Come and travel Oklahoma with me.

Archive for the ‘Oklahoma food’ Category

Food Friday: Venezia Italian Ristorante

VeneziaI love Italian food but it really can be hard to find a good Italian restaurant in Oklahoma City.  A few years ago we found one right near our house.  Located in the strip mall on the northwest corner of Northwest Highway and Council is Venezia Italian Ristorante.  We had been hearing good things about it from friends and finally had a chance to stop in one night when we didn’t have a child with us.

It was a busy Saturday night but we were seated quickly.  We started with the fried calamari, delivered on a huge plate, this was some of the best calamari I’ve had in a long time.  It’s really hard to get calamari fried just right but they had pulled it off, so now I had high hopes for the rest of dinner.  I wasn’t disappointed.  After a small dinner salad, my fettuccine carbonara was brought out.  Once again the serving was huge.  The Alfredo sauce was perfect- creamy and buttery with ham and peas mixed in.  My husband had the lasagna, also a huge serving, he enjoyed it as did I when I had a small bite.  For dessert we had cannoli, a treat that was almost unheard of years ago when my grandmother introduced it to me.  For a long time the only way to get it was to order it from back east, but now it’s getting to be more common in Oklahoma.

Everything was really good, like I said it’s hard to find good Italian food in Oklahoma so I’m happy to have Venezia close by.  We’ve been back several times and everything is always good- food and service.  I know there is a second location in Del City but I haven’t been there yet, so this review is only for the NW Expressway location.  I give it 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 8109 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City; 201 S. Sooner Rd., Del City.

 

 

 

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

Tagged with:

Food Friday: Gyro City Cafe

Gyro City CafeI had seen gyro’s offered for years but never tried them until I met my husband.  He introduced them to me on the first trip we made together to the Oklahoma State Fair.  Once again, another wonderful food he had brought into my life.  The only problem was for many years the only place I thought I could get them was at the fair.  For some odd reason I just didn’t think you could get them anywhere else, so a few years ago while complaining that I wanted a gyro but it wasn’t fair season my husband spoke up, “You know there’s a gyro place down Northwest Highway, right?”  Well no, I never realized that I had been driving right by Gyro City Café for years.
For those of you who don’t know what a gyro is, let me explain- it’s a Greek sandwich with meat, onions, tomato, and tzatziki sauce rolled up in a pita.  The meat can be any type from beef, veal, mutton, pork or chicken as long as it’s cooked on a vertical rotisserie.  This type of sandwich has been around since ancient times being developed in the Mediterranean.  It’s a different type of sandwich but it is good and Gyro City Café makes one of the best in town.  They pile so much meat on that it’s almost impossible to fold up the pita, but that’s ok, you know you’re not getting cheated.  You can leave off any of the veggies and the sauce comes in a little cup so you can control how much you get.
If you order the meal at Gyro City Café, you get the huge gyro, a can of pop, and french fries.  Their fries are just regular crinkle cut fries but the way they’re cooked makes them perfect.  Crispy on the outside, just the way I like them.  You can also get baklava as dessert.  A treat also from the Mediterranean, it’s a pastry with nuts and soaked in honey.
So if you’re in Northwest Oklahoma City and near the Highway to Hell, stop by Gyro City Café.  I give it five strips of bacon.
Address: 7300 Northwest Expressway, Oklahoma City.  On the south side of the road just west of Rockwell in the Rockwell Plaza.

Gyro City Cafe 2

 

Category:

Food, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

Tagged with:

Food Friday: Aloha Shave Ice and Coffee Shoppe

Aloha sign

For a few years now I had driven past the cute little blue and yellow building on the southwest corner of NW 39th Expressway and Council Road.  If you went by there during the summer, you couldn’t help but notice all the cars in the parking lot and families eating shaved ice.  It took me a while to finally work up the nerve to stop, I picked a nice hot day this past summer and we got to enjoy some of the best shaved ice I’ve ever eaten.

They have over 50 single flavors and at least that many custom mixes.  But the real treat is to have the shaved ice made “Hawaiian Style”, this is where they add cream to the shaved ice.  All is served in a flower shaped cup, with the ice in a huge mound on top.  We were totally addicted to them after the first visit and now go back as often as possible, trying different flavors every time.

purple snowcone

My Bethany Broncos shaved ice.

In late August, they were closed for a few weeks to move into a new permanent building at the same location.  And with that move they have introduced not only coffee but real breakfast and lunch options.  It is a nice building with a cozy interior and much better parking.  They don’t have a big menu for the food but they do serve breakfast all day, which is a big plus for me.  A few weeks ago I tried the breakfast sandwich; egg, with your choice of cheese and meats on a warm croissant.   Truthfully, it was the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had from a restaurant.  Mae had her favorite, mac and cheese, served extra cheesy so she gave it her approval.

As good as the food is the main reason to go is the shaved ice, and spend the extra money to get it “Hawaiian Style”.  I give Aloha five strips of bacon.

Address: 8000 NW 39th Expressway, Bethany, OK.

Hours: Monday- Friday 7am- 9pm; Saturday 8am- 9pm; Sunday 1pm- 9pm.

Aloha

Outside of Aloha, Bethany, OK 2015.

inside Aloha

Inside of Aloha, Bethany, OK, 2015.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

Tagged with: