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Food Friday: City Bites

It has been hard to find a good locally owned sandwich shop in the Oklahoma City metro. Yes, we do have a few but they are scattered all over town. One that I keep forgetting about it one that has been in the metro for years, City Bites. Well no more forgetting for me since one has opened close to the house.

They are actually a popular sandwich chain here in the metro. Our visit on a Sunday morning proved that they bring in the customers. I ordered an egg salad sandwich with a small side salad while Big K went with an Italian also with a side salad. The order came out quick and I was impressed immediately. Both sandwiches were huge and the side salad was a perfect size as well. I tackled the salad first, it was good. Fresh veggies with a good amount of ranch so I don’t have to taste the fresh veggies. Then I started in on that sandwich. I love a good egg salad sandwich and this was one of the best that had crossed my lips. The egg salad inside was perfect and it was placed inside two pieces of buttery, toasted sourdough bread. I loved every bite. Big K got his Italian on jalapeno cheddar bread and it was good as well. Stuffed with meat, cheese, and veggies, he loved it. Said the best part was the fresh bread, hard to find a good sandwich with fresh bread. We had a great visit and I will be back more often.

City Bites has been around since 1986. It was started by a group of brothers as a way to get some extra income. Their whimsical interiors make them memorable as well as the food. I actually ate at the first location, located in Bethany, back in the late 1980’s with my dad. I liked them then and have eaten at some of the other locations over the years. But like I said, I also forget about them because there wasn’t one close to my house. With the recent opening of their newest restaurant on Memorial at Rockwell, I don’t have far to go. They will now be in a regular rotation, especially when I just want a good sandwich. I’ll be giving them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 1430 N. Santa Fe Ave., Edmond; 3601 S. Broadway, Suite 100, Edmond; 2005 E. 2nd St, Edmond; 1804 S. Broadway St., Moore; 425 E. State Highway 152, Mustang; 2001 W. Main St., Norman; 6801 W. Memorial Rd., Oklahoma City; 2804 NW 122nd St., Oklahoma City; 7020 N. Western Ave., Oklahoma City; 13425 N. MacArthur Blvd., Oklahoma City; 7701 S. Walker Ave., Oklahoma City; 211 N. Robinson Ave., Suite 120, Oklahoma City; 3939 N. MacArthur Blvd., Warr Acres; 700 Garth Brooks Blvd., Yukon; 2603 N. Kickapoo, Shawnee; 3570 N. Woodlawn, Suite 500, Wichita, KS.

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Food Friday: Bianca’s Mexican Restaurant

Always looking for something new, Big K discovered Bianca’s Mexican Restaurant while looking at the internet one night. It has been on North MacArthur for over 5 years but it was a first for us.

Located in a small strip mall just south of NW 50th on the east side of MacArthur, the welcoming Hispanic girl painted next to the door lets you know there is authentic Mexican inside. It was quiet for a Friday night and we were seated quickly with chips, salsa, and queso brought out immediately. After looking over the menu, I decided on beef enchiladas while Big K ordered chicken Milanesa. We had a nice time enjoying the chips and trying their salsas, there were two different kinds, one a bit spicier than the other. The chips were fresh and warm, light and crisp. Both dinners were served on huge plates, mine had three enchiladas with beans and rice while Big K’s had the chicken with beans, rice, and potatoes. I loved every bite. The enchiladas were stuffed with fajita meat, seasoned perfectly, and covered in cheese sauce with cotija cheese on top. The beans and rice were also quite good. Big K’s chicken Milanesa was interesting, chicken, lightly breaded and fried. It was like a Mexican version of schnitzel. I had a bite and really enjoyed it. The potatoes that came with the meal were also good, sliced thin and fried with just a bit of seasoning. Next trip I’m going to get this for my dinner as well.

Since we were there on a Friday night, there was live music. The singer they brought in was incredible, he had such a lovely voice. The service was outstanding and the decor is beautiful. Overall I’m giving Bianca’s Mexican Restaurant 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 4802 N. MacArthur Ave., Warr Acres.

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Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: OK Ramen & Sushi Bar

For the past few years I have heard about a great sushi place in Moore. I don’t get to the southside of the metro often and when I do it’s to go to Norman. So I was excited to learn they were going to open a location just a couple miles from me in NW Oklahoma City.

We went on a Friday night just a few weeks after their opening. We were surprised to be the only people there. They brought complimentary tempura crab stick stuffed with cream cheese. I have had this a other sushi restaurants in Oklahoma City and love it every time. Thiers was just as good, if not better than what I’ve had in the past. We ordered a shrimp roll, sunny land roll, OK special roll, and Thunder roll. Didn’t take long for us to get our food and wow was it amazing. The shrimp roll was tempura fried, was really delightful. The sunny land roll was topped with coconut which gave it a sweet crunch. The OK Special roll had a bit of a spicy kick to it. The Thunder roll was awesome as well with lots of crunchies on top.

