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Food Friday: Café 7

March 17, 2017

Cafe 7

If you are up around Quail Springs Mall and want a quick meal then stop by one of my favorites, Café 7.  This is one of my favorite places to stop for lunch and the food is better than what you can find in the mall.  Located in a strip mall to the west of Quail Springs Mall, this small restaurant does get full quick during the lunch rush.  Once you get in, grab one of the menu slips, you chose between pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and salads, put your name on it and select what you want from the menu slip (I really don’t have a better name for the slip of paper you fill out).  Place your order, then grab a seat.

I have my favorite- baked macaroni and cheese.  Listed on the pasta slip, it is mac and cheese with tomatoes and bacon mixed in, then baked with breadcrumbs on top.  Always served with garlic bread, this is easily the best thing on the menu.  Yes I have tried other pasta’s, a pizza and a couple of their sandwiches and it’s all been good but I always come back to the mac and cheese.  Of course that’s all that Mae will eat even if she doesn’t want the bacon (kid isn’t right in the head, hates bacon).

Only down side is that it is small and does fill up quickly.  The lunch crowd gets there around 11:30a but is gone by 1p.  The staff has always been friendly and everything has been clean.  This review is only for the Northwest OKC location, there is another downtown.  I do see on their website that the downtown location does have breakfast as well, so I might have to fight the traffic and try it sometime.  I’m giving it 5 strips of bacon, but try to avoid the crowds.

Address: Northwest OKC- 14101 N. May Ave.; Downtown OKC- 100 w. Main, Suite 105.

 

 

 

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Museum of Osteology

March 9, 2017

Whale skeleton 2Museum of OsteologyA couple weeks ago we had a free day from school so we traveled to southeast Oklahoma City to the Museum of Osteology.  Located in a big building on south Sunnylane just short of SW 104th Street, this is really a cool place once you get over the fact that everything there is dead.

Ok, so I know the obvious question is what is a museum of osteology and why would you want to go there?  Let’s start with the what- osteology is the study of bones.  Yes like the ones under everyone’s skin, except for my cat Belle, who seems to be made out of Jello but that’s a different topic.  So this museum is full of bones.  From all different creatures such as cats, dogs, horses, whales, giraffes, and even humans.  Seriously, after you get over the eewww factor this is really an interesting place.  Now for the why- because it’s fascinating to see all of these skeletons and learn about the differences in each species.  They have a display with dog skulls so you can see the difference in the breeds, another has a display with cat skeletons where you can see the similarities between house cats with their larger cousins such as tigers and lions (Ok if house cats do have skeletons why is Belle just a bag of skin that meows?).  They even have a cute display with the creatures of Oklahoma, you know opossums, skunks, raccoons, beavers, and even a buffalo.  But the most striking displays are the ones in the open center of the building, nothing gets your attention like a huge whale hanging from the ceiling or a giraffe looking down on you.

Cat skeletons

Cat skeletons at the Museum of Osteology, 2017.

So a little history behind the museum, it was opened in 2010 by Jay Villemarette, who owns Skulls Unlimited International.  He opened the museum to showcase the skeletons he had collected over the years while in the business of preparing skeletons for schools, museums, and the entertainment industry.

This really is a cool place to go and spend a couple of hours.  Great place for adults and older kids, maybe 8 and up.  While we were there we encountered a field trip of mostly Kindergarten kids and I just don’t think they really understood why they were there or what they were looking at.  As long as you have an interest in anatomy, osteology, or just anything different this is the right place to be.  I highly recommend it.

Museum of Osteology- 10301 S. Sunnylane Rd, Oklahoma City.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Oklahoma, Oklahoma City

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Return of the Bathroom Jedi

October 21, 2016

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In the women’s bathroom at the new Mutts Amazing Hot Dogs in Edmond.

 

Hello!  This is Mae, reporting for bathroom duty.  I apologize for my recent absence, but I fear my allies in the Intergalactic Resistance desperately needed my guidance in the battle against the First Order to save the galaxy from destruction.  But alas, Starkiller Base has been destroyed and I have been forced to return to this miserable planet. So I am back to my quest of exploring the world’s finest bathrooms.

