Tulsa recommendations?

[Scargo]

We've got four full days in Tulsa (coming up very soon), and having been there a number of times we are looking for something other than the $25-35 entrée type places (that we know are good), and the fried catfish places.

What is there that is unique to Tulsa or is a new gem or hidden gem? Money is not an object, but as I've said, most of the upper-end/upscale places are well-known and well-worn. Hole-in-the-walls are fine as long as they have alcoholic beverages and are safe to go to. Thanks

BTW, let me share my POIs that I've put on my Google Maps (user-created content). If anything jumps out say so. Most we have not tried. They just come from (mostly), Chowhound recommendations. http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=106324921966915789140.000456dd0994adb8b2b25&ll=35.9024,-96.036987&spn=1.317055,2.469177&z=9

Edited March 31, 2010 by Scargo (log)

[Chris Hennes]

I don't have any input for you, but I'll be up in Tulsa in a few weeks and would love to hear about your impressions of the places you have been to there.

[Scargo]

I will report back on our trip. However (and I hate to do this since Chowhound has banned me), this is a very good thread about Tulsa food. Brian S, is very knowledgeable (not to slight the other contributors). There are reviews of the places we ate at on our last trip (1-'09).

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/553621

[Chris Hennes]

In glancing about the internet is seems there is a new Italian place in Tulsa, Piatto Cucina Italiana that is getting some good reviews, so you might want to check them out.

[Scargo]

A few notes from our stay in Tulsa. We have one or two meals to go.

"Wine Tasting Dinner" at Biga: I can't speak to the Italian food they normally serve except the bread was very good and hearty. The best bread I've had in Tulsa.

This was a Spanish themed dinner with Spanish wines from Castillo Perelada. A caveat: I may be too harsh as this was a $30/per person dinner. I've never attended a function like this which was so inexpensive. In fact the host said that they were all $10-12 wines.

We arrived and were immediately coughed on by the hostess/FOH (front of house). The three of us sat and were quickly poured about three ounces of Castillo Perelada Blanc Pescador, white wine. All of our wines were from this winemaker. This was all we received up to and including our first course of bland, marginally cooked, cold fish. The second course was a sparse amount of penne pasta with "gazpacho" salsa (meaning a few chopped, raw veggies). It tasted good but was cold and underseasoned. They served an awful Cresta Rosa Emporda, rose blend, with it. None of us would drink it. We asked for something else and received a decent bottle of German Reisling for just the three of us.

The main course was Catalan style braised beef with a blue cheese sauce. This came with a "3 Fincas" Crianza that was decent. The dish was beef stew with some blue cheese. Nothing special and some of my beef seemed from a poor cut. Most was tender, but some was coarse and not the same.

Dessert was a "creme brule" style of rice pudding. One portion had virtually no carmelization. All the dinner was pretty inexpensive fare with small portions, all underseasoned and all not hot enough.

There was no dessert wine. They were stingy with the wine. Getting more wine was a crap shoot. Some seemed to get more wine and most did not.

Very unusual was the one glass setting. New wine glasses were never offered so all three wines were drank from the same glass. One of our glasses was chipped, but was replaced. We asked for clean glasses for the red and they said there were not any more! Only 35-40 wine glasses in a restaurant? Only glasses for white wines? We were brought three whiskey glasses!

The men's bathroom was very dirty and unkempt; especially the floor.

Though it was "only" $30 we three were disappointed. It sure didn't "showcase" or put a good face forward as to what the chef/restaurant (or the winery, in the case of the rose), should be capable of doing.

[Shelby]

We go to Tulsa quite a bit and we love staying at the Hotel Ambassador. The restaurant is really really good. It's called The Chalkboard. http://www.thechalkboard-tulsa.com/

[joiei]

There are a couple of new places in Tulsa. Caramel on S Peoria in the Brookside area. Also a new vegetarian place, Cafe Samana, also on S Peoria. There is a new burger joint up on Greenwood next to the new Oneok Ballpark called Fat Guys Burgers. Several new places in the downtown area that I haven't tried yet, I have heard good things about the dining room at the newly remodeled Holiday Inn, I think the name of the restaurant is the Boulder Grill. The White Owl on 15th is a sort of late night fave of mine, sort of meaning I don't stay out as late as I used to. Have you tried the Ali Baba Mediterranian on 51st, some very nice Persian food. I understand from a good source that the dining room at the Gilcrease Museum has new management and the food and the service have greatly improved. Also, have you ever had the chicken fried steak at Brothers Houligan, the one on 15th street near the Broken Arrow freeway overpass. I am waiting on my friend Madeline to open her new place called Sprouts on Harvard in the same little strip center where Steve's Books and Sundrys is located. Have you ever had lunch at the lunch counter at Steve's?

