When the wheel is cut in half it almost looks like a layer cake.

I can almost see you raising your eyebrows, questioning my use of goat in this delectable favorite, but don’t, trust me, it’s fabulous. Tangy like goat, yet sweet and creamy and better than any cheesecake I have ever eaten. I love cheesecake and I would gladly trade any cream cheese-based cheesecake with goat. Any day of the week. Before you get all worked up let me tell you that there still is cream cheese and mascarpone in this recipe. But they are merely supporting players in this delicious drama.

This would be a great thing to make for Valentines Day, just an idea. And you can fool yourself into thinking that it is somewhat healthy, because goat cheese is the healthier milk choice. Maybe you could even make a little chant out of it. So this recipe is really easy, instead of using Animal Crackers for the crust, I made last week’s graham cracker dough and used that as the crust. You will not need all the dough, so freeze it and make crackers later on. Also I chose to skip the figs and use puréed blackberries as a sauce. I really like the tart of the berries with the sweet contrast of the cheesecake. I also changed a few ingredients. My spring form pan was out of order so I chose to make baby ramekin cheesecakes. There is nothing more thrilling than getting your own personal dessert in ramekin form. And boy are they cute! So without any further adieu, my version of Humboldt Fog Cheesecake.

Humboldt Fog Cheesecake

Graham Cracker Crust:
Graham Cookie Cracker
1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
1 ½ cup of white all-purpose flour
1/8 cup of ground flax seeds
1 Tsp of Kosher salt
1 Tsp of baking soda
2 Tsp of Ground Cinnamon
½ Tsp of freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup of sweet cream butter( 2 sticks)
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs of Vanilla
4 Tbs of Honey

Turn oven to 350

Whisk all dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in honey and vanilla, making sure to scrap down the sides. Flour and grease your 9inch spring form pan or 8 small ramekins. Press dough into the bottom of prepared pan and prick dough with fork and bake for 10 minutes. Dough with not be finished cooking.

Cheesecake:
10oz of Humboldt Fog
8 oz cream cheese
2 Tsp of Vanilla Bean paste
1 Tsp Vanilla
10 oz mascarpone
1(14oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbs lemon juice
3 large eggs separated
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
2 Tbs sugar

Turn oven to 275 degrees. Carefully cut the rind off of the goat cheese (the final product should be 8 ounces). Combine the goat cheese, cream cheese and vanilla bean paste in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary. It will by a light grey color but don’t worry, It will get whiter. Add the mascarpone cheese and mix until combined. Add 1/3 of the can of sweetened condensed milk and mix until completely smooth. Mix in the remaining sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and egg yolks. Pour into a large bowl. In another bowl, place the egg white and beat at medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tarter and continue to whip to soft peaks. Slowly sprinkle in the sugar and whip to medium-stiff peaks.

Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture just until streaks of egg white are no longer visible. Place the spring form pan or ramekins onto a sheet pan. Pour the cheesecake batter over the cooled crust and bake for 45 minutes. Rotate the sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes longer.

Cool at room temperature then chill overnight.

Blackberry Puree:
10 oz bag of frozen blackberries( you can use fresh )
1 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs sugar

Let the berries come to room temperature, blend them to desired thickness( I like mine a littler thicker) pour berries into small sauce pan, add cornstarch and sugar and stir until it thickens. Chill and add to top of cheesecake when ready to serve.

About the Author:

Molly is co-owner of Antoinette Baking Co. a locally-based company specializing in macarons, delectable cakes, madeleines and many other tasty treats. She is currently at work on a project which consists of creating and perfecting 52 macarons, one per week over the course of a year. The progress of this “52 Macarons” project is chronicled on her blog,”The Velvet Macaron”. Her goal, if not yet attained, is to become the “Macaron Queen” of Tulsa (if not the world). When not baking or blogging, Molly designs and sells aprons at Dwelling Space and Sage Culinary Studio. Some have suggested that Molly may have an unhealthy cake stand addiction.

antoinettebakingco.blogspot.com & thevelvetmacaron.blogspot.com

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Blue Dome District – Downtown Tulsa
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 7:00pm – 1:30am

You know nobody in Tulsa throws a party like the Blue Dome District, already famous for Tulsa’s best St. Patty’s day party, DFest, Blue Dome Arts Festival, and the Tulsa Tough Bike Race. The Blue Dome District is the place be for Mardi Gras and any other time you want to party in style!

Participating Establishments:
McNellies
El Guapos
Joe Momma’s
The M.E.T.
Dwelling Spaces
Enso
IDL Ballroom
Yokozuna
Blue Dome Diner
Dirty’s Tavern
Arnies
Dilly Deli
The Candy Bar
Flytrap Music Hall

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Winners announced Friday afternoon!

Listen-up Football fans!  This contest is simple.  The Super Bowl is this Sunday, and we want to help you win some free food.  If you have not heard of Bellacino’s, I can personally tell you: it is the only place in Tulsa, that I know of, that serves real Grinders that are amazing.  Not to mention they have rockin-awesome Pizzas.

One lucky fan will win a Bellacino’s Tail-Gate Bash for you and your friends on Superbowl Sunday($65 Value) Enough food to feed 12 Hungry People!!!

Contest Rules: All you have to do is…TELL US WHO YOU WANT TO WIN THE 2010 SUPERBOWL or TELL US WHY YOU SHOULD WIN ALL THIS FOOD.

For another chance at winning, BROWSE TulsaFood.com and COMMENT ON ANY ARTICLE

Bellacino’s Tail-Gate Bash Includes: (THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN WIN)

* 2 – Free 16” 1 Topping Pizza’s
* 2 – 18” Whole Grinders
* 1 – Order of Breadsticks

(Over $56.00 Total Value) Check out the picture below to see what you get!!

“See Bellacino’s Super Bowl Day Pizza Special Below!”

Must be able to pick up the order for carry out on Game Day, Sunday Feb. 7th prior to the kick off to redeem this prize.\

Also, Bellacino’s is having an awesome Super Bowl Special:

Buy any 16” Bellacino’s Specialty Pizza at regular price; receive a 12” 1 Topping Pizza Free!

Indianapolis Colts Pizza is “The Pride”!

New Orleans Saints Pizza is the “Meat Eater”!

…May the best team (pizza) win!

Call to order:

Bellacino’s Pizza & Grinders
www.bellacinostulsa.com

9521 Riverside Parkway
Tulsa, OK 74137-7426
(918) 299-4433

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If you like Cheese this class is a must! This week on Thursday February 4th the Stock Pot is hosting a Cheese 101 class taught by Tulsa’s own Cheese Wench. Check out the link below for more information and to sign up simply call the number below.

For more information visit the Stock Pot’s Cooking Class Calendar or call 918-627-1146

[video link]

Class Description:
“Have you ever wondered how cheese is made? Why different cheeses taste the way they do, and how to present a cheese plate and pair it with appropriate wines? Come join “The Cheese Wench” and learn the basics of cheese production, styles, and pairings. We’ll sample about a dozen cheeses, and taste them with some matching beer and wines. Learn how to build the perfect cheese plate, and choose accompaniments to go along with it!”

To sign up for classes and to look at a detailed schedule of classes visit:
http://www.thestockpots.com

Call to Sign Up – 918-627-1146

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Here is the menu for the Mmm……….Bacon Dinner on Sat, Feb 27th. This event will be put on by the Tulsa Wine Club and anyone is welcome! Spots are going quickly so reserve yours today!