Mutts Amazing Hot Dogs

When I learned a new Mutts was opening in Edmond, I was automatically excited.  I must admit I did not expect the bathroom here to be as nice as it was, but I must rate it with  5 rolls of toilet paper.  It was clean, smelled nice, a good size, and the blue and green color scheme was very calming.  The polka dot tiles forming a stripe around the wall gave the room a very nice vibe.  As you go in, you are greeted by a smiling dog on the door.  This was by far one of the nicest bathrooms I’ve been in Oklahoma City.

 

Klemm’s Smoke Haus

Just like with Mutts, I did not expect much from the bathroom at Klemm’s.  I was quite surprised at how nice it was in there.  My personal favorite detail was the cluster of black stones in the sink, giving the whole place an earthy feel.  This was intensified by the plant by the sink, as well as the floral print bench by the door.  This restaurant is more than just the bathroom though, I go there for the mac n cheese and pickles.  The mac n cheese is warm and creamy while the pickles are tangy and sour, Klemm’s is the perfect place to go if you are hungry.

5  rolls of toilet paper

Tucker’s Onion Burgers

One of my family’s favorite places to get burgers is the Tucker’s on Classen Curve. Tucker’s bathroom is generally pretty nice.  The room is mostly white, with a door you can see through, though not enough to see anything but a silhouette.  It is a nice clean place to do what you need.

5 rolls of toilet paper

Though not as exciting as my intergalactic travels, my bathroom quest is one I can settle with.  The once disgusting bathrooms of the past are becoming cleaner and cleaner.  I will be sure to update my reviews as often as I can.  Mae out!

 

 

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Edmond Oklahoma, Oklahoma

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Food Friday: Gloria’s Kitchen

October 14, 2016

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Update Jan 2023:  They have reopened in Hydro, new address 104 E Main Street.

Update Sept 1st, 2021:  Closed.

I love getting on the roads and small highways in Oklahoma.  I love driving to small towns.  I stop for a while, walk around, talk to people, learn about the town.  A few weeks ago I took off, with no destination in mind, driving towards the southwest on two lane highways and I eventually ended in Hinton.  I can talk more about the history of Hinton later but while I was there I tried a little restaurant on U.S. Highway 281.  Wow- I was completely blown away by how good it was.

Gloria’s Kitchen sits on the north side of Hinton on U.S. Highway 281.  A big barn like building, there is the restaurant on the front and an antique store on the back.  I had originally just stopped at the store but you can easily go from the store to the restaurant through a doorway.  Between the fact I could smell the food and saw a sign advertising bread pudding, decided it was time for lunch.  I walked in towards the menu- burgers, steaks, even salads, but I wasn’t real hungry.  At this point a nice gentleman came in next to me and told me to try a bacon cheeseburger.  I replied that I wasn’t that hungry and I needed to save room for the bread pudding so I was going to get something small.  He walked away before I ordered a patty melt.  It wasn’t very busy so it didn’t take long for my meal to arrive.  Remember I wasn’t very hungry, so imagine my shock when they place a huge patty melt with a mountain of fries next to it in front of me.  I decided that maybe I was hungry after all and got to work.  The patty melt was really good- served on texas toast, it was extra buttery, extra cheesy, just the right amount of onion to go with a hamburger patty seasoned to perfection.  The pile of hand cut fries that came with it were just as good.  About halfway through, the man I had talked to came back into the restaurant looked at me and said, “I thought you weren’t that hungry?”  I had to reply that I didn’t expect there to be so much food.  I was stuffed after eating this big meal but still made room for the bread pudding.  The slice was good as well, the only downside was I felt it needed more sauce.

Overall it was a great visit to Gloria’s Kitchen.  The staff was very nice and everyone I came in contact with was friendly.  The food was great but I’m warning you, be prepared to eat or get a to go box.  It is worth the time to get off I-40 and head about 3 miles south on U.S. Highway 281.  I’m going to give it five strips of bacon.

Address: 104 E Main St., Hydro.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: The Garage

September 30, 2016

the-garageAs you’ve probably noticed by now, there are a lot of burger places in Oklahoma City.  And if you’ve been reading my work, you know that I’ve been to about half of them.  So today I’m going to tell you about The Garage, a local burger chain that popped up a few years ago.

The Garage is an automotive themed restaurant with a dozen locations not only around Oklahoma City but now in two other states as well.  I personally love the theme- with a grandfather who owned a service station, I love old automotive signs and the neon that sometimes surrounds them.  What I don’t like about The Garage are the tall tables that seem to be popular recently.  I’m short and feel like I need a step-ladder just to get into my seat.

