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Food Friday: The Hive

So I mentioned in my review of The Bookmark Cafe that my daughter, Mae, worked here on her first semester at OU. The Hive is a small cafe in a larger complex called Cross Village. In this same building is Acre Provisions, a grocery store just for college kids, and Basic Knead, a walk-up restaurant that serves pizza and pasta. All 3 spaces run together on the ground floor with apartment-like dorm rooms above.

The Hive is set up the same way The Bookmark Cafe is- they serve different coffee drinks along with light snacks. There is plenty of space to sit, not only indoors but in the outdoors area as well. They are also in Starbucks “We Proudly Serve” program, so you will get drinks like you find at Starbucks. You will also find students working here as well. All of the times we stopped by in the fall of 2021, we had great service and the drinks were always good. I will also give them 5 strips of bacon. They are located south of Lindsay Street on Asp in the Cross Village complex (southeast of the towers). Can’t really see it from the road, if you find Acre Provisions, it’s around the corner.

Now a bit of the history behind The Hive- Cross Village was opened in the fall of 2018. It was a new concept at OU, the dorm apartments were on the top floors while the ground level was just for restaurants, shops, and other businesses. This was originally to cater to upper-class students at OU. Cross Village is further south of the well-known dorm buildings Walker, Adams, and Couch, so the older students weren’t as close to the younger freshmen. Cross Village took the place of the original Cross Center, “The Men’s Quadrangle” dormitory built in 1952. Cross Center had fallen into disrepair and was mostly used as storage, so then a plan was developed in 2016 to replace the older buildings. Cross Village was supposed to be a public-private collaboration but by the end of the first full school year there were clear problems. Cross Village never filled to full occupancy with only 30 percent of the units rented out to students. With a legal dispute now on the horizon, all restaurants and shops were closed on July 30, 2019. Over the next two school years, there was plenty of legal wrangling and by May 2021 a new entity stepped up to help the university run Cross Village. To get the occupancy up, freshmen were now allowed to move into the new complex. After a two-year absence, all restaurants and shops were able to reopen. The Hive has stayed busy throughout this time, catering to students who live on campus. (If you want a full run down on all the legal and financial information, just Google it. I could write a book with all that went down in the building of Cross Village.)

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Food, Norman, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food, University of Oklahoma

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Food Friday: The Bookmark Cafe

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you would know that my contributing writer Mae has been absent. Well, she had to get through a rigorous high school schedule and now that she has graduated (PC Pirate class of ’21) she is studying at the great University of Oklahoma (proud 3rd generation Sooner). To help pay for this new adventure in education, she is working for food services as a barista. Her first semester she spent at The Hive, a coffee shop on south campus (more on it in another post) but now she is at The Bookmark Cafe in the first lower level of Bizzell Memorial Library.

This is just a small coffee shop, very similar to the ones you see in bookstores, where they have coffee, lattes, frappuccinos, along with light sandwiches and pastries. Last Sunday was my first visit and I was impressed, the space that had once been where the newspapers and magazines were kept was transformed into a study lounge with separate rooms for groups. Bookmark Cafe has a large area with tables and booths for group or individual study. They are part of Starbucks “We Proudly Serve” program, where they do serve up the same drinks that you can find at a Starbucks. Many of the pastries are cooked on site with the salads and sandwiches coming from Cow On the Fly. I didn’t get a chance to try any of the food yet, because of the snowstorm the previous week, the food delivery hadn’t come in yet. The double chocolate chip frappuccino that I had was awesome though. The staff is all students, they were all friendly and happy to be at Bookmark.

Now for some history- there was nothing like this when I was a student at OU in the early 1990’s (BA in Journalism, ’94). The coffee shop craze hadn’t hit Oklahoma yet. I guess there were some around but to me, coffee was just something that my grandparents drank. I had never heard of a frappuchino, latte, or macchiato. Bizzell Memorial Library was built in 1928 for the growing university and expanded, first in 1958, then again in 1982. Lower level 1 is part of the 1982 addition. Like I mentioned earlier, it held the periodicals. I used to sit at the microfilm readers and journey through the past with their newspaper collection. The Bookmark Cafe officially opened for the spring semester 1998 to give students a quiet place to study. The official grand opening was held on February 11, 1998 (I didn’t know this information until Wednesday of this week as I was researching, so the fact I’m publishing this on the same date 24 years later is just a coincidence). In August of 2013 construction began to transform the space into the study area it is now, Bookmark Cafe was temporarily moved but returned to its now larger location in September 2014 with a ceremony held on November 7, 2014, to mark the reopening of the lower level. In March 2020, it closed, not to reopen until January 2022.

Overall I will give them 5 strips of bacon, just for the fact that my child works there, but I would like to try more of their menu items. Project for the rest of the semester. So if you find yourself in Norman and near campus, stop into the historic library and grab a treat.

Advertisement in the OU Daily February 11, 1998.

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Food, National Register of Historic Places, Norman, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food, Oklahoma history, University of Oklahoma

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Food Friday: Eskimo Joe’s

There are a lot of places I’ve gone that are tourist traps, many fall flat and don’t live up to the hype. Being the good Sooner, I always felt that way about Eskimo Joe’s. Just a place for OSU fans to go, and it can’t be that good or it wouldn’t be in Stillwater. I started to change my mind about it in 2018, when Mae’s band stopped there for lunch before contest. Since we were both nervous, we just got Little Joe burgers with no sides. No, we didn’t try the cheese fries or anything else but we did come home with a couple cups to remind us of the trip. For the years since that trip I think about making a real visit but never had the chance. Last weekend I had research to do in Stillwater, so lunch at Eskimo Joe’s became a priority.

I’m lucky we decided to go earlier than noon, at 11:22a that place was already packed with a 40-minute wait time. This is probably why they have a store next door, so you can shop while waiting for a table. So while we wandered through the colorful shirts, we patiently waited for a text telling me they were ready. After a little over 30 minutes, I got the text and upstairs to our table we went. This time I was getting the world-famous cheese fries, topped with sweet peppered bacon of course. I now understand why this is one of their most popular items, they were so good. The fries were perfect, covered with a generous amount of cheese, topped with a mound of bacon. This is a must order if you go. I might try them other ways on a next visit but even if you get just the plain, it’s worth it.

Next up were our burgers, I chose to order the sweet peppered bacon and cheddar while my husband got a fire burger. This burger was one of the best I’ve eaten in many years. Juicy, well flavored meat, soft bun, and that bacon. If you are a bacon connoisseur like me, I highly recommend the sweet peppered bacon. It is the true definition of meat candy. Cooked perfectly, not too crisp or limp, covered in brown sugar with just a touch of pepper. This was true culinary heaven. My husband loved his fire burger, said it had good heat to it without being overpowered. He did add the sweet peppered bacon to his burger as well and totally agreed that this was the best bacon. We were too stuffed for dessert, so back down to the store to actually buy some shirts (once again being the good Sooner I couldn’t have one that said Stillwater or OSU, so I got one with the dog).

Eskimo Joe’s really lived up to the hype and then some. Even though it’s in Stillwater (and I could see the campus for little brother), I’m ready to go again. Full warning, give yourself plenty of time since there will be a wait. The service was excellent, even with me in my finest crimson and cream, everyone was nice and friendly. Didn’t wait long for any of the food to come out, so that’s a big plus. Overall I will definitely give them 5 strips of bacon, especially if its the sweet peppered bacon. Their food is worth the drive and wait, trust me.

A bit of the history, Eskimo Joe’s opened in 1975 as a bar. That’s the old stone building at the east end of the complex. They added food to the menu in 1984 when the drinking age was raised in Oklahoma, including the famous cheese fries, which got an endorsement from President George Bush, Sr. The building has been added onto and remodeled several times, adding a huge store to the west end.

Address: 507 W. Elm St., Stillwater.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food, Oklahoma history, Stillwater OK

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Food Friday: Burger Station

Since last Saturday was a good day for a drive, I took off to the northwest corner of Oklahoma to do some exploring and I found a good burger joint in the middle of Okeene.

