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Posts tagged ‘Oklahoma City’

Dr Slaughter House

A few weekends ago, I got the pleasure of touring the 1937 mansion of Dr WH Slaughter in northeast Oklahoma City. Situated on a 7 acre piece of land on NE 50th Street, just to the east of I-35, this home is a hidden gem and home to a vital member of Oklahoma City history.

Wyatt Hardy Slaughter was born in Alabama in 1872 and attended Walden University, then later Meharry Medical College, both in Nashville, TN, graduating around 1892. He arrived in Oklahoma City in 1903and became the first African American doctor in the new city. He worked with Dr WL Haywood to build the Utopia Hospital on NE 1st and later they established the Great Western Hospital in NE Oklahoma City. He practiced medicine in his own personal office in the Deep Deuce area of Oklahoma City, placing his Slaughter Buidling at 327 NE 2nd. This 3-story building was used for retail, housing his wife’s family’s pharmacy as well as the home of the Dunbar Library. Side note, none of these buildings are extant any longer, most succumbing to the wrecking ball in the 1960’s and 1970’s. He was also active in real estate, banking, as well as oil and gas. A public servant for many years, he was on many boards and committees. After retirement in 1949, he dedicated himself to building a YMCA on the NE side as well as a new school (current Frederick Douglass High School). He passed away in 1952, buried in Trice Hill Cemetery along side family. In 1907, he married Edna Randolph, the daughter of Jefferson Davis Randolph, the first African American Teacher in in Oklahoma City who founded the first black school at California and Harvey (what is now right in the middle of the Myriad Gardens).

Dr Slaughter purchased a 40 acre plot on NE 50th Street near Bryant Avenue in 1916 and built this home in 1937. The drive to the house is a old meandering paved trail that gives you a beautiful view of the mansion before leading you to a parking area next to the home. Being perched on a hill, the home dominates the landscape. The large stones that have been used in the construction also draw your eye to the home. Massive arches frame the east side of the house, these also provide a beautiful view of the countryside from the porch as well.

I wasn’t able to take pictures inside, but the home has been restored. After entering the home, you are in a foyer that to the left leads to the living area and to the right, a den or office, plus a hall to a bedroom suite. The dining is off the living area and also leads to a small kitchen. Upstairs are bedrooms, bathrooms, and storage areas. The two bedrooms that were open both had spacious bathrooms attached to them. One bathroom also led to an open air porch that is right above the front doors. There is a third floor but there was no access for guests. On the grounds are the remains of a well house and windmill. A functioning garage and small storage building are also original to the home and have been updated.

Over the years, parcels from the original 40 acres have been sold off. The house was empty for a time and vandals did hit the property. The home is in private ownership now and used for various events also rented out as an Airbnb. The property has also been listed on the National Register of Historic Places as of 2018. If you see a chance to visit this beautiful home, I highly recommend it.

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National Register of Historic Places, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma history

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Food Friday: Nic’s Grill

Nic’s Grill is known around the country, several tv shows have featured it, many magazines have done stories on it.  My first visit was a few years ago, at the time it was only open during the week for lunch.  Even though we got there early, my claustrophobia set in and we got the burgers to go.  Now after a 30-minute drive back home I wasn’t really impressed with the burger.  But I wanted to give them another chance, I just needed to work through being in such a small place.

While passing it a few months ago, I found out that they are now open on Saturday as well.  So I took a long breath and went in.  To say this place is tiny is an understatement, there is a long counter with 9 stools overlooking the grill, a shorter counter near the window on one side of the door and 2 small tables on the other side of the door.  I felt it best to sit in the corner with one window behind me and another I could see out.  The menu was pretty straightforward, burger or cheeseburger, by themselves or in a combo.  You do get a selection of cheese and can get add ons like bacon or mushrooms.  The only sides are curly fries.

My order was taken quickly even though they only have 2 employees, one on the grill and one doing everything else.  I didn’t wait long for lunch to be delivered.  The curly fries were the first thing I tried, freshly cut, fried, and lightly salted.  They were really enjoyable and a reminder that simple can be good.  Then the burger, it was huge.  Lettuce, tomato, pickles, lots of fried onions and melty cheese all piled on top a nice sized patty with a soft bun.  I was pleasantly surprised how good it was, juicy, needed to use both hands to eat it.  I really wish I had tried it fresh years ago, was much better experience this time around.

I keep mentioning it was a small place, it really is. No place for large groups or small children (I did watch parents realize this when they opened the door). It’s just an old time burger stand, not seen like this in many years. Only open for the lunch crowd and still closed on Sunday. I will go back as long as I can sit near the windows again, I’ll give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 1201 N Pennsylvania Ave., Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Burger Punk

I say all the time, there are lots of burger places in the Oklahoma City metro but only a few have been good. Burger Punk is one I’ve heard about but hadn’t tried until last weekend.

