HOMEINSIDESWEET LISTING THE METRO’S MARKET
PERFECT PITCHERS The Sonic Guys, Chad Stevens and More
LUXE LOOKS Fall Begins a Season of Style
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FEATURES
31
September 2013
The Luxe of Fall
Cooler weather is on its way, and with it comes a new front of fashions: Richer hues in luxurious fabrics, eye-catching embellishments in gold and leather and a stylistic throwback to ’50s-era shapes are all part of a glamorous forecast.
36 Housing Market Madness
A strong economy has given the OKC metro an increase in population … and a growing demand for housing. In this seller’s market, Slice shares expert advice for those looking to buy, sell, get financing, improve a neighborhood’s overall appeal or plan renovations to maximize future value.
On the cover HOMEINSIDESWEET LISTING THE METRO’S MARKET
PERFECT PITCHERS The Sonic Guys, Chad Stevens and More
42
As Seen on TV!
They may not be A-list celebrities, but they’re famous to us all the same. Whether or not we bought what they were selling, these past and present Oklahoma advertising personalities are lodged in our memories and part of our pop cultural heritage. 6 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
LUXE LOOKS Fall Begins a Season of Style
The metro market is hot, hot, hot! Check out “Housing Market Madness” on page 36. Photo by Simon Hurst.
OKC: 6301 Waterford Blvd., Suite 101 • 8101 S. Walker Ave., Suite B • 405.427.4000 Edmond: 1440 S. Bryant Ave., Spring Creek Plaza • 405.427.4000 Since 1894 • www.banksnb.com • Member FDIC • Stillwater National Bank
DEPARTMENTS 49
LAKE COMO AWAITS
No huge, touristy landmarks, no urbane shopping district, no supermarkets … no problem. The mountainous Italian countryside north of Milan is off the beaten track, but a scenic paradise for a relaxing sojourn. 14 From the Editor UP FRONT 17 Chatter Kings of Leon, the key to an offensive resurgence, caring culinary wizardry from area chefs and other topics of conversation. 22 Details A new school year means a fresh opportunity for keeping everything organized in style – here’s the gear to get it together. 24 Retrospective Remembering the way we were with a look back at the back-toschool blitzkrieg that was buying supplies at the local Sears. 28 Exchange A give and take about the small steps to greatness, the rewards of bettering babies’ lives and the benefits of hula hoops with Infant Crisis Services Director Miki Farris. TRAVEL 52 77 Counties In her ongoing travels through the state, author and photographer M.J. Alexander makes a quick detour to Comanche County for a starry-eyed face-tolens meeting with Lawton’s temporary guest star Johnny Depp.
80
22 8 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
COMMUNITY 55 Life Is a Balancing Act In an excerpt from his recent book “Vibrant,” behavioral psychiatrist Dr. R. Murali Krishna remembers moving to Oklahoma (after finding it on a map) and learning the importance of apportioning time harmoniously.
September 2013 MINGLING 58 Making an appearance on central Oklahoma’s social scene. PRACTICAL MATTERS 60 A new mobile hotspot that makes staying connected easier than ever and a fully loaded smart phone designed to withstand a bit of abuse – together they’re good news for tech lovers on the go. PURSUITS 63 A rundown of local events and entertainment, including a top 10 list of must-see attractions, the sweet sounds of the OKC Philharmonic’s silver season and the world of ideas in OKC Town Hall. FARE 78 Show ’Em Your Game Face Football season means a return to the joys of tailgating, easily made even more joyful with a spicy twist on Sloppy Joes – check out these crowd-pleasing Touchdown Sandwiches. 80 Taking the Cake It’s home to locally sourced ingredients, slow cooking methods and divinely delicious results. Flavor lovers should be eager to raise a glass to Whiskey Cake. 82 Eat & Drink Take a gastronomic tour with Slice’s citywide dining guide. 94 Last Laugh 96 Last Look
63
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A STUDY OF COLOR AND FORM Featuring work by
W. BENNETT BERRY, DAVID BRANCH, DENNIS JOHNSON, MARKO KRATOHVIL, SUZANNE WALLACE MEARS AND ANDRE TUTAK
September 2013
Volume 4 Issue 9
PUBLISHER Elizabeth Meares EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mia Blake EDITORIAL Features Writer John Parker Associate Editor Steve Gill
“Mattie with Houndstooth” by W. Bennett Berry
“Champs Elysees” by Andre Tutak
Contributing Writers M.J. Alexander, Mark Beutler, Timothy Fields, Lauren Hammack, R. Murali Krishna, M.D., Michael Miller, Caryn Ross, Elaine Warner, Sara Gae Waters ART Art Director Scotty O’Daniel Graphic Designer Brian O’Daniel Contributing Stylist Sara Gae Waters
“Eclipse” by David Branch
“Variation of a Vessel” by Suzanne Wallace Mears
“Antiquate” by Dennis Johnson
SEPTEMBER 26 – OCTOBER 19
Contributing Photographers M.J. Alexander, Justin Avera, Simon Hurst, Claude Long, Michael Miller, Elaine Warner, Carli Wentworth ADVERTISING Executive Director of Advertising Cynthia Whitaker-hill Account Executives Jamie Hamilton, Doug Ross, Elizabeth Young Account Manager Ronnie Morey ADMINISTRATION Distribution Raymond Brewer
Oklahoma’s Premier Art Gallery 6432 N. Western Avenue 405.840.4437 | howellgallery.com “Compulsion” by Marko Kratohvil
10 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
Visit our website for additional images from the show
WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA sliceok.com
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September 2013
Volume 4 Issue 9
READER SERVICES
At Dental Design Studio, we are committed to offering you and your family high-quality dental care. We pride ourselves in offering exceptional care and doing it in a fun, relaxed environment, where we see patients as much more than just patients, but as our friends.
Mailing Address 729 W. Sheridan, Suite 101 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 Phone 405.842.2266 Fax 405.604.9435 Advertising Inquiries dwalker@openskymediainc.com Job/Internship Inquiries jobs@sliceok.com Story Ideas and Letters to the Editor Your views and opinions are welcome. Letters must include your full name, address and daytime phone number. Email to editor@sliceok.com; fax to 405.604.9435; mail to the address listed above. Letters sent to Slice magazine become the magazine’s property, and it owns all rights to their use. Slice magazine reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Back Issues To order single-copy back issues of Slice magazine, please send $9.50 (includes P&H) to the Oklahoma City address above or call 405.842.2266 to order by phone.
Dr. Susan Whiteneck ~ Dr. Sara Spurlock
Bulk Orders For information on bulk orders of Slice magazine, please call 405.842.2266. SUBSCRIBER SERVICES Slice magazine is available by subscription for $14.95 (12 issues), $24.95 (24 issues) or $34.95 (36 issues).
Call (405) 321-6166 or visit NormanDentist.com
Questions or address change? Visit sliceok.com/subscribe or email subscriptions@sliceok.com. Order online at sliceok.com or send your name, mailing address, phone number and payment to:
After years of doing business as both companies, Young Brothers has retired the Southwest Tile name.
SLICE P.O. Box 16765 North Hollywood, CA 91615-6765
CORPORATE Chief Executive Officer & President Richard M. Franks Chief Financial Officer Todd P. Paul Chief Marketing Officer Forbes C. Durey ADVERTISING Director of Sales Darla Walker Director of National Advertising Nathen Bliss MARKETING AND EVENTS Corporate Director of Marketing & Events Cathy Hale Director of Events & Community Relations Meredith Parsons
VISIT OUR SHOWROOM: 100 N. CLASSEN, OKC
405.272.0821
www.youngbrosinc.com MARBLE • GRANITE • TILE EST 1969
12 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
Marketing & Events Coordinator Meghan Athnos CIRCULATION Director of Audience Development Kerri Nolan ©2013 Open Sky Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of Slice magazine content, in whole or part by any means, without the express written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Slice magazine is not responsible for the care of and/or return of unsolicited materials. Slice magazine reserves the right to refuse advertising deemed detrimental to the community’s best interest or in questionable taste. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of ownership or management.
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From the Editor
A WORD TO THE WISE
SIMON HURST
I
MIA BLAKE
Editor-in-Chief mia.blake@sliceok.com
14 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
proudly identify myself a voracious reader. Even juggling a packed schedule, I maintain copious magazine subscriptions, a plethora of RSS feeds and favorite blogs, and a keen understanding of the intricacies of the library’s e-media system. As a child, I could always be found with my nose tucked into a book. Grandma Jeanette kept me and my brothers from getting cabin fever (or rotting our brains with TV and video games) during Oklahoma’s most brutal summers – the ones where you would sizzle just stepping out your front door – by feeding us a steady diet of books. She’d haul us to the public library and we’d load up for the week, and I enthusiastically recorded title after title on my summer reading list (with Grandma to vouch for my veracity), in anticipation of the sweet treat awarded with each milestone. Did it take 25 books? 50? 100? I don’t remember exactly. I think the targets moved further apart the older we got, but those Dairy Queen coupons felt like gold coins in our pockets when we finally received them. Is it any surprise that I ended up working in publishing? When my first college biology class ended my “ER”-inspired fantasy of becoming a doctor, words became my new destiny. If I had a nickel for every time a friend has said I should write a book of my life story (my family can be very entertaining), I would have several nickels. But writing and reading are two totally different animals, as any editor will attest, and aside from my brief forays on the keyboard to peck out these missives to you, my nose remains firmly planted in a book. The advent of reality TV (confession: a steady stream of Bravo programming is my dirty little secret) has cut into my reading habit a teensy bit. However, I figure working with the written word all day kind of evens the score. If my husband wasn’t such a tyrant with the TV remote and the DVR had never been invented, I would have had more to contribute to the discussion for John Parker’s article in this month’s “As Seen on TV,” page 42. He dug into the lives of some of Oklahoma’s favorite pitchmen and women for a trip across the airwaves of nostalgia. Another topic near and dear to my heart is real estate (I blame HGTV), and I was immediately hooked by “Housing Market Madness,” page 36. If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, waiting to join the real estate game, it may be time to dive in. I browse real estate listings like some other people browse the obituaries section – avidly, frequently and always sort of expecting to see someone I know. Recently, a familiar facade caught my eye, and I realized it was the house my brother- and sister-in-law owned back when I first met my future husband’s family around 1998. I emailed him the listing with a “Remember when?” kind of note, and when he replied I found out that the house (several owners later) was now selling for double what he’d paid for it in the mid90s. Wow. Note to self: Get on building that Trump empire, stat. Finally, Timothy Fields sets the stage for a return to sophisticated fashion when cooler temperatures prevail with “The Luxe of Fall,” page 31. These gorgeous looks have even halfway convinced me to trade in my usual “dressy” Converse sneakers for something a little more refined … at least once in a while. Until next time!
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A Very Happy Anniversary TONY ABEYTA
Exceptional home emporium Red Chateau is turning the big 1-0, and planning to mark the milestone in a style befitting the stylish vendor of furniture, bedding, accent pieces and more decorative wonders. You’re invited to the …
32x42 oil on canvas
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10th Anniversary Celebration Thursday, September 19 for a day of special offerings throughout the store, trunk shows, giveaways and even a Trivial Pursuit-style game that tests guests’ grasp of Red Chateau history. It’s also the perfect occasion to tour the newly expanded store and its luxury bedding boutique. A blowout like this only happens once a decade; visit redchateau.com or the store’s Facebook page for more information.
RED CHATEAU
9205 N. Pennsylvania, OKC 405842.2262
16 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
A DESIGN/BUILD COMPANY
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UP FRONT Gourmet Giving
SIMON HURST
Relief is a dish best served warmhearted, as an all-star cavalcade of the metro’s premier chefs and special guests whipped up a little something to aid tornado victims: over $100,000. See page 20.
DETAILS Products for getting it together, back-toschool style 22
RETROSPECTIVE A look back at oldschool school supply shopping at Sears 24
EXCHANGE Culinary dishing and baby talk with Infant Crisis Services Director Miki Farris 28 SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 17
AMANDA SMITH OF SUZY SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY
UP FRONT | Chatter
Getting in Tune KINGS OF LEON
Any converts to the sound pumped out by Grammy-winning, platinum-selling rocksmiths Kings of Leon when they helped headline the Rock for Oklahoma benefit concert in July won’t have to wait long for a fresh dose: The propulsive single “Supersoaker” is available already, and serves as an advance taste of the joyously, raucously loud pleasures to come on their impending sixth album. “Mechanical Bull” drops September 24; get ready to turn the volume way, way up.
Snuffed Out
Will Rogers World Airport is officially kicking the habit. On September 1, the smoking lounge in the terminal will be closed, making the airport a tobacco-free facility. At least where lungs are concerned, the friendly skies are now found indoors too.
The Belles of the Brawl
IT’S A LONG WAY TO THE TOP IF YOU WANT TO ROCK AT ROLLER DERBY, AND THESE BELLES DAMES SANS MERCI HAVE BATTLED THEIR WAY UP EVERY INCH. When the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association begins its Division 1 playoffs September 20 in Asheville, NC, 10 teams from New York to Houston will be skating for a slot in November’s WFTDA Championships – and among them will be Oklahoma City’s own Victory Dolls. Fans can check out news and a link to their fundraising page at oklahomavictorydolls.com. Don’t take this literally, ladies, but: Break a leg!
Get Your Kicks
Break out the air horns, caxirolas (a pear-shaped hand rattle that will be the instrument of choice during the 2014 World Cup), vuvuzelas (those long plastic horns that sound like a tuba section losing a fight with a swarm of bees) or all of the above – professional soccer is coming to OKC. Beginning in 2014, the metro will be home to a United Soccer Leagues PRO franchise, joining a league of 13 cities across the country and Antigua (can’t wait for that away game). Operators Prodigal LLC are working on arrangements for a new stadium, and the first kickoff will come next spring. If it catches on and builds a sufficient fan base, could the OKC team expand into a Major League Soccer franchise? That’s a goal to aim for down the road … and we’re about to be scoring a lot of goals.
18 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City Best Medical Facility | Best Healthcare Employer | Best Hospital for Childbirth
Thanks for making us a Reader’s Choice winner for the sixth year in a row.
mercy.net
SIMON HURST
UP FRONT | Chatter
Josh Valentine
Kitchens’ Aid
When the 2013 tornadoes devastated central Oklahoma, our citizens helped out the best ways they could – vendors donated sale proceeds, musicians performed benefit concerts … and local culinary masters jumped in and got their pans dirty. OK Chefs Relief was a two-prong triumph of making good happen: On May 26-27 and again June 24, area chefs including Kurt Fleischfresser, Jonathon Stranger, Josh Valentine, Chris Becker, Marc Dunham and Kamala Gamble joined special guests Danny Bowien and OKC native Rick Bayless to staff the kitchens in specially organized pop-up restaurants. All their efforts were pro bono; food, services, art for sale and silent auction items were donated; over $112,000 was raised for the Red Cross of Oklahoma and the Regional Food Bank. Think of it as two heaping helpings of (ful)filling fundraising.
Calendar Watch September 2 Labor Day September 3 Back-to-Work Day September 13 Yom Kippur; get yourself right. September 21 Last day of summer September 22-December 20 Winter is coming. (The Starks were right!)
20 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
ON THE PAGE HOW A POWER FORMATION
REVITALIZED THE OU POWERHOUSE Put the quarterback under center, stick a fullback behind him and two tailbacks a step behind and to either side, and then watch the rushing yardage pile up. OU ran the formation better than anyone else, and its success came to symbolize the program’s return to gridiron glory – a return chronicled in “Wishbone” as author Wann Smith uses firsthand accounts to lavishly reconstruct decades of football dominance engineered and executed by names like Bud Wilkinson, Barry Switzer, Jack Mildren, Little Joe Washington and Billy Sims. On September 7, before the stars of today host West Virginia, Smith will be in Norman signing copies of his opus at Barnes and Noble and the OU bookstore. Boomer!
All That Glitters …
… is, in this case, a sign of great television. After a stellar year for TV, one with emotional finales for both “30 Rock” and “The Office,” as well as killer dramatic moments (two words: Red Wedding), the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards are September 22 – and among the nominees is Tulsa native Bill Hader, the first male cast member of “Saturday Night Live” to be nominated twice for his work on the show. Hader told press that if he wins (he’s up for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series,” which is to say, “Outstanding Stefon-ing”) he will ramble rather than writing a speech, and then be forced to interrupt himself. “I’ll bring my own music up to cut myself off. I’ll have a little beat box and I’ll play it and then I’ll cut myself off and then leave.”
“Freedom from effort in the present merely means that there has been stored up effort in the past. A man can be freed from the necessity of work only by the fact that he or his fathers before him have worked to good purpose.” – Teddy Roosevelt “My father taught me to work; he did not teach me to love it.” – Abraham Lincoln
W ITH F IRST L IBERTY &
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he greatness of America came to us through sacrifice, not birthright. This is the place of heroes. The land of legends. The soil of
freedom’s first bloom. Great footprints have indented these grounds. They left behind their mark and their passion and their trust. We’ve been asked to be stewards, good stewards, great stewards. That is our inheritance. A world of peace; A land of promise. We’re here to live, as well as defend. To love, as well as work. We’re here to continue what was started. And we won’t stop there. At First Liberty Bank, we believe in the Land of the Free. At First Liberty Bank, we believe in you.
Life. Happiness. First Liberty.
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UP FRONT | Details
Type A+ By Sara Gae Waters // Photos by Carli Wentworth THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER SIGNALS NEW BEGINNINGS AND CLEAN SLATES … perhaps a new school, or at least a new grade. And speaking of grades, it’s a new start for that, too. Your football team has a new season, and past losses are just that: past. It’s also the perfect time to get organized. Since schools have been back in session for a few weeks, this is the time to see what you missed, evaluate and fill in the blanks. The school year might not seem as shiny and new after early-morning alarms, carpooling and missed buses, so a splurge here and there to whip things into shape will make it better. And if it’s just back to the old grindstone, well, at least you and your desk are accessorized in style! This kind of beginning will definitely get you all A’s!
Design House Stockholm bicycle shopping basket from Perch’d, OKC
22 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
Clockwise from top left: Mara-Mi monogrammed canvas pouch, journal and pen, Delfonics pencil bag and notebook from Chirps and Cheers, Edmond // Colored pencils from Chirps and Cheers // Tombolo recycled banner bag and Poketo striped fleece laptop case from Perch’d // Maude Asbury file folders and Semikolon folders box from No Regrets, OKC // Personalized luggage and bag tags from No Regrets // Solid and striped clips from Chirps and Cheers // Seltzer Goods magnets from Perch’d // Karen Adams calendar from No Regrets
Cultivating Individuality Casady educators know each student individually and encourage academic growth by focusing on students’ unique strengths and guiding them to pursue their passions.
This is CASADY. 9500 North Pennsylvania Ave. • Oklahoma City, OK 73120 • 405.749.3185 • www.casady.org • Casady School admits students of any race, color, creed and national or ethnic origin.
o r t Respective
Summer’s End By Mark Beutler // Photos courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL WAS ALWAYS A BIG DEAL. We traipsed off to class in new clothes, purchased in August by our moms as they dragged us behind them, kicking and screaming in protest. Those stiff new jeans from Sears that said “Husky” across the rear (and sort of announced to the world that you were a “husky.”) Shirts our mothers chose that would have made even the Brady Bunch cringe. On our feet, new pairs of Hush Puppies that pinched our toes after going barefoot all summer. One of the best parts about a trip to the old Sears store at Northwest 23rd and Penn was riding the three-level escalator, or eating in the snack bar and getting an ICEE at the candy counter. The store was built in 1954 and considered a landmark in its day. It is gone now, but here’s how it looked in its prime. 24 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
BACK TO SCHOOL BY THE NUMBERS 174
7
instructional days in 2013-’14 OKC and Edmond Public School year
175
80,500
approximate number of students in OKC, Edmond and Norman Public Schools this fall
instructional days in 2013-’14 Norman Public School year
190
instructional days in an English school year
210-250 instructional days in a Japanese school year
11
age of lead guitarist Joey Gaydos (Zack) in 2003’s “The School of Rock”
3
x, when 2x3 = 54
$2,000,000,000 total sales at U.S. bookstores in August 2012
2,400
points constituting a perfect score on the SAT exam
0.022
percentage of test takers (22 out of 100,000) who earn that score
26 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
$31,600
minimum starting salary for a first-year Oklahoma public school teacher with a bachelor’s degree
$28,000,000
Cameron Diaz’s approximate take-home pay after 2011’s “Bad Teacher” proved a surprise hit
1958
metro high schools in the top 8 of U.S. News & World Report’s Oklahoma rankings (Booker T. Washington, Classen SAS, Edmond North, Edmond Memorial, Norman, Edmond Santa Fe, Norman North, Westmoore)
year Crayola introduced the 64-pack
0
calories in a crayon (basically; they’re indigestible)
23
percentage of Oklahomans with a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2011
14 lines in a sonnet
16
percentage of all college students who were over 35 as of October 2010
1986
year Rodney Dangerfield went “Back to School” at the age of 65
UP FRONT | Exchange
BRINGING UP BABIES
By Lauren Hammack // Photo by Carli Wentworth
Conv A ersat with ion Miki Farr is
THOSE WHO KNOW MIKI FARRIS make an immediate association with Infant Crisis Services, where Farris has spent the better part of three decades providing much more than baby formula, food and diapers for Oklahoma City’s smallest in need – holding, rocking and loving babies are a bright part of Farris’ days at the office, too. During the past year, while the nonprofit’s co-founder has worked to bring balance to her busy life – cooking in Julia Child’s Provence kitchen, preparing to launch a new program for the babies and attending a hula-hooping class – she has garnered recognition from a national publication as one of five women in the United States who still find time to make a difference in the lives of many who will probably never even know her name.
What’s your hometown? I’ve lived in Oklahoma City the longest, so I call it my hometown. How long have you been working for Infant Crisis Services? My entire adult life! Twentynine years. You’re one of the co-founders, right? How did ICS come into being? Yes – it began as a project in a Sunday school class I was in. We’ll be celebrating our 30th anniversary next year. What’s the best part of that job? The babies! Holding, rocking, burping and loving them. I can’t imagine a better job for me. I feel fortunate to have an opportunity to make things better for someone else. I understand that you’ve been recognized for your work with ICS in a big way. Yes – I have been selected for “The Classic Woman Awards” by Traditional Home magazine, which recognizes five women in the country every year who have made a difference in their communities. Congratulations! That’s a big honor! Thank you. I do feel very honored and excited. We’ll be recognized at an awards reception in New York City in September, and the article will appear in Traditional Home’s October issue.
28 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
What do you believe that most people don’t? That most people want to help, serve or volunteer in some way, but they don’t act because they don’t know how to go about it. Which character trait is one of your best? I think I have a good heart.
drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”
butter dish that had belonged to Julia. It’s one of my favorite possessions.
Which trait would you gladly give up? People pleasing, which I think is a by-product of having a good heart!
What are you currently obsessed with? Hula-hooping!
What are you most grateful for? My family.
Wow – no one has ever given me that answer to that question. What the heck? It’s great exercise – you have to get a weighted hoop – but I’ve even been to a few hulahoop classes.
What is the one thing you’ll accomplish by the end of the year? Two things: becoming a person who wants to exercise and getting my life in balance.
What’s the last book you read? “Self Talk, Soul Talk” by Jennifer Rothschild. Where should I eat this weekend? Signature Grill in Edmond at Danforth and Kelley. It’s excellent. What should people learn to do? To be kind and treat others the way they want to be treated. What is the toughest job worth doing? Raising kids. Are you a night owl? No! I’m up at 5:15 most mornings to walk. What advice has inspired you? There are two quotes by Mother Teresa that come to mind: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love,” and “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a
They have hula-hoop classes? Yes! There’s one here in town, but my daughter in California says they’re everywhere out there. What should everyone try or experience at least once in their lifetime? Vacationing in France. Do you have a favorite destination in France? My husband Jim and I go to a cooking school in Provence that takes place in the kitchen of Julia Child’s home. We’ve gone for so many years, we’ve become friends with the woman who owns it. One year, she wanted to give me a gift, so she gave me a
What was your best subject in school? All of them. Well, all of the ones that had nothing to do with math or science. I was a communications major at OSU. What’s not all it’s cracked up to be? Aging! What’s the last thing you lost? My keys. I lose them daily. In fact, they’re probably lost right now. What’s on the horizon for ICS? We’ll be launching a pilot program October 1. It involves a new mobile unit that will go out to about 10 sites to deliver necessities for babies. We’re very excited!
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CUSTOM DOORS…
A 15-year anniversary is crystal-clear cause for celebration, and when it involves awardwinning jeweler and designer of breathtaking wearable art Valerie Naifeh, the event is guaranteed to be a thing of beauty. Chic at the Store 15th Anniversary Celebration Wednesday, September 18 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. To mark the occasion, Naifeh is hosting a pair of trunk shows featuring the flirtatious, brightly glittering curves of Suzy Landa’s designs (as shown here) and purely gorgeous aesthetic of Anne Sportun’s nature- inspired pieces. Refreshments will be served all day, not counting the feast for the eyes that is the Naifeh collection, and some guests will have even more reason for excitement: throughout the day, the store will hold five drawings for Naifeh Fine Jewelry gift cards. Don’t miss it!
