With spring in full swing, performing arts are around every corner.
In Tulsa, Celebrity Attractions brings two shows to the PAC this month. The first, Ain’t Too Proud from April 4-9, follows the life and times of vocal group The Temptations – from their roots in Detroit all the way to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Second, see Legally Blonde the Musical April 19-20, celebrating all things girl power as Elle Woods heads to law school. Stick around the PAC for Tulsa Symphony’s The Princess Bride in Concert, where guests can enjoy the classic film with a live score. You can also experience the Glenn Miller Orchestra on April 18 and Chamber Music Tulsa’s presentation of the Neave Trio on April 23. At the TCC Van Trease PACE, Signature Symphony hosts its fourth annual Tulsa Sings! competition on April 8 – and guests can vote for the winner!
In OKC, the Civic Center touts a variety of shows. First is OKC Broadway’s presentation of Riverdance on its 25th anniversary tour, running April 5-6. Then, OKC Phil comes in hot with two shows – Joshua Bell on April 15 and Black Panther in Concert from April 28-29. The first celebrates a lauded violinist, and the second offers a screening of the beloved Marvel film with a live score. Also in OKC, visit Lyric at the Plaza from April 5-29 for Lyric Theatre’s The Play That Goes Wrong, or venture to Edmond for Celtic Throne, running April 30 at Armstrong Auditorium.
Stillwater’s McKnight Center for the Performing Arts also hosts two events this month – a live score screening of Peter Pan on April 2, and An Evening with Leslie Odom, Jr. on April 28-29.
Get an authentic Chinese cuisine experience at Szechuan Story, a small and cozy joint on OKC’s Classen Boulevard. The menu is jam-packed with flavor, starting with appetizers like crab rangoons, pork wontons, soup dumplings and spicy noodles. Cold dishes include beef and ox tripe, steamed chicken and pig ear, with a range of soups including hot and sour. The chef’s specials are the shining star of the menu, running from sizzling beef short ribs to squid, steamed tilapia and spicy beef hot pot. Finish off with a slice of cheesecake, sweet potato cakes or steamed buns. 2800 N. Classen Blvd., OKC; szechuanstoryonline.com
El Rio Verde remains one of Tulsa’s most beloved spots for Mexican cuisine. (If you’re not sure about it, the nearly 2,000 reviews on Google with a 4.6 out of 5 star rating should do the trick.) Start your meal off with one of many ‘botanas,’ or appetizers, running from chips and guacamole to shrimp, nachos or taquitos. Healthy diners can opt for the taco or fajita salads, while fans of the classics can make their own taco combos, with fillings like Cajun chicken, grilled shrimp, beef or fish. Burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas and mariscos round out the menu – or you can come early for the breakfast fare, served until 11 a.m. daily. 38 N. Trenton Ave., Tulsa; facebook.com/elrioverdetulsa
Described as “seasonal, modern and seafood-centric,” Sedalia’s Oyster and Seafood beckons diners for a unique experience. Oysters are plentiful, served raw or grilled, as are other delicacies like pickled Spanish mackerel, octopus antichuchos and the anchovy plate. Other goodies include the poached white asparagus with egg and mussel escabeche, alongside a yummy focaccia with Szechuan oil, and beef heart anticuchos. Cocktails are playful and light, with options spanning from spritzes to beers and a curated wine list. Top off your meal with the succulent sorghum custard. 2727 N.W. Tenth St., OKC; sedaliasokc.com
Copaneazi’s serves up pizzas Neapolitan style – “tender, light and moist with a slight char on the crust,” according to its website, all created in a stone-fire oven. All about inclusion, diners can find options that are friendly to all: omnivores, vegans, vegetarians and those gluten-free. The pizzas are broken up into “reds” and “whites,” depending on sauce. Red highlights include the Fughettaboutit, with roasted red pepper, artichoke, grilled onion, mushroom, arugula and balsamic; and the Bronx Tale, with sweet and spicy Italian sausage, roasted red peppers and pesto. From the white side, try the Irishman, with mozzarella, fried potato, onion, pepperoncini and fried rosemary, or the Wise Guy, with grilled cauliflower, castelvetrano olives, red onion and calabrese pesto. Start with garlic bites, bruschetta, roasted cauliflower or a Caesar salad, then wash it all down with a craft cocktail or glass of wine. 522 S. Boston Ave., Ste. 104, Tulsa; copaneazis.com
Tiffany Taylor leads the kitchen at upscale steakhouse the Hemingway on Tulsa’s Cherry Street.
Photo by Stephanie Phillips
Most chefs have fond memories of watching their grandma at the stove – Tiffany Taylor, however, does not.