What started as a food truck, has now evolved into a brick-and-mortar location on the east side of the Paseo District. Painted all in black, it looks like an interesting place to try. The black theme continued inside, with pink and purple lights accenting the tables and bar. We took a seat near the window and immediately had someone there to help us find their online menu and take our drink order. We both tried their March special- Mushroom Whiskey Burger. This nice sized burger had truffle mayo, lots of mushrooms, Swiss cheese, and a sauce called Whiskey-A-Go-Go. Our orders came out pretty quick, and this burger was outstanding. The meat had a nice flavor and was juicy. The mix of the truffle mayo and the whiskey sauce really worked on this burger. There was a small pool of sauce that had run off the burger and I was dipping it in the sauce because it was so good. It wasn’t strong with the whisky flavor and had more of a honey type texture. I love truffles and the mayo was perfect, had the right truffle earthiness to it. I got the lil macaroni as a side, this mac and cheese had large rigatoni smothered in a tangy cheese sauce. Add in some roasted jalapenos and top it off with some panko breadcrumbs, this really complimented the burger. Big K got the crinkle cut fries, also doused in what they call “liquid gold”.

I’m excited to try them again, the service was great. The dining room and bar area were a bit small but there’s also a patio area which will be good now that spring and summer are about here. Not going to lie, not a lot of parking. I got lucky and got a space right up front but I know it can get crazy in that area. Overall I really enjoyed my first trip, 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 3012 N Walker Ave., Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Taqueria El Camino

I love new restaurants, but I love them more when they’re close to home so I was excited to hear about the opening of Taqueria El Camino a few weeks ago. They originally opened in the Edmond Railyard back in October 2019 and business was so good they now have their own location on North MacArthur in Oklahoma City.

Being an introvert, I was apprehensive about going in, I could see they were really busy with the Friday night crowd but Big K wasn’t going to let that deter us. He went in and found out they had tables open, so in I went. They mostly specialize in tacos but have a few other items as well. We started with just basic chips and queso. These were awesome. The chips were fried flour tortillas with seasoning on them and the queso had a tang to it, I would have these everyday if I could. I went with the coconut shrimp taco and brisket barbacoa taco with the sides of waffle fries and cilantro lime rice. The tacos were good sized, the coconut shrimp taco had a nice pile of slaw on top, gave it a beachy type feel. The brisket barbacoa taco also had the slaw with some cotija cheese on top, the brisket was cooked perfectly, melted in my mouth. The cilantro rice was really good, had a light flavor to it. And the waffle fries were perfect, not those sad ones you get from Chick-fil-A. These were fried crip with seasoning over them that gave them a great flavor. I also had a lavender berry margarita, this was a real treat, sweet with a touch of lavender flavor. Big K had the chorizo guac taco and a quesa carnitas taco with the sides of zesty slaw and elote. He loved both tacos, they had crispy cheese fried onto the tortillas. He thought the slaw had a flavor that was different, and he fell in love with the elote (elote is grilled street corn, I tried a bite and it was good).

The only real downside is that it did take a bit to get our entrees. Like I said at the beginning, they were really busy. They just opened at this location in December and getting a lot of attention. I will be going back to try more of their menu offerings and will give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 9120 N. MacArthur Blvd., Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Backporch Drafthouse

Update: The Oklahoma City location on NW Expressway has closed as of August 2023.

While in Lawton a few years ago we found Backporch Drafthouse. It was in a small strip mall of Gore Boulevard, and we liked it. I then forgot about it until this past spring when work started on a restaurant building on NW Expressway that had been home to many other businesses. Once I saw the sign for Backporch go up, I remembered we tried them in Lawton and got excited.

They officially opened in early July and we were there soon afterward. I tried the big ass chicken biscuit while Big K had the breakfast on a bun. They weren’t joking when this was named the big ass biscuit, it was huge with a big piece of fried chicken on top with cheesy scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage gravy. It was so good. The biscuit was flakey and buttery, the fried chicken had a crisp batter, the eggs were scrambled with a cheddar cheese that had a slight sharpness. The thick bacon was cooked perfectly and the sausage gravy tied it all together. Big K liked his breakfast on a bun, said it tasted good. We really enjoyed this visit and guess what, I forgot about it. I drive by it all the time but would forget it was there. I finally remembered again last Friday night, it was busy but there were a few seats open. We tried the jalapeno bottle caps to start. Now to be honest, these really weren’t the “bottle cap” shape I’m used to, more like strips of jalapeno. But who cares because they were really good. Nice and crisp but the heat of the jalapeno wasn’t overpowering. We both ordered the special of the month burger, French onion burger. This big burger has Swiss cheese, bacon, onions, and a very tangy French onion gravy. This burger was different but good. Juicy burger, bacon cooked crisp, the gravy was so good that I also dipped my fries in it.