Right in between two old service stations is a small building that is the home of the Burger Station. Painted a bright blue to catch your attention, it sits on State Highway 51 a block east of the intersection with State Highway 8. Being that was 12:30p, the place was packed but I was lucky to get a parking spot right out front. The dining room was small but not too crowded and we walked right up to the counter to order. For such a small restaurant, they had a big menu that included lots of burgers, sandwiches, and even pizza. I got a bacon cheeseburger with a side of chili cheese tots. It didn’t take long for our food to arrive, everything looked great. The burger was excellent, 1/3rd pound of fresh beef with bacon and American cheese on top. The bun was fresh and soft, didn’t take away from the taste of the meat. This was just a straight up no frills burger, the way it should be. The chili cheese tots were good as well, tots were fried to a crisp perfection and the chili wasn’t out of a can, no it was homemade with the same meat as used in the burgers.

Even though the restaurant is small and in an old building, it was clean and the staff was really great. I loved the old sign decor, lots from not only petroliana but from local places as well. There were even pics of Okeene from the past on the wall. I give the Burger Station 5 strips of bacon, definitely worth the drive to Okeene.

Address- 118 E Oklahoma, Okeene.

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Food, Okeene OK, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Del Rancho

For today’s review I am going to talk about an old favorite, Del Rancho. To me this restaurant is the epitome of comfort food in the Oklahoma City metro. The first time I remember eating at one, I was 6 years old and we took our food back to my grandmother’s house in Norman. While eating, I lost 1 of my teeth. It fell to the floor but I remember the panic while crawling on the floor trying to find it. If I didn’t have that tooth, I wouldn’t get a visit from the Tooth Fairy.

Of course, the best thing to order on their menu is what they are known for, the Steak Sandwich Supreme. I know there are other items on the menu, but I’ve only tried a few because I want that huge steak sandwich. Basically, it’s a chicken fried steak slapped on a bun. The steak itself is huge and when covered with lots of breading and deep fried, it becomes massive. There is just something they get right with the flavor, it is truly one of the best chicken fried steaks in town and yes you can order it just as a meal. Back to the sandwich, the chicken fried steak is placed on the bun with mayo (Miracle Whip), lettuce and tomato. Really it doesn’t get much better than the Steak Sandwich Supreme. I have read on their website that the sandwich was perfected in 1964.

They also have some of the best sides in town. I love their hand breaded onion rings. The onions are huge as well and lightly breaded with a similar taste as the chicken fried steak. The tator tots are also good and deep fried to be crisp on the outside. My favorite is the fried green beans. The only way to eat green beans are fried and they do a great job. Lightly breaded and served with a housemade ranch, my favorite side.

There are locations all over the metro area, the first one I ate at was in Norman on Lindsey Street near I-35. It’s still there after opening in 1979. There are some that you can go in and sit down and other where you just drive up. I highly recommend getting the Steak Sandwich Supreme with a side of onion rings. The true definition of Oklahoma comfort food, they get 5 strips of bacon.

Address- Norman- 2300 W Lindsey St.; Moore- 1409 N Moore Ave.; Mustang- 462 W Highway 152; Midwest City- 9411 NW 10th St., 9201 SE 29th St.; Oklahoma City- 5111 N MacArthur Blvd., 2741 NE 23rd St., 16 SW 59th St.; Tahlequah- 4800 S Muskogee.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Casa Perico

I drive past this restaurant everyday, in an old Braums building on NW 63rd Street. Every time I think, “You know, I need to try this place.” Took me 4 years but we finally stopped a few weeks ago and now I wish I had stopped earlier, this place is outstanding.

