July 2020

T U R N P I K E R I VA L RY C A N O KC A N D T U LS A E V E R B E F R I E N D S ?

CHEERS to BEERS TOP HOME-GROWN SEASONAL BREWS

IF WALLS COULD TALK

Peek inside the new Bradford House boutique hotel

BOOK CLUB

Local authors share their top summer reads

Your Team of Healthcare Providers

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FE AT U R ES

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The Beers of Summer OKC’s lineup of seasonal offerings

29

‘Happy Together’

Can OKC and Tulsa find harmony?

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Lights, Camera, Oklahoma

A guide to Sooner State appearances on the silver screen

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DEPA RTM EN TS 18

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HOME 46

EN TERTAINING 101 Move outside for an intimate dinner or brunch.

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AT HOME WITH Designer Ashford Thomson finds inspiration in family legacy.

50

DESIGN A Deep Deuce penthouse made for parties

IN THE 405

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14 FA SHION

Colorful summer suiting 17

PER SON OF IN TER EST Oklahoma City author Lou Berney talks about his nationally acclaimed books and his inspiration.

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ARTS & CULTUR E Owl Court spreads its wings in Old Britton.

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OUT & ABOUT

GIVING BACK Impact Oklahoma names its 2020 grant recipients.

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PR I ME PICK S Local authors share their favorite books for summer reading

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LOCAL LOOK Popcorn at the Drive-In: An old idea finds new popularity amid social distancing

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ROAD TR IP An insider’s walk through Montecito, California’s chic streets

WH AT’S ONLINE Best posts from around the 405

36 DINING 36

GOOD TA STE Josh Valentine gets to the meat of the matter with his new Edmond concept, Livegrass.

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THE DISH What says summer better than peaches?

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THE DR INK OKC welcomes new places for boozy libations.

O N T H E C OV E R A sudsy beer on the counter at Roughtail Brewing Company in Oklahoma City. Photo by Miranda Hodge

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EVERY ISSUE 70

LOOKING BACK A tribute to the legendary Split-T burger joint

72

L A ST L AUGH Lauren Roth’s take on “Livin’ on COVID time”

Adult admission - $10

THE GALLERY OF HOMES at

Children 12 & under free.

Come experience all South Oklahoma City’s most elegant neighborhood has to offer while touring a street of new, innovative homes from Oklahoma’s most unique luxury custom builders.

June 27 - July 12 All ticket sales benefit The Sparrow Project & Moore Faith Medical Clinic, thanks to our generous event sponsors.

All adult ticket buyers will be entered to win a five-night all-inclusive resort stay for two at The Fives Hotels & Residences in Playa del Carmen thanks to our travel sponsors.

Special thanks to our home furnishing sponsor

ETHAN ALLEN

Tickets on sale now at GalleryOfHomesAtRivendell.com

@GalleryOfHomesAtRivendell

"There are those who see the need & respond.

I consider those people my heroes."

- Fred Rogers, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood

JULY 2020

VOLUME 6 • NUMBER 7

OWNER | PUBLISHER

Jordan Regas jordan.regas@405magazine.com EDITOR IN CHIEF

Melissa Mercer Howell

Oklahoma City is our neighborhood. And what makes our neighborhood special is when called upon, neighbors help.

melissa.mercerhowell@405magazine.com ART DIRECTOR

Christopher Lee christopher.lee@405magazine.com PRODUCTION MANAGER

Emiley Sexton emiley.sexton@405magazine.com STYLE EDITOR

We have welcomed thousands of new neighbors to our community by providing affordable housing for over 30 years.

But due to circumstances beyond their control, many of our neighbors are looking at uncertain futures, often with the security of their homes hanging in the balance.

Drawing inspiration from America’s neighbor – Mr. Rogers – We are calling on our neighbors to help our families in the form of mortgage payments or a donation of your choice. Please donate at YOURHABITATHOME.COM.

Sara Gae Waters saragae.waters@405magazine.com TRAVEL EDITOR

Matt Payne matt.payne@405magazine.com SENIOR WRITER

Greg Horton greg.horton@405magazine.com INTERNS

Sam Bowen sam.bowen@405magazine.com

Gracie Collier gracie.collier@405magazine.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Kimberly Burk, Christine Eddington, Evie Klopp Holzer, Greg Horton, George Lang, Linda Miller, Rebecca Moody, Lauren Roth, Elaine Warner CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Miranda Hodge, Rachel Maucieri, Charlie Neuenschwander, Matt Payne, Don Risi, Shevaun Williams

JOIN THE CONVERSATION Follow 405 Magazine on Facebook and @405Mag on Instagram and Twitter

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editor@405magazine.com. Letters sent to 405 Magazine become the magazine’s property, and it owns all rights to their use. 405 Magazine reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity.

Volume 6 / Number 7, 405 Magazine (periodicals 21350) is published monthly, 12 times a year, by 405 Magazine, Inc., 1613 North Broadway Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73103. Periodicals postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 405 Magazine, P.O. Box 16765, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6765.

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JULY 2020

VOLUME 6 • NUMBER 7

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405 Magazine Volume 6, Number 7, July 2020. 405 Magazine is published monthly by 405 Magazine, Inc. at 1613 N. Broadway, Oklahoma City, OK 73103, 405.842.2266. ©Copyright 2020 405 Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of 405 Magazine content, in whole or part by any means, without the express written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited. 405 Magazine is not responsible for the care of and/or return of unsolicited materials.

Nominate a woman shaping our community for a chance to be featured in our October Women’s Issue.

N O M I N AT I O N S E N D J U LY 1 0 T H H E A D TO : 4 0 5 M A G A Z I N E . C O M / H E R

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F R O M

T H E

E D I T O R

A Toast to Warmer Days

B

E ER TO GER M A NS IS MOR E than a beverage, it’s a way of life – a philosophy, if you will. Walking into a German beer hall is like availing yourself of the font of all beer wisdom. There, you’ll find beer for every occasion: weddings, holidays, Lent.

There are morning beers, late evening beers and in-between beers. Beer isn’t even considered an alcoholic beverage in Germany; it’s basically food.

Liquid bread.

Living in Munich for three years taught me what I know about beer. But, in recent years, some of Germany’s beer sensibility has crept west and into the imagination of American breweries. In Oklahoma, the state’s beer pioneers – Anthem, COOP, Marshall and Prairie, among others – have been joined in the last decade by a slew of inventive and enterprising breweries that are bringing beer to an artistic level.

In July’s issue of 405 Magazine, Greg Horton looks at the explosion in OKC’s beer scene, and gives his take on some of the best summer brews to quench your thirst and quell the heat.

We also examine the quirky and sometimes tenuous relationship with the state’s No. 23s 2 city to the northeast, and how the rivalry between Oklahoma City and Tulsa is becoming less prickly.

Christine Eddington talks with Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum and OKC Mayor David Holt about their long-term friendship and how that has led to genuine cooperation – especially during the pandemic.

Summer evokes thoughts of vibrant colors, r ich flavors and juicy books to savor. In this issue, Evie Klopp Holzer gives readers a peek inside Bradford House, the city’s latest boutique hotel, while Sara Gae Waters serves up a luscious outdoor table setting with fresh fruit and a lively tangle of potted plants as a centerpiece. And don’t miss George Lang’s list of what local authors say are the summer’s best reads.

While we were putting this issue together, much has been happening inside and outside our city on the subject of race. In the history of 405 Magazine and its earlier incarnations, diversity has been a goal, but we can do better.

To that end, we are committing ourselves to raise the level of diversity in our coverage, to seek out black and brown voices and to showcase the strength we gain from our differences. At our core, we are about giving a voice to the community; telling its stories. We ask you, our readers, to hold us accountable to that ideal.

Melissa Mercer Howell EDITOR IN CHIEF

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Expanding Legacy with Innovative Wearability

MERCY HOSPITAL PHYSICIANS TOWER

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In the 405

Fashion

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Person of Interest

17

Arts & Culture

18

Giving Back

20

What’s Online

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Cool & Colorful Summer suiting is one of the season’s top trends.

Cupcakes and Cashmere pink jacket and parrot earrings from Tallulah Lou; Astars sleeveless stripe top and Sanctuary belt shorts from rosegold; and fold-over bag from

SHEVAUN WILLIAMS

Black Scintilla.

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FA S H I O N

Cupcakes and Cashmere textural tweed suit and hoop earrings from Tallulah Lou; Rino & Pelle sheer zip jacket from

Summer Styling

Boutique One; Theory blue and white tank from CK & Co.; and Sondra Roberts bag from Betsy King A Shoe Boutique.

CAREFREE, COLORFUL LOOKS FOR THE SEASON

BY LINDA MILLER PHOTO S BY SHE VAUN W ILLI A MS

S

U IT I NG A N D COLOR A R E T WO of the biggest trends in fashion right now, each appealing on its own.

But when they come together in one look, the result is a fresh take that’s cool and comfortable or chic and polished, depending on how it’s pulled together.

The shorts suit is summer’s fashion darling. This modern twist on the classic suit can be styled with shorts that stop at mid-thigh, or Bermudas that stretch to the knee. The look was all over the runways for spring. It’s more wearable and appealing than last year’s bike short and jacket look, and has just the right amount of edge and newness.

Not eager to show too much leg? A matching pantsuit is a standout in bright colors, pretty pastels or all-over white, often with a jacket that nips at the waist and perfectly fitting pants that strike a happy balance between slim and wide. Or change it up with a roomy blazer.

And, of course, there’s always the skirt and jacket look. Play with color, interesting texture or pattern to keep it from looking too expected and add dimension.

Go matched or mismatched, short or knee-length.

Whatever your suit of choice, monochromatic is the season’s standout look with favorites such as pale pink, lemon yellow, grape, coral, orange, blue and mint.

Monochromatic dressing gives a long and lean look.

Subtle sophistication comes with a tank or blouse in a similar shade as the suit. Keep the color theme going with shoes and accessories, too, if you like. If head-to-toe color seems boring – trust us, it’s really not – break up the look with a print blouse or one in a complementary shade. Perhaps add an unexpected accessory such as an interesting brooch on the lapel, a chunky necklace or floral strappy heels. Details always count.

This year, the traditional 9-to-5 structured suit look is loosening its belt and having a fling with color.

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PH OTO G R A PH Y: S H E VAU N W I L L I A M S S T Y L IN G: PH I L I P WA S H I N G T O N, PR I M M A N AG E M E N T M O D EL: M A R L A C O O K , PR I M M A N AG E M E N T M A K EUP A ND H A IR: T E R E S A L U Z

B E T SY K I N G A S H O E B O U T I Q U E , 3001 Paseo, betsykingshoes.com T H E B L AC K S C I N T I L L A , 1112 N Walker, blackscintilla.com B O U T I Q U E O N E , 6478 Avondale, boutiqueone.store C K & C O., 6429 Avondale, ckandcompany.com G R E T TA S L OA N E , 5476 Avondale, grettasloane.com RO S E G O L D, 6423 Avondale, shoprosegold.com TA L L U L A H L O U, 1710 NW 16th, shoptallulahlou.com

A.L.C. mint double-breasted pantsuit from CK & Co.; Veronica Beard animal print blouse from Gretta Sloane; multicolor brooch from Tallulah Lou; Dee Keller shimmer sandals with block metallic heel from Betsy King A Shoe Boutique; and green earrings from Black Scintilla.

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P E R S O N

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Author Lou Berney shares insights on his life as a writer.

Photo provided.

Edgar, Elmore, Lou LOU BERNEY’S ROAD TO WRITING AND BIG BOUNCE

BY G REG HOR T ON

A

U T HOR A N D OK L A HOM A City native Lou Berney describes himself as “a lazy person, except when it comes to writing.” He is talking about his background, specifically the number of jobs from which he’s been fired, on the Author Stories podcast. Per his bio, the number was nine jobs between the ages of 12 and 19.

“It was nothing terrible,” he said. “Usually just laziness or incompetence.”

After discovering what he wanted to do, his energy level changed – at least when it came to writing. “I was on the high school newspaper,” he said, “and I don’t remember how I ended up there, but the first time I saw my byline, I thought, ‘I like that. Maybe this is for me.’”

Since then, he has made his mark as a successful mystery-crime novelist, earning an Edgar Award nomination for 2012’s Whiplash River and another five awards, including the Edgar Award for 2015’s The Long and Faraway Gone.

His latest book, November Road, was named one of the best books of 2018 by the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Newsweek, Booklist, Library Journal, the Guardian, the Dallas Morning News, LitHub and more.

Berney agreed to pick some beach reads for 405 Magazine and we interviewed him about his writing and teaching careers. He currently teaches in the Master of Fine Arts program at Oklahoma City University.

When he arrived at Loyola as a freshman, he had a life-changing epiphany. “I majored in journalism, but discovered along the way that I’d much rather make things up than report them,” he says.

So he turned his attention to fiction, and wrote his first short story at 24. He would subsequently sell it to The New Yorker, an astounding feat for a first effort. A collection of short stories met with critical acclaim, but while critics liked his first novel, it didn’t sell well. That all changed with the Edgar Award, giving his own life story a significant lift.

At the time of his first novel, Whiplash River, Publishers Weekly called him the “heir to Elmore Leonard” – a difficult mantle to wear, especially given that Berney lists Leonard as one of his favorite writers and influences.

“What I love best about Elmore Leonard is the empathy he has for his characters,” Berney says. “I’m not sure you can teach that, but writers can – and should – be inspired by it. I also love how he doesn’t waste a beat, and that’s something from Leonard that I can teach my students.”

Another writer that appears on his list of favorites is one of the most wonderfully complex in American letters: Flannery O’Connor died at 39 of a form of lupus, but she left a remarkable heritage as a female Catholic writer in the American South. We asked about her place in his list, and Berney said: “Flannery O’Connor had a razor-sharp eye for hypocrisy in all its many forms, so it would be interesting to get her take on the current social and political landscape. I don’t think it would surprise or shock her too much. I first read her my freshman year of college and I still remember the lightning bolt. I couldn’t believe someone could be so terrifying and funny at the same time.”

In addition to his beach reads, Berney admitted to being a fan of binge-worthy streaming programming, both personally and professionally.

“I absolutely see these series as literature,” he says. “And I think it’s been great for novelists. A lot of novels are far more suited to the pace of a limited TV series than a feature film.”

At the moment, Berney is concentrating on another project, about which he only says, “I’m working on a novel.” He is a mystery writer, after all.

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& C U LT U R E

A view of Owl Court as it stands today on Britton Road in Old Britton.

Hoots Given OWL COURT GETS WINGS AS LOCAL DEVELOPERS SAVE HISTORIC BRITTON MOTEL FROM DEMOLITION

BY G EO RG E L A NG

EMPT Y NEST

When Owl Court was completed in 1930, the United States Numbered Highway System was still in its infancy. Car owners were just discovering 18

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l Court w O f o o ot h A 1956 p oad.

R n o t it r B on l ooking east

TOP: DON RISI, BOTTOM: PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL J. LEE

I

T SAT E M PT Y FOR DEC A DE S, A vestige of a long-gone town and a mode of travel, but Owl Court is once again ready for roosting.

Owl Court LLC, a redevelopment group led

by Brad Rice, Marcus Ude, Rusty LaForge, Tyler Holmes and Marc Weinmeister, acquired the property at 742 W Britton Road in 2018 from John Dunning III, owner of the Trolley Stop Record Shop in the Classen Ten Penn district. Dunning, an avid collector of antique Oklahoma City memorabilia, bought Owl Court in 2006 and used it to store his archive: 20,000 pieces that were purchased by the Metropolitan Library System and are now housed in the Downtown Library.

One of those pieces of memorabilia, of course, could not be stored in the library – Owl Court itself is part of Oklahoma’s early history. Long ago absorbed by Oklahoma City’s urban sprawl, the town of Britton was home to Owl Court, a motor lodge where drivers stopped overnight while traveling on the Route 66 bypass around OKC. Rice began his own effort to acquire Owl Court for redevelopment, initially bidding against the rest of the team, which was then led by the late Thomas Rossiter. Vice president of First Fidelity Bank, Rossiter had seen the possibilities in reviving the “Old Town of Britton” as a business and entertainment district similar to Calle Dos Cinco, the Plaza District or Western Avenue. Rice ultimately joined forces with Rossiter’s group, and the team purchased Owl Court.

“I liked the corner, I liked the infrastructure there and I thought it would be a cool building to bring back to life, though it was in really bad shape,” Rice says. “So, I was chasing it down.”

A rendering of completed renovations at Owl Court.

COMMERCIALOKC.COM/OWL/

Owl Court was meant for more than just a memory, a fading postcard from a lost era. the 2,500-mile U.S. Highway 66, the first direct route from Chicago to Los Angeles, and Owl Court was part of the relatively new phenomenon of motor courts or “motels.”

When they emerged in the mid-1920s, motor courts satisfied a particular need for long-distance drivers. Before the first motels were built, drivers had a choice between staying in a traditional hotel or, if that was not financially viable, setting up a tent at an “auto camp.” The first acknowledged motor court was the Milestone Mo-Tel of San Luis Obispo, California. The Milestone opened just as the U.S. Numbered Highway System was established in 1926, and Owl Court came just a few years later to provide a place for “Mother Road” travelers to nest near Oklahoma City.

But two major developments doomed Owl Court in the 1950s. Two decades after the motor court opened, OKC was in an expansion mode, annexing large swaths of land and swallowing up surrounding towns.

By 1950, Britton was unable to maintain its infrastructure due to its shrinking tax base, so Oklahoma City absorbed it, with the street name “Britton Road” serving as a memorial to the lost town.

But like so many other stops on Route 66, a giant shift in automobile travel pulled customers away from Owl Court. When President Eisenhower established the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways in 1956, the new interstates drew drivers away from the older roads and the businesses that depended on them. Owl Court, with its guest rooms, gas station and cafe, survived into the 1970s, but then sat vacant for decades, slipping into the state of disrepair that Rossiter, Weinmeister and Rice found when they purchased the property two years ago.

“Every unit was filled up halfway with rotting ... stuff,” Weinmeister says. “We had to get a roof on it, or they were going to tear it down.”

“It looked like we should have run away,” Rice adds.

TAKING FLIGHT

Figuratively speaking, Rossiter and his team stood in front of the bulldozers. Oklahoma City declared Owl Court a dilapidated property, targeting it for demolition. In 2017, thieves ripped out the 1930s Coca-Cola sign that once stood outside the front hut.

Rossiter and his group closed on the property in early 2018, when Rossiter was undergoing

treatment for aggressive brain cancer. Despite every effort to achieve remission, Rossiter died on Sept. 16, 2018, leaving the rest of the team to help achieve his dreams for Owl Court.

Weinmeister said the renovation of the old motel required a close view of everything, for better or worse. New trusses were built in Checotah by Henderson Truss and installed to hold up the roof, which was completely replaced, along with all electrical, water and sewer. Much of the stone on the suites was salvaged to retain the classic look, and as it reaches its final stages of development, a mix of Oklahoma City’s prairie modernity and its antique past can be seen throughout the resurrected court.

“Everything you do in a redevelopment is custom,” Weinmeister says. “It’s not like having a parking lot poured with concrete, it’s more like having a crown put in your mouth.”

To extend the metaphor, the entirety of downtown Britton is receiving extensive surgery. The Ritz Theater, with its original barrel ceiling, was recently renovated; new businesses have also been launched in the past two years such as Zero Tolerance Coffee and Hideout Gallery, which opened in an old bakery building at 911 W. Britton.

Similar tenants are expected at Owl Court, including a coffee shop in the hut and a barber in one of the suites.

“We have a barber there, a small coffee maker, we’d love to have a couple of artists in there,” Rice says.

“People who are making things and have ties to the community.”

Once completed, Owl Court will look and feel like the modern use of the name: a food court, with picnic tables and 220-volt electricity and water for use by food trucks. Behind the tables, one of the suites includes a large overhead door, allowing artists or designers to bring in large equipment like lathes and 3D printers.

It is common knowledge that it’s more expensive to redevelop an existing property than to build something new from scratch, but Owl Court was meant for more than just a memory, a fading postcard from a lost era. As Rice, Weinmeister and the rest of the team near the finish line, they said there is satisfaction in saving Owl Court for future generations, keeping the history alive by putting in the work.

“You have to do it that way,” Weinmeister says.”

With a property like this, every decision is a crucial decision.”

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G I V I N G

B A C K

Volunteers at St. Luke’s Methodist Church prepare meals for seniors in its Meals on Wheels program.

A volunteer from St. Luke’s dons a mask and gloves as she delivers meals to seniors in the community.

Philanthropic Power IMPACT OKLAHOMA PRESENTS 2020 GRANTS

BY GREG HORTON

W

H AT BETTER TI M E TO make a powerful push for good?

Impact Oklahoma awarded $185,000 in grants to five charities at its annual meeting – held virtually – in May, with $100,000 going to St. Luke’s Meals on Wheels, a ministry of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. The money will fund the Elder Eats program, which will provide nutritional food and wellness visits to seniors five days a week.

Candice Hillenbrand, director of mission engagement at St. Luke’s and author of the Elder Eats project, says the concept is simple.

“The idea is to meet the nutritional needs of homebound and semi-homebound seniors who want to pay for their meals,” she said. “The meals will generate revenue to help fund the Meals on Wheels lunch program.”

Page Beatty founded Impact Oklahoma in 2005. She had seen coverage of Impact Cincinnati, and discussed it with a women’s group she met with regularly.

“The money from the grants has to go toward funding a novel project,” says Donna Brogan, a 20

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board member and communications chair. “The nonprofit can’t just use the funds for salaries or overhead.”

“A thousand dollars here or there is helpful,” Brogan says, “but the money just goes into the general account and takes care of day-to-day stuff. Get enough thousands together, and you can make a real impact. That’s the idea behind the Impact organizations. When Page put the idea out there, 106 members joined the first year.”

Impact is not a formally structured national organization in the sense that local groups are autonomous. Brogan called them a loose, informal affiliation, but all work on the same model: Recruit members who give $1,000 each, and then give the money away in sums large enough to help with charitable programs. One hundred percent of the membership donations go to charity.

Applicants write grants in five categories: health and wellness, culture, family, education and community. Impact Oklahoma has a group tasked with vetting the applications to

see that they meet minimum criteria such as novel program and nonprofit status, and then a committee is appointed for each category.

Each committee considers the applications and narrows them down to three. The final 15 are submitted to the board.

“All 15 finalists receive site visits,” Brogan says. “We meet the board members, tour the facilities, ask specific questions, etc. All members of Impact get a vote, and then the winner is announced at the annual meeting.”

Impact Oklahoma gives away all of the funds available each year. This year, with $185,000 available, St. Luke’s Meals on Wheels received the large grant, and the other four finalists split the remaining $85,000 equally. Brogan said the group has raised as much as $300,000 in one year in the past – in those years, three grants of $100,000 were awarded.

The other finalists this year were Good Shepherd, a ministry of the First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City that offers free medical and dental services to the homeless and others affected by poverty in the city; El Sistema Oklahoma, the youth orchestra program; Oklahoma City Community College Foundation’s mentorship program; and Camp Fire Heart of Oklahoma. All work to improve the quality of life or OKC-area residents, and now their efforts will have a little more impact.

PHOTOS PROVIDED

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W H AT ’ S

O N L I N E

Social Love: Jabee Jabee, a local music artist and Emmy award-winner, has a following of over 20,000 people on Instagram alone. He has made an everlasting impact on the 405 community, especially during the #BlackLivesMatter movement this past month.

Give him a follow @mynameisjabee

H AV E A G R E AT PHOTO TO SHARE? Tag #Your405 on your photo for a chance to be featured in one of our issues!

FOR YOU, FOR FAMILY, FOR COMMUNITY Beyond our fitness equipment and classes, we have pools for individual or family swim time, basketball gyms for pick-up games, Parents’ Night Out activities, family festivals and more.

We’re also a non-profit community benefit organization that facilitates a mentorship program for teens, provides financial assistance, addresses community needs in times of crisis and so much more.

Join and donate today

ymcaokc.org

FUN FOR ALL AGES! @mynameisjabee

What’s Online Did you know we release a sneakpeek digital version of each issue of 405 Magazine? You can always find a virtual copy when you subscribe to our email list! Find it on our website 405magazine.com

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Learning Tree

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B Y

G R E G

H O R T O N

The High Points of

MIRANDA HODGE

local Pints

Taking the Temperature of OKC’s Summer Beer Scene

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C

OV E R I N G T H E O K L A H O M A

City beer scene 10 years ago meant a one-page story on a handful of breweries and a few beer-centric bars that served mainly domestics and imports. There weren’t enough local beers to fill the tap handles at any respectable beer bar.

Everyone knows the story has since evolved, but the degree of change may be surprising to the non-beer nerd.

In central Oklahoma alone, the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission has 27 active breweries listed as licensed, and there are at least 20 more in the Tulsa metro. Some of those names – including Anthem, COOP, Marshall, Prairie Artisan Ales and others – are more familiar, as they were pioneers in Oklahoma craft brewing. Others are so new that their names are still relatively unknown: Broke, Core 4, Cross Timbers, Skydance, etc.

“It’s difficult to know how many breweries there are at every stage of development in the state,” says Patrick Lively, co-owner and founder of Lively Beerworks and the current president of the Craft Brewers Association of Oklahoma. “Part of the problem is knowing what a ‘brewery in planning’ is, because all you have to do is speak it aloud to get the process started.”

Licensing is different for brew pubs, contract brewers and licensed breweries, and no one currently aggregates all the information, but an educated guess would be that – including current license holders – there are more than 80 breweries in some phase of development or operation in the state. That is roughly double the number from the same time last year.

Driving this growth is an ever-increasing love of local beer, the explosion of taprooms with solid customer service and amenities, major changes in alcohol laws … and, honestly, really good beer. Anyone who came to Oklahoma after 2010 could be forgiven for believing that we always had this much quality beer in the state, because we have an abundance of the good stuff that is disproportionate to the size of our state.