Our service was great on both visits. I can’t remember what we had on our Lawton visit but I remember the food and service were good then as well. They do have an extensive menu and I’m ready to try more. I recommend a visit, they do have different burgers they feature each month, so ask. I will give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 1925 West Gore Blvd., Lawton; 7405 NW Cache Rd., Lawton; 4501 S. General Bruce Dr., Temple, TX; 4214 Kell Blvd., Wichita Falls, TX; 3100 West Central Texas Expressway, Killeen, TX; 4901 State Hwy 114 Suite 110, Northlake, TX; 1800 N. Country Club Rd., Duncan.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Spark

I found a great new place for burgers here in Oklahoma City last Saturday, plus afterward you can enjoy Scissortail Park. Spark opened a year ago at the north end of Scissortail Park. Even though this is in a city park it’s owned by The Social Order Dining Collective, the same group that owns Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. I had heard through different sources that they had a good burger, so we stopped to try it.

It was a nice Saturday to go to the park, so we strolled through flowers to the small building that contains the restaurant. We were there right at the end of the lunch crowd, so we ordered quickly and found a good seat. At the counter you give them your phone number and they text when your order is ready, so you can sit inside or out in the park. Didn’t take too long for me to get that text, so we could try our food. For my first visit I tried the BLC Spark burger, a perfect burger patty with bacon, crispy fried cheddar cheese slice, thick pickles, pimento cheese, and prairie ranch. This was an awesome burger, so much flavor. I wasn’t expecting it to be that good but wow. The fried cheese slice gave it a crunch that was different. The tang that came from the mix of pimento cheese and ranch was also surprisingly good. It was also a good size burger, not small. Big K got the same burger that I did but Miss Mae got a corndog. It was a footlong Schwab dog coated in cornbread, she said it was good, tasted like a fair corndog. We also got to share bacon cheese fries and pink fries. The bacon cheese fries were really good, the cheese sauce had a nice flavor and the bacon was crisp. The pink fries were really good, the pink is an aioli that has a nice tang to it with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. I really liked the pink fries the best, better than I was expecting.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by just how good everything was, just wasn’t expecting anything this good in a park. This really is one of the best burgers in the Oklahoma City metro. The service was great as well and the employees were friendly. Afterward we walked around and looked at more of the fall flowers blooming along the sidewalks. It was an enjoyable trip. I give them 5 slices of bacon.

Address: 300 Oklahoma City Blvd., Oklahoma City; 1332 W. Memorial Rd. Suite 101, Oklahoma City; 1121 NW 63rd St. Suite 5005, Nichols Hills.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Haydeh’s Bistro

I am a big fan of Greek and Mediterranean food, so I was interested when I saw a new place pop up on Hefner Road just west of Rockwell. After a couple of visits, it’s now one of my favorite places for a gyro in the OKC metro.

This is a small family run restaurant that opened just a few months ago, its location is hard to overlook. In a small strip mall near a gymnastics training center, the parking lot looks busy because of the parents at the gym. They have a basic Mediterranean menu, with salads, gyros, falafels, and kebobs. I have gotten the gyro meal every time, so far. The pita is filled with gyro meat, onions, tomatoes, black olives, and feta cheese. It’s just the right size to pick up and eat, not too big. The meal comes with a side of either tater tots or fries, I have tried both and they were good. I finish off the meal with dark chocolate baklava. I love regular baklava, so putting a topping of dark chocolate on it is an extra special treat.

Overall I feel that this is a hidden gem in Oklahoma City, I know more will discover it. The service is great and the restaurant always clean. I will give them 5 strips of bacon with that dark chocolate baklava.

Address: 7202 W Hefner Rd., Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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First Christian Church

When I woke up this morning and checked my phone, I had several texts from friends and family who know I love Oklahoma history. Concerned I read the one from Big K first, “The egg church has been torn down”. I hoped that what he said wasn’t true but a quick look at my Facebook feed confirmed it. The iconic First Christian Church, the “Egg Church”, was a pile of rubble.

