Taste
CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK COMES WITH YUKON GOLD MASHED POTATOES, SLATHERED IN COUNTRY GRAVY. IT’S PAIRED WITH THE NEW AGED MEDS COCKTAIL WITH GIN, ST. GERMAIN, HONEY AND A CANNABIDIOL RINSE.
THE NOMAD BURGER COMES WITH SAUTEED ONIONS AND RED BELL PEPPERS, FRIED PEPPERONI, MELTED MOZZARELLA AND ROASTED GARLIC TOMATO REDUCTION.
feeding the bands and road hands. But one thought in the father’s mind never went away: a local eatery he’d dreamed about for years. “You know, if you go up north, there’s places like this in every neighborhood, in the middle of housing additions in Iowa or Illinois,” Ned Sr. says. “My grandparents lived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and there’s a couple of places like [Ned’s Starlite Lounge] … and that’s what we patterned it after.” Glittery, gold, high-back, tufted corner booths, beside vintage 1970s flocked wallpaper, let you know this lounge comes courtesy of a different era. Smack-dab in the middle of the dining room, a generous bar with spirits, wines and suds is the perfect
spot for an after-work happy hour, a New Age Meds cocktail (gin, St. Germain, honey and a cannabidiol rinse), Sunday Funday brunch or a Bloddy Hell (yes, that’s spelled correctly – with Ardberg 10-year-old scotch, Jameson Irish whiskey and bloody mary mix). There’s even a comfy perch to belly up to for late-night snacks and sips with Ned’s Wake and Bake (house vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur and cinnamon). “Dad had this concept in his head for 15 or 20 years, but we’ve been holding out for the right location for the last three,” Ned Jr. says. With the old Nomad’s space, the son says: “We pull from Nichols Hills, Lakehurst and surrounding neighborhoods. Twenty-one
thousand vehicles pass here daily on average. This location had the demographics we wanted, so we grabbed it.” The menu at Ned’s is a bonus trip through some of Oklahoma’s greatest hits, with a respectful nod to the former establishment and a delicious bit of creative Shadid nuance. Six burger choices are a half-pound each, but the Nomad adds all the fixings with fried pepperoni, topped with an amazing roasted garlic-tomato reduction that will have you putting down the fork and knife and licking your fingers. Because no one can chicken-fry a steak like an Oklahoman can, the Shadids hit it out of the park with their house version: thick steak, perfect crust-to-beef ratio, paired with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes under a blanket of cream gravy. Or you can have grilled salmon over sautéed greens, Southwest chicken and polenta cakes, salads, sandwiches and hummus like only a Shadid can make for a dining experience well met. Check out Ned’s Starlite Lounge the next time you venture to OKC’s north side. SCOTTY IRANI
TA S T Y T I P S
If you want to impress your beau on Valentine’s Day with some homemade sweets, make (or buy) rice cereal treats, get a cookie cutter to shape them into hearts, then dress them up with icing and sprinkles. For something a bit more difficult, try red velvet brownies; scratch recipes are found all over the internet. (There’s no shame in using a box mix, either.) Other tasty ideas, which you can create with your significant other, include truffles, tarts, cake bites and the alwaysclassic chocolate fondue.
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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2019
IN SEASON
Spring produce may wait in the wings, but February provides plenty of fresh food for your kitchen. For veggies, there are artichokes, cauliflower, beetroot, savory cabbage and sauerkraut. Fruits popping up around this time include kiwi, tangerines, lemons, grapefruits and oranges. Make sure to stock up on those delicious citrus fruits because vitamin C is a must during the cold-and-flu season.