Since it is in an old Braums, it is small inside but they do have patio for outdoor dining. Of course they have the typical Tex-Mex menu, so I went with my favorite chimichanga. They have a large selection of sides so along with my rice, I tried some Mexican corn. First thing that was served were the chips with salsa and queso. Perfect starter for my first trip, the chips were light and buttery. The queso was thick and creamy with just enough kick to give it good flavor. Next up was the main course, the ground beef chimichanga was deep fried to a golden crisp. It was a good size but not too large, I could actually finish it without asking for a to-go box. The ground beef and cheese mixed inside quite well with a bowl of sour cream sauce for pouring over or dipping. The rice and corn were equally good as well.

The service was great, food was prepared quickly and the chips and queso were replenished frequently. Since I no longer eat fast food Mexican, I will add Casa Perico to my list of favorite Mexican places along with San Marcos and Chelinos. They do have a second location near Quail Springs Mall, I just haven’t visited it yet. I happily give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 4521 NW 63rd St., Oklahoma City; 12219 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Oklahoma City; 505 E. Main St., Yukon.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler

Johnnies

Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler, a straight up burger place that has been in business for almost 50 years. It is my favorite backup for when no one can decide what to eat for dinner. I’ve been going to Johnnie’s for well over 25 years now, been to many of the different locations. What I like most is the consistency in the food, you know that bacon cheeseburger will be the same when and where ever you are in the metro.

My go to location is on NW Expressway, of course. Originally built in the early 1980’s as a Mexican restaurant, Johnnie’s moved into that location in 1992. It was closed in 2018 for a complete rebuild. It was a tough few months for me to not have it so close, but they reopened last year with a brand new place but with the same great food.

My favorite burger is the bacon cheeseburger. You can tell the difference when hamburger is cooked over a flame, just gives off a taste that you can’t get from a skillet. So the flame brings out the flavors of the meat, so you have a juicy and smoky taste that excites your taste buds. They cook the bacon to perfection, not too crisp or limp. The burger is then set off with shredded cheddar cheese, that you can also have melted onto the burger if you choose. A touch of real mayo and the burger is one of the best in town. We always order a plate of large onion rings and a large plate of cheese fries for everyone at the table to share. The onion rings are hand breaded with a light batter that is crispy. Just a touch of salt and these are the best in town. The cheese fries are just regular fresh cut French fries smothered in melted American cheese. They are just wonderful with all of that cheesy goodness.

They do serve more than burgers, there are frankfurters, salads, sandwiches, and platters with chicken fried steak or chicken fried chicken. But to be honest the burgers are so good, I never try the other items. There are also homemade pies as well, I’m always too stuffed to try them. The service is always good and the food served quick. I will give them 5 strips of bacon.

Locations: 6629 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City; 2652 W. Britton Rd., Oklahoma City; 33 E 33rd St., Edmond; 2305 S Telephone Rd., Moore; 1700 Shedeck Parkway, Yukon; 721 W. I-240 Service Rd., Oklahoma City.

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Edmond Oklahoma, Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Taj Cuisine of India

It’s always a good idea to step out of your box and try something new, so while driving around looking for something different to eat my husband suggested Taj Cuisine of India. I’ve only tried Indian food once before and liked it, so I was up for trying it again.

We stopped on Saturday night around 5p and the place was empty, but there was plenty to choose from on the buffet. I tried almost everything but only remember my favorites. The two most surprisingly good items they had were the vegetable spring rolls and spinach pakoda. The spring rolls were small but packed lots of flavor in them. Normally vegetable spring rolls just taste bland but these had a flavor that was unique to them. I can’t explain it but they were really good. The spinach pakoda was also a surprise in just how much I liked it. The leaves of spinach are covered in a chickpea flour and fried. It was like eating large spinach chips, crispy but good for you. They also serve onion pakoda, it was more of a flour ball with onion in it. Also good but didn’t excite me like the spinach pakoda. Their lemon rice was really good as well, basmati rice lots of different spices with just a touch of lemon. The chicken biriyani was another favorite, chicken cooked with basmati rice and different herbs. I also tried the chicken tikka masala, chicken in a tomato based sauce. I really tried to sample a bit of everything but I will not eat chicken still on the bone, so there were several chicken dishes I didn’t attempt. I also can’t remember the names of everything I did try, I did my best to remember what I liked best.