Overall, we loved OK Ramen & Sushi Bar. We were stuffed when done and the waitstaff was amazing. We will definitely be back soon. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 13325 N. MacArthur Blvd, suite 10, Oklahoma City.

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Food Friday: Ben & Jay’s Pizzeria

I would never expect to find some of the best pizza in Oklahoma in the small town of Chickasha but here we are. In an unassuming building on the east end of historic downtown Chickasha sits Ben & Jay’s Pizzeria.

We had been walking around the downtown area, it was getting hot and we were ready to sit down for lunch. We found the pizzeria and decided to try it. We started with the mozzarella sticks. These came out pretty quick and were pretty good. But the real star of the show was the Italian pizza we ordered. Didn’t have to wait long for this delightful treat to come out. A thin crust pizza with Alfredo sauce and lots of salami, pepperoni, Italian sausage, and banana peppers. Every bite was full of flavor. The pizza was also easy to pick up, the thin crust didn’t get soggy. This was truly one of the best pizzas I’ve had in Oklahoma.

The service was great as well. The staff was friendly and we never had empty cups. The building is historic as well, built in 1940, it was originally a Trailways Bus Depot. The dining room area was a covered loading area until sometime after 2007, when it was enclosed. Ben & Jay’s Pizzeria looks to have been in Chickasha for many years, for a while under the name BJ’s Pizza. So if you are in Chickasha, check them out. I’ll give the m 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 208 W. Chickasha Ave., Chickasha.

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Food Friday: Savoy 1902

On a recent trip to Chickasha, we found a couple good places to eat. Savoy 1902 is in historic downtown Chickasha, close to the famous Leg Lamp.

We noticed how busy downtown Chickasha was on a Saturday night and picked Savoy 1902 to try, mostly because the building is historic and they have leg lamp lightshades outside. We got a seat quickly and looked the menu over. They serve not only barbeque but sandwiches as well. Since we had a big lunch, we went smaller for dinner. We started with the brisket deviled eggs. They came out quickly and we took them down just as fast. Loved every bite. I never used to be a deviled egg fan until I was pregnant, now I eat them every chance I get and these were perfect. The brisket on top gave it a bit of a different taste profile that I really enjoyed. For our entrees’ I got a barbeque brisket sandwich with a side of onion rings. The brisket was chopped into small squares, which was unusual but I liked the flavor of the brisket. The onion rings were the big shows, I loved them. Crisp with a great flavor, I could eat a big basket of them just by themselves. Big K ordered the jalapeno popper bacon grilled cheese sandwich. It looked so good that other people in the restaurant were asking him what he had gotten. He loved every bite, said it had a lot of flavor and the jalapeno poppers weren’t too spicy.

We really loved the atmosphere and the food. Now for the history of the building. The building really was built in 1902. It is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Chickasha Historic Downtown District. It seems to have been a hotel at some point in it’s history but has been abandoned for quite a while. The restaurant itself seems to be about a year old. The east end of the Chickasha Main Street area seems to be the heart of the entertainment district with lots of restaurants around. Also the famous leg lamp is there, it attracts a lot of tourists. I’ll give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 102 W. Chickasha Ave., Chickasha.

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Food Friday: Donatos Pizza

Once again, I don’t often review chain restaurants but I will let this one slide. Donatos Pizza is big in Ohio and came to Oklahoma a while back. We had heard good things about them, so one night Big K stopped by to get takeout.

We started with the garlic asiago cheese bread. This was as good as it sounds. Lots of asiago cheese melted to the top of the bread with a good amount of garlic butter slathered on top of it all. Judging from the bread alone I knew the pizza was going to be good as well. We got a Founders Favorite to try. It is a good pizza. Pepperoni, sausage, shaved ham with banana peppers. I enjoyed every bite. We got it on thin crust which had a nice light flavor. The only thing that threw me off at first was the fact the pizza wasn’t cut like normal, it was in squares. Interesting, didn’t affect the taste. On a second visit we got the hot honey pepperoni. This is an awesome pizza. I’m really starting to like the hot honey trend and it really works on this pizza.

Overall we really liked Donatos Pizza and are looking forward to trying more of their pizzas in the future. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 1148 S. Bryant Ave., Edmond.

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Food Friday: Louie’s Grill & Bar

A casual restaurant in the Oklahoma City metro to not sleep on is Louie’s. I’ve been a couple of times and the food has always been solid.

I’ve had their burgers many times. One of my last visits I had The Joker burger. This burger isn’t a joke, seasoned patty topped with spicy mac and cheese, bacon, and cheddar jack cheese. Big and juicy with lots of flavor. Since I enjoyed the burger so much, on my next visit I tried their straight up mac and cheese. Same spicy mac and cheese topped with chicken, bacon, cheddar jack, parmesan, and breadcrumbs. So good, creamy with not too much heat. The weren’t stingy with the chicken or bacon either with plenty of both to mix well with the pasta and cheese. I have tried a couple of the appetizers as well. The fried pickles are good, love the type of dill pickles they use. My favorite are the fried green beans. Just love the way they taste, just a bit of a kick to them. Both are served with their chipotle ranch with is also quite good. For some reason, every time Big K goes with me, he gets the beer battered fish platter. He really likes it so I won’t complain too much.

