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Food Friday: Pie Junkie

Pie Junkie 2

This weeks restaurant review is the Pie Junkie located on NW 16th St in the Plaza District.  I had heard a lot about it, a place you could go in and just get a piece of pie.  I love pie so I decided to try it out with my friend, the Fabulous Miss M.  It was easy enough to find, no problem there.  Not a big crowd, staff was very friendly and helpful- those are all the positives.  The problem was the pie just wasn’t that good.

Both me and Miss M got a slice of the Pineapple Millionaire pie.  We both noticed immediately, it just didn’t have flavor to it.  It was really bland.  I’m not a cook, so I can’t go into the details of what kind of ingredients it needed, but it really just wasn’t that great.  As we ate, we discussed what might be wrong but neither of us could really put a finger on it.  Since that piece of pie didn’t impress either of us, we decided we would get some other flavors to take home and try.  Miss M got a Key Lime slice and I ordered three slices- Drunken Turtle, Peanut Butter, and Bird Dog Buttermilk.  Now I had looked into my bag but not as well as I should have, it wasn’t until I got home and took the slices out to put in the refrigerator that I realized I didn’t get my buttermilk slice, I got a Key Lime slice instead.

Miss M did get her correct slice and tried it once she got home.  She wasn’t that thrilled with it either and even told me she had eaten better Key Lime pie made by a mutual friend of ours.  When my family got home we tried each piece, with everyone getting a bite of each flavor.  I had to agree with Miss M on the Key Lime, it also lacked flavor but Mae loved it so she ate the rest.  The Peanut Butter was good but I’ve made better (and I’m not a cook), so my husband, being a peanut butter addict, ate the rest.  The best was the Drunken Turtle- a chocolate pie with whiskey infused caramel drizzled on top.  Once again, it was good but could have been better.

So I really don’t have a high recommendation for this restaurant.  I think it gets a lot of attention because it’s in the Plaza District and you can get just one slice of pie instead of buying a whole one at the store.  As I said the staff was nice but I’m a little irritated that my order was wrong.  So I’m giving it a half a piece of bacon.  I won’t be going back.

Address: 1711 NW 16th St, Oklahoma City , OK

 

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City

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Food Friday: Empire Slice House

Empire Pizza 1

Pink Elephant in front of Empire Slice House, Oklahoma City, 2015.

Update:  They have moved into a new building just a few steps away from the old location.  They have also added locations in Nichols Hills and Tulsa.

For our Food Friday restaurant I went to Empire Slice House in the Plaza district of Oklahoma City.  I had heard a lot of good reviews and wanted to try it myself.  The only problem was I didn’t want to go by myself- husband was at work and Mae at school, so I brought my friend, the Fabulous Miss M., with me.  One problem cropped up immediately, we couldn’t find it.  I had the address, knew we were in the right place but we couldn’t find it.  So after I parked, Miss M asked around and we were pointed in the right direction.

As we got to the door we were greeted by this cute pink elephant next to the front door.  We were seated quickly but then we did get there before the lunch crowd really picked up.  Part of what I like about this pizza place is that you can just order a slice, so you don’t have to order a whole pizza.  I decided I wanted to try the pepperoni and the “Fungus Among Us”.  Miss M went with the “Fat Tony” along with a fungus slice as well.

After a short wait, we got our slices- one huge slice on a paper plate.  These are New York style pizzas, on a thin crust, so you have to pick it up to eat it.  The pepperoni slice was good, nice flavor, not too much sauce, and just enough grease from the pepperoni to clog an artery.  My favorite, the best pizza I’ve had in Oklahoma, was the “Fungus Among Us”.  This slice has Portobello, shiitake, and button mushrooms, spinach, with a light truffle oil.  It looked good to both us and after one bite, we were both in love.  Not too much grease and with the truffle oil instead of a tomato based sauce, it was seriously the best pizza I’ve ever had (not counting my trips to Chicago).  I didn’t taste it but Miss M seemed to like the “Fat Tony”, which consisted of italian sausage and red onion (she picked the onion off).

Over all the food, service, and atmosphere was good.  I will warn you that the slices are huge, so don’t get more than two if you’re not hungry.  I did see the box for the whole pizza’s- I think it was bigger than my dorm room at OU.  Keep that in mind if you’re looking to feed a gathering of friends.  My only complaint is that maybe the signage could be a little better, even as we were leaving on NW 16th St, it was hard to see.  But overall I’m giving it 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 1804 NW 16th St, Oklahoma City, (South side of the road); 1125 NW 63rd St, Nichols Hills; 417 N Main St Tulsa; 15 W 1st St., Edmond; 4723 N May Ave., Oklahoma City; 116 W. 10th Ave., Stillwater; 1512 E. 11th St., Tulsa.

Late Aug 2015 558

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City

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Food Friday: Zarate’s Latin Mexican Grill

Late Aug 2015 545

Edmond, Oklahoma is not my most favorite place in the world- it’s too spread out, some of the people can be rude, and the traffic sucks.  But my wonderful husband works there so if I want to visit him for lunch, I have to go to Edmond.  I don’t like eating at the major chain restaurants much, so he takes me to different places.  And one of those places he introduced me to is Zarate’s Latin Mexican Grill on Broadway.

Now this isn’t the same tex-mex that you get here in Oklahoma, this is a more South American twist on what we know as mexican food.  They have the typical enchiladas, tacos and chimichangas but with a different taste than what I’ve had at other restaurants.  My personal favorite is the fajita beef chimichanga with sour cream sauce.  The beef is spiced differently than what I’ve had before and the sour cream sauce is just wonderful, has more of a sour cream tartness to it than others I’ve tasted.  I’ve also tried the enchiladas and quesadillas, the spinach quesadilla is my second favorite item on the menu.  Of course it all comes with beans and rice.  I will admit, I’ve never had the beans.  Because of the food abuse inflicted on me when I was younger by my mother, I can’t stand the smell, sight or taste of beans.  So I order double rice instead, it’s also really good- not too sticky with corn and peppers.

My husband has been the more adventurous one, he’s had the Papa Rellenas, ground beef wrapped in mashed potatoes then fried, his personal favorite.  He’s also tried the Empanadas and so many of the other offerings that he couldn’t remember them all.  This is also where they make the only guacamole in town that he will eat.  He loves it and even introduced it to his parents- I hear my father-in-law loved it.  Of course you get the normal chips, queso, and salsa with your meal.  As good as the entrees are the chips are the best.  Wish I could find them this good for at home.  I really could eat these chips all day and not feel bad.  The salsa was ok and the queso could be improved, needs to have more of the South American spices added.  But seriously the chips are killer.

Opened in 2007 by Jorge Zarate, who is a native of Peru, he brings a mix of Brazilian, Jamaican, Peruvian, Cuban, Mexican and Tex-Mex to Edmond in a small but colorful building.  You can often see Mr. Zarate himself seating guests, taking orders or serving food.  The wait staff has always been friendly and helpful, service has always been good- no complaints.  I give it my personal ranking of 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 706 S. Broadway, Edmond, OK  (east side of the road)

Late Aug 2015 542

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Food, Oklahoma

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