You only wish you were in Margaritaville this weekend, a place where Jimmy Buffett and his perennial suntan lounge away the days of tropical, salt-rimmed bliss. Lucky for us, Buffett and the Coral Reefers are bringing the beach to Tulsa and the BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. Show is scheduled to start at 8:10 p.m., but doors open at 7 p.m. And for those diehard Parrotheads, Landshark hosts a pre-party tailgater at 11 a.m. in a heated tent at the corner of Third Street and Denver Avenue with a cash bar, cheeseburgers and hot dogs. Live music starts at 5 p.m. Show tickets are $36.50-$136.50 at www.bokcenter.com.
In our health-conscious world today, seems like we try to reduce our salt intake as much as possible. But did you know that salt helps bring out other flavors in food? Used in moderation, it’s an essential part of any kitchen.
Spiceology in Tulsa has a large selection of salts, from sea salt to more exotic varieties. Marcy Gettys and her family have owned the shop, located in The Farm Shopping Center, for about three-and-a-half years. Of the many varieties of salt they carry, Gettys feels a few are vital for any home kitchen. Sea salt, iodized salt and a finishing salt or two are good choices.
“All salt comes from the sea, but are processed differently,” she says.
Sea salt (and kosher, too) are coarser grinds and are more mellow than the concentrated iodized. Because of the larger grind, it’s harder to use too much.
However, iodized has its place, too. Gettys suggests using it for baking because it is finer and dissolves better.
If you want to add extra flavor, texture and color, garnish your dish with a finishing salt. Pink Himalayan and black or white pyramid salts add interesting color and texture. If you’re after a final punch of flavor, smoked, balsamic, ghost pepper or Thai ginger salts are interesting options.
The cheese board at Hodges Bend offers a wide selection. Photo by Casey Hanson.
Who doesn’t love cheese? Whether you’re a fan of muenster, gouda, Greek feta or good ol’ American cheddar, there is cheese to suit every taste. Put several together on a large plate or board, throw in meat and maybe some fruit or a drizzle of honey and you’ve got a fantastic snack or light meal. Three Tulsa hotspots offer unique cheese and meat boards that are worth immediate consumption.
Hodges Bend (823 E. Third St.) serves a cheese and charcuterie board that is seasonal and can change based on what is available at any given time. While Hodge’s Bend offers the meat and cheese boards separately, Chef Ian van Anglen says that the combo – comprised of four to five cheeses and meats – is the most popular. On the cheese side, selections often include Manchego, Danish Bleu, St. Andre (French Brie) and an aged goat cheese from Spain called Fortaleza del Sol. Meats including smoked trout rillette, fresh pork pate, mortadella, smoked pickled kielbasa and Jamon Serrano and might include a fruity garnish like quince jam, pumpkin pie jam or smoked, candied figs.
The Alley (3324 E. 31st St.) serves a cheese board that includes a wide selection of cheeses – including a few that are smoked in-house, such as cheddar, bleu cheese and gouda. Havarti and muenster are included as well. House-cured salmon, a couple of house-made jams, peanuts, walnuts and honey are included as well. House-made crostini and focaccia round out this very thoughtful cheese plate. Owner Brian Biehl says the cheese board may vary seasonally, but for the most part, it stays the same.
Laffa Medi-Eastern Restaurant and Bar (111 N. Main St.) offers a cheese board with exotic flavors and varying textures. The Peasant’s Plate, as it is called, has feta that is marinated in lemon, sumac and za’atar – a spice mixture of thyme, savory and sesame seeds. Creamy thyme and garlic goat cheese spread is thick and rich, while Syrian farmers’ cheese is topped with olive and sun-dried tomato tapenade. Grapes and apples accompany the cheese and add a touch of sweetness. Thick date-honey comes on the plate as well and can be drizzled over all. The Peasant’s Plate is served with toasted pieces of freshly made laffa bread.
Team Galaxy recently released its third studio album of holiday tunes. Photos courtesy Team Galaxy.
During this time of the year, just about anything can trigger that sudden and precious lightening of the heart known as the Christmas spirit. It can be as simple as glimpsing a window display in a mall store, hearing a holiday song you loved as a child, driving by a “living nativity scene” in a church’s snow-dusted front yard, or even stumbling across A Charlie Brown Christmas for the umpteenth time as you flip through the television channels.
For Tulsa’s Davit Souders – live-music promoter, producer and performer, as well as the host of Z104.5’s long-running Homegroan radio show – the spirit returned in the late ‘90s, ushered in on a rock ‘n’ roll beat.
“Christmas has always spoken very loudly to me, the feeling in the air and everything,” he says. “Then, in December of ’95, my mother passed away, not long after her birthday. It’s hard to lose a parent anytime, let alone at that time of year, and for a few years, I wasn’t feeling the holiday like I have my whole life. I wasn’t trying to be grumpy. But that feeling inside, that holiday spirit, was not there.”
At the time, Souders knew just about every rock act in the area, thanks to his work in booking and promoting shows for Cain’s Ballroom as well as his own Tulsa club, Ikon. Those performers in turn knew him as a rock ‘n’ roll vocalist, notably with the ‘80s band Lynx. Armed with that knowledge, they’d often ask him to do a song or two when they played one of his venues.
“I sat in as a guest performer with everyone from Brian Parton to Pit Bulls on Crack – and that’s quite a variety,” he notes with a laugh. “It was nice to sit in, but I really started missing having my spot in the band, instead of being the guest. So in ’98, I mentioned to my good friend Erv Felker, from the band Difuser, that I’d really like to start playing music again. And Erv said, ‘Okay. Be at rehearsal on Wednesday.’”
The invitation just happened to come as the Christmas season was approaching. It was, according to Souders, the perfect time to go in the studio and record some holiday tunes.
“Like a lot of people, I’d been fascinated with holiday music as a kid,” he recalls. “Elvis’ holiday music, and then Bruce Springsteen’s versions and Robert Plant – he and the Honeydrippers appeared on Saturday Night Live in, like, December of ’84, and Paul Shaefer was in the band, and Brian Setzer, and they did ‘Santa Claus Is Back in Town,’ with fake snow.
“So as long as I can remember, doing holiday music seemed really cool to me. It had always been in the back of my mind. So we said, ‘Let’s do it,’ and I remember that when we started getting into it, the spirit just flooded back into me like nobody’s business. It was a holiday epiphany, you might say. I’m not trying to be too cheesy, but I felt like running through the streets like Jimmy Stewart [in the classic holiday film It’s A Wonderful Life].”
Officially, that first band was named DDS, for Dave, Difuser and the Tulsa-based guitarist Sparquis, all of whom contributed to the project.
“We went into the studio and recorded about four or five holiday songs,” says Souders. “We knew we wanted it to be energetic and fun, and right off the bat it just hit. I was hooked.”
The next year around the holidays, Souders and Difuser recorded a couple more Yuletide rockers. Then, in 2000, as he remembers it, he decided to “go for broke” and hand-pick a group of Tulsa’s most prominent rockers to bring into the studio. Felker, Jeff Graham and Greg Klaus, of the band Fanzine, played guitars; Gerald Wood, who’d been the bassist for Souders’ former group Lynx, played bass, Billy Berkenbile was on drums, and Tex Montana added her vocals and guitar to the mix, which featured Souders as lead singer.
In the time-honored tradition of musicians kidding one other about their importance, they started comparing themselves to the group of international superstars that had created the famous Quincy Jones-produced charity record “We Are the World” back in 1985.
“Quincy Jones had put a sign up [in the studio] that said, ‘Check your egos at the door.’ Our running joke was, ‘Check your snowshoes at the door,’ because there was ice on the ground and it was cold,” remembers Souders. “Tex Montana made a joke about how it was like a galaxy of Tulsa stars, and I thought, ‘Galaxy . . . Team Galaxy.’ That’s where the name came from.” (Team Galaxy, a French-Canadian animated series that ran on the Cartoon Network, didn’t begin airing until several years later.)
Sporting its newly christened name, Souders’ Team Galaxy began appearing annually on his radio show, spreading from there to local television. “Since 2004 or 2005, we’ve been on Channel 8; they’ve declared us their official holiday band,” he notes.
At about the same time, Souders began distributing CDs from the group – first as limited-edition giveaways containing a few songs, and then as commercial full-length holiday discs, beginning with 2004’s The Sled Chronicles and continuing with 2011’s The Acoustic Chronicles. By the time this story appears, a third one will also be available at online music stores and in Tulsa at Dwelling Spaces, Ida Red and Starship. Those CDs, Souders says, along with downloads from the discs, have sold “surprisingly well” across the country and in Mexico, Canada and Europe.
As has been the case the past few years, Team Galaxy also has a number of live seasonal gigs in Tulsa, including River Lights at River Parks on Dec. 7 and BOK Center’s Winterfest on Dec. 21. At 10 p.m. Dec. 15, this year’s version of the band appears on the annual Homegroan holiday broadcast.
Although the group’s lineup has changed through the years, Souders still attracts top area musicians to Team Galaxy. This year, the aggregation includes veteran keyboardist and engineer Hank Charles, bassist Dave Taube (formerly with Bunnies of Doom), former Lynx drummer Chris Cobb and guitarists Jeff Graham (who first came aboard in 2000) and Andy Callis. Callis is a frequent collaborator with Tony Romanello, who’s been a Team Galaxy member since the very early 2000s. This year, however, Romanello, with a new second child, is taking some time off. According to Souders, the well-known vocalist and guitarist has already committed to being a part of the Team in 2014.
“For me,” Souders says, “it’s cool to bring in people from my past and my present – from the whole history of my music in Tulsa. As the years have gone by and we’ve changed, some of Tulsa’s best musicians have been on board. It’s quite an impressive list of people who’ve come and gone through it, and I’m humbled by their participation in the project.”
It’s those musicians, he adds, who are responsible for reinfusing him with the holiday spirit, a process that began a decade and a half ago, when he was wondering if he’d ever feel it again.
“I didn’t know if it would ever come back,” he says. “But it’s been on full speed ever since. Christmas once again speaks very loudly to me.”
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Tri-Cities region of Tennessee and Virginia offers small town charm and breathtaking natural beauty.
Let’s face it: Most travelers with any experience can name the great cities of the world, the American “second cities” that are equally as appealing and, of course, well-traveled specific tourist destinations.
But is Manhattan, Miami Beach or Milan the kind of place you want to head off to, with limited vacation time and a deep need to get away from the hustle of modern reality and recharge your battery, whether solo, on a romantic recharge or with the whole family in tow? Not so much.
To really escape to the quiet world – the world of Walden’s Pond and wanderlust –one must escape the tried and true and certainly abandon any list of most popular tourist destinations. The good news? The United States is full of just such places, in virtually every state and in any type of physical environment you might personally find refreshing, from desert to remote beaches to mountains and every other green-scape. And in the Tri-Cities region of northeast Tennessee.
While major cities and western Tennessee are better-known visitor regions in the Volunteer State, this region and its primary city, Kingsport, make for an exceptional natural getaway. Particularly in the fall, when the region turns lush and colorful, this obscure part of the state is a hidden treasure that should not be missed.
Check into your accommodations and acclimate to your environment. While three cities and land in two states technically fall into this region, Kingsport is the best bet for accommodations and access to the regional natural attractions. If a late dinner sounds good, try Braeden’s Barbeque for a delicious take on regional cooking. Walk it off in this quaint town, and you’ll be aching to see more of the area by morning.
Saturday morning, it’s time to connect to the region’s past, and there is no better way than Exchange Place, a farm that to this day reflects the reality of Kingsport’s agricultural past in a way that will fascinate historian and child alike. See period livestock, crafts and a real-world view of history here. Finish the afternoon with high-speed fun at Bristol Motor Speedway. Leaping Lizard Family Entertainment Center is an essential stop for the with-kids crowd before heading back to town for dinner at Phil’s Dream Pit for more regional barbecue or Chop House for traditional cuts of meat.
Sunday is connect-with-nature day, and this is an ideal location for that. It’s as easy as a scenic drive through the Tri-Cities region if it’s fantastic foliage season, or else choosing between Bays Mountain Park and its many ways of viewing the surrounding beauty. Warriors’ Path State Park is another good bet, particularly in the fall, as is a round of golf at Cattails at Meadowview, where you’ll want to be sure and check the seafood buffet schedule in advance. Enough with barbecue for dinner? Go for old-school fast food at Pal’s Sudden Service or Riverfront Seafood Company to complete an eclectic but relaxing escape to another green country.