[Scargo]

We went to the Dilly Deli one morning for breakfast and I was not impressed with the bland, overcooked omelet I had or the bite of SO's omelet.

We went back to the Blue Dome Diner on another morning and enjoyed it very much.

Another very good breakfast was had at Trula Restaurant And Bar at the Mayo Hotel! See photo.

Brothers Houligan was a pleasant surprise. My catfish and everything else I tried was very good.

Three of us tried Lanna Thai, 3535 E. 51st St, in a nondescript strip center. The vegetarian food was very good even though the fish/meat substitutes were all fake!

Los Cabos Mexican grill (on the Riverwalk center area at E 96th and the river), was a bust as far as the two of us were concerned. I thought of it as a big, fancy, noisy "Disneyland" kind of restaurant with kinda pseudo Tex-Mex food.

I was not particularly impressed. It is like many of these fancy mini-chain like places that sell cheap margaritas and huge meals for big bucks and there is little that is authentic or a standout or a good value. Too dumbed-down in taste, too. They have a lot of entertainment nightly and it can be very loud in the outside area and the sun room. The entertainer who was there the evening we went was really bad. We had to move inside the restaurant (from the partially open sun room), because it was so loud we could not talk.

El Guapos was the best Tex-Mex like food we have had to-date in Tulsa. Good, semi-authentic Tex-Mex food in a semi-sketchy part of town (in the evening).

Bodean's seafood was very good, last year when we were there.

The other places joiei mentioned I do not know of.

More interesting places can be found on my Oklahoma map http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&msa=0&msid=106324921966915789140.000456dd0994adb8b2b25&ll=38.143198,-96.712646&spn=5.114472,9.876709&z=7.

[bmartino]

If you get a chance, try Stonehorse Cafe in Utica Square. As a New Yorker who has dined at many of the top rated restaurants in NYC, I was pleasantly surprised by the stellar food and great service. Stonehorse could easily hold its own against the NY heavyweights, and I'm so glad I got to try it!

[Scargo]

As my signature says, Chowhound moderators chose to banish me. I refuse to provide links or send you there to see what I have reviewed. My SO and I were in Tulsa in early January, 2009. We did quite a few good restaurants while there. Here are some excerpts:

Dinner at Local Table: Upscale place; I was there many years before, when it was "T Rex". The three of us ate sliders, mac and cheese, corn chowder and two bottles of half-price Ridge wine (Sundays only). We enjoyed most everything. I did not care for the mushy macaroni and the cheese was sparse. I would recommend LC and happily return.

Breakfast at Queenie's Two,in Utica Square: I think I could die here, surrounded by incredible baked products. We had eggs, blueberry, buttermilk pancakes and a carrot-raisin muffin. Food was great. Service was, too.

Casa Laredo: I had my surrogates fill me in. Since they are family and all good cooks, not to mention old and worldly Texans, I trust their feedback. They thought Casa Laredo was just mediocre and thought I would have been disappointed. The spinach enchiladas with ranchero sauce were OK, but the same enchiladas with sour cream were just that; a plain dollop of sour cream, not a sauce. One liked his chile relleno but they all agreed the side of iceberg lettuce with a tomato/catalina dressing, was just weird. Perhaps there is a place across our southern border where they have this style of salad? If this is authentic, then the rest of what they ordered was not. The restaurant touts "authentic Mexican, Columbian and Argentinian but most thought it was just ordinary and so-so "Tex-Mex".

Bodean: If you are into art and interior design you will like it immediately. On drive up it looks nondescript, with its strip mall setting and shrouded windows, but when you get to the front door you see a beautiful, wide saltwater fish tank with many tropical fish. Beyond that are one of a kind, blown glass, light fixtures over each table and multiple colored strips of cloth, woven and draped from the ceiling (which helps with sound deadening). Art abounds on the walls and from the ceiling. All, I'm told, is by local artists. The interior design is just splendid. IMHO, equal to the best restaurant interior of any place I've been in.