Bacon Dinner Menu

Aperitif
Bacontini
Caramel Vodka, Frangelico, Maple Bacon

Course 1
Bacon & Egg
Fried Quail egg over Sweet Potato Hash Browns, atop Bacon Lattice

Domaine Ehrhart, Crémant d’Alsace, NV Cuvée Prestige Chardonnay Brut

Course 2
BLT Salad
Mixed Baby Greens topped with Fried Green Tomato, Micro-herbs and Bacon Vinaigrette

Feudi di San Gregorio, Greco di Tufo, 2004

Course 3
Bacon Tagiatelle Carbonara
House-made Cinnamon-Bacon Tagliatelle in a Maple Pancetta Carbonara topped with warm Maple Pecans

Cycles, California, 2008 Gladiator Syrah

Course 4
Quail’s Nest Pancetta & Chorizo
Stuffed Quail in a Bacon “nest” with Molasses Glaze atop Jalapeno Bacon-Cheese Grits

The Other Guys, California, 2007 MooBuzz Pinot Noir

Course 5
Bacon Trifecta
Maple-Bacon Bread Pudding
Chocolate-Bacon Fudgecicle
Apple Cheddar & Bacon Tartlet

$65 by check
$68 on-line

BACON DINNER ON-LINE SIGN-UP HERE!!!!
password: oink

Cheers,

Mark Stenner

Tulsa Wine Club
tulsawineclub@yahoo.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Tulsa-Wine-Club/

Pacific Red Wine & Chocolate
February 6th
password: twcfeb10

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Today we had a snow day and with snow days come home cooking! Below a some of the delicious looking creations that some of our readers submitted. What did you enjoy on your snow day?

fish and chips w/homemade tartar sauce! by @clntryan

Cowboy Potato Chowder sure warmed us up to prepare for the cold! @clntryan

An omelet with cilantro and some bizzy bizzy bacon @mccullough

Four Cheese Baked Mac-N-Cheese by @shaeclaypool

Pastor Joe had lunch at Monterrey Mexican on Memorial at Fontana – Stuffed Avocado

This is what’s cookin’ at the Torrez house today! Yes! It is as good as it looks! by @Sherri_T4Tulsa

This is my version of The Dilly Deli’s “The Meg”.  An over-easy fried egg, with peppered bacon, leafy green lettuce tossed lighty with Italian dressing and shredded mozzarella, Roma tomato, and avacodo on top of toasted English muffin bread. It was DELICIOUS!!! by Michalah Davise

I handmade butternut squash ravioli with a sage brown butter sauce, sprinkled with toasted pine nuts! by @lizlaptop

My homemade tomato based vegetable and bean soup.  by @MariaWJ

Lunch – Home made creamy potato, garlic, and bhut jolokia (ghost) pepper soup with a mixed green, radish and home made balsamic vinaigrette salad

Jym Brittain

Out of the fire comes Amaretto Prawns!! There is an upside to being stuck at home during a Winter Blast!!

__________________

Send in your snow day creation to reviews@tulsafoodblog.com and we will post it to this page!

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Steak. Hmm. When you think “steak”, the first few restaurants that come to your mind may be a chain restaurant right? Well, I’m here to tell you, you need to think “steak” again. But this time think local-Locally owned that is and on Main Street no less!

In 2001, Larry Dooley opened Dooley’s Angus Inn at 201 Main St. in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He didn’t realize the impact and the reach that that moment would have.

The restaurant was recently named “Broken Arrow’s Top Steak House” by the Broken Arrow Ledger and chosen as the “Top-3 Steak House Destination” in Oklahoma by the Oklahoma Restaurant Association.

[video link]

“From the tea to the desserts, if it doesn’t have the ‘Wow factor’-it doesn’t go out,” said Larry. That attitude has made Dooley’s Angus Inn a favorite of patrons for miles.

You’ve heard of southern fried chicken right? Well, Larry and his staff have been serving up Tulsa’s only Southern-Fried Ribeye in the state! Love chocolate? How about trying the 14-Layer Chocolate Cake? Yes, fourteen layers! Finish off your delicious meal with a fantastic (and delicious) dessert!

Larry didn’t just pick up a cookbook off the shelf and call himself a chef. He’s actually been mentored by the world’s best: Master Chef George Wentzel.

The story is amazing and a portion of it goes like this. Wentzel was the personal chef of Hotel Magnet, Conrad Hilton and cooked for two United States Presidents. Larry took the expertise he had, sautéed it with Wentzel’s secrets and launched Oklahoma’s “Best Kept Secret”: Dooley’s Angus Inn. Larry is humble about his recipes and his awards, but his customers know this restaurant is special and that’s probably why they keep coming back.

[video link]

The restaurant fills with retirees to young families who enjoy the wide variety of dining choices and the social events at Dooleys Angus Inn year round.

The last Thursday night of each month the crowd enjoys live music by well-known artist Lugi Balleto. Single? Come out and try Speed Dating in February and March.

Dooley’s Angus Inn recently launch their Social Media presence with Facebook and Twitter and a Youtube channel. You can keep up with what’s new at Dooley’s by watching http://Youtube.com/DooleysAngusInn Dooley’s was recently chosen by The Tulsa Food blog to be included on the Tulsa iPhone app in the digital discount section. So if you have an iPhone, stay tuned to the Tulsa Food Blog for Dooley’s latest specials and events! To download the Tulsa Food iPhone app for your iPhone click here – http://bit.ly/bKsqLT

Dooley’s Angus Inn
www.angusinn.net

201 South Main Street
Broken Arrow, OK 74012
(918) 258-2333

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Tulsa now has a Genghis Grill, right on 15th Street near Utica. Since this is a chain, I’ll just say a few words about the Tulsa location — such as the prices, which are evidently lower than most locations, $11 at lunch for all you can eat. It features Asian-influenced stir fries, made to order. In fact, totally selected by you, and it looks like a Top Chef competition. You’re given a metal bowl holding about a pint. You go to a counter with a selection of raw meat and seafood and put it in your bowl. Then you go to a similar counter with vegetables. A third counter has lots of spices (e.g ginger powder, chili powder) which you can toss on the bowl. Then you put your bowl on a counter near the wok and get a second smaller bowl and fill it with one of a large selection of sauces (or blend them), put that bowl next to the first bowl, and call the chef. He puts them on a huge flat wok (like a Pakistani tawa) and cooks your order, which a waiter brings to your table.

I filled my bowl with shrimp and steak cubes and tossed in a few mushrooms. (Meat is a better deal than broccoli.) I put in some ginger, too much as it turns out — best to skip the spices unless you know what you’re doing. Then I filled my sauce bowl, choosing “red curry peanut” from the 14 sauces on tap. It all tasted quite good … not like a Thai panang curry or anything else authentically Asian (and it’s not supposed to be) but good nonetheless. And where else can you get unlimited good-quality shrimp cooked to order for $11?

GENGHIS GRILL, TULSA
1617 E 15 St
574-2695
www.genghisgrill.com

One bowl only is $9 before 4 PM, $10 after
Unlimited bowls are $11 before 4 and $13 after

About Brian Schwartz:

Born in NYC, age 0, on my birthday. College in Oxford (Meaning cow crossing a stream in Chinese) at age 16. Law School in New Haven, Conn. 6 years travel in Africa and Asia. Haven’t done much lately.

