Champagne Brunch Bargain in Tulsa

This weekend Dianne and I enjoyed a fantastic buffet at the Creek Nation Casino in Tulsa. Every Sunday they offer a Champagne Brunch for $16 per person. That is a pretty big bargain for such a diverse buffet including soft drinks and champagne. The buffet included: seafood, asian food, premium beef, every breakfast item I have ever heard of and a vast array of delicate little pastries, tarts, tiny cheescake bites and itty bitty eclairs.

I tried cheese blintzes for the first time as Dianne quietly hoarded a king's ransom worth of creme cheese and lox. Dianne reports that the champagne was wonderful, but suggest everyone skip the champagne cocktails they offer and drink it straight! Bubbly is sweet enough without adding orange juice or cranberry juice.

Visions Buffet - River Spirit Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
1616 E. 81st, Tulsa OK
299-8518

Tulsa Zoo and Sushi Train

Dianne has been looking for a new place to get some spicy exotic food lately. This Friday, we both had the day off and our son Dylan was out of school for Fall Break. Since Oklahoma was blessed with a beautiful sunny day, we took a trip to the Tulsa Zoo. We all took our cameras for a fun little family safari.

If you have never visited the Tulsa Zoo, you should take one of these cool Fall days to explore it. Our family loves this inexpensive yet eclectic little zoo. It is loaded with interesting animals and laid out in a way that makes it very walkable. Since the Tulsa Zoo is surrounded by Mohawk Park, we often include a BBQ or picnic to keep the costs low. However, we arrived a bit late in the afternoon this Friday and they close the zoo at 6pm during the week.

Since I had failed to plan ahead, we found ourselves driving down Harvard Avenue hoping for a fun new restaurant to just pop up in front of us. Surprisingly, this actually worked! At 51st and Harvard, I saw a very interesting two-word sign offering: 'Sushi Train' and I new we had arrived. When it comes to food with heat, you simply cannot beat Asian food. For this reason, I had been considering the Osaka Japanese Steakhouse, it is on the same block as Sushi Train. However, we have seen the show at Osaka before and their food isn't that spicy anyway.

Sushi Train turned out to be just what I had hoped. A tiny electric train track surrounds a cooking area with about half a dozen Sushi Chefs in traditional garb (I guess). Each one is creating different kinds of sushi rolls and adding the tiny covered plates onto an electric train that pulls them by your table. Many of the dishes have tiny signs on top of them that describe what lies within, many leave you to guess. We enjoyed: California Rolls, King Rolls, Lesa Rolls, Cheesecake Rolls, TNT Rolls, Teriyaki skewers and many others loaded with wonderful stuff like: crab meat, habenero, green onions, avocado, tuna, salmon, calamari, jalapenos, etc. Each set of 4-6 sushi rolls is on a colored plate, the color of the plate indicates the price. At the end of your meal they count up the cost of the plates and add in your drinks to tally the final bill.

We showed up hungry and went nuts at this place. We grabbed every plate we wanted, added in a side order of Kimchi (blazing hot and slightly fermented Korean Cole Slaw). Since most of the dishes only offered a mild amount of heat or none at all, even our son Dylan ate a lot. It cost the three of us about $45 for the meal and we felt like it was a great deal. Sushi rolls are wonderfully filling and the ones at Sushi Train in Tulsa are beautiful as well. We saw many tempting dessert-type rolls made with gummi bears and other candies. They looked fun, but we went with the Cheesecake Rolls with Kiwi. Delicious! The meal offered the speed and variety of a buffet, without all of the walking back an forth and with each dish bearing its own sneeze-guard! You can't be too safe these days.

Like many buffets, it pays to arrive at a normal meal time, because that is when the most variety is offered. If you don't like snagging your meal from a train like a hobo, you can also order off the extensive menu at Sushi Train. We decided to do both. My wife has a chronic Kimchi Addiction that demands constant feeding and I have always loved electric trains. We will definitely be taking another trip on the Sushi Train soon.

