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Posts tagged ‘Oklahoma’

Food Friday: MentaliTea and Coffee

Update: They have moved to a new address. They are now in a new building along with The Produce Gal. Still a quiet place to write, read, or relax. They do have a larger menu, not just for drinks for food and baked goods. The Produce Gal also runs a small market with local products and produce. I had a frappe latte with lavender which was really good. I also loved my bagel sandwich with egg, cheese, and bacon. So check them out, still good food and great service, just a new location.

I often write in my office at home but sometimes I need someplace quieter with no distractions. I have found a great place to get some coffee, breakfast, and some quiet, MentaliTea and Coffee in Bethany.

On NW 36th Street just to the east of Southern Plaza retirement center, this small building looks industrial but inside is a quiet inviting space. I ordered one of their signature drinks, a lavender latte with a breakfast biscuit that had bacon added. I took a seat in a cozy nook near a window, with a comfy seat and a table to work from, I could look out the window when writers block struck. My latte came out in a cute white mug, with a latte art flower on top. I let it cool while I waited for the biscuit, which soon followed. The biscuit was huge, covered the small plate. It was homemade, buttery and flaky, the bacon added a bit of smoky flavor to it. The latte was smooth, the lavender just added a smoothness to the drink. Even though some people came in, the vibe stayed calm. I stayed for almost 2 hours, just thinking, writing, and enjoying my food.

This will be a new go-to place for me when I need to clear my mind. I will give them 5 strips of bacon, and some peace and quiet.

Address: 3823 N. College Ave., Bethany.

Category:

Bethany Oklahoma, Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Luigi’s Pizzeria

While out on a road trip to see small towns in Oklahoma, I went through Blair just north of Altus. Cute town, lots of old buildings still being used, including a few restaurants. It was lunch time so I was early for Backdoor Steakhouse (it opened at 5p, I would like to try it though), so I tried the small Luigi’s Pizzeria right next door.

Located on their Main Street, just to the east of US Highway 283, if you aren’t looking for it you’ll miss it. Painted up in blue, you go in through the front door and are greeted with a beautiful tin ceiling. There are vintage signs around the small dining room with a cool old Coke machine in the corner. We were told to sit anywhere, so we sat next to that Coke machine. We were quickly brought some toasted garlic bread with a vinegar and olive oil dip. It was so good, crisp on the outside and buttery soft in the middle. We ordered a medium pizza with a garlic crust, alfredo, pepperoni, black olives, and mushrooms. We waited about 15 minutes for the pizza to be done, and it came out piping hot. Everything was great and the garlic crust gave it a bit of extra flavor.

Luigi’s has been serving pizza and other Italian dishes to southwestern Oklahoma for over 20 years, they have a second location on the east side of Altus. I loved the atmosphere of the Blair location, quiet with an old time charm. I’ll be happy to drive to Blair to get a pizza with them again, 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 118 E Main St., Blair; 20650 US-62, Altus.

Category:

Altus Oklahoma, Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Birrieria Diaz

If you are looking for some really good Mexican food in Bethany, head to downtown Bethany across from SNU and check out Brirrieria Diaz. I have heard of it for quite some time and a few months ago was our first visit. We’ve been back several times because it is so good.

It’s located on the east corner of the downtown area, just a small restaurant. You can park on NW 39th or drive around back to the larger parking lot. Once inside, we are always seated quickly. Fresh corn tortilla chips along with really good queso and salsa are brought to the table. The salsa is fresh and not to spicy, the queso is creamy with a touch of sharp flavor. I have gotten the beef enchilada dinner a couple of times and it has been great. Always cooked to perfection, the ground beef has a nice flavor. But my new favorite is the tacos diaz, 3 flour tortillas filled with steak, ham, bacon, onions, peppers, and mozzarella cheese. These are wonderful, the different flavors just compliment each other. The meat is grilled and is tender, the veggies are also grilled and liven up the taco. It’s served with rice and beans. The rice is good but I really like their beans, I have tasted bits of bacon in them which I love.

I highly recommend trying them out, they have a breakfast menu that I need to try soon. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 6700 NW 39th Expressway, Bethany.

Category:

Bethany Oklahoma, Food, Oklahoma, 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.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Haystack Coffee

We sent Miss Mae back to Norman for the spring semester last week but of course some of her books hadn’t arrived before she left. They showed up a few days later and on Saturday morning we decided to deliver them as well as take her out for breakfast at one of her many favorite places to enjoy a coffee, Haystack Coffee.