“My grandmother was a horrendous cook,” she remembers with a laugh. “And I was an incurably picky eater. For five years, all I would eat was peanut butter and honey sandwiches.”
Fast forward to adulthood, and Taylor found herself married and working at a job she hated. In her off hours, she became enthralled with food – not eating it, but learning about it.
“I wanted to know about every spice, its uses, its history. My husband got fed up with my complaining and forced me to take a day off and visit a cooking school,” she says. “I visited the school and quit my job the next day.”
Upon graduating from OSUIT’s culinary program, Taylor found work at Southern Hills Country Club; Justin Thompson’s Juniper and Freya; and Rivea, a Las Vegas restaurant owned by Alain Ducasse. After her Vegas stint, Taylor paired up with Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman, who was then-host of the number one show on the Food Network. She cooked meals for the film crew.
“They were all giant foodies. I made lunch and dinner for them six days a week, and it wasn’t sandwiches,” she says. “It was a full gourmet spread. Then I got pregnant and couldn’t do those hours. Ree knew this, and found me and my husband little makework jobs just so we’d continue to get a salary.”
And then one day, a world-famous film director came to town. Martin Scorsese was filming a movie in Osage County and needed a private chef. Taylor beat out dozens of applicants to get the job, and she spent 14 hours a day cooking in a little trailer on the prairie.
Tiffany Taylor leads the kitchen at upscale steakhouse the Hemingway on Tulsa’s Cherry Street. Photos by Stephanie Phillips
“All he did each day was answer questions, solve problems non-stop,” recalls Taylor. “His mealtime was his only rest from that, his only time to decompress. I did my best to make it happen. Instead of facing him with yet another decision, I’d have the menu planned and ready to plate.”
And what’s he like to cook for?
“Oh, he’s a wonderful man. Very quiet. He’s a very adventurous eater, he’s traveled the world and knows all about food,” she says.
After the movie was over, says Taylor, “I didn’t know what to do.” But she soon saw the ad for the Hemingway, and here she is – executive chef of that glorious, glamorous steakhouse on Cherry Street, a place whose dining room is so elegant that people go quiet for a moment when they first see it.
But she doesn’t see herself as the boss.
“You can say I’m executive chef,” she says, “but that’s just a title. I work alongside my team. After all that time working alone on a film set, it’s such a joy to be part of a team. And the team we have now, it’s beautiful, and I’m honored to be a part of it.
I haven’t yet put my touch on the menu, though I’ve planned seven or eight new items I’ll roll out soon. I wanted to take the time to know my team, know the restaurant before introducing new things. It’s not about what I like to cook, but what’s right for the restaurant. And what’s right for the diners.”
Photos by Stephanie Phillips
Corn Cakes
3 cups – Cut corn (thawed if frozen)
2 cups – Water, divided
2 cups plus 2 tbsp. – Semolina
2 tbsp. – Corn starch
1 tbsp. – Kosher salt
½ tsp – Ground coriander
½ tsp – Ground cumin
¼ tsp – Paprika
¼ tsp – Cayenne
¼ cup – Chives, minced
1. Blend 2 cups of cut corn with a ½ cup water in a high-power blender until mostly smooth.
2. Transfer corn mixture to a medium-sized bowl. Stir in remaining 1 ½ cups water.
3. Add dry ingredients to corn mixture and stir to just combine.
4. Gently stir in remaining 1 cup corn and minced chives. Set aside.
5. Over medium-high flame, heat a teaspoon of avocado oil in an 8-inch nonstick saute pan. (This is my preference, you can easily substitute canola oil. Just don’t use your nice olive oil here.)
6. Spoon ¼ cup mixture into pan. You should be able to fit 2-3 cakes at a time.
7. Let cook until bottoms and edges are starting to turn golden brown, about 4 minutes.
8. Use a spatula to carefully flip to other side. Cook until bottoms and edges are golden brown, about 4 minutes.
9. Remove from pan and transfer to a cooling rack on a half sheet tray. Keep cakes warm by keeping sheet tray in an oven set to Low (200F) while cooking off the rest of the batter. These can also be reheated in a dry nonstick saute pan or in an airfryer.
Faisal Abdelsamad is an energetic young man with a warm smile. Growing up in Amman, Jordan, he took on roles around the house.
“My mother had a full-time job,” he recalls. “So my brother and I tried to cook to help her.”
He quickly fell in love with it.
“Whenever I feel stressed, I cook,” he says.
When he first came to Tulsa six years ago, the only job he could get was washing dishes at a restaurant. His first day at work, he remembers, “I began thinking, one day I must be an owner.” So he worked from eight in the morning till 11 at night, day after day, year after year, until now – running his own bright, new restaurant on 11th Street.
