Spotlight on theculinaryscene

Topchefs draw moreattention to theimpressivevariety Tulsahas to offer

JAMES D. WATTSJR.

TulsaWorld

This year marks an auspicious milestone in Tulsa’srestaurant history. It isthe 50th anniversary of the city’s firstchefdriven, fine-dining establishment: The Razor Clam.

Located in asmall building at 2777 S. Memorial Drive,The Razor Clam was co-owned by chef Rick Kamp,who said in a2016interviewwith the TulsaWorld: “Everyone whowas anyone in Tulsa came through that restaurant, and Iwas allowedtodoanything Iwanted. Iwas doing thingspeople hadn’tseen before, likesweetbreads and whole artichokes Sometimestheartichokescamebackwith the whole leaves eaten.”

Thesedays, Tulsahas manyexcellent fine-dining options,which aredesigned toshowcasetheculinarycreationsof talented and inventive local chefs. And the city’sfoodscenehasinrecentyearsearned nationalattention,thankstothechefsand restaurantsinconsiderationfortheannual James BeardAwards, considered the Oscars of the American culinaryworld

Thisyear,threeTulsachefswerenamed finalistsintheBestChefSouthwestcategory:LisaBecklund,co-ownerandchefof FarmBar,which specializes in 10-course tasting menus featuring locallysourced ingredients; BenAlexander,whose Mr Kim’sis auniquelypersonal twist on the traditional Korean barbecue and steakhouse; and Paul Wilson, formerly with Boston Title &Abstract,whoinFebruary launchedanewconcept,SansMurs,atthe Silo Event Center

Another unique concept, the chef collective known as Et al., createsthemed eveningsrangingfromJapanesebreakfasts to dessertsfor dinner.Etal. is among finalistsbeing considered fornomination inthemostprestigiousoftheJamesBeard

The is apopular choiceatFreya Nordic Kitchen in Tulsa, acitythat offersnot only Scandinavian cuisine but also French, German, Chinese,Burmese,British, South American, Caribbean, Cajun-Creole,Middle Eastern, Japanese,Italian, Mexican, Thai, Mediterranean, East Indian,Basque,Indigenous, CentralAmerican, Peruvian, Korean, soul

Awards categories: Best New Restaurant. And the 3Sirens Group,which owns Bird &Bottle along with the three locations of The Bramble, wasnamed a finalist in the Outstanding Restaurateur category James BeardAwardsnominees will be announced March 29

But while high-end dining tends to get agooddealofattention, Tulsaishome to excellent eateries that will satisfyjust about anypalate.

Onecan followHistoricRoute66 down 11th Street to find traditional, vegan and gluten-free doughnuts and pastriesat BigBabyRolls andDoughnut; Nashville-stylehot chicken at Chicken and the Wolf;hamburgercreations at

Flo’sBurgerDiner and HowdyBurger; European dishesatJane’sDelicatessen; superbbreakfast and lunch dishes at Wildflower Cafe; andatrue tasteofTulsa’s historyatthe 115-years-young Ike’s Chili House Steak-and-potatoconnoisseurscango alloutatTheHemingway,Tulsa’snewest high-end steakhouse,ventureout to The Bullinthe Alley, check out the menu at Prhyme DowntownSteakhouse, or head south to Mahogany Steakhouse.

Thosewhofollowavegetarianorvegan dietarefindingmoreoptions,withrestaurantssuch as Chimera, SandosRockin’ Deli,theLocalBisonandCopanezi’sPizza offeringawealthoftastychoicesthateven carnivorescan love

To experiencethe worldfromadining roomtable,onecantraveltoSandSprings forauthentic Italian food at Little Venice,find German and Polish specialties at Margaret’sGermanRestaurant,getatrue tasteofHonduran food at Sin Fronteras, discoverthewealthofThaiandMalaysian foodsatZogamCafe,explorethebuffetat India Palace, enjoy the familyrecipesat the heart of Kai VietnameseCuisine, or tour the Caribbean at Sisserou’s.

OronecansamplethecuisineofScandinavia at FreyaNordicKitchen, which wastheTulsaWorld’stopnewrestaurant of2022,trytheuniquefoodsoftheBasque regions of Spain at Basque,or head out to BrokenArrowtoenjoytheIndigenous-inspired cuisine of Natv james.watts@tulsaworld.com

This really just scratches the surfaceof Tulsa’srestaurantscene,whichboastsestablishmentsthat offer French, German, Chinese, Burmese, British, South American, Caribbean, Cajun-Creole, Middle Eastern, Japanese, Italian, Mexican, Thai,Mediterranean,EastIndian,Central American, Peruvian, and Korean cuisine —not to mention the diners, burgerand barbecue joints, sandwich shops, delis, pizzaparlors, coffee houses,soul food, and seafood, just to name afew Inotherwords,whenitcomestofoodin Tulsa,thereismuchtoexploreandenjoy Just be suretobring your appetite.