There are a sea of culinary goodies at Tulsa’s Mother Road Market – so many great options that you may get overwhelmed with sheer possibility. But one restaurant you won’t want to skip over is LeRoux’s Kitchen.
Armed with the mission of “translating love through food,” LeRoux is brimming with Creole offerings you can’t find just anywhere. The restaurant, owned and operated by New Orleans native Renauld Porter and partner Gabriela Castañeda, began as a catering business. After the pair participated in the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation’s Kitchen 66 kickstarter program, LeRoux’s gained a permanent spot in the dining hall.
Entrees include seafood gumbo, shrimp gumbo, and honey jalapeno baskets, both fish and chicken. If you want to try something you probably haven’t noshed before, the yakamein is a reliable venture; the beef noodle soup comes with half a hard-boiled egg and chopped green onions, and you can also add shrimp. Vegans should keep an eye on the restaurant’s social media pages – they often provide options on rotation with zero animal byproducts. Sides and sweets round out the offerings. Try jalapeno cornbread, jambalaya, gumbo or lanyap fries, usually loaded with Creole goodness on top. Or satiate your sweet tooth with banana or bread pudding. No matter what you choose, you won’t go wrong.
Chef Eric Smith, who operates both The Crown and The Crown Room, works diligently to incorporate all five senses into his dining experiences. Photos courtesy The Crown Room
When Oklahoma City chef Eric Smith opened Pachinko, a high-end Asian restaurant adjacent to his wildly popular The Crown Room on North Western Ave., he didn’t take into account how confusing the name might be to fans of his fare.
You see, Smith also owns Pachinko Parlor, a more casual Japanese establishment located inside local food hall Parlor. Thus, the two concepts often get mixed up. Diners with reservations to Pachinko end up at Pachinko Parlor, and vice versa.
“It’s been an absolute nightmare with confusion,” confirms Smith. “In September, we decided to change [Pachinko’s] name, but we hadn’t decided what it was yet. Everyone knows me from The Crown Room. Why wouldn’t we just call it The Crown?”
On Feb. 20, the team officially renamed Pachinko to The Crown. However, Smith and managing partner Marc Cline are keeping the staple Pachinko flavors – Japanese infused with Peruvian. Many of The Crown’s dishes sparkle, and lately, Smith’s favorite is his Asian take on a traditional Caesar salad: East Meets West. In this rendition, Romaine lettuce and an Asian-inspired Caesar dressing combine with zested egg, rice noodle croutons, chili oil and Parmesan reggiano.
Over at The Crown Room, Smith is known for his magical ability to create an alchemy of sensory enjoyments during his small-group, high-end dining experiences. Each four-course meal, served at once to every guest, comes with a signature scent pumped into the air, as well as a signature piece of music.
“Along with my fascination with people eating the same thing at the same time, I’m fascinated by smell,” says Smith. “Smell is an extremely powerful sense.”
The Crown Room is one of those totally unique dining experiences that celebrities and high-rollers tend to seek out. Most of the curated dinners are booked through word of mouth and capped at 14 people. However, Smith hosted his largest gathering yet in December of 2023 to celebrate the launch of the new OKC Thunder jerseys.
Photos courtesy The Crown Room
“We used live musicians for each course, like Adam Aguilar singing ‘We Will Rock You’ by Queen and Brennin Hunt singing Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean,’” he says.
But before these grand culinary occasions, Smith cut his teeth at a variety of restaurants to hone his craft. He was the fifth chef to go through The Coach House Apprenticeship Program under OKC-based Kurt Fleischfresser, and also worked in Chicago under two different James Beard Award-winning chefs.
“I lived there for 13 years, but moved back because my son was about to be a teenager,” says Smith.
When embarking on the journey to create The Crown Room, the team began with no menu, as every meal is custom.
“Then I started thinking about what all I could do with it, which led to pairing aromas with every course,” says Smith. “The smells are to show you something you’ve never experienced before, and music is to inspire memory.”
