Sip Back & Relax

By

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January 26, 2025

Dry January is ooooover, and that means you might be looking to jump back into responsible sipping. Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Enjoy a bevy of cocktail suggestions from area bars and restaurants, as well as trends on the rise, new watering holes to visit, mocktails galore plus home bar cart essentials. Cheers!

Cocktail Corner

**FLINT, OKC**
Paper Plane
Aperol, Nonino Amaro, Henry McKenna whiskey, lemon.
Photo courtesy Coury Hospitality

Mocktail Madness

Speaking of cutting down on alcohol consumption, why not opt for a mocktail at dinner tonight? Luckily, Oklahoma’s bars and restaurants are teeming with them.

Duet Jazz

Moscowless Mule
Lime juice, ginger beer, club soda, simple syrup

Faux-Jito
Lime, agave nectar, seltzer water, mint

The Pump

Barbarella
Non-alcoholic strawberry lemonade

Phony Negroni
Non-alcoholic gin, vermouth, non-alcoholic aperitif, blood orange bitters, simple syrup

Red Rooster, OKC

Marvin Berry
Blueberry and blackberry syrup, lemon, club soda, basil

Joshua Tree
Topo Chico, orange, Angostura bitters, lime

Tellers, OKC

Blackberry Buck
Blackberry, fresh-squeezed lime, honey, ginger soda

Beer ABCs

If you’re a fan of a great brew, here are some words to use at your next gathering to seem in-the-know.

Alcohol by Volume (ABV) – A measure of the alcohol content of a liquid. The higher the ABV, the stronger the drink.
Bottom Fermentation – One of two fermentation methods for beer. This one is characterized by the tendency of yeast cells to sink to the bottom of the vessel.
Top Fermentation – The other of the two fermentation methods. This one is, if you can believe it, characterized by the tendency of yeast cells to rise to the surface of the vessel.
Carbonation – Introducing carbon dioxide into a liquid. See also: bubbles!
Draught beer – Beer drawn from kegs, casks or serving tanks.
Fermentation – The conversion of sugars into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide gas through yeast.
pH – Short for ‘potential Hydrogen,’ pH shows the degree of acidity and alkalinity in a beer.

What It Takes to Be A Sommelier

Do you love wine? Want to do more than just drink it with your pals? The idea of becoming a sommelier might have crossed your mind – but it’s harder than you’d think. Are are steps to get certified:

1. Take courses: Yes, you have to get to class! Find a reputable certification program and enroll in classes like winemaking and wine tasting.

2. Pass your exams: After you’ve taken the courses to aid in your certification, it’s time to study for, and pass, the sommelier exam, which typically takes a few days. There are differing levels of sommelier, with ‘Master Sommelier’ as the highest title you can earn.

3. Network and gain experience: Learn from experienced sommeliers, work in a restaurant, bar, winery or vineyard, and hone your craft.

Cocktail Spotlights

The Winter Spice Negroni
Ti Amo Ristorante Italiano, Tulsa
Persimmon puree, winter spice gin, Campari, sweet vermouth, persimmon slice and/or twist of orange peel

The Tuaca Lemon Drop
Ti Amo Ristorante Italiano, Tulsa
Lemon juice, simple syrup, vodka, tuaca

New Spots to Visit

Oklahoma’s liquor landscape is ever changing. Below are a few new additions to the scene.

Tiny Bubbles
OKC

Once a mobile wine cart, Tiny Bubbles has set up a brick and mortar in OKC’s Shoppes at Northpark. The namesake bubbles are varied, and the menu also includes signature cocktails, wine, beer, after-dinner drinks and zero proof mocktails. There are ample shared plates, pizzas, salads and desserts should you need a respite from all the carbonation.

Maple Ridge Grocer, Tulsa; photo courtesy the McNellie’s Group

The Pump
Tulsa

At Sixth and Lewis, The Pump has truly made a name for itself in the Tulsa bar scene. Not only is the ambiance retro-cool, the food is delicious. Try the smash burger, brisket grilled cheese or the loaded tots. Featured cocktails include the Peach Flamingo, with citrus vodka, amaretto, orange, peach and prosecco; and the Golden Driller, with rye rum, pineapple syrup and bitters.