The First Christian Chruch was one of the first churches organized in Oklahoma City. Historical records show that their first baptismal was in June 1889. By 1910, the congregation had built a new home for their church at 1104 N Robinson after occupying a few other buildings. This would be their home for many years until the completion of the new sanctuary (this building does still stand and is on the National Register of Historic Places). In 1946, the minister of the church, Bill Alexander, helped the church buy land that had previously been part of the Edgemere Golf Club for a new location. By 1947, an outdoor auditorium had been built. The Sunday evening services were held here, “Edgemere Under the Stars”. On Christmas Day in 1953, the church announced its “Christmas present to Oklahoma City”, a new modern building that was a landmark to all who could see it, the “church of tomorrow”. The church was designed by architects R. Duane Conner and Fred Pojezny. They used concrete to make the large dome by pouring the concrete on steel mesh that was laid on a wooden form. After the concrete cured, the form was removed.

Sunday, December 23rd, 1956, the new church welcomed its first worshipers. It is said that over 2000 people attended that first service in the new sanctuary. The architecture for the time was so spectacular that the church was featured in Life magazine in 1957. This church was a center for the community for many years. It hosted events from weddings to funerals, from school concerts to the Miss Oklahoma Pageant. But most importantly it served as “The Center” during the time shortly after the Murrah Building bombing in 1995. Set up by the church, the medical examiner, and a group of funeral directors, the American Red Cross also set up in the building. It served as a safe haven from the media for those who lost loved ones in the attack. It’s rumored that Oprah Winfrey herself even went to the church to help the victims and their families. For 16 days after the bombing, it was a place of solace for those closely affected. In 2016, the First Christian Chruch put the property up for sale. The size of the congregation had shrunk and the building was becoming expensive to repair. By 2018, the first whispers of demolition started. Many tried to fight back, even trying to get the city council involved. Even though it had been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011, it was at risk. A couple of other churches stepped forward to buy it but in the long run the property just needed to many repairs.

I never got to go in the building. I only got a few pictures back in 2019, never thought to go back and take more. A sad day for Oklahoma history and for those who love mid-century designs.

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National Register of Historic Places, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma history

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Food Friday: HD’s Onion Burgers & Gyros

hd's onion burger

There are so many good places to eat in Oklahoma City that you can drive by and never notice. HD’s Onion Burgers & Gyros is one of those places, I know it’s there and love their food but forget about them. I need to be reminded that when I want a good burger, they’re close to home.

HD’s sits on the corner of a large strip mall on the NW corner of Rockwell and NW 122nd. Just a small restaurant with a big menu and flavor. I always get the bacon cheeseburger, perfectly seasoned beef patty with cheese melted on top. They chop up the bacon and pile it on top, while a pile of fried onions is under the patty. The lettuce and tomato are fresh, and the bun has been toasted to a buttery perfection. This is a good-sized burger, so bring your appetite. We also got the onion rings and bacon cheese fries to share. The onion rings are fried nice and crispy. The bacon cheese fries are a true work of art, crisp fries with shredded cheese and chopped bacon on top. No, not bacon bits, chopped bacon, most pieces were about an inch long. They were so good.

The service was great, plenty of places to sit. This place is a true hidden treasure in NW Oklahoma City. They have lots more on their menu that I haven’t tried, sandwiches, gyros, salads, and lots of burgers to choose. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 12417 N Rockwell Ave., Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Stella Nova

I know coffee places are all the rage now, we have a Starbucks on damn near every corner or a Scooters to drive up for a quick pick me up but I have been looking for local coffee shops. I was lucky to find Stella Nova a few months ago and with every visit they just get better.

Now I’m going to be honest, I’m not a coffee lover. Hate the taste of it just by itself but over the past year with my barista daughter I have learned to like it a bit. I really like it in the Frappuccino or frappe form. It’s really a coffee milkshake. I started liking them back when McDonald’s introduced the caramel frappe in 2009. Only in the past year did Mae introduce me to Starbucks and Scooters. So now I am actively seeking them out. In March during spring break, Mae needed a caffeine fix so we tried the location at NW 150th and Western. I had the chocolate chip frappe, which has now become my go-to drink when I visit. Another favorite of mine is the cheese danish. This danish is so good, first they are large and second, filled with cheese. So good that I have to get one when I visit, no matter what else I have. Their breakfast sandwiches and wraps are also really good. Much better than a quick breakfast item from a chain.

I have now visited the Crown Heights location as well and every time both locations are clean and the employees are nice. Even in the morning rush, they get my items out quickly. I will give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 1415 W. Main St., Norman; 119 N Robinson Ave., Oklahoma City; 4716 N. Western Ave., Oklahoma City; 1041 NW 150th St., Oklahoma City; 6604 Snider Plaza, Dallas.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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