Along the way, the chef kept building on the idea of combining senses for a stronger dining experience – and it worked.
“For instance, I take a little bit of Cuban cigar smoke and pipe smoke, blow it into a cookie jar and put the lid on it,” he says. “Then I go around the room and let people smell it, and people go, ‘Oh my God, that reminds me of my grandpa!’ or ‘That’s Uncle Bernie!’ It ties into the dining experience, but it’s not just food you’re smelling. You’re smelling memories and things that may have nothing to do with the dish being served.”
While diners may have confused Pachinko with Pachinko Parlor, Smith doesn’t expect that same confusion with The Crown and The Crown Room. What he does hope is that diners will still flock to the restaurant for its signature Japanese fusion menu – and maybe, just maybe, experience the sensory explosion that is The Crown Room, as well. You can’t lose either way.
Authentic Mexican cuisine can be found at the inconspicuous yet delicious Uncle Paco’s, with locations in Bixby and Owasso. Begin your meal simply with queso fundido – or go wild with the Mexican Sampler, complete with steak nachos, chorizo, chile toreado, guacamole, pico, sour cream and onions.
Main menu items range from fajitas, tacos and nachos to ‘pollo popeye,’ with chicken breast, spinach sauce, cheese, rice and veggies. You can also build your own combo with an assortment of mains and sides. Stick around for enticing seafood offerings including ‘camarones al queso’ – shrimp with onions, mushrooms and mozzarella, as well as ‘mojarra frita,’ which includes a whole fried tilapia with plenty of sides. Classic options abound, like enchiladas, quesadillas and chimichangas. For those looking to imbibe, Uncle Paco’s has its own margarita menu, as well as beer, wine and classic cocktails.
Early birds can find their new favorite spot by visiting OKC’s Gilded Acorn, open seven days a week at 6 a.m inside the historic First National Center. The food and beverage philosophy at this French-style patisserie is that one should enhance the other, and both should be equally and simply enjoyed. That mission comes to life with the restaurant’s menu, which offers breakfast, salads, sandwiches, soups, coffee and bubbly cocktails.
For those coming in early, choose from smoked turkey, New York strip or veggie benedicts, or the sockeye lox with cream cheese, cured salmon and pickled red onions. Salad highlights include the roasted beet and spinach, the nicoise shrimp and the Caesar. You can also enjoy ham and cheese or spinach and tomato quiche, a French dip or an egg salad sandwich, alongside butternut squash and tomato basil soup.
Espresso drinks run the gamut, alongside a slew of champagne offerings and craft cocktails. The restaurant also offers high tea – all you have to do is ask!
Driving between 21st and 31st and Harvard in Tulsa, you’re hit with a vast array of businesses. One nestled within the panoply is Trencher’s, and it’s a place you truly don’t want to miss.
Sandwiches are the restaurant’s specialty, with favorites including the Dutch Crunch – turkey, bacon, Swiss, tomato, arugula, avocado, mayo – along with the Coolio – salami, mortadella, ham, provolone, pepperoncinis, tomato and onion. All sandwiches come on housemade (and delicious) bread. Meatless options include the beet Reuben, the Brad Wesley (egg salad), the spicy falafel and the ‘Vegan Lunch,’ with eggplant caponata, basil and toum on Italian bread. If you roll out of bed at a decent time, try the ‘Sexy Hueveos,’ complete with scrambled eggs, bacon, cheddar and avocado on a plain bagel. The French Toast sandwich is also a must-try. Alongside tasty food options, the restaurant has a full bar, a sprawling patio, shuffleboard and video games options for the kiddos.
Bar Cicchetti is the place to go for just about any occasion – a quick app with a friend, cocktails, or a large family dinner. Even better, a variety of the menu options can be translated into a gluten-free or vegan dish.
Appetizers range from crispy cauliflower to seared tuna carpaccio and potato jackets. For those looking for a light option, try the Mediterranean salad with roasted red peppers, cherry tomatoes, feta, green beans and artichoke hearts. Other enticing options include the blacked chicken Alfredo, the wagyu sirloin steak and the chorizo mac and cheese.
