A couple of years ago, Andolini’s was a pizzeria in Owasso that enjoyed cult-like status for freshly made pizzas, spicy stromboli and authentic Italian creations. Tulsans flocked north to the suburb to experience the delicious pies. Now, in 2013, Andolini’s second location, on Cherry Street, is an always-packed hangout for families and friends looking to enjoy good food and good drink. The pizzeria also caters to the late-night crowd, offering pizza by the slice at night, at the Cherry Street location as well as from its mobile food truck. Pizza toppings offered by the slice vary by day; plenty of roasted garlic may top the pie one night, while another night may see pizzas topped with a plethora of meats. 1552 E. 15th St., Tulsa. www.andolinis.com
How To Poach An Egg
Few foods are more delicious than a perfectly poached egg. Whether part of an elegant brunch or over toast when you’re sick, poached eggs are so easy to prepare, there’s no reason to save them for special occasions. However, sometimes even the easiest tasks can seem daunting. While simple, there is some technique involved to get perfect results every time. Chef Trevor Tack from R Bar and Grill on Brookside offers tips to make this task a little less menacing.
For starters, use the freshest eggs possible. To perfectly poach those eggs, fill a saucepan with cool water. Next, bring the water to a bare simmer. Tack says that the water is ready when the tiny bubbles resemble those in Champagne. If the water is boiling too vigorously, the egg will be torn apart.
Before adding the egg to the water, add a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar. According to Tack, this step helps the white coagulate quickly.
Next, swirl the water with a spoon to create a whirlpool effect. This will result in a more uniform shape. When adding the egg, either pour it from a small bowl or crack it directly into the water. Once the egg has cooked for three or four minutes and the white is set, remove with a slotted spoon and serve as desired.
Aged To Perfection
Justin Thompson should be relaxed and lazing on his laurels. Less than two years ago, his first restaurant, Juniper, raised the bar on Tulsa dining. And now, with Prhyme, Thompson has reinvented the steakhouse for the 21st century.
He strolls toward the kitchen, scanning the tables in the dining room. It’s not yet 5 p.m., but diners are happily eating, served by attentive waiters dressed in well-tailored dark suits. Thompson gestures toward the leather chairs, the black-stained wood, the earth-toned walls. Scattered about are quirky sculptures and oddly comforting canvases by Cooper Cornelius. The classic steakhouse, Thompson observes, is rough, inelegant, darkly masculine. “I didn’t want to be like that,” he says. “I wanted warm, inviting, comfortable.” And, he says, the service must match. Those dapper, elegant waiters are well-trained and knowledgeable, but their main task is to make each guest feel welcome. After all, he says, “pleasing our guests is why we’re here.”
The kitchen is bright, spotless and very crowded. Moving like a well-oiled machine, disciplined groups of sous-chefs are trimming fat from red, glistening filets. And there are the broilers. They reach 1,600 degrees, which gives a fully browned exterior while leaving the center as rare as you like. But everyone’s eyes are drawn toward those beautiful, well-marbled steaks. They’re grass-fed beef, beef from cows that roam the range and graze in pastures. That yields leaner meat with a rich distinctive flavor – like wild game, Thompson opines – totally unlike its corn-fed cousins.
“We’re different from any steakhouse I’ve ever heard of,” Thompson explains, “because we offer three kinds of beef.” There’s grass-fed beef, USDA Prime 21-day, wet-aged beef and, king of the hill and never before seen in Tulsa, USDA Prime 40-day dry-aged beef. (Sometimes a fourth kind, kobe-style beef, is available.) USDA Prime itself is a rarity; only one out of every 100 steers is good enough to make the grade. Aging improves flavor. Wet-aged meat is wrapped in airtight plastic during aging, allowing enzymes to break down the meat and liberate the flavor. For dry-aging, the meat is simply hung in a cooler; the meat loses water, intensifying its flavor and is broken down by airborne organisms as well as enzymes. The three kinds of beef, says Thompson, are vastly different in flavor and texture. He sees this as a chance for diners to explore and experiment. It’s like a wine tasting; a table of three can each get a different kind, share tastes, explore new flavors, find out what they really like.