512 S.W. 3rd, OKC | 228.4900 | Call for Showroom Appointment View our online gallery | www.monticellocabinets.com
NAIFEH FINE JEWELRY 9203 N. Pennsylvania, OKC 405.607.4323
SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 29
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30 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
Luxe THE
OF
FALL
By Timothy Fields // Photos by Simon Hurst By
Luxury fashions are on tap for this fall, and the rich fabrics and embellishments are bound to please the most discerning fashionista. Fifties-era shapes – think full coats and circle skirts – and a tough take on leather will adorn the racks of local retailers. Indulge yourself and enjoy!
Left to right: Catherine Deane pleated gown from Liberte | Mizuki Icicle 14kt yellow gold with diamond pave earrings, Sylva & Cie black rhodium and multicolored quartz doublets on 14kt yellow gold cable chain from Naifeh Fine Jewelry // Rene Ruiz silver gown with black lace trimming from Ruth Meyers | Naifeh Design link bracelet in 14kt white gold with 21.7cts. diamonds, diamond “wave” ring in 18kt white gold with 2.8ct. diamonds, white gold necklace with 11.58cts. diamonds fashioned in oval links and 18kt white gold earrings with 3.85cts. diamonds from Naifeh Fine Jewelry | Osborne & Little wallpaper from KASA Wallpaper Studio
SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 31
Clockwise from top left: Catherine Deane leather-embellished dress from Liberte | Mizuki Icicle earrings in oxidized sterling with 40ct. diamond, Armenta black leather wrap accented with yellow gold and diamond star, oxidized sterling bangles and Vibes gold, diamond and sterling skull ring from Naifeh Fine Jewelry | ROMO “Beatrix� wallpaper from KASA Wallpaper Studio // Theia lace gown and Judith Leiber bejeweled purse from Balliets | Naifeh Design 18kt white gold earrings with 2.75ct. diamonds, Memoire Confetti 18kt white gold ring with 2.15ct. diamonds and Jude Frances sterling silver stacking cuffs with pave white sapphire and black spinel from Naifeh Fine Jewelry // Theia silk taffeta cocktail dress and Franchi patent leather snake-printed clutch from Balliets | Armenta Midnight necklace and ring with turquoise doublets in sterling and 18kt yellow gold from Naifeh Fine Jewelry
32 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
Theia lace dress with satin belt from Balliets | Lika Behar opal and moonstone pendant in 22kt yellow gold on 22kt gold woven chain with Naifeh Design pink tourmaline and diamond ring in 22kt gold and opal and diamond earrings in 22kt gold from Naifeh Fine Jewelry
SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 33
Christian Dior silk cocktail dress, Fendi suede heels and Rene Caovilla gold encrusted clutch from Gordon Stuart | Naifeh Design golden, white and black South Sea pearl necklace, Gabrielle Sanchez white South Sea pearl and 18kt gold earrings with Atelier Zobel oxidized sterling, 18kt yellow gold and diamond ring and Tahitian pearl, sterling and 22kt gold cuff from Naifeh Fine Jewelry
34 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
Clockwise from top left: Max Mara wool knit dress with camel coat (draped over chair) from Ruth Meyers | Valentino nude leather pump and Kate Spade purse from Balliets | Faye Nadaner 18kt yellow gold and Tahitian pearl necklace, Naifeh Design Tahitian pearl ring with diamonds in 18kt yellow gold and 18kt yellow gold bracelet with diamonds from Naifeh Fine Jewelry // Worth New York hunter green patent leather biker jacket with Apriori black skinny pants from Ruth Meyers | Lika Behar rose cut ruby with diamond bezel in 22kt yellow gold and oxidized sterling silver ring and Armenta Midnight oxidized sterling silver and 18kt yellow gold earrings with diamond accents from Naifeh Fine Jewelry // Joeffer Caoc ruched skirt and felted wool double-breasted jacket from Balliets | Cynthia Ann antique bronze medallion with diamonds set in sterling and 18kt yellow gold, shown on a bronze and rose cut quartz chain with diamonds and Mizuki and Gellner layered leather, macramé, diamond and pearl bracelets from Naifeh Fine Jewelry // All wallpaper this spread: Cole & Son Contemporary Restyled wallpaper from KASA Wallpaper Studio
Special thanks to our partners on this shoot: 30A Home’s luxurious furnishings set the stage for elegance, Claudia and Whitney from Brink Models were true professionals, Jennifer Dawson from S Studio Salon designed the gorgeous hairstyles, KASA Wallpaper Studio’s bold wallpaper made for eye-catching backdrops and were impeccably hung by Gene Childers, The MakeUp Bar highlighted our beautiful models’ features with just the right products, Tony Foss created the opulent flower arrangement and Naifeh Fine Jewelry paired exquisite pieces with each outfit for a completely luxurious outcome.
SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 35
36 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
HOUSING MARKET MADNESS
By John Parker
Just when you thought bidding wars and lightningfast pending offers popped out of existence with liar loans, they’re back. It’s definitely the right time to sell; it also might be the last chance to snatch up a good deal for a while.
R
eal estate agent Jamie Black doesn’t waste time when she’s got a home to sell. This summer, for example, she inked marketing rights on a 4,400-square-foot, half-million-dollar luxury home in Mustang’s gated Magnolia Trace neighborhood. That afternoon she snapped a photo of the exterior. She scheduled her photographer to come the next day for interior shots. She had the home up on the Multiple Listing Service before midnight. The house sold the next day. Not surprisingly, Black’s reaction is: “I would love to have a bunch of those.” Not every one of her listings sells in less than 24 hours, but Black and her counterparts across central Oklahoma are relishing a real estate boom not seen here since before the Great Recession. It’s a seller’s market and buyers better be hopping. “They’re going fast and even if it’s only been on the market one or three days, you’ve got to get out there immediately or you’re going to miss it,” Black says. Real estate professionals describe the metro market with adjectives worthy of the most gushing of real estate ads: “wonderful,” “fantastic,” “crazy.” Black’s colleague Keith Taggart, managing broker of Coldwell Banker Select in Mustang, says his office’s recordsetting sales are up more than 20 percent over last year, which were already up more than 20 percent over the year before that.
“Now we have so many more buyers than we do houses for sale that it’s not uncommon that a property will have multiple offers on it. And the sales price will be above the list price if they get into price wars over them,” Taggart said. Central Oklahoma’s housing market has been in recovery for about two years – and is hotter than ever. Taggart, also president of the Oklahoma City Metro Association of Realtors, attributes that to years of pent-up demand still left over from the Great Recession. Buyers with doubts about an economic reawakening are no longer holding back. “We’re as busy now as we were at the height of things seven or eight years ago,” Taggart said. “As soon as people started feeling better about their jobs and better about the economy, they came out in droves.” A red-hot metro economy is driving the clamor. Central Oklahoma was the nation’s No. 1 job market for 13 months in a row until it slipped to No. 2 last summer. OKC Mayor Mick Cornett notes in speeches across the country that an average of 2,000 people move into the metro every month. The flood of home seekers, though, is starting to back up against a wall in the form of fewer places to call home. The number of metro residences for sale typically wavers between 9,000 and 11,000 at any given time. Last summer it dropped to the mid-7,000s. The real estate industry employs a calculation called “absorption rate” to gauge whether a market tips in favor of buyers or sellers. It answers this question: If no more homes are listed for sale, and the demand for new digs stays as it is, how long would it take for all the existing listings to be sold? “Anything less than five months is considered a seller’s market,” Taggart said. “We’re down to four months.” The metro is contending with another blow to inventory that no other market faces – the devastating May tornadoes. The summer’s inventory figures in the 7,000s didn’t include more than 1,300 homes destroyed by the storms. High demand with low availability is a boon for home sellers, though. They’re getting asking price 98 percent of the time, according to the Metro Association of Realtors. And they’re getting their money fast: On median, homes spend about 35 days on the market before they sell. The median metro home price of around $150,000 is the highest ever and a nearly 4 percent increase over last year.
“Even if there’s a 3 percent or 4 percent increase in value in the next two years, guess what? You’ve just paid for the cost to sell in two years. In some markets, that’s not possible. In Oklahoma City, it is.” JOE PRYOR
OKLAHOMA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS PRESIDENT SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 37
Those pressures are driving up prices across central Oklahoma, including Norman, Yukon and Mustang. Edmond’s home sales were at a record pace last year. They’re now running over 15 percent higher than that, said Joe Pryor, president of the Oklahoma Association of Realtors. “What we have right now is an incredibly vibrant market throughout the metro,” Pryor said. “And if it’s not selling, it’s being rehabbed, totally upgraded and added to.” The market’s effervescence isn’t skipping the metro’s newest housing options – the condos, townhomes, lofts and apartments of Bricktown, Midtown, Deep Deuce, etc., in the OKC core. Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant recently slam-dunked unbeatable geographic hipness into The Hill townhomes when he bought two adjoining residences for $1.7 million. But the area’s recovery began well before that. Pending construction is projected to bring around 1,000 more living spaces there in the next few years. “The thing we’re seeing right now in our population growth is that we have young people that are staying. The job market’s good,” Pryor said. “They’re always going to be the first ones to go downtown. They want the nightlife. They want the excitement. They want the sense of community that maybe Bricktown offers them.” Homebuilders and developers are scrambling in the same highspeed gear as real estate agents, trying to meet the high demand. The Central Oklahoma Homebuilders Association recently logged the highest number of home starts since 2007. The seller’s market trend isn’t likely to end soon, but prospects for home hopefuls are still good, Taggart says. Mortgage interest rates have climbed, but are still historically low at under 5 percent. The metro is still a place to get a lot of home for the buck, compared to larger markets. Unlike markets that melted down with massive numbers of foreclosures and fire-sale prices during the recession, central Oklahoma largely avoided that level of drain to personal housing wealth. It’s still a good time to buy, local experts say. In fact, it could be the most opportune chance for a long while if steady low inventory and brisk demand continue to squeeze buyers into next spring. If you’re looking to buy, competition historically lets up from September through February, even with thousands of homes still up for sale. With the metro’s market numbers, few think the ascendancy of sellers will topple anytime soon. “If we know we have a market that didn’t melt down, that had the lowest amount of underwater mortgages and has had a steady rise, I think that’s the confidence that you have,” Pryor said. “Even if there’s a 3 percent or 4 percent increase in value in the next two years, guess what? You’ve just paid for the cost to sell in two years. In some markets, that’s not possible. In Oklahoma City, it is.”
“If I can get a place for $40 a square foot and put $30 a square foot into it, I can make it my palace.” JOE PRYOR,
OKLAHOMA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS PRESIDENT 38 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
IT IS WHAT IT IS
Surviving and Thriving in a Seller’s Market
W
ho better to give you a competitive edge in a sizzling housing market than the heads of the top two real estate groups in central Oklahoma? Keith Taggart is president of the OKC Metro Association of Realtors. He’s also an attorney and managing broker of Coldwell Banker Select in Mustang. He was tapped three times to oversee the data-rich Multiple Listing Service for the OKC metro. Joe Pryor is president of the Oklahoma Association of Realtors, headquartered in north OKC. He’s watched the metro real estate market evolve for 24 years as a professional.
ADVICE FOR BUYERS
Get fast, Taggart says. Prepare to spend evenings in your car chasing new listings. Sign up for the latest email alerts on the latest entries to the market. Comb through real estate sites daily to find emerging prospects. “If your agent sets you up and you stay on top of it like that, that’s the earliest chance you’ll get to see them.” Use backup offers. Even if a seller’s agent doesn’t call back, giving her or him a fallback option if a pending sale falls through can put you first in line to snap up a doozy. “Multiple offers and backup offers are things we haven’t seen in years,” Taggart said. This is not the time for low-balling. “That’s a mistake for buyers now. It is a seller’s market again,” Taggart said. Ninety-eight percent of sellers are getting their asking price. The most successful buyers today meet or exceed the asking price. The flea market prices following the recession are over, Pryor says. “You’re not competing against any distressed properties. You’re competing against your neighbor.” Even in a hot market, values are relative. Yukon and Mustang are booming, but home and land values are lower there than the fancier and more limited supply of houses in Edmond. “The lots in Mustang usually run about $20,000 to $25,000 apiece,” Taggart said. “In Edmond, you’re looking anywhere from $50,000 to $80,000. That’s a big difference.” Bargain-hunt on the periphery. Gentrification is here to stay. Homes just on the edge of established neighborhoods are riskier investments, but attractive to buyers with relatively less to lose. “If I can get a place for $40 a square foot and put $30 a square foot into it, I can make it my palace,” Pryor said. “The risk is greater, but with what I’m seeing right now in the Oklahoma economy, that risk is shrinking.”
ADVICE FOR SELLERS
Don’t push up prices – they’re already good. Pryor says it’s OK to list a home in great shape near the top of the pricing scale, but ask-
ing for 20 percent over market is a mistake. “We still have appraisals on the other end of the deal, and it still has to be based on comparable sales.” The fall and winter lull may not happen. Homebuyers generally try to relocate in the late spring and summer months before school begins, but central Oklahoma’s conditions may keep ripe options on the vine for a while. Interest rates are still low and not likely to skyrocket, Pryor says. “I wouldn’t hesitate to tell someone to put their home on the market in September.” If it’s a great offer, don’t blow it. It’s tempting in a seller’s market with multiple bidders to wait for more lucrative proposals. But if you’re getting a price that you wanted from the beginning, it’s better to take it, Pryor said. Go for it. Simon Shingleton, an agent who handles million-dollarplus homes for Keller Williams Realty Elite, offers a few tips for modern marketing: Consider a dedicated website for your listing, full-motion video with touches like burning fireplaces to spur buyers’ imaginations and release all your marketing tools – from yard signs to mailings aimed at qualified buyers – all at once. “When you prime it so that everyone has a fair shot to get in on day one, you can really kind of create a little bit of a buzz and the urgency that we need to get in,” he said.
FINANCING THE DREAM
F
ear not. The hype that post-recession, stringent mortgage loan rules will stymie you from buying your dream home is greatly overstated. So says Jason Stier, mortgage sales manager for First Fidelity Bank. “If things are presented properly and expectations are managed in the beginning, getting loans done in 30 days or less is not an issue,” he says. “Even on the quirky ones, if all those quirks are addressed up front and expectations are managed, you should have no issues getting those loans through in a timely manner.” One highly recognizable benefit of the Great Recession reforms is that home loan seekers are seeing fewer offers of “no money down” or “no credit history needed.” Interest-only and low-doc/nodoc loans no longer flood the market. “Those things, to a degree, are pretty much gone,” Stier said. They’ve been replaced by vanilla loan options with stable track records of success. Beyond conventional, government-backed loans from private lenders, metro cities and counties offer programs to help citizens become homeowners. Norman, Oklahoma City, Edmond and others offer down-payment assistance backed by federal lending programs. For anyone looking to buy, especially in a hot market, pre-qualifying for a loan is step one, Stier says. About 30 percent of prospective buyers don’t bother with it – to their great disadvantage, he adds. For homeowners with average means, renovation loans usually involve refinancing their home’s mortgage to factor in the residence’s value after improvements. If you’re “buying ugly” with plans to renovate, the FHA offers a 203(k) rehabilitation loan that lets qualified
buyers purchase a residence in need of repairs and include the renovation costs in a single mortgage. The housing agency also promotes an Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) program for financing highefficiency upgrades as part of refurbishing. Another option is a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC), which avoids closing costs and other expenses involved with refinancing. Then there are home equity loans, refinancing with cash out and more. Contact banks, credit unions and brokers for more along those lines.
STAND IN THE PLACE WHERE YOU LIVE In a seller’s market with limited options, homeowners
are transforming the all-too-familiar into fabulous. And if you love where you’re living, maybe all you need to do is rev up the neighborhood vibe.
M
ichael and Mary Matlock have a lot invested in their neighborhood, Kickingbird Estates. They dipped their hearts in first. Michael was 15 years old and Mary one year younger when they shared their first kiss on Nighthawk Court, near the creek. She lived in the neighborhood. Michael had traveled all the way from his parents’ home in south OKC to Edmond. That night, Mary was smitten. “Tonight we had our first kiss. Someday, I am going to marry that boy,” she wrote in her diary. Their long-distance infatuation ended that fall, but they kept in touch from time to time. Seven years later, they started dating again. In the spring of 2003, Michael proposed – right there on Nighthawk Court. In 2007, Olivia Ji-Anna Matlock met her parents for the first time. With Mary’s memories of Kickingbird as a pretty great place to grow up, the Matlock family next chose their first home: a singlestory ranch-style in Kickingbird Estates. More things had changed, though, than their budget for diapers. The neighborhood was built mostly in the 1970s as an upscale development on 160 acres near Bryant and Danforth. The home designs and layouts of around 2,500 to 4,600 square feet are as individual as their owners. Blue pools reflect swaying ripples of midday sun on the walls of most homes. Commuting home from work, Michael noticed small changes. The neighborhood’s common areas thickened with higher grass. Entrances and community gardens designed to welcome with flowers and neatly trimmed landscaping were neglected. Individual homeowners were becoming more lax about their own upkeep, too. “It was in bad shape,” said Mary, now 33. Kickingbird had weathered a recession, but by 2010, Michael, Mary and other homeowners had seen enough to show up at a homeowners’ association meeting. “We watched things deteriorate, and we really wanted to go to the SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 39
“Love your neighbor and do unto others. It really comes down to those two very simple things.”
MARY MATLOCK
VICE PRESIDENT OF THE KICKINGBIRD ESTATES HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION meeting – find out what’s going on,” Mary said. “That’s when we found out nothing was going on.” They discovered that the faithful guardians of the neighborhood were older and less capable of taking care of things for everyone else. They unceremoniously were told that the Kickingbird Estates Homeowners’ Association no longer had a president or vice president. The remaining board members had a question for the people who showed up: Anyone want to volunteer? “We were voted in that night,” Mary said. “I felt like if it’s not going to get done, I’m not one to sit by and watch the neighborhood go downhill,” said Michael, 34. “So I volunteered to be president. Mary, being the great wife that she is, knows my personality and that we make a good team. Her attitude was that, ‘If you’re president, I’ll run for vice president.’” Most homeowner covenants crafted in the 1970s are not what you’d call ironclad or nitpicky. The tough clauses for Kickingbird ran along the lines of banning things like raising cows in your backyard. “You’re really going off people’s good intentions to take care of their home and yard,” as Mary describes it. Homeowner dues were voluntary. The new neighborhood leaders fixated on changing that. Keeping up neighborhood appearances takes money, and anyone who doesn’t help pay for it in a voluntary system is taking advantage of their neighbors’ generosity. All Michael and Mary had to do was persuade 60 percent of their neighbors to make it mandatory. Good luck with that, they were told. It had been tried in the past. As with many political landscapes inherent in homeowner associations, suspicions abounded. Was money misused in the past? Why should I give money when it’s already voluntary? Why should I trust you new guys? Handicapped with a 10-page amendment packet for homeowners to sign, Michael and Mary appealed to common sense. Every weekend for two months they knocked on the doors of nearly 200 homes. Olivia, tagging along in a stroller, was temporarily petrified whenever dogs answered. Voluntary dues participation was falling to 60 percent among the 230 houses. It was enough to get the neighborhood’s basic needs met, but what happens as more and more drop out? Michael and Mary broke down the cost of streetlights, landscaping and all the other expenses for each homeowner who’d listen. A few phone callers accused them of hoodwinking people; meeting their neighbors on their doorsteps was far more successful. Their work paid off in a slim approval. With a few exceptions, most homeowners are now required to pay dues – a whopping $150 a year. The influx of funds solved the maintenance beefs. Due to its legacy roots, Kickingbird today is a lush and leafy neighborhood with a plus: involved neighbors. With no common park, Kickingbird 40 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
residents with sprawling lawns volunteer them for community Easter egg hunts. A revitalized email and cell phone network connects neighbors in need with neighbors who want to help, whether it’s a trip to pick up medicines or to babysit for an hour. All it took was some heart and a little chutzpah. “We really want to be a team of people who can serve each other, take care of each other, love each other, know each other,” Mary said. “We were realizing, especially when we did the amendment, that people in here didn’t know each other. They don’t know that somebody from their kid’s school lives next door. We wanted to change that culture because we feel like we have a good thing going here and it just needed to be nurtured. We really felt like we were young and crazy and could pull it off.” The couple’s formula for a vibrant community is philosophical – even idealistic. “Love your neighbor and do unto others,” Mary explains with a smile. “It really comes down to those two very simple things. If people will live in a way that they know they would want to – the way they take care of their home and families – other people will too. “It’s very contagious. It’s been proven that it’s contagious. And I think everything will fall into place. I really do.”
Michael and Mary’s Tips to a Better Neighborhood
Plug people together. When people know each other, they feel more accountable about taking care of their homes and property for their neighbors’ sakes – and helping out in their times of need. “I would say the biggest way to have any sort of neighborhood turnaround is to have people who care about each other,” Michael said. “When you find out what’s going on with your neighbor, people will go out of their way to do things they normally might not do.” Use technology. A website is a given. Add a voluntary email contact list, password-protect more private communications and you’ve got a network for 21st-century neighborly camaraderie. Embrace the touchy subjects. Since you know your neighbors now, you can bring up things like offering to take their trash bin to the side of the house if they regularly leave it out way past pickup time. If that’s a bridge too far, ask the association leaders to bring it up. They can tell your neighbor that people have noticed. Consistency counts. If your homeowners’ association is a steady force of committed people working together and willing to help, regular contact about illegally parked boats, overgrown lawns and other nuisances gets easier over time. Your city can be your friend. Embrace city employees. “The city of Edmond is amazing,” Michael says. Get to know your local code inspector, the people in charge of changing streetlight bulbs and the heavy maintenance crews who tame your water main breaks. Be financially creative. A homeowner once confronted Mary about chicken nuggets given to kids at a neighborhood event. A misuse of homeowner dues? Nope. Ad sales from the association newsletter paid for them.
MAKING 1+1=3 If battling multiple bidders is wearing you down, A MARKET FEELIN’ HOT, HOT, HOT Taking the temperature of buying fever in central Oklahoma. (Stats apply to the metro as a whole for June.)
SALES
Up 33 percent from the same month last year.
MEDIAN PRICES
Nearly 10 percent higher (9.6 percent) than last year.
DAYS ON MARKET BEFORE SOLD
37. Two years ago, it hovered around 60.
EXISTING HOUSING FOR SALE
7,249 – an 18 percent decline from last June.
ASKING PRICES
Sellers hit them 98 percent of the time, same as last year.
ABSORPTION RATE
Or how long it would take to sell off every listing if no new properties came on the market – 4.6 months. Less than five months is considered a seller’s market. Last year, it was at 6.2 months, a buyer’s market. Source: Oklahoma City Metro Association of Realtors
consider improving in place – or buying ugly.
A
nders and Terry Carlson subscribe to a renovation formula that’s been making over the look of Avondale Drive in Nichols Hills for years. Their alchemical secret? Making one plus one equal three. Although best known for its stunning mansions and sprawling lawns, the 84-yearold city-within-a-city’s manicured masterpieces share 2,700 acres with thousandsquare-foot bungalows. G.A. Nichols intended it that way. Half-century-old stately homes with small, walled-off rooms typical of their day – and perhaps with dangerously worn electrical systems – demand renovation as much as carriage houses with window air conditioners. Regardless of a home’s size, the Carlsons’ calculus works in any neighborhood: One – take the plunge to renovate your devalued house. Two – create a second value in the form of an upgraded lifestyle. Three – those two moves boost value of an old home. Perhaps the Carlsons’ principle is better explained with their advice to buy the ugliest house on the best block. “You spend the money to buy the house, you spend the money to renovate the house, and the house will be worth more than that later,” Terry explains. “One plus one equals three.” The Carlsons’ enterprise, better known as AC Dwellings LLC, stands out for its makeover work in Nichols Hills and Gaillardia in northwest OKC and its holistic approach to a given property. “When we renovate a house, it’s very important to us that we’re not just working on the interior,” Terry said. “Let’s say you buy a $500,000 house, and you’re willing to spend $300,000 renovating it to the studs – everything new. “We wouldn’t take that project on if we could not convince our client that we need to make the outside of that house look like a million dollars – because we want to protect their investment, not a $500,000 house where you can’t see what’s been done inside. Because sitting on the street, that’s not good for the house. It needs to look like it.” People choosing to renovate usually share the same motives: They feel like they already live in a great neighborhood, their neighbors are good friends and they’re often just sentimental. “A lot of people love their home,” Terry says. “They’ve raised their kids, it has memories, they bought it for a reason when they bought it. They’re attached – that’s human nature.” Reasons to renovate vary. A great layout for a family may work less so for empty nesters. Décor and finishes wear and become outdated. Older homes aren’t energy efficient. Anders and Terry’s renovation projects are often so expansive and huge that people sometimes mistakenly believe they’ve built a new house on the home’s footprint. That’s because they “blow up” original designs. They’ll elevate replacement roofs as they heighten existing exterior walls and extend room lengths. Exterior touches such as wrought-iron fencing, circular driveways, stone walls and dormers unite the structure’s new vigor with the rest of the property. A renovation’s biggest drawback, of course, is losing a place to live. In the Carlsons’ experience, homeowners are evenly divided between those who stay and tough out the renovation and those who flee the whine of power saws, contractors’ boom-box musical tastes and portable toilets in the yard. “We encourage them to move,” Terry said. “Our guys show up at 7 in the morning, but we’ll move clients around in their homes if they want to stay. We say, ‘We’re gonna do this first, so you’re going to stay here. Then we’re going to go do that, so move over here.’ I call it living in Smurfdom. We put big plastic sheets up with zippers – clear sheets – but still … Smurfdom.” However it gets done, energizing homes with new living spaces is Anders and Terry’s passion. “Some people like to save dogs. We like to save houses,” Terry said. “We love that.” SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 41
AS SEEN ON TV! THE PERSONALITIES BEHIND OKLAHOMA’S COMMERCIAL SUCCESSES Hiring a movie star to advertise their business might be beyond a company’s budgetary means, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make a lasting impression. These commercial characters with local ties have done more than sell us products - they’ve become part of our collective memories. By John Parker 42 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
CHAD STALCUP IT’S ALL ABOUT BRANDING ‘DAMN YOU!’ and Other Tidbits
Stalcup loitered underwater in the noodling commercial so he’d be shot popping out of still water. Rippling waves would have been less of a surprise. “We did that over and over and over. Finally I said, ‘This is it. I don’t want to do this anymore.’ It was just disgusting.”