The joint has a handful of craft cocktails and mocktails, as well as impressive Happy Hour deals. Be sure to visit for brunch, with options from breakfast tacos to chicken fried ribs.
Photo by Jeremy Daniel courtesy Celebrity Attractions
No matter what type of performance you enjoy, Oklahoma offers something for everyone in April.
Celebrity Attractions and OKC Broadway both bring the smash-hit musical Chicago to the Tulsa PAC and Civic Center Music Hall – on April 2-3, and 9-13, respectively. Enjoy the beloved show with catchy songs, impressive dance numbers and twists you won’t see coming.
Also in both our major metros is the Glenn Miller Orchestra, arriving at Edmond’s Armstrong Auditorium on April 4 and the Tulsa PAC on April 5. Known as the most sought after big band in the world, Glenn Miller is a can’t-miss.
Back in Tulsa, visit the TCC Van Trease PACE for Tulsa Sings! Best on Broadway on April 6. Guests can enjoy a ride through Broadway’s greatest hits with Tulsa Sings! finalists and famous vocalist Scott Coulter. At the PAC, enjoy comedian Mike Birbiglia on April 9, along with Tulsa Symphony’s Mozart’s Requiem on April 13. Chamber Music Tulsa brings the Dali Quartet on April 21, and Theatre Tulsa’s Once on the Island runs April 26-May 5. For the kiddos, enjoy Tulsa Ballet’s Jack & the Bean Stalk at the Hardesty Center for Dance Education on April 19-20.
In OKC, the Civic Center is the hub for performance goodies. Attend April 5-6 for OKC Phil’s Cirque Musica Heroes & Villains, along with a kid-friendly At The Circus With Phil performance April 7. Another OKC Phil venture, Pines of Rome, plays April 20. Lastly, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets In Concert plays at the Civic on April 26-27. If you’re looking for even more theatrical goodness, venture to Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma for King of Pangaea, playing through April 7.
Around the state, you won’t want to miss The Book of Mormon (April 1-2) and Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott (April 5), both at the McKnight Center for the Performing Arts in Stillwater.
Chicago; photo by Jeremy Daniel courtesy Celebrity Attractions
We’re closing out some seasons, opening others, and getting excited for some outdoor sporting shenanigans this April.
The Tulsa Drillers are back and better than ever at the ONEOK Stadium this month. You can catch them at home April 3, 9-14, 23-28 and 30. At the BOK Center, enjoy the last of the Tulsa Oilers’ hockey season, April 5 and 14. On the flip side, Tulsa Oilers’ football offers games at BOK on April 6 and 20. Stick around the concert hall for the Harlem Globetrotters on April 7 and Smoke and Guns IX on April 27. At the latter, Oklahoma firefighters and police officers box it out for charity. Other sporting events in Tulsa include the Oklahoma Buckskin’s Bloomin’ Blowout on April 6-7 at Expo Square, along with XFN 393 – an MMA and kickboxing match – at River Spirit Casino Resort on April 19.
In Oklahoma City, you can visit Paycom Center for one of several OKC Thunder games this month, on April 9-10, 12 and 14. Additionally, visit RiverSport OKC on April 26-27 for Olympic team trials for events like canoeing, kayaking and slaloming.
College baseball and softball heat up this month. At Norman’s Love’s Field, see the OU softball team play April 11-13 and 19-21. Sooner baseball can be found at L. Dale Mitchell Park on April 12-14, 23 and 26-28. In Stillwater, visit the O’Brate Stadium for Cowboy baseball April 2, 5-7, 12-14, 16, 25-27, and 30, as well as OSU softball at the Cowgirl Stadium April 13-14.
It’s time to celebrate spring and socialize at a variety of community events.