But what if you hate steak? Can you still find reason to love Prhyme? Thompson isn’t sure. Still, unlike the traditional steakhouse, which might offer a dry, flavorless slab of fish or chicken to accommodate the lone man out in a party of carnivores, Thompson has designed a bevy of creative entrees featuring produce of the air and sea. There’s blue crab ravioli with truffled sauce Mornay, duck breast with turnip puree and blackberry compote and brown butter scallops garnished with portobello duxelles. If you’re a very rich steak-hater, you can pamper yourself with a lavish spread of Osetra caviar and a $1,500 bottle of first-growth claret. The extensive wine list, designed by sommelier Joe Breaux, also offers 27 much less expensive wines by the glass, as well as more than 200 by the bottle, including, alongside those from famous chateaux, many off-the-beaten-path small boutique wines.
Thompson spends at least half an hour each day training and meeting with the staff. “I love them,” he says, “because they have the same goals and values as I do: making the best product and taking care of guests.” He rushes off to do that now. Nonstop, high-pressure work – how does he do it? “It’s easy,” says Thompson, “because I’m doing what I love. I’m having fun.” 111 N. Main, Suite A, Tulsa. www.prhymetulsa.com
Layers Of Style
“I was always afraid to implement color when decorating,” says homeowner Bershunda Taylor, “because I didn’t think I knew how to do it.” So when she, her husband Anthony and 2-year-old son Jaxon moved into their traditional Broken Arrow home and Taylor was faced with predominately neutral finishes, she called designer Kara Paslay for help. “We had a modest budget, and I am still amazed at the results Kara was able to achieve.”
The only existing pieces of living room furniture were the brown leather sofa and a dark wall hutch for the television. Instead of the costly option of painting the walls with the 20-foot ceilings, Paslay chose to add a stained oak chair rail and paint below a vibrant blue. Plum drapery panels from IKEA provide an envelope of color for Paslay to add her trademark layering of color, texture and finishes.
“I like to go ‘outside the box’ when exploring resources for each project,” says Paslay. She regularly checks Jossandmain.com and Onekingslane.com for online sales, and that is where she found the pair of chairs flanking the fireplace and the area rug. The pine sofa table, fireplace screen and mirror piece above the fireplace are from another favorite source, IMAX Worldwide Home, whose headquarters are in Tulsa.
With some paint and gold leaf, a buffet discovered at the flea market was repurposed into a storage unit for Jaxon’s toys. “And because Jaxon is at the climbing and exploring age, Kara suggested using an ottoman instead of a coffee table,” adds Taylor. But instead of an expensive custom piece, Paslay selected a pair from the furniture line at Target.com and pushed them together. The serving tray is actually a frame showcasing a stylish piece of wrapping paper with hardware added. “I like to use items that can be changed out easily according to the season,” shares Paslay.
“My goal is to reflect the people who live in the space,” Paslay adds. The couple met at The University of Tulsa, where Anthony was on the Golden Hurricane football team. So in a subtle but colorful ode to their history, Paslay found a hurricane photo from the National Weather Service and uploaded it to Art.com and printed it on a large canvas.
The captain’s chair near the buffet was another flea market find. Although it was in great shape, the front looked a little worn, so Paslay freshened it by applying a contrasting fabric dye.
Transitioning into the dining room, Paslay used the same deep blue paint below the chair rail as in the living room to provide continuity. And instead of filling the existing alcove with a typical buffet or china cabinet, 3D wall tiles from Inhabitliving.com were installed. Paslay handcrafted the gold leaf edge of the solid wood live edge counter that provides a handy serving area. And instead of covering the wall tiles with a piece of art, Paslay used a matte gold paint to create a custom pattern, turning the wall into a piece of art.