COVID-19 shook every sector of the hospitality industry, and breweries were not exempt. Trends changed after the statewide lockdown, but for those who were paying attention, they were already changing noticeably last year. Breweries, like any good business, track those trends and alter their business models accordingly. What we are seeing is a major trend toward lighter beers with better balance and much less bombastic flavor profiles. The trend toward uber-hipster types seems to have waned, and people en masse are choosing pilsners over, say, some rare beer that was brewed in the coffee can where Charles Bukowski once kept his pens.

We tried to get a broad look at the industry for this feature, but the task is too large now to cover succinctly.

Given that it’s a summer issue, we decided to focus on summer drinking; the trend toward lighter beers; and new taprooms and breweries.

COOP canning line.

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THE TRENDS CO O P A LE WO R K S launched the Will & Wiley

Stonecloud has indoor and outdoor seating, so depending on the weather, you can enjoy a beer Al fresco.

BEERS OF SUMMER

PH OTO S PRO V ID ED

A S W IT H CO C K TA I L S and wine, summer tastes with beer tend toward the lighter, fruitier and more refreshing. Most breweries have at least one year-round style that works in the summer and functions as a workhorse product the rest of the year. IPAs still outsell other styles, and the lighter, East Coast styles work well for hotter weather, too. We tasted around the city to find some go-to options for summer.

Anthem Always in Session light IPA 4% ABV Black Mesa Mountain Boomer Kolsch 8.3% ABV Cross Timbers Greenage cilantro-lime Gose 5.5% ABV Elk Valley Firefly Crew Witbier 4.8% ABV Frenzy Yeah Yeah Yeah Belgian Blonde with raspberry 7.5% ABV Lively Passionfruit Tart 5.3% ABV Prairie Artisan Ales (OKC) Rainbow Sherbet Sour Ale 5.2% ABV Roughtail Everything Rhymes with Orange Hazy IPA 6.5% ABV Stonecloud Havana Affair Pilsner 4.6% ABV Vanessa House Destination Wedding Cerveza 4.6% ABV

hard seltzer line in early spring, the first Oklahoma brewery to commit to the trend popularized by loveit-or-hate-it brand White Claw. The OKC company launched a consumer line with four flavors – get the cherry lime! – and a flavor-neutral seltzer for use in bars and restaurants. Given the lockdown, it’s now impossible to know how the line would be doing if the team had had more face time to get the word out. Still, the segment is strong and shows signs of growth this year, and given that it’s an excellent product, Will & Wiley will likely catch on throughout the summer.

Stonecloud is launching its Solo Spritz line of hard seltzers in late summer. Vice president of sales Adrienne Jaskula said the launch will feature three as-yetunannounced options that showcase natural flavors, real fruit and organic products (in some cases).

“We wanted to go premium with Solo Spritz, to use quality ingredients and color from the fruit as well as flavor,” Jaskula says. “We thought it would help differentiate our product in a market that’s already very busy.”

Seltzer, which is obviously not beer, still indicates a significant turn in the market toward lower-alcohol, “healthier” options, and less complex flavor profiles.

Breweries are now turning to the popular low-calorie, low-alcohol-by-volume beverage to expand their offerings for guests. Stonecloud had house-made seltzer from Day One, so offering hard seltzer was an easy transition. In fact, its pink lemonade seltzer, engineered to taste like Country Time lemonade, was so popular employees weren’t even able to buy any.

“We sold through it so fast,” Jaskula says. “We thought it would be popular, but we far exceeded our expectations – so much so we’re making it again.”

Stonecloud also collaborated with hip-hop artist “Jabee” Williams on his cocktail-inspired seltzer Fragile & Cruel, crafted to resemble an Old Fashioned in flavor.

“We’ll continue to produce one-offs and other projects centered on seltzer,” Jaskula says. “Customers have indicated they love it.”

Vanessa House is getting on the low-cal trend, too, but not with seltzer. “We’re working on a low-calorie IPA for the summer,” says Andrew Carrales, one of the founders. “We’re shooting for 100 calories and low IBUs (International Bitterness Units), likely in the 60s.”

The name, Vibe Audit, follows the Vanessa House trend of naming their beers after moments shared by the founding partners, with Broken Tile and Garage Fire sharing the crown for funniest story over a beer.

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Lively Beerworks taproom will soon include patio seating options.

COLLABORATION ON THE PRAIRIE Jabee wasn’t the only local music artist to collaborate with a brewery. Beau Jennings was planning a party to launch his acoustic rework of 2019’s album “The Thunderbird” when he did a show at the Prairie House.

Austin Hacker, the owner of Prairie House, connected Jennings with Greg Powell of Prairie Artisan Ales, and the idea of a beer collaboration emerged.

“We were going to do a beer release party, but COVID obviously changed that,” Jennings says. “But

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we went ahead with the beer, and I went ahead with the acoustic project.”

The persimmon saison is light, fruity, crisp and approachable. It has a little of the funk you expect from a saison, but it’s not off-putting.

“I love persimmons, and they grow on the land around Prairie House, so I thought it would be good to combine my love of persimmon with my love of saison,” says Jennings.

B E A U JENNIN G S: C O UR T ESY O F T HE O K L A H O M A F IL M A ND M U SI C O F F I C E

(Next time you’re in the taproom, ask them to tell you the stories.)

“During the street construction that disrupted our sales and taproom traffic, we kept telling each other to audit our vibe because we were stressed out constantly,” Carrales explains. “When we started talking about a low-cal beer, that was the obvious name. We monitor trends, and seltzer has indicated a solid interest in low-calorie choices, so we’ll release it as soon as we’re happy with it, but it will be this summer.”

Brad Stumph is the founder of the Oklahoma Brewers Union, a contract brewing facility with a taproom and green space that operates as an incubator for new breweries.

Angry Scotsman and Elk Valley both spent some formative time in the B.U. Currently, the tanks are being used by Skydance Brewing Company and Cross Timbers Brewing Company.

During the COVID shutdown, he noticed trends in the beers customers ordered for delivery.

“There was a different move toward lighter and more sessionable,” Stumph says. “The delivery sales were very different from our taproom sales in terms of style.”

Restaurateurs have made the same observations about the food people purchased; there was a definite trend toward comfortable, predictable and familiar. In spite of the deluge of “uncertain times” commercials and the consequent exhaustion with the phrase, there was plenty of uncertainty to go around through March, April and May, even into June. But the trend toward lighter and “healthier” began last year. Like with so many other things, COVID-19 just accelerated the process.

N E W A N D N E A R LY N E W I N B R E W R O U G H TA I L B R E W I N G CO M PA N Y

PH OTO S PRO V ID ED

launched in 2013 in Midwest City. Owners Blaine Stansell and Tony Tielli built a popular brand thanks to solid beer, the exceptional Everything Rhymes with Orange (easily one of the best, most approachable IPAs available), hard work and the lizard.

“We were looking for a brand identity and we knew we wanted an animal,”

Stansell said. “Armadillo was taken; coyote was too obvious; we liked the look of the roughtail gecko.”

In mid-May this year, the two opened their 20,000-square-foot brewery and taproom on W. Memorial Road, with more than 3,000 of those square feet dedicated to the taproom, including seating, private rooms and bar.

“We were maxed on space at the original location with no room to grow,” Stansell said. “We both live in this area, and we got five acres for a good price. It’s hard to get five acres in the city.”

Roughtail joined several other breweries in opening new taprooms over the past year: Black Mesa and Crossed Cannons, both in Norman, Lively Beerworks just off Oklahoma City Blvd. on SW 2nd St., Core 4 in the Paramount Building, and Frenzy Brewing in Edmond.

Matt Conner and Jeremy Estle are the owners of Frenzy Brewing, which opened in the historic E.A. Bender building in Edmond in June. The pair decided on a historic building in downtown Edmond because they wanted to be part of the “renaissance” that’s happening along and around S. Broadway.

Jake Keyes is the founder of Skydance, and his is the first Native American-owned brewery in the state. When construction is finished, he’ll have a full operation on NW 7th Street, east of Broadway near Automobile Alley, another area of the city that’s seeing growth. Keyes said the goal is to be brewing by the first quarter of 2021.

In addition to the taproom and brewery, the facility will house a restaurant, patio, office space and a mezzanine for private events.

When The Big Friendly opens in Wheeler District this summer or early fall, it will mark an important transition for brothers Joe and Will Quinlin. The Big Friendly name is well known around the city because of the beer bus that built their brand, but the new 5,500 square-foot facility will finally give them a fixed home and a chance to brew large batches of their own beers.

“We have a bunch of recipes and we’re ready to go,” Joe Quinlin said. “We have our own favorite styles, and we also pay attention to the market trends — and like everyone else, we’re enjoying lighter, sessionable beers right now.”

Lively Beerworks taproom. Blaine Stansell and Tony Tielli of Roughtail.

Big Friendly Beer Bus. Will & Wiley, the new hard seltzer line from COOP.

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Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer.

From Warhol to Koons: Masterworks from the Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation

© Estate of Roy Lichtenstein

Organized by the Taubman Museum of Art

Support for the exhibition and related

Roy Lichtenstein (American, 1923–1997).

educational and outreach programs has

Sweet Dreams, Baby!, 1965, published

been made possible by a grant from the

1966, from 11 Pop Artists. Screenprint.

Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation.

37 7/8 x 27 5/8 in. (96.2 x 70.2 cm).

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OR DECADES, Oklahoma City and Tulsa were like two squabbling siblings, with a fully formed rivalry between them. Tulsa was a little snooty, Oklahoma City was a little rough around the edges. As former Oklahoma Gazette editor Mike Easterling wrote in a feature for the website Skyscraper City: Even though Oklahoma City has always had a larger footprint, had a higher population and has been the seat of state government since 1910, Tulsans could take pride in their city’s cultural superiority, its status as the epicenter of the oil business and its physical attractiveness, marked by green, rolling hills, a historically significant river and a thick urban tree canopy. It was a sophisticated, urbane Midwestern city with Ivy League sensibilities.

By contrast, Oklahoma City was a flat, sprawling, utilitarian, prairie town with a pronounced dislike for anything that smacked of elitism – especially those snooty, transplanted easterners who resided up the turnpike. In Oklahoma City, the cowboy was still king, even if he was all but a historical anachronism by midway through the 20th century. Culture was measured in terms of Frederic Remington paintings and the thickness of broiled steaks. There was no more obvious 30

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symbol of the city’s plainness than its so-called river, which, as the old joke goes, had to be mowed three times a year.

Dr. Bob Blackburn, who recently announced his plans to retire from his decades-long post as executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, explains why Oklahoma City has historically been the dusty, scrappy country mouse to Tulsa’s top-hatted, monoclesporting city mouse. “The ‘turnpike rivalry’ goes back literally to the 1800s,” Blackburn says.

“Oklahoma City had a head start on Tulsa, having been incorporated in 1890. Tulsa wasn’t for eight more years. When Tulsa caught up in the 1920s, the rivalry heated up.”

Another man with first-hand experience navigating the often-choppy waters between the two cities is former Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, who led our state from 2003 to 2011. “It’s been my observation that Oklahoma

City and Tulsa have not always worked well together, and in fact there’s been a competition.

As governor, I used to lament that fact, and often said it was time to work together to build a better state,” Henry says.

“It seemed to me that there was always a feeling from Tulsa leaders that Oklahoma City ‘got’ more than Tulsa, and Tulsa had a chip on its shoulder.

Oklahoma City is the capital, and more state resources are here,” Henry says.

The two cities’ landscapes, heritage and leaderships were all very different. “Oklahoma City’s economic prosperity, its base, was land and commerce. Goods flowed in and out. It’s a prairie city, with no built-in natural beauty and deep topsoil. It was part of Oklahoma Territory,” Blackburn says, adding that Oklahoma City leaders were generally possessed of an impetuous, bold wildcatter mentality. Risk takers.

Buildings constructed in Oklahoma City were likely to be built by individuals – the Colcord, for

TULSA MAYOR G.T. BYNUM, LEFT, WITH OKLAHOMA CITY MAYOR DAVID HOLT.

PH OTO S PRO V ID ED

example. “Charles Colcord didn’t spend a lot of money on ornamentation. The Colcord is a plain building,” Blackburn says.

Tulsa, by contrast, was founded on oil and industry, and was part of Indian Territory. “Tulsa has had more of a mid-Atlantic culture from the beginning. In the 1920s, it was the oil capital of the world. Its landscape, rolling and hilly, in the foothills of the Ozarks with big trees, was naturally beautiful,” he says. Much of its early citizenry came from Pennsylvania and brought their Eastern sensibility with them. Its corporate citizen base and Wall Street backing underwrote the Art Deco masterpieces the city is known for.

“When you are backed by Wall Street, you say yes to Tiffany glass, and yes to Art Deco skyscrapers,” Blackburn says.