He uses family recipes, and sometimes he makes mansaf, the unofficial national dish of Jordan. But for the most part he does “a mix of food from Syria, Jordan and Lebanon,” dishes we all know, such as kebabs, tabouli, hummus and babaganoush – and he does them well.
The ground beef kebabs are fine and beefy; the chicken kebabs are redolent of spice; the babaganoush has a rich, smoky flavor; the fuul is a rich, flavorful bean stew; and the other small plates, especially the hummus, just beg to be eaten.
What’s Abdelsamad’s favorite?
“I love the mixed plate, because it has everything,” he says.
Seasonal menus, local ingredients and farm-to-table flair can be found at Edmond’s Farmers Grain Kitchen + Cellar.
Photos by Tiffany Jewel Photo Co.
Get ready to experience a tantalizing culinary journey of Oklahoma’s finest flavors. Farmers Grain Kitchen + Cellar is the ultimate tribute to our state – brought to life via an incredible collaboration between Edmond natives (and brothers) Payne and Cy Mills.
Using the freshest seasonal ingredients, complemented by expertly paired wines from sommelier Cy, this restaurant is sure to tantalize your taste buds in a delightful celebration of Sooner State flavors.
Located in the heart of Edmond, the restaurant stands proudly where the state’s first mill and grain elevator opened its doors in 1871. This pride of place makes it a unique hub for local diners. From the carefully crafted seasonal menu to the curated wine and cocktail list, everything about Farmers Grain is designed to bring out the nuances of the best in regional ingredients.
The menu, which changes quarterly, features made-from-scratch items that celebrate the unique taste profiles of the season. This past winter, for example, featured the restaurant’s take on a crab cake, made with local crayfish, endive, turnip and tomatoes. The spring menu will be just as inventive and flavorful.
Fresh green tomatoes and forged morel mushrooms are two items Payne looks forward to incorporating into the menu in the following months. He says the kitchen is playing with the idea of making an international dish with the available equivalent in Oklahoma – for example, an Oklahoma-inspired paella with barley, venison and locally sourced crayfish.
Payne’s menu is intentionally small. He works with local farms as much as he’s able, including the Mills Family Homestead – the Luther farm he shares with his wife, Rachel, who is the pastry chef at the restaurant.
Carried over from the winter menu, the short rib stroganoff, along with the bread and tallow starter, continue to delight guests. Payne really enjoys featuring braised items on his menu, and this is a fine example of his strong, technique-driven background. Slow simmered short ribs are served over egg noodles, with a rich mushroom cream sauce. The egg noodles are made fresh each day using chicken and quail eggs from chef Payne’s farm.
Chef Payne Mills is passionate about getting locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Photos by Tiffany Jewel Photo Co.
Bread and tallow is the restaurant’s take on traditional bread and butter. Aforementioned pastry chef Rachel Miller makes phenomenal artisanal bread with sprouted grains. This bread pairs nicely with tallow, a herbous rendered beef fat, that is whipped until light and airy. It’s served with seasonal items like pickled vegetables or chopped herbs.
Sommelier and co-owner Cy has crafted a wine list and seasonal cocktail menu that is both familiar and adventurous. He strives to create offerings that honor the seasonal flavors of the food while also pushing guests to try something new. His food and wine pairings highlight all aspects of the meal’s flavors.
The La Perlina Moscato, for example, is a perfect accompaniment to the bread and tallow starter. On the winter menu, the Elysian Fields with mezcal, rosemary, honey simple syrup, fig jam and orange was a standout with its smokey and sweet notes.
Farmers Grain Kitchen + Cellar is a restaurant with deep roots in Oklahoma’s past and an eye on its vibrant future. However it’s more than just a restaurant; it’s a celebration of Oklahoma’s bounty. When asked to describe themselves, Payne summed up what they do perfectly.
“Imagine a chef went out to grandma’s ranch,” he says. “The idea being if you went to a local farm, what ingredients do they have available? That’s what we try to play with.”
No matter what you decide to try on the menu, the warm hospitality paired with unique ingredients and flavors at Farmers Grain Kitchen + Cellar is sure to make you feel like family. From Payne’s creations to Rachel’s pastries and Cy’s beverage knowledge, this family-run, farm-style restaurant has something to please everyone.