At Tulsa’s Circle Cinema, the Oklahoma Jewish Film Festival runs April 7-11, with a variety of cinema gems from creators around the world. Tulsa Town Hall welcomes documentary storyteller Dawn Porter on April 12 to the Tulsa PAC. Catch the last few weeks of Tulsa Botanic Blooms at Tulsa Botanic Garden, where you’ll see over 150,000 tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other spring-flowering bulbs. Along the same lines, celebrate Mother Nature at the Tulsa Earth Day Celebration, running April 19-21 at Guthrie Green. And if you want to get active and help a great cause, register for the ZooRun on April 20, benefitting the Tulsa Zoo.
In OKC, family-friendly entertainment is around every corner. The Shrine Circus comes to town April 11-14 at the OKC Fairgrounds, and you can stick around the venue for the Festival of Trains Model Train Show on April 13-14. Other can’t-miss events include a speaking engagement with author and psychologist Jordan Peterson, April 13 at Paycom Center, as well as the much-anticipated Festival of the Arts, April 25-28 in Bicentennial Park. Don’t miss the Norman Music Festival, April 25-27 on Main Street, as well as the 24th Annual Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon on April 26-28, starting at the OKC Memorial and Museum.
Around the state, visit the Azalea Festival, all month long at Honor Heights Park in Muskogee, as well as the Montmartre Chalk Festival on April 4 at USAO in Chickasha. Norman’s Medieval Fair returns to Reaves Park on April 5-7, and the Woolaroc Spring Traders Encampment runs April 12-13 in Bartlesville. Lastly, venture to downtown Guthrie for the annual 89ers Day Celebration, April 16-20.
OKC Memorial Marathon;Photo courtesy the OKC National Memorial & Museum
April arrives with a wide array of film choices for whatever cinematic palate you may have. This month also marks the birthday of Mary Willa Allen, Managing Editor here at Oklahoma Magazine. Please plan accordingly, as she honestly deserves all the gifts and more. [Editor’s note: Is he biased because he’s my brother? Yes. Is he still correct? Also yes!]
For your action thriller, take a look at Monkey Man. Written and directed by Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) in his directorial debut, the film follows a man working in an underground fight club who begins a journey of revenge against the corrupt leaders responsible for his mother’s death. Described as “John Wick in Mumbai,” the film was originally going to be a straight-to-Netflix release until Jordan Peele (Get Out) decided it was so good it needed to have a theatrical opening. We’ll see how it does when it releases on April 5.
For more action but with a different angle, check out Civil War. Written and directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina), the story sees a dystopian United States embroiled in a second civil war between the American government and the “Western Forces,” led by Texas and California. The cast includes Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Nick Offerman, and tells an allegorical story about the very real and very polarized present. Hopefully it won’t feel too on the nose when it hits theaters on April 12.
If you want a monster horror flick, Abigail should do nicely. The plot follows a group of kidnappers who must watch over the daughter of a very powerful underworld figure in order to gain a $50 million dollar ransom. However, the girl turns out to be a vampire, aiming to hunt them down one by one. The trailer has a lot of cheese going on, but if it’s anything like 2022’s M3GAN, in which the filmmakers are in on the joke, it could potentially be a very fun and campy ride when it comes out on April 19.
If you’re on the hunt for a spy comedy, make sure to find time for The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Directed by Guy Ritchie (Snatch), known for his British crime capers, the film is billed as the true story about a secret World War II origination called the Special Operation Executive. Founded by Winston Churchill as a means to fight the Nazis in an irregular fashion, the group’s actions helped to change the course of the war for the better. The trailer indicates Ritchie’s usual flair for the flashy, along with comedy and a dynamic cast including Henry Cavill, Eiza Gonzalez and Alan Ritchson. It releases on April 19.
Finally, for those with a love for steamy romantic sports films – a niche category to be sure – check out Challengers. Starring Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a talented tennis player, the movie follows her husband, a Grand Slam champion, going up in a Challenger event against her former lover. The trailer shows off some tennis, flirting, anger, jealousy and Zendaya’s unmatched charisma. Directed by Luca Guadagnino (Bones and All), the film looks ostentatious, sexy and entertaining. It’ll be a perfect addition to your cinema calendar when it releases on April 26.