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.

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Not that long ago I was watching Larry King Live. This is not something I ever try to make a habit of, but on this rare occasion I found myself watching an episode with Jack Hannah and baby animals. My husband has this obsession with baby animals that I find precious and somewhat bizarre at the same time. So I indulged him by watching this baby animal special on Larry King. A few minutes into the show Jack brings out a baby Spider Monkey. He shows Larry the monkey, Larry looks to the camera and say’s in his most somber and serious tone “spider or monkey, you tell me”. Really Larry, this is your question, spider or monkey? Are your suspenders a little too tight or are you just an idiot? Apparently both.

From time to time I find myself thinking about this ridiculous phrase. Spider or monkey? So what does all this have to do with graham crackers? Well, I’ll tell you. I love graham crackers and I found myself asking, “Graham cracker, cracker or cookie?”. It’s silly I know, but it got me giggling. So graham crackers are tricky. They are sweet, yet shaped like a classic cracker and we use this item to make tasty crusts for pies, cheesecakes and many other treats that taste better with the “crackers“. Grahams are such a cozy treat, they bring back childhood memories, although I think I eat more of them now than I did back then. A favorite treat of mine which my apparently highbrow friends have deemed as “ghetto“, is a cheap but extremely appropriate Nabisco graham cracker with even cheaper, but needless to say perfect, dollop of grocery store frosting.

I prefer the cream cheese kind or maybe a nice vanilla. But when I’m feeling a little crazy…Funfetti frosting. I know, I know, a town full of wonderful desserts and I make my ghetto graham snacks. Guilty as charged.

Grahams even seem to find their way to the holiday table. Everyone seems to have that special recipe that uses crushed grahams as the oh so special crust. I know we just got over all the holiday hullabaloo, but I can’t stop reminiscing over a great use of the crumbs. Stop and imagine for a moment, raspberries, cream cheese and a graham crumbs, multiple layers, much joy. In the same way beans and cornbread make a perfect combination, I feel the same way about grahams and cream cheese. They were made for each other.

Being the food nerd that I am, I looked up the old Wikipedia page and was surprised to learn that graham crackers were originally marketed in 1829 as “Dr. Graham’s Honey Biskets” and conceived of as a health food as part of the Graham Diet, a regimen to suppress what he considered “unhealthy carnal urges,”

Wow, sounds like Dr. Honey Bisket was the Larry King of the 19th century, sans the suspenders of course. Dr. Graham apparently felt the more bland your food, the less likely you were to indulge in unhealthy urges.

Well Dr. Graham, your cracker has come a long way. So another point to note, a true graham cracker is only a graham cracker if it is made with real graham flour. While my recipe is not made with graham flour, I feel that it’s just as good, maybe even better. But unlike Dr. Graham, I doubt my crackers will suppress any unhealthy urges. Enjoy!

Graham Cookie Cracker

1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour

1 ½ cup of white all-purpose flour

1/8 cup of ground flax seeds

1 Tsp of Kosher salt

1 Tsp of baking soda

2 Tsp of Ground Cinnamon

½ Tsp of freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup of sweet cream butter( 2 sticks)

1 cup brown sugar

1 Tbs of Vanilla

4 Tbs of Honey

A few notes on this recipe: 1) You may be tempted to just eat the dough raw. Feel free. I know I ate my fair share. But if you have the patience, wait, and the end result will be even better. 2) These crackers/cookies are great when sandwiched with buttercream, lemon curd or even peanut butter. 3) Try making them with freshly grated ginger, roll out really thin and serve with a honey goat cheese.

Turn oven to 350

Whisk all dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in honey and vanilla, making sure to scrap down the sides. Add flour mixture, mix until combined. Roll dough into a ball and chill for about 20 minutes. Set aside a bowl of sugar and flour. Heavily dust your counter space and roll out a small amount of dough. I like to use small round biscuit (biskit?) cutters to cut out my cookies. You can really use any cutter or a fluted pastry wheel. The dough is really sticky so make sure to use plenty of flour. Set dough cut-out on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Poke holes in each cookie and sprinkle sugar on them as you see fit. Bake for 12-15 minutes. I like my cookies a little on the soft side. If you like crispier ones, cook for about 15 minutes. Cool completely on a rack. Enjoy!

About the Author:

Molly is co-owner of Antoinette Baking Co. a locally-based company specializing in macarons, delectable cakes, madeleines and many other tasty treats. She is currently at work on a project which consists of creating and perfecting 52 macarons, one per week over the course of a year. The progress of this “52 Macarons” project is chronicled on her blog,”The Velvet Macaron”. Her goal, if not yet attained, is to become the “Macaron Queen” of Tulsa (if not the world). When not baking or blogging, Molly designs and sells aprons at Dwelling Space and Sage Culinary Studio. Some have suggested that Molly may have an unhealthy cake stand addiction.

antoinettebakingco.blogspot.com & thevelvetmacaron.blogspot.com

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Looking for something to do this week? This is a great way to treat someone you love to a great night out. Whether it is your lover, mother, father, brother, sister or a good friend, here is a class schedule for Cooking Classes at the Stock Pot:

(Click on the below picture for a super wide shot of the classroom)

Here are a few pictures for a class we went to last week!

“Come Out of the Cold and into the Kitchen!”
Tuesday: January 26th
Chef: Donna Cannon
An evening of delicious and warming dishes! This evening Donna will begin with cream of mushroom soup served with herbal crostini. Next up, Homemade 4-cheese macaroni & cheese, followed by maple pecan chicken. For dessert, Italian Cream Puffs will satisfy any sweet tooth!
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

“Simple Seafood”
Thursday: January 28th
Chef: Amanda Simcoe
Join Chef Amanda Simcoe for an evening of simple yet delicious seafood dishes. These recipes can be prepared in about 20 minutes or less! Menu: Shrimp Cocktail Salad Sapphire Cocktail Sauce, Gin Radish New Zealand Cockles in Riesling-Leek Broth Scallop Fettuccine Lemon Vanilla Creme Seared Salmon in Dill Creme Lemon Haricots Verts
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

“Wine 101: Tasting Basics”
Friday: January 29th
Chef: Mark Stenner
In this first installment of our “Wine 101″ series, learn the proper way to select and taste wine to get the most out of the tasting experience. From understanding the terms on the wine label to decanting to selecting stemware there are many factors besides just “Pop & Pour”. In this class we will sample 5 wines, focusing on basic styles of wine. Wine-friendly Hors d’ Oeuvres will be served as well. Mark Stenner is the founder of the Tulsa Wine Club, which for six years has focused on helping people develop and expand their appreciation of wine through education and tasting in a casual and non-intimidating environment.
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

“Sushi with Chef Nobu”
Tuesday: February 2nd
Chef: Nobu of Fuji Restaurant
Consider a fun and unique outing with co-workers or friends with a sushi class taught by Chef Nobu from Fuji Restaurant. Once again, he shares his experiences of bringing sushi to the Tulsa area over 20 years ago. He will demonstrate the skill of making good sushi rice as well as prepare several varieties of sushi. Served over a green salad, Nobu’s simple and delicious sesame salad dressing will be accompanied by miso soup. You, too, can host your very own sushi party by learning the art and the skill from one of the best, from Chef Nobu right here at The Stock Pot, first Tuesday of every month.
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

“Cheese 101″
Thursday: February 4th
Chef: The Cheese Wench
Have you ever wondered how cheese is made? Why different cheeses taste the way they do, and how to present a cheese plate and pair it with appropriate wines? Come join “The Cheese Wench” and learn the basics of cheese production, styles, and pairings. We’ll sample about a dozen cheeses, and taste them with some matching beer and wines. Learn how to build the perfect cheese plate, and choose accompaniments to go along with it!
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

“Valentine’s Treats”
Friday: February 5th
Chef: Maryann Brinton
Join Maryann Brinton of Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream Treatery as she demonstrates how to prepare some wonderful sweets for your sweetheart! Delicious details coming soon!
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

For a full schedule of the next month’s Cooking Classes visit the Stock Pot website: here.