As for the food- it’s ok.  They do have a varied menu with different types of burgers.  But the menu isn’t much different from some of the other burger places around town.  On my last visit I tried the Mushroom Swiss.  Not bad, meat was fresh and the taste was good but I just found myself expecting more.  The fries are just ok as well, not great.  My daughter loves the fact that the kid’s meal comes with a bomb pop but then she is easily entertained.

So after a great build up with the décor, I’m just disappointed that the food doesn’t live up to my expectations.  And with that I’m giving The Garage 4 strips of bacon, only because I really do like the service station theme.

UPDATE:  I decided to give them another try.  I’ve heard so many good reviews that after 8 years, we checked them out.  I will admit they’ve gotten much better.  We started with thunder fries.  I loved them, seasoned fries with blue cheese, and bacon crumbles topped with a sriacha aioli.  The flavors blended so nicely, they were addictive.  Our burgers came out quickly afterwards, for this trip we both tried the Sweet Oklahoma burger- with cream cheese, bacon, grilled jalapenos along with a jalapeno relish.  This was the best burger I’ve had this year.  The meat was perfectly cooked and those toppings came together for a sweet burger with very little heat from the jalapenos.  I was really impressed with this burger.  I also got a side of onion rings, enjoyed them as well.

I will be upgrading The Garage from a 4 strip to a full 5 strips of bacon.  The service was great and everyone there incredibly friendly.  I’m happy I tried them again.  So give them a visit again if you haven’t in a while.

 

Address: Oklahoma City- 1024 W. I-240 Service Rd.; 209 Outlet Shoppes Dr.; 1117 N. Robinson; 6900 NW 122nd St. 101; 2900 W Britton Rd.; Del City- 5301 Main St.; Edmond- 601 S. Bryant; Edmond- 1316 W Covell Rd.; Moore- 2060 S. I-35 Service Rd.; Norman- 307 E. Main St.; Shawnee- 190 Shawnee Mall Dr.; Stillwater- 520 W. Elm Ave.; Broken Arrow- 801 E Hillside Dr.; Owasso- 13303 E 96th St. N.; Tulsa Sheridan- 7104 S Sheridan Rd.; Fayetteville, AR- 100 E. Joyce Blvd.; Rogers, AR- 4200 S. 48th St.; Omaha, NE- 7610 Dodge St.; Kansas City, MO- 8811 State Line.

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Arrow from the Past

August 26, 2016

Arrow

UPDATE:  As of November 9, 2018 the current Space Needle that took the place of this arrow is being torn down.  It was badly damaged after a flood in June 2010.  Some believe that the fairgrounds administration never intended to fix the space needle and wanted to demolish it.  No I’m not happy to see more of Oklahoma’s history being destroyed.  Hopefully something will be saved from the space needle.

I spend a lot of time driving the back roads of Oklahoma and while out in the country southwest of Yukon, I found something that really intrigued me- a big arrow.  Just sitting in this field, rusting away.  Odd, definitely not something you normally see so I had to learn more about this strange sight.  Turns out it is quite important to the history of Oklahoma and the state fair.

In 1957, the state of Oklahoma held its Semi-Centennial Exposition at the new State Fair Park.  The fairgrounds had only recently been moved from its location around NE 10th and Douglas to the home we know now at NW 10th and May.  This celebration, held June 14th- July 7th, was a big deal.  Not only did the fairgrounds stay open 24 hours a day, but well- known performers of the time such as Patti Page and Mickey Rooney made appearances.  The Today show from NBC hosted by Dave Garroway broadcast live so the whole country could see the excitement of the crowds.  As a center piece to this great celebration was the Arrows to Atoms tower.  A 200 foot tall red and white arrow with an atom just below the tip, I have been told that you could see it for miles even at night when the point was illuminated from inside making a red glow.  This tower had been dedicated at few months before on April 22, 1957 and represented the progress Oklahoma had made in 50 years.

This tower stayed in the middle of the fairgrounds until 1967 when it was deemed structurally unsound and was removed.  It was replaced the next year by the landmark we all know now as the Space Needle.  What many do not know is that after removal, the arrow was cut down to about 80 feet and placed on land owned by an employee of the Utility Tower Company (who had originally built it) near SW 59th and Frisco Roads.  Even though the property (called Odd Acres by some locals) has changed hands a few times, that arrow still sits on the side of the road.  It’s no longer red and white and the atom is long gone (even though I’ve heard the rumor that it was placed on top of the current space needle, I can’t confirm this), it provides a great nesting place for birds.  Just a piece of Oklahoma history, sitting in plain sight and unfortunately rotting away.