Barseo
OKC

Perched beautifully on the edge of OKC’s Paseo District, Barseo offers plenty of craft cocktails, mocktails and shared bites. Highlights of each include the Razzle Dazzle, with mescal, Mazzura, raspberry, lemon, absinthe and pink peppercorn; the Strawberry Moscow Mule with strawberry hibiscus, lime and ginger beer club soda; and the chicken wontons, filled with achiote chicken, fire roasted poblanos and Mexican cheeses.

Cheever’s
Tulsa

Yes, this is a restaurant – but the bar is gorgeous and the tasty drinks are sure to hit the spot. Head to the Cherry Street locale for
cocktails like the Motto, with citrus vodka, blueberry syrup, lemon juice, soda water and mint. Starters include the roasted chicken and pepperjack strudel and the crab cakes.

Millennium Lounge
OKC

Live music, happy hour and vegan dishes make Millennium Lounge a popular OKC spot on Western. Wings, flatbreads, salads and various dips are all found on the menu, as well as craft cocktails galore.

Maple Ridge Grocer
Tulsa

A sprawling bar welcomes you at Maple Ridge Grocer, an enticing bistro on 18th and Cincinnati. Alongside bakery, breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner items, enjoy cocktails, beer, wine and desserts, too.

Mindful Drinking

You may roll your eyes when you hear the term “mindful drinking.” But, with a little research, you may realize this concept isn’t as silly as you think.

Firstly – let’s look at the facts. Alcohol sales, per capita, went up more from 2019 to 2021 than in any two-year period since 1969. COVID-19 and quarantining did, indeed, do a number on folks and their alcohol consumption. Additionally, alcohol just isn’t great for you – it causes dental decay, breaks down skin’s collagen, slows down your metabolism, increases anxiety and disrupts sleep.

With that said, are you more open to the concept of mindful drinking now? I thought so!

Mindful drinking is, at its core, very simple; it’s just the practice of being aware of how much alcohol you drink, and why. It often lends itself to healthier relationships with booze – and less consumption in general. A great way to practice mindful drinking? Ask yourself before you order your next round if another drink would really serve you well. Why are you ordering another? Most of the time, just taking a moment to ask yourself those questions will help you cut back on binge drinking.

At-Home Spirit Sensations

Looking to practice tending bar at home? Here are some items you may need to get you started:

Bar storage
Whether that’s a bar cart, hutch, buffet or other piece of furniture with storage.

Bottle openers and corkscrews
Because you can’t be a home bar specialist if you can’t open your bottles.

Various glassware
For all your different kinds of drinks! Think highball, rocks, wine, martini, champagne and shot glasses.

The hardware
Get all the equipment you’ll need to tend bar, like measuring cups, jiggers, shakers, strainers, stirring spoons, ice molds, peelers and cutting boards.

Liquor and mixers
Yes, this one should be fairly obvious. Get your main attractions, like tequila, vodka, whiskey and gin. Then get the mixers you’ll need, like Cointreau, St. Germain, Campari, soda water and ton. Bonus points for dehydrated fruit and mini umbrellas!

Cocktail Trends

A nice draft beer or a dry martini will always hit the spot, it’s true. But if you want to stay atop the alcohol trends in 2025, here’s what you’re be seeing a lot of this year:

Mixers and Enhancements
Soda water, tonic, juice – all great mixers, but drinkers this year are looking to spice things up a bit. Consider aromatic bitters, dehydrated fruits and florals floating in your cocktail. You’ll also see ferments as mixtures, like kombucha, as well as house-made tonics and coconut water.

Diversifying Alcohol Brands
Very few spirit brands are sticking with one product these days – mostly out of necessity in a saturated market. Many beer labels are branching out into hard seltzers, and even names that are known for one type of liquor are starting to diversify their portfolios. Additionally, you’ll start seeing cocktails on draft at breweries, helping them to stay competitive in a market that’s waning on craft beer.

Canned cocktails
Some say a canned cocktail is lazy – others say it’s convenient. No matter which way you lean, you’ll be seeing more of these on the menu at restaurants and bars statewide.

Direct-To-Consumer Alcohol Sales
If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to cut down on food delivery, beware of booze delivery! Direct-to-consumer alcohol sales are spiking in popularity this year, as more opt to drink at home with pals than visit bars.

Eco-Friendly Packaging
Being wasteful? Out. Caring for the Earth? In. We’ll be seeing a downturn in glass bottles this year, as well as more sustainable, reusable packaging for take-home booze.