“Philanthropically, the two have historically been different, as well. For example, Oklahoma City’s Aubrey McClendon was a risk-taker, a wildcatter. He could be reckless and aggressive,”

Blackburn says. Tulsa’s George Kaiser was the opposite, he added. “Kaiser could be described as deliberate, corporate and structured.”

So the rivalry is easy enough to explain. But as our world has systematically become smaller, thanks mostly to technology, the metaphorical distance between Oklahoma’s two biggest cities is shrinking by the minute. Mayors Bynum and Holt are driving forces of this new dawn, but Blackburn also points to another pair of politicians whose collaborative relationship got the ball rolling. “Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett Jr. had a great relationship,” Blackburn says.

Cornett was mayor of Oklahoma City from 2004 to 2018, while Bartlett was mayor of Tulsa from 2009 to 2016.

“I do think it’s improving,” Henry agrees.

He speculates that in addition to technology, a generational shift may be at play. The two mayors are among the youngest members of Generation

X, on the cusp of the Millennial generation.

“Maybe they are more collaborative by nature, and OK with more diversity than generations before them. Maybe they’re more open-minded about all kinds of things – including, God forbid, Oklahoma City and Tulsa collaborating together.”

Oklahoma’s latest mayoral dream team recently allowed 405 to conduct a COVID-19-appropriate interview via an email Q&A. Answers have been edited for length and clarity: WHY DID YOU WANT TO BE MAYOR? H O LT: Having served at literally every level of government, I knew that nothing is as rewarding as being at City Hall. I couldn’t imagine a better job than being the mayor of Oklahoma City, and (felt) that if I ever had the opportunity to run and serve, I should take it.

B Y N U M : I’ve wanted to be the Mayor of Tulsa since I was a little kid. My grandfather was our mayor when I was born, so I grew up hearing from people about what an important job it was. As an adult, I found that there is no job in public service where you can make a greater daily positive impact in the lives of people you love than being mayor of your hometown. I ran in 2016 because I did not feel we were aiming high enough as a city, and because I wanted to rally our community behind addressing century-long issues of racial disparity.

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SCISSORTAIL PARK IN OKLAHOMA CITY.

THE SKIRVIN HILTON HOTEL IN OKLAHOMA CITY.

MAYOR H, WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT TULSA? Obviously, it’s a cliched answer, but it’s still the right one: Gathering Place. We were there opening weekend, and we very much look forward to getting back for more exploration.

HOW DID YOU GUYS BECOME SUCH GOOD FRIENDS? DID YOU KNOW EACH OTHER BEFORE? B Y N U M : We’ve been friends for 20 years.

If you’d told us back when we were low-level staffers on Capitol Hill that we would be the mayors of Oklahoma’s two largest cities at the same time, I think we would’ve thought that sounded awesome but improbable. All the credit for our friendship goes to our wives, who were in a Bunco group with another rookie staffer 32

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named Kendra Horn. They introduced us, and our careers have followed eerily similar paths since then. Today, our wives BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE are still close and our kids – we each have a girl and a boy – are roughly the same ages, In those pre-coronavirus days when people crowded into clubs so our families enjoy any opportunities we to hear local musicians, both Tulsa and Oklahoma City artists and fans could agree on one thing: There has been a sharp dihave to spend time together. vide between the two cities. Each has its own stars in all genres, H O LT: Yes, we’ve known each other since but those who have yet to achieve national prominence rarely we were staffers in D.C. at the same time make it from one end of the Turner Turnpike to the other. nearly 20 years ago. Our wives hit it off in Until fairly recently, Tulsa had an enormous advantage over Oklahoma City in both its culture and its sheer number of that same time period. Even though we venues, having given rise to Bob Wills, Leon Russell may not have been in regular and Dwight Twilley, among others — and boasting contact in the intervening one of the most sought-after venues in America, years, we followed each Cain’s Ballroom. In 2018, Tulsa ranked No. 8 among music markets for the number of major artist other’s careers. When it concerts per capita. It not only beat Oklahoma City started to come together by that metric; it bested music meccas like New that we would be elected Orleans and San Francisco. mayors of our hometowns In other areas, Oklahoma City has shored up its business with the proliferation of mid-sized venues about the same time, we CHESAPEAKE ARENA IN OKLAHOMA CITY. to compete with Tulsa’s Cain’s Ballroom and Brady were communicating more Theater. Since 2015, Oklahoma City has added three and more. We made a venues with mid-sized capacity — The Criterion, The Jones Aspoint to spend a whole afternoon together sembly and Tower Theatre. But because Oklahoma City’s small venues are outnumbered by Tulsa’s equivalent spaces, Tulsa in OKC soon after I was elected. We’ve artists are not as incentivized to come down the turnpike. communicated every few weeks since. Now Except, of course, when Norman Music Festival is in full with COVID-19, we communicate hourly.

BEHIND THE

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM EACH OTHER? B Y N U M : Well, his mic drop at the opening of Scissortail Park was the coolest thing

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swing. This annual free event attracts around 80,000 attendees to see more than 140 acts, most of whom are Oklahoma artists. It is the great melting pot of Oklahoma music, in which Tulsa and Oklahoma City musicians share stages and reach new audiences. For music lovers, it is an all-you-can-eat buffet.

S C IS S O R TA IL PA R K: D O U G H O K E, C HES A PE A K E A R EN A : UR B A N AT I V E

MAYOR B, WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT OKLAHOMA CITY? Oklahoma City woke up early to the reality that the competition among cities in the 21st century is global, and that led to some truly visionary work to make Oklahoma City a world-class city. I love the ambition of the city, and it is home to my favorite mayor.

BOSTON AVENUE METHODIST CHURCH IN TULSA.

I’ve seen a mayor get to do. So, I’ve learned to be jealous! Just kidding. David is a much smarter strategist than I am.

TULSA AND OKC MUSIC SCENES When it comes to elected leaders, the heroes in history are the ones who first Despite those rare occasions of coming together, the OKC metro has its rising stars like Husbands, Academy Garden, Kat identified the right thing to do and then Lock and Goldenface, while Tulsa has Paul Benjaman, Cutty figured out how to build support for the Forever, Republican Hair and Casii Stephan, and achieving right thing through communication. It’s a significant following in both cities is rare. When it does not enough to know what the right thing happen, it is usually because an artist has achieved regional to do may be – you have to be able to or national acclaim – think Jabee, Samantha Crain, Johnny Polygon and John Moreland. bring people along with you. David is one Ferris O’Brien, program director for The Spy of the best communicators FM, said the level of division can vary, depending holding elected office on the audience. He said indie acts are doing what today when it comes to they can to make the turnpike trip less bumpy.

“I think that each city has its people in the know that approach. or the ‘cool kids club’ in which, over the past few HOLT: I’ve always said that years, that ice thaw may have begun,” O’Brien says.

OKC and Tulsa are like “But on the scale of the masses … it’s still sub-arctic.” bizarro versions of each Jerry Wofford, former Tulsa World music writer and current education and public programs direcother. We face so many BOK CENTER IN TULSA tor for the Woody Guthrie Center, said he is seeing of the same issues. So, I more movement between the two cities. always look to how he’s “I think both cities have had a rich history of music that handling things as sort of an Earth-2 both cities are fiercely proud and protective of,” he says. “But more and more, the cities and the music scenes in them can’t version of what I’m doing, and it often operate in a silo. I have seen more and more crossovers and causes me to look at something a different inclusion of musicians in each other’s scenes, and it feels like way. With COVID-19, when suddenly whatever rivalry or rub was there was giving way to cooperawe were faced with the exact same issue tion and collaboration.” at the same time, it was an amazing Change is inevitable in the wake of COVID-19; we’ll just have to wait and see whether the future holds more harmony opportunity to have someone in virtually between Oklahoma’s largest cities. the same position that you could play off – GEORGE L ANG of, observe and talk to.

DIVIDE B O S TO N AV EN UE ME T H O D IS T C HURC H: S A R A H J M A L ER I C H G AT HER IN G PL AC E: SU S A N V INE YA R D S TO C K . A D O B E.C O M, B O K C EN T ER: O K IEF RO M O K L A

GATHERING PLACE IN TULSA.

HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT OKLAHOMA’S TWO BIGGEST CITIES CAN WORK TOGETHER TO HELP OUR ENTIRE STATE? B Y N U M : Based on all the data I’ve seen from our health department, thousands of lives were saved because of quick action taken by cities in our two metro areas in the early stages of the pandemic in Oklahoma. I’m not aware of any time in our history as a state when OKC and Tulsa worked together more closely than we have this year to protect the ability of our healthcare systems to treat those suffering from COVID-19.

And that didn’t just benefit our two cities; it benefited the entire state. I think it shows what good can be done for Oklahoma when OKC and Tulsa are working together as a team, and I am hopeful that will be an aspect of this challenging time that stays with us moving forward, long after the pandemic subsides.

H O LT: If OKC and Tulsa were joined as one city, it would be a top 25 metro. Cities are the most relevant political subdivision in modern life, and the bigger the better. We need to capitalize on what we have and working together is the only way to do that.

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T E L L I N G Y O U R S T O R I E S 405 Magazine is dedicated to reflecting the unique blend of Western charm, bohemian cool and classic style that makes Oklahoma City a remarkable place to live. As a lifestyle guide, it continues to be an authority on the arts, culture, fashion, history and travel with discerning insights and recommendations. At its core, however, the mission of 405 Magazine is to go beyond what happens to what matters – to tell the stories that reveal the dynamic and diverse community in central Oklahoma.

Follow us and subscribe to our newsletter at 405Magazine.com to keep up with business and restaurant openings and get insider tips on dining,

GRILL TONIGHT!

Ready-to-go Kabobs with Wine Pairings

AT LA BAGUETTE BISTRO 7408 N May Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73116 labaguettebistro.com • 405.840.3047

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shopping and more. And continue to share your stories with us at 405magazine.com/about-us/contact-us.

Dining

Good Taste

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The Dish

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The Drink 39

Raising the Bar Cocktails from the new 1884 at The Railyard in Edmond. We focus on new things coming out of the COVID shutdown, including Josh Valentine’s

MIRANDA HODGE

Livegrass and new bars around the metro.

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D I N I N G

G O O D

T A S T E

The Okie Pig at Livegrass

Love for Livegrass JOSH VALENTINE’S GOT BEEF – AND PORK, AND CHICKEN

BY G REG HOR T ON | PHOTO S BY R ACHEL M AUCIER I

W

HEN LI V EGR ASS Butcher and Bistro (3601 E 2nd, Edmond) opened in June, chef-partner Josh Valentine was almost a decade removed from Divine Swine, his culinary ode to the pig on N. May that he closed to participate in season 10 of “Top Chef.” His talent was already obvious before Divine Swine, but a decade of seasoning in other people’s restaurants – including the rightly famous FT33 in Dallas – 36

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has prepared Valentine to be a chef-operator with more perspective.

“We’re trying to have fun,” he says, speaking of his menu. “We’re going with burgers and sandwiches for now. We’ll get around to the full bistro experience with entrees and other options once the COVID crisis passes, but for now, I’m focused on the fun stuff.”

The fun stuff includes burgers and sandwiches made with beef, pork and chicken raised by

Valentine’s partners, Mark and Susan Goss. They have a ranch in Okfuskee County, east of the metro, where they raise certified Angus beef, Berkshire pigs and Cornish Cross chickens. The ranch, which they purchased nearly five years ago, is now 538 contiguous acres that Mark (a retired petroleum geologist), Susan and a crew of 10 to 12 cyclical ranch hands operate.

“We were introduced to Josh through a mutual friend,” Mark Goss says. “We’d made a decision to do a restaurant or butcher shop already, because we needed a way to get product out at the right scale and at a price consumers could afford.”

Frequent travelers, the Gosses had the idea to recreate some of the quality and feel of the Willamette Valley or Napa Valley in Oklahoma.

To facilitate that, they worked with Malia Tate Design to make the space inside Livegrass warm, rustic, comfortable, functional and beautiful. The vibe is very much “California winery tasting room” meets “urban bistro,” and the live-edge common table, handcrafted wood furniture and original design pieces speak to a commitment to quality and beauty.

The heart of Livegrass, though, is Valentine’s quest to present the best meat possible –from farm to butchery to display case, and yes, table – in a way that showcases the meat. In sampling his sausages, beef franks and charcuterie, what you taste is beef and pork, not salt and fillers.

“What’s the point of going to all the trouble to raise animals properly and then bury the flavor?” Valentine says. “When you taste our food, we want you to taste the care and the flavor of the meat.”

The burgers are going to be a sure hit, especially The Southern: Angus beef (80/20 blend), and bacon, pimiento cheese and chowchow all prepared in-house. Yes, chowchow. Those jars of veggies your grandma or great-grandma used to store in Mason jars in the storm cellar are actually meant to be consumed.

Valentine’s is delicious – so much so that we inquired about possible retail sales of jars.

“We’ll have several of our items for sale at retail,” Mark Goss says. “No reason people shouldn’t take the things they love home with them.”

Valentine has always been a DIY chef – at Divine Swine, even the ketchup was made by hand – and that side of him has only

The dining room at Livegrass is carefully crafted to reflect the elegantmeets-comfortable styles the owners love from their trips to wine country.

