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Posts tagged ‘Oklahoma City’

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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Food Friday: Interurban Restaurant

In the Oklahoma City metro there are some restaurants that are locally owned and have been part of the scene for many years. Interurban is a perfect example, they have been here since 1976 and still serve up good food.

I have had the opportunity to visit a couple of locations recently and both times the food has been excellent. Both visits I had the chicken fried steak. A nice size steak, breaded with cream gravy poured over it. The steak itself is fork tender and the breading was fried to a crisp brown. The mashed potatoes had a slight hint of garlic, which was different and the okra was also fried to a golden perfection. We started with the cracker-breaded mozzarella sticks, which were deep fried perfectly- crisp on the outside and melty inside. Big K had the flamethrower burger which he said was flavorful but not overly spicy.

I have had many other menu items over the past 40+ years that I have been going to Interurban. My first burger from there was not long after it opened at their original location in downtown Norman. I was maybe 5 or 6 and my grandfather picked up some burgers for dinner. I had only really eaten McDonald’s burgers or homemade ones to that point and can honestly say that burger was the best thing my young mouth had ever eaten. I think that I have spent the rest of my life trying to recreate that experience when I eat out. Now they are called Interurban because they got their start in the building that had been an interurban station built in 1917 for the trolley lines that went from Oklahoma City to Norman. After 1947 when the interurban lines shut down it was converted to a bus station. The restaurant was opened in 1976 and later moved to a location closer to I-35 in the 1990’s.

I give them 5 strips of bacon because they have been able to have good food for over 40 years.

Locations: 1150 Ed Noble Dr., Norman; 11316 W Reno, Yukon; 1301 E Danforth Rd., Edmond; 300 E Grand Ave., Chickasha; 322 Holiday Dr., Ardmore; 717 S. Houston Ave., Tulsa.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Cajun Corner

Cajun Corner opened a few years ago at the SE corner of NW Expressway and Council and they have been a favorite of mine ever since. They have a good selection of po’boys, blackened dishes, pasta, and different seafood baskets.

My favorite is the fried shrimp basket, complete with Cajun fries and hushpuppies. We usually get this to go, the biggest reason- this is where I like to have my dinner from on nights I mow the grass. Yes I know that sounds strange. In the past I would get a Wendy’s Baconator with a Dr. Pepper but since Cajun Corner opened, I send my husband here for dinner. The fried shrimp basket is perfect to cool off with after mowing. Yes I do mow my own yard, started mowing my grandmother’s yard when I was 10 and it just became relaxing to me no matter how much I sweat. But back to Cajun Corner, this basket is simple and they make it quick. Now if I go into their location for dinner I try different things. Their fried shrimp po’boy and crawfish po’boy are excellent. They also have a ribeye Philly cheesesteak that’s pretty good as is the crabby patty, a burger with crab salad. The loaded shrimp fries are also a treat, lots of spice to kick it up. I keep meaning to try their oysters, they have to be done a certain way (the way my grandma Farley cooked them). I’m also interested in their pasta dishes. The owners have done so well with this location that they opened a second location in the Uptown district. I haven’t been there yet but need to try it out as well seeing that they have different menu items.

The service has always been great, no matter if I call the order in for pickup or if I go in. The food is always good. My only real downside with the Council location is the parking lot, but that’s more on the strip mall owners. I definitely give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 9200 N Council, Suite A, Oklahoma City; 312 NW 23rd St., Oklahoma City; 9624 S. I-44 Service Rd., Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Creek Sushi & Poke

Creek Sushi & Poke is a new place that just opened last summer and has quickly become my go to place for sushi. Tucked away in a large strip mall at the NW corner of NW Expressway and Council, this little sushi place has a lot to offer without breaking the budget. They have a wide variety of sushi rolls (like 70 different rolls), along with veggie rolls, spring rolls, and poke bowls.

Now I haven’t tried the poke bowls yet, I usually stick with their sushi rolls and have tried many of their selections. My favorite is the Oklahoma Roll, crabmeat, cream cheese with spicy mayo, sushi sauce and tempura flakes. It’s really good and I order this every time I visit. Some of the other rolls I’ve tried are crab salad roll, sassy shrimp roll, cowboy roll, and shrimp tempura roll. They have all been good and I’m excited to try more of their rolls. The customer service is always great, take my order quickly and I never sit for more than 5 minutes while they prepare my roll. I do usually go there in the afternoon, I have heard from some that it does get busy in the evenings. I will give them 5 strips of bacon, wish it was in a roll.

Address: 9517 N Council Rd, Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Taste of Soul Giant Egg Rolls

Update: July 2025- They are now a food truck only. Follow on Facebook for any updates on where they will be.

After finding myself in the Mid-Del area, I decided to try something new- Taste of Soul Giant Egg Rolls. I have had plenty of regular sized egg rolls but never giant ones, these are also unique because of the fact you can get different ingredients in each egg roll. I tried a bacon hash brown and cheese egg roll and a Okie cheesesteak roll. First off, these egg rolls really are huge, they took up one side of the to-go box. On the other side was fried rice, now I’m picky about my fried rice but this stuff was great. Fried to perfection with huge pieces of egg mixed in. The egg rolls themselves were also quite good. Having different ingredients than normal Chinese food egg rolls is really creative and livens up the egg roll.

The service was great, everyone there was so friendly. The only downside is that it’s a 30-minute drive across town from my house. It was a bit hard to find, located at the end of a strip mall on the northside of SE 29th St. I look forward to another visit because I need to try more of what they offer. I give them 5 strips of bacon, in an egg roll of course.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Del Rancho

For today’s review I am going to talk about an old favorite, Del Rancho. To me this restaurant is the epitome of comfort food in the Oklahoma City metro. The first time I remember eating at one, I was 6 years old and we took our food back to my grandmother’s house in Norman. While eating, I lost 1 of my teeth. It fell to the floor but I remember the panic while crawling on the floor trying to find it. If I didn’t have that tooth, I wouldn’t get a visit from the Tooth Fairy.

Of course, the best thing to order on their menu is what they are known for, the Steak Sandwich Supreme. I know there are other items on the menu, but I’ve only tried a few because I want that huge steak sandwich. Basically, it’s a chicken fried steak slapped on a bun. The steak itself is huge and when covered with lots of breading and deep fried, it becomes massive. There is just something they get right with the flavor, it is truly one of the best chicken fried steaks in town and yes you can order it just as a meal. Back to the sandwich, the chicken fried steak is placed on the bun with mayo (Miracle Whip), lettuce and tomato. Really it doesn’t get much better than the Steak Sandwich Supreme. I have read on their website that the sandwich was perfected in 1964.

They also have some of the best sides in town. I love their hand breaded onion rings. The onions are huge as well and lightly breaded with a similar taste as the chicken fried steak. The tator tots are also good and deep fried to be crisp on the outside. My favorite is the fried green beans. The only way to eat green beans are fried and they do a great job. Lightly breaded and served with a housemade ranch, my favorite side.

There are locations all over the metro area, the first one I ate at was in Norman on Lindsey Street near I-35. It’s still there after opening in 1979. There are some that you can go in and sit down and other where you just drive up. I highly recommend getting the Steak Sandwich Supreme with a side of onion rings. The true definition of Oklahoma comfort food, they get 5 strips of bacon.

Address- Norman- 2300 W Lindsey St.; Moore- 1409 N Moore Ave.; Mustang- 462 W Highway 152; Midwest City- 9411 NW 10th St., 9201 SE 29th St.; Oklahoma City- 5111 N MacArthur Blvd., 2741 NE 23rd St., 16 SW 59th St.; Tahlequah- 4800 S Muskogee.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Falcone’s Pizzeria

Falcones Pizza

I first heard about Falcone’s Pizzeria many years ago when the owner decided to tell off the Edmond Planning Commission back in 2007. Danny Falcone had just opened a new location in Edmond and the city didn’t want him to put up an awning in the colors of the Italian flag, so he banned them from his restaurant. Hey anyone who didn’t like members of Edmond city government couldn’t be that bad, so we stopped at the Edmond location and visited many times until the location was closed. The only location left is on North May Avenue.

I’ve never been to New York to try New York style pizza but I think Falcone’s is about as close as I can get in Oklahoma. We usually get the 18 inch pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms, and black olives. This pizza is so big, you can feed a family of four on it easily. The crust is light and thin, the cheese and toppings thick on the top. Now I’m also not going to lie, it’s got some grease on it as well but my dad would always say, “The greasier the better”. You can get smaller pizzas but why? Seriously they do have a personal pizza so you can do your own thing. We always start with mozzarella sticks that are big and chunky. Now unfortunately they have no ranch for dipping but I can get over that. If you aren’t full from the pizza, or even if you are, get some cannoli. Either plain or chocolate dipped, doesn’t matter, these are some of the best in town.

I highly recommend a visit. Service is always good along with the food. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address:6705 N May Ave., Oklahoma City; 216 S. Santa Fe Ave., Edmond.

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Oklahoma

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Food Friday: Taj Cuisine of India

It’s always a good idea to step out of your box and try something new, so while driving around looking for something different to eat my husband suggested Taj Cuisine of India. I’ve only tried Indian food once before and liked it, so I was up for trying it again.

We stopped on Saturday night around 5p and the place was empty, but there was plenty to choose from on the buffet. I tried almost everything but only remember my favorites. The two most surprisingly good items they had were the vegetable spring rolls and spinach pakoda. The spring rolls were small but packed lots of flavor in them. Normally vegetable spring rolls just taste bland but these had a flavor that was unique to them. I can’t explain it but they were really good. The spinach pakoda was also a surprise in just how much I liked it. The leaves of spinach are covered in a chickpea flour and fried. It was like eating large spinach chips, crispy but good for you. They also serve onion pakoda, it was more of a flour ball with onion in it. Also good but didn’t excite me like the spinach pakoda. Their lemon rice was really good as well, basmati rice lots of different spices with just a touch of lemon. The chicken biriyani was another favorite, chicken cooked with basmati rice and different herbs. I also tried the chicken tikka masala, chicken in a tomato based sauce. I really tried to sample a bit of everything but I will not eat chicken still on the bone, so there were several chicken dishes I didn’t attempt. I also can’t remember the names of everything I did try, I did my best to remember what I liked best.

The service was great but since they were serving buffet, the employees had to handle all of the food. It is an odd experience to tell someone what you want and have them get it for you. I’m ready for buffets to be able to present food like normal. The only drinks were bottled water, so no soft drinks or anything. Now they were good about making sure you had plenty to drink but it was still odd. The downside was everything was served on styrofoam plates with plastic forks. I wasn’t a big fan of that either.

So overall I will give them 4 strips of bacon for the food. I’ll go back and when I can get my own food, I might up that rating.

Location: 1500 NW 23rd St., Oklahoma City.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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