Three of us shared crab cakes. This was the only thing I would skip if you know what good New England ones are like. They were firm and too breaded. They were spicy hot and came with a chipotle/cream sauce. One of the two had a slightly cool center. They were not very warm in the middle.

SO's Dungeness crab salad was just OK with a lot of shredded crab on the top with plain, bland pear. This was supposed to come with with Roquefort cheese, candied pecans and a pear-thyme vinaigrette. SO thought the seasoning and amount of cheese, pecans, etc. was so minimal that it resulted in a very bland salad. I concurred. She thought about asking for lemon...

Sis's "Ginger & Fennel Cured King Salmon Gravlax" was good, but perhaps a little sweet for our taste. She liked it. I had the "Sesame Crusted Gulf Yellow Fin Tuna with Chilled Soba Noodle Salad, Soy Reduction & Wasabi Vinaigrette". Quite a mouthful just to say that one!

I really enjoyed this with the exception of a couple of inedible membrane areas in one piece which I had to cut out.

We shared creme brule and a strawberry almond shortcake with basil syrup. Both were very good but I thought they overdid the melting of the sugar on top, to the point that it had a slight "burnt match" smell. The custard itself was fairly cold.

We drank La Crema chardonnay by the $10 glass, which was delightful. They have a very decent wine list.

All-in-all an enjoyable experience. I was disappointed to see such a limited selection of seafood and the ones they offered were fairly normal variations with nothing unusual. This may be a little high-brow but I have had trout almondine and sesame crusted tuna with soba noodles many times before. The pecan-crusted salmon was a new variation for me, but I wanted to see how their tuna stacked up against others I have had. It did well and it was very rare.

Service was excellent throughout the meal.

The three of us dropped $167, before tip. Not for the light of wallet, but a very nice experience for the money. One of our best meals (even with the issues), and a beautiful place with sophisticated employees.

Breakfast at Wild Fork: It was superlative! I had taquitos, but they are really burritos. Whatever... it was really good! Chocked full of sausage, potatoes, jalapenos, bell pepper and topped with two cheeses, an herb seasoned sour cream and pico de gallo. Just an amazing breakfast in a nice place. The coffee never stopped flowing and we liked all the art on display.

BBD’s for breakfast: I think this stands for “Bitchin’ Basic Dining”. Whatever it stands for, you have to do it before dark, because they don’t serve dinner. Suggested by my sister, this was our cheapest Tulsa meal. At about $1.29 a gallon; we filled up for under $20!

This is Oklahoma’s basic, hard-core café for breakfast or lunch. No art for sale on the wall, no espresso machine, no frills. Worn formica, vinyl and uneven, chipped table tiles. Yet, they DO take American Express!

I had the “Murrito”, which is named after, Murray, for whatever that’s worth. Not unlike a Whataburger’s breakfast burrito, but much larger, it is filled with pea-sized bits of sausage, well-made and tasty. There’s a sprinkling of grated longhorn or cheddar cheese on top. It comes with teaspoon-sized paper cups of guacamole, sour cream and mild salsa and a generous amount of home fries. This is so at the other end of the spectrum from Wild Fork! It’s hard to imagine that they are basically the same thing. I shared this solid burrito with SO and then I ordered a single blueberry buttermilk pancake. This was good, too. Not as good as the ones at Queenie’s, but good. All the while the very good coffee flowed freely.

This is the café I expect of Oklahoma: the meal was a bargain, the people friendly and the food rib-stickin’ good.

Even with a four dollar tip, I missed spending twenty dollars by ten cents!

Lunch at Wild Fork (Utica Square):

SO had to go back! I was still full from breakfast but we wanted to have a good meal before boarding our plane for home…

I wanted to sit “in the back” where there's lots of art and window glass, but they seated us in the 'bar” area. Thus we were waited on by Teri F., a well-seasoned, eleven year veteran of WF. She was a great waitress. SO had the “Mediterranean Burger”, a thin burger on pita bread with a creamy dressing. She ordered it rare and it was perfection. She noted that the burger was hot and rare, while the red onion, tomato and lettuce were still cool and crisp. It came with very good German potato salad.