The heart of Livegrass, though, is Valentine’s quest to present the best meat possible.

Live edge tables and an excellent wine selection add to the warm, rustic feel.

Chef Josh Valentine has always been a butcher at heart, and Livegrass will help him showcase both his culinary and butchery skills.

become more pronounced. All the butchery will be done in house, and he’ll have a case full of charcuterie that rotates regularly. The pickles are made in house, as are the rubs and sauces.

The Okie Pig is a hot sandwich with sliced pork, smoked ham, bacon jam (house made, naturally), barbecue sauce and chowchow. Honestly, there is no good reason not to put his chowchow on every sandwich, burger, salad and dessert, but that’s not how the menu is designed.

“It’s all the fun stuff I love to cook,” Valentine says with a smile and breezy confidence, emphasizing fun yet again. He means it, and it shows in the food.

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Peachy Keen SWEET VARIETY FOR SUMMER TREATS

BY G REG HOR T ON | PHOTO BY R ACHEL M AUCIER I

At the risk of preaching to the choir: The peaches in Oklahoma are as good as you’ll find anywhere in the world, depending on our weather.

Although the last two crops haven’t been great for Stratford and Porter, the two Oklahoma towns best known for producing peaches, we dare to be hopeful, so we asked four local experts to come up with recipes that highlight one of our state’s most underappreciated products and demonstrate their versatility. Full recipes are available online.

Jonathan Krell EXECUTIVE CHEF AT PATRONO

Krell offers the spicy coppa ham and peach salad as a feature at Patrono during the summer. In addition to being beautiful, it’s easy to replicate and can manage a variety of dressings or oils. At Patrono, it’s made with shaved coppa ham, sliced fresh peaches, arugula, pickled onions and radishes, and finished with a vanilla-white balsamic vinaigrette.

“The spicy ham and peaches are perfect contrasts, and it’s light enough that it makes a great summer salad,” Krell says.

Chris McKenna CHEF-PARTNER AT TAQUERIA EL CAMINO

McKenna opted for a braised pork belly and pickled peach salsa taco. The protein is really secondary, as he demonstrated by also making a lengua (beef tongue) version, but pork is good with peaches in any construction. McKenna included a red pepper puree, fresh diced avocado and shredded greens to round out his taco.

“If you’re going to do tongue, it needs to cook for a long time,” McKenna says. “I sous vide this one for 72 hours.” It’s probably best to wait for him to offer it as a special, and make yours with pork.

Jimmy Mays CHEF-PARTNER IN CAFE 7 AND THE HAMILTON

Fresh peaches for summer means an array of options for one of Okahoma’s underappreciated delicacies, starting with this peach and prosciutto salad at Patrono.

Lori Burson

C

H EF JONAT H A N K R ELL SA I D H E H A D NO I DE A how good Oklahoma peaches are until he moved here. The Pennsylvania native, like so many other transplanted locals, discovered Stratford and Porter peaches from a friend or family member after moving to OKC. As part of the conversation, he explains to a customer who recently moved from Washington, D.C., “They are smaller than Georgia peaches, but they have better flavor.”

Krell is not alone in his assessment. Jason Campbell, the former executive chef at Mary Eddy’s Kitchen who’s now back in his home state of Florida, used to sermonize at length about how delicious Oklahoma peaches are.

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Mays has two small children at home, and toast is always perfect for kids. He uses a thick slice of good sourdough, homemade whipped ricotta and fresh peaches shaved thin (carpaccio style), then tops it with fresh jalapenos, a drizzle of local honey and a pinch of smoked Maldon salt.

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OWNER OF STELLA MODERN ITALIAN

Finally, the peach and prosciutto pizza has rotated on and off Stella’s menu for years, and it’s definitely one of the primo summer favorites. Because owner Lori Burson does her pizzas Roma style, they translate well to flatbreads that are easier to make at home.

The Stella version has fresh roasted peaches, arugula, shaved prosciutto and a balsamic drizzle. Sauce isn’t even necessary, but EVOO or herbed oil would both be solid choices for a flatbread.

T H E

D R I N K

A Toast to New Hotspots WELCOMING A TRIO OF INNOVATIVE METRO BARS

BY G REG HOR T ON | PHOTO BY MIR A NDA HOD G E

T

H E DE V ELOPM EN T OF OK L A HOM A City’s bar culture has historically been tied to restaurants and hotels. Much of that is no doubt due to the late date at which this state (or at least most of our counties) legalized liquor by the drink. Private clubs dominated, as did restaurants with “membership lists” that allowed guests to drink on the premises.

With the boom in OKC’s development in the 2000s and 2010s, the focus – driven by young, savvy entrepreneurs, industry veterans and creative bartenders – changed to a bar for bar’s sake mentality. Yes, Oklahomans will likely always ask, “Do they serve food?” That’s the culture we grew up in.

But just as the COVID-19 shutdown was starting, three new bars that show great promise for OKC’s growth as a booze city were ready to open. In May, they finally did.

Fresh and seasonal is in at 1884, and so is whiskey, from the very affordable to the very indulgent.

ALL ABOARD

S P E C I A L D E L I V E RY

H O O R AY F O R H O LY W O O D

1884 at the Railyard (23 W 1st, Edmond) is a

As wine lists go, The Study, a new wine bar at

Palo Santo – at 1203 SW 2nd in the Farmer’s Market

bi-level cocktail bar with a cigar lounge on the

701 W Sheridan in Film Row, has the best delivery

district – had officially opened when the shutdown

mezzanine. The cocktail program was developed

system in the state. Called “Cruvinet,” the system

order happened. Owner-operators Brian and Bailey

by Emily Brake, who has since moved on, and

allows bars to sell wine with zero loss, so glass

Butler moved to Oklahoma City from California

features complex, whiskey-forward cocktails

prices can shrink and selection can grow. Certified

to open a bar, and some of that California-casual

that showcase bourbon and rye, as well as what

sommelier Ian Bennett and his partners have put

approach is obvious in the layout: bright colors, dark

Brake described as “the underappreciated and

together a “wine pub,” as he calls it, with quiet

bar area, plenty of plants, lounge furniture, a pool

undiscovered.” With a bit more than 60 bottles, the

nooks, sunny corners and a beautiful bar that

table and “elevated L.A. street food,” as Brian Butler

wine list is likely to be a draw as well, especially

highlights the brass and glass of the 64-bottle

describes it. But the place is sneaky beautiful, too,

given that it’s a mixture of tried-and-true favorites

Cruvinet system.

and the cocktails are stellar.

and more discovery-focused wines such as Godello, Dry Furmint and Tibouren.

“The ethos of Community Through Beer (the

Bennett’s background in restaurants and

The Butlers were able to attract premium talent

wine sales has given him a broad perspective on

behind the bar, including Chris Barrett of Clockwork

people’s tastes, so the selection will range from

Pour fame; his turns behind the bar include Ludivine

parent company) has always been to create

high-profile, affordable brands that everyone will

and The Hutch, among others. The whole team is

common spaces for shared experience,” Brake

recognize to high-end Burgundies that will bring the

creative, smart and cocktail-focused, and the food

says. “Just as with their other concepts, Patriarch

Francophiles piling in. He even brought in Barefoot,

pairs beautifully with the classic and classic-with-a-

and Social Capital, it’s a very non-pretentious, ‘take

a value brand stocked in liquor and grocery stores

twist cocktails. The bar program is an exciting blend

you as you are’ vibe.”

all over the country.

of popular, quality spirits and some forward-thinking

“I want anyone who comes in to feel that there is a wine they’ll like,” Bennett says.

selections that will make Palo Santo a barometer for where OKC is headed cocktail-wise.

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H E A LT H

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The Future of Aging OKLAHOMA SCIENTISTS EXPLORE BETTER HEALTH IN OLD AGE

BY K IMBERLY BUR K

O

K L A HOM A SCI EN T ISTS who work in the field of anti-aging are augmenting a body of research that many say is on the brink of rapid and profound changes in the way we manage the aging process.

In his book, Lifespan: Why We Age – and Why We Don’t Have To, Harvard researcher David A. Sinclair, Ph.D., looks at the future of aging in the next 20 or 30 years.

“How long will it be before we are able to reset our epigenome either with molecules we ingest or by genetically modifying our bodies ... How long until we can destroy senescent cells, either by drugs or outright vaccination?

How long until we can replace parts of organs, grow entire ones in genetically altered farm animals or create them in a 3D printer?” he writes. “A couple of decades, perhaps. Maybe three. One or all of those innovations is coming well within the ever-increasing life spans of most of us, though.

And when that happens, how many more years will we get? The maximum potential could be centuries…”

“We all know that the biggest risk factor for disease is aging,” says William Sonntag, director of the Center for Geroscience at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Sonntag works with insulin-like growth factor-1, which protects against brain aging. The hormone decreases with age, increasing the risk of microbleeds.

Animal research has shown that cognitive function can be improved when the hormone is restored, Sonntag says, “but that doesn’t mean they can just give people the hormone again.

There can be side effects. If this one goes too high, it can cause cancer.”

OUHSC research also involves senescent cells, which don’t divide and don’t die and cause an inflammatory response to cells around them.

“We’ve been working on drugs to kill them

and get them out of the body,” Sonntag says.

“That may be going into clinical trials soon.”

At Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, work on aging encompasses a variety of areas.

Ben Miller, a staff scientist in the aging and metabolism research program at OMRF, focuses on muscle and how to maintain it.

“Sarcopenia, the loss of muscle, leads to frailty,” Miller says. “Muscle is also really important because that is where your glucose goes. If you don’t have much muscle, that can increase your risk of diabetes.”

Researchers are not trying to keep people alive for 150 years, Miller says. “But we don’t all have to spend the last 20 years of our lives suffering from our conditions. The goal of our research is to have quality years in the latter years. The buzzword for that is healthspan.”

Miller’s work includes research with the diabetic drug metformin, which scientists think can slow the aging process.

“The FDA doesn’t recognize aging as a

treatable condition,” he says. “People are working on changing that, because aging is the No. 1 risk factor for most of our chronic diseases.”

Courtney Griffin is scientific director of the Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research at OMRF. “Stem cells are cells that have the capacity to turn into any cell in our bodies,” Griffin said. “Many years ago, we could only find these sorts of blank templates in embryos. But most embryonic stem cell research is not allowed in this country.”

Stem cell research includes regenerative medicine, which is designed to fight the disease process once it’s set in, including restoring diseased organs.

“I think we are making fast progress on how to take an unhealthy cell and make it healthy again,” Griffin says. “The very concept of what these researchers are working on, to transition a diseased organ into a healthier state, is very exciting.”

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Home

Entertaining 101

46

At Home With 48 Design 50

Family Affair Designer Ashford Thomson shares how his love of all things beautiful has been passed down through generations in his family.

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101

Wide Open Spaces THE JOYS OF ENTERTAINING OUTSIDE

BY SA R A G A E WAT ERS | PHOTO BY R ACHEL M AUCIER I

White plates and napkins punctuated with a sprig of green are a perfect palette for an outdoor setting.

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For an outdoor setting, use potted flowers or herbs as a simple centerpiece.

I

F TH ER E IS A BETTER setting than the outdoors for gathering around a table, I’ve yet to find it. Especially in this time, entertaining in small groups in the open air is quite apropos.

An intimate dinner, easy luncheon or even brunch are all great excuses to move a table to your backyard or courtyard or deck. Somewhere shady will be key this time of year, or consider an outdoor umbrella for a cooler affair.

Place potted flowers or herbs down the center of the table for an easy centerpiece. Choose outdoor wares such as melamine plates or your everyday dishes, and then add a little special detail to dress it up. One of my go-to options is a small piece of fruit atop the napkin in the center of the plate; a couple of fresh cherries, a small kumquat, a cluster of key limes or, like here, miniature apricots.

Clipping a small branch to lay next to the fruit also adds a special touch. White plates and white napkins are the perfect palette for a sprig of English ivy placed beside the fruit of your choice.

Try to keep the menu to something simple, as well, so you can enjoy your company and the fresh summer air.

We all need a change of scenery. Nature provides the best backdrop for being together, and the great thing about it is it’s always waiting for you to join in.

Use small pieces of fruit to dress up the setting with a pop of color.

An intimate dinner, easy luncheon or even brunch are all great excuses to move a table to your backyard or courtyard or deck.

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H O M E

AT

H O M E

W I T H

Family Flair AT HOME WITH ASHFORD THOMSON

BY SA R A G A E WAT ERS PHOTO S BY R ACHEL M AUCIER I

A

N OK L A HOM A NAT I V E , Ashford Thomson is part of the Oklahoma City design team of Thomson + Thomson Interior and Exterior Designs. With his sister Cody and father Cam, he carries on a tradition inaugurated

by Cam’s father, Ron Thomson, who established his interior design firm in 1955 and helped found the Association of Interior Designers in the area.

Ashford Thomson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Savannah College of Art & Design. Upon graduating, he moved home to Oklahoma to freelance for local magazines, while also working with Joy Reed Belt at her gallery, JRB Art at the Elms. After a move to New York City, he returned to team up with Thomson + Thomson Designs.