To sign up, visit here or call Amanda Simcoe (918) 627-1146.

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It has been over a week since the disaster in Haiti. It is clear that numbers showing over 200,000 perished and over tens of thousands lost and unaccounted for, there is one thing very clear…Haiti needs us. We live in such a beautiful country that not only consists of sturdy buildings but compassionate people. The bottom line is that we are all very lucky to live in such a country. You may be thinking that you’re not the type of person that is compassionate or gives back to organizations such as the ones helping out in Haiti, but let me tell you…here is your chance.

If you like a good hamburger, good Mexican food or Asian food, or just like a good beer or Margarita, you have an opportunity to give back with no effort at all. All you have to do is show up at one of the three restaurants below and do what you probably do best: Socialize and enjoy good food and drinks. Now I want you to think of something here. The three restaurants below aren’t giving 50% of the profits away to organizations helping out Haiti. They are giving 50% of the sales. Many companies talk about giving profits, but there is a big difference. I want you to understand that 50% of the money given to one of these 3 restaurants is directly going to effect the life of somebody in need, or if you want to go deeper, it is going to help someone properly bury their loved one.

Tuesday, January 26th  (5 p.m.-10 p.m)

McNellies
409 East 1st Street
Tulsa, OK 74120

El Guapo
332 east 1st street
Tulsa, OK 74120

Yokozuna
309 E. 2nd Street
Tulsa, OK 74120

50% of all sales generated between 5pm and 10 pm at McNellie’s, El Guapo’s and Yokozuna will be donated to the International Relief Fund for the Red Cross.

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With wedding season coming up, we decided to hit the Wedding Extravaganza at the Stinchcomb Mansion in Broken Arrow yesterday. It was everything that a bride or groom needs to know about planning a wedding…all in one place! Below are a few videos of some of the food vendors that we met up with. These are people that you would not just want to consider for your wedding, but keep them in mind for the next event you are planning.

Lady Fingers: Catering & Party Planning
Owner: Sheila Fuller
(918) 496-6825
www.ladyfingerstulsa.com

LuLu’s Sweet Shop
(918) 488-9933
http://lulussweetshoppe.homestead.com/

Aroma Divina Espresso Bars
Owner: Brenda Cadenasso
(918) 606-4003
http://aromadivinaespresso.com/

My Wedding Extravaganza was hosted by local personality David Fowler who introduced the Guest speaker, Cindy W. Morrison. Cindy is an Emmy-Award-Winning Journalist formerly with KTUL in Tulsa. Cindy talked about her new book: “Girlfriends 2.0″ and the need for Girlfriends in your life. Cindy had 9 Bridesmaids in her wedding and she understands what Brides go through preparing for a wedding. David and Cindy led a panel discussion with “The Experts” answering all of our wedding questions and introduced “The Stinchcomb Couple” (Michael Butler and Michelle Gustafon) who will be married at the Mansion on April 17th.

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Wine isn’t only fun with haute cuisine and fancily prepared dishes. Wine is as versatile as beer when it comes to pairing with what we think as quintessentially American food like burgers and fries, barbecue, and yes even chicken fried steak.
One of my own personal food and wine pairing favorites is actually a great hamburger or cheeseburger and a good robust red. The bigger the better in fact.

What Makes a Burger?

Of course, what constitutes a burger is a subject of heated and passionate debate. A quick web search reveals multiple possible origins of the hamburger. There is even a possibility that the original hamburger was created at our very own Weber’s! But many food historians consider the first burger to have been presented by a man from Athens, Texas. The New York Tribune reported on a food item that caused quite a stir at the World’s Fair in St. Louis in 1904. Fletcher Davis had actually been serving his un-named sandwich since the late 1880s at his lunch counter in Athens. His creation was a hamburger patty placed between slices of home-made bread coated with mustard and mayo, and topped with sliced Bermuda onion and cucumber pickles. The craze count on all over the South, and in 1916 in Wichita J. Walter Anderson flattened the traditional hamburger steak into a flatter patty, and served it between a one-piece bun. After it had grown to five location from the original cart, this became the “White Castle” franchise, and was the first burger business to offer a standardized look, menu and service.

Today, burger purists are adamant that ground beef of some kind, served between a bun, and with a minimum of condiments constitute a true burger. To others, who are more catholic, any product that can be ground, formed into patties, grilled and served between a bakery product, with any additional condiments or toppings, is a burger. To me, who cares, eat what you want and enjoy it!!
But sticking with what I think anyone would agree is a ‘basic’ burger – ground beef, maybe cheese, with onions, tomatoes, etc – makes for a very satisfying and mouth-watering combination with red wine.

My own personal favorite, and this makes absolute sense in the context, is Zinfandel – the ‘American’ grape.

Zinfandel, with its robust and ripe flavors, is a glorious match with a pink in the middle, dripping with beautiful juices and slathered on onions, melt in the mouth, burger that I like to cook up. It is a true example of food and wine synergy where both are improved through the pairing. I don’t find beer particularly appealing with a burger in fact (it’s better with a Coney or hot dog!) as the acidity tends to be a little high and it cuts through the fat, rather than embracing and amplifying it. Although Shiraz is another fine match with a juicy burger, the king pairing to me is always a brash Zinfandel.

Zinfandel Basics:

Given the variety of treatments Zinfandel can receive (lateness of picking, oak regimen, etc) and how easily it can be manipulated pinning down the aromas and flavors of Zinfandel can be challenging.

However, one can categorize Zinfandel into one of three types. The most basic kind of Zinfandel should be quaffable with fruit forward berry flavors in an open-knit style. The second type is typically fuller and spicier. These Zinfandels are medium- to full-bodied and potent, and are made in a spicy and richly fruity style. A good backbone and structure lends to an aging potential for up to 4-6 years, but these wines are ready to drink on release. The aromas and flavors have a burly, brambly quality with raspberries, blackberries, dark cherries, and plums. With age raisins, prunes, herbs and pepper come more to the fore. Lastly, we have the high alcohol, intense, massively extracted style so beloved by many. These wines are full-bodied, often taste of ripe blackberry and blueberry and, because of the large amount of new oak employed, have strong vanilla notes too. Modern styles of Zinfandel can be a little jammy but most old vine Zinfandels are positively classy wines.