There are lots of Louie’s around. They are part of the Hal Smith Restaurant group which owns a lot of local chains in the metro. I give them 5 strips of bacon. They’ve always been good and consistent with good service.

Address: 1640 N. 9th St., Broken Arrow; 1389 E. 15th St., Edmond; 813 E. A St., Jenks; 6007 SE 15th St., Midwest City; 1601 S I-35 Service Rd., Moore; 3750 W. Robinson St., Norman; 301 W. Boyd St., Norman; 1201 NW 178th St., Oklahoma City; 9401 N. Lake Hefner Parkway, Oklahoma City; 7216 Northwest Expressway, Oklahoma City; 9101 S. Western Ave., Oklahoma City; 720 S. Main St., Stillwater; 6310 E. 101st St., Tulsa; 1600 Garth Brooks Blvd., Yukon.

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Food Friday: Creme de la Crumb

I’ve been seeing adds for a pastry bakery in far NE Edmond for quite some time, since I was in Edmond on business, I decided to drive a bit further and check them out.

Tucked away in strip mall north of Covell east of I-35, Creme de la Crumb is a hidden gem. I was there on a quiet afternoon, the pastry case was still full. They serve up pastries, both sweet and savory. I wanted to try both so I got some of each. For the savory, I got a sausage roll and a ham and cheese croissant. The sausage roll had a breakfast sausage rolled into the flaky pastry dough. Was so light and flavorful. The ham and cheese croissant was a true delight, made with locally sourced ham and cheese. The ham was a black forest type style which had a great flavor, matched with a smooth mozzarella all stuffed into the croissant. For the sweet I got a cream cheese Danish, pistachio snail, and a cookie butter puff. I started with the Danish. I like to judge pastry by how good the Danish is and this one was amazing. The cream cheese wasn’t too thick as to take away from the pastry. The pistachio snail was also really good. Lots of pistachio pieces over the top, covering it. My favorite of all was the cookie butter pastry. Lots of cookie butter slathered on top with a whole Biscoff cookie topping it. Now I’m a cookie butter fan and this was truly one of the best ways I’ve had it in a dessert.

I highly recommend that you make a trip to NE Edmond to try this place out. They had so many other options that I would love to try. They also serve coffee, so you can always stop in for a coffee and pastry as a break from the busy world. I’ll give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 5825 E. Covell Rd., Edmond.

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Food Friday: Koala Tea

I have never been a tea person. I don’t mind the sleepytime tea when I need to relax but other than that I don’t drink tea. I don’t like sweet tea either, just never has impressed me. But I am starting to enjoy the Asian milk teas that have popped up around town recently.

A new addition to NW Oklahoma City is Koala Tea. Opened just last year, this is a great new place to stop in for not only a milk tea but they also offer smoothies as well. On my first visit, I tried the wintermelon milk tea with boba. I really loved it, the flavor was like a brown sugar tea. I’m really torn on boba, it can be good and add to the drink but I did eventually get tired of them. Good thing is you don’t have to get boba in the milk teas. I’ve tried more of their teas over the past few months and really have enjoyed all of them. Recently I did get a chance to try their smoothies. I went with a strawberry smoothie. It was awesome as well. Lots of strawberry and very “smooth”.

They do offer small treats at times but they are mostly a drink place. There is plenty of place for small groups to sit and have some drinks while chatting. Or you can just stop in, grab a drink and read. Great service as well, they are so helpful. I’ll give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 4236 NW Expressway Suite 112, Oklahoma City; 10400 S. Western Ave., Suite 6, Oklahoma City.

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Food Friday: Tim’s Drive-Inn

Just south of the corner of NW 50th and MacArthur is an old-time burger place that serves up a classic comfort food. I pass the red and white building all the time but never stopped until a year ago.

When you get there, you drive up to the window on the north side to place an order. Their straight up menu is posted right under the window, so you can decide what to try. I haven’t tried much from their menu yet, I’ve been sticking with the double cheeseburger. It’s a really good burger. Sloppy mess, as all good burgers are, the patties are cooked to perfection with lots of melty cheese and fresh veggies to top it off. I also get the fried cheddar cheese bites as a side. Love them, deep fried to a golden brown, perfect. Big K has gotten the loaded chili cheese fries. These are amazing as well. The fries do need a bit of salt but they are smothered in chili and cheese so it’s not too bad.

I really need to try some of their other menu items such as the footlong hot dog and Indian tacos. It’s close enough for me to stop in anytime I’m ready for a good burger. I’ll give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 5037 N. MacArthur Ave., Warr Acres.

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