Arrow Point

Originally red, the arrowhead is 15 feet tall and lit from the inside.

Arrow bottom

The tail section was 26 feet tall.  You can still just make out the red on the outside panels with white down the middle.

 

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Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City fairgrounds, Oklahoma history, State Fair of Oklahoma

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Vacation Time With New Food

June 24, 2016

100_9132We just got back from our annual family vacation and the rule while we are traveling is that we can’t eat anywhere that we have back in Oklahoma.  So we get to try many different places and get to try chain restaurants that aren’t in Oklahoma City yet.  After a week away from the great state of Oklahoma, I’m back with my requests for new restaurants to move here.  Now we have done pretty good recently- we did get Zaxby’s and Dairy Queen has come back to the Oklahoma City market.  But there are still plenty of others that need to enter the metro to take my money.

The biggest of them all is In-N-Out.  I am more than willing to sacrifice the governor and other crooked lawmakers just to bring one to Oklahoma City.  Their restaurants are clean and nice, as are their employees but it’s the burgers that make you drive 4 hours across state lines just to get.  If you haven’t been to an In-N-Out, then you need to know it is just a burger place.  Simple as that- you can get a hamburger, cheeseburger, or double cheeseburger.  There is a “secret” menu, that’s where you’ll find the double-double animal style (my favorite).  It comes with fried onions, pickles, and more sauce.  The only drawback is that they don’t have bacon, but it’s really not that big of a deal.  The only side available is fries.  So yeah, this place is simple and they only do one thing, but damn they do it right.  Right now you have to risk your life and go to Texas but I’m hoping that some day they will realize that half their Texas business comes from Oklahoma and move to the Sooner state.

Another chain that needs to come to Oklahoma City is Fuddruckers.  I know back in the 1980’s we had a few in town but I guess there were problems in the upper management, and they went away.  There is one in Tulsa and several in the Dallas area but it’s time we get one here.  I can even pick out a few good places out here on the Highway to Hell (NW Expressway if you haven’t been keeping up with me).  Fuddruckers is more of a fast casual, better than Chili’s or Applebee’s.  Their burgers are killer good as well with so many different options that you can get it just about any way you want.  They also have hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and salads but I only go for the burgers.  Big thick burgers with whatever you want topping them, then a trip to the burger bar to add your own condiments.

Now we also ate a few others that were ok, but I can live without.  One place that I found, that is not a chain is in Las Vegas, New Mexico.  Yes, you read that right- not Nevada, New Mexico.  Located northeast of Santa Fe, it’s on I-25.  This is where we found Charlie’s Spic & Span Café.  Not just a restaurant but bakery, this was singlehandedly the best place we found this year.  All day breakfast, Mexican, and American food on the menu, which was all really good.  The enchiladas were the best I’ve ever had in a restaurant (my husband makes some that would make you understand why I’m married to him).  My husband had a burger on jalapeño bread with fresh jalapeño’s in the melted cheese.  But as good as the food was, the bakery had the really good stuff.  I mean cinnamon rolls the size of my husband’s hand.  These were better than the ones at the fair.  And they lasted all the way home.  The apple fritters were easily the size of 2 softballs and the doughnuts were covered in dark chocolate.  It is my recommendation that if you are heading out west on I-40, get off on US Highway 84, head about 30 north to Las Vegas, New Mexico, and find this wonderful place.  I know from now on, we’ll be stopping every time through.  (If you are a history nerd like me, the town is so cool and has so much to look at, really worth a stop).

So maybe we’ll get lucky and get some new places to eat in the future.  In the mean time, I’ll just keep trying other new places around town.

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Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Medieval Fair in Norman

April 8, 2016

Owl at Medieval Fair in Norman 8

Owl at Medieval Fair in Norman.  2015

In Oklahoma, the winter can be cold and boring.  That’s why so many of us look forward to spring and all the activities it brings.  Not long after spring break in March the festivals and fairs begin.  One of the best has been held in Norman at the beginning of April for the past 40 years- the Medieval Fair.