Zinfandel always has that brambly mouth-feel that makes it such a delightful wine to consume. There is something uniquely rustic and yet smooth and charming about this grape. While rarely as serious and sophisticated as Cabernet Sauvignon (there are exceptions however, don’t think that Zinfandel cannot age – Ridge wines show otherwise), it is capable of so many manifestations that it keeps Zinfandel advocates coming back for more and more.
Zinfandel is grown throughout many regions of California. Below are the main and most important regions.
Major California Zinfandel Regions

The following are the major quality Zinfandel producing regions in California with notes on what the most expressive and site driven wines can display.

Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma)

The soul of California Zinfandel. This northern Sonoma appellation is dominated by Zinfandel and is home to many of the states finest examples. Unlike neighboring Alexander Valley, Dry Creek is almost immune to the ebb and flow of the maritime environment, being found in a box canyon, and while it receives its fair share of rain, it is warmer than surrounding appellations, and it receives none of the cooling ocean breezes. Thus, although there are an incredible amount of varietals in Dry Creek, they tend to be clustered somewhat geographically, with Chardonnay and Riesling at the cooler southern end, and Zinfandel and Cabernet in the middle and northern end. There are exceptions of course, but this is a fair description of vineyard plantings. To many, Dry Creek Zinfandels are unlike any other. Noted writer and commentator Matt Kramer said it this way:
“That Zinfandel speaks in Dry Creek Valley is incontestable. Proof is found in an almost uncanny consistency across vintages, vineyards, and wineries. It is a creature even a first-year student in Zinfandel taxonomy can readily anatomize. When classically made, they are dense, slightly metallic, and more than hinting of tar. The best versions offer a degree of detail frequently lacking in Zinfandels grown elsewhere. This is thanks in part to texture. The denseness of flavor is delivered with a certain dexterity, like a big man handling a small baby…Dry Creek Zinfandels tend not to have the exuberant wild berry flavors or Pinot-like texture found in Russian River Valley Zinfandels. Perhaps because of this, one (rather odd) term that keeps cropping up in my notes is “solemn.” They somehow remind me of an unbending church elder of strongly held conviction. They do last. But they seem not to transform, only soften with age. That said, they are among California’s most distinctive wine expressions and proof – if any were needed – of the pedigree of Zinfandel.”

Alexander Valley (Sonoma)

This warm northern Sonoma valley produces soft, ripe, supple blackberry-like Zinfandels with deep plummy fruit and moderate tannins. Fruit definition is perhaps a bit less sharp than in Dry Creek, but the texture of an Alexander Valley Zinfandel is almost unmistakable, especially if it comes from one of the more southerly vineyards, below Cloverdale. The best examples tend to have an easy drinking opulence, sometimes showing a touch of chocolate, but without any rough edges. Interestingly, wines produced with fruit grown north of Cloverdale (all the way up to Geyserville) are more rasping, and a little less polished and supple. They might be described as more assertive. This is probably because the northern half of the valley is warmer.

Howell Mountain (Napa)

Zinfandels from this Napa AVA are tough, tannic, hearty wines that are often blended with fruit from other parts of California to lend intensity. When bottled by themselves Howell Mountain Zinfandels have a pronounced pepperiness, and a lean, briary fruit quality. The Zinfandels from Howell Mountain are also sometimes described as ‘wines of detail,’ which I take to mean as distinctive and also rewarding. It was bottlings from Howell Mountain that drew much attention to the grape in the resurgent 1960s.
Santa Cruz Mountains
Directly south of San Francisco, this district produces concentrated Zinfandels that are noted for their balance. A sunny but cooler climate than any of the other premium regions insures less robust alcohol levels along with bright lively raspberry-like fruit.

Paso Robles

Located in San Luis Obispo County in the south Central Coast, Paso Robles is home to many wineries that are making a name specializing in Zinfandel. With a very sunny growing season in the region, the Zinfandels tend to the peppery, jammy edge of the spectrum, with soft, lush blackberry fruit, low acids and medium-full body.

Amador County

Zinfandel dominates this county in the Sierra Foothills. This is home to the oldest continuously producing vineyards in the state, some of which yield massive, dense, richly ripe Zinfandel fruit. The vines are at high elevations and much of the soil is volcanic, decomposed granite. Although Amador’s climate lacks a full maritime influence, during the summer there is a strong variation between the blazingly hot daytime temperatures and the cold, breezy nights. The vineyards warm up early in the day and the results are grapes high in sugar and as well as acidity. Typically Amador Zinfandels are quite ripe but earthy, with suggestions of dried fruits and a bold, velvety texture. Potent alcohol levels in excess of 15% are not uncommon. There is often a jammy spice quality to Amador Zinfandels too.

Rockpile

The new Rockpile AVA (it was only created in 2002) is really an extension of Dry Creek Valley, and is found in the northwestern most corner of Sonoma. Just under 20% of the AVA actually overlaps with the Dry Creek Valley AVA. Rockpile is well named, and has an interesting history, if local lore is to be believed. The land, found between 800 and 2,000 feet, is a collection of bare ridges and rugged hills that overlook the more picturesque Lake Sonoma. The name derives from a 29,000-acre cattle and sheep ranch called Rockpile Ranch, owned in the 1800s by a corrupt local sheriff. Legend has it that the name stuck from the prisoners who were put to work on the ranch building roads. They dubbed it Rockpile. Although Cabernet, Syrah and Petite Sirah are all planted here among the 200 acres currently farmed for wine grapes, the Zinfandels are what put Rockpile on the map. With the vineyards still being relatively young, none over twenty years, it will take some time for the character of the AVA to be established, but certainly the names of the wineries sourcing wine from here is prestigious, with Rosenblum, Ridge, Seghesio, Kenwood, and St. Francis, all taking fruit from these vineyards. So, what makes Rockpile so unique? Although Rockpile is located just 13 miles from the coast, Lake Sonoma provides an inversion layer that prevents the heavier fog that typically blankets other Northern California appellations, allowing for longer, more consistent sun exposure. Moisture and daytime temperatures are regulated by howling coastal breezes, and in many cases, steep slopes and rocky terrain require non-motorized vine management.

Whatever your preference for Zinfandel, it won’t be hard to find a great example to go with a sumptuous burger! Here are some of my favorites – a half case to satisfy the most discerning Zin lover – and hopefully not the usual suspects like Bogle, Cline and Renwood that are always mentioned (all are good however and well worth drinking!)

Marietta Cellars, California, NV Lot 50 ($13)

This is actually what is called a ‘field blend’ in California. Italian immigrants at the end of the last century planted vineyards with mixed rows of various grapes, most commonly Zinfandel, but also alongside Syrah, Carignan and other varietals. This NV wine, released every six months or so (so Lot 51 will be next), is big, jammy, and smoky aromas, with rich ripe fruit in the mouth.

Adler Fells Winery, Sonoma County, 2006 Big Ass Zin ($14)

This wine is barely a Zinfandel designate with 75% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, with tiny amounts of Syrah, Carignane, and Grenache. Surprisingly complex for the price, this wine has a smoky aroma, with plum and cherry, with anise, black pepper and smoked meats on the palate. This is a great barbecue wine too!

Joel Gott, California, 2007 Zinfandel ($20)

This is a clever blend of fruit from Napa, Lodi, Amador, and Sonoma. Many of the vineyards are old, dry farmed, gnarly head-trained vines which produce concentrated fruit. It has lovely currant and plum aromas, with lots of blackberry, cherry and spice on the palate.