Chad Stalcup is bent over, holding his breath and completely submerged in four feet of Lake Hefner. He’s trying to stay perfectly still. It’s murky, super cold, silent. One more thing he’s focusing on: Don’t drop the 10-pound, whole frozen catfish in his hands. Mentally calculating a 30-second wait, Stalcup bolts through the surface in a spray of water … and the transformation begins. As if in a riverside baptism gone terribly wrong, Stalcup, the person, disappears. “Chad Stevens” – the car-selling wildman of Fowler Toyota – comes up roaring and born again. This time Chad Stevens is a noodler clad in cut-off jean shorts and a hillbilly sleeveless shirt. His knees trudge up and down through the shallows as he hoists the black-and-gray channel cat. He lets loose a high-pitched holler. “Woo! This is a honey hole down here!” he yells to his pompadour-primped “brother” on the shore. Rubbing his belly underneath a dirty white muscle shirt, the brother shouts back, “That one’s gonna be goo-oood eatin’!” Stalcup, 46, has been entertaining Oklahomans for 12 years with his Chad Stevens character. His spoof subjects are legion: The Mathis Brothers commercials (replacing the brothers’ random use of kids with a Cabbage Patch doll); the Most Interesting Man in the World (“I normally don’t buy vehicles. When I do, I buy from Fowler Toyota”) and OSU coach Mike Gundy (“Are you kidding? Buy from me! I’m a man! I’m 40!”). The Gundy send-up was so well done it went viral and was picked up by ESPN and Comedy Central. Born and raised in Enid, Stalcup is the successful president and executive creative director of Skyline Media Group in northwest OKC. The Emmy-winning firm’s clients have included top central Oklahoma businesses and the likes of Westin Hotels, the National Automobile Dealers Association and Harley-Davidson. Ideas about what or who to spoof can come from any of the company’s 22 employees, Stalcup said. “A lot of times it literally is a spur of the moment idea. We have all the video/film equipment here and can go shoot instantly.” Some ideas are born one day and shot the next. Fowler Toyota holds the reins loosely on the company’s creativity, he said. On the noodling commercial, CEO Mike Fowler called him up and asked him what hillbilly handfishing had to do with selling cars. Stalcup told him, “Really nothing.” (Really: branding.) Fowler wasn’t mad. Stalcup quotes him as saying: “We’re selling cars like you wouldn’t believe, so something’s working. Don’t change it.”
Corporate suits from Toyota once told him to pull an ad. He had parodied the infamous incident when former President George W. Bush ducked a shoe thrown at him. “They told me to stay away from politics and religion. ‘Do current events all you want.’” The Mathis brothers got a kick from their parody, he said. “They loved it. They called me personally and asked me to send them the spot so they could put it on their Facebook.”
How do Chad Stevens and Chad Stalcup differ? “If you ask my wife, there’s no difference,” he laughs. Like Stevens, Stalcup is easygoing and funny, but serious when it comes to the quality of his company’s work and value for clients. The company produced commercials for Channel 9 that promoted its weather coverage by showing a distraught family listening to Gary England and fearfully fleeing to shelter during a tornado. The drama was so high it drew the attention of Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.” Leading his show with the clip, Stewart remarked, “Here’s why I’m freaked out. Some local television station in Oklahoma has way better production values than my show. Damn you!” SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 43
PETER GROSZ IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT FOR SONIC As the pitchmen for Oklahoma’s own (and the nation’s largest) drive-in chain, improv actors Peter Grosz and T.J. Jagodowski seem to be from anywhere and nowhere.
Their Sonic-loving characters are the “everyguys” of cherry limeades and footlong cheese coneys. Although they’re not local, Oklahoma City-based Sonic Drive-In definitely is – and that’s enough to make them feel right at home on our TV screens. Jagodowski’s (passenger seat) movie credits include “Oz the Great and Powerful,” and he performs regularly at iO Theater in Chicago. Grosz (driver’s seat) is a New Yorker and two-time Emmywinning writer for his work on “The Colbert Report.” His acting credits include “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Veep.” Grosz, 39, graciously stepped away from the steering wheel to answer a few questions from Slice about working for a restaurant empire that sells enough footlong quarter-pound coneys in a single year to border the 48 contiguous states (says Sonic – we haven’t lined them up ourselves). What’s your favorite menu item and why? I like the popcorn chicken – for several reasons. First, they’re fried. Second, I like any food that has the name of another food in it – same reason I like grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes and popcorn chicken tomatoes. Third, they’re fried. It seems like you’re always driving and T.J. is the passenger, right? What’s up with that? It’s a metaphor for our entire dynamic. I drive, he doesn’t. I know where I’m going, he doesn’t. Sonic phased you out in 2010, but you went “rogue” to get your jobs back. In one of your hire-us-back videos, you promote popcorn chicken with half a dozen chickens flapping around in the car. What did you learn from that experience? I learned that chickens are not “chicken.” They are, in fact, very aggressive. I don’t know who came up with that phrase, but it’s not based in reality at all. I also learned that when T.J. says he has a “sweet idea” that I’m going to “loooooove,” I should ask for specifics before giving him the go ahead.
MEMORIES FOR SALE MEMORY-JOGGERS OF TV COMMERCIAL GREATS (AND NOT SO GREATS) FROM OVER THE YEARS “Sale! Sale! Sale! NOW at Oklahoma Discount Furniture!”
What would happen if you were challenged to roller skate and deliver a tray of food? I would decline that challenge. There are a lot more fun ways for me to break every bone in my body. But if someone did manage to get me up on roller skates, perhaps by calling me chicken (which, even though it’s inaccurate, always works on me) it would look something like that video of the Hindenburg crashing. Lots of humanity. Besides eating them, what else can you do with tater tots? I’m so glad you asked! Lots of things. You can juggle them, hide them in people’s shoes, put them over your eyes when you sleep, use them as your own personal currency or, my personal favorite, use them as building block-type toys to make a giant sculpture of a tater tot. What’s the best thing about being a Sonic pitchman? In all seriousness, spending time in a car with T.J. It’s unbelievably fun, and he’s one of my best friends, so I’m really lucky that this is my job. If you got to pick a brand-new menu item for Sonic, what would it be? They already have popcorn chicken, right? ’Cause I really love those. Hmm … Well, I’d really love to see more popcorning of other food items. Maybe popcorn cheeseburgers, popcorn blasts, popcorn tots. I have no idea how to make these things, but that’s for Sonic to figure out.
Five-year-old Bryden McPherson won hearts and giggles with his unique wiggle dancing on Edmond Hyundai’s TV commercials, accompanied by “Sabre Dance.” “Edmond Hyundai, Edmond Hyundai, Edmond Hyundai …”
“But I have a brilliant personality!” – Wright Business School
The Del Rancho kid ordering up a steak sandwich supreme. - The commercials inspired the Mike Hosty Duo to pen the song “Steak Sandwich Boog ie.”
44 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
” - Jude and “We love folks! Furniture Jody and Sons
BOB MILLS THE FURNITURE BUYER’S FRIEND PILLOW TALK All About Bob
He doesn’t use a teleprompter, due to lessthan-perfect vision. “My commercials are basically pretty much ad-libbed because I can’t see a teleprompter. To me, it works better to deliver a sincere message of what I really want to say to the customer.” He was a double major in music and business at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. “I got through college playing sax,” he said. “I played with a rock ‘n’ roll band with all the WKY DJs and Don Wallace (host of the local “Wallace Wildlife Show” in the ‘60s through the ‘80s) on the weekends.”
You might want to put down your TV remote for what you’re about to read. Ready?
Bob Mills is no longer the working man’s friend. Don’t panic. He’s still the same tall, friendly guy with the broad brilliant smile who’s been a fixture on central Oklahoma television since the 1970s. He still appreciates it when customers fondly recall the old “working man’s friend” slogan, or the days when he sported signature sweaters. But the OCU Oklahoma Commerce and Industry Hall of Famer knows – and loves – business. Markets and people constantly evolve, and so should a business’ image. “Things change and your marketing changes with your merchandise,” Mills explains. “It’s not about me. It’s about the customer and serving his or her needs. I’m the same guy, but as far as being on television saying that – no, we don’t use that branding anymore.” Today, Bob most often dons a smartly tailored suit, tie and colorful pocket square to promote the value of “companions pricing” with extras – like maybe a 32-inch TV thrown in for free. The company’s first business model was a 30-minute weekly country & western music show featuring local musicians, with Bob as host and singer. Bob Mills Furniture started with eight employees in July 1971. The company now employs more than 400 people in six (seven later this year) stores in Oklahoma and Texas. Mills and crew shoot the commercials every two-and-a-half weeks, most of them at 3600 W. Reno. There you can watch Bob flub a line, try again – and buy a love seat to go. During the Thunder playoffs, Bob took to the basketball court for the “Amazing Dunk” commercial. In a red jersey with the company logo and white tennis shoes, a solo Bob dribbles like an NBA power forward to the goal, smashes in a rim-rattling dunk and hangs onto the hoop for flair. All done in one take, right? “You must be kidding – that was a six-hour shoot!” he says. “I was a tired guy at the end of the day. Let me put it this way: I have a healthy respect for Kevin Durant.”
His favorite piece of furniture is a customized Sleep to Live mattress (sold at the store). “I practice what I preach. So I sleep on the prescribed bed for me.” His St. Bernard, Bentley, rests her big bones on a piece of gel foam that Bob had made for her. “She just loves it.” Bob loves being a businessman, but he doesn’t play golf. He doesn’t have any other real hobbies, except one: “This store is my hobby. I enjoy it today more than I ever did.” Naturally, his favorite TV show is about business – “Shark Tank.” The reality show lets entrepreneurs try to woo five tough-talking tycoons into investing in their business idea. “I love the points of view those guys come up with – the way they tell ‘em, ‘That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard. I would never invest with you. I’m out.’ That makes it easier – when they’re just brutally honest.” Bob exercises about 40 minutes a day. “I wake up in the morning and that’s the first thing I look forward to – exercising and doing stretches and things like that.” After that, he reads the Bible to start the day. There’s one last surprising revelation about Bob: He doesn’t sell furniture. “We sell fashion, and we sell a promise,” Bob says. “The fashion is the style that you like, that makes you feel good, and the promise is that you’ll feel better if you enjoy your home and look forward to going home with the things around you that you really like. “That’s the big picture. The small picture is the sofa. But the big picture is enjoying your life.” SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 45
LINDA VERIN OFF THE BEATEN TRAK Linda Soundtrak burst into Oklahoma’s TV consciousness like the beast in “Jaws” crunched into the deck of the Orca: She was loud, in your face and unstoppable from the mid-Seventies until the Soundtrak stores closed in 1993. Hyperactively flapping her wings in a yellow chick outfit, she peeped about “cheep, cheep, cheep” prices! Celebrity guest stars like wrestler “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and OU football great Lee Roy Selmon joined in on her intentionally campy antics. She was laid up “crazy sick” and delirious in a hospital bed, popping up to shout with a huge smile, “Keep your money! Have a TV!” As her Linda Soundtrak persona, owner Linda Verin flooded central Oklahoma TV. She did remote live shots from the store during “Saturday Night Live.” She once made 14 commercials in one hour. Today, she lives in Birmingham, Alabama, and is president of Ads That Work. The name fits: Her Soundtrak audio/video business spread to Texas, Kansas and Alabama.
Linda Soundtrak started out as a gimmick idea called “Mr. Soundman.” She and husband/owner Rick Clay (they’re still mar- “Don’t you know Soundtrak … ried) had employees try out for the role. “But because I’m from Chicago and I can ain’t just another store, we got the talk really fast, I could say what I needed in hi-fis, the sounds 30 seconds,” she said. “I got the job because I you’re lookin’ for, could talk faster than anyone else.” we’ll bring you She cajoled a Hitachi executive from music, at home or in your car, Japan to fly to Oklahoma to do a commercial. Soundtrak’s on He spoke in Japanese, which was translated in subtitles. In a bubble shot at the top of the the right track.” screen, Verin verbally mistranslates, only talking about sale prices. At one point, the executive’s subtitles read: “Who is this lady? I don’t think she knows that I speak English.” People thought she had clout. One person complained about a TV station that moved wrestling from 9 p.m. to 11. The caller wanted the earlier time back. “I said we really don’t have anything to do with it, but OK, I’ll mention it to the TV station.”
THE LEGEND OF TALL PAUL Tall Paul, the singing-cowboy animated character selling Paul Meade Insurance, was so ubiquitous that Blake Shelton – Grammy-winning country star, panelist on “The Voice” and Ada native – says Tall Paul’s banjo and guitar jingle was his favorite growing up. He even ranks it above the venerable B.C. Clark jingle. Tall Paul was a pencilnecked, grinning, feel-good cowboy who could solve all your insurance woes with cars and trucks and mobile homes. The TV character began life off-screen, though, in a six-panel cartoon in the Daily Oklahoman’s “TV News” programming guide in 1970. Ken Colcla46 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
THE JINGLE
THE JINGLE
sure, owner of Colclasure Advertising, invented the white-hat character he called “Guy,” according to his son, artist David Colclasure. His father “Protecting all the things passed away in 1991. you own, “My dad was really a creative force in the sense like cars and that making money to him was secondary,” David trucks and mobile homes, said. “He took those creative people and said, well, you know we can do something here. We can make accidents or something from nothing. There’s no avenue for it in tickets too, call and we’ll take a local market … we’ll create an avenue for it.” care of you, After his name change, Tall Paul evolved into 524.1541.” a cartoon character, a live-action mascot in a foam suit and, most famously, a stop-motion animated figure. In one commercial, he’s driving a stagecoach accompanied by a Winchester-wielding bunny sidekick. He rode tall in the Oklahoma TV saddle from the mid-Seventies to the late Eighties, hosting Christmas and Halloween specials and movie shows. In the end, though, TP was a victim of his own success. The insurance company jingle ended with the most famous phone number in Oklahoma: 524.1541. Ray Meade, the brother of the nowdeceased Paul Meade for whom Tall Paul was named, said years of repetition on radio and TV led to the company (still in business, by the way) to end the ads in the late 1990s. “The phone wouldn’t stop ringing,” he said. “We had too much business.”
PHASE II NOW OPEN!
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48 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
Getting Away | TRAVEL
LAKE COMO AWAITS
By Elaine Warner
THE MOUNTAINS SLIDE SWIFTLY INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE LAKE. Unlike Tuscany where the villages perch atop hills for visual advantage and protection, here they cluster at the lake’s edge, connected by narrow roads carved out of solid rock. Boats crisscross between tiny towns at all hours of the day. Long past sunrise on the plains to the south, the sun struggles to peek over the mountains. The light shifts and changes by the minute, first hitting the lush green mountaintops on the west side of the lake. Eventually, the beams reach the water’s edge, highlighting the red tile roofs and the peach and cream buildings. The bells from the church start to peal and the day begins in Argegno.
From top: Villa del Balbianello // Lake, looking north from the B&B
SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 49
TRAVEL | Getting Away
Dolce Far Niente
Argegno dates back to Roman times, though little evidence remains – perhaps the arched bridge over the River Telo, but documentation is scarce. The population today hovers under 1,000. It boasts no major tourist attractions – just beauty and the joy of discovering how the locals live. It makes a great home base for relaxing; as the Italians say, “Dolce far niente – sweet doing nothing.” That doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do. Put on your walking shoes and explore the steep, narrow lanes of the old town. There are few shops and those keep erratic hours. Don’t look for a grocery store. A couple of small shops carry necessities. We found a small alimentari where, with lots of pointing and a little basic Italian, we procured sandwiches of deli meats and fresh, crusty bread for picnicking on several of our days’ jaunts.
Thanks to the regular ferry service, it’s easy to visit towns up and down Lake Como. While many favor Bellagio, we spent more time in charming little Varenna on the east side of the lake and Menaggio, Lenno and Tremezzo on the Argegno side. Tremezzo is the location of the Villa Carlotta, a 17th-century villa noted for its art and gardens. Near Lenno, from the boat, we spotted Richard Branson’s mansion – apparently being a Virgin can be profitable. On the southeast side of Lenno is the beautiful Villa del Balbianello. Built for a Prince of the Church in the late 18th century, its ultimate owner was a wealthy explorer who filled the villa with art and mementos of his travels. The setting was used in several movies including “Star Wars: Episode II” and “Casino Royale.” Lenno is also the starting point for a walk up the mountain to a series of 14 shrines (16351710) leading to the Santuario della Madonna del Soccorso, which dates back to the 1500s. The walk is described as “easy,” however my son-in-law’s assessment can only be nicely translated as “easy to a mountain goat.” Though the lakeside vistas were breathtaking, we got a bird’s-eye view by taking a cable car from Argegno to the mountainside 50 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
village of Pigra. In the center of the town is a covered stone trough where, before electricity, the women would gather to do their washing. There is still one older resident (without a washing machine) who does her laundry the old-fashioned way.
Cheery Aerie
There was nothing old-fashioned about our home away from home. Bed and breakfast owners Paul Wright and Nicole Andrew are British ex-pats who live in Argegno. Nicole commutes daily to Milan, where she works in the British Embassy, and Paul is an artist whose work can take him anywhere. Their home is perched high on the side of the mountain above the main lake road. Multi-leveled and modern, the accommodations were bright and comfortable, the view was glorious and our hosts were exceptional. That they spoke English was a real plus; they
Clockwise from left: Boarding the lake ferry // Colorful corner in Argegno // Along the Telo River in Argegno
not only gave us good local information, but made booking reservations and translating train schedules a breeze. Balconies run the length of the front of the house, and our room had its own private balcony and lake view. Above our bed was a colorful assemblage created by Paul, and some of his watercolors decorated the walls. In his studio on the bottom floor, we enjoyed looking at more paintings and examples of some of his murals and trompe l’oeil work.
Mangia! Mangia!
To many, Italy is synonymous with good food and, though we ate simply, we concur. Pizza was a mainstay meal and it was done very well at the Hotel Argegno. Traveling with a vegetarian (our daughter) and a veggie-hater (my husband Jack) presented some challenges but the Four Cheese Pizza with taleggio, gorgonzola, fontina and mozzarella pleased all palates. Lunches consisted of deli-selected breads, cheeses and (for Jack and me) meats.
Clockwise from top: Our B&B: 87 steps up from the street level to lowest level of the B&B. Great exercise! // Cable car to Pigra // Our bedroom
Alimentari – good spot for picnic supplies
The one thing we all agreed on was gelato. Walking as much as we did, we ate the icy treat at least once every day without worrying about weight. Our favorite spot was Il Gelato di Zoe – and not just because that’s our daughter’s name. We were adventuresome at first, trying flavors like fig and melon but quickly settled into favorites – wild cherry and dark chocolate. I firmly believe that gelato has a terroir as important as wine. It simply tastes best in Italy. And to my mind, enjoying it in an outdoor café on the shores of Lake Como is as good as it gets.
Need to Know Gelato!
Lake Como, shaped roughly like a man, is north of Milan. The town of Como is on the toe of the west leg, about 30 miles away.
The most famous town on the lake is Bellagio. There’s not an easier way to say it – it’s in the crotch. Argegno is on the west side of the west leg. Unless you have rented a car, getting to Argegno is a bit challenging. The train from Milan goes only as far as Como on the west side of the lake. From there, there’s a bus to Argegno – inexpensive, but remember you’ll be juggling luggage. Taking a taxi is also an option. Learn a little Italian. “Grazie,” “prego” and “mi scusi” will get you smiles, but you need a bit more to find out “where,” “when” and “how much.” The Metropolitan Library System has beginner language courses in their database. They’re free and you’ll feel better prepared. For information about the B&B, visit wrightart.com. SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 51
TRAVEL | Wanderlust
52 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
I AM ALONE IN A HOTEL ROOM WITH JOHNNY DEPP, AND HE IS CALLING ME DARLIN’. The electronic billboard outside the Best Western Plus Lawton Hotel & Convention Center flashes updates for vehicles coming off the turnpike, announcing Military Appreciation Mondays … Comanche Nation Casino Idol … Summer Ladies Night Tuesdays … No Ante Is Back! There is no hint of the real news: Johnny Depp is in the building. He had arrived in Oklahoma to preview “The Lone Ranger” to the Comanche Nation, two weeks before its national unveiling. His fivehour appearance was so secretive that incredulous friends of many of those invited did not find out he was in Lawton until pictures of him walking the red carpet between banks of bleachers outside the Carmike Cinemas started showing up on Facebook and Twitter feeds. Before the premiere, he is booked for one sit-down interview at the Best Western. It is with Mandalit del Barco, Los Angeles-based correspondent for National Public Radio. I am to be the photographer. As he enters the room, I wait against the far window. He circles his way around, eventually making it to me: “I’m the NPR photographer. A radio photographer – hard to believe, I know. Yet here I am.” He laughs and clasps both hands around mine. He is both tousled and tailored, dressed all in black, with tinted shades and gleaming Elvis hair. He smells ever-so-faintly of French cologne. As we chat, a liaison for the Comanche Nation approaches, tentatively extending her cell phone. Could I take a picture of them together? Johnny Depp smiles and she scoots next to him, star struck. I coax them to the corner, between the radiator and the end table, and snap them against the wall. She is about to peel away, but I keep clicking. “Always gotta take two ... OK, now look at each other.”
They do, and I take another, then pull off a fast fourth. “There you go. That’ll be your screensaver.” Johnny Depp comes up to whisper conspiratorially amid the din of the room. “That was so nice. Thank you for doing that.” He takes my hand again and starts to talk. He seems more musician than actor, maybe a good-hearted guitarist who cleans up nice. You just know you’d be friends with him, if he only lived a little closer. The kind of guy who is underwhelmed that a publication like, say, People magazine twice crowned him Sexiest Man Alive and breathlessly called him Hollywood’s most irresistible iconoclast, a three-time Oscar nominee “as one-of-a-kind as his beloved 15-yearold boots and as smoldering as his favorite Cuban cigars.” The room was deemed too crowded and noisy, so everyone retreated into the hall. Out went the director, Gore Verbinski. The producer, Jerry Bruckheimer. And then Johnny Depp with Wallace Coffey, chairman of the Comanche Nation. They file back in pairs for their interviews. The room is kept completely quiet for the broadcast, so my camera is set aside. I sit on the floor at Johnny Depp’s feet, studying him as he talks from the couch. He thinks carefully about his words, which have become measured and vaguely British. He is earnest about his portrayal of Tonto; humbled by his adoption into the Comanche Nation, an honor beyond all honors; deferential in his conversation with Wallace Coffey; touched by the gift from the tribe of a new beaded bolo with his character’s bird-bedecked silhouette from the movie. I search his face, his eyes, his gestures for remnants of his cinematic self. There is not a glimmer of Edward Scissorhands, no hint of the kabuki-faced Mad Hatter, no crazed Sweeney Todd, no kohl-eyed Captain Jack. Maybe, in fact, he is more actor than musician after all. As the interview proceeds, the handlers become anxious. Everything is way behind schedule. The air conditioner and fan have been turned off to establish radio quiet, and the room is getting warm.
Editor’s Note: This is the 13th installment in a continuing series as author and photographer M.J. Alexander chronicles her travels across the state of Oklahoma.
By M.J. Alexander
SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 53
TRAVEL | Wanderlust No one dares interrupt, for fear of marring a key phrase. As the questions wind down, I take some quick shots. The entourage begins to file out of the room. Wallace Coffey rejoins his wife, and Johnny Depp hangs behind for a couple of photos by himself. We are done, and I sling the camera over my shoulder. He again reaches for my hand, clasping it tight. That would be three times in all, in case anyone was counting. With everyone else gone, we chat and move toward the door. He pauses at the long mirror on the wall near the dresser, admiring his new beaded bolo. It occurs to me that I am alone in a hotel room with Johnny Depp, and that he is calling me darlin’. The fact that he calls most everybody darlin’ does not matter. He speaks now not in the measured mid-Atlantic accent of the interview, but in a sort of honeyed, tobacco-tinged, Kentucky-smoked drawl. His right hand – the one with four silver pirate rings and the crow tattoo peeking out beneath the cuff of his silk tux jacket – works to straighten his bolo. As he aligns his regalia, I tell him I hope he will be able to enjoy himself, maybe even have a little fun – or a lot. “I think I will!” He looks over his shoulder with an impish,
unguarded smile that turns gleeful and then joyous, a quicksilver flash of unadulterated happiness. He pauses for just a second, and beckons me to follow. We step into the second-floor hallway outside Room 210. He is engulfed by yellow lanyard-bedecked Disney handlers, police security and tribal officials ready to whisk him down Cache Road to the red carpet where he will brave Lawton’s shadeless heat and humidity in the 90s to greet the waiting crowd, shaking every outstretched hand within reach, autographing every picture thrust his way, signing several forearms, a pair of shoes and a long-haired girl’s hand-lettered poster with his Comanche name: Mah-WooMeh, the shapeshifter. On the way out, the motorcade passes the Best Western sign as it keeps its vigil, flashing announcements to traffic off Exit 37. But for now, ladies and gentlemen, Johnny Depp has left the building.