405 Magazine asked Thomson about his design inspiration and how that inspires the design for his own home.

Do you have go-to icons/designers/taste-makers that influence your work?

If I had to choose one icon it would have to be Noël Coward. Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer – a jack of all trades, really. He was known for his wit, flamboyance and what Time in the 1930s called “a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise.”

Dorothy Draper is another icon/designer from whom I gain inspiration. Draper’s style was as classical as it comes. She was a maximalist in design, much like I consider myself. Think classic toile wallpapers, Brunschwig & Fils fabrics, exuberant colors, Chinoiserie, pattern-on-pattern; a very “Hollywood Regency” type of look that I can most certainly relate with.

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With an eclectic mix of art, photography and unique pieces, Thomson’s home is a haven of comfort and style.

If you could choose a time period other than now to live in, in relation to design or lifestyle, what would that be and why?

Definitely the 1930s or 1940s, without question. The Big Band Era. Maybe in some arrondissement of Paris, living on the top floors of one of those iconic Haussmann buildings, those distinctive structures that just scream historic Parisian architecture. I imagine myself to be socializing in circles with iconic artists, novelists and actors of the era.

There were so many inspiring social and artistic “isms” during that time period; movements that shaped how we perceive today’s art, culture and lifestyle that would have been fantastic to witness and be a part of.

“Treasures, Misses, and Finds” by Thomson’s greatgrandmother Eugenia Graves Gockel, is a beloved reference and remembrance of the family’s heritage and shared love of design.

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What do you think is the most important piece of furniture in the home?

My great grandmother published a book in Tulsa in 1973 called Treasures, Misses, and Finds by Eugenia Graves Gockel. It was a

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C O M I N G T H I S FA L L : An heirloom hutch displays unique finds and treasures, stories waiting to be told.

documentation of her entire collections over the span of her lifetime. Surprisingly, my family still has quite a few of the furnishings that are pictured in the book. With that being said, I think if I had to choose a piece, it wouldn’t just be a singular piece but a furniture set that’s featured in the book.

The pieces are English, built in the late 18th century; a mahogany buffet with matching chairs in my dining room that pairs with the hutch in my living room, both rooms I find to be most important in any home. That hardback book is so very dear to me, and an incredible historical guide that not only reminds me of my family’s heritage, but also provides a helpful understanding of my personal taste for design.

I suppose the “collector apple” never falls too far from the family tree.

405 Home Fall Edition Promote your business to the metro’s most relevant, trend setting industry experts and homeowners, contact 405.842.2266 or info@405magazine.com.

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Travel lovers, storytellers and the nostalgic find respite at the Bradford House boutique hotel

Rooms at Bradford House feature comfy club chairs and serene settings.

The House That Wanderlust Built

By EVIE KLOPP HOLZER photos by ELY FA IR PHOTOGR A PH Y

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F T H E W A L L S of the Bradford House could talk, their stories would entertain listeners for hours. Built in 1912 by the first Oklahoma County Clerk, William Bradford, the expansive home has hosted actor Rock Hudson and a campaigning President Jimmy Carter. Just beyond the wrap-around front porch, the Classen trolley once clamored up and down the road, connecting the fringes of Oklahoma City to Main Street downtown. And its location a century ago – surrounded by flat, not-yet-developed fields – offered an abundant horizon for new possibilities.

This history is why Sara Kate and Jason Little selected this building – a dilapidated, yet charming, luxury apartment located at NW 38th and Classen Boulevard – to create their boutique hotel. They were seeking a place with rich, built-in stories as a premise to author a new chapter.

In many ways, the Bradford House design reflects the Littles’ own story.

Showcasing hand-selected European antiques from the family’s worldly adventures, the Bradford House offers an eclectic escape where every detail seems to beckon, “Come. Marvel. Stay a while.”

“We wanted to make Bradford House a special getaway, and we’ve spent years curating and collecting to do that,” Sara Kate says.

Throughout the project, Jason, a commercial real estate professional, managed development details – rezoning, architecture, engineering, financing – while Sara Kate steered design. The concept and development stemmed from a bit of fiction storytelling by Nostalgia Shoppe, the Littles’ development, design and management company.

“Internally, we created this story about the property: What if it had remained in the Bradford family?” Sara Kate says. “What if they were world travelers and got to go to all of these exciting places, and they chose to come back

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The eclectic decor found at Bradford House reflect Jason and Sara Kate Little’s travels and treasured found objects.

The combination of intense pigments, unusual accents and traditional style conjures images of an eccentric English manor.

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to Oklahoma City? Now they have this amazing collection that people get to enjoy.”

The Littles made two buying trips to Italy and France, scavenging fairs and markets and collaborating with kindred-spirit dealers to capture just the right mood. One favorite piece is a 19thcentury Directoire-style daybed being repurposed as a sofa, reupholstered in bright lime green. Another favorite is the carefully procured collection of more than 20 café hoop chairs from the Paris flea market. Except for the café tables, all of the main house furniture, lighting and accents are European antiques – beloved discoveries from another era.

“Some pieces show some wear, and I find that charming,” Sara Kate says. “I’m drawn to pieces that have been lived with and loved, that now get to have new life. I also think traditional design can be playful and colorful. It doesn’t have to be beige.”

The hotel’s bold pinks, greens and blues were sourced from Papers and Paints, a company that specializes in restoration. The primary color, Scarab Blue, is the same color Papers and Paints created to restore an Egyptian mural from the turn of the century.

Sara Kate especially loves pink, evident throughout the Bradford House. The Lantern Room, adorned with 12 vintage Chinese mesh lanterns (in a nod to the nearby Asian District), is painted in Papers and Paints’ Manhattan, a saturated red with touch of pink.

“Pink has this whimsy and warmth, and it pairs well with everything,” she says.

Entering guests are greeted by a Maria Teresa chandelier and a Chinoiserie botanical mural, hand painted by British illustrator Louise Dean, depicting branches and birds sprawling up a grand, three-story staircase. Topping off the stairwell is a four-foot, custom-welded, Chinese linen lantern by Shades from the Midnight Sun in New York.

The combination of intense pigments, unusual accents and traditional style conjures images of an eccentric English manor. To achieve the right look, the couple had a checklist: velvet club chairs with bullion fringe, worn leather art deco chairs and beautiful brass that shows some age. However, that didn’t rule out the occasional odd purchase – hence the massive leather rhinoceros, circa 1960 by Omersa, now residing at the Bradford House.

Sara Kate has added her own collection to the mix, as well, in the form of black-and-white photos she bought at a local estate sale in college. The café walls are lined with more than 100 framed images of proud Oklahoma City residents, dating from 1910 to 1960.

Jason and Sara Kate Little at the Bradford House hotel.

More than 1,000 volumes of vintage Penguin paperback books sourced from England can be found in hotel’s the drawing room.

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SOURCING UNIQUE ANTIQUES Sara Kate Little shares her favorite resources for beautiful and unusual vintage finds.

Bright fuchsia and shades of ice green brighten the drawing room at Bradford House hotel.

Paul Bert Serpette at the Paris Flea Market PARIS, FR ANCE

“Hunting in France is the most exciting thing.”

Mercanteinfiera Market PARMA, ITALY

Traditional pieces with a modern twist “No one collects midcentury pieces better than the Italians.”

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A mix of dealers who add to their selections often “If we’re needing a piece with that je ne sais quoi, this is our first stop.”

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Incredible inventory with pieces of every era, origin and price point “I love that I can hunt any time of day (or night) when my wheels are spinning, trying to find that perfect piece.”

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“It’s really a mashup of wanderlust and a big love for Oklahoma City,” Sara Kate says.

In restoring the Bradford House, the Littles have both honored the past and reimagined the future. The collaboration with Gardner Studio architects and Lingo Construction called for complete rehabilitation of the 100-year-old home and new construction to provide more hotel rooms.

To preserve the integrity of the original structure, the Littles kept all exterior walls, exterior brick and interior framing intact, except the staircase, which had to be rebuilt to code. They transformed the house’s four large apartments – each with two bedrooms, one bathroom and grand living and dining spaces – into 12 private rooms on the second and third floors. The first floor became the common gathering space with a wrap-around porch, conversation seating areas, a cocktail bar and café.

“As custodians of the property, we are maintaining a story that has existed for the past 100 years, while giving the property new purpose and making our mark as part of the future story,” Jason says.

On the backside, they added a 24-room modern guesthouse with design inspired by the mid-century American

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architecture that the Littles discovered in Detroit, and furniture fabricated by Gardner Studio. Each room overlooks an open-air courtyard, landscaped by LAUD Studio with elements of English and Parisian gardens. The outdoor space connects the two buildings.

“We didn’t want to match the original building and do something that felt really faux,” Sara Kate says about the addition. “If the original house is the traditional ‘Bradford family’ home, then the guesthouse is a new generation, (and is) something a little different and more modern.”

Italian light fixtures, such as the Stilnovo chandelier adorning the bar and Venini Murano glass pendants dotting the café counter, “mix really well and marry the house with the back building,” says Sara Kate.

The four-year renovation process uncovered several surprises within the home that further shaped the Bradford House’s design. A sealed-off room in the basement was opened to reveal hat boxes full of letters, a wedding dress and a bust sculpted by a previous owner. The bust is now displayed in the drawing room. Wallpaper remnants found intact on the walls inspired the use of vintage wallpaper, sourced by Ketch Design Centre, in the bathrooms of the main house.

The Bradford House opens Aug. 5 accommodating overnight guests and cafe reservations only. The Littles will open the property to the general public later, as health concerns and attitudes evolve regarding COVID-19. Visit bradfordhouseokc.com for updates.

“We love this house,” Sara Kate says. “It is designed to be an experience, and we hope that resonates with people.”

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

ASK THE EXPERT HOME IMPROVEMENT

Caring for your home can be a challenge. From landscaping to plumbing, it’s hard to know what to do and when to do it. The following pages contain insightful advice from home improvement pros to help homeowners navigate the many services available.

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ASK THE EXPERT

Keven Calonkey Carl I N T ERIOR D ES I GN

To say Keven Calonkey Carl is a doyen of the home interiors industry is telling only half of the story.

Certainly, Calonkey Carl has the experience, knowledge, and creativity that make her an expert in her field. Having graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in interior design, she has earned 18 Excellence in Design awards as a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and passed the rigorous National Council of Interior Design Qualifications (NCIDQ) exam. She has led the design team at Mister Robert Fine Furniture and Design for many years and serves as the company’s president.

Beyond that, she carries on a legacy in home furnishings that began in 1933 when her grandparents opened Landsaw Furniture in Norman. Her parents, Sara Jean Landsaw and Bob Calonkey, opened Mister Robert in 1958.

Calonkey Carl has a sophisticated eye and talent for creating exquisite interiors and has seen design trends change over the years. Her expertise can be seen in her work with both residential and commercial properties. Timeless design is in her DNA. 405 Magazine talked with Calonkey Carl about her guiding principles for design and what makes her interiors enduring.

Q+A Q: Where is the most important place to start with a home makeover or with designing a new home?

A: Start with the initial floorplan, with the blueprint. Space planning is of the utmost importance. A trained interior designer can help you see issues in a plan that you might not normally consider. They can also help you see how furnishings may or may not fit depending upon the scale of the space.

A key idea is to keep the scale of the furniture proportional to the size of the room. We can start helping from the beginning. Perhaps a client falls in love with a big sectional, and we can tell them if it is going to fit. A well laid out room has balance and scale.

Q: If a client has one piece that he or she loves, how do you help the client build a room from that?

A: There are some designers who will say everything has to go. I tend to see things much differently. People collect items as they live their lives.

An educated designer will work with the client’s heirlooms to transform the space and flow with the function of the room. I do not think people should have to get rid of things they love. Trained designers listen to the desires of the client first. We can build a room around the pieces that are important to them and still create a space that will be updated and functional as well.

Q: What are the trends today? Are we moving away from minimalism?

A: I think there will always be some minimalism. Minimalism can be seen in any design style. With people spending more time in their homes due to Covid-19, it seems that they are reviewing their living spaces and considering changing them. Now is a good time to review your space and assess what you want to update and change. The trends in design are often quite eclectic.

Transitional style remains strong but traditional is making a comeback.

It can be merged with more contemporary styling to create integrated spaces that are of interest to the client. Examples of traditional styling include the use of brush trims, bullion, and more traditional fabric patterns. Many of my clients love traditional but want a more modern look.

This can be achieved by changing a few pieces of furniture or by adding abstract art to brighten and update the look.

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Q: What about color?

A: Things have been gray for a long time. However, we are seeing that beige is making a strong comeback. You can put gray and beige together and blend it with a variety of colors in the palette. We see more warm tones returning to the scene, as well as stronger, more vibrant colors. I think with everything we have had going on the past few months people want their homes to be bright and cheery in the face of uncertainty. Three colors that you now see more often are blue, green, and pink which blend well with gray and beige.

Q: What is the most important piece of advice you would give a client?