Opolo Vineyards, Paso Robles, 2006 Summit Creek Zinfandel ($30)

A great Paso Robles Zin this lip-smackingly good wine offers intense fruit including ripe cherry, plum and spice. Yum.

Titus Vineyards, Napa Valley, 2006 Zinfandel ($32)

This is a majestic Zinfandel, an absolutely top-class wine. Produced from 30-year-old Silverado Trail Vineyard fruit with a bit of Petite Sirah for added color, spice and finesse, this wine offers bright and concentrated red fruit with notes of baking spice, bramble and briar.

About the Tulsa Wine Club:

Mark Stenner is the organizer of the Tulsa Wine Club, a local tasting group that meets once a month to sample wines. The tastings take place in private homes in the Tulsa metro area, and are casual and fun events. Participants of all age ranges enjoy 10-12 wines per event, served alongside the food each member contributes to the evening. They welcome anyone with an interest in wine, whether novice or expert. Mark believes in learning through osmosis, drinking wine and forming your own evaluation of your experience.

For information about the club, please email Mark at tulsawineclub@yahoo.com

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Spa Lux will be hosting a very special event February 6, 2010.  The Tulsa Wine Club and Tulsa Food Blog have come together with one of the greatest destination spas in Oklahoma to host an evening of  elaborate wine tasting and chocolate tastings in one of the best atmospheres in town.  This is a great opportunity to network with individuals around Tulsa, enjoy homemade desserts and sample spectacular wines.

The event is from 8-11 p.m. Each guest is to bring a chocolate dessert to share and his/her personal wine glass.  The wine is selected by Mark Stenner: Founder of Tulsa Wine Club. A special presentation on the benefits of chocolate will be given by a nutritionist and regular wine club attender.

Spa Lux is located at 91st and Memorial, between BounceU and Il Bacio.
If there are any questions email Mark at tulsawineclub@yahoo.com

NOTE FOR FIRST-TIMERS: We have quite a few newcomers and friends coming on Saturday. I hope you really enjoy yourselves and want to come again. We’re a friendly crowd. Don’t forget your food dish and your glass.  Dress is casual, I would say dressy jeans probably typifies things, we’re very laid-back and fun. It is not necessary to wear strong perfumes/colognes as it can interfere with yours and other’s tasting experience.  Some of us do take notes, but most don’t so don’t worry about that part of the event. Just come and enjoy some great wine and some greater company!

February 6th Sign-up Link

password: twcfeb10

Stay tuned for more details….coming soon!

Tulsa Wine Club

tulsawineclub@yahoo.com

www.facebook.com/pages/Tulsa-Wine-Club/

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Check out this delicious lunch special from Chicory & Chives. This is Cajun grilled shrimp with cheese grits. The shrimp is spicy and tender and the cheese grits are definitely more sophisticated than they seem. Loaded with flavor (and bacon), they are so light and fluffy. The sausage was an unexpected extra and was not greasy but delicious and lean. My lunch partner had a huge Cajun omelet, hand cut French fries (I had to have a few), biscuits & gravy and a side of gumbo. Yes, really . The owner Jim came by to visit with us and our server was excellent.

By Debra Laizure

Hours are M-F 6:30am til 2:00pm with the $6.89 all you can eat lunch buffet from 11:00am til 2:00pm. Saturday hours are 7:00am til noon. Closed on Sunday to be with their families.

Debra was so excited about our visit to Chicory and Chives that she wrote this up and sent it over right after lunch. I was so excited about having lunch at Chicory and Chives that I had to bust out my video camera. All I can say is the food was Bomb-Dizzle, and you have to try it for yourself…personally I will be back to try more than 1/2 the menu. In the video below you will see Debra’s meal and my monstrous Cajun Omelet which includes a celebration of sausage, ham, bacon, tomato, jalapeno and green bell peppers topped with cheese. I hope you enjoy the videos below. Let us know when you visit and what you think.

[Video Link] – Chicory & Chives Cajun Omelet – Bomb-Dizzle!

[Video Link] – Cajun Grilled Shrimp with Cheese Grits & a Cajun Omelet at Chicory & Chives Tulsa, OK

Chicory & Chives
3121 Charles Page Blvd.
Tulsa, OK 74127
918-585-3500

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February 02, 2010 – Mardi Gras Beer Dinner at McNellie’s Sign up now!

If you are like me, you love a great pairing of delicious food and drinks. This event offers an opportunity to try some Louisiana fare at one of Tulsa’s best establishments along with some of Tulsa’s finest brew. Make it a night of McNellie’s food + Marshall’s beer in celebration of Mardi Gras and all things tasty.

Dinner will take place in the McNellie’s Sidebar, starting at 7pm. Seating is limited. To reserve your spot, please contact Muriel at muriel@mcnellies.com. or visit their Events Page for more information.

Menu:

Reception:

Assorted Creole Artisan Breads
Beer: Marshall’s McNellie’s Pub Ale Cask

Appetizer:

Louisiana Pan Fried Quail atop Mache Choux
Beer: Marshall’s Atlas IPA

Soup:

Bayou Bouillabaise
Beer: Marshall’s Sundown Wheat

Entree:

Steak En Frite, topped with Dungeness Crab and Bearnaise. Served with Truffed Frites and Arugala Salad
Beer: Marshall’s McNellie’s Pub Ale

Dessert:

Brennon’s Banana Foster
Beer: Marshall’s Big Jamoka Porter

http://www.mcnellies.com
http://www.marshallbrewing.com

Mcnellies Public House

409 East 1st Street
Tulsa, OK 74120
(918) 382-7468

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Several different Sushi restaurants have opened up around Tulsa in the past year and of course there are some that have been around for a while. I am going to try as many of them as I can. This idea started in March 2009, when I went to Tokyo Garden and had my first taste of a Sushi roll. And although I’m still not big on the raw aspect of it, I LOVE the cooked sushi rolls that most places offer. This is a review of one experience I had at the new Osaka Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar on 81st and Garnett.

In addition to the Sushi bar they also offer traditional Hibachi Grilling. For this trip however we just got the sushi. The next trip will be to try the hibachi grill. I love the show and the whole aspect of someone cooking in front of you, it’s really exciting to me. Although I would have LOVED to have tried it this visit, we were strictly on a Sushi mission only.

+ Special Roll($7.50) – This is one of my own creation. (more detail below)
+ Spider Roll($7.00) – (more detail below)
+ Rainbow Roll($12.00) – This was one of my friends rolls. It’s California roll topped with smoked salmon, avocado, Unagi(Eel), spinach tempura flakes, red beet tempura flakes, Eel Sauce, and a Kiwi – Wasabi Sauce.I didn’t get to try this one, but from what I could tell it was delicious.
+ Dinner Sashimi Assortment($16.00) – Also one of the other party’s orders(hence why there are no other pictures). It’s Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail, Octupus, and Whitefish. There wasn’t actually enough of this one to share, or I totally would have asked, just to say I had tried it. But I was never going to get through all of my rolls and she was really enjoying them, so I’ll have to try next time.