Take the Journey Hear the song, the rattles, the drum. Join in the daily Stomp Dance and explore the village and gardens. Inside, be surrounded by the Stomp Dance Exhibit, one of many rewarding experiences. Come.
C H I C K A S AW C U LT U R A L C E N T E R . C O M UNI_13-CNC-45 Slice HP4_ July.indd 1
54 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
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10 MILES EAST OF I-35 IN SULPHUR 8/1/13 9:27 AM
From India to Oklahoma City | COMMUNITY
Life is a Balancing Act Behavioral psychiatrist Dr. R. Murali Krishna is president and COO of Integris Mental Health, as well as co-founder and president of the James L. Hall Jr. Center for Mind, Body and Spirit. The following excerpt, part of an ongoing series, is from his recent book, “Vibrant: To Heal and Be Whole,” co-authored by Kelly Dyer Fry, in which Dr. Krishna recounts the difficult journey of his own life and uses those experiences to encourage readers toward choosing to become happier, more purposeful people.
WHERE IS OKLAHOMA? THE YOUNG FAMILY SETTLED INTO RESIDENCY at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, England, about 100 miles from London. They lived in small quarters on the large campus and enjoyed meals in the hospital cafeteria. Everything was provided in their small apartment. Murali worked long hours. Sam [his wife] focused on Raja [their infant son]. Murali was finally looking into the faces of patients just like Amma [his mother]. “What I learned there at least gave her a few years of stability. I learned about lithium and other drugs used for thought and mood disorders. Psycho pharmacology was very strong in England. I worked through her doctor and it provided some of the most stable periods of her life.” Murali was learning about his mother’s illness, and Sam and Raja were content living on the campus. It all started to change when Murali presented an article to the journal club at the hospital. Written by Dr. Jay Shurley, the article focused on sensory deprivation. Dr. Shurley lived in Oklahoma City. A letter to Dr. Shurley from Murali led to more letters and then an invitation to come to Oklahoma City for another residency program. “I applied to five places in the U.S. and one of them was the University of Oklahoma. I was accepted to all five.” It was a phone call from Dr. Agustín Lopez that finalized the plan. But that phone call was not for Murali. He returned home one evening to find that Sam had spent time on the phone with Dr. Lopez. “She said, ‘We are going to Oklahoma.’ We didn’t even know where it was exactly.” He recalled speaking to telephone operators who would sing “Oklahoma” to him. “I didn’t know anything about that song. I wondered why they were singing. I also remember them asking me why I was going there. One operator said, ‘Oklahoma? Do you know they call petrol “gas” there?’” He was met with more surprises at the embassy when he went to apply for a visa. “The lady said to me, ‘Young man, do you want to go as a visitor or an immigrant?’ I told her I was going there to become a citizen – a doctor in the U.S. She told me it would take one to two years to get that done. So I
called and told them in Oklahoma it would be one to two years before I could come. I did not want to go as a visitor; I wanted to become a citizen.” Murali’s early exposure to the U.S. came from missionaries, Peace Corps workers and stories from his Thatha [grandfather]. “The U.S. was the shining city on the hill for me.” Drs. Lopez and Shurley told him not to worry. They were going to talk with Dr. Charlie Smith. “They said, ‘He knows everybody.’ All I knew was that two men named Bellmon and Bartlett intervened and that I had three green cards within a matter of weeks.” He later learned it was United States Senators Henry Bellmon and Dewey Bartlett. At 11 p.m. on March 29, 1975, Murali, Sam and Raja arrived at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City. “Dr. Lopez and his wife picked us up at the airport and took us to their home. We had a wonderful dinner of Cuban food. It was very late before we got to the hotel. Dr. Lopez picked me up at 7 a.m. to go to the hospital. For the next few weeks, he drove me there each morning. And he would wait until I finished and take me home. I was floored by all the affection we were shown.” It was a time of great adventure – a new country, no car, no household necessities and no family. But the list of friends was growing daily. They lived in the Park Manor Apartments on N.W. 63rd Street. “It was especially hard for Sam. She had to walk in the beginning. She walked across May Avenue to take Raja to preschool each day. We only made $500 a month, but we had a lot of joy.” Dining out was rare, but when they did eat out it was at Dairy Queen or occasionally Monterrey House, the Mexican restaurant on May Avenue. Murali realized he could take a second job moonlighting at the Coyne Campbell Hospital in Spencer. Thus began the cycle of working long hours. Murali was asked at OU if he wanted to consider child psychiatry. It would mean more training. “At that point, Sam asked me, ‘When are you going to stop training and start making money? It is time.’ She was right. I loved learning, but it was time to start working and getting a salary we could live on.”
The little family of three grew to four on Sept. 29, 1977, when Hema Bindu Krishna was born. “It was odd for Sam. When our daughter was born, Sam only had one friend with her at the hospital. In India, new moms are surrounded by family and friends. But Sam managed and we had our beautiful daughter, Bindu. It was a time of great joy.” By now, Murali had many close mentors in his life, including Dr. Povl Toussieng, Drs. Lopez and Shurley, Dr. Gordon Deckert and Dr. Charlie Smith. Smith asked Murali to work with him and Dr. Bob Outlaw in private practice. They had offices at N.W. 12th Street and Shartel with privileges at Saint Anthony Hospital. Murali would see patients through the day then go to the hospital in the evening for consultations. He also continued to consult with his mother’s doctors in India until her death in the early ’80s. Medical treatment brought her some relief in her later days. The years of long days and exhausting demands finally caught up to the young doctor in the mid ’80s. After a 16-hour day at the hospital, Murali came home after midnight. Soon after he arrived, Sam found him collapsed in the bathroom. He was rushed into surgery to remove his appendix. “It was on the last layer, almost bursting. I think I was just too busy to notice the pain. I knew it was time to start listening to some of my own advice. I greatly needed balance in my life. That’s when I started playing tennis again. In India, I didn’t have enough money to play, and in the U.S. I didn’t have enough time.” He continued to grow his private practice. He expanded his responsibilities at Saints. He was first vice chair, then chair of the Psychiatry Department. In 1994, he was elected unanimously as chief of staff for Saint Anthony Hospital. He was the first psychiatrist ever appointed to the post. And the balancing act continued. In the ’90s, he and Raja would go to the hospital early on Saturday mornings. Raja would be anxious for his dad to wrap up rounds so they could go to Norman and watch OU play football. The father-son duo, thousands of miles from India, had become Sooners. Most days, Murali was gone from early in the morning until late at night. Nevertheless, Bindu waited up for her father to read her a story. “I would read to her then sneak slowly SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 55
COMMUNITY | From India to Oklahoma City out of the room. I would hear her say, ‘Daddy, I am not sleepy yet,’ and I would have to read her another one. I could never spend as much time as I wanted to spend. It was just work, work, work.” Balance is something Murali would chase for many years. Much like his pursuit to help his mother, spending more time with his family was forever near his heart. How can I help all the people who need me? How can I be there for Sam, Raja and Bindu? The mental health program at Saints was expanding. Dick Mooney was the administrator.
“I also got to know the nuns. I have such respect for Dick Mooney and the sisters. We had a beautiful experience working together.” One of the outcomes was the creation of the SHARE program. It was a day program based on a rehabilitative environment. Murali worked diligently with his ever-present assistant Susie Waugh, R.N. Susie served as the program coordinator. She was quoted in a SHARE newsletter as saying, “Our greatest strengths are our exceptionally qualified staff, our size which allows us to be f lexible and our emphasis on education and prevention.
Dr. R. Murali Krishna on
EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL BALANCE BALANCE. So desired, yet so elusive. Balance eludes us because we all think we are capable of doing more than we can realistically accomplish. We feel we are invincible. Balance, we tend to think, is what others need. Too many of us fall into the trap of thinking we can do anything and everything – all at once. For me, it took emergency surgery to get my attention. That made me pause. While I was home recuperating from the appendectomy, I went for a walk with my daughter, Bindu. As we strolled slowly along admiring nature and f lowers, she looked up at me and said, “Daddy, I wish you could be sick for a little bit longer.” I knew what she really meant was, “Daddy, I wish you would spend more time with me.” That statement was haunting for me. I had allowed my career to dominate every aspect of my life. I allowed my passion to devour me. I felt invincible and thought I could go on at that pace forever. I didn’t stop to ask myself what the endpoint was. What was my goal? I was just blindly following my heart and my passion. Without an illness, I would not have paused. It should not take an illness for us to stop and evaluate our lives. Where are we going? What is our goal? Why? We all have a finite amount of resources. We only have so much energy. We can only tolerate a certain amount of intensity before our cup overflows. If we forgo fun and joy, we will eventually begin to have regrets and resentments. Along with that comes physical 56 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
symptoms such as cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and immune system problems. The symptoms of burnout and overload closely resemble the symptoms of depression. When you think you are performing on all cylinders, you might be fooling yourself. Without balance in your life, the quality of your work will eventually suffer. When I examined my life, I realized I had abandoned many things I enjoyed doing as a child. When I was young, I read books for enjoyment and to expand my mind. I had cast those aside for medical studies and information on mental illness. I had abandoned travel and adventure. So Sam and I loaded the kids in our silver Volvo station wagon and took vacations. Even with two kids fighting in the backseat, you can find a sense of wonder and enjoyment. I also knew I had to spend more time in prayer. In short, I started to listen to what I had been telling my patients. I discovered that the creative part of my life started to return. I realized my entire focus was on sick care. I was helping patients one at a time. I knew I needed a paradigm shift so I could help society as a whole. Life is filled with teachable moments. I reapportioned my life and my time. When you take an inventory of how you spend your time, you may find that you feel as if you are the only one who can accomplish a certain task or special part of your job. But you must realize that if you were the only person on earth to get the job done, then God would have given you magical powers. Stop. Acknowledge your finite resources.
It feels good to work at something you believe in, and I believe in SHARE.” “I have the sheer belief that if you do the right thing, good things will happen. We worked hard to create this program and it was successful,” said Murali. “Susie has worked with me since 1978.” As the young psychiatrist was helping his patients, they were helping him as well. “I was learning so much. It was a most fulfilling time. I learned beyond what a textbook could teach me.” But one lesson he still needed to learn was beyond his grasp. Balance.
Every person on this earth can find balance in life. Here are some questions to ask yourself in exploring your own balance. 1. Do you feel you are accomplishing in your life what you want to accomplish? 2. Are you neglecting certain areas of your life? 3. Do you have inner peace? 4. Are you wondering why you do what you do? 5. Is there something lacking in your life? 6. Are you getting any signals from your mind, body or spirit that you need to listen to? 7. Are you going in the right direction? 8. Are you doing everything you can, but still feel dissatisfied? 9. Is the creative, vibrant, energetic aspect of you alive and thriving? Or has it shut down? 10. Are you savoring each moment as it unfolds in your life? 11. Are you having successes that have ceased to give you fulfillment or inner satisfaction? 12. Is the money and good reputation enough for you? 13. Are you postponing dreams to a later date? 14. Do you feel overwhelmed? 15. Are you the captain of your own life? 16. Is your life out of control? 17. Do you feel you have choices and options?
MARK T. HANSTEIN, DDS Ask yourself these questions honestly. Then sit down and take stock of your life. Inventory your time. Do you have enough joy in your life? Do you take time to play? To pray? Creativity and spirituality go hand in hand. Reaching the creative part of our mind is attaining a level of spirituality. One is part of the other. It takes time to let our minds wander and be creative. Start slowly in exploring how to reapportion your life. Make changes gradually, but deliberately. Start living your life with intent. Be deliberate in how you choose to spend your day. But it’s important to remember that there is far more to balance than simply managing your time. Be present. If you reapportion your time but your mind is elsewhere, you are still out of balance. You have to learn to live in the moment. We see the sun set every day, but do we really see it? Do we pause and become one with it? Do we savor it? We all have moments in life when we feel that life is great. Something magical happens when we immerse ourselves in what we are doing and thinking right at this moment. Even time at work can become more balanced. Recognize your role in the world. We all contribute to humanity. No matter what your job is, think about how you connect. For example, if you pour coffee, stop for a moment and think about the larger picture. Think about the farmer who toiled under the sun to grow the coffee beans. Think about how those beans were processed and delivered from the fields to the distribution centers to the restaurants and stores. Think about the customer who is able to enjoy one of God’s simple creations. Everything in life connects. We want to thrive, not just survive. A balanced person is an adaptable person. The sign of a truly balanced person is one who can handle what the world throws his or her way. Even from a physical standpoint, a person who is balanced can better fight off illness and disease. Balance in itself is a journey. As we travel through life, we have to tweak our priorities. It is a constant process of deliberate and conscious adjustment.
Proceeds from “Vibrant: To Heal and Be Whole” endow the Dr. R. Murali Krishna Family Eliminate the Stigma Award. Visit sliceok.com/ vibrant to order ($24.99) and receive a complimentary copy of Dr. Krishna’s “Natural Relaxation” CD while supplies last. Find Dr. Krishna online: web: drkrishna.com // fb: rmkrishnamd // tw: @drrmkrishna
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MINGLING | On the Town
DEALING FOR DREAMS Photos by Claude Long Party music, Paseo Grill catering and a floor filled with casino gaming tables make this Make-A-Wish fundraiser a sure thing, amassing over $30,000 to fulfill ailing kids’ dreams.
Claude and Linsey Moates, Traci and Bill Thompson
Carrie and Kyle Gray
Carrie Stewart, Laura Doyle
Mike and Renee Linville, Beth and Paul Vowell
KENNY MCKENNA AT HOWELL GALLERY Photos by Claude Long
Laura Howell Tirrell, Gene and Cheryl Melton
Monte and Eden Turrentine
John and Charlotte Richels
Oil artist McKenna’s return to the Howell Gallery with a fresh suite of luminous landscapes is cause for celebration at an opening reception for his new exhibit.
PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS
Mary and Dick Clements, Lois Holmboe
Mike Krywucki, Kenny McKenna
Danielle Keogh, Jan Hill, Terry Neese
Photos by Justin Avera The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women applauds the success of its international entrepreneurial mentoring program with a style show and soiree hosted by Eden Salon & Spa and Liberté.
Dustin Davidson, Sebastian Oukassou, Rachel Adamson, Staci Carter
Ingrid McNutt, Carol Sander, Kitty Champlin
Lori Dillon, Gloria K. Umizera 58 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
More photos, gifts, reprints ... all at sliceok.com
ST. JUDE DREAM HOME SNEAK PEEK Mandy Ward, Emily Blanding, Rebecca Furman
Maxine Wheelan, Chad Randall, Jay Jerles, Randy Reitz
Photos by Claude Long Before the tours begin and the anticipation for the house’s drawing gets really intense, donors and guests spend an evening of celebratory exploration at the St. Jude Dream Home.
Gerald, Vanita and Araiah Wallace
Rennay and Doug Smith
OMRF 241 Photos courtesy OMRF That’s two events for one great cause: a wine festival and concert plus an Oak Tree golf tournament raise over $600,000 for the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation’s multiple sclerosis research. Guest performer Charlie Daniels, Dr. Steve Prescott
Nancy Ellis, Jim Morris
Desmond and Andrea Mason
Kyle Shepherd, Jim Roth, Ken Miller
Bill Burgess, Christy Everest, Brad Henry
Mina Acquayaie, Linda Haneborg, Mary Pointer
ST. ANTHONY POP! Photos courtesy Chris McCord
Jerry and Jackie Bendorf, Erin Horton, David Schneider Kathleen Bartlett, Meg Salyer, Lisa Vaughn
Live music and food add to the festive atmosphere as guests sample champagnes and sparkling wines from over 20 vineyards and raise over $19,000 for the St. Anthony Foundation. Dr. James Wendelken, Dr. David Hunter, Joe Hodges
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O N H C E T OL CO
r Mille hael c i M By
OUR CONNECTED WORLD
I DON’T KNOW HOW TRUE THIS HOLDS FOR YOU, but I live in a connected world. My day job as an IT manager means 24/7 connections and response time. Our customers are guaranteed 99.9 percent up time for their websites, and I’m the one who makes that happen. Since I also like having something of a life, and I travel in the Southwest region, carrying my Internet connection with me is important. AT&T has released the new Unite Mobile Hotspot, and it’s worth taking a good look at it. With up to 10 hours of uptime on an internal battery, a new touch screen and no software to install, it looks good to me. The new touch screen gives you all the major features on the screen with on-screen directions to help you set up and manage the hotspot. The display is easy to read, and I like not having to log into it from my phone or laptop to make configuration changes. Of course, it’s 4G LTE, and you can attach up to 10 devices to the unit at once. That means in those hotels where they want $10 a day or more for Internet, I can connect my phone, laptop and iPad at the same time and avoid extra charges and slow hotel speeds. Along with the Unite, we have the new Samsung Galaxy S4 Active … and by active we mean it! Dust and water are no longer the enemy of your smart phone. Drop your phone in the toilet? Had a child throw it into the trash for you? Now you have a phone that can stand up to life’s unfortunate occurrences. The Galaxy S4 Active has an IP67 rating and can withstand up to 30 minutes in water up to a meter deep. New software for the phone allows you to use it as a remote for most TVs, along with watching, listening to and reading your favorites directly on your phone. A new software feature called multi window allows you to open two apps side-by-side on your screen, and new for this model are the active features: Air View, Air Gesture, Smart Pause and Smart Rotation. Hover your fingers over photos, files, links and text for an instant preview with Air View. Skip to the next song, check notifications and more by waving your hand over your Samsung with Air Gesture. Never lose your place while watching a video with Smart Pause. View content in either landscape or portrait – your screen is always rotated the right way, no matter which way you turn, with Smart Rotation. The new Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is 4G LTE with all the speed you have come to expect from a 4th generation phone. The Unite Mobile Hotspot and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active
60 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
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PURSUITS How Sweet the Sounds
COLIN BELL
A visit from Sarah Chang, the return of Yo-Yo Ma and a memorably concussive finale are among the highest of highlights in the Oklahoma City Philharmonic’s triumphant 25th anniversary season. See page 66.
TOP 10 Prime starting points for making the most of the month 64
SPOTLIGHT A world of viewpoints enlighten OKC Town Hall listeners 68
SEE & DO The music, theater, visual arts and other delights coming in September 70 SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 63
PURSUITS | High Points
The Top By Steve Gill
IT’S A BIG, BUSY METRO OUT THERE – IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT TO EVERYTHING, HERE’S WHERE TO START.
SAINTS AND ANGELS
September 6, OKC Golf & Country Club By all rights, the suggested dress for the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s 38th annual Renaissance Ball should be not black tie, but white robes and halos. That’s because the elegant gala’s theme is “Heaven on Earth,” inspired by the museum’s current exhibit featuring half a millennium of majestic Italian paintings, and its aim is to give guests an evening’s slice of paradise.
IT AIN’T EASY
September 4-22, OKC Civic Center
Michael Duncan, “Road” – 2012’s Best in Show
HEAVENLY EARTH
September 9-October 19, Firehouse Art Center The ground beneath our feet may hold limitless artistic potential; the fine art pieces found in the Firehouse’s new exhibit “CLAY” are each composed of at least 75 percent of that namesake material. Juror Stuart Asprey has the difficult task of selecting the prizewinners in this national show, but gallery guests effortlessly reap the aesthetic rewards.
Back in the Saddle
September 14, Boone Pickens Stadium Going 8-5 with narrow losses to Texas, Baylor and (most heartbreaking of all) OU wasn’t the dream season the Cowboys had in mind ... but that was last year. The Big 12’s preseason No. 1 pick will have two games in the books by the time they play in Stillwater; hometown crowds will get their first close look at stars like WR Josh Stewart when OSU faces down Lamar.
64 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
PHOTOS: WICKED ©JUHO SIM; JOSH STEWART COURTESY OSU MEDIA RELATIONS; LEWIS BLACK BY CLAY PATRICK MCBRIDE
It may be a great color for singing frogs, but when a woman has green skin and magical powers suddenly nobody trusts her. Long before a certain Kansan visits the land of Oz, friendships are forged and tested, sensational songs are sung and the lines between heroism and villainy get a bit blurry as Celebrity Attractions presents the magical musical that is “Wicked.”
MAKE IT SNAPPY
September 6-28, Paseo Art Space One click of a shutter – a tiny fraction of a second – can tell an entire story or leave an impression on viewers that lasts for decades. Photography is heady stuff, and this is among the very best in Oklahoma: veteran camerawielder Carl Shortt selects the cream of the f-stop in the Paseo Arts Association’s annual PhotoFest.
DON’T STOP BELIEVING
September 19, Riverwind Casino While Chris Daughtry didn’t win “American Idol” – he placed 4th in season 5 – he had enough faith in himself to start his own band. Three albums and nearly 7 million copies later, that decision is sounding better all the time. Riverwind is on Daughtry’s nonstop tour schedule, and fans may get a taste of their upcoming release.
“Buff Orpington” by Terri Wagner
LITTLE BIG SHOW
September 20, 50 Penn Place At the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition’s 12 x 12 art show and sale, great things truly do come in small packages, courtesy of 150 of the state’s great artists – each of whom has submitted a tiny treasure no larger than a square foot. It’s a prime opportunity to mingle and purchase, and beautiful proof that bigger isn’t always better.
AIRS AND GRACE
September 20-29, OU Rupel Jones Theater Members of OU’s resident ballet company put their best feet forward – and sideways, and surprisingly high into the air – in a suite of sublime dance performance: two French-inspired pieces choreographed by School of Dance Director Mary Margaret Holt, classics from “Lakme” and “Sylvia” and a daring premiere set to a Vivaldi score. Welcome to the enchantment of the Oklahoma Festival Ballet.
ALL-AROUND ART
Just for the Yell of It September 27, Rose State PAC
In a perfect world, Lewis Black would be a calm, friendly, jovial chap … but ours is not a perfect world, and that has a tendency to send Black into raging verbal paroxysms. On the plus side, since they tend to be thoughtful, incisively observant critiques of societal stupidity, it works out nicely for everyone – especially audiences of his new tour, “The Rant Is Due.”
September 28, Downtown Edmond The best way to absorb a foreign culture is to immerse yourself in it; this is a prime opportunity to apply the same principle to art. In the 3rd annual Downtown Edmond Art Crawl, the city center teems with creativity from the ground up: painters, sculptors, musicians and vibrant decorations are everywhere, and participating merchants offer wine, refreshments, specials and prizes. Share and enjoy! SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 65
PURSUITS | Spotlight
THE SOUND OF SILVER
By Steve Gill
THE YEAR WAS 1988. THE U.S.S.R. WAS ATTEMPTING PERESTROIKA, Sonny Bono was the mayor of Palm Springs and Bobby McFerrin hit it big with “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” … and a mustachioed Joel Levine stepped onto the podium to conduct the newly formed Oklahoma City Philharmonic. A quarter of a century later, the mustache has gone the way of the Soviet Union, but Maestro Levine is still at the baton, and he and the city’s orchestra are about to launch into a season-long celebration of 25 years of making beautiful music together. “There’s an excitement about this season that’s very real,” says the venerable conductor before enthusing about the historical documentation and memorabilia that will accompany this year’s performances, spanning back across the 80-year history of orchestral performance in Oklahoma City. Levine says he hoped all those years ago that he’d still be involved today, and is happy to share credit with an involved public and dedicated musicians and staff alike. Fundamentally speaking, “We try to make it fun, while enriching people’s lives through hearing masterpieces. The idea is that people should walk out feeling good about having gone – ‘I’m glad I went and I had a great time.’”
CLASSICS Opening Night September 28 The season begins with a robust dose of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, Saint-Saens and Tchaikovsky. And speaking of robust, the powerful playing of guest pianist Andrew von Oeyen is positively thrilling. Legends November 16 Garrick Ohlsson has an unusually large reach at the keyboard and an exceptionally vast performance repertoire, though he’ll confine himself to Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 in this legendary evening.
a perfect time to showcase two great Romantic composers – though the verb “showcase” might be better used in reference to the dizzying virtuosity of guest violinist Sarah Chang. Mozart & Mahler March 1 It’s a double bill for March, and the orchestra’s rendition of Mahler’s “Titan” symphony is especially apt considering the two masters of their instruments who star in Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp: Marina Piccinini and Yolanda Kondonassis, respectively.
be playing anywhere in the world on any given night; if he did not enjoy [visiting the metro] the first time, he would not be back a second.” The Philharmonic’s presentation of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade” is not to be missed, but it’s the unbroken beauty of Schumann’s Cello Concerto that will sell out this show. 1812 Overture Finale May 10 This is the way the season will end: not with a whimper, but a bang. Or, more accurately, a bunch of booms. After a rousing set of orchestral favorites – Debussy, Borodin, Ravel – Maestro Levine will bring the house down with the traditional season-ender from back in the good old days, and one of the most explosively enjoyable concert works ever penned.
The Christmas Show December 6-7 Dancing, singing, theater, glittery costumes and resonant carols – a White Christmas is guaranteed, at least in the Civic Center, as George Dvorsky and Gwendolyn Jones star in a seasonal spectacular.