This small coffee shop is run by the OU Baptist Collegiate Ministry and is just southwest of the campus dorms. It was quiet on Saturday morning, just another small group was meeting there, so we just sat and enjoyed our coffee while conversing about the upcoming semester. All 3 of us thought the snowman latte sounded good. This special latte for winter has peppermint, maple, cinnamon, white chocolate, espresso, and whipped cream. It was different but good. Each sip you could just get a hint of each flavor, it was the perfect drink for the cool morning. We also had some cinnamon rolls made for Haystack by Buttercream Bakery. These came in small containers and could be heated, a nice sized roll with lots of buttercream icing topping it.

Haystack Coffee is a straight up coffee shop that was started in 2019. Even though it’s in the ministry building, the coffee shop is separate from the rest of the building. Even though it is near the campus, it is not part of OU. It’s right across the street to the south of the old Stubbeman Village and to the southwest of Adams Tower, both will be demolished soon. You will need to text your tag number to a verification service to prove you are a customer and not just parking there to go to a game or class. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 1203 Elm Ave., Norman.

Category:

Food, Norman, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food, University of Oklahoma

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Food Friday: Neptune Submarine Sandwiches

To start out the new year we wanted to eat a bit healthier, so we tried a place that we always pass but have never stopped, Neptune Subs. Normally I see the parking lot packed but on this nice Saturday afternoon there was no one. The drive thru lane was packed, so we went up the steps and ordered from the window quickly. They have a more traditional sub menu, variations of different meats, 1 type of cheese, and veggies. You can get half or whole sandwich made on bread baked fresh in house.

I decided to try the supreme sub- salami, pepperoni, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, banana peppers, and mayo. Didn’t take too long for it to be ready. I got a whole sandwich and it’s fully a footlong. All of the meat tasted good, the veggies were fresh and crisp, and the bread was so good, light and fluffy, with a soft texture. Big K got the same thing and liked it as well. Miss Mae got a half salami sandwich, she liked it and said it was enough food for her.

The unique architecture of the building makes it stand out on Classen Blvd., the mid-mod design was built in 1961 to house a hamburger place called Quicks. They were gone by 1974 when Neptune moved into this location. Neptune Subs were a popular sandwich chain in the 1970’s and 1980’s with 17 stores around the state. Bankruptcy in the 1980’s killed the chain but this one location remained. The original building was just a walk up but the dining room was added in 1974.

I will definitely be returning, mad at myself for waiting so long to try this place out. Really good food and atmosphere. I’m looking forward to trying more items from their menu. They get 5 strips of bacon, hopefully on their BLT.

Address: 3301 N Classen Blvd., Oklahoma City.

Historic photos of Neptune Subs, then Quicks. Being built in 1961, and later in the 1960’s. Current building now has a dining room, 2022.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food, Oklahoma history

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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.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Yukon Christmas in the Park

My absolute favorite Christmas light display in Oklahoma is in Yukon at their city park. The three parks have over 5 million lights and 500 displays. You start the drive at NW 10th Street and Holly Avenue. There are lighted snowmen pointing the way, the traffic usually starts right here, so be prepared to wait. The first park you will go through is the Yukon City Park. It’s a nice drive down a wooded lane with displays on both sides of the road. As you get near the pond, there will be places to park. You can get out and walk around or keep driving. As you get back to Holly Avenue, you will turn to the west (right) and head to the next park.

Not much driving to Freedom Trail Park. If you don’t know it’s there you’ll miss it but this small park has a bigger parking area. You can walk to the other 2 parks or just drive through. It’s really just circling around the parking lot but there are displays set up. If you get out to walk, there are plenty of selfie stations to take pictures. Mulvey Pond is right there with bridges lit up as well as great views of the large displays across the water. Really is beautiful the way light reflects off the water.

The last park is a longer drive north on Holly Avenue (right again), then back east on Vandament Avenue. Traffic is always backed up here as well, but you will only go a bit before you can turn (right once more) and be in the last park, Chisholm Trail Park. This is where you’ll find the ice-skating rink and the park train. This is where the biggest parking lot is but be careful, it’s dark and lots of people running around. While I haven’t tried ice skating, and with my knees probably won’t, it looks fun. My favorite part is the ride on the park train. It’s always done up in lights, grab one of their blankets they have to borrow, and take a ride through Chisholm Trail Park on it. Takes about 20 minutes but always worth it. Another of my favorite things to do is hike to the top of the hill just south of the parking lot. Not for the weak of heart but it is really worth the view. You can see all 3 parks, lights twinkling off the water, the train traveling through, perfect for photos. You can also walk the trails in the park and find more opportunities for selfies or pictures of family (if you don’t want to be in the pic). The new Santa bus is always fun for group photos.