I had the spicy catfish sandwich. If it had been cooked less I think it would have wriggled… It could have cooked for another minute or two. It came with some perfectly dressed “jalapeno” cole slaw. There were shavings of jalapeno in the slaw and the heat was just right. The catfish was very spicy, with a blackened spice on it and chipotle sauce, as well. A little over the top on heat. It had the reddest, tastiest slice of tomato on it I’ve seen in a long time. Good half-sour pickles worthy of any NY deli. A couple of glasses of wine each and we were fortified for our trip home.

We both give Wild Fork two thumbs up! It was “forkin’ good”!

Note: I don’t know about the women’s restroom but I would advise men to avoid the bathroom if possible. I had to make use of it and it is designed for a midget, to start with. I am slender, and yet there was barely room to stand and get your pants up! Like a plane’s toilet, it was very loud from the fan overhead and very cramped. This is the perfect place to drop a wallet or cell phone in the toilet. The lavatory has old, round handles, too. This is NOT an ADA approved space. Oh, and the toilet seat was about to fall off.

Since you don’t go to a restaurant for their bathrooms, I am willing to overlook this huge flaw in an otherwise incredible place.

Stonehorse Café (Utica Square):

Noisy. SO says she has new rule… If it’s this noisy, we walk out (don’t even sit down). They were hoppin’ at 7PM. It slowed and we were able to talk around eight. Perhaps I’m engaging in hyperbole. High noise level is a deal-breaker for us. I think I have ear damage….

Other than some standard texture in the drop-ceiling’s tiles, it was hard everything; not good when you have sixty or seventy happy, well-lubricated (it IS Tulsa, after all), patrons, in one, small space. I hope this isn’t anti-climactic; the food was good. Service was good. Wine prices were almost astronomical. I think they started at $45.

We sat at the hub of activity, the open kitchen. The first thing I noticed was the wood-fired oven, at the far left. Scotty, have you beamed me back to Connecticut? We were not given the pizza menu but the women next to us were all sharing pizza…. It smelled and looked great!

At the other side four people were eating obscenely large pork chops and dark looking steaks.

We (3), all shared a bowl of lobster bisque. Rich and creamy, it was too spicy with chipotle. With the flavor-numbing heat we thought we tasted clams as much as we did lobster. There was no lobster in sight. This would not pass muster in New England. People expect to see some hint of what they are eating in a chowder or bisque. This was butt-smooth.

I had the venison sausage with cranberry sauce and risotto. It was delicious. SO and sister both had the garlic ravioli with pancetta but my vegetarian sister had vegetables substituted for pancetta. A sign of a good restaurant is one where “yes” is spoken and variations and special requests are easily accomidated. Both pronounced their’s very good. We followed this with one crème brule and one key lime pie. My crème brule arrived and we started sharing it. It didn’t taste or smell of “burnt matches” like Bodean’s did. Then our waitress brought us a chocolate mousse. We said, “we ordered key lime pie”, so it went away. Because of our proximity to the kitchen (see pics), we saw another chocolate mousse appear and saw the waitress telling them it was again wrong…. Finally, an “individual” key lime pie arrived. It had a toasted, creamy top, yet it was not warm. It did not have a cooked shell either, so the crust was like sand and not cohesive. It had good flavor for a translucent custard type of pie. Since we had one good dessert, the delay of the so-so pie was not terribly missed.

We enjoyed the experience (overall), except for the noise level. We expect a place of this quality and price to allow for relaxed conversation. About $180, before gratuity.

I hope this proves enlightening or helpful. We look forward to another visit next year.

Edited April 23, 2010 by Scargo (log)

[Jaymes]

There are a couple of new places in Tulsa. Caramel on S Peoria in the Brookside area. Also a new vegetarian place, Cafe Samana, also on S Peoria. There is a new burger joint up on Greenwood next to the new Oneok Ballpark called Fat Guys Burgers. Several new places in the downtown area that I haven't tried yet, I have heard good things about the dining room at the newly remodeled Holiday Inn, I think the name of the restaurant is the Boulder Grill. The White Owl on 15th is a sort of late night fave of mine, sort of meaning I don't stay out as late as I used to. Have you tried the Ali Baba Mediterranian on 51st, some very nice Persian food. I understand from a good source that the dining room at the Gilcrease Museum has new management and the food and the service have greatly improved. Also, have you ever had the chicken fried steak at Brothers Houligan, the one on 15th street near the Broken Arrow freeway overpass. I am waiting on my friend Madeline to open her new place called Sprouts on Harvard in the same little strip center where Steve's Books and Sundrys is located. Have you ever had lunch at the lunch counter at Steve's?