Midtown Men January 24-25 Groove to harmonious ’60s-centric classics from the Fab Four, the Four Seasons and more, courtesy of four stars from the original cast of “Jersey Boys.” The Music of Queen February 21-22 The heat is on as orchestral backing pushes the mercury to new heights in a highenergy rock tribute to Queen, featuring vocals from Vegas vet Brody Bolyniuk. March Madness With Larry Blank March 21-22 The audience calls the shots in a powerhouse show starring Lisa Vroman, Ron Raines and Karen Ziemba – Blank is at the baton, but it’s fan ballots that will choose the music.
POPS Sizzling Sparklers January 11 “Prodigy” is a good word for Conrad Tao – besides being a lauded pianist and violinist and composer, he was five years shy of being born at the time of the OKC Philharmonic’s first season. He’ll be pounding out Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1 to kick off 2014. Rachmaninoff & Bruch February 1 February is a season for romance, making the month 66 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
Yo-Yo Ma Plays Schumann April 5 Why not put his name in the title? He’s not merely among the greatest living artists on the cello; he’s one of the world’s most widely renowned instrumental musicians, period. Maestro Levine recalled Ma’s previous OKC performance in September 2003, and pointed out that “he could
Sci-Fi Spectacular November 1-2 The Philharmonic plumbs the final frontier for musical treats ranging from iconic space movie scores to scifi TV themes. Oh, and you may know the guest host: the one and only George Takei.
Neil Sedaka April 25-26 His website lists his discography as a staggering 49 albums over a 54-year-andcounting career. The lifelong songwriter performs a melodious evening of hits from his own catalog.
CLASSICS
Beethoven’s Fifth October 19
A performance slate anchored by the namesake symphony is embroidered by a mesmerizing display of speed and grace from guest Stradivarius-wielder Jennifer Koh, as well as Smetana’s fluidly patriotic “The Moldau.”
JUERGEN FRANK
Molto Allegro Tickets for OKC Philharmonic shows tend to be hot items anyway, and with a slate this special in the offing … well, bear in mind that season subscribers enjoy admission to the entire performance lineup. Legendary guest cellists and all. For tickets or more information, visit okcphilharmonic.org or call 842.5387.
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PURSUITS | Spotlight
TALES TO FASCINATE
By Steve Gill
IF SOMEONE WERE TO WRITE A NOVEL BASED ON OKC TOWN HALL and its history so far, there’s a ready-made title: “Around the World for 80 Years.” The lecture series was inaugurated way back in 1933, and the intervening eight decades have done nothing to derail the organizers’ mission to provide “a forum for nationally recognized speakers who enrich, entertain, stimulate, inform and educate our citizenry.” As it enters its 81st season this month, the series isn’t coasting or intimidated by the weight of its own history; President Carol Kaspereit calls 2013-’14 “one of the most varied and unique assortments of topics that we’ve ever had.” In six installments, listeners can learn about the world’s treasures and gain broader perspective on global issues through the benefit of experts’ expertise – so buckle up, it’s going to be an engrossing ride.
THE 2013-’14 SEASON September 19, 2013 “Rick Steves’ Iran” The season begins with a return from the Town Hall series’ attendance record-setter and one of the most requested names on its wish list: charismatic travel titan Rick Steves will share insights about what he calls “the most poorly understood, yet fascinating, land” he has ever visited. A proud nation whose antipathy for the American government is plainly palpable, but whose citizens are perfectly happy to chat with Americans, Iran is a land of modern technology and notoriously awful traffic, where ancient customs and religious dogmas have inescapable influences on daily life. October 17, 2013 “Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild” A staple of the talk show circuit for years, zoological enthusiast Hanna is known as the star (the human star, anyway) of the popular TV series “Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures” and is director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo. And yes, he will be bringing a coterie of critters with him to introduce to his OKC audience.
“Rick Steves’ Iran” “Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild”
November 21, 2013 “Sense of Community: Discovering Our Roots Through Historic Preservation” Author and researcher Dr. Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, will discuss the evolution of the state’s concept of historic preservation and how we present the past, and our present, to the Oklahomans of the future. February 20, 2014 “A Visitor’s Guide to an Alien Planet: Washington D.C.” John Fund is an author and award-winning columnist for The Wall Street Journal and The National Review … and someone who’s spent a great deal of time inside the Beltway, enabling him to share his personal perspective on the intricate interpersonal politics and distinctive culture found in the streets and citadels of the nation’s capital. March 20, 2014 “Rum and Revolution: Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba” Before there was a nation named Cuba, there was the Bacardi Rum Company. Author Tom Gjelten describes the interwoven histories of the country and the company, recounting insights from the book that The New York Times called “as smooth and refreshing as a well-made daiquiri.”
PLEASE BE SEATED
All lectures will be held at 10:30 a.m. at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 222 N.W. 15th Street. Single event tickets are available for $20 apiece, but season tickets for all of six lectures are only $60 – for more information, including the Luncheon With the Speaker program, call 826.9689 or visit okctownhall.com. 68 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
April 17, 2014 “Economic Outlook: The Return to Prosperity” Stephen Moore is a frequent commentator on the national economy and advocate for supply-side economic policies; his seasonending lecture for Town Hall brings the author of “How Obama is Bankrupting the U.S. Economy” to OKC to discuss a vision for a prosperous fiscal future for America.
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See & Do DANCE Savion Glover: “Solo in Time” Sep 6 Step right up for a jaw-dropping tap performance from Glover, one of the most electrifying and dynamic physical artists in the medium of dance. UCO Mitchell Hall Theater, 100 N University Ave, Edmond, 974.3375, uco.edu/ cfad/broadway Oklahoma Festival Ballet Sep 20-29 The university’s resident ballet company explores the form in sumptuous style through a suite from “Lakme,” the pas de deux from “Sylvia,” a spin through “Le Mistral” and more. OU Rupel Jones Theater, 563 Elm Ave, Norman, 325.4051, ou.edu/finearts/dance
EVENTS Arts Festival Oklahoma Through Sep 2 It’s the 35th anniversary of the Labor Day favorite, a rite of fall that draws over 25,000 visitors to explore the food, music and original creations by skilled regional artists. OCCC, 7777 S May Ave, OKC, 682.7576, occc.edu Ace High Sep 5 The museum hosts a number of fundraisers, but this is one full house whose proceeds stay in house - support the Western jewel with an evening of delights including a buffet, libations and a fully stocked auction. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St, OKC, 478.2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org
into the mighty Mississippi for a time - at least aboard this floating party organized by OK River Cruises. Guests enjoy live entertainment and food on the dock and a cash bar on board while drinking in the amazing views. Oklahoma River, 4345 SW 15th St, OKC, 702.7755, okrivercruises.com Jennifer Kidney Poetry Reading Sep 8 Oberlin and Yale alumna Dr. Kidney will read from her latest book, “Road Work Ahead,” and a new work yet to be published, “The Road to the River.” Santa Fe Depot, 200 S Jones Dr, Norman, 307.9320, pasnorman.org Thayer Coggin Road Show Tour Sep 12 To commemorate furniture innovator Thayer Coggins’ 60th anniversary, they’re taking the show on the road - company President Royale Wiggins Coggin will present a selection of internationally acclaimed midcentury modern designs at a “trunk show” for groundbreaking furnishings. Suburban Furniture, 201 N Portland Ave, OKC, 946.4387, suburbancontemporary.com State Fair of Oklahoma Sep 12-22 Disney on Ice, an Eli Young Band concert, more tasty treats than you can shake a corndog at and all kinds of other treats in a massive showcase of the state’s greats. State Fairgrounds, 333 Gordon Cooper Blvd, OKC, 948.6700, okstatefair.com
provide creativity - one square foot at a time - to the highest bidders at a delicious, entertaining art show and sale. 50 Penn Place, 1900 NW Expressway, OKC, 879.2400, ovac-ok.org Casino Royale Sep 21 You’ll be humming John Barry’s iconic theme as you glide through sleekly dressed crowds, sit in at a gaming table, sip a themed cocktail and do your best James Bond impression to benefit Oklahoma Lawyers for Children. Wiley Post Airport, 5915 Philip Rhoads Ave, OKC, 232.4453, oklahomalawyersforchildren.camp9.org CHOICES 2013 Sep 21 Planned Parenthood of Central Oklahoma welcomes renowned speaker Gloria Steinem as the keynote guest at its annual dinner, silent auction and art sale. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St, OKC, 528.0221, ppcok.org Heartland Classic Car & Bike Show Sep 21 Hot rods and cool rides, plus plenty of food, music, games and door prizes. Downtown Purcell, 2805 N 9th St, Purcell, 527.3093, theheartlandclassic.com Keenen Ivory Wayans Sep 21 Comedy, commentary and probably a few funny voices from the stand-up star, appearing
United Way Campaign Kickoff Sep 6 The United Way of Central Oklahoma’s fundraising year begins here - with a free pancake breakfast for the community to enjoy. Over 800 people, including local guest celebrity cooks, are expected to participate, Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S Mickey Mantle Dr, OKC, 236.8441, unitedwayokc.org Kevin James Live Sep 7 Leave aside for the moment his lengthening resume as a movie star; James has been working the mic as a stand-up comedian since 1989, and is set to light up Rose State. Rose State PAC, 6420 SE 15th St, Midwest City, 297.2264, okcciviccenter.com
GALLERIES Mobilizing Matter Through Sep 5 Disciplines combine as young creators fuse sculpture and painting in this student-run show. OU Lightwell Gallery, 520 Parrington Oval, Norman, 325.2691, ou.edu/finearts
Istvan Fall Show Through Oct 28 Nearly 40 emerging and established artists contribute to this compendium inspired by the graphics, music and conceptual art in the medium of video games. Power up and go see it! Istvan Gallery, 1218 N Western Ave, OKC, 831.2874, istvangallery.com
Drawing on Instinct
Through Sep 8, Norman
2nd Friday Circuit of Art Sep 13 A monthly community-wide celebration of creativity, focused on historic Downtown Norman. Norman Arts Council, 122 E Main St, Norman, 360.1162, normanarts.org Angels of Destiny Sep 13 Deaconess Pregnancy and Adoption Services welcomes country singer and author Jimmy Wayne as keynote guest at its annual gala event. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St, OKC, 949.4200, deaconessadoption.org Cattle Baron’s Ball Sep 13 It’s an informal, laid back affair to raise money for the American Cancer Society and have a good time. There may even be boot scooting. Coles Garden, 1415 NE 63rd St, OKC, 841.5818
Septemberfest Sep 7 The 17th annual state celebration offers music, free admission to the museum and a special emphasis on hats through Oklahoma history. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr, OKC, 522.0765, okhistory.org
OKC Town Hall: Rick Steves Sep 19 The venerable lecture series begins a new season of bringing a world of viewpoints to the metro with travel guru Steves, who will share his fascination with the culture of Iran. St. Luke’s UMC, 222 NW 15th St, OKC, 826.9689, okctownhall.com
Bayou Cruise Sep 7-28 On Saturday evenings, the Oklahoma seems to transform
12 x 12 Sep 20 Dozens of top-tier artists help the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition
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Plaza District Festival Sep 28 Live music, artist booths, kids’ art activities and plenty of food and drinks - it would be a powerhouse event even if it weren’t recognizing the exciting ongoing rejuvenation of the Plaza District. OKC Plaza District, 1700 NW 16th St, OKC, 367.9403, plazadistrictfestival.com
Mark Fox Through Oct 26 Anxiety and feelings of loss are natural reactions in the wake of uncontrollable destruction, but Fox tries to embrace the potential for renewal in his sculptures and installations. [Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE 3rd St, OKC, 815.9995, artspaceatuntitled.org
Cocktails on the Skyline Sep 5-26 Fancy a drink? On Thursday evenings the museum’s roof terrace boasts a full bar, complimentary snacks and a killer view of the downtown skyline. OKC Museum of Art, 415 Couch Dr, OKC, 236.3100, okcmoa.com
Renaissance Ball Sep 6 For the 38th installation of its biggest annual fundraiser, the OKC Museum of Art reaches for the stars to create “Heaven on Earth,” inspired by its current showing of sumptuous Italian art. OKC Golf & Country Club, 7000 NW Grand Ave, OKC, 236.3100, okcmoa.com
Downtown Edmond Fall Art Crawl Sep 28 The streets will be resplendent with fall colors for this third annual family-friendly pedestrian tour featuring artists, food, cars and more live music than ever. Downtown Edmond, 19 N Broadway Ave, Edmond, 285.9700, downtownedmondok.com
Under the Mango Tree Through Sep 14 When it comes to symbolism in collage artist Skip Hill’s latest works, bird is the word - avian imagery representing Brazilian culture abounds. MAINSITE Contemporary Art, 122 E Main St, Norman, 360.1162, mainsite-art. com
Cleveland County Free Fair Sep 5-7 A fall fiesta that’s been a tradition for over 100 years, the three-day carnival encompasses tractor pulls, a petting zoo, carnival rides and much more. Cleveland County Fairgrounds, 615 E Robinson St, Norman, 360.4721, clevelandcountyfair.org
1st Friday Gallery Walk Sep 6 The historic arts district’s name means “stroll,” which happens to be the preferred form of locomotion while taking in its wonders during a monthly display of arts and culture. Paseo Arts District, 3022 Paseo St, OKC, 525.2688, thepaseo.com
Rodeo Hall of Fame Weekend Sep 27-28 The greatest personalities in the arena of bulls and blood and dust and mud are honored in this annual dinner, gala, auction and storytelling session. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St, OKC, 478.2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org
“Rear Guard,” by Bob Kuhn
live and (wait for it) in living color. Grand Casino, 777 Grand Blvd, Shawnee, 964.7777, grandshawnee.com Pet Health Fair Sep 21 The 4th annual free community event boasts vendor booths, a K9 unit, food and fun for kids and a raffle to raise funds for nonprofit Paws for Life. Pet Medical Center of Edmond, 1001 W 15th St, Edmond, 314.8101, pmcofedmond.com H&8th Night Market Sep 27 Midtown becomes a primetime paradise in this afterhours street festival boasting live music, a convoy of awesome food trucks, craft beer and free socializing. Elemental Coffee, 815 N Hudson Ave, OKC, 633.1703, h8thokc.com Lewis Black Sep 27 Black is back! The vitriol-spewing master of comic invective orchestrates another “Network”-style litany of outrage at the various idiocies of modern life in “The Rant is Due.” Rose State PAC, 6420 SE 15th St, Midwest City, 297.2264, okcciviccenter.com ZooBrew Sep 27 Sample your pick of over 30 beers, listen to music, get a deal on a meal and help OKC answer the call of the wild by raising funds for zoo operations. OKC Zoo, 2101 NE 50th St, OKC, 424.3344, zoofriends.org
Cletus Smith Sep 1-30 A graphic designer, industrial designer, illustrator, teacher and lifelong painter, Smith’s primary passion is readily visible in his landscapes, collected in this exhibit called “Watercolor Wonderland.” Summer Wine Art Gallery, 2928 Paseo St, OKC, 831.3279, summerwinegallery.com Photofest Sep 6-28 Lifelong photographer Carl Shortt serves as juror in this annual competitive exhibition representing and giving a spotlight to the depth and diversity of contemporary Oklahoma photography. Paseo Arts District, 3022 Paseo St, OKC, 525.2688, thepaseo.com CLAY Sep 9-Oct 19 While the title doesn’t leave much ambiguity about the prime components of this national juried exhibition, the artistry of its entrants allows for all sorts of creative flights of fancy. Firehouse Art Center, 444 S Flood Ave, Norman, 329.4523, normanfirehouse.com Jacqueline Iskander Sep 13-Oct 31 Mosaic artist Iskander places a premium on precision, working in uncluttered designs that convey ease and harmony through their awareness of space. Santa Fe Depot, 200 S Jones Dr, Norman, 307.9320, pasnorman.org A Study of Form and Color Sep 26-Oct 19 An all-star lineup of the gallery’s OKC artists combine their gifts to explore creative concepts: 4 painters, 2 sculptors, myriad viewpoints. Howell Gallery, 6432 N Western Ave, OKC, 840.4437, howellgallery.com
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Experience OKLAHOMA through its people
PURSUITS | See & Do
MUSEUMS Invisible Eve Through Sep 7 Powerful images from the lens of renowned photographer Yousef Khanfar, whose new book of the same name depicts insights and images of women incarcerated for nonviolent crimes. Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Dr, OKC, 523.3231, oklahomaheritage.com Beautiful Beasts Through Sep 8 Macrophotographer Thomas Shahan takes a closer look - closer than that … no, way closer - at the forms and faces of our tiny neighbors in an exhibit subtitled “The Unseen Life of Oklahoma Spiders and Insects.” Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chatauqua Ave, Norman, 325.4712, snomnh.ou.edu Drawing on Instinct Through Sep 8 The aesthetic and adventurous spirit of the late Bob Kuhn fill this animal-themed exhibit containing both finished paintings and rough sketches from throughout his lengthy career. Sam Noble Museum, 2401 Chatauqua Ave, Norman, 325.4712, snomnh.ou.edu
Via our INTERACTIVE exhibits, meet Oklahomans who have shaped the HERITAGE of our state.
Hopituy Through Sep 15 More than 150 examples of cultural craftsmanship form an exploration of Hopi worldview and perspective in this exhibit drawn from the museum’s permanent collections. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave, Norman, 325.4938, ou.edu/fjjma Seals of Jeremiah’s Captors Through Oct 31 The world’s first look at an archaeological biblical bonanza in the form of artifacts from a groundbreaking dig in Jerusalem. Armstrong Auditorium, 14400 S Bryant Ave, Edmond, 285.1010, armstrongauditorium.org Faces of Bettina Steinke Through Dec 22 Looking back at Steinke’s life involves seeing many other lives as well, since she spent over 60 years capturing the faces, aspects and emotions of people from all walks of life. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St, OKC, 478.2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org Reigns Supreme Through Dec 30 Extravagant in impact if not subject matter, the Oklahoma History Center’s exhibit draws on the Oklahoma Historical Society’s fashion collection to portray over 75 years of the little black dress. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr, OKC, 521.2491, okhistory.org Of Heaven and Earth Through Nov 17 Half a millenium worth of masterful, inspiring, sometimes impossibly beautiful works that are all from one country (must be something in the water) populate this dazzling exhibit of 500 years of Italian painting. OKC Museum of Art, 415 Couch Dr, OKC, 236.3100, okcmoa.com Untamed Through Mar 1 Wild horses couldn’t drag this exhibit away from the museum, but they do prove a powerful attractive force for viewers in a collection of mustang-themed paintings by Jennifer Cocoma Hustis. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St, OKC, 602.6664, sciencemuseumok.org
1400 CLASSEN DRIVE | OKC 405.235.4458 www.oklahomaheritage.com
Allan Houser and His Students Through May 11 Part of a statewide effort to honor the exceptional artist’s 100th birthday, this collection uses his works and his proteges’ to highlight Houser’s skill as a teacher. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St, OKC, 478.2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org Dark Light Sep 14-Jan 12 Celebrating an innovative force in contemporary Native American Pottery, this exhibition collects mica-rich ceramics by Christine Nofchissey McHorse. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave, Norman, 325.3272, ou.edu/fjjma To Pioneer Sep 19-Jan 4 Mixed media artist Denise Duong becomes a challenger of the unknown in this collection of new works laced with bold color palettes and expanding her craft into unexplored territories.