THC Cocktails
Cutting calories, helping the liver and avoiding hangovers are all pros of THC cocktails. You’ll still get the buzz without the sobering (see what I did there?) side-effects.

Online Bonus Recipes

All photos courtesy the respective bar/restaurant group unless otherwise marked

**Old Rum and the Sea**
Barons, Tulsa
Brugal Anejo rum, fresh grapefruit juice, ginger and citrus syrups, grapefruit soda

French Roots, Oklahoma Standards

By

Brian Schwartz

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January 24, 2025

325D0468-85A0-418B-8DE7-F42232E993C9 — At Fait Maison, chef Bouzerand prepares a Japanese Wagyu A5 filet mignon flambé tableside. Photos courtesy Fait Maison

Walk along East Fifth Street in Edmond, a long and lively avenue lined with restaurants, and you’ll pass a Whataburger, a sushi bar and a pizza shop. Then, hidden at the end of the street, sits an opulent palace dedicated to French fine dining, helmed by a French, Michelin-starred chef. It’s unbelievable. It’s Fait Maison.

Fait Maison is located at East Fifth Street in Edmond.

As that talented mastermind, Olivier Bouzerand, grew up in Burgundy, he never imagined he’d live in Oklahoma. But, from the time he was a small child, he dreamed of being a chef. He made all the right stops on the road to French fame and Michelin stardom: Cooking school in Strasbourg. A job at a Michelin two-star, the venerable Ledoyen in Paris, which has three stars today.

“At Ledoyen,” Bouzerand recalls, “you have to make a perfect dish every time. You can’t settle for anything less.”

Does he have the same high standard at his restaurant today?

“I try,” he says. And indeed, he does.

The next step was owning his own restaurant. It was called Le Patio and it was in the tiny, picturesque village of Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the Pyrenees mountain range between France and Spain. Bouzerand, chef as well as proprietor, was rewarded his Michelin star here.

After several years, he moved on to Cannes. His restaurant there, Le Mesclun, was smaller and a bit more casual, but it was acclaimed and very popular, a well-known spot in one of the most elegant towns on the French Riviera.

Olivier Bouzerand met his partner, Susan Wedel, online. He later moved to Oklahoma and the pair opened Fait Maison.

At Fait Maison today, he observes, there’s no limitation on size, so he can return to the world of fine dining.

“I can do what I want,” he says with a smile. “I can be better than Mesclun, or at least more free.”

What took him to Oklahoma? Blame Cupid. Years ago, for a bit of casual diversion, he started playing an online game called Clash of Clans. So did an elegant and articulate oil executive from Edmond named Susan Wedel. To make a four year long story short, they fell in love. She didn’t want to live anywhere else but Oklahoma, and so that’s where he moved. Together, after a year or so of careful planning, the couple opened Fait Maison together.

I think everyone’s jaw drops a bit when they step inside the restaurant and see a recreation of a salon in a French palace circa 1750, complete with beautiful carved chairs, gold-trimmed cream wall paneling and crystal chandeliers. Their jaws drop even more when they’re served a tray of carefully crafted, miniature appetizers: savory macarons, gougeres and miniature quiches. Then comes a tray of six different kinds of bread. Fait maison means ‘made in house,’ and that stretches to the bread, the butter and just about everything else on the menu.

The tasting menu, which changes monthly, is the way to go. On a recent visit, it included a single plump scallop served with a frothy and flavorful celery Parmesan foam; an exquisite sea bass filet with a hearty sauce infused with langoustine and mussel stock; a tiny tartlet with spinach-braised escargot; braised veal shank with a bubbling garlic cream on top; and squab breast topped with foie gras and a rich savory sauce.

Lobster and foie-gras stew with mushrooms and green asparagus is a highlight at Fait Maison. Main image credit: Chef Bouzerand prepares a Japanese Wagyu A5 filet mignon flambé tableside. All photos courtesy Fait Maison

If that’s not enough, you can supplement your meal with three plates made with perfectly cooked foie gras. The foie is served as a terrine, served layered between pasta in a lasagna with black truffles, and seared and served with port wine sauce. Desserts include an elegant soufflé.

And then comes coffee, which comes from the same French purveyor that supplied both of Bouzerand’s French restaurants so many years ago. Because Bouzerand is a man who keeps in touch with his roots.