Pat Gordon; Winter Dinner: An Evening with Patrick Gordon, Tulsa Botanic Garden
Emily Underwood, Jameson Pelton; Dance of the Two Moons, Indian Health Care Resource Center, TulsaSusan & Mayor G.T. Bynum; Brainiac Ball, Family & Children’s Services, TulsaAnn Hargis, Dillon Walker, V. Burns Hargis; Second Century board event, Oklahoma Hall of Fame, OKCKate Gordon, Natalie Simon; Boots and Ball Gowns, Infant Crisis Services, OKCKendra Barnes, Erin Engelke, Amanda Miller; Giving Society Luncheon, Calm Waters Center for Children and Families, OKCAlexander Mickelthwate, Kelli O’Hara, Jane Jayroe-Gamble, Jan McDaniel; An Evening with Kelli O’Hara, OKC PhilAnn & V. Burns Hargis; Multiple Sclerosis Advocate Award Dinner, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, OKCAsha Richardson, Richard Dreyfuss, Jaya Richardson; Richard Dreyfuss event, Tulsa Town HallLauren Avery, Blake & Whitney Mathews, Jamie Ariana; Sapphire Celebration, Riverfield Country Day School, TulsaAnn & Mark Farrow; Winter Dinner: An Evening with Patrick Gordon, Tulsa Botanic GardenTim and LeeAnn Loposer; Winter Dinner: An Evening with Patrick Gordon, Tulsa Botanic Garden
Pictured is a photograph of an illustration by James R. O’Neil that depicts the Battle of Honey Springs, which took place in Checotah during the Civil War, August 1863.
Photo courtesy the Oklahoma Historical Society
Eventually bested in a tug-of-war match with a neighboring community over becoming the McIntosh County seat, Checotah went on to take full advantage of its position at the crossroads of two major highways – and at last report, is doing quite well, thank you very much.
The construction of Interstate 40 in the 1960s, and before that, U.S. 69, created inter- and intra-state traffic that has brought a large measure of economic success to Checotah. Chamber of Commerce office manager Jerri Holder says with the traffic they bring, these highways help the community immensely.
“We’re at the crossroads,” Holder says. “It’s a great thing for Checotah.”
After statehood came, Checotah and Eufaula battled to become the county seat. Eufaula was the eventual winner in a tussle that, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society, led to gunfire in 1909. But even without the courthouse, Checotah became a significant community – and today, the city of about 3,400 people is a stronghold of activity, with a variety of events in town and close by throughout the year.
The city features two unique museums – the Katy Depot Museum and the Heartland Heritage Center Museum and Gallery, plus an historic Civil War battlefield close by.
Within its history, Checotah gained the unofficial moniker of “Steer Wrestling Capital of the World,” with several steer wrestling champs headquartered in Checotah, and an annual event – the three-day Duvall Steer Wrestling Jackpot that begins May 19 – that annually draws contestants from across the U.S. and several other countries.
Another significant event, geared towards celebrating Checotah’s heritage, is the 57th Old Settlers Day celebration, scheduled for June 10 this year. Holder says the day will be marked with an array of enjoyable activities, plus food, arts and crafts sales and inflatables.
Checotah’s history began as a spot on another road – the pre-statehood Texas Road, which was a major trade conduit between Kansas and Texas. In 1863, Union and Confederate forces were fighting over control of the roadway, and the July 17, 1863, Battle of Honey Springs is noted by historians as the most significant Indian Territory encounter of the war.
The Battle of Honey Springs, which took place in Checotah during the Civil War, is often the subject of reenactments. Photos courtesy the Oklahoma Historical Society
Battlefield site director Adam Lynn says remnants of the original road remain visible today. A re-enactment is scheduled Nov. 4 and 5 on the historic battlefield, located northeast of Checotah just off U.S. 69.
A new, 7,000-square-foot visitor center opened at the battlefield in November, Lynn says, offering visitors several ways to fully comprehend the events that took place.
The visitor center features exhibits, artifacts, graphics and includes a narrative that fully explains the battle’s significance in the war between the states.
The engagement involved about 6,000 Confederate Indian Brigade troops and 3,000 Union soldiers, helped by the First Kansas Colored Volunteers. Lynn says that while the combined Union forces were outnumbered, they had three times the number of artillery pieces, which ultimately proved significant in deciding the winner of the four-hour battle.
He says the battlefield is a good place to visit any time, with walking trails and signs that explain the events that led up to the battle and its historical significance. Among the exhibits is a Civil War-era cannon that offers a good spot for photos.
For More Information:
Checotah Chamber of Commerce 918-473-2070 checotah.com
City of Checotah 918-473-5411 cityofchecotah.com
Katy Depot Museum 918-473-6377 checotah.com/katy-depot
Heartland Heritage Center Museum and Gallery 918-916-9015 checotah.com/ heartland-heritage-center-museum-gallery