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Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Dr, OKC, 523.3231, oklahomaheritage.com FREDTalks: Journey Sep 27 Creativity is the topic under discussion at each installment of this new program, beginning with a forum about Todd Stewart’s Road to Ruscha project. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave, Norman, 325.3272, ou.edu/fjjma
MUSIC The Conservatory Sep 4-20 Sonic jams of all descriptions in an OKC hotspot: The Dangerous Summer Sep 4, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Sep 13, Ewert and the Two Dragons Sep 17 and Pinback with Joan of Arc (not her) Sep 20. Adds and adjustments posted online. The Conservatory, 8911 N Western Ave, OKC, conservatoryokc.com Noon Tunes Sep 5-26 Free lunchtime serenades in the Downtown Library: Sam Kahre Sep 5, Dennis Borycki Sep 12, the Metro String Quartet Sep 19 and Steelwind Sep 26. Downtown Library, 300 Park Ave, OKC, 231.8650, mls.lib.ok.us Gentlemen of the Road Sep 6-7 Be aware that it’s already a sold-out show ... but if you can snag tickets, consider the draw represented by Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, the Alabama Shakes, The Vaccines, Willy Mason, Bear’s Den, Those Darlin’s and others. It’s worth a bit of effort. Cottonwood Flats, 5th St & College Ave, Guthrie, gentlemenoftheroad.com Blue Door Shows Sep 6-28 Self-billed as “the best listening room in Oklahoma,” it certainly has some of the best music: Good Girls With Bad Intentions Sep 6, Sarah McQuaid Sep 25, Sam Baker & Don Conoscenti Sep 27, Darden Smith Sep 28 and more - check online for udpates. The Blue Door, 2805 N McKinley Ave, OKC, 524.0738, bluedoorokc.com Purple Bar Performances Sep 6-28 A cozy setting, ample menu and outstanding music from local artists: Laura Leighe Sep 6, 14 and 20, Matthew Scott and Lucas Cole Band Sep 7, Jamie Bramble Sep 13 and 21 and BAT Sep 26-28. Nonna’s Purple Bar, 1 S Mickey Mantle Dr, OKC, 235.4410, purplebarokc.com Carnival of Madness Sep 8 You probably won’t actually succumb to insanity during this furious concert, but it is a crazy amount of volume from headliners Shinedown and Papa Roach, plus guests Skillet, In This Moment and We As Human. OKC Zoo Amphitheater, 2101 NE 50th St, OKC, 866.977.6849, thezooamp.com Summer Breeze: Byron Berline Band Sep 8 Berline owns a store dedicated to his instrument of choice, and founded the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival in 1997. That’s in addition to investing years in his playing career, to the point that he’s recognized as one of the greatest fiddle players in the world - join him and his band for an evening of bluegrass and Western Swing. Lions Park, 450 S Flood Ave, Norman, 307.9320, pasnorman.org Twilight Concert Series Sep 8-15 The Arts Council of OKC helps listeners end the week in style with a free open-air show from local talent: Sep 8 is Singer/Songwriter Night starring Susan Herndon, Parker Milsap and Rachel Brashear, and MoeTowne Alex & NightView close out the series Sep 15. Myriad Gardens, 301 W Reno Ave, OKC, 270.4848, artscouncilokc.com Tuesday Noon Concerts Sep 10-24 Its incredible collection of art is free for public perusal, but the museum sweetens the deal further with complimentary lunch accompaniment: Larry Hammett Sep 10, Laura Kellogg Sep 17 and Donna Cox Sep 24. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave, Norman, 325.3272, ou.edu/fjjma Opolis Performances Sep 11-18 Metro, meet Opolis. You’ll make beautiful music together,
courtesy of a vast and varied lineup of outstanding local and traveling bands including The Octopus Project (woooo!) Sep 11, Scott Biram Sep 13, Dent May Sep 15 and NO AGE Sep 18. Check online for the fresh scoop. The Opolis, 113 N Crawford Ave, Norman, opolis.org Joe Diffie Sep 12 Tulsa native Diffie has largely moved beyond the novelty songs of his early career into a more reflective mindset; after decades in the business the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame singer is still happy to share his voice with Sooner state crowds. Riverwind Casino, 1544 W Hwy 9, Norman, 322.6000, riverwind.com Medicine Stone Festival Sep 12-14 An outdoor music event to be reckoned with: fans of Jason Boland & The Stragglers, The Turnpike Troubadours, Stoney LaRue, Cody Canada and the Departed, John Fullbright or the Red Dirt Rangers will have plenty of motivation to visit the banks of the Illinois River. Diamondhead Resort, 12081 Oklahoma 10, Tahlequah, 918.456.4545, medicinestoneok.com Life in Color Sep 13 It’s a big, exciting world out there, with thrills for the adventurous like this high-energy concert-slashperformance art show billed as the world’s largest paint party. Change your mood, and your hue. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, OKC, lifeincolor.com Mötley Crüe Sep 13 Never say never until it’s in the books, but the Crüe is talking retirement - so don’t miss this chance to rock out with Mick, Nikki, Tommy and Vince, plus Stone Temple Pilots and Hinder. Could be the last time. OKC Downtown Airpark, 1701 S Western Ave, OKC, 866.966.1777, zooamp.com Travis Tritt Sep 13 Double Grammy-winner Tritt says he feels as good as he ever has behind the mic, but he’s still ready for a fresh start; listeners can tell by catching his newest release, “The Calm After…” Riverwind Casino, 1544 W Hwy 9, Norman, 322.6000, riverwind.com The Wiggles Sep 16 Blue + red + yellow + purple = musical excitement for young ears, as new members join the world-famous purveyors of gleefully silly sounds. Rose State PAC, 6420 SE 15th St, Midwest City, 297.2264, thewiggles.com Brightmusic: Souvenirs for an Archduke Sep 16-17 A new season begins for the OKC chamber music ensemble with a performance featuring works by Barber, Beethoven and Korngold, and a special guest appearance by prestigious pianist Gloria Chen. All Souls’ Church and St. Paul’s Cathedral, 6400 N Penn and 127 NW 7th, OKC, brightmusic.org Daughtry Sep 19 “American Idol” finalist Chris Daughtry’s namesake band is working on an impending fourth album, but since they’ve been on tour more or less continuously for five years, why stop now? The post-grunge platinum sellers are on the road to Riverwind. Riverwind Casino, 1544 W Hwy 9, Norman, 322.6000, riverwind.com 1964: The Tribute Sep 20 Beatlemania lives again in a meticulously researched, period authentic recreation of the Fab Four’s early triumphs. You’ll love them (yeah yeah yeah). Hudson Perfomance Hall, 2820 N May Ave, OKC, 866.977.6849, dcfconcerts.com
Casino, 1544 W Hwy 9, Norman, 322.6000, riverwind.com Sutton Series Concerts Sep 22-30 The OU School of Music welcomes listeners to a slate of musical mastery: the fall calendar begins with the OU Symphony Orchestra Sep 22 and horn virtuoso Eldon Matlick Sep 30. OU Catlett Music Center, 500 W Boyd St, Norman, 325.4101, music.ou.edu Kyle Dillingham and Horseshoe Road Sep 24 OCCC wanted to kick off its 2012-’13 Cultural Arts Series right, and that’s a job for fiddle virtuoso and Oklahoma cultural ambassador Dillingham - he’s a globetrotting force for musical appreciation and the sheer joy of performance. OCCC, 7777 S May Ave, OKC, 682.7576, occc.edu/cas Wade Bowen Sep 27 Rising up from the Texas bar scene, red dirt baritone Bowen took a big swing at fame in his latest album, 2010’s “The Given.” Catch him on his way up through Norman. Riverwind Casino, 1544 W Hwy 9, Norman, 322.6000, riverwind.com Opening Night Sep 28 Special guest Andrew von Oeyen lends a hand or two at the ivories to a masterful performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, part of the dramatic beginning to a sonorous silver season - maestro Joel Levine’s 25th - for the OKC Philharmonic. OKC Civic Center, 201 N Walker Ave, OKC, 842.5387, okcphilharmonic.org
SPORTS RedHawks Baseball Sep 1-2 Take yourself out to the ball game as OKC’s Triple-A titans close out the regular season against Memphis. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S Mickey Mantle Dr, OKC, 218.1000, oklahomacity.redhawks.milb.com Sooner Football Sep 7-14 Fire the RUF/ NEK cannons! OU tries to make use of its home-field advantage in skirmishes with West Virginia Sep 7 and Tulsa Sep 14. Owen Field, 180 E Brooks St, Norman, 325.2424, soonersports.com OBS Streak Sep 8 The Oklahoma Bicycle Society’s non-competitive ride accommodates riders of all stripes with courses of 10, 25, 40 and 63 miles. Mitch Park, 1501 W Covell Rd, Edmond, obsstreak.com Cowboy Football Sep 14 OSU makes its first home stand of the young season by taking on the Lamar Cardinals of Beaumont, Texas. Boone Pickens Stadium, 700 W Hall of Fame Ave, Stillwater, 744.5745, okstate.com Tie-Dye Tri Sep 15 Take a 500-yard swim, 12-mile bike ride and 5k run and swirl them all together - that’s the recipe for the 12th annual triathlon that enliven the Y’s financial assitance program. Cleveland County YMCA, 1350 Lexington Ave, Norman, 364.9622, ymcanorman.org OKC Nationals Drag Boat Racing Sep 20-22 This is no pleasure cruise, but excitement is in ready supply as fans get an eyeful of national competitors blazing down the river at speeds approaching and surpassing 200 miles per hour in the adrenaline-soaked series of races. Oklahoma River, 742 S Lincoln Blvd, OKC, 231.0912, okcmotorsports.com
Lee Brice Sep 20 The South Carolina singer’s sophomore album is called “Hard 2 Love,” something of a misnomer considering it netted him his first two No. 1 singles. When he turns his hat around, it’s like throwing a switch on country sound. Riverwind Casino, 1544 W Hwy 9, Norman, 322.6000, riverwind.com
Walk for Wishes Sep 21 Make-a-Wish of Oklahoma hosts a 1-mile morning jaunt for all ages to help fulfill the wishes of critically ill Oklahoma kids - the event includes a carnival and zoo admission. OKC Zoo, 2101 NE 50th St, OKC, 286.4000, oklahoma.wish.org
Robert Earl Keen Sep 21 It isn’t Keen’s voice or playing or sense of melody that have made and kept him a star - it’s the depth and resonance of his lyrics. The musical storyteller makes another run through Oklahoma for fans to relish. Riverwind
Walk to End Alzheimer’s Sep 21 A 2-mile walk can be the first step toward finding a cure, by raising funds to research the degenerative disease. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S Mickey Mantle Dr, OKC, 319.0780
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PURSUITS | See & Do
Bike MS Sep 21-22 Fight multiple sclerosis by riding the roads of Oklahoma in the National MS Society’s bicycle tour; Day 1 goes from Chandler to Stillwater and back, and Day 2 heads south toward OKC. Agri Civic Center, 811 Manvel Ave, Chandler, 488.1300, nationalmssociety.org AIDS Walk OKC Sep 22 Each step brings hope in the yearly promenade through downtown OKC, which includes information tables, a puppy parade and the spiritual glow of doing good. Myriad Gardens, 301 W Reno Ave, OKC, aidswalkokc.org McBride Foundation Golf Championship Sep 23 Presented by McBride Orthopedic Hospital, the 2013 Championship raises money to fund sports and first aid equipment for at-risk schools in Oklahoma, as well as educational programs to combat crippling bone and joint disease. OKC Golf & Country Club, 7000 NW Grand Ave, OKC, 922.5870, mcbridefoundation.org NHL Hockey: Oilers vs. Stars Sep 27 Who’s ready for some hockey? The NHL Showcase presented by Mercy pits the Dallas Stars against the OKC Barons’ parent club, the Edmonton Oilers, in a preseason brawl. Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, OKC, 232.4625, coxconventioncenter.com Light the Night Walk Sep 28 Friends, family, supporters and survivors of breast cancer come together to move in unison, lifting one another up and illuminating one another’s way for an emotionally moving postsundown walk. Oklahoma City University, 2501 N Blackwelder Ave, OKC, 943.8888, lightthenight.org/ok
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Walk to Cure Diabetes Sep 28 Coast to coast, tens of thousands of donors and walkers are combining their efforts to fund research and find cures for Type 1 diabetes - the Oklahoma chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation would be glad to have as much of that help as possible come from OKC. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, 2 S Mickey Mantle Dr, OKC, 810.0070, centraloklahoma.jdrf.org
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Oklahoma Derby Sep 29 It’s post time for the state’s richest thoroughbred race, with a full day of fleet-hooved competition plus live entertainment, musical performance, carriage rides and a hat contest - don’t miss the 25th annual bash. Remington Park, 1 Remington Pl, OKC, 424.1000, remingtonpark.com
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And Then They Came for Me Sep 19-29 It’s not for very young audiences, but Oklahoma Children’s Theatre’s multimedia drama remembering the world of Anne Frank through the tale of her childhood friends is a powerful testament to individual spirit and the terrifying momentum of evil. OCU Burg Theater, 2501 N Blackwelder Ave, OKC, 951.0011, oklahomachildrenstheatre.org 9 to 5 Sep 27-29 Mutiny rarely looked so empowering, as a cadre of underappreciated female employees are pushed past the breaking point and seize control of their company from the sleazy chump in charge in this OCU musical. OCU Kirkpatrick Auditorium, 2501 N Blackwelder Ave, OKC, 208.5227, okcu.edu/music/omt.aspx Godspell Sep 27-Oct 6 The Lamb of God, the Son of Man, the Light of the World … a pleasant tenor. CityRep and UCO’s department of Theatre Arts tell the story of a certain storyteller named Jesus Christ and his efforts to enlighten his followers in this G-rated gospel tale. OKC Civic Center, 201 N Walker Ave, OKC, 848.3761, cityrep.com Noises Off Sep 27-Oct 20 It’s a lesserknown corollary of Murphy’s Law: anything that can go wrong, will likely be hilarious. Poteet Theater is mounting a production of the uproarious play-within-a-disaster, so prepare for farce and keep an eye on the kippers. St. Luke’s Poteet Theater, 222 NW 15th St, OKC, 609.1023, poteettheatre.com
ON THE RADAR The Lumineers Oct 3 With a simple style that’s getting sellout response nationwide, the folk-rock revivalists are riding high and happy to spread the joy of their music. This stop on their tour includes special guests Dr. Dog and Nathaniel Rateliff. OKC Downtown Airpark, 1701 S Western Ave, OKC, 866.966.1777, zooamp.com ARTonTAP Oct 4 Raise a glass to raising funds for the OKC Museum of Art at this brew-riffic event featuring food, dancing, art and more than 80 beers. OKC Museum of Art, 415 Couch Dr, OKC, 236.3100, okcmoa.com
The Philadelphia Story Through Sep 15 On the list of things a bride-to-be wants before her wedding, surprise visits from her exhusband and a tabloid reporter rank pretty low … but they’re just so deucedly debonair! A marriage hangs in the balance in this witty comedy. Jewel Box Theater, 3700 N Walker Ave, OKC, 521.1786, jewelboxtheatre.org
Carmina Burana Oct 4 Their dedicated practice is your good fortune: Canterbury Choral Society delivers one of the all-time great vocal masterpieces in its season opener. So at this hour, without delay, pluck the vibrating strings of fate and get tickets. OKC Civic Center, 201 N Walker Ave, OKC, 232.7464, canterburyokc.com
Wicked Sep 4-22 This international hit musical has a lesson as old as humanity itself: what history remembers is only part of the story, and winners write the history books. Also, there are witches and lots of singing as Celebrity Attractions brings Oz to OKC. OKC Civic Center, 201 N Walker Ave, OKC, 800.869.1451,celebrityattractions.com
Lyric’s Broadway Ball Oct 4 An event as good as gold, spotlighting the many high notes of Lyric Theatre’s outstanding, entertaining 50-year history. It’ll be singularly sensational. Skirvin Hilton, 1 Park Ave, OKC, 524.9310, lyrictheatreokc.com
Unnecessary Farce Sep 6-28 A simple stakeout spins out of control - seriously, by the time the Scottish Mafia’s hit man shows up the situation is the opposite of stable - in Carpenter Square’s delicious dose of ridiculousness. Carpenter Square Theatre, 800 W Main St, OKC, 232.6500, carpentersquare.com King Lear Sep 12-28 Vanity mixed with stubbornness can be enough to bring down a kingdom, as Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park sits upon the ground and tells a sad story that is one of the foremost dramas of all time. Myriad Gardens Water Stage, 301 W Reno Ave, OKC, 235.3700, oklahomashakespeare.com
74 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
Cosi fan tutte Sep 17 Here’s how it is: the 2013 Rose State Live! series gets underway with a bangup plan as two officers disguise themselves to try to trick their fiancees and prove … something totally not ridiculous. Mozart’s music and OCU faculty make this comic opera sing. Rose State PAC, 6420 SE 15th St, Midwest City, 297.2264, rose.edu/rslive
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Community Arts Program bringing free arts experiences to those in need throughout Central Oklahoma
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Art enhances: enhances: Art Cognitive Development Social Development Creative Development Bringing the arts and community together
www.artscouncilokc.com SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 75
The First Friday Gallery Walk takes place on the first Friday of every month, rain or shine, from 6-10pm. Opening receptions • Live Music • Refreshments 20 Galleries, Studios, Gift & Clothing Shops, Restaurants
“Oklahoma City’s Arts Community” — September on Paseo —
Picture It: Paseo Photofest Campbell Walker Fields Local Student and Performer
Kick-off Friday, September 6th, 6pm - 10 pm Saturday, September 7th, 12pm - 6pm
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FARE Let Us Eat It!
CARLI WENTWORTH
After navigating a menu thoroughly stuffed with temptations, saving room for the namesake dessert requires some effort, but is eminently worth it at slow-food sensation Whiskey Cake. See page 80.
SHOW ’EM YOUR GAME FACE Food makes a great game-day companion; score big with these Touchdown Sandwiches 78
EAT & DRINK Variety is on the menu in Slice’s citywide dining guide 82
SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 77
FARE | In the Kitchen
Touchdown Sandwiches 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 ½ jalapeno, finely chopped ½ green and red pepper, chopped 1 package Mountain View smoked sausage, minced 2 lbs ground chuck 2 c fire roasted crushed tomatoes 2 T tomato paste ¼ c brown sugar 1 t Worcestershire sauce ½ t nutmeg 1 t salt 1 t pepper 6 Brioche buns or Hawaiian hamburger buns Place a large skillet on stovetop over medium high heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, jalapeno, red and green peppers until tender. While the veggies are cooking, pulse the smoked sausage in a food processor so it’s minced into small pieces. Remove from processor and add the ground chuck and minced smoked sausage to the veggies and cook until the meat is browned and juices run clear. Drain off the excess fat and return mixture to the stove. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve heaping spoonfuls of meat mixture on the buns.
Show ’Em Your Game Face
BY CARYN ROSS // PHOTOS BY CARLI WENTWORTH
IS IT THE FOOTBALL GAME? OR THE INCREDIBLE FOOD WE EAT AT THE TAILGATE PARTIES? I CAN’T DECIDE WHICH IS OUR FALL FAVORITE. THIS IS A MONUMENTAL QUANDARY AT MY HOUSE. MY GUYS LOVE THEIR FOOTBALL, BUT I HAVE TO SAY THEY HAVE GOTTEN QUITE ACCUSTOMED TO THE MEALS I PREPARE FOR THE PRE-GAME FESTIVITIES. MAYBE IT’S A TIE. Tailgating has become a social art form in the last five years. As soon as players report to camp, the public begins to eagerly anticipate tailgate time. And no more burgers and hot dogs for your guests anymore – tailgate cooking has gone full-on gourmet. Last year I attended a tailgate where they served fresh fried rattlesnake bites in honor of OU’s game against the Florida A&M Rattlers – it just goes to show there are no limits to what you can serve! Here is a simple but savory twist on a classic: Sloppy Joes. It’s a dish you can make in large quantities to serve to lots of hungry fans, and the best part is that you can serve these out of disposable metal serving pans that you keep warm on the grill. On game days I call them Touchdown Sandwiches, and serve them with kettle chips with rosemary and sea salt. 78 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
Kettle Chips with Sea Salt and Rosemary 3-4 large Russet potatoes, scrubbed peanut oil Sea salt fresh rosemary, chopped To prepare the potatoes: Thinly slice the potatoes to a " thickness using a food processor or mandolin. Place the slices in a large bowl filled with cold water. Heat the oil in a large 4 quart saucepan or fryer until it reaches 375 degrees. Rinse the potatoes and then blot them completely dry. Carefully drop potato slices into the hot oil and cook until they are browned and crisp. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil, and then sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary.
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SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 7/25/13 79 2:16 PM
FARE | Matters of Taste
TAKING THE CAKE By Steve Gill // Photos by Carli Wentworth
THE OKC METRO PLAYS HOST to flavors from all over the culinary world – Puerto Vallarta to Punjab – but sometimes when it comes to cuisine there’s no place like home. Especially when those American tastes are done as masterfully as those found in Whiskey Cake. The rustic, homey vibe that’s currently popular in restaurant design can easily ring false or feel overdone, but there’s something oddly charming about ordering coffee with the namesake dessert (a huge slab of toffee torte surrounded by bourbon-spiked crème anglaise) and getting two mugs that don’t match, accompanied by a miniature creamer shaped vaguely like a rooster. The interior aesthetic in Whiskey Cake – the Penn Square Mall-adjacent joint is the second incarnation of a Plano, Texas, concept – feels built, not chosen from a catalog. They’re proud of their local sourcing: The bar is flanked by two chalkboards, one listing weekly specials and the other the provenance of various ingredients on hand at the time. Plus, for several of the herbs and vegetables, it’s impossible to get more local, since they’re grown on the premises, mere steps away from the sink and cutting board. The open kitchen stretched along the east wall gleams with stainless steel and bright lighting … and contains no microwave. All the dishes are prepped using slow-cooking techniques like the wood-fueled grill, rotisserie spit and smoker. How does the combination of those fresh premium ingredients and those careful cooking methods pay off? The short answer is “impeccably,” but feel free to linger over a lengthier investigation; start with a bowl of the daily rotating soup (roasted corn gazpacho is a cool, tangy hit on a hot day) or the excellent Three Little Pigs, a trio of slider-sized buns overstuffed with savory pulled pork in a whiskey barbeque sauce, slaw and fried onion straws … all served on sticks with giant pickle chunks atop a huff- and puff-proof brick. 80 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
Afterward, assuming you saved room by managing to refrain from consuming all three “pigs” yourself, proceed to a protein-powered entree from steak to roasted chicken. The salmon, served on a bed of spinach and adorned with shiitake mushrooms and a citrus-tinged vinaigrette, is especially well cooked – neither parched nor overly wet and gooey, with a lovely bit of crispy charring around the edges. But if you try one thing on the menu, make it a burger. Both the “basic” (standard vegetables, American cheese, generously sliced bacon) and “OMG” (melted port salut cheese, mushrooms, preposterously enormous onion ring) varieties star thick patties of precisely grilled ground brisket on challah buns, and either of these mouthwatering monsters could go toe-to-toe with the champions in our August issue’s “Most Bodacious Burgers” feature. Their only real drawback is that, like the Three Little Pigs, they’re too tall to be easily approached from the traditional “put it in your mouth” paradigm of eating a sandwich. Ingenuity and determination will prevail! The broad, inviting bar that dominates the west wall boasts many, many choices of spirits, with pros at the metaphorical helm; the mint julep is mixed perfectly with select
bourbon, house-made bitters, simple syrup and mint fresh from the garden, and is presented impeccably in a frost-covered silver cup for extra style points. So: good location, good atmosphere, outstanding food and the local sourcing is a nice feel-good element – that all adds up to a tremendous restaurant. The fact that it’s also home to an excellent bar is one more thing to enjoy … the whiskey is the icing on the cake, so to speak. Overall, it’s an unqualified pleasure. The experience is, well, intoxicating.
WHISKEY CAKE 1845 N.W. Expressway, OKC (Penn Square Mall-adjacent)
405.582.2253 // whiskeycakeokc.com Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-midnight Friday 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Saturday 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Sunday 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
Quick tips Ramble around. There’s a lot to see in the restaurant’s different sections, and if you walk straight in and out you might miss the herb garden out front, or the glasses of fresh fruit garnishes standing ready at the bar. A lot of work has clearly gone into Whiskey Cake’s details; they’re worth a look. Plan ahead. The portions are ample and then some, and the temptation to try all kinds of things is likely to be overwhelming, so you’d be well served to ensure there’s room in your schedule to take a doggie bag home afterward, or to plot a return trip to select something else, or both. Plan ahead II. As long as you’re taking home a bag anyway, why not seize the opportunity to do a little shopping? While not a grocery store, the restaurant does offer some goodies to enhance your pantry, like local honey, nuts, jam, pickles and (perhaps most tempting) whole whiskey cakes – so you can have your cake and eat it, too.
SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 81
Eat & Drink KEY $ $$ $$$
most entrees under $10 most entrees $10 to $25 most entrees over $25 outdoor dining reservations accepted new or updated entry
Have an addition that you’d like us to consider? Send establishment name, address, phone number and a brief description (40 words or less) to dining@sliceok. com. Submissions must be received two months prior to publication.
AMERICAN ANN’S CHICKEN FRY HOUSE This Route 66 classic provides a blast from the past in its copious decorative memorabilia, and excellent chicken fried steak big enough to sate the hugest appetites. 4106 NW 39th, OKC, 943.8915 $ CAFÉ 7 A fast, casual restaurant with a very cool concept: widely varied salad, sandwich, pizza and pasta options, all priced under $7 and served up in 7 minutes, 7 days a week. 14101 N May, OKC, 748.3354; 120 N Robinson, Suite W 175, OKC, 748.3354 $ CAFÉ 501 Rustic stone oven pizzas, fresh, uniquely designed salads and delicious specialty sandwiches on house-made artisan breads – add classic atmosphere and enjoy. 501 S Boulevard, Edmond, 359.1501; 5825 NW Grand, OKC, 844.1501 $$ CLASSEN GRILL Don’t be thrown by the seen-better-days exterior; the food inside is deftly done diner deliciousness, especially the breakfast options. The eggs benedict and cheese grits can make your day in advance. 5124 N Classen Blvd, OKC, 842.0428 $ DEEP FORK GRILL The dimly lit, crisply elegant atmosphere perfectly complements the contemporary menu of superb seafood (wood-grilled cedar plank salmon is the house specialty), steaks and accoutrements. 5418 N Western, OKC, 848.7678 $$ FANCY THAT No longer restricting customers to a quick lunch and bakery treats, this Main Street café’s robust expansion into evening and weekend hours is cause for celebration … over dinner. 215 E Main, Norman, 307.0541 $$ FLINT Approachably casual style in the front of the house, with impeccably serious attention to detail in the kitchen; it’s the Colcord Hotel’s winning combination for contemporary cuisine. 15 N Robinson, OKC, 601.4300 $$
82 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
INTERURBAN CLASSIC GRILL It’s a simple concept: serve good food at a reasonable price in comfortable, casual surroundings. Favorites like chicken-fried steak are always on the menu, but there are plenty of options for the health-conscious as well. 4 metro locations, interurban.us $$ KAISER’S AMERICAN BISTRO Founded in 1918 and serving contemporary classics like a top-notch buffalo burger, Kaiser’s boasts a great view… if you can tear your attention away from the ice cream & soda fountain. 1039 N Walker, OKC, 232.7632 $ LEGEND’S A Lindsey Street landmark for over 40 years, this casually upscale, three-diamond AAA restaurant still serves exceptional seafood, steaks and more down-to-earth fare amid welcoming surroundings. 1313 W Lindsey, Norman, 329.8888 $$ MUTT’S AMAZING HOT DOGS Now this is a hot dog – Mutt’s inspired creations feature prime meats like chicken, bison and duck, topped off with tantalizing and unexpected flavor profiles. 1400 NW 23rd, OKC, 525.3647 $ NEBU You shouldn’t have any trouble finding this airy, accommodating provider of chef-prepared sandwiches, sushi, pizza and more – it’s in the garden wing of the colossal Devon tower. 280 W Sheridan, OKC $ PACKARD’S NEW AMERICAN KITCHEN They’re not kidding about the “new” – the entire menu, from appetizers to complicated cocktails, is infused with thoughtful, innovative ideas and ingredient combinations for a tasty and truly unique dining experience. 201 NW 10th, Suite 100, OKC, 605.3771 $$ PICASSO CAFÉ Its neighbors are painters, potters and sculptors, so it’s no surprise its management strives to make their cuisine a work of art. Creative arrangements of pizza, sandwiches, salads and surprises abound. 3009 Paseo, OKC, 602.2002 $ POPS A little out of the way but undeniably worth going the extra mile, the Good Egg Group’s roadside café has burgers, salads, shakes and the irresistible draw of an unbelievably broad soda selection. 660 W Highway 66, Arcadia, 233.2020 $ REDROCK CANYON GRILL Rotisserie chicken, Southwestern enchiladas, pork chops and steak by the lake served expertly in a casual, energetic, hacienda-style atmosphere of stone walls and mahogany beams around an open kitchen. 9221 E Lake Hefner Pkwy, OKC, 749.1995 $$ SATURN GRILL A star of the lunchtime stage, its surprising daily specials and inspired, tasty twists on ordinary sandwiches, salads and pizza keep it crowded on weekdays. Fortunately, the line moves quickly and calling ahead is encouraged. 4401 W Memorial, OKC 463.5594; 6432 Avondale, OKC, 843.7114; 1012 N Walker, OKC, 606.8182 $ SCRATCH Isn’t that the best place for food to come from? Entrees, sides, rotating specials and more are all carefully concocted in-house, as are the tantalizing craft cocktails. 132 W Main, Norman, 801.2900 $$ SYRUP The most important meal of the day is also the most enticing at this unique breakfast boutique serving a heaping helping of signature dishes (the crunchy French toast is something special) and Stumptown coffee. 123 E Main, Norman, 701.1143 $ VAST Keeping your attention on the steaks, seafood and other globally inspired
American cuisine might be surprisingly difficult: the view is truly unparalleled in Oklahoma. 280 W Sheridan, 49th floor, OKC, 702.7262 $$ WAFFLE CHAMPION The little food truck that could has finally expanded into a Midtown diner, bringing more joy to those addicted to its gourmet sweet or savory waffle options. 1212 N Walker, OKC, 525.9235 $ WHISKEY CAKE Take high-quality locally sourced ingredients, use slow cooking to do unbelievably delicious things to them and serve in a charmingly homey atmosphere; that’s a prime recipe. Enjoy – and don’t forget the namesake dessert. 1845 NW Expressway, OKC, 582.2253 $$
ASIAN 180 MERIDIAN GRILL Intended to unite east and west through blending the essence of Asian cuisine with American culture, its intriguing menu spans sirloin with teriyaki butter, hoisin barbeque duck pizza and ample sushi options. 2541 W Main, Norman, 310.6110 $$ DOT WO GARDEN With an elegantly appointed new location, Dot Wo continues its crowd-pleasing legacy of over two decades by pairing sumptuous classics of Chinese cuisine with fiery, fresh sushi. 6161 N May, OKC, 608.2388 $$ GRAND HOUSE A number of Chinese restaurants concentrate on their cooking to the exclusion of any other aspect of dining – Grand House is the happy exception that goes the extra mile to provide enjoyable ambiance alongside its excellent cuisine. 2701 N Classen, OKC, 524.7333 $$ GUERNSEY PARK A hidden treasure on an Uptown back street, it’s home to tasty Asian fusion with a hint of French influence in dishes ranging from oxtail ravioli to curry salmon. 2418 N Guernsey, OKC, 605.5272 $$ O ASIAN FUSION Sublime quality in a wide span of culinary influences – freshly rolled sushi to fiery curry – in a cool, vibrant environment. Call ahead; it becomes a packed house in a hurry. 105 SE 12th, Norman, 701.8899 $$ SAII ASIAN BISTRO & SUSHI BAR With a dark, rich ambiance that elevates it over its surroundings, Saii serves expertly prepared Japanese, Thai and Chinese dishes plus an extensive and adventurous sushi menu. 6900 N May, OKC, 702.7244 $$ VII ASIAN BISTRO The bright, sleek interior and personable staff make a good impression, confirmed by the savory spate of Chinese and Vietnamese menu options … especially the glass noodles with shrimp and crab. 2900 N Classen, OKC, 604.2939 $
BAKERY BIG SKY BREAD COMPANY Enjoy cookies, scones, brownies or granola, but don’t fill up before the main attraction: the incredible bevy of fresh-baked bread. 6606 N Western, OKC, 879.0330 $ BROWN’S BAKERY An incredible selection of delicious traditional and specialty cakes, cookies, breads and other baked goods. 1100 N Walker, OKC, 232.0363 $ GREEN GOODIES BY TIFFANY Specialty organic cupcakes for all – even those adhering to vegetarian and vegan diets or coping with food allergies or other dietary concerns can enjoy these high quality,
flavorful treats. 5840 N Classen Blvd, Suite 5, OKC, 842.2288 $ KITCHEN NO. 324 The venerable Braniff Building on the SandRidge campus downtown hosts this seasonally inspired café, coffee curator and craft bakery serving rustic American cuisine. Aroma alone summons crowds. 324 N Robinson, OKC, 763.5911 $ LA BAGUETTE BAKERY & CAFÉ A spacious, comfortable seating area combined with the exquisite baking mastery that is the brand’s trademark makes this a tres chic, and very popular, destination for brunch and beyond. 1130 Rambling Oaks, Norman, 329.1101; 924 W Main, Norman, 329.5822 $ NONNA’S BAKERY Family recipes are the foundation of these unbelievably scrumptious treats – walk in and pick or call ahead and special order cream pies, decadent cakes and much more. 1 Mickey Mantle Dr, OKC, 235.4410 $ SARA SARA CUPCAKES Located in a charming little converted house, the ambiance and milk bar make great atmospheric additions to the varied menu of specialty cupcakes – selections range from traditional chocolate to blueberry honey and even bacon, egg and cheese. 7 NW 9th, OKC, 600.9494 $
BAR // PUB FOOD 51ST STREET SPEAKEASY A converted house with a perpetually packed porch and patio, the joint jumps with energy and the top-shelf spirits and beers flow with abandon. 1114 NW 51st, OKC, 463.0470 $ ABNER’S ALE HOUSE Beers and whiskies of the best, plus knockout renditions of accompanying dishes, with the aim of re-creating the true English public house vibe. 121 E Main, Norman, 928.5801 $$ BELLE ISLE RESTAURANT & BREWERY Live music, handcrafted beers and a great burger selection fill this bustling bar in the landmark 50 Penn Place. 1900 NW Expressway, OKC, 840.1911 $ BLU FINE WINE & FOOD A popular bar option among OU students and Normanites, blu stands out due to quick, courteous service and a menu with gourmet range – try the hummus. 201 S Crawford, Norman, 360.4258 $$ CLUB ONE15 The nightclub vibe is in full effect with energetic music and three bars, though the robust menu including fajitas, pasta bowls and seafood is quite a draw of its own. 115 E Sheridan, OKC, 605.5783 $$ DEEP DEUCE GRILL The funky, comfortably run-down vibe of its namesake district lingers in this alternative to Bricktown crowds, featuring burgers, beer and a people-watching patio. 307 NE 2nd, OKC, 235.9100 $ JAMES E. MCNELLIE’S PUBLIC HOUSE Designed to bring Ireland’s pub culture to our city, this Midtown hotspot features 350 varieties of beer, including difficultto-find options from all over the world. 1100 Classen Dr, OKC, 601.7468 $$ MONT, THE Though frequented by many purely for its primo patio and Sooner Swirls from the bar, the Norman landmark also boasts a tempting suite of pub food with a zing of Southwestern flavor. 1300 Classen Blvd, Norman, 329.3330 $ O’CONNELL’S IRISH PUB & GRILLE Beloved by students, alumni and townies alike,
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13125 SKYLAND DRIVE, YUKON | CALL/TXT: 405.305.6353 | M-F: 9-5
SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 83
New Western Avenue Banking Facility Coming Spring 2014!