Focusing also on the couple’s love of the beach, Paslay chose a handmade capiz shell chandelier from Z Gallerie. And she selected a sisal rug to blend in, not to be a focus. The couple already owned the dining table, but Paslay added the gray acrylic ghost chairs. The host chairs are accented with matching scarves. Finally, as a feature, Paslay manipulated a picture of Jaxon in Photoshop, had them printed at a nearby FedEx Office and framed them.
The Taylors are so pleased with Paslay’s results they are beginning work on another part of the house. “Our home has a beautiful elegance for the adults to enjoy but is also comfortable and functional for our family,” says Taylor.
What We’re Eating
Pig & A Pint
The Alley
St. Michael’s Alley, a Tulsa staple and purveyor of white chili, closed many years ago. But recently, The Alley – a modern gastropub with a menu that celebrates traditional pub fare by adding contemporary, gourmet touches – has opened in the space once occupied by its namesake. Now, in addition to The Alley’s rendition of that legendary chili, the restaurant offers everything from Scotch eggs and burgers for those looking for a quick bite to elegant plates, like the braised short rib accompanied with roasted cauliflower and parsnip puree, and the Ribeye Frites, a 12-ounce steak with an espresso rub served with Brussels sprouts and frites. But on Tuesdays, The Alley is the place to go for Pig & A Pint, the restaurant’s monthly pork special served with a draft beer for just $10. Past monthly specials have included pulled pork and pork shoulder sandwich. 3324 E. 31st St., Tulsa. www.alleytulsa.com
Sandwiches
Napoleon Deli
Great places to lunch in a city are easy to spot because they are crammed for several hours with hungry souls searching for sustenance and perhaps a little comfort, all needed in under an hour. Napoleon Deli, located in Midwest City, is a lunchtime favorite for many in the area, particularly Tinker Air Force employees. Fresh-baked bread is filled with sandwich makings for classics, like tuna, roast beef and turkey. The soups are equally memorable, with staples like tomato, potato and French onion. The menu is simple. The folks at Napoleon are not pushing the culinary envelope; they are merely providing high-quality staples for the masses. 1120 S. Douglas Ave., Midwest City. 405.732.6773
Keeping Your Cool
Before Oklahoma’s hot, steamy summer sends you indoors to cool off, make sure your air conditioner is ready for the job. Since air conditioning units are engineered to perform for years, it is easy to become complacent about investing in regular tune-ups.
“Think of it as a preventative measure, like changing the oil in your car,” says Jason White, VP of Sales for Air Comfort Solutions.
White says an annual tune-up, typically around $75 or less, provides lower utility bills, a longer life for the unit and, ultimately, fewer repairs. “For instance, a belt might still be working but could be rotten,” says White. “If it’s not replaced then it could fail during the high stress of summer causing even additional damage.”
“An annual maintenance plan for servicing cooling equipment is the homeowner’s lowest cost of ownership,” adds Austin Boyce of Airco Service, Inc. In fact, some cooling equipment manufacturers are now requiring an annual maintenance tune-up as a part of their warranties.
The technician will check the air flow, clean the condensing unit coils, replace air filters, adjust the belts, oil fan motors and verify the system operating pressures and temperatures using the manufacturers’ specifications. The coolant level is also important to check because a system that is only 10 percent low on coolant can cost up to 20 percent more to operate. And a small refrigerant leak is easily fixed, but replacing the compressor when low coolant levels burn the unit out is expensive.
Be aware that the cost of Freon, or R-22, the refrigerant most used in systems that were manufactured before 2010, is becoming more expensive since its use is being phased out by 2020. A reputable air conditioning company can assist homeowners when considering the long-term costs versus benefits of repairing an older unit or replacing it with a newer efficient system utilizing new coolant technologies.