My specially created roll was Shrimp Tempura, cream cheese, and cucumber on the inside with Baked Scallop, spicy AND Eel sauce on the outside. It was TOO DIE FOR. With that nice smoothness of the scallop and the crunchy of the tempura shrimp, then a little kick at the end with the Spicy and Eel sauces combined made this roll my favorite.
The Spider Roll has Fried Soft Shell crab, Cucumber, crab meat, and sprout. It also had carrots in it which isn’t listed on the menu. I am totally fine with that I love carrots, but just an FYI if you don’t like carrots.  The roll was sublime, but the best part was the Crab Tempura on the last two rolls. I’ve previously said this, but I’ll repeat, you tempura batter ANYTHING and I’ll eat it. It just makes everything taste 100 times better.

+ Caterpillar($8.00) – Unagi, cucumber, snow crab, tempura crunch, topped with avocado and masago.
+ Lobster Roll($16.00) – This was the most expensive one on the table. It totals a whole lobsters meat. Half in the rolls and half baked in a tail, although it was served cold. Not sure if this was because it was sitting a bit or if it’s actually supposed to be served that way. Either way it was very good. Now whether it’s actually worth $16.00? Maybe not, if they went ahead and put that other half in more rolls instead of just on the side, then yes it would be worth it IMHO.
+ Spicy Tuna Roll($5.00) – Just a regular spicy tuna roll, very good but not very exotic compared to the other options on the menu.
+ Spicy Yellow Tail($5.50) – Another off the generic menu, for those who have their favorites and really want to stay with the reliables. Osakas has about 12 different ones that are staples for the sushi community, where it’s basically prepared the same way at almost every Sushi place you visit.

I ended up with mad leftovers as shown on my blog. And for the most part I really enjoyed myself. However there were certain aspects that I did not enjoy. Firstly, my reservation was taken by another customer. When I walked in it was PACKED and I mean bursting at the seams with people. I finally get up to the hostess and tell her my name and she says that I’ve already checked in. Obviously I hadn’t so she pages the person that took my reservation and when she gets up there they ask her if that was her name, she looks at me oddly, and says of course it’s her reservation, then has this attitude like “How dare you accuse me of lying”. I had already told the hostess I would just make another one and wait, I didn’t want to cause any drama. So I make another one, with an hour wait on it, and just assume it was a simple misunderstanding. That would not be nearly enough to spoil my night.

So my party gets there and I go back to the hostess and she tells me that since we are just wanting sushi they could seat us right away. Nightmare wait averted and we breeze in and sit at our table. Nice. They come with the warm towels to wipe our hands down and let us know the waiter will be right over. And he was, in a prompt fashion, but this would be the only time he would be prompt. He brought us our drinks and took our order then we had to wait.

Now in Osaka, the Sushi bar has its own separate tables and waiters from the Hibachi grill ones. He may have been floating between the two I’m not sure, but I never actually saw him go over to the side with the grills so his absence was unusual. I was through my drink before the rolls even came and he never came back for a refill. I ended up sending someone at my table to the bar for a refill, just couldn’t bear to tear myself away from mah sushi rolls. The chefs brought the rolls to us when they were finished making them. Which I believe is the norm with Osaka. But I’m thinking the waiter still should have come back to check on us in between the initial drinks and giving us our checks.

I’d say the time in between ordering and receiving our sushi rolls was not abnormal, it was a nice amount of time, not too much and not too little. Like I’ve said before you don’t want them super fast, you just don’t. As if you couldn’t tell from the pictures, the presentation was amazing and they tasted wonderful too. There was nothing that I tried that I didn’t like, nothing even that I was ‘iffy’ about. I loved all the food we were served.

Congrats Osaka for opening up down the road from me, we shall meet again real soon.

Graded on a scale of 1-10(10 being the best)
Atmosphere = 7
Presentation = 10
Taste = 10
Portion Size = 8
Waiter = 3

To read more reviews from The Isolated Dreamer’s Food Bloggy Blog go here. There are also a ton of EXTRA pictures for this review there!

Osaka Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar
81st and Garnett
Tulsa, OK
(918) 872-6014

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Join Chef Donna Cannon at The Stock Pot for an evening of delicious and warming dishes! This evening Donna will be cooking up cream of mushroom soup served with herbal crostini. Then homemade 4-cheese macaroni & cheese, followed by maple pecan chicken. For dessert, Italian Cream Puffs will satisfy any sweet tooth!

Also check out her sister Mary Anne Potter’s Italian Cookbook titled La Mia Cucina Italiana. Chef Donna has a recipe in her sisters book for a New York Cheesecake that sounds amazing. You can pick up a copy of the cookbook at The Stock Pot in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Check out this video below of Donna and I talking about her sister’s book and her upcoming classes at The Stock Pot. Enjoy, and be sure to check out the classes by visiting the  http://www.thestockpots.com or to sign up contact them.

[View the video here]

Cooking Event Information:

January 26, 2010 – “Come Out of the Cold and into the Kitchen!”
Chef: Donna Cannon

To sign up for classes and to look at a detailed schedule of classes visit:
http://www.thestockpots.com

Call to Sign Up – 918-627-1146

Class Details:
6:30pm – 8:30pm
January 19, 2010 – Exploring Spices: Part 1
Chef: Amanda Simcoe

THE STOCK POT
7223 East 41st Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74145
800-749-1147
918-627-1146 Direct

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She adored the cookie. She idolized it all out of proportion. Uh, no. Make that, she romanticized it all out of proportion. To her, no matter what the season was, this was still a town where the most delicious cookie was made. Imagine George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue“, playing in the background and fireworks going off over the beautiful Tulsa skyline, while I devour what could possibly be the most delicious chocolate chip cookie ever. You may notice that I said “possibly“. You may ask why. But I digress.

Who bakes the most delicious chocolate chip cookies in town? By now I assume you are on the edge of your seat, wondering with fervent anticipation as to where you can get such a cookie. You may even have your own strongly-held opinion. Well wait no longer, Caramel Bakery and Dessert Bar on Brookside. This is the cookie you (and I) have been waiting for. I say “possibly” though, because I haven’t tried every single chocolate chip cookie out there. Who has? I suppose something out there could trump it, but for now it’s beyond delicious.

Now, let me interject a little something here about me and chocolate chip cookies. We go way back. As a kid I would drag out the old Kitchen Aid mixer and beg my mother to let me make them. I was usually told “yes”, just as long as I cleaned the kitchen up afterwards. Really, that was the only rule. Clean up the kitchen? Not a bad trade if you ask me. And it’s still something I make sure to do now while baking. I simply can’t function in a dirty, messy kitchen. The messier the kitchen the higher my stress level goes up. But I digress again. We now return to the riveting story of a young girl making cookies.

There was only one recipe we used, a family classic, an old stand-by . It was basic, nothing fancy. But that was the beauty of it. I don’t think it ever dawned on me that there could possibly be any recipes other than the one we used. Time after time, I would make these same cookies, with no results that anyone would call tasty. They were hard, ugly, flat and sadly the dough was way more appealing than the actual finished product. Not surprisingly, I started getting a reputation among my friends as “the bad cookie-maker“. When I would offer my treats, neighbors and friends would respond with “did you make these”? Towels would catch on fire, spills would occur and yet I was determined to make a cookie worth the praise of my family and peers. I would eat my neighbors chocolate chip cookies and in vain I would make her recipe and never would it turn out like hers. I was starting to think maybe it was me, not the recipe. I eventually gave up on the cookie.