Sushi Train
3300 E 51st St
Tulsa, OK 74135-3512
Phone: 918- 747-9931

Fall Fun in Oklahoma

A week of rainy cold skies make it clear that Fall has arrived in Oklahoma. Rich green woodland scenes around Oklahoma are suddenly steaked with dark red shrubs and vivid yellow trees. I love this season's dramatic changes in weather. Many of my favorite Oklahoma rivers are up and flowing again, after months of parched conditions.

Time for float trips, camping and visits to the zoo. Once the sunshine returns, I highly reccomend everyone enjoy the next few weeks of crisp mornings, cool afternoons and dramatic skies in the Sooner State. Take a cup of serenity from nature, you may need it. The holidays are just around the corner!

Oklahoma WineFest Saturday November 07, 2009 at 50 Penn Place in
Oklahoma City, OK

Tulsa Food News: I noticed The Bourbon Street Cafe in Tulsa, Oklahoma has closed after 15 years on Cherry Street. RIP

The End of the Okmulgee Pecan Festival

The Okmulgee Chamber of Commerce has announced the formation of a new summer festival, celebrating Freedom, Family, Food, and Fun. The new Okmulgee summer festival event will take place on Saturday, July 4th, 2009 and will be held at the Okmulgee Municipal Park, between 13th and 20th Streets. As with most July 4 celebrations, there will be fireworks and families can enjoy a blanket on the ground.

The Okmulgee Summer Festival is replacing the beloved 25-Year-Old Downtown Okmulgee Pecan Festival. Every June, the people of Okmulgee would get together and bake a pecan pie of Guinness Book of World Records size. Games, rides, concerts and more brought the young and old to downtown Okmulgee's historic town square. This old event is sure to be missed.

What do you think of the new festival at Okmulgee Municipal Park?
Drop us a comment!

Riverside Dining at Tulsa's Red Rock Canyon Grill

This weekend Dianne and I decided to conclude the day's bowling fun with a nice meal. My good friend Todd Groff had advised me to check out the Red Rock Canyon Grill for simple well-prepared food and great atmosphere. Since Tulsa's Red Rock Canyon Grill is right on the way home from Riverlanes Bowling Center, we gave them a try last night. Both of us left convinced that this is one of Tulsa's best new restaurants (opened in 1999).

Simply Good American Food

The first thing you notice when walking into the Red Rock Canyon Grill is a large number of whole chickens slowly roasting in a open hearth rotisserie. This chicken is the restaurant's specialty and it is not to be underestimated! This is chicken that will make you want to slap 'The Colonel'. Most of the entrees on the menu are hardwood grilled and you could really taste just the right amount of smoky flavor in every item we tried. None of the entrees required translation, just good simple food items like steak, ribs, salads, seafood and enchiladas.

Dianne ordered the chicken with BBQ ribs and I got the nightly fish special: Trout and Sea Scallops with blanched asparagus. Both entrees were SO fantastic that I decided to break with tradition and order dessert. Normally, I would count the two glasses of scotch & water as dessert but I passionately wanted to try their Key Lime Pie. In fact, I passionately want to try everyone's Key Lime Pie, if only to compare it to the amazing pie Red Rock Canyon Grill served me.

The Pie

The Red Rock Canyon Key Lime Pie is a HUGE slice of delicious lime custard pie with graham cracker, walnut and pecan crust and a creamy dollop of homemade whipped topping. All of this for the very economical price of $5.99! Dianne and I both enjoyed the pie and brought half of it home to fight over later. Never eat here without ordering the pie. You have been warned!

The Service

The service was extremely professional. Since the servers work as a team, you never find yourself waving madly for attention. Our waiter knew the menu backwards and forwards including loads of enticing details about the preparation. Although we had to wait about 20 minutes for our table, we enjoyed the time at the bar and Dianne got to try a new cocktail - The Cosmo. It is a bit like pink lemonade, if lemonade were made with vodka.

The Atmosphere

Apparently, the highlight of the evening at the Red Rock Canyon Grill is their sunset toast. However, we arrived too late and there wasn't any sunlight to enjoy anyway. I can tell you that the place offers great views of the Arkansas River and dining indoors or out. Of course, I was most impressed by the toilet. I can't speak for the ladies room features, but the men's room offers a flat screen TV, right in front of the urinal, showing basketball. For me, it was like someone read my mind.