This event was started in 1977 by the English department at the University of Oklahoma.  It was just a one day event held on the South Oval in celebration of the birth of William Shakespeare.  After a few years the popularity of the fair forced it to be moved to the Duck Pond and expanded to two days.  This is how I first remember the fair- I was 15 and as part of my high school English assignment we had to go experience the fair.  There were demonstrations on how to use ancient weapons, exhibitions on medieval clothing,  and a mermaid perched near the stone bridge over the pond.  The crowds were still small but that would change in just a few years.  As a student at OU, I went again in the early 1990’s.  There were more people, most dressed in costume, and vendors selling clothing and fake weapons.  I didn’t go back until 1999 when I tried to take my husband for his first visit, but the crowds were so big you could hardly even see the pond.  We drove by slowly on Lindsay Street and left.

The University and the city of Norman obviously noticed this as well because in 2003, it was moved about a mile south to Reaves Park.  You would think being in a bigger park would help spread the crowds out but I think it just invited more to attend.  In 2007 I finally took my husband with Mae now in tow for their first trip, now we try to go every other year.  This year just happened to have a nice Saturday, so we went.

We got there nice and early to get a good parking spot at the Lloyd Noble Center.  The fair itself is free, but the University charges five dollars to park across the street from Reaves Park.  Once you enter the fair, you can find almost anything you want as long as it’s from the middle ages.  There is an archery stand set up so you can pretend to be Robin Hood, fortune tellers more than happy to tell you what you want to hear about your future, and lots of vendors selling everything from costumes and jewelry to leather and metal goods.  Of course there is also a huge selection of food vendors and that’s where we started.  Yeah, they have the corn dogs, turkey legs, and funnel cake but we wanted something else so we stopped at Helmut’s Strudel.  Mae had an apple strudel while me and my husband shared a Bavarian cheesecake strudel along with a spinach and cheese puff pastry.  It was a good “breakfast” to start with, then we just wandered around, enjoying the atmosphere.  Since Mae is getting more interested in clothing, she had to stop and look at the dresses and corsets for sale.  My husband took a liking to some of the mock medieval weapons, he might need some since Mae is starting to attract male suitors.  But for all the stuff being sold, there are still plenty of reenactments of life in the middle ages.  We watched “knights” doing battle, belly dancers, Irish step dancers, minstrels, and a real jousting exhibition.  The cool part of this fair is that even with the big crowds, the majority are dressed up in costume.  Just about everywhere you look you can find knights, lords and ladies of the court.  Even though there is no pond, you can find mermaids sitting in a ship.

Overall the Medieval Fair in Norman is a lot of fun for everyone.  So set aside the first weekend in April so you can venture back in time for just a while.

 

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Norman, Oklahoma, University of Oklahoma

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Food Friday: Nhinja Sushi & Wok

April 1, 2016

NhinjaHere is another restaurant my husband introduced me to- Nhinja.  He actually learned about it from the owner, Kang Nhin.  He always likes trying new places, so one night he took Mae with him for dinner.  If she liked it then he knew I would like it.  About a month later we went and even though I really like my Chinese food from a buffet, it wasn’t bad.

They do have a pretty big selection on their menu but I’ve recently been on a sushi trip and they have some of the best in town.  First of all, they list the ingredients on the menu.  I’m real picky about what I have in my sushi- no caviar or fish eggs of any sort, no salmon, light on the veggies.  So it’s easy to order your sushi and it’s made right then, hasn’t been sitting around.  The rolls are huge, so one roll is more than enough for one person.  My two favorites are the Thunder and Geisha, but the others I have had are good as well.  My husband has tried almost everything on the menu but his favorite is the Cashew Chicken.  Once again, huge portions with lots of veggies and rice.  Mae is more predictable, she sticks with her Honey Chicken and then won’t eat the rice.  We do almost always start with the Cream Cheese Puffs.  Crab meat, cream cheese, and scallions wrapped up and deep-fried.

The service is always good, no matter if you are eating there or getting it for take out.  The atmosphere is fun, lots of colors, and bottles of Japanese sodas on the wall.  I give it five strips of bacon.  There are five locations around Oklahoma City, so it should be easy to find one.

Address: Rockwell- 12021 North Rockwell Ave., Oklahoma City;  May- 13905 North May Ave., Oklahoma City;  Broadway- 5 West 15th St., Edmond;  Mustang Rd.-  335 South Mustang Rd.

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Food Friday: Venezia Italian Ristorante

March 25, 2016

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.

 

 

 

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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