LO C A L F L AV O R
ARDUINI’S – COOKING THE SICILIAN WAY “Duros will be handed out to everyone, much like chips and salsa in other places,” Parrot says. Notable among the street-style tacos are those filled with burnt ends of Kansas City brisket, pork belly, al pastor or deliciously marinated chicken. Vegans are not an afterthought; they’re actually a priority considering who frequents the arts district and the popularity of plantbased dining. Two standouts poke the bear: a taco featuring cauliflower, green olives and golden raisins, and another with grilled sweet potato, crispy kale and black beans. Both are magical and tie in perfectly with Oso’s salsas and toppings. In the bar, Jeffrey Alan Cole, the wine and spirits consultant, is excited about OSO being “as far as I know the only Mexicaninspired tiki cocktail program in the world.” Cole offers classic blends served in commissioned, handmade tiki cups. House specialties, also crafted by Cole for Oso, include the vallarta colada (a play on pina colada), served in a hollowed-out coconut, and the flavorful Oaxaca banana daiquiri with Paranubes rum. If you want a delicious and memorable time in OKC, consider the Paseo Arts District. Then look for the bear – Oso is guaranteed to deliver with a roar. SCOTTY IRANI
ABOVE: TACO OPTIONS AT OSO ARE ABUNDANT, INCLUDING SWEET POTATO, CHICKEN AND CAULIFLOWER PICADILLO. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS LEFT: OSO, SPANISH FOR BEAR, BOASTS ITS OWN BEAR MASCOT PEEKING IN THE WINDOW. PHOTO COURTESY OSO ON PASEO
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2018
Order spaghetti at Arduini’s in south Tulsa and the owner, Judy Trout – nee Arduini – rolls a big ball of dough, carefully pounds it long and flat and slices it into thin strips with a mandoline. Then it goes in the pot. As for the sauce... “I’ve been making that since 8 a.m.,” she says. “I learned by watching my Sicilian grandma and great-grandma cook when I was a kid. I copied what they did … and if I did it wrong they’d yell at me. I never wrote the recipe down; I kept it in my head.” You can get lasagna, full of rich, cheesy flavor – that’s also from her grandmother. So is the chicken parmigiana, “except she made it with veal, and no one in the world could ever make it as good as hers, so I use chicken.” She grew up in upstate New York and came to Tulsa 25 years ago, around the time she met Dane Trout, now her husband. He plays guitar, and once a month he brings his band to play at the restaurant. The place is packed and sometimes, if you’re lucky, you’ll see his wife get on stage and sing. 5321 S. Sheridan Road; 918-271-5044; facebook.com/arduinis. BRIAN SCHWARTZ
PHOTOS COURTESY ARDUINI’S ITALIAN MARKET
Taste
director for Humankind, explains why this bear is perfect for Paseo. “Our partners have conceptualized this menu and restaurant as longtime patrons and stakeholders in this historic arts district,” he says. “We hold the highest esteem for our neighborhood and its nostalgia.” Oso is well-suited for Paseo, whose economic success parallels its resurgence as a walkable area boasting retail and art galleries. Chef Ryan Parrot, partner in Oso and culinary director for Humankind, and chef de cuisine Chris McKenna, the bear of a man wearing the golden toque in Oso’s kitchen, put their heads together and came up with dishes that any Mexican food lover would enjoy. “Chris and I started playing around with ideas,” Parrot says. “We were originally thinking tacos and some appetizers, but then flavors started to develop so we thought, ‘Oh, vegan enchiladas. And we need to do nachos!’” Along with quesadillas, carne asada platters and a kids menu, there are also duros de harina, the wagon-wheel pasta street food. These fried, puffy balls of goodness are seasoned with Tajin.