The Bill

The Red Rock Canyon Grill can be expensive if you order the higher end entrees, enjoy cocktails and splurge on dessert like we did. However, we still got out of there for about $85. That is comparable with the restaurants just across the river in Jenks. In fact, it was more affordable than The Melting Pot and those pikers made us cook our food!

The next time you want some really great American food in a classy but casual environment, I heartily recommend Tulsa's Red Rock Canyon Grill, just make sure to do your bowling BEFORE the meal.

Red Rock Canyon Grill
9916 Riverside Pkwy
Tulsa, OK 74137
(918) 394-7625

http://www.redrockcanyongrill.com/

Meet PBA Bowler Jeff Carter in Tulsa May 9

You can meet right-handed Pro Bowler and bowling coach, Jeff Carter at the Andy B's RiverLanes Bowling Center at the Storm Open House May 9, 2009. As 1999's midwest PBA Rookie of the year, Jeff Carter's high back swing style and powerful strike ball turned a lot of heads. Last year, he beat Pete Weber!

In addition to meeting Jeff Carter, you can check out the new line of Storm bowling balls, bags and more! I think that the introduction to the "See Your Game" Coaching Software and Distance Learning Program look very exciting.

Bowling Chicks Adult T-Shirt - A cute bowling t-shirt for cute bowling chicks.
More Bowling Gifts from Lane 20 Bowling Store.

3rd Annual Tulsa Dining Out for Life Benefit April 30

Earth Day Eve Kayaking
Originally uploaded by FreeWine

Eat out on April 30, 2009 and participating Tulsa area restaurants will donate a portion of your bill to pay for local HIV services provided by H.O.P.E. Their generosity coupled with your genorous donation will make a very real difference in the lives of thousands of men, women, and children throughout the Tulsa community.

Just look at the list of restaurants participating in Tulsa's 2009 Dining Out for Life Benefit:

• Shades of Brown Coffee & Art - 918-747-3000


• Baxter's Interurban Grill - 918-585-3134


• Caz's Chowhouse - 918-588-CHOW


• Dalesandro's - 918-582-1551


• McNellie's Public House - 918-382-7468


• White Lion Pub - 918-491-6533


• El Guapo's Cantina - 918-382-7482


• Elote Cafe & Catering


• India Palace - 918-492-8040


• KEO - 918-797-8200


• Lambrusco'z To Go - 918-496-1246


• Lava - 918-749-3310


• Thyme Bistro & Catering - 918-742-7013

If you would like more information about H.O.P.E. or Dining Out for Life in Tulsa, please visit the Tulsa Dining Out For Life website.

Fresh Bread and Schnitzel in South Tulsa

The Farm shopping center in South Tulsa offers some fun food choices for Oklahoma folks. Dianne and I visited The Farm this weekend to have a meal at Margaret's German Restaurant & Deli.

Margaret's German Restaurant offers a large selection of traditional German sausages, pork loin dishes and sweet strudel. Although I usually won't touch sour kraut, I found the sour kraut at Margaret's to be excellent. Dianne enjoyed Jager Schnitzel and a spicy German dark beer. I played chicken with the sin of gluttony by downing Knackwurst, Bratwurst and Weisswurst in shocking quantities. The food was all fantastic and the service was excellent.

I'm surprised we had not already given Margaret's a try, considering they have been slinging schnitzel in Tulsa for over twenty years. However, when we found out that the owner, Margaret Rzepczynski, was on a mission to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, we moved her place up to the top of the list.

Visit the restaurant website for more details on Margaret's fund raising effort and what you can do to participate!

While we were visiting The Farm shopping center, we stumbled onto the Great Harvest Bread Company. An excellent local bread maker that uses only wheat that is fresh ground daily using their impressive stone grinding machine. They make whole wheat bread from five simple ingredients for bread that is healthier and fresher. In fact, no loaf of bread that they sell is more than 30 hours old!

Stop by Tulsa's Great Harvest Bread Co. someday and visit with the owner/operator Greg Diamond. In addition to a world-class sandwich, you will get a lesson on the bread making art that you will never forget!