A: Designers have varying degrees of experience. A designer with advanced technical knowledge as well as an interior design degree, coupled with a commitment to continuing education, will save headaches and investment dollars in the long run.

109 E. Main Street, Norman, OK 73069 405.321.1818 | misterrobert.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

ASK THE EXPERT

Reed Savage PEST CO N T RO L

Seeing that people were spending more time and a lot of money in their back yards, SWAT Mosquito Mist System owner Reed Savage set out to research the best way to kill mosquitoes in Oklahoma. To accomplish this, he looked to two states where mosquitoes thrive – Texas and Florida – to see what treatments were being used in these areas. There, he discovered companies were using not only the typical backpack spray method, but also something relatively new that he had never heard of: a mosquito misting machine that automatically sprays at night when the pests are out. Fifteen years later, the machines continue to be the area’s gold standard for effectiveness.

405 Magazine talked with Savage to understand mosquito control and how the mosquito misting system works.

Q+A Q. Which is more effective for dealing with mosquitoes, periodic backpack spraying or a mosquito misting system that sprays daily?

A. The good news is both options work – just applied differently for different needs. For some people who have a one-time event or use their yard every so often, the backpack sprays can definitely work for that target group. For people who spend a lot of time in their back yard, because it’s spraying every day, the mosquito misting system is going to provide more consistent control.

Q. What is the difference between the two mosquito control options?

A. Both are effective, however, when you get a backpack spray, it is generally good for up to 21 days in normal conditions. What reduces the spray’s effectiveness is rain, time, sun, wind and sprinkler systems. With a system, it usually sprays three times per night, so its effectiveness is not diminished by the elements above. Think of it this way: With a yard spray, you get 1 spray in 21 days; with a system, you get more than 60 sprays in 21 days. The systems usually come with a remote for those times in the season when the mosquito population is more dense.

Q. What is the system, exactly, and how is it installed?

A. The system consists of the machine itself, a series of discreetly placed nozzles and tubing that is integrated into the environment. It typically follows the perimeter of the backyard fence line and underneath the eaves of the house. So when the system mists, it eradicates mosquitoes in the area and repels from that point out.

Q. Is the system safe for animals and children?

A. The chemicals are safe when used as directed. People, pets and food aren’t generally around when it’s misting; machines are typically programed to automatically run at night when nobody is outside. It does its work and then it’s gone – the beauty of this is that you can go out immediately after it’s finished spraying. Permethrin is the solution that is used, and it’s the same ingredient that’s been widely used for flea and tick treatment for decades. Also, it doesn’t take much solution to kill a mosquito, so when it’s sprayed out of the machine, the mist is typically 99 percent water.

Serving Oklahoma since 2006 405.610.7928 | swatokc.com 405MAGAZINE.COM

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ASK THE EXPERT

Greg Derr STO RM R ESTO RAT I O N

Living in Tornado Alley can pose problems, especially when it comes to our homes. Even at the height of summer, hail, wind and sun can wreak havoc with roofing materials, siding and more.

Triple Diamond Construction, a storm restoration firm, has seen what Oklahoma weather can do to a structure from the inside out. 405 Magazine recently spoke with owner Greg Derr about how to mitigate storm damage and avoid the pitfalls of roof replacement.

Q+A Q: What is the biggest threat to a roof? Wind, hail, fire?

A: The biggest threat in Oklahoma? It’s definitely wind and hail. The roof is your first line of defense, so it is going to take the brunt of all the weather we get.

Q: How long does an average roof last?

A: Actually, about five to seven years in Oklahoma. Our area tends to see a lot more storm activity. By the time they get to about five years old, they have seen substantial damage. We recommend getting your roof checked regularly. Ninety-five percent of the damage won’t be visible from the ground. If you get ahead of those problems, it will give your roof more life.

While a roof may be rated for 30 years, you still have to get it checked. Especially when you’re dealing with asphalt.

That 30-year rating is under the most perfect weather condition that God can create. A quarter-sized piece of ice flying at about 40 to 50 mph will do a lot of damage.

Q: What advice would you give a homeowner who is looking to replace a roof? How do you find the best, most reputable roofing company?

A: First off, be leery of someone who knocks on your door and says everything is going to be free. That’s a big red flag. Not every company that knocks on the door is a bad company. But a good company should have everything on hand. They also should be permitted by each municipality they are working in. They should all have a copy of their license on them. That’s a state requirement. They should be registered with the Construction Industry Board.

Ask if they have workers’ compensation insurance for the people who will be on your roof inspecting it.

Also, get copies of any subcontractors to make sure that they are covered as well. The Contractor you hire should be able to provide those things easily if they are holding their [subcontractors] to the same standard as their company. If not, the homeowner could be liable if someone is injured. The vast majority of people who work for Roofers and/or Roofing Contractors are not covered under any workers’ compensation, and that will leave homeowners liable for any accidents that happen on the property. Do some research on the company and make sure you are dealing with a company that will stand behind its work and protect the people doing the work on your home.

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Q: What about other property damage?

A: If you have roof damage, you have other damage. You need to deal with someone who understands the insurance process and can get your property back whole. Your contractor should take time to inspect the entire property, and not just the roof. It does no service to a homeowner to redo the roof and not correct the other property damage.

Q: Speaking of insurance, many people find themselves caught between the construction contractor and the insurance company. How do you avoid that?

A: You need to make sure the company has a good support staff. I have an employee staff of 35 people who work with us. It’s important to have the right support staff to take care of a project, so it can be done right and done on time.

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Windows & Doors of Oklahoma

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Out & About

Prime Picks

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Drive-In Revival Oklahomans are coping with coronavirus by heading back to the big screens outdoors. Page 63

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Page Picks PRIME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUMMER READS

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U M M ER IS A T I M E W H E N W E H E A D TO T H E BE ACH, T H E lake house or even our backyards and nestle up to a good book. To celebrate the “great summer read,” we asked local authors what their picks are for the season’s top tomes.

C O N S TA N C E S Q U I R E S The Great Believers

by Rebecca Makkai “It moves from 1980s Chicago to 2015 Paris through two twining storylines of friends whose stories take us through the AIDS epidemic. Yale is the curator of an art gallery in Chicago and Fiona is the little sister of his friend, Nico, whose funeral they’re attending in the opening chapter. I love these characters and the characters they watch die around them. As big-ticket and potentially grim as a story with such historic sweep about AIDS sounds, it’s always intimate, stylish, sometimes funny and faithful to its emotional true north, a major book that deserves all the attention it’s gotten.”

Constance Squires is author of two novels, 2011’s Along the Watchtower and 2017’s Live from Medicine Park, as well as the 2019 short stories collection, Hit Your Brights. Squires is a professor in the creative writing program at University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.

ROBI N MEY ERS A Gentleman in Moscow

by Amor Towles “It’s the story of Count Alexander Rostov, who in 1922 at age 30 is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal and sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Forced to live in an attic room as Russian history unfolds outside, he forges relationships with other hotel guests, including a young woman whose future he must protect. A great summer read.”

Robin Meyers retired as pastor of Mayflower Congregational UCC Church in January 2020.

His books include Morning Sun on a White Piano, Spiritual Defiance, The Underground Church: Reclaiming the Subversive Way of Jesus and Saving Jesus from the Church.

Meyers is featured in the recent documentary American Heretics: The Politics of the Gospel.

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LOU BER N EY Dare Me by Megan Abbott “If you want suspense that’s riveting and dark and a little pulpy, check out Dare Me by Megan Abbott. The first excellent season of a TV adaptation just aired on USA, and the novel is just as good.”

The Paris Diversion by Chris Pavone “For a smart, elegant, spy thriller – and some vicarious European travel – try The Paris Diversion by Chris Pavone. It’s a page-turner that also hits home emotionally and intellectually.”

Lou Berney is the author of November Road (a Washington Post Best Book of 2018), The Long and Faraway Gone (winner of the Edgar, Anthony, Barry, Macavity, and ALA awards), Whiplash River and Gutshot Straight. He’s also written a collection of stories, The Road to Bobby Joe, and his short fiction has appeared in publications such as The New Yorker, Ploughshares, and the Pushcart Prize anthology. He teaches in the MFA program at Oklahoma City University. Read more about Lou Berney on page 17.

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Behind the Wheel CENTRAL OKLAHOMA’S DRIVE-IN THEATERS OFFER A CLASSIC SOLUTION TO THE MODERN PROBLEM OF SOCIAL DISTANCING

A showing of Back to the Future at Winchester Drive-In in Oklahoma City.

BY G EO RG E L A N G | P H OT O BY M AT T PAY NE

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N E A R LY J U N E , M O V I E T H E A T E R C H A I N A M C reported it lost nearly $2.4 billion in the first quarter of 2020 due to coronavirus protection measures. While massive theater conglomerates and changing tastes nearly drove the drive-in theaters of the mid-20th century into extinction, drive-ins are now enjoying a resurgence in popularity.

It turns out that movie lovers are practicing good social distancing when they watch Trolls: World Tour from their cars. Drive-in theaters are thriving as an alternative to conventional stadium-seating venues, with closed drive-ins being reopened and new ad-hoc locations opening. A Tuscon, Arizona, drive-in screening of Grease sold out in minutes.

Some musicians are even playing concerts at drive-ins. On May 14, country star Keith Urban kicked off the phenomenon by playing a drive-in show for Vanderbilt University medical personnel in Watertown, Tennessee. Live Nation has announced plans to bring more concerts to drive-ins, and the upside is not just safety: FM transmitters used at drivein facilities are far less expensive than lugging amplifiers and equipment from city to city.

Fortunately, central Oklahoma has three drive-in theaters still in operation.

What was once a nostalgic experience, a throwback to the American Graffiti era, is now looking like the present and future of moviegoing.

WINCHESTER DRIVE-IN 6930 S. Western Ave., Oklahoma City

CHIEF DRIVE-IN SH-81, Ninnekah

BEACON DRIVE-IN 2404 S. Division, Guthrie

This landmark drive-in opened on July 3, 1968, and its

Located in Ninnekah near Chickasha, the Chief

Like the Chief, Guthrie’s Beacon Drive-In got rolling

longtime owner, Lindy Shanbour, lived to see its 50th

Drive-In was built in 1949, making it one of the

more than 70 years ago. Built by A.R. Powell Sr. in

anniversary in 2018. Now operated by Jeff and Sher-

oldest of its kind in Oklahoma. While the year-

1949, the Beacon began showing films the following

rie Massad, the Winchester continues to be a highly

round Chief was doing brisk business prior to

year, parking up to 330 cars for its silver screen

popular venue for first-run movies. During regular

social distancing, it is now offering throngs

offerings. Still operated by the Powell family after

April-to-November seasons, the 425-car Winchester

of filmgoers a little bit of normal life during an

three generations, the Beacon operates on a

shows double features, but during the COVID-19

abnormal time. Under optimal conditions, the

spring-through-fall schedule. Once the Beacon

pandemic, the theater reduced its programming to a

Chief can accommodate between 275 and 300

opened in late-spring, it offered Trolls: World

single feature to limit potential exposure time.

vehicles, but during the pandemic, the facility kept

Tour for the first half of June, offering families the

its car count to 80. Like the Winchester, the Chief

chance to see the animated film on a big screen

the summer as studios scrambled to push back

is falling back on archives to satisfy its visitors,

after it premiered on streaming services. Following

release dates to late-2020 or early 2021, Winchester

showing fan favorites like The Goonies, Willy

Trolls, the Beacon continued to screen recent

continued to thrive, playing classic family movies like

Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Jaws until

releases like Doolittle and 1917.

Back to the Future and Space Jam.

the new releases begin rolling again.

Although new films were in short supply during

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The Miramar’s sleek oceanside deck, with its luxuriously comfy couches and big blue-striped umbrellas, is one of the best spots in all of Montecito.

Montecito Serenade EXPLORING A SCENIC OCEANSIDE PARADISE T E X T A ND P H OT O G R A P H Y BY R EB EC CA L EE M O O DY

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H E C O M PA C T C O M M U N I T Y O F M O N T E C I T O, California, is “so beautiful it’s like a screensaver,” says Seneca Beverly, a barista at the seaside town’s Rosewood Miramar Beach resort.

Montecito, with a population just under 10,000, sits picturesquely in the shadow of the 3,000-foot Santa Ynez mountain range, with the beach bracketing the village at the other end only two miles away. This location makes it possible to have breakfast under an umbrella on the sand, then a hike in the sage-scented hills – all before noon.

The area’s newest homey-high-end lodging option, the Miramar, opened in 2019, and its “edge of the world” coastal placement gives guests a stay as close to the sea as possible without being in it.

Stretching across 16 acres, the complex’s buildings and bungalows, bocce ball courts, pool and large lawn rolling straight towards the ocean are sophisticated, elegant and airy. The sea-facing patio in front is a perfect spot to sit with a flute of Prosecco, or cup of the spa’s berry-mint black tea, and take in the views.