Joiei, what's the name of that Asian/Thai place I like so much?

It's still around, isn't it?

[joiei]

That would of been KEO. It is on the south end of Center 1 on Peoria.

For Scargo, I have been hearing of a new Peruvian place on the south side of Tulsa. 81st just east of Sheridan. Mi Tierra is the name and Brian has a review at tulsafoodblog. I am going to try to make it down there this week. I want to start with the ceviche.

Another new place that has been great is Sproutz. It is on Harvard just south of the BA in the strip center with Steve's Sundries and Books. They make their own pastrami, corned beef and duck pastrami. My favorite thing so far is to get the lobster roll for lunch. Lots of lobster meet, a little bit if finely diced celery and hardly enough binder to hold it all together on an authentic New England roll that is toasted on both sides so it is still warm when you get it. This is a counter service place only. My suggestion is to go after 1pm, they get very busy at lunch with folks from all over the neighborhood.

Also for Scargo, have you been to White River Fish Market yet. It is on N Sheridan near the airport. The best catfish, or any seafood almost in town. It isn't much to look at and during lunch they serve a LOT of people. You order at the counter. The food is fresh and excellent. You might have to share a table and possibly get to know some new people. When you order at the counter, they pull the fish from the counter in front of you to send to the kitchen. I always ask for extra hush puppies.

Edited June 15, 2010 by joiei (log)

[Jaymes]

Lunch at Wild Fork (Utica Square):

SO had to go back! I was still full from breakfast but we wanted to have a good meal before boarding our plane for home…

Wanted to reinforce the recommendations for Wild Fork. My daughter and I were lucky enough to meet Joiei there for dinner last week and it was superb. Joiei and I split the pear salad to start. It was really just a fairly simple salad with a red-wine poached pear on the side, and then mixed greens, and, if I recall correctly, sliced red onions, cheese crumbles (a bleu, I think), and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. But that dressing was one of the absolute best I've ever had. Then, I had the pork chop with caramelized apples. This dish was utterly outstanding. My daughter had a pasta dish that she has continued to rave about. I didn't try it, but I can tell you that it smelled wonderful, with some unusual flavors. Joiei, I'm not so good at remembering and describing restaurant meals, so can you elaborate a bit?

But whatever, I agree - when in Tulsa, definitely check out the Wild Fork.

Terrific.

[joiei]

I have a new place in Tulsa for Sunday brunch, The Bluestone Steakhouse down in south Tulsa. Most excellent.

Also, did I mention the find called Gomez y Compania, it is Peruvian and delicious. Just a small storefront with foods that I had never tasted before.

Oh, also, Wolfgang Puck's Bistro is open, its okay, I will go there every so often. But I would rather spend my money at Bluestone.

Edited August 19, 2010 by joiei (log)

[Chris Hennes]

Is there anything to eat near the performing arts center in Downtown Tulsa? Preferably open late...

[Scargo]

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=106324921966915789140.000456dd0994adb8b2b25&ll=36.1547,-95.990725&spn=0.010343,0.01929&z=16

There are a couple of places (at least), that are open till 11PM on Fridays and Saturdays. Blue Dome Diner and El Guapo's. Trula, at the Mayo Hotel, is open till 10PM and you might be able to get some food at the bar which could stay open later. Some hours are included on my map's POIs.

[joiei]

There is a new restaurant on Boston between Archer and Brady just across the tracks from downtown in the Brady district called Hey Mambo. Nice little Italian place, great design and good food. I liked the Center of the Universe Pizza. Scott from Hey Mambo

Another place is Joe Mamas Pizza. And another place if you want a draft is McNellle's on First, a short walk from the PAC. My link

THere is actually a lot of new things happening in downtown lately. I think Elote's is open till 11pm on weekends and if your there on the right evening they have Luchador wrestling. Elote