Birds of Oklahoma Field Guide by Stan Tekiela

Made-in-Oklahoma Shopping this Weekend

Adopt an Oklahoma Dog
Originally uploaded by FreeWine

The Cherry Street Farmers' Market is scheduled to open April 11, 2009 from 7am until 11 am. This is the market's eleventh season, and it just keeps getting better every year. If you visit the Farmer's Market this weekend, look for new vendors, produce, plants and more. Occasionally, some of the Oklahoma winemakers even show up at the market and offer tastes of their Sooner State vino.

The original Cherry Street Farmers' Market opens this weekend from 7am until 11am. You can find the market at 15th & Peoria every Saturday from April 11, 2009 until October 3, 2009.

Wednesdays, we have the CSFM Brookside at 41st & Memorial from 8am until 12 Noon. The market will be open every wednesday from May 6, 2009 until October 21, 2009.

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Special events have been planned along with educational demonstrations at the Cherry Street Farmers' Market this year. There will be music on the Gray Snail patio Saturday mornings. Opening day St. Elmer's Fire, a great bluegrass and old time country group with a little hillbilly jazz thrown in for good measure.

Then on the April 18, Scott Aycock - singer, songwriter and co-host of Folk Salad will perform. Up With Trees will be on hand to give tree seedlings away. On April 25, Acoustic Mojo - Dianna Burrup and Bryan Huling who are great singer songwriters with loads of groove and harmony. Look for more information on the Cherry Street Farmers' Market website!

In other Made-in-Oklahoma News, our family has been 'blessed' with eight new puppies (Red Heeler & Lab mix). They are totally adorable and totally free to good homes. Email me at webmaster@oklahomaroadtrips.com and we will set you up with a new best friend that can't be beat!

Valentine's Day Fun in Tulsa

Valentine's Day is my anniversary, I am always on the lookout for new ways to enjoy this important holiday. I can tell you from experience that getting reservations on V-Day can be tough, so it pays to think out-of-the-box. One idea: Oklahoma wineries have a number of sales, events and activities scheduled for the Lover's Holiday.

I think Dianne and I are going to visit one of our favorite Tulsa spots for gourmet food fanatics: Ladonna's Fancy Foods on Cherry Street. We buy gourmet cheeses online occassionally, but the shipping costs are painful to say the least. Ladonna's elegant and expertly attended store holds a wealth of fine cheeses and custom chocolates. If you enjoy tasting rare and exotic delicacies LaDonna's is well worth driving far out of your way to visit!

LaDonna's Fancy Foods
1615 East 15th Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74120

Of course, we will be trying to squeeze in some bowling at Andy B's and dinner at Carraba's. I hope you and your special person find a great way to celebrate the day.

Kayaking at the 2009 Tulsa Boat Show

The 2009 Tulsa Boat, Sport & Travel Show will be held February 2-8 at the QuikTrip Event Center at Expo Square. This year there will be a Kayaking Pool attraction, so bring the whole family and learn more about kayaking in Oklahoma. Also, see Twiggy the Water Skiing Squirrel...performing live! A portion of the proceeds from each show benefits the Lion's Club.

The opening Monday evening VIP Night also is planned for this year, with 30 local restaurants offering food and Oklahoma wineries pouring local wines. The preview night is 6-10 p.m. on February 2, 2009 and more than 7,000 people are expected to attend the invitation-only event. The VIP Night tickets are $20.

http://www.tulsaboatshow.com/

Kayaking 2009 Wall Calendar (Calendar) by Sellers Publishing Inc

Great Italian Food in Tulsa

This weekend Dianne and I visited Carrabba's Italian Grill on 71st Street in Tulsa for the first time. You may have noticed their restaurant’s distinctive tree-covered roof. It turned out to be a fantastic choice for dinner.

Dianne and I arrived around 6pm on Saturday night and there were only two open spots in the parking lot. We were seated immediately...no waiting. This appeared to be a result of a rather clever floor plan with plenty of cozy two person booths mixed with the larger tables and booths. They even offer an exhibition kitchen area where you can watch them prepare the food.

The first thing I noticed after we were seated was that this Carrabba's has abandoned the Salt & Pepper shakers in favor of grinders. Hooray! It may sound trivial, but we made the same change at home and now I have become a big believer. Freshly ground black pepper is vastly superior in flavor to the powdered version and getting it from a waiter is NOT the way to go for a number of reasons. I don't know how much of a cost difference it makes for the restaurant, but at home the reduced waste makes up for the added cost.