Doing Exactly What He Wants

By

Brian Schwartz

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January 24, 2025

Chef Tyler Whitson, who once worked under James Shrader at Tulsa's Palace Cafe, now touts his own restaurant, The Copper Dome. Photos by Stephanie Phillips

Some of the most exciting and creative dishes in Oklahoma are coming out of a small, spotless kitchen in a west Tulsa restaurant you probably haven’t heard of yet. These plates are being lovingly and carefully prepared – some dishes take hours – by a team of young chefs led by Tyler Whitson.

Ask Whitson and he’ll tell you that he doesn’t have any glamorous childhood food memories, like eating in fancy restaurants or watching his wise grandmother prepare fabulous Sunday dinners. But, he allows, there was that summer when he was twelve – and he and his cousin ate nothing but squirrel.

They’d get up early, get lost in the woods around his Ochelata home, where they hunted, skinned and brined. Each day, with no training whatsoever, they’d invent a new way to cook their prey. A few months later – he was just thirteen – Whitson was watching a TV documentary about candies when he suddenly got up and said “I want to be a chef!” He’s spent the rest of his life chasing that dream.

It took him through cooking school in Bartlesville (Tri-County Tech), Montana Mike’s steakhouse, a country club and a butcher shop. (“I learned to break down animals from my grandfather,” he says. “He was a butcher for fifty years.”)

Then, he went to the Culinary Institute of America in New York. After graduation, he got a job with chef James Shrader at Tulsa’s Palace Cafe. He worked there for years, interrupted by a stint teaching the art of cooking in Enid. His wife was pursuing a graduate degree nearby and he wanted to be close to her.

Today, you can drive west from midtown and, after about ten minutes, the little houses of west Tulsa give way to a delightful wooded area with a rambling stone building constructed like an old farmhouse. That’s the Silo Event Center, and it’s also the site of Copper Dom. After Shrader retired, Whitson wanted to start his own restaurant. He and two other talented chefs who worked at Palace, Robert Brassfield and Nathaniel Christenson, as well as mixologist Spencer Barrett, set up shop there, with an opening in September 2024.

“We’re far away from everything,” says Whitson, “so we have to have unique appeal. We focus on locality, seasonality and sustainability. And we’re multi-experience.”

The grainless sweet potato risotto is a major draw at The Copper Dome.

Thursday is cocktail night, with small plates. They plan to introduce Bento boxes, Palace’s beloved small-bites feature. On Friday and Saturday, there’s an 8-course tasting menu, with a la carte options, too.

“We can have fun with this,” he says. “We can take chances. It’s our cream of the crop menu.”

There’s also a lot of work involved. Some dishes, such as the duck roulade, take hundreds of words just to describe the cooking process – words like skin, scrape, debone, grind, dice, sous-vide, bake, smoke – and hours to make. The chefs use a lot of techniques from French fine dining. A sweet potato “risotto” features vegetables so finely diced by hand you can barely see the pieces.

The dinner is expensive, but worth it.

“I want people to spend $90 and leave thinking, ‘I sure got my money’s worth,” Whitson says.

Sunday is totally different; all you can eat for $28.

“I know my generation,” he observes. “I know how much millennials can spend and what they want. They want a lot of food, they want it served immediately, a set menu, so no decisions, and they want to share with friends.”

Sunday themes vary, but it’s always good. And why is the food always so excellent?

“We’re not working for others,” Whitson answers. “Finally, we get to do what we want.”

Chef Whitson’s Grainless Sweet Potato Risotto

1 large sweet potato, about 12-14 oz.
2 tsp. minced shallot
2 tbsp. white wine
1 tbsp. carrot juice
1 tbsp. mascarpone
3 tbsp. grana padano or Parma reggiano (microplane needed for that fine shred)
1 tbsp. English butter
4 cups of vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Any amount of cheese at the end; we like to spoil the plate with it.

1. Add a light amount of oil to an 8-inch saute pan. Let it come up to medium heat, then add the shallots.

2. Sweat the shallots until translucent, not browned. Turn down the heat if need be. Once they are sweated, add the wine and burn off the alcohol.

3. Add the sweet potatoes and a pinch of S&P, this allows the salt to cook into your vegetables, not too much or you won’t keep control for the ending. Then add 4oz of vegetable stock.

4. Let the liquid come to a high simmer, not boil, and reduce the liquid until it is almost dry in the pan. Next, add the carrot juice (this helps with keeping it bright and shiny orange and adds more vegetable flavor) and another 4oz of vegetable stock and repeat process.

5. At this point if you cut the sweet potatoes brunoise size you should only need about 2-3oz of stock it is larger than 1/8inx1/8inx1/8in you’ll need to repeat the stock process till the potatoes are tender but nut mushy, the potatoes should have a soft bite to them.

6. If they are “al dente” add the mascarpone and just a touch of stock, a splash, and melt the mascarpone until it is fully dissolved. Next add the finely shredded cheese. Melt till dissolved and thickened.

7. Finish with butter and to taste with the S&P. Add some more cheese if you want it thicker consistency.

8. Plate up and go Olive Garden with the cheese till it piles high or just a bit of cheese if you want. The potatoes are good by themselves, I just love cheese.

Coracle Coffee

By

Staff

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January 24, 2025

Nestled in downtown Tulsa at 314 S. Cincinnati Ave., Coracle Coffee is a perfect pit stop for housemade snacks and delicious coffee concoctions.

Winter drinks include Mr. Napkinhead – lovingly named after Jude Law’s character in The Holiday – a spicy mocha with ginger, cayenne and marshmallows. Looking to go more classic? Try the Gingerbread Chai Latte with housemade gingerbread syrup, or the Sugarplum Latte, with housemade plum syrup. Other can’t-miss drinks include the frozen hot chocolate and a bevy of hot teas. Snacks include sausage rolls, breakfast sandwiches, croissants and coffee cake.

For those who want to take the goodness home, Coracle also offers instant and whole bean coffee.

Heating Up the Stage

By

Mary Willa Allen

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January 24, 2025

CLUE - 1 — Clue; photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade courtesy Celebrity Attractions

It might still be freezing cold outside, but Oklahoma brings the heat with performances galore.

In Tulsa, the PAC welcomes ample showcases this month. Start with Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet on Feb. 1; the Tulsa Symphony musicians will be playing Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade.” Stick around for the Bob Dylan Center’s presentation of Red Dirt Boogie on Feb. 6, as well as a performance from Escher Quartet on Feb. 9, courtesy Chamber Music Tulsa. Celebrity Attractions brings Clue, a new showcase, from Feb. 11-16, and Tulsa Opera presents the compact, intimate and scorching adaption of The Tragedy of Carmen on Feb. 21 and 23. Lastly, Tulsa Ballet presents Alice in Wonderland for the first time in its company’s history; the brand-new version of this beloved tale runs Feb. 27-March 2. At the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa, see comedian Anjelah Johnson Reyes on Feb. 8; or if Tom Segura is more your speed, he performs his stand-up at the Osage Casino Hotel on Feb. 20.

In OKC, the Civic Center Music Hall is a hotbed of the arts. Start with OKC Ballet’s Swan Lake, running Feb. 7-16. Next up is Valentine’s Follies, a production from Adele Wolf Productions that includes dazzling showgirls and death-defying circus acts. The OKC Philharmonic returns this month with Symphonies East and West on Feb. 22, with special guest Arjun Verma on sitar. Other performance goodies in OKC include Lyric Theatre’s rendition of Waitress, Feb. 12-March 2 at Lyric at the Plaza, as well as a show from the Glenn Miller Orchestra on Feb. 19 at Rose Art Performing Arts Center.

Around the state, don’t miss comedian Gabriel Iglesias, Feb. 1 at Thackerville’s Winstar World Casino and Resort; ValenCline’s Day Dinner and a Show, Feb. 14 at Guthrie’s Dominion House; and stand-up expert Billy Wayne Davis, Feb. 14 at Grant’s Choctaw Casino and Resort.

Love’s In the Air

By

Mary Willa Allen

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January 24, 2025

Darryl Starbird’s Rod & Custom Car Show; photo courtesy Darryl Starbird’s Rod & Custom Car Show

It’s the month of love, and community events are around every corner.

Expo Square is the place to be in Tulsa. Enjoy a variety of events, including the Women’s Expo With a Cause on Feb. 1-2; the Tulsa Boat, Sport and Travel Show through Feb. 2; the 61st Annual Darryl Starbird’s Rod & Custom Car Show on Feb. 14-16; and the Vintage Tulsa Show on Feb. 14-16. Other highlights include downtown Tulsa’s First Friday Art Crawl on Feb. 7 and the State Fiddlers Convention, Feb. 13-14 at the Marriott Tulsa Hotel Southern Hills.

OKC is jam-packed. Start with Chocolate Decadence, an evening of chocolate, savory tasting dishes and coffee, on Feb. 6 in Automobile Alley. Next, venture to the OKC Convention Center for the Spring Remodel and Landscape Show, Feb. 7-9. Get active and enjoy local creators at the 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk, downtown on Feb. 14, or visit Love! On the Plaza on the same day at OKC’s Plaza District for live music, film screenings, food and drink, plus retail shopping. For a sharp change of pace, Monster Jam monster truck racing slams into the Paycom Center on Feb. 15-16. Lastly, the Backwoods Hunting and Fishing Expo rounds out the month, Feb. 28-March 2 at the OKC Fairgrounds.

Around the state, visit the Round Barn Rendezvous on Feb. 9 at Arcadia’s Round Barn, replete with performances from local musicians; Shawnee’s Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art for its showcase, Called by God: The Art of Religious Life, through Feb. 16; and the Stephens County Coin Club Show, Feb. 21-22 at 1618 S. 14th St. in Duncan.

A Little of This, A Little of That

By

Mary Willa Allen

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January 24, 2025

TU Basketball — TU basketball; photo by Joshua Rogers

You’ll find a sporting event that suits your fancy every weekend this month.

In Tulsa, basketball is a must. See the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane play at home – the Reynolds Center – on Feb. 1, 15, 19 and 26 for women and Feb. 2, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19 and 22 for men. Other team sports include the Tulsa Oilers hockey matches, running Feb. 1-2, 6-8 and 16 at the BOK Center. At Expo Square, watch the Oklahoma Invitational Black Rodeo on Feb. 8, or you can venture to River Spirit Casino Resort on Feb. 21 for XFN 399. The kickboxing and mixed martial arts event hosts a bevy of athlete celebrities including Tater McSpadden and Devin “Katdaddy” White.

OKC basketball fans have it made this month. First, the Thunder plays at home, the Paycom Center, Feb. 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12 and 24. Stick around the venue for the OKC Blue’s one home game this month on Feb. 26. If you want to make the drive to Norman, the University of Oklahoma Sooners have games Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 26 for men and Feb. 2, 10 and 20 for women, all at the Lloyd Noble Center. Other events include both the junior high and high school state wrestling championships, Feb. 6-8 and Feb. 27-March 1, respectively, at the OKC Fairgrounds.

If you haven’t tuckered yourself out on basketball, the Oklahoma State University Cowboys play at Stillwater’s Gallagher-Iba Arena Feb. 1, 9, 15, 19 and 25, and the Cowgirls play Feb. 8, 12, 22 and 26. Other events around the state include the Cinch Timed Event Championship, Feb. 27-March 1 at Guthrie’s Lazy E. Arena; and the Heart of Oklahoma Youth Rodeo, Feb. 28-March 2 at Duncan’s Stephens County Fairgrounds.

Cuddle Up at the Movies

By

Drew Joseph Allen

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January 24, 2025

Captain America Brave New World; photo courtesy Marvel Studios — Captain America: Brave New World; photo courtesy Marvel Studios, all rights reserved

It’s the month of love – both for your significant others and for the cinema – and I’ve got a wildly diverse selection of films for you and your special someone to go see.

For your action/comedy mix, check out Love Hurts. Starring Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once) as a successful real estate agent, Marvin, the movie picks up when his past life as a hitman comes back to haunt him. As his own brother comes to town to hunt him down, Quan’s character shows off his comedic form – as well as some serious martial arts moves with bone-crunching sound effects – during the trailer. Directed by Jonathan Eusebio (The Bourne Legacy), a stunt coordinator with 80 films under his belt, the action will surely outclass the story – and sometimes, that’s all you need. It releases on Feb. 7.

If you want some behind-the-scenes footage of rock and roll legends, look no further than Becoming Led Zeppelin. A documentary that charts the band from their beginnings up to their meteoric rise in popularity in the ’70s, the story will be told by the remaining band members Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Robert Plant, with archival and never-before-heard audio from John Bonham, who passed away in 1980. This is the first fully authorized documentary from the band, and a work-in-progress screened in 2021 to a ten minute standing ovation. Hopefully it’s only become better when it releases on Feb 7.

The obligatory superhero movie for this month is Captain America: Brave New World. Starring Anthony Mackie (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) as Sam Wilson/Captain America, the story finds Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford, previously William Hurt) newly elected as president and immediately under fire due to an international incident. Full of plots that require knowledge of multiple other movies and TV shows to fully understand, the film looks to have all the normal Marvel pizzazz, explosions, one-liners and slick looking action when it hits theaters on Valentine’s Day.

For some animated perfection, take a look at The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. The first original, fully animated feature in the Looney Tunes franchise, it features the voices of Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, and Fred Tatasciore, all noted voice actors. Early screenings have been overwhelmingly positive, praising the story, voice work and animation. Originally set to release on Max – where, in my opinion, it would have languished and died going almost fully unseen – it will now thankfully have a theatrical release on Feb. 28

Lastly, if fantasy and adventure are more your speed, don’t miss The
Legend of Ochi. The story goes like this: In a remote village years ago, children are told not to go out after dark because of the fearsome creatures known as ochi. When a baby ochi is left behind, a young girl (Helena Zengel, System Crasher) takes it upon herself to return the creature to its family. The film also stars Willem Dafoe (Poor Things), Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), and Emily Watson (Chernobyl). The movie seems to use a beautiful mix of puppetry, animatronics, animation and matte paintings to give the film a wholly unique vibe. It hits theaters on Feb. 28.

Commemorating Black History

By

Kimberly Burk

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January 24, 2025

Creek Seminole College in Boley, date unknown — Creek Seminole College, opened in Boley in 1906, was founded by John C. Leftwich. Photo courtesy the OHS

When Matthew Pearce was doing his graduate studies at the University of Oklahoma, one professor assigned to his U.S. history students a book by James S. Hirsch: Riot and Remembrance.

“Students would tell him that reading that book was their first exposure to the Tulsa Race Massacre,” says Pearce, who is now the state historian for the Oklahoma Historical Society. And, he adds, many of those students had even grown up in Oklahoma.

More people have learned about the Tulsa Race Massacre since its 2021 centennial, and with the opening that year of Greenwood Rising, a museum that has drawn more than 60,000 visitors. It tells the story of Tulsa’s Greenwood District and Black Wall Street before and after the massacre, and is committed to the pursuit of justice through reparations and racial reconciliation.

Volunteers in Oklahoma’s historically Black towns also help to keep Black history alive – and taught. The towns that flourished early in the 20th century saw dwindling populations during the Great Depression. Town leaders now work to secure grant funding to restore historical sites, enhance infrastructure and attract economic development.

“The all-Black towns give people a sense of Oklahoma as a place of refuge and uplift,” Pearce says.

Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols, who assumed office in December 2024 and is the city’s first Black mayor, was raised in central Texas with a knowledge of Oklahoma’s Black history. The state is rich with the history of Black Americans who fought for civil rights, Nichols says, including Clara Luper, who led her students in lunch counter sit-ins, and Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, who in 1948 won her U.S. Supreme Court case seeking admission to the University of Oklahoma law school.

“Oklahoma was pushing the envelope on some of those big questions of civil rights,” Nichols says. “I hope there is a certain level of pride that people have, that we have always had people in Oklahoma that were fighting for justice.”

Pearce says he is inspired by the work of women such as Maude J. Brockway, for whom the Brockway Community Center in Oklahoma City was named.

“She was a milliner by trade, and very active in the women’s club movement. The community center housed club meetings and was a temporary boarding house for women needing a place to stay. She managed that house for them.”

Pearce says Brockway, who attended Arkansas Baptist College before moving to Oklahoma around 1900, “symbolizes someone who came to Oklahoma during the Great Migration. We commonly portray that as a mass movement of African-Americans from South to North. But she’s a reminder of that movement from the South to the West.”

Nichols says public and private initiatives in Tulsa include affordable housing, support for small businesses owned by race massacre descendants, and scholarships for descendants, “to do things that those visionaries would have been able to do had the Greenwood District not been burned down.”