“Often homeowners are unaware of the age of their equipment, so a tune-up allows them to plan ahead if it looks like they might need to replace their unit,” says Boyce.
Other benefits of investing in an annual maintenance tune-up include discounts offered by most companies on any necessary repairs, including parts and even overtime labor.
Plus, those customers are also on a priority list reducing the uncomfortably warm wait time in case a service call is required.
In addition to seasonal tune-ups, ideas to help homeowners keep their system operating properly include buying quality filters and changing them regularly. Also keep bushes, vines and leaves away from the unit and if possible provide some shade for your A/C compressor.
According to the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA), your cooling unit doesn’t just control temperature. “It has an impact on the air that you breathe, on moisture and mold growth, the amount of energy that you use and money that you spend, and most importantly, on you and your family’s health.”
Wine Gadgets
There was a time not too long ago in which all one needed to be a dedicated oenophile were a bottle of decent wine, a couple of glasses and slightly more knowledge of the vino than the person with whom you were sharing it.
Technology has changed much of this – though not the pretension, of course. Today, numerous gadgets enable true wine aficionados to maximize their appreciation.
Wine saver systems were the first major advent for home drinkers since advanced corkscrews. These systems, which range in cost and quality, enable users to remove excess air from an open bottle of wine and thus keep it fresh and in top quality to drink for a week to 10 days, generally. The result: One doesn’t need to finish a bottle of wine on one occasion and then surrender the remainder for cooking.
Wine aerators might be the niftiest newcomer. These systems, which again, vary considerably in price and effectiveness, enable drinkers to let their wine breathe without having to decant. Aerators work in about the time it takes to pour a glass of wine, so for serious wine-lovers, particularly red wine lovers, it’s one of the more handy tools.
Wine finers are systems – simple or elaborate – that filter out any cork, tartar or sediment as one pours a glass. Some, such as the Nuance Wine Finer, also decants red wine and can act as a cork to boot.
Other wine related advances such as wine chillers, thermometers, foil cutters and high-end openers have their place but don’t necessarily increase the quality of the drinking experience. Still, for those who recall the day when pretense was a big part of the oenophile fun, why not? That pesky foil around the top of a champagne bottle can be so challenging.
Easy Peasy
Since spring has almost sprung, it’s time to dig up those veggie recipes that the kids, both young and old, may flat refuse to eat. Green peas, in particular, have a bad reputation. If the thought of eating those little green orbs conjures up childhood nightmares of being force-fed the mushy vegetable, take heart. Peas can be quite delicious when combined with just a few simple ingredients.
Believe it or not, peas are packed with nutrients. Just one cup of peas contains eight grams of protein, seven grams of fiber and only 100 calories. Peas also contain a powerful antioxidant called coumestrol that is particularly helpful in helping prevent stomach cancer. Peas are good sources of vitamins A, B complex, C and K as well as potassium.
As nutritious as peas are, the nutrients will do no good if no one will eat them. Since kids may be reluctant to eat peas in their familiar form, try serving them as a dip with celery or carrot sticks.
Spring Pea Hummus With Mint
Makes about 2 cups
1 lb. fresh green peas
Water
1/4 c. tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tbsp. fresh, chopped mint leaves
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. olive oil or more if needed
Salt and pepper to taste
Place peas in a saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until peas are tender, about 2-3 minutes. Drain and cool. Combine peas and remaining ingredients, except salt and pepper, in the food processor. Process until almost smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crackers or pita chips.
Erin Go Bragh
Arriving early on Friday afternoon permits you the opportunity to settle into your accommodations, get the lay of the land and slip out to your immediate or preferred environs to take in Dublin’s vaunted pub scene. Besides finding that the Guinness tastes better here than back home, you might also appreciate that Dublin is a place where you can learn plenty of the city’s history and culture in pubs. Take a risk with pub grub that might not sound familiar – there will be ample time later for cuisine.