The service was great but since they were serving buffet, the employees had to handle all of the food. It is an odd experience to tell someone what you want and have them get it for you. I’m ready for buffets to be able to present food like normal. The only drinks were bottled water, so no soft drinks or anything. Now they were good about making sure you had plenty to drink but it was still odd. The downside was everything was served on styrofoam plates with plastic forks. I wasn’t a big fan of that either.

So overall I will give them 4 strips of bacon for the food. I’ll go back and when I can get my own food, I might up that rating.

Location: 1500 NW 23rd St., Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Nashbird

So if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that there are a lot of burger places in Oklahoma. Recently there have also been a lot of chicken places popping up as well. I just was introduced to one of my favorites just a few months ago. As mentioned in the past, my husband works in Edmond and likes to try new places for lunch. He discovered the Edmond location, tried it, and loved it. So now it was acceptable to take me to try it as well.

Located just off Broadway on E 5th Street on the bottom floor of a modern building is seriously one of he best restaurants for a chicken sandwich. The interior is light as you walk up to the desk to order. There is plenty to choose from on the menu, you can go with a chicken sandwich or chicken baskets with either tenders or still on the bone. There are also four heat levels or if you don’t want anything too spicy, two breading flavors. I went with a Nashvillain- a chicken sandwich on a brioche bun topped with bacon, onion rings, ranch, and mac and cheese. Since I wasn’t in the mood for heat I tried the buttermilk ranch breading and I wasn’t disappointed. The chicken breast is coated with the buttermilk ranch mix and fried to perfection. Now if you’re not sure about mac and cheese on a chicken sandwich, set your concerns aside this is a great topping to this sandwich. The mac and cheese pairs nicely with the chicken and when the bacon and onion rings are added, just brings all the flavors together in each bite. This is one of the best chicken sandwiches I’ve had in years (since the chain PDQ left the metro). I had fries for my first visit which were good but went with the mac and cheese the second visit. This is the same mac and cheese on the sandwich and it is equally delightful by itself as it is on the sandwich. Creamy, lots of cheese for the pasta to soak. My husband had the same sandwich but with some heat to it, he went with the kickin temp. I tried a bite and it has a good spice to it, not too hot but enough to keep your taste buds alive.

To start with we had both the starters- fried pickles and fried mac and cheese. As good as the sandwich was the starters are better. The dill pickles are cut lengthwise and fried up crisp for a nice appetizer. The mac and cheese is almost the same as the side with the addition of bacon bits into the mix, then fried. Both are served with ranch and exceptionally good, the highlight of the trip (and remember I really liked the sandwich as well). Nashbird does sell frozen drinks, haven’t tried them yet but it’s on my short list. They also have wraps, salads, chicken tacos, and baskets with just chicken. Overall I recommend Nashbird, the food is great as is the service, they totally deserve 5 strips of bacon. They do have 2 other locations in the metro area- Norman and downtown Oklahoma City.

Locations: 1 NW 9th St., Oklahoma City.

Category:

Edmond Oklahoma, Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Abel’s Mexican Restaurant

 

So on many Friday and Saturday nights the parking lot of Abel’s at NW 50th and MacArthur is packed.  Usually that’s a sign that the food is good, so one Saturday afternoon we decided to try it.  I have to admit, I walked away unimpressed.  So on a weeknight, I stopped again to see if my opinion would be different.  I was wrong.

They serve just standard fare Tex-Mex, tacos, enchiladas, chimichangas, and burritos.  Nothing really fancy or creative.  I was seated quickly on both visits and brought the typical chips, salsa and queso.  The chips were nothing really special and the queso was way too runny for my liking.  Both times I ordered beef chimichangas with sour cream sauce with beans and rice on the side.  The beans and rice are ok.  The chimichanga just lacks flavor, the hamburger meat just has no spice at all.  The worst though is the sour cream sauce, very runny with no tang.

The service is good, just the food is lacking.  So I’m going to give them 2 strips of bacon.  I’ll go back but try something different.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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