Black History Month Must-Visits:

■ John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Parkin Tulsa memorializes the history of African-Americans in Oklahoma, including those whose lives were lost to racial violence.
■ The Fort Gibson Historic Site currently features an exhibit Dawes Commission in Cherokee Nation, which focuses on African-American Freedmen formerly enslaved by members of Indian tribes.
■ Honey Springs Battlefield Site near Checotah welcomes viewers to experience the Civil War battle of 9,000 troops – many of whom were Black – in 3D at their visitor center.
■ Bill Pickett’s grave site near Marland pays respect to a pioneer in the sport of rodeo. Pickett invented a cattle wrestling technique called bulldogging after joining the 101 Ranch Wild West show in 1905. Pickett, who moved to Oklahoma in 1908, was also the first African-American cowboy movie star.
■ The Oklahoma African-American Educators Hall of Fame in Clearview recognizes and honors significant contributions made by African-American educators.
■ The Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City prominently features Black history and culture in permanent and temporary exhibits, many of which can be discovered in the Research Center.

Where ‘Stuff’ Belongs

By

Tracy LeGrand

-

December 23, 2024

With across-the-city-or-country moves, downsizing, inheritances or side gig overflows, Oklahoma and the country at large are experiencing a rise in storage unit business in recent years.

“Self-storage is a need-based industry,” says Herb Dierking, division vice president of Oklahoma and Texas at Extra Space Storage. “As the customer need increases, so does the amount of facilities in an area. Self-storage has steadily become more common worldwide and has been gaining popularity in the U.S. since the early 1970s. This trend is often linked to U.S. culture, which values both practical and esoteric possessions.”

As for Oklahoma, Dierking believes the rapid growth of self-storage here is tied to overall expansion in the Midwest. As the population grows, so does the demand for storage space – especially in areas where there is a lot of movement into a city.

The reasons why people rent storage units, says Dierking, vary depending on the customer.

“The most popular reason for storing is because of a housing move – moving to a new city or to a new home,” he says. “The second most popular reason to store is due to a lack of space – many homeowners and apartment dwellers need the extra space for items that aren’t used every day. Some other uses we see are people in life transitions, such as getting married or divorced, or customers using storage as a staging area. People also rent parking spaces, which are used for boats or RVs. Businesses often rent units for overflow and inventory. Pharmaceutical and marketing companies store promotional materials and supplies. The reasons for renting really run the gamut.”

Working at a storage unit business means a self-driven manager wears many hats, says Dierking. They handle customer service, minor property maintenance, security checks and safety inspections. They keep facilities clean, make follow-up customer calls, and manage various administrative tasks throughout the day.

Self-storage units can range in size, with additional options for climate-control and drive-up access. Photo courtesy Extra Space Storage

Pricing is similar from company to company, with a rise in cost for climate controlled units.

“Our units range in size from small, 5×5 lockers to larger, 12×40 spaces and beyond,” he says. “The most popular sizes are 5×10, 10×10, 10×15 and 10×20. Some units are climate controlled, others have drive up access. There’s a range of options. Pricing depends on those factors and more, including market conditions, supply, demand and seasonality.”

While you may not think twice when passing a storage facility, Dierking says the industry itself is unique, because it spans multiple disciplines.

“While it’s primarily a property management business, it also involves customer service, sales, marketing, administration and legal compliance,” he says. “While it can seem like a simple business model – three walls and a door – it is actually very dynamic.”

While the majority of renters are responsible, there are always those who abandon their possessions or don’t pay rent as required. So – what happens to those belongings? As depicted on reality television, sometimes the answer is an auction, open to the public with no more than a peek from outside the unit, to clean out and acquire the contents.

“Auctions aren’t our primary focus,” says Dierking. “In fact, we do everything we can to avoid them. However, when customers default on their rent, we sometimes have no choice but to follow state laws for processing the units for auction. This allows us to free up the space for a new paying customer.”

Dierking continues: “One little known fact about storage auctions: self-storage companies cannot make a profit from them,” he says. “When the unit is sold, the funds can cover any debt the customer may have to the storage company and any additional money is returned to the customer.”

Cocktail Corner

Mocktail Madness

Beer ABCs

What It Takes to Be A Sommelier

Cocktail Spotlights

New Spots to Visit

Mindful Drinking

At-Home Spirit Sensations

Cocktail Trends

Online Bonus Recipes

Chef Whitson’s Grainless Sweet Potato Risotto

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