Saturday morning, you’ll want to get an early start visiting the primary must-see sites of Dublin. Use a map to plan the most effective course to the various sites. The Dublin Bus Tour, Green Bus, is a good option to visit a number of sites efficiently. You’ll find plenty of information about it and other tours at your hotel. You’ll definitely want to take the tour of The Old Jameson Distillery and the romantic past of Irish whiskey; the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin’s No. 1 attraction; and stop to see The Book of Kells, a world famous illuminated manuscript of the Gospels from the Bible written in Latin. It was painstakingly hand-written and illustrated by monks around 800 A.D. and accentuates Ireland’s historic past. Take a break at Temple Bar for grog and grub – it’s Dublin’s most famous, albeit touristy pub. Walk it off in the afternoon having a look at some of the city’s historic and architectural treasures, such as St. Patrick’s Cathedral (where Jonathan Swift’s remains rest), Christ Church Cathedral, the National Botanical Gardens and the National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology. You’ll be plenty hungry for dinner, and maybe for a little more culture, too. Consider an Evening of Food, Folklore & Fairies offered by Irish Folk Tours (www.irishfolktours.com) or fine dining at Arch Bistro or the exceptional Chapter One.
Sunday morning, take your breakfast at Mayfield Deli & Eatery or at the Queen of Tarts, and then walk it off either at beautiful Phoenix Park or St. Stephen’s Green, the beautiful urban park made famous by James Joyce’s Ulysses. Alternately, stroll the Dublin Zoo or shop along Grafton Street, the city’s main shopping boulevard, complete with the shops of trendy Irish designers. George’s Street Arcade, roughly comparable to Bond Street, is another good choice, as is taking in more historic sites, such as Trinity College and Dublin Castle, for 700 years the seat of British power in Ireland. Finish your evening with ethnic dining at either the acclaimed Sabor Brazil or Rasam Restaurant, and you’ll find yourself celebrating a very successful trip to the Emerald Isle.
Stay In Style
The Merrion Hotel deliciously combines Old World and New, from pleasant doormen always with an umbrella handy to acclaimed modern art exhibited throughout; and from fire-warmed parlors ideal for taking one’s tea to a handy business center and free internet connection. Relaxed grandeur abounds at this five-star centrally located hotel. Two landscaped period gardens, décor and ambiance combine to offer a distinct Irish experience in a luxurious environment. www.merrionhotel.com
The Four Seasons Hotel Dublin has high standards to meet given the Four Seasons flag flying over it, yet it meets and exceeds those expectations. All of the amenities one would expect of a Four Seasons can be found here, including all the tech necessities favored by business travelers, international satellite TV and high-speed internet. But the spacious and luxurious hotel never lets guests forget where they are – with rooms and suites looking out over leafy cityscapes and lush, landscaped parks. Service is also typically exceptional. www.fourseasons.com/Dublin
The Westbury Hotel is one of The Leading Hotels of the World, and rejuvenated by a multi-million euro refurbishment, it is an urban retreat with Dublin city on its doorstep. Located in the heart of Dublin, this stylish, 5-star hotel provides easy access to the city’s best entertainment and business districts. All rooms have been refurbished to offer the best of both modern technology and convenience and intrinsic Irish charm in the form of linens, décor and furnishings. www.doylecollection.com
The Buzz: Sushi Alley Izakaya
You don’t expect stark modern decor to convey a quintessentially Japanese sense of tranquility and grace, but that’s what you’ll find when you leave the bustle of Utica Square behind and walk through the door of Sushi Alley Izakaya. As befits such a setting, the elegant and artfully presented food you’ll be served is both modern and thoroughly Japanese. Chef Greg Bossler first learned to prepare sushi at his Japanese mother’s knee, so it’s not surprising that there’s a large selection of sushi: colorfully-topped nigiri laid out with jewel-like precision, slices of sashimi arranged in a pattern as complex as a prized kimono and creative American-style rolls. But if you stick to the raw, