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Posts tagged ‘Oklahoma food’

Food Friday: Tower Cafe

When you think food in Okarche, your thoughts automatically go to the fabled Eischens Bar and their fried chicken. Yes, they do have good food but if you come into town on Highway 81 from the south, you travel right by the Tower Cafe. They do have some of the best cinnamon rolls in the state of Oklahoma, and that’s why most people stop, they do have a full menu as well. They have burgers, sandwiches, fried chicken, a full breakfast menu, and of course, chicken fried steak.

That’s what I enjoyed on my trip there a few weeks ago. The building has been rebricked in the past few years, but inside it still has that 70’s-80’s restaurant decor. On the Saturday afternoon that I visited, the place only had a few patrons, so I had my choice of tables. A wonderful teenager took my order, chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and green beans along with a warm roll and for dessert a famous cinnamon roll. First up was a fresh small side salad, just enough to start with but not get too stuffed for the main course. Next up was the chicken fried steak, about an 8oz size, covered with cream gravy. The mashed potatoes were also covered in the same gravy and then a serving of green beans with some bacon. The chicken fried steak was a nice size with good flavor. The meat was tender and breading wasn’t too much to overpower the meat and was fried to a golden crisp. The mashed potatoes were good but didn’t quite have the texture of homemade. I felt that maybe they had been powdered at some point. The cream gravy was also good but not outstanding. I did enjoy the green beans with bacon, had a good flavor. The roll was warm and very good, especially after the butter melted. For dessert they brought out a fresh, warm cinnamon roll. I have always enjoyed their cinnamon rolls over the years but served up fresh and warm gave me a new appreciation for them. I do wish they had more icing, but that’s just me. It was warm and buttery with a subtle hint of cinnamon.

I know the Tower Cafe has been in it’s current location for many years. I can’t find much of a history of it but can find that it has been in existence since 1968. The service was great and even though a bit dated, the interior was clean and in good shape. I will give them 3 strips of bacon. It was good but I felt could have been better. I know they concentrate on the cinnamon rolls but they could improve the chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. I will stop again to try some of their other menu selections.

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Oklahoma

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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: Casa Perico

I drive past this restaurant everyday, in an old Braums building on NW 63rd Street. Every time I think, “You know, I need to try this place.” Took me 4 years but we finally stopped a few weeks ago and now I wish I had stopped earlier, this place is outstanding.

Since it is in an old Braums, it is small inside but they do have patio for outdoor dining. Of course they have the typical Tex-Mex menu, so I went with my favorite chimichanga. They have a large selection of sides so along with my rice, I tried some Mexican corn. First thing that was served were the chips with salsa and queso. Perfect starter for my first trip, the chips were light and buttery. The queso was thick and creamy with just enough kick to give it good flavor. Next up was the main course, the ground beef chimichanga was deep fried to a golden crisp. It was a good size but not too large, I could actually finish it without asking for a to-go box. The ground beef and cheese mixed inside quite well with a bowl of sour cream sauce for pouring over or dipping. The rice and corn were equally good as well.

The service was great, food was prepared quickly and the chips and queso were replenished frequently. Since I no longer eat fast food Mexican, I will add Casa Perico to my list of favorite Mexican places along with San Marcos and Chelinos. They do have a second location near Quail Springs Mall, I just haven’t visited it yet. I happily give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 4521 NW 63rd St., Oklahoma City; 12219 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Oklahoma City; 505 E. Main St., Yukon.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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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.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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2021 Goals

So if you’ve been reading me for a while, I try to support local restaurants whenever I’m out. I really prefer them to the big national chains. If 2020 has shown us anything, it’s that the small local businesses are what makes our economy thrive. I’m not going to get into the politics and debate over what has occurred over the past few months, what I am going to do is focus more on these small restaurants who need our help. I’m going to spend 2021 going to as many locally owned restaurants as possible and get the word out about all- the good and the bad. If you have any suggestions, just comment on my Facebook page and I’ll check them out. Also go back through my previous posts, you’ll find some great suggestions and I do update each restaurants status. So get your taste buds ready as I go out and test the waters to see if a restaurant is worth your time and money. Let’s eat our way through 2021 and help keep our small businesses afloat.

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Oklahoma, Oklahoma food, Oklahoma history

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Food Friday: The Garage

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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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Nhinja Sushi & Wok

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, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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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.

 

 

 

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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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

 

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Food, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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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.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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