At A Glance
Access: By commercial flight, the Tri-Cities area is serviced, regionally, by Tri-Cities Regional Airport. Population: Approx. 500,000 in the region. Climate: Generally mild, with measurable differences based on altitude; cooler evenings in general and an intense fall. Main Attractions: Fall foliage, scenic paths, parks and historical interests.
Stay In Style
Marriott MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center is luxury, amenities and comfort at its best in Kingsport, and service is top-notch. The business center is well prepared for the executive and the fitness center helps you keep on routine. www.marriott.com The Fox Manor Historic Bed & Breakfast is different, a world away with quiet and comfort. Great breakfasts, personalized service and comfort pair nicely with “getting away with it all.”
www.foxmanor.com
Hot Picks
Pose: Don’t show off that you’re from out of town; and know the municipal components of the Tri-Cities region are Kingsport, Johnson and Bristol – and Bristol has a twin city in adjacent Virginia. Ride: Budding equestrian or long-time rider, check out Warriors’ Path Riding Stables for a different way to connect to the region’s past. Kiddies: If nature and foliage bore the kids – of any age – consider the Putt-Putt Fun Center for family fun that has been known to get out of hand, in a good way.
Twin center islands are dominant features in the kitchen, which includes a large family room, complete with comfortable seating and a fireplace. Photo by David Cobb.
The homeowners’ renovation mandate was clear when designer Jennifer Welch was hired to give a spacious estate in Nichols Hills a fresh, new look.
“The couple wanted their home to have a transitional look – not too traditional or contemporary,” Welch says. “They wanted it light, cozy, elegant, but not stuffy. Most important, they wanted a comfortable setting for their family, including two high schoolers and one college student.
“For me, it was like walking into a blank slate,” Welch recalls. “The home had been completely updated when [the homeowners] purchased it. They wanted a look that would make the home their own.”
The Georgian-style two-story, U-shaped home is approximately 10,000 square feet in size. It follows this traditional style in its exterior and interior footprint. Stepping inside, a large staircase to the right of the living room leads to the children’s upstairs haven: four bedrooms and a sitting area.
“The home has good, neutral bones, and the floor plan is terrific,” Welch says. “Every room leading outside features French doors, so I had the opportunity to do a variety of cool draperies.” Four fireplaces and mantels also offered design opportunities.
“Incorporating some of their furnishings they wanted to keep was the biggest challenge,” Welch notes. “The wife has a great eye for design. The couple travels frequently and now has a wonderful art collection. They were quite involved in the placement of certain furnishings and all the art.”
Welch began the yearlong renovation with a soft, neutral color palette of white, light cream and gray. Paintings frequently provided the color pop needed to give the rooms drama. Occasionally, Welch added bold color surprises with lamps or vases, placed to draw attention.
Texture also added to the home’s comfortable elegance. Welch used a black-and-white grasscloth wallpaper in the formal dining room and a dyed cowhide rug cut into octagon and hexagon shapes under the dark walnut sleigh bed in the master bedroom; raffia fronts enhance the custom made bedside night stands.
Two alpaca wool runners accent the floor in front of the commercial range and sink in the kitchen, adding texture, warmth and comfort. The kitchen includes a spacious family room.
This family enjoys reading constantly. Welch created a special reading area in the living room with ideal chairs for this leisure time activity – an Eames chair, ottoman and complementary side table for him; a stately, contemporary high-back chair for her.
A custom silk and wool rug in gray, cream and pale blue anchors the seating area in the living room, as does a custom made coffee table fashioned of cut marble tiles and curved antique brass legs. Custom made consoles feature matching ottomans and lamps, creating a symmetrical look.
The dining room is exquisite. Welch used the existing Chippendale table and chairs, updating with two new, oversize host and hostess chairs. Custom made chandeliers of white carved wood with silver leaf and white lacquer add a contemporary contrast.
Welch had draperies made of gray silk with a white phalange down the side for a look she calls “rather sexy.” Fresh white orchids dress the table. An adjacent bar transitions this room to the kitchen and family room.
“The family lived in the house for a year before the renovation,” Welch says. “They wanted to know the house well before we began the redecorating process. She knew what she wanted, and we worked in phases. They were very mindful that this was a collaboration. She was comfortable with every decision I made, and they trusted me to help execute their vision for their home.”
In a time when drama and music classes are being eliminated from schools as budgets are cut, the minds behind Any Given Child at the Kennedy Center see art as not only a way to bring culture to students but also as a valuable tool to teach them core curriculum.
“After a 2011 visit from the Kennedy Center, it was evident that our city, arts organizations and school district were all committed to the improvement of education in and through the arts,” says Jean Swanson, director of constituent and student services for Tulsa Public Schools. “Tulsa was chosen as the fifth city in the nation to participate in the initiative.”
There are three layers to the program: live arts experiences, arts integration and art for art’s sake.
For the live arts experience, each grade level goes on a field trip to a different museum or performance. Fifth graders see a Tulsa Ballet performance. Amber Tait, executive director of Any Given Child-Tulsa, says she received an email from a fifth grade teacher who said her students were not excited about the trip but ended up loving the ballet, even asking when they could go again.
Where this program really shines is in its ability to integrate arts into everyday lesson plans. “Field study trips are surrounded by extensive, meaningful arts integrated curriculum that is tied to common core standards in language arts, math, social studies and the visual arts,” explains Tait. “This curriculum allows students to form deeper connections not only to an art form, but to core academic subjects as well.”
As for art for art’s sake, it is as it sounds. “Art is a valuable asset to the lives of participating students because it expands their horizons,” says Tait. “Arts participation allows students to express ideas and feelings that can’t be communicated in other ways.”
Of all the great contemporary authors in the world, the U.K.’s Kazuo Ishiguro was named the winner of the 2013 Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award. If you’d written novels like The Remains of the Day, Never Let Me Go and The Unconsoled, you, too, would have been considered for this prestigious honor from the Tulsa Library Trust. Enlightening on human vulnerabilities and set against war or extraordinary circumstances, Ishiguro’s novels have made him one of the most celebrated fiction writers today. But you can hear about all these things plus what encourages him to continue writing such striking character studies. The author will speak and sign copies of his books at the Hardesty Regional Library’s Connor’s Cove theater, 8316 E. 93rd St. at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. Before Ishiguro speaks, Teresa Miller, executive director of the Oklahoma Center for Poets & Writers at OSU-Tulsa, will be inducted into the Library Hall of Fame. The day is made for reading. Learn more at www.tulsalibrary.org.
Living Arts of Tulsa brings its The Four Elements to the floor of its gallery space this weekend. Five artists exhibit pieces from clay, fiber, metal and wood for the annual show that interprets nature in surprising and beautiful ways. The show opens Friday, Dec. 6, with a reception with the artists from 6-9 p.m. at Living Arts, 307 E. Brady St., in the Brady Arts District as part of area’s December arts crawl. Artists participating are Milissa Burkart, Peggy Upham, Teresa Wilbur, Frank Campbell and Barbara Buell. The Four Elements continues through Dec. 21. Visit www.livingarts.org for a gallery schedule and more information.
If you’re looking for a little tradition in your holiday shopping, Tulsa has two markets that combine old with new and homespun flair.
The German-American Society of Tulsa opens its Christkindlmarkt 2013 this weekend. Modeled on outdoor holiday markets found throughout Germany, Christkindlmarkt runs from Friday, Dec. 6-Sunday, Dec. 8 at the German-American Society of Tulsa building on the northwest corner of 15th Street and Lewis Avenue. Enjoy a market filled with imported German gift items as well as the flavors of tasty traditional foods. Admission is free, but take some cash to enjoy a schnitzel sandwich and apfelstrudel. See www.gastulsa.org for more information.
The Tulsa Herb Society brings back the holiday gift market Carols & Crumpets: An Herbal Wonderland from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. This event has become a tradition for Tulsa and shoppers looking for something truly unique to give and decorate the home. Because everything has an herbal component, you’re sure to find plenty of soaps, candles, handmade ornaments, candies and other handmade goodies at the vendors’ tables. Look for it at the Tulsa Garden Center, 2435 S. Peoria Ave. Admission is free, but lunch at the Snowflake Café isn’t. Read more at www.tulsaherb.com.