Cocktails and Antipasti

Dianne ordered her first Sangria. Don, our excellent waiter, suggested she try a sample of each of their sangria's. This turned out to be a great move because we both much preferred their red sangria to their slightly sweeter white wine version. The tasty blend of wine, brandy, fruit and spices was an instant hit with Dianne. Sadly, I didn't find any Oklahoma wines on the menu.

Although we rarely order restaurant appetizers, we simply could not resist trying the 'Cozze In Bianco' AKA: mussels in white wine sauce. We were foolish to try to resist. Resistance is futile, order the mussels!

Carrabba's Italian Grill serves rope-grown mussels flown in every 48 hours from the coast of Prince Edward Island. Since the rope-grown mussels never touch the ground, they are prevented from becoming gritty like most clams, oysters and other shellfish. Carrabba's mussels are steamed in white wine, basil, lemon butter and Pernod (licorice flavor liqueur). The flavors blend in complex and exciting ways. Finding great seafood in Tulsa can often be tricky; don't miss this one of a kind starter!


Steak and Seafood

After that brilliant appetizer, I ordered their Sirloin Marsala with garlic mashed potatoes and a salad. Their caesar salad is just about the best I have ever had, not too tart or too fishy. The steak was perfectly cooked, very tender and smothered with mushrooms sautéed in their Lombardo Marsala wine sauce.

Dianne ordered The Damain, a seafood combination platter including grilled salmon, Spiedino di Mare, lobster ravioli and the most wonderful shrimp grilled over a pecan-wood fire. The lobster ravioli was the only pasta in our meal, it was good, but that shrimp was to die for, IMHO! As you can see, there is far more to Carrabba's than Spaghetti. I must shamefully admit that I failed to pace myself and ended up far too stuffed to attempt a dessert. They sounded divine.


Service and Atmosphere at Carrabba's

We spoke at length to the owner of Carrabba's on 71st, Tim Johnson. He is a really nice guy that works hard to keep the family atmosphere going among the servers. He showed up at our table wearing an apron and helping out with clearing dishes. The whole service staff seems to work as a team. They never let our glasses get empty. Our extremely friendly waiter had an impressive knowledge of the food and its origins, cooking methods and history.

The atmosphere was a bit noisy, no surprise considering the location and hour, but high walls around our booth helped make it seem more private. The whole restaurant is decorated in a vineyard style with grape vines dangling from trellis-like structures overhead.

Due to my wife and boss both launching low-carb diets a few years ago, I haven't visited an Italian food restaurant in years. The consistent high quality service and wonderfully fresh and flavorful food at Carrabba's Italian Grill caught us totally by surprise! Another surprise was the wealth of food choices that go beyond pizza and pasta. Heck, they even offer a Gluten-Free menu...whatever that means!

After sending our oil industry to Houston, it is good to see Tulsa has gotten something valuable in return. I hope they do well here. Dianne and I will definitely be returning to Carrabba's!

Technorati Tags: Tulsa Oklahoma Restaurant Review

Tulsa Bike Share Program - Yeah Tulsa!

The Tulsa Townies bicycle project was launched in August 2007 by Saint Francis Health System to promote an active and healthy lifestyle in the community. This project is the first bicycle program of its kind in northeastern Oklahoma. Three of the four bicycle rental stations are located at the Tulsa River Parks trail along Riverside Drive at 19th and 41st streets and at Riverside Parkway and 96th Street. The fourth is located at the Sand Springs River City Park at 2500 South River City Park Road.

Patrons have the option of checking out a bike from four kiosks called, Cyclestations™ located in Tulsa at 19th Street and Riverside, 41st Street and Riverside, 96th and Riverside and in Sand Springs at 2500 S. Sand Springs River City Park Road. Although there is no cost to check out a Tulsa Townies bicycle, a credit card is needed for identification purposes and to help prevent theft. Patrons may return their Tulsa Townies bicycle at any one of the locations regardless of where the bicycle was originally checked out. Patrons must be at least 18 years of age to ride a Tulsa Townies bike.

http://www.tulsa-townies.com