FARE | Eat & Drink
this OU Campus Corner landmark has been serving up burgers, beer and festive atmosphere since 1968. 769 Asp, Norman, 217.8454 $ REPUBLIC GASTROPUB Dedicated to bridging the gap between beer bar and upscale eatery, this contemporary public house in Classen Curve pairs a vast selection of quality brews with imaginative menu items designed to complement one another. 5830 N Classen Blvd, OKC, 286.4577 $$ SAINTS An inviting Irish bar nestled in the Plaza District, its whiskey and beer selection dovetails nicely with classic dishes like shepherd’s pie, bangers and fish and chips. 1715 NW 16th, OKC, 602.6308 $$ SEAN CUMMINGS’ IRISH RESTAURANT & PUB Classic Irish fare (lamb stew, bangers and mash, even beef or salmon boxtys) mixed with favorites and delivered with engaging and gracious service. Plus, naturally, there’s Guinness on tap. 7523 N May, OKC, 755.2622 $$ URBAN WINEWORKS If its delicious madein-Oklahoma wine isn’t draw enough (and it should be), the haute culinary creations featuring rabbit, duck, pork belly and more should certainly entice diners to the Plaza. 1749 NW 16th, OKC, 525.9463 $$
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PRECISION VISION SURGERY CENTER Laser Cataract Surgery is now available in OKC. But only at one place. Darrell J. Pickard, M.D., is the first and only surgeon in the Oklahoma City metro to offer bladeless laser cataract surgery. The computer-controlled LenSx laser delivers more precision and accuracy than traditional cataract surgery, customizing each patient’s surgical treatment to their eye’s unique anatomy. Its proven technology has been used for over a decade in corneal eye surgery like LASIK. Dr. Pickard has been performing eye surgery in Midwest City and the OKC metro for 19 years. “After investigating this technology,” says Dr. Pickard, “I’m in agreement that LenSx offers patients the most advanced treatment for cataracts.” For a consultation about the possibility of traditional or laser cataract surgery from a surgeon committed to delivering the best vision possible for patients, call Dr. Pickard at McGee, Pickard and Robinson Eye Associates.
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84 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
VZD’S RESTAURANT & CLUB Live music is a staple on weekends, but the unusually broad, tasty bar menu draws a substantial lunch crowd as well. Try the turkey burger, the chili or both. 4200 N Western, OKC, 524.4203 $ WES WELKER’S The food shows great variety and imagination - from duck nachos to sirloin broiled in bourbon butter. And in terms of enjoyment, the bevy of TVs and 83 available beers ain’t bad either. 3121 W Memorial, OKC, 608.2200, $$
BARBEQUE
CHARCOAL OVEN The smoke-filled flavor of a backyard cookout without having to fire up your own grill – get ’em while they’re hot! 2701 NW Expressway, OKC, 842.8911 $ COW CALF-HAY A City Bites spinoff that easily stands on its own, the selections are ample and interesting and the delicious never-frozen patties are mmmmmassive. 3409 Wynn, Edmond, 509.2333, 212 N Harvey, OKC, 601.6180 $ FLATIRE BURGERS Beloved by (and generally crowded with) UCO students, this bravura burger joint excels at innovative additions to the classic patty and bun, like sauerkraut, carrots, pineapple relish and habanero salsa. 100 N University Dr (at UCO), Edmond, 974.4638; 6315 NW 39th Expressway, Bethany, 603.2822 $ GARAGE BURGERS & BEER, THE It gets noisy in the low-lit sports bar atmosphere, but even if your focus isn’t on a televised game, conversation would probably revolve around the huge, juicy burgers and fries – both available in several tempting flavor possibilities – anyway. 307 E Main, Norman, 701.7035; 601 S Bryant Ave, Edmond, 341.5801, 1024 S I-240 Service Rd, OKC, 601.4198 $ IRMA’S BURGER SHACK Hand-cut fries, hand-breaded onions rings and simply great burgers. Try the No-Name Ranch burger – lean and flavorful, thanks to a unique breed of cattle raised in Wynnewood using organic techniques. 1035 NW 63rd, OKC, 840.4762; 1120 Classen Dr, OKC, 235.4762 $ JOHNNIE’S CHARCOAL BROILER Fresh-ground hamburgers cooked over real charcoal set Johnnie’s apart. Try the incredibly popular Cheese Theta or Caesar burgers, and don’t forget a side of their outstanding onion rings. 4 metro locations, johnniesok.com $
EARL’S RIB PALACE Beloved by locals in a setting far from starved for competition, the award-winning barbeque chain pounds out hit ribs, pulled pork and smoked turkey as well as a top-tier burger. 6 metro locations, earlsribpalace.com $
LOUIE’S GRILL & BAR Casually cool and come-as-you-are, these popular neighborhood bar-type hangouts excel at inexpensive burgers, sandwiches and pizzas. 12 metro locations, louiesgrillandbar.com $
IRON STARR URBAN BARBEQUE Named for notorious outlaw Belle Starr, Iron Starr specializes in “a unique and tasty spin on comfort food.” The entrees are excellent, but the sides are equal players here as well. 3700 N Shartel, OKC, 524.5925 $$
LOUIE’S ON THE LAKE An unbeatable view of scenic Lake Hefner from the patio adds to the ambiance of this classic eatery, which features a tasty spate of entrees under $10. 9401 Lake Hefner Pkwy, OKC, 751.2298 $
LEO’S BAR-B-Q Dense, rich flavor and tender texture through and through, delivered in genuine unpolished style for commendable value – no wonder it’s a recurring favorite among OK connoisseurs. 3631 N Kelley, OKC 424.5367; 7 Harrison, OKC 236.5367 $
MULE, THE Solid beer and beverage selection plus a delectable array of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and melts (ingredients range from fontina to figs) fill the menu at this relaxation destination in the Plaza District. 1630 N Blackwelder, OKC, 601.1400 $
RUDY’S COUNTRY STORE & BAR-B-Q It’s hard to get more casual than a set of picnic benches, where food comes on cafeteria trays with plastic utensils and paper towels... but as the lines attest, the brisket and other barbeque staples speak for themselves. 3450 Chautauqua, Norman, 307.0552; 3437 W Memorial, OKC, 254.4712 $$
NIC’S GRILL It’s small, it’s crowded, it’s cash-only… and it’s incredible. The colossal burgers, easily among the metro’s best, and mounds of fresh fries make this holein-the-wall diner pure paradise. 1202 N Pennsylvania, OKC, 524.0999 $
BURGERS // SANDWICHES BISON WITCHES BAR & DELI The monster sandwiches are loaded with standout flavors, but the best way to enjoy them is in halves, accompanied by a bread bowl of fresh hot soup and a bag of pretzels. 211 E Main, Norman, 364.7555 $ CAFÉ PLAID & BAKERY Fresh sandwiches begging to be combined with a sensational selection of salads (veggie, tuna, pasta…) make it an ideal spot for lunch when you’re near OU. 333 W Boyd, Norman, 360.2233 $
S&B’S BURGER JOINT Good news: these burgers’ exquisite flavor combinations – including such showcase ingredients as peanut butter or a coffee crust – come in slider form as well, the better to sample more selections. 20 NW 9th, OKC, 270.0516; 5929 N May, OKC, 843.8777; 7745 S Walker, OKC, 631.0983; 102 W Main, Norman, 360.5726 $ SERVICE STATION Once a filling station, the building still has vintage décor and is home to Bentleys, Packards and dipsticks, but now they’re the names of its delicious half-pound burgers and fries. 502 S Webster, Norman, 364.2136 $ SMASHBURGER Billing itself as a place with a burger soul, this savory hot spot provides 100 percent Angus beef in three sizes amid a panoply of tasty toppings
and sides, plus similarly varied chicken sandwiches and salads. 2127 W Memorial, OKC, 418.8416; 7642 W Reno, OKC, 787.5700; 1841 Belle Isle, OKC, 767.9771 $ SOONER DAIRY LUNCH The menu’s masthead, “Serving Norman since 1954,” should serve as a fairly strong recommendation all by itself – this modest little drive-in has been cheerfully feeding its staunch fans burgers, fries, tots and shakes for six decades and counting. 1820 W Main, Norman, 321.8526 $ TEXADELPHIA A popular spot thanks to numerous flatscreen TVs and the nearby canal. The menu draws raves for burgers and wraps, but especially the monstrous made-to-order cheesesteaks. 200 S Oklahoma, OKC, 208.4000 $ TUCKER’S ONION BURGERS With one burger (and variants), one side dish (fries), one salad and beverages, the menu is easy to remember. With this level of bravura execution, the meal is hard to forget. 324 NW 23rd, OKC, 609.2333; 5740 N Classen Blvd, OKC, 286.3331 $
COFFEEHOUSE // TEA ROOM ALL ABOUT CHA Universal standards and more adventurous concoctions (the sweet potato latte is a wonder) in a bright, bustling atmosphere that still has room for quieter lingering. 3272 S Broadway, Edmond, 340.9959 $ ARAVALLI This weekday waystation in the Devon Energy Center is a prime spot for breakfast pastries and coffee, lunch gelato and desserts and a daily rotating handful of grab-and-go entrees. 333 W Sheridan Ave, OKC, 278.7000 $ BEATNIX CAFÉ, THE While it’s certainly possible to get a sandwich, cup of hearty soup or powerhouse latte to go, doing so would mean missing out on the lovely laid-back vibe that pervades this stressless dawdling spot. 136 NW 13th, OKC, 604.0211 $ CAFÉ EVOKE Outstanding coffee drinks and other beverages from one of the area’s great caterers; if patrons wish to stick around for soup, sandwiches, snacks or sweets, so much the better. 103 S Broadway, Edmond, 285.1522 $ COFFEE SLINGERS Rocking a brisk, urban vibe thanks to its Automobile Alley location, this has become a gathering place for genuine java enthusiasts, especially during the monthly educational sampling seminars called “cuppings.” 1015 N Broadway, OKC, 606.2763 $
RED CUP Comfortably ramshackle surroundings encourage curling up for conversation over spectacular PrimaCafe coffee, baked treats, vegetarian-friendly breakfast and lunch specials and live music. Highly recommended! 3122 N Classen Blvd, OKC, 525.3430 $ T, AN URBAN TEAHOUSE Proving that an establishment’s focus can be narrow and broad simultaneously, this endearing retreat doesn’t do coffee or sandwiches, but does offer over 100 varieties of tea and expert counsel to explore a world of possibilities. 7518 N May, OKC, 418.4333 $
CONTINENTAL BIN 73 WINE BAR Diners can fill up on filet mignon or simply top the evening off with tapas while enjoying the full bar and chic ambiance. 7312 N Western, OKC, 843.0073 $$ BLACKBIRD A Campus Corner gastropub pairing delectably creative food – pot roast nachos! – with an expansive beer, wine and whiskey list. 575 S University, Norman, 928.5555 $$ CAFÉ NOVA Lunch, dinner and late at night, the simple but innovative fare and hopping bar in this Western Avenue spot aim to please hipsters, families and whiteand blue-collar joes and josephines. 4308 N Western, OKC, 525.6682 $$ CHEEVER’S Dress up or down for the Southwestern-influenced recipes and love of seafood that drive the contemporary comfort food found in this converted florist’s; truly one of the city’s finest destinations for dining out. 2409 N Hudson, OKC, 525.7007 $$ COACH HOUSE, THE Definitively among the metro’s most refined, elegant, upscale dining experiences, the rotating menu of seasonal cuisine highlights regional specialties prepared with classical perfection by master chef Kurt Fleischfresser. 6437 Avondale, OKC, 842.1000 $$$ LOTTINVILLE’S WOOD GRILLE Rotisserie chicken and wood-grilled salmon are the featured players among a host of Southwestern-influenced entrees, salads and panini; the Sunday brunch is epic. 801 Signal Ridge, Edmond, 341.2244 $$ MANTEL WINE BAR & BISTRO, THE Marvelous steaks, seafood and other specialties (don’t miss the lobster bisque), combined with a refined, intimate atmosphere and outstanding service, make a truly memorable meal. 201 E Sheridan, OKC, 236.8040 $$$
CUPPIES & JOE The name’s not really a misnomer, but if it listed all their features it’d be too long. For cupcakes and coffee and pie and live music and a cozy, trendy vibe and more, park around back and take a peek. 727 NW 23rd, OKC, 528.2122 $
MELTING POT, THE If the occasion is special, here’s where to make a meal into an event. Specializing in four-course fondue dinners, this elegant restaurant rewards time investments with delectable memories. 4 E Sheridan, OKC, 235.1000 $$$
ELEMENTAL COFFEE Seriously spectacular coffee roasted in-house - the passionate staffers are always eager to share knowledge about the process - augmented with locally sourced treats, including a variety of crepes on weekends. 815 N Hudson, OKC, 633.1703 $
METRO WINE BAR & BISTRO, THE A perennial favorite that feels comfortably upscale without exerting pressure to impress on its clientele, the far-reaching menu covers culinary high points from vichyssoise to crème brulée. 6418 N Western, OKC, 840.9463 $$
MICHELANGELO’S COFFEE SHOP & WINE BAR Enjoy exceptional coffees, a wellstocked pastry case with chocolates and sweets, a surprisingly robust wine catalog and even breakfast and lunch selections. 207 E Main, Norman, 579.3387 $
MICHAEL’S GRILL Thoroughly urbane dining in an elegant, intimate setting – the steaks, chops, seafood and pastas are excellent, and the Caesar salad prepared tableside is legendary. 2824 W Country Club, OKC, 810.9000 $$$
PARAMOUNT, THE A Film Row joint with a screening room attached, it serves a few options for breakfast and lunch and snacks to go with its movies, but it’s the all-day beverage menu that delivers the stuff dreams are made of. 701 W Sheridan, OKC, 517.0787 $
MUSEUM CAFÉ, THE A setting as inspiring as the Oklahoma City Museum of Art warrants something special in terms of cuisine… et puis voila. Ethereally light or delectably robust, this European-inspired menu delights for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. 415 Couch, OKC, 235.6262 $$
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FARE | Eat & Drink
NONNA’S EURO-AMERICAN RISTORANTE & BAR A cozily appointed, thoroughly opulent atmosphere housing distinctive cuisine, specialty drinks and live music in The Purple Bar and fresh-baked goodies to top off a grand evening. 1 Mickey Mantle, OKC, 235.4410 $$$ PARK AVENUE GRILL A one-of-a-kind dining experience inside the luxurious Skirvin Hilton, blending traditional steak and seafood cuisine with the high style of its original 1930s setting. 1 Park, OKC, 702.8444 $$$ PASEO GRILL Quiet and intimate inside, cheerful and comfortable out on the patio, with an award-winning menu full of distinctive flavor combinations – try the duck salad. 2909 Paseo, OKC, 601.1079 $$$ ROCOCO RESTAURANT & FINE WINE An “east coast-style” restaurant, built around a diverse menu of hand-crafted international dishes from Penne Bolognese to Petrale Sole, set off by carefully selected wine and exceptional service. 12252 N May, OKC, 212.4577; 2824 N Pennsylvania, OKC, 528.2824 $$
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SEVEN47 A Campus Corner hotspot boasting sleek, swank décor, an appealingly broad menu including a tantalizing brunch and a consistently celebratory vibe make this winning combination. 747 Asp, Norman, 701.8622 $$ SIGNATURE GRILL Unassuming locale; magnificent culinary rewards. Chef Clay Falkner’s expertly considered menu mixes French and Italian techniques, presenting a wide spectrum of amazing flavors in a few select dishes. 1317 E Danforth, Edmond, 330.4548 $$$ VIN DOLCE Primarily a venue for the endless, joyous pursuit of discovering the perfect glass of wine, downtown Edmond’s hot spot also serves gourmet tapas and homemade sweets. 16 S Broadway, Edmond, 285.5333 $$ WEST The staff is speedy, the décor sleek and modern, and the entrées – like bucatini with meatballs or roasted salmon and ratatouille – are wide-ranging but elegantly simple. 6714 N Western, OKC, 607.4072 $$
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LA BAGUETTE BISTRO Brothers Alain and Michel Buthion have firm roots in the city’s culinary landscape, and La Baguette combines fine dining (linger over multiple courses whenever possible) with an exceptional bakery, deli and butcher shop on site. 7408 N May, OKC, 840.3047 $$ WHISPERING PINES B&B A secluded getaway on the south end of Norman, this inn houses a treasure of a restaurant serving sumptuous, savory Frenchinspired cuisine in quiet comfort with first-class service. 7820 E Highway 9, Norman, 447.0202 $$$
GERMAN DAS BOOT CAMP Longtime fixture for Deutsch festivities and feasting Royal Bavaria has brewed up a second round of the same exceptional cuisine (and magnificent beer) for a faster-paced location in downtown Norman. 229 E Main, Norman, 701.3748 $
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86 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
INGRID’S Authentic German fare at its best, including outstanding Oklahomamade bratwurst. Join the Saturday regulars for breakfast and try the apple French toast, and no one can resist Ingrid’s bakery counter. 3701 N Youngs, OKC, 946.8444 $$
OLD GERMANY RESTAURANT Justly renowned for its Bavarian delights – the schnitzels, soups and cevapcici sausages are spectacular. Reservations strongly recommended; it’s a small place and dinner’s already a lengthy process without waiting in line. 15920 SE 29th, Choctaw, 390.8647 $$$ ROYAL BAVARIA Excellent renditions of traditional dishes like Wienerschnitzel, Jagerbraten and a variety of sausages, plus fantastisch house-brewed beers, make the time consumed a worthy investment. 3401 S Sooner, Moore, 799.7666 $$$
HEALTHY // ECLECTIC COOLGREENS This health-conscious establishment has a menu, but customization is encouraged; every available component in their salads, wraps and frozen yogurt is naturally delicious. 4 metro locations, coolgreens.com $$ EARTH NATURAL CAFÉ & DELI, THE Super, super fresh sandwiches, salads, soups and baked goods in one of the most vegetarianand vegan-friendly menus you’ll ever see, plus organic fair-trade coffee and tea. 750 Asp, Norman, 573.5933 $ LOCAL Utilizing some of the finest, freshest regionally sourced ingredients available to fuel chef Ryan Parrott’s creative cuisine, its menu changes seasonally but its welcoming full-family atmosphere is constant. 2262 W Main, Norman, 928.5600 $$ LUDIVINE The experience is never the same on successive visits, because the menu adjusts constantly to reflect availability of elite-quality, locally sourced ingredients. 805 N Hudson, OKC, 778.6800 $$$
ICE CREAM // YOGURT IL DOLCE GELATO Rich, creamy and decadently delicious, with two dozen flavors daily handmade from scratch on location; the cioccolato scuro is unbelievably sublime. 937 SW 25th St, Suite B, Moore, 794.7266; 1318 N Interstate Dr, Norman, 329.7744 $ ORANGE LEAF FROZEN YOGURT Dozens and dozens and dozens of decadenttasting, waistline-friendly flavors, topped however you like since you’re making it yourself. Just don’t try them all at once, since it’s charged by the ounce. 9 metro locations, orangeleafyogurt.com $ PEACHWAVE YOGURT A full 50 flavors – every one low-fat or non-fat – conveyed to your taste buds via the finest, freshest ingredients in completely delicious customized combinations. 3 metro locations, peachwaveyogurt.com $
INDIAN GOPURAM – TASTE OF INDIA A fullservice Indian establishment whose richly appointed interior and attentive staff give the feel of fine dining, even during the inexpensive and plentiful lunch buffet. 4559 NW 23rd, OKC, 948.7373 $$ KHAZANA INDIAN GRILL Don’t let the thought of a buffet throw you off this place. The food is superior and very fresh; the staff is delightful. New to Indian food? Alert a server and you will be guided through the cuisine. 4900 N May, OKC, 948.6606 $$
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FARE | Eat & Drink
MISAL OF INDIA BISTRO A Norman institution for over 30 years, specializing in tandoori-cooked delicacies and boasting healthy, natural, delicious cuisine, served amid splendid ambiance. 580 Ed Noble Pkwy, Norman, 579.5600 $$ TAJ CUISINE OF INDIA A tremendous selection of Indian staples and delicacies – the menu has sections for vegetarian, tandoori, South Indian and Indo-Chinese specialties – plus full lunch and dinner buffets. 1500 NW 23rd, OKC, 601.1888 $$
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BELLINI’S RISTORANTE & GRILL Tasteful in décor and Italian offerings alike, this romantic nightspot quietly, confidently exudes elegance. 6305 Waterford Blvd, OKC, 848.1065 $$ BENVENUTI’S Subtly flavored minestrone to rich, hearty ragouts, the splendid menu keeps the booths full and diners planning return trips; don’t overlook the Sunday brunch. 105 W Main, Norman, 310.5271 $$ CAFFE PRANZO The atmosphere raises first-time diners’ hopes; the execution exceeds them. Classic dishes, as well as less ubiquitous options that should be better known, are elevated to greatness. 9622 N May, OKC, 755.3577 $$ EMPIRE SLICE HOUSE Reigning over the Plaza District in New York style, it offers whole pizzas or slices along with full bar service – making it a great place to go late at night or when seeking a primo patio. 1734 NW 16th, OKC $ GABRIELLA’S ITALIAN GRILL AND PIZZERIA A fresh chapter in the Giacomo family’s delectable legacy of success in Krebs, McAlester and South Padre; one bite of the chicken piccata or homemade Italian sausage should win diners’ hearts with ease. 1226 NE 63rd, OKC, 478.4955 $$ HIDEAWAY PIZZA If you’ve been serving pizza to a devoted following for over half a century, then you must be doing something right. In this case, that something right is incredible pizza in jovial surroundings. 7 metro locations, hideawaypizza.com $$ HUMBLE PIE PIZZERIA There’s really no need to be humble about pizza made the way a true Chicago pizzeria would make it. Take your choice of toppings and relish what is quite possibly the best crust known to man. 1319 S Broadway, Edmond, 715.1818 $ JOEY’S PIZZERIA A creative pizzeria on OKC’s Film Row, Joey’s serves first-rate appetizers and salads along with its mouth-watering pies. Can’t get enough? Have your pizza, then have another for dessert; The Surfer Dude can pinch hit as entrée or dessert. 700 W Sheridan, OKC, 525.8503 $$ OTHELLO’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT Garlic bread and mussels to tiramisu and coffee – everything you’d hope for from a romantic, comfortably shabby Italian café. The adjoining bar regularly hosts live local music. 434 Buchanan, Norman, 701.4900; 1 S Broadway, Edmond, 330.9045 $$ PIZZA 23 The tempting selection of specialty pies is available for takeout, but dining in is recommended: the crisp, urban décor and good beer selection add savor to the flavor. 600-B NW 23rd St, OKC, 601.6161 $$ SOPHABELLA’S CHICAGO GRILL A quiet, classy gem offering premier tastes from Chicago and beyond – the menu includes Coquilles St. Jacques alongside pepperoni rolls – in comfort and style. 7628 N May, OKC, 879.0100 $$$ STELLA MODERN ITALIAN CUISINE A luscious spate of modern Italian cuisine
88 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