If you don’t want to do any of these things, just keep driving and you get to the last part of this Christmas journey. Past the parking lot, you are on another small tree lined road. There are displays next to the road plus you can see everything further into the park (where the train runs). The very last parking lot is where you can stop and watch the tree with dancing lights. There is a radio station you can turn on and listen to the Christmas music. The park is free to drive through but they take donations, usually the costumed characters are in the last lot taking donations.

The first time I remember driving through it was in December of 1996. We had just moved to NW Oklahoma City and this was close. We loved driving through, the traffic wasn’t bad yet, so you could drive through in about 30 minutes. There were also only 2 parks at that time, the last park got lights later. They also used to leave the lights on all night, we went through one night after midnight in the fog. Was so pretty, never have seen it like that again. When my daughter was younger, this light display was used as a reward for good behavior. One year we went through well over 20 times. Even with the traffic, this is one of my favorite Christmas light displays in Oklahoma. Hope you have fun while visiting.

Category:

Christmas in Oklahoma, Christmas light displays in Oklahoma, Oklahoma

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Thankful

On this Friday before Thanksgiving, I would like to take a moment to honor those in my life who mean the most to me.

I am thankful for being born to 4 of the greatest grandparents who ever lived. They were wonderful people who taught me not only to work hard but to keep learning. None of the 4 went to college but all appreciated the value of education. They were always learning something new and made sure I understood that your education was something that no one could take from you. I make it a point to educate myself on something every day. I’m also thankful to marry into a family with 4 more wonderful grandparents who reinforced everything I was taught by my birth grandparents.

I’m thankful for my daughter. I never thought I would become a mother, I had been told by doctors that I would never be pregnant. Needless to say, even though we were trying, we were surprised. After a difficult pregnancy that ended dramatically, I had the sweetest baby. She really wasn’t any trouble until she learned to talk at a year old. She has been a pleasure to not just watch but help guide her into young adulthood. Even now she’s good for a laugh, definitely inherited our sense of humor.

I am most thankful for my husband. He really is the greatest person I’ve even met. There were many times between 1986-1995 that we should have met, we were in the same place at the same time more than once. I even remember seeing him driving through the old Pratt parking lot in his beat-up Buick when I was about 16 or 17. I just remember the loud primer car with the young guy driving through, a girl next to him. Turns out that was his sister, who worked next door at the Showbiz Pizza. We were at car shows and air shows at the same time but finally a fateful day in April 1995 brought us together and we’ve been together ever since. He has helped me through so much and knows me better than I know myself. He’s the one who encouraged me to go back into journalism with this blog in 2015, and after quitting my job last year, has encouraged me to grow the site. He truly changed the direction of my life and I am forever thankful for that. Not only do I have a wonderful family, a nice home, cars that run (if you knew my history, you would understand), tolerable pets, and have been to 34 states and Canada. The last 27 years have been fun and looking forward to more trips and more to learn.

I also want to thank all of you who have been reading my blog, watching my videos, and following me on Facebook. I hope you all enjoy my thoughts and look forward to interacting with more of you in the coming year. Hope you all will like what I have planned, I expect to add way more next year.

Thanks to all,

Bre, The Fat Okie

Category:

Oklahoma

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Food Friday: 405 Pizza

I love trying new local pizza places. 405 Pizza has been in west Edmond for a couple years and over the summer I had a chance to try it. Since then, we’ve been back a couple times. They are just a simple small pizza restaurant.

To start, we have their garlic cheese bread. This is just a cheesy goodness. I like when there is more cheese than crust and this cheese bread is perfect. Next up is their pizza, we’ve had a couple different kinds and they have all been great. A nice light flavor to the crust and plenty of cheese and toppings. We also tried a calzone on our last visit, that was also good. Stuffed so full that it got messy (and messy is always good with food).

The customer service has always been good and the restaurant clean. We have also gotten takeout, which went well. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 815 E Main St., Yukon.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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