What We're Eating

Abear’s on Greenwood

It’s small – only a dozen or so chairs – and it’s definitely not fast food – entrees are made to order – but the next time you’re in downtown Tulsa, stop by Abear’s on Greenwood for great burgers, sandwiches and comfort food classics. Daily specials ranging from char-cheese burgers to a rib eye steak sandwich, come with fries and a drink and cost anywhere from $6.45 to $8.50. Other favorites on the menu are the pork chop sandwich, hot link sandwich, chicken salad sandwich and the fish sandwich. Fried chicken is also a hot item, with three piece chicken dinners served with fries, salad and Texas toast. Baskets filled with chicken wings, catfish, shrimp or pork chops are also served with fries. Bugers are also in demand at Abear’s, and the patties are chargrilled for great flavor.

Abear’s on Greenwood is located at 111 N. Greenwood in Tulsa, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. 918.592.1025. www.abearsongreenwood.com

Mama Veca

A trip to Mama Veca may feel like any other trip to a Tex Mex joint in Oklahoma, but study the menu closely. Though it includes Tex Mex favorites like huevos rancheros and fajitas, it’s the traditional Peruvian food that steals the show. The Ceviche de Mixto is a seafood lover’s paradise. The traditional South American dish includes shrimp, mussels, calamari and fish that are marinated in lime juice and chilies. The dish is served with thinly sliced red onions, sweet potatoes and corn. Also try the traditional Peruvian highlands dish Papa a la Huancaina, a combination of boiled tomatoes and cream sauce with different cheeses, milk, olive oil, lime juice and yellow pepper served with a boiled egg and olives. Chaufas is another popular choice. Peruvian Chinese style fried rice is cooked with eggs, green onions, and soy sauce, and can be ordered with chicken, vegetables or a combination of shrimp, mussels and calamari.

Mama Veca is located at 840 W. Danforth Rd. in Edmond, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Saturday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 405.844.8780.

Junkyard Dawg

If it’s a dog you crave, head to Junkyard Dawg for the most extreme hot dogs and sausages around. The small restaurant serves more than a dozen creations on buns, ranging from the basic The T-Town Pup, a traditional coney dog topped with yellow mustard, diced onions, coney chili and shredded cheddar cheese, to the monstrous Mojo Inferno, a jalapeno cheese sausage dog piled with fire sauce, nacho cheese and grilled onions, tomatoes and jalapenos. The Junkyard Dawg’s namesake comes with a quarter-pound all beef dog topped with red mustard, spicy chow chow, grilled onions, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon and topped with Axle’s sauce. Other specialties include The Brueben, a bratwurst topped with spicy brown mustard, sauerkraut and celery salt, and The Bada Bing, an Italian sausage topped with marinara sauce, grilled onions and peppers and shredded mozzarella.Junkyard Dawg also sells their chili by the pint or quart.

Junkyard Dawg is located at 6011 S. Mingo in Tulsa, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. seven days a week. 918.893.4663. www.thejunkyarddawg.com

Chocolate Festival

Nothing says romance quite like chocolate. On Feb. 5, Norman Firehouse Art Center will hold its 29th annual Chocolate Festival, an event that brings together some of the top restaurants and chocolatiers in the state for a day of decadence and sweet delight. More than 30 vendors will offer creations in chocolate, ranging from a blackberry blue corn tamale filled with dark chocolate and drizzled with white chocolate, a unique chocolate chili, chocolate snow cones and tempura cheesecake topped with chocolate drizzle. An Arts Day will also be available at the festival with art activities planned for children.

The fundraiser is a benefit for the Norman Firehouse Art Project, an organization that provides visual art classes and gallery exhibitions to residents in Norman and surrounding communities.

“The Chocolate Festival is the primary way we raise funds for the Firehouse Art Center each year,” says Jennifer Skinner, public relations coordinator for Firehouse Art Center.

The Chocolate Festival will be held Feb. 5 from 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Thurman J. White Forum Building, 1704 Asp Ave. in Norman. For more information or to purchase tickets, log on to www.normanfirehouse.com or call 405.329.4523.