for a casual lunch, romantic dinner or brunch that’s a bit of both, framed by stylish surroundings. 1201 N Walker, OKC, 235.2200 $$ UPPER CRUST WOOD FIRED PIZZA A chic, contemporary restaurant in Classen Curve, this uptown pizzeria and wine bar specializes in wood-fired, thin crust New York-style pies complemented by a full menu and wine list. 5860 N Classen Blvd, OKC, 842.7743; 1205 NW 178th, Edmond, 285.8887 $$ VICTORIA’S PASTA SHOP A shabbycomfortable atmosphere with local art on its walls and the art of pasta on its plates – the chicken lasagna and linguine with snow crab are especially excellent. 327 White, Norman, 329.0377 $ VITO’S RISTORANTE Homestyle Italian cuisine in an intimate setting where the staff and management treat customers like guests in their home. It’s a small space, so calling ahead is recommended. 7521 N May, OKC, 848.4867 $$ WEDGE, THE Wood-fired pizzas crafted from fresh ingredients and made-from-scratch sauces; there’s a build-your-own option if the house specialties’ unconventional toppings (figs, truffle oil, walnuts) don’t appeal. 230 NE 1st, OKC, 270.0660; 4709 N Western, OKC, 602.3477 $$
JAPANESE // SUSHI FULL MOON SUSHI Mango salsa, chive oil, crème fraiche, “cherry death sauce”… you won’t find fresh, marvelously creative combinations like these elsewhere. Expect to spend some time poring over the extensive menu, and definitely try the Devil’s Advocate. 326 E Main, Norman, 535.6548 $$ GOGO SUSHI The name reflects the restaurant’s attitude toward speed and convenience, but doesn’t mention the robust menu or tantalizing specials. Go go check it out! 1611 S Service Rd, Moore, 794.3474; 432 NW 10th, OKC, 602.6333 $$ IN THE RAW DUNWELL SUSHI A chic, colorful, open-concept restaurant on the Bricktown canal offering excellent sushi, even more impressive specialty rolls and a wide assortment of sake. Try the bananas tempura for dessert. 200 S Oklahoma, OKC, 702.1325 $$ MUSASHI’S Exquisitely flavorful Japanese cuisine prepared with genuine artistry, thanks to the skilled chefs performing at tableside hibachi grills. Nobody does the onion volcano better. 4315 N Western, OKC, 602.5623 $$ SUSHI BAR, THE Sushi staples done with élan, as well as options starring more adventurous ingredients like sweet potato and jack cheese, in a bustling, comfortable environment. 1201 NW 178th, OKC, 285.7317 $$ SUSHI NEKO An established OKC favorite combining style (sleek, brisk, classy) with substance (in the form of an especially wide-ranging and creative sushi menu). Flavor favors the bold! 4318 N Western, OKC, 528.8862 $$ TOKYO JAPANESE RESTAURANT It’s neither huge nor lavishly appointed, and the menu focuses more on traditional dishes than experimental flights of fancy; it is, however, palpably fresh and routinely cited as among the metro’s best. 7516 N Western, OKC, 848.6733 $$
MEDITERRANEAN AVANTI BAR & GRILL Gather around the hammered copper bar for the casual elegance of Italy and the Mediterranean with contemporary twists: crab falafel, bolognese
FARE | Eat & Drink
pizza, osso bucco and more. 13509 Highland Park, OKC, 254.5200 $$ CAPERS There’s no menu per se; it’s more a case of deciding what delicacy you’re in the mood for – gyros, shawarma, fresh tabouleh, falafel, homemade Mediterranean-style pizzas, baklava – and then retrieving it from the massive buffet. 6317 N Meridian, OKC, 720.2600 $$ MEDITERRANEAN IMPORTS & DELI Selected groceries and a menu stocked with options from a simple Greek salad to eye-watering cabbage rolls; the food is authentic, quick and spectacular. 5620 N May, OKC, 810.9494 $ NUNU’S MEDITERRANEAN CAFÉ & MARKET The tangy, tantalizing, fresh and healthy flavors that characterize the cuisine of Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and their neighbors, faithfully reproduced from generations-old recipes. 3131 W Memorial, OKC, 751.7000 $ QUEEN OF SHEBA Practically the definition of a hidden treasure, an excellently spiced, extremely veganfriendly menu of varied Ethiopian delights awaits the adventurous. Bring friends and be prepared to linger. 2308 N MacArthur, OKC, 606.8616 $$ ZORBA’S MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE For over 20 years, Zorba’s has satisfied appetites and pleased adventurous palates. Serving traditional and modern dishes from recipes passed down through generations, they proudly showcase the flavors of Cyprus, Spain, Greece and Morocco. 6014 N May, OKC, 947.7788 $
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MEXICAN // LATIN AMERICAN 1492 1492 offers authentic Mexican cuisine in an elegant atmosphere, a fusion decor with an open bar, possibly the best mojitos in the universe and a romantic setting. 1207 N Walker, OKC, 236.1492 $$ ABUELO’S MEXICAN FOOD EMBASSY In a word: huge. The restaurant itself, the variety, the plates, the flavors, the experience. No passport required. 17 E Sheridan, OKC, 235.1422; 3001 W Memorial, OKC, 755.2680 $$
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12062 N May Ave • Oklahoma City, OK 73120 405.936.0030 • Mon-Fri 10-6 • Sat 10-4 90 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
BIG TRUCK TACOS It’s nearly always standing room only at lunch, but don’t let that stop you – shove an elbow in at the counter and enjoy fast, fresh, imaginative taco creations. 530 NW 23rd, OKC, 525.8226 $ CAFÉ DO BRASIL OKC is a long way from Rio, but the supremely savory menu in this Midtown hot spot covers the distance in a mouthful. Even brunch is a spicy, inimitable treat. 440 NW 11th, OKC, 525.9779 $$ CAFÉ KACAO A sunlit space filled with bright, vibrant flavors from the zesty traditions of Guatemalan cooking. Lunch possibilities beckon, but it’s the breakfast (and brunch) specialties that truly dazzle. 3325 N Classen, OKC, 602.2883 $ CANTINA LAREDO A sophisticated take on traditional Mexican food, specializing in fresh fish specials and certified Angus beef dishes. 1901 NW Expressway (in Penn Square Mall), OKC, 840.1051 $$ CHUY’S If you’re just feeling a trifle peckish, you might have your hands full with this one – the portions are substantial, the Hatch chile-fueled flavors are strong and the vibe is playfully enthusiastic. 760 N Interstate Dr, Norman, 360.0881 $$ FUZZY’S TACO SHOP At home in hightraffic areas because it helps create crowds, Fuzzy’s dishes up jumbo burritos
and big, flavorful salads – and, with special serious emphasis, shrimp tacos – quickly and in plenitude. 752 Asp, Norman, 701.1000; 208 Johnny Bench, OKC, 602.3899 $ IGUANA MEXICAN GRILL Whether “down by the railroad tracks” or returning to its roots in Nichols Hills Plaza, Iguana offers unique Mexican flavor in a fun atmosphere at reasonable prices, including awesome deals on Iguana Tuesdays. 9 NW 9th, OKC, 606.7172; 6482 Avondale, OKC, 607.8193 $$ INCA TRAIL Maintaining a cultural culinary heritage that includes flavors from around the world results in great variety, from piquant ceviches to silkysmooth homemade flan. The Pollo a La Brasa comes highly recommended. 10948 N May, OKC, 286.0407 $$ LA LUNA MEXICAN CAFÉ Its cantina-style atmosphere is undeniably festive, and only adds to the enjoyment of classic fajitas, enchiladas and bolder dishes like the carne ranchera. 409 W Reno, OKC, 235.9596 $$ MAMA ROJA MEXICAN KITCHEN A festive atmosphere on the scenic shores of Lake Hefner sets off a menu loaded with handrolled tamales, vendor-style tacos and signature dishes. 9219 E Lake Hefner Pkwy, OKC, 302.6262 $$ MAMAVECA MEXICAN RESTAURANT A tasty take on familiar Mexican favorites plus a rare treat for culinary explorers: the diverse delights of Peruvian cuisine, which incorporates the combined flavors of four continents. 2551 W Hemphill, Norman, 573.4003 $$ PURPLE BURRO Casual and lighthearted (if you couldn’t guess from the name), it specializes in New Mexican cuisine fueled by the heat of green chiles in classics like chicken enchiladas and chile verde stew. 231 S Coltrane, Edmond, 359.8400 $$ TAMAZUL Ceviches and crudos join tacos and fajitas in this lively, upscale tour of Mexican and Oaxacan cuisine, featuring the state’s first mezcal bar. 5820 N Classen, OKC, 879.4248 $$ TARAHUMARA’S CAFÉ & CANTINA Beloved by locals (there’s usually a line but it moves quickly), this airy, unassuming ristorante serves huge, tasty portions of Tex-Mex classics plus less ubiquitous fare like carnitas de puerco and mole poblano. 702 N Porter, Norman, 360.8070 $$ TED’S CAFÉ ESCONDIDO The gold standard of OKC-area Tex-Mex: residents may prefer another eatery, but when they attempt to make converts, Ted’s is the point of comparison. Fast, fresh and amply portioned, it’s often very crowded and always supremely delicious. 4 metro locations, tedscafe.com $$ YUCATAN TACO STAND Fast, fresh and often fiery Latin fusion cuisine like paella and tamales wrapped in banana leaves alongside signature nachos and taco combinations… plus a selection of over 75 100-percent-agave tequilas. 100 E California, Suite 110, OKC, 886.0413 $ ZARATE’S LATIN MEXICAN GRILL And now for something a trifle different: In addition to the familiar joys of enchiladas and chimichangas, the chef’s Peruvian heritage shines in South American dishes featuring plantains, yuca and imported spices. 706 S Broadway, Edmond, 330.6400 $$
SEAFOOD FISH CITY GRILL Shrimp and grits, tilapia po boys, oysters on the half shell… anyone who secretly wishes Oklahoma had a coastline should feel right at home in this Spring Creek Village stopover. 1389 E 15th, Edmond, 348.2300 $$
fresh, healthy, tasty‌
333 NW 5 TH STREET 405.601.1644 920 N LINCOLN BOULEVARD 405.239.2233
2 LOCATIONS: DOWNTOWN & OUHSC | CATERING & DELIVERY
We need your help! Animal Rescue Friends of Nichols Hills helps pets impounded in Nichols Hills find their owners or a new home. Your support will help ARF continue its work in saving strays.
Call 843.4222 or 843.3038
COME SEE US AT PETSMART ON SUNDAYS
Donations may be mailed to ARF c/o Public Works 1009 NW 75th Nichols Hills, OK 73116
Casual, YET
SOPHISTICATED DINING
Vintages, a wine program for your own private wine list ~ Romantic and intimate Catering & private events ~ Fresh, chef driven features daily, weekly and monthly Located in the heart of the Paseo Arts District ~ First Friday Gallery Art Walk
2909 PASEO, SUITE A ~ 405.601.1079 ~ PASEOGRILL.COM ~ MON-THU 11AM-9:30PM ~ FRI 11AM-10PM ~ SAT 5:30PM-10PM
SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 91
FARE | Eat & Drink
HILLBILLIES PO-BOY Unassuming name; mighty appealing flavor in the form of fresh oysters, thoroughly tasty seafood sandwiches and the licit thrill of the fabulous moonshine bar. 1 NW 9th, OKC, 702.9805 $ JAZMO’Z BOURBON STREET CAFÉ Its upscale yet casual environment and Cajun and Creole-inspired selections provide a nice backdrop for both a night out in Bricktown and watching the big game at the bar with a bowl of gumbo. 100 E California, OKC, 232.6666 $$ PEARL’S CRABTOWN A 20,000-foot Bricktown warehouse is home to Crabtown, where the Cajun Crab Boil is a favorite and guests are encouraged to “leave the silverware at home and dig in.” 303 E Sheridan, OKC, 232.7227 $$ PEARL’S OYSTER BAR A perennial winner in “best of the metro” polls for its fresh, flavorful seafood and spicy Creoleinspired dishes: Shrimp Diablo, Tabasco Caesar salads and more. 5641 N Classen, OKC, 848.8008 $$
FURNITURE FOR LIFE
OPUS PRIME STEAKHOUSE Aspiring to the ultimate in upscale dining via hand-cut USDA Prime Black Angus steaks, a wine selection comprising over 1,000 labels and an ambiance of intimate elegance. 800 W Memorial, OKC, 607.6787 $$$ RANCH STEAKHOUSE Driven by customaged hand-cut USDA Certified Prime tenderloins and ribeyes, the effortlessly opulent Ranch offers exceptional food, warm hospitality and unbridled Southern comfort. 3000 W Britton, OKC, 755.3501 $$$ RED PRIMESTEAK Visionary design and atmosphere house super-premium steaks that are among the state’s very finest, accompanied by vibrant, imaginative flavors and refined amenities to make world-class dining. 504 N Broadway, OKC, 232.2626 $$$
SOUL FOOD
THAI
BIGHEAD’S Fried alligator appetizers and frog leg platters, oyster po’ boys with a tangy remoulade and simmering, savory seafood gumbo – it’s a bayou treat right nearby. 617 S Broadway, Edmond, 340.1925 $$
PAD THAI Dine in comfortably or quickly carry out beautifully executed exemplars of the form: delicately flavored or searingly spiced soups, curries, fried rice and noodle dishes like its namesake. 119 W Boyd, Norman, 360.5551 $
THE DRUM ROOM Crispy, juicy, savory fried chicken (among the city’s best) stars along with fried okra, waffles, other treats and a fully loaded bar. 4300 N Western, OKC, 604.0990 $$
SALA THAI Pineapple curry, basil squid, fried rice with crab, cinnamon beef with rice noodles... the variety is exceptional, and the inexpensive create-your-own lunch special makes it a popular midday option. 1614 NW 23rd, OKC, 528.8424 $
STEAKHOUSE BOULEVARD STEAKHOUSE Perfectly soigné ambiance down to the least detail and cuisine easily ranking among the metro’s elite – a sumptuous, if expensive, masterpiece. 505 S Boulevard, Edmond, 715.2333 $$$ CATTLEMEN’S STEAKHOUSE The very definition of an Oklahoma institution – it’s over 100 years old in a state that’s only 105 – its immense corn-fed steaks and irreproducible atmosphere are history served anew every day. 1309 S Agnew, OKC, 236.0416 $$ HOLLIE’S FLATIRON STEAKHOUSE This plush, cozy restaurant in front of the Warren Theatre features fresh, tasty entrees seared on a flatiron grill and a kick of Southwestern spice running through the menu. 1199 Service Rd, Moore, 799.0300 $$ JUNIOR’S Some of the biggest oil deals in boom and bust days were finalized at this landmark Oil Center building restaurant, where hand-cut Angus steaks and lobster fight for attention with knockout fried chicken. 2601 NW Expressway, OKC, 848.5597 $$$ MAHOGANY PRIME STEAKHOUSE The service is outstanding and the ambience casually welcoming, but the star is the steak: the finest hand-selected custom-
92 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
MICKEY MANTLE’S STEAKHOUSE Named after a legendary Oklahoman, this lushly atmospheric social spot in Bricktown serves powerhouse entrées, sides and amenities that have become the stuff of legends themselves. 7 S Mickey Mantle, OKC, 272.0777 $$$
SHACK SEAFOOD & OYSTER BAR, THE A massive selection of nicely spiced Cajun and Creole cooking, plus fried and grilled seafood, in an atmosphere that’s as casual as can be. 13801 Quail Pointe Dr, OKC, 286.5959 $$
MAMA E’S WINGS & WAFFLES Now with two locations after a star turn on The Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” this labor of love is adored by locals looking for classic Southern dishes flavored with authenticity. 3838 Springlake, OKC, 424.0800; 900 W Reno, OKC, 231.1190 $
MADE IN NORTH AMERICA 7318 N. Western • Oklahoma City, OK 73116 • 405.843.3900 • www.livingtruenorth.com
aged beef, broiled to perfection and served sizzling and delicious. It’s where great steak is the rule, not the exception. 3241 W Memorial, OKC, 748.5959 $$$
SWEET BASIL THAI CUISINE The enormous aquarium adds to Sweet Basil’s cozy ambiance, which when coupled with its outstanding curries and soups recommends it as a date spot. Be aware that it is on the higher end of Norman’s price range for Thai. 211 W Main, Norman, 217.8424 $$ TANA THAI BISTRO There’s a lot to like about the food in this little spot, from the red snapper filet to the plain old (so to speak) pad thai. Pay attention to the soups, and do not play chicken with the spice level. 10700 N May, OKC, 749.5590 $$
VIETNAMESE CORIANDER CAFÉ Updating traditional Vietnamese recipes with modern sensibilities via local ingredients, this vegetarian-friendly café makes a quick, casual, comfortable dining alternative. 323 White, Norman, 801.3958 $ LIDO Spring rolls to vermicelli bowls, this venerable diner runs the gamut of Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine, and even finds room for a few French specialties. 2518 N Military, OKC, 521.1902 $$ PHO CA DAO Vermicelli bowls, rice platters and even banh xeo crepes are there for investigating, but the main draw is still piping hot pho (with choice of meat) and icy cold bubble tea. 2431 N Classen Blvd, OKC, 521.8819 $ PHO BULOUS Super fresh, super fast, reasonably priced and perhaps Edmond’s finest take on the namesake soup… although some of the specialties like Honey Ginger Chicken or Wasabi Salmon also merit closer inspection. 3409 S Broadway, Edmond, 475.5599 $
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For over 21 years, Second Chance Animal Sanctuary, a non-profit organization operating solely on donations from kind and loving people, has been working to help homeless dogs and cats find their way to a safe, permanent and loving home. We are a no-kill facility, so each pet we bring to our sanctuary will remain there until they are either adopted, or fostered by one of our many foster families.
from strength AND BALANCE
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Please keep us in mind when you are in search of a new pet!
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4101 West R eno • 947-4100 Monday-Saturday 9-6 www.seasonallivingokc.com
Proprietor Sharin Wolfe MS, RD/LD, PMA®-CPT, Licensed GYROTONIC® Instructor Licensed Dietitian Pilates Method Alliance® Certified Instructor
128 EAST MAIN STREET, SUITE 201 | NORMAN 405.701.8140 | COREDINATIONPILATES.COM |
SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 93
Last Laugh
THE SPECIAL CASE I’VE SPENT AN UNREASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME in the past few weeks lingering among the school supplies section of SuperTarget – not for the typical reasons of stockpiling classroom provisions or picking up last-minute locker décor for my kids – but for that singular thrill I indulge annually ... perusing, admiring and coveting supplies I don’t need, but purchase anyway. I gladly take credit for singlehandedly keeping the school supplies industry in the (felt-tipped) black every fall. Who can resist a fresh box of colored pencils (free sharpener with purchase!), new spirals (now with protective covers on the wires – genius), 3-holepunched notebook filler paper with reinforcements already on the holes, and (be still, my heart) a pack of Sharpies in every color of the spectrum? It’s exactly this unbridled “gathering” instinct that prompted my husband to buy me several hours of consultation with a professional organizer whose purpose was to come to my house and echo the familiar refrains of the very lessons my parents attempted (but failed) to instill in me back when the 64-pack of crayons was a legitimate purchase: 1.) A place for everything and everything in its place. 2.) Put things back where they belong and you’ll always know where to find them when you need them. 3.) Clean your room. If it were fiscally possible (I spent my money on a new backpack), I’d put the professional organizer on our payroll to follow me around and remind me which things I no longer need and where to put away the things worth keeping. As it was, our de-hoarding took place over several appointments, through which we made some progress, which is to say that if you stuck a sponge into the Atlantic Ocean, you might soak up some water. Bringing someone from the outside into your home to “declutter” is a lesson in honesty. As each stash was pulled from the recesses of one cabinet, drawer or closet, I felt compelled to offer a confession and a quick justification for why I owned and kept this thing or that. By the end of the second session, the organizer was convinced that I had bigger problems than a healthy school supplies fetish. “Is there a reason you’re keeping an Indian headdress in the front closet?” the organizer might ask. “Well, we’ve used it three times in the past two weeks, so it seemed more convenient just to keep it near the door and grab it on the way out,” I’d reply matter-of-factly. “Where else should a person keep a headdress?” I wanted to know.
94 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
By Lauren Hammack
Certain items surfaced during the organizing process which, I argued, conveyed an admirable earnestness on my part for cleaning up my act: a bounty of storage containers, laundry baskets and “getting organized” books. “You have a lot of things that suggest you’re planning to get organized one day,” she casually observed. “That’s pretty common with a lot of my special cases,” she added. Special cases?! In a matter of seconds, I’d advanced from being a gal with a harmless fondness for purses, sunglasses, white T-shirts, Gladware, hotel shampoos, Swiffer attachments, gardening gloves, boots, umbrellas, tabbed index cards, Rubbermaid tubs and bold-point (blue ink) gel pens to being a special case. The organizer pressed on, testing my resolve to keep multiples of items I’d require in order to be prepared for certain occasions (“That’s right, sometimes I wear Spanx three at a time.”) and essential supplies I’d surely need for future projects (“It’s a high-speed bobbin threader. A real timesaver!”). I felt a sense of urgency to defend her rapid-fire accusations that were thinly disguised as “organizational prioritizing”: “How many pairs of scissors can you use at one time?” “Do you do a lot of soldering?” “Are you planning to make a cathedral-sized, stained glass piece any time soon?” “Exactly how many pairs of black pumps does one woman need?” “Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that wallpaper will make a comeback one day. Won’t you want to buy a current pattern at that time?” When our purchased hours ran out, I promised the organizer that I’d follow through on her instructions – throwing out two items any time I bring in one, keeping my favorite one thing when I have multiples, etc. Even as a “special case,” I appreciate the organizer’s inherent sense of order, helping me carve out more space around the house and create a more efficient system of organization. I’ll be sending her a thank you note soon. But first, I’m going to need a new pack of pens …
“Are you planning to make a cathedral-sized, stained glass piece any time soon?”
The insider’s guide to central Oklahoma is in your hands!
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WEATHER REPORT! BOOM OR BUST
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SEPTEMBER 2013 // SLICE 95
Last Look
On Cloud Canine Photo by Emily Adler
Piedmont resident Katniss the greyhound gets in touch with nature during a luxurious sunset sprawl. To submit your photo for Last Look, visit sliceok.com/last-look 96 SLICE // SEPTEMBER 2013
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Go to Channel 1, FreeZone, Cox Local and select your favorite team. 600-0109 | cox.com Available to residential Cox Advanced TV customers in Oklahoma service areas. Cox Advanced TV and Cox Advanced TV receiver and remote rental required. Digital cable ready TV’s and other devices equipped with a CableCARD require a Cox digital set top receiver in order to receive On DEMAND programming. Programming subject to change. Installation, taxes, and fees additional. On DEMAND Channels cannot be recorded. Game Playbacks only available when license rights allow and not available for all University On DEMAND Channels. Other restrictions may apply. © 2013 Cox Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
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