After reading the previous paragraphs, the following sentence may come as a shock, but bare with me. I now co-own a bakery (I said don’t laugh) and while I have many recipes that I can make and perfect with my eyes closed, I still have no chocolate chip cookie I am proud to say is mine. So for me to create the “best chocolate chip cookie” would mean quite a bit. From time to time I become obsessed with creating and perfecting the perfect baked good. Okay, let’s be honest, pretty much every week I get engrossed in one thing or another. This week it just so happens to be the elusive chocolate chip cookie.

And while I did not create it (jealousy, envy, rage), I feel that I have found it in Tulsa. Quite the find and I haven’t even mentioned the travel savings. My favorite kind of cookie is cakey and soft without being too doughy and raw inside. I like it crispy on the outer edges with just the right amount of chocolate. Once again, I am happy to report that this cookie can be found at Caramel Bakery and Dessert Bar on Brookside. And I urge all of you to go out right now and get one or two or three. If you are reading this at midnight, don’t take my directive too literally. But seriously, you have no idea what you are missing. Did I mention that it’s a big cookie? It is.

About Molly Martin:
Molly is co-owner of Antoinette Baking Co. a locally-based company specializing in macarons, delectable cakes, madeleines and many other tasty treats. She is currently at work on a project which consists of creating and perfecting 52 macarons, one per week over the course of a year. The progress of this “52 Macarons” project is chronicled on her blog,”The Velvet Macaron”. Her goal, if not yet attained, is to become the “Macaron Queen” of Tulsa (if not the world). When not baking or blogging, Molly designs and sells aprons at Dwelling Space and Sage Culinary Studio. Some have suggested that Molly may have an unhealthy cake stand addiction.

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There’s a guy named Pirate Prentice who puts in a brief appearance right at the beginning of Thomas Pynchon’s masterpiece Gravity’s Rainbow. There he is, standing right in the middle of an enormous penthouse high over the bombed-out rubble of wartime London, presiding over a huge roomful of raucous drunks, calmly cooking a 20 course banana breakfast — banana casseroles, bananas glacées, elaborate banana blancmanges festooned with decorations, some of the best food ever cooked in London, and all with rocket bombs screaming before him, all to be consumed by that roomful of rambunctious drunks. Curt Herrmann, the chef at White Owl, reminds me of that. He makes cooking fun.

White Owl reminds me of that too. Step through the door of what looks like a tiny London row house and you’re in a room big enough to be an aircraft hanger. A long long bar, sleek no-nonsense decor, enough rich wood paneling to tell you that the place is truly upscale. Go in for the first time, as I did, at about 1 PM on a Sunday, and there are those raucous drunks! The place is packed. Every seat at the bar taken, every table full, I was lucky to find a place in the back. It’s a happy place to be but I barely remember what I ate. The food that first time was not memorable; I hadn’t yet discovered the secret.

Back again on Tuesday. Weekday lunch is much less hectic, almost somnolent, maybe one or two diners enjoying a leisurely meal. The regular menu is fairly short — mac & cheese ($10), fish & chips($12), quesadillas($9) — but there, right by the door, is a blackboard on which Curt writes the daily specials. Incredible, elaborate, upscale entrees, dreamed up and cooked Pirate Prentice style for one day only, never to appear again. That Tuesday they had a “duck burrito”($13), and that’s what I got. Out it came, a big perfectly-rolled tube surround by red sauce and topped with melted queso. I don’t usually like Tex-Mex but this was so well done. And then, a few bites later, the surprise: inside was cubes of duck meat, braised in a rich brown peppery sauce. French haute cuisine hidden inside a fast-food treat. And somehow all the sauces didn’t moosh together, they stayed separate and it was an incredible marriage of high and low; a shotgun marriage perhaps but a match made in heaven.

I got a girl I know to take me back on Thursday. That way I could try some of the appetizers and make the review complete. We got “Buffalo Chicken Legs” ($8) and Fried Ravioli ($8). The chicken legs were, not surprisingly, chicken legs. Covered in a spicy red sauce with Buffalo Anchor Bar-style blue cheese sauce. The ravioli were heavily breaded, deep-fried, with marinara sauce. Basically, bar food, though very well done. It’s almost as if the place has a split personality, or twin kitchens. The lower-end apps and entrees are, well, bar food, the kind of thing you’d love to find next to the beer keg when you’re watching the Superbowl. The more expensive specials (and probably some of the more expensive entrees on the regular menu) are haute cuisine made fun, dishes carefully crafted with Curt Herrmann’s own special spin.

Yesterday, back to brunch. Even more crowded, no seats at all. Sunday brunch is obviously the highlight of the week here. They print an entirely new menu each week. Got a seat at the bar, briefly considered going with the “Lobster Benedict on a croissant with a ragout of green beans, bacon and tarragon” ($15) but decided instead on “Shrimp and diver scallops with portobello mushrooms, scallions, sundried tomatoes, spinach, roasted peppers; in a light cream sauce”($16). Just before it came I saw an old friend. In her last year at T. U. Law School. She let me share her table, and even took a photo of the meal with her cellphone. It would have been a shame to have a dish that good lost forever, except in my glowing memory. And yes it was as good as it sounded. First of all, those scallops. The real deal. Enormous, succulent monsters, hand-picked by intrepid scuba divers just for me and flown to Tulsa, perfectly seared and redolent of the sea. Then, the shrimp, also huge, split and flattened and grilled. The sauce, not light except in color (the color of a brown Cajun roux) but rich and full of cream and tasting of mushrooms too. Beneath all this, linguini, all the vegetable ingredients tossed in, with big gobs of yummy melted cheese baked in. (“Everything’s better with cheese, Curt told me. Yes, Curt is always there, watching over things like a benevolent Pirate Prentice.) The sauce sank down to permeate the linguini and it was wonderful. And I ate, oh so slowly, savoring every bite as the happy crowd (fueled with mimosas, all you can drink for $10) surged around me. It was the perfect meal in the perfect place.

White Owl Tulsa
1325 E. 15th St
(918) 933-5050
http://whiteowloncherry.com
Although a full-service bar, children are allowed in but must use the back entrance so they avoid the bar.

About Brian Schwartz:

Born in NYC, age 0, on my birthday. College in Oxford (Meaning cow crossing a stream in Chinese) at age 16. Law School in New Haven, Conn. 6 years travel in Africa and Asia. Haven’t done much lately.

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.

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I visited this Brookside restaurant last week for the first time. Had heard good things and found them to be true. The staff was friendly and greeted me as I walked in the door.

The Bagel Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch and the menu is clearly displayed above your head as you enter in and order. Trying to start out the new year on a good foot, I ordered the veggie sandwich on a whole wheat bagel. It was a very cold day and the atmosphere was warm and cozy for a quick lunch.

The food is prepared fresh – they give you a number and then it is brought to you once completed. ESPN on a big screen TV made the lunch (unfortunately by myself) a little better. There is self busing of the tables but there was friendly staff that was constantly walking the floor cleaning, picking up and offering to help.

Parking was a little tight right off of Peoria – I can imagine that a full lunchtime crowd might make it a bit difficult. There may have been more parking in back but I didn’t investigate.

One interesting note on the bathrooms – the walls are covered with pictures of concerts, tickets for those concerts and sometimes a review from the Tulsa World on the concert. Very interesting to look at. Overall the bathroom was clean and seemed to be kept that way.

Would recommend and would like to go back to check-out breakfast.

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