Start your day in Montecito as the locals do (and their dogs, too) and head for the dirt path at the bottom of Eucalyptus Lane, a road running alongside the hotel. The trail that begins there weaves through a jungle-like tunnel of tropical flowers on its way to Hammond’s Beach, where you’ll find tidepools full of Pacific seaweeds and saltwater creatures.

Montecito shares its rare, perpetually perfect “cool Mediterranean” climate with only 3 percent of the globe. Almost everything grows under

Look for the little red and white-window-trimmed building in the Upper Village to find Lost Horizon Bookstore. Cool, airy and full of treasures.

Anchoring the corner of two roads in a residential part of Montecito is the elegant, adobestyle Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, a pillar of Montecito’s Catholic community.

The Miramar’s guest cottages are dotted throughout densely-planted green gardens accented by white flowers including petunias, roses and Magnolia blossoms.

these conditions, including the ubiquitous oak and eucalyptus trees, olive groves, palms, bougainvillea, lavender, orchids and hundreds of other extravagantly beautiful foliage seen in gardens surrounding the many palatial, gated estates (some of which house celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Rob Lowe). For any plant lover or architectural enthusiast, just driving around Montecito is the ticket.

A mile from the Miramar, in Montecito’s Upper Village, is Pierre LaFond Market & Deli, a gourmet food and gift shop that’s been in business for 55 years and is “the spot” for locals. Settling out front by the brick fountain with a square of its sausage lasagna and a tangy lemon bar guarantees the best people-watching in the zip code.

Just across the street, in a group of shops above the village’s red pharmacy, is Lost Horizon Bookstore. Its owner, Jerry Jacobs, has kitted out the space with oriental carpets, comfy leather chairs and hundreds of books on art, photography, architecture and a wide array of other subjects, as well as vintage art, rock & roll and travel prints and posters. A small room at the back provides a secluded corner to pass some peaceful time leafing through interesting finds.

A visit to the nearby Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church caps off the afternoon with an opportunity to wander the serene grounds of the southwestern pueblo-style adobe structure and check out its decoratively painted interior. Built in the 1930s, a testament to this landmark’s loveliness is the years-long waiting list for those wishing to get married there.

As the sun sets in the west, a quiet dinner and drink from the Montecito Wine Bistro’s long list of offerings from Santa Barbara County farms and vineyards is a perfect accompaniment to one of those beautiful, lock-screen-worthy Montecito scenes, and a fitting close to your sojourn.

Only 80 miles from Los Angeles, yet worlds away, a weekend in Montecito is proof it truly “takes a village” to strip away the stresses of the day, in style.

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FARMERS BRANCH & Your Summer

d a o R p i r T

WINNER

Project31’s Leadership Team has

Easy access to

everything in dallas ft. worth

Your family deserves a weekend away! Farmers Branch is close to it all at a fraction of the cost. With unique local dining, family fun and lots of outdoor parks & trails, your family can get away, stay safe and create memories this summer. Visit discoverfarmersbranch.com/summer to book your weekend away at one of our amazing hotels.

been busy letting breast cancer survivors know we are STILL here for them. Our 9 monthly community groups have turned into every other Tuesday online community group via Zoom.

With as many as 54 one week, Project31 is working hard to make personal contacts with survivors.

This peer led group knows first hand the importance of keeping spirits positive and the difference an encouraging word can make.

DISCOVERFARMERSBRANCH.COM/SUMMER

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Debris collected in Wakita from the filming of the movie Twister.

Dustin Hoffman stands in the middle of Division Avenue in Guthrie during the filming of Rain Man.

L

ocation, location, location – key words in real estate and cinematic estate. Check out these films that include Oklahoma in the supporting cast.

A view down Division Avenue and the intersection where “Don’t Walk” scene was filmed with Dustin Hoffman.

TWISTER For the tiny town of Wakita, just south of the Kansas border, being hit by the tornado in the 1996 movie Twister proved the adage “Ill blows the wind that profits nobody,” (Shakespeare, Henry VI).

A number of downtown buildings stood empty, victims of a damaging hailstorm in 1993, but the town got a $100,000 windfall when the movie crew offered to demolish the derelict buildings – free – to simulate tornado damage. While the stars of the film were Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, practically the entire town was involved in some way before the movie was finished.

movie memorabilia. The curator, Linda Wade, regales guests with stories, home movies and videos of the town’s time in the spotlight.

Fans of the disaster movie will enjoy visiting the small Twister Museum, which is packed with

The late Jack Cope (Oklahoma City) had won a walk-on part at a charity auction. His

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RAIN MAN Guthrie played a small but memorable part in the 1998 film about the cross-country journey of two brothers played by Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. In the movie, Cruise stops in Guthrie to consult a psychiatrist about dealing with his autistic brother Raymond, played by Hoffman. Local residents played interesting, if inadvertent, roles in this segment.

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character was supposed to drive a pickup through downtown Guthrie when Raymond ties up traffic by stopping in the middle of the street.

The director asked Cope what he would do if that happened in real life. His answer: “I’d yell, ‘Hey, dipsh**, move it!’” The director loved it and directed Cope to do exactly that. Thanks to that decision, Cope got a line and a credit in the movie.

The late Byron Cavnar also had an “extra” spot in the doctor’s office. While waiting for the call “Action,” Cavnar began talking about the history of the Pony Express. It was such a natural conversation, director Barry Levinson signaled the cameraman and Cavnar, too, wound up with a credit.

Chris Cooper, left, and Benedict Cumberbatch in Pawhuska during the filming of August: Osage County.

The “Dorothy” canister used to release sensors used in the filming of the movie Twister.

Dermot Mulroney as Steve Heidebrecht is standing outside a shop in Barnsdall in the film August: Osage County.

THE OUTSIDERS The 1983 movie was an adaptation of Oklahoma native S.E. Hinton’s young adult novel about rival gangs from different sides of the Tulsa tracks.

Viewers will have no trouble recognizing Will Rogers High School or the Admiral Twin Drive-In. Most significant is the house where, in the movie, the Curtis brothers lived. Hip-hop artist Danny Boy O’Connor, a big fan of the film, purchased and restored the property – creating the Outsiders House Museum. It can be visited by reservation on a tour that includes other filming sites.

A U G U S T, O S A G E C O U N T Y According to Maria Swindell Gus, Executive

Meryl Streep as Violet Weston, with Julianne Nicholson and Margo Martindale, Violet’s daughter and sister.

Director of VisitBartlesville, AOC cast members (which included Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch and many others) were seen all over Bartlesville and Pawhuska. Favorite spots included Frank and Lola’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill in Bartlesville and Bad Brad’s in Pawhuska. Shooting locations included a home in downtown Bartlesville, downtown Pawhuska and the rolling countryside of Osage County.

KILLERS OF THE F LOW E R M O O N Thanks to the pandemic, the film, based on the best-selling book by David Grann, is on hold.

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, the story recounts the discovery of oil on Osage tribal lands, and the murders and misdeeds perpetrated upon the Native Americans to steal the rights and profits.

Director Martin Scorsese has worked closely with Osage representatives and has committed to filming the story in its original location in and around Pawhuska.

While these are among the best-known movies filmed in Oklahoma, the actual list is much longer. Thanks to the work of the Oklahoma Film+Movie Office and independent film makers, it’s only going to get longer.

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Split-T’s Taste Legacy THE BIRTHPLACE OF OKC’S GREAT BURGER CULTURE

BY GEORGE LANG

A

N Y R E STAU R A N T T H AT stays in business for half a century puts an indelible imprint on its community, and the memories of first dates and family gatherings cannot be separated from that room full of tables and booths. But Split-T, a burger restaurant that defined Oklahoma City burger culture, was so much more than that.

The late Lynne Rostochil, who was a champion of mid-20th century culture and architecture in Oklahoma City, wrote a love letter to Split-T on her Okie Mod Squad blog in 2018. It illustrated the kind of emotional and culinary pull of the famous Western Avenue burger spot, from its T-shaped front door handles to its epic chili cheeseburgers. Rostochil wrote about her years in the wilderness of Dallas, where her mother and aunt could not find a decent burger in the 1970s.

“When my mom, sister, and I moved to Dallas in the early 70’s, my mom’s one lament was not having Split-T around. No more yummy, freshly charbroiled burgers. No more super crunchy, munchy onion rings,” she wrote. “She (had) always fancied herself a hamburger connoisseur and proceeded to drag my little sister and me to 70

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every burger joint in Dallas looking for a patty that compared with the juicy, well-flavored ones at Split-T.“ The search was in vain and Rostochil didn’t enjoy a burger again until she returned to the Split T in the 1990s.

The Split-T, named for the football formation used by legendary University of Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson, had that effect on people. Opened in 1952 by Vince Stephens, the restaurant was managed by David “Johnnie” Haynes until 1971, when Haynes left to start his own Oklahoma City burger institution, Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler. Haynes’ sons still run Johnnie’s, which carried many of Split-T’s traditional menu items like the Caesar and Theta burgers.

In the 1950s and ‘60s, the Split-T was a traditional drive-in with stalls, Order-Matic menus and carhops — a perfectly sliced piece of Americana in a still-young city experiencing an enormous growth spurt. While a Theta burger at Johnnie’s now costs $5.69, they cost $0.35 when Split-T first opened.

Northwest Oklahoma City was still being

developed at the time, and teenagers going out on weekends had two main destinations: Northwest Classen High School students went to Charcoal Oven, and students from the old John Marshall and Harding high schools congregated at the Split-T. During its prime, it was often hard to distinguish Western Avenue from the Split-T parking lot, because the demand to get into Split-T caused an uncommon amount of gridlock.

As drive-in culture waned in the 1970s, Split-T removed the car stalls, and the carhops were brought inside. Its Coca-Cola mural, featuring portraits of Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe in all their mid-’50s glory, was a popular spot to take photos of classic cars as old and new customers returned to make new memories.

With the exception of a few months in 1994 when the restaurant filed for bankruptcy, Split-T was in constant operation during its 47-year reign, which ended on Sept. 15, 2000. The building sat silent for more than a year and then was demolished on Nov. 26, 2001.

While Split-T has been gone for two decades, there are vestiges of the old location seen in signage for Split-T Center, a strip mall that owner Stephens developed at the site of his old restaurant, as well as the Sonic Drive-In next door. Both locations feature football-shaped signs that serve as an homage to the beloved burger place that far outlasted the offensive formation for which it was named. But there is a fair argument to be made that Split-T never truly went away. It is in the DNA of great burgers throughout Oklahoma City.

PH OTO S PRO V ID ED

The Spl it-T stood at the d corner of Western Ave nue an 55th Street for 50 year s.

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Livin’ on COVID Time A PANDEMIC PASS FOR THE TO-DO LIST B Y L A U R E N R O T H | I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y J O N B E N S O N

W

HEN IT STARTED LOOKING LIKE T H E COVID pandemic was going to free up a lot of time for home and garden projects, personal errands, meditation and a meticulous nail regimen, I began making a mental to-do list. Never in my life have I had so much time on my hands – and initially, it felt positively glorious.

Having recently purchased a new home, Mr. Roth and I already had a multi-page punch list that would have kept us busy through the rest of 2020. Ordinarily, we’d chip away at it whenever we could find a block of time here and there, but thanks to COVID, the quarantine has cleared our calendars – we’re livin’ on COVID time! Translation: we’ve been as unproductive as ever, but now we have a pandemic to blame it on.

I’ve noticed we’re not the first to blame the pandemic for lack of action. I’m fortunate to be able to work from home, but my work requires an internet connection.

Before the move to the new house, we prioritized moving the phone/ cable/internet. We’ve now been in the new house for about a month, which is just about how long I’ve been on hold with “customer care” to move our service.

According to the provider, COVID is to blame for its “uncustomary delay.”

One surly customer service rep advised me that a technician would connect my internet on Dec. 2, 2020. Smelling BS like bees smell fear, I suggested that this was an inferior approach to fulfilling our customer/provider contract. Living on COVID time, I announced that I’d be happy to wait on the

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phone with him for as long as it would take him to arrange to have a technician come out the next morning.

The guy came UNHINGED and spat out a rabid diatribe that stopped short of blaming me for COVID. “I hate this virus more than anyone,” he snarled, “but this is the way things are right now. Do you get it? There’s nothing any of us can do about it.” I could almost feel the vein throbbing on his forehead.

It was time to back gently away from the human powder keg with his doomsday forecast and his unrestrained use of superlatives, but one nagging question pulled me back in.

“What time is that technician coming tomorrow morning?” I asked.

My words were still hanging in the air when Agent Rampage hung up in a COVID-tinged huff.

I chalked up his ire to that annoying COVID cloud that seems to be hanging over all of us, a vibe with all the charm of a crowded ER during the full supermoon … on Friday the 13th … on crack.

By day four of no cable and no internet, paranoia kicked in: Agent Rampage, no doubt foaming at the mouth during his tirade, had infected me with his pandemic tantrum! He must have locked up my account, I surmised, fearing that it would be December 2025 before my life would return to normal. Sure, I could knock a couple of things off my unattended to-do list in the meantime, but when you’re living on COVID time, where’s the fun in that?

Stay well, everyone!

T H E O N E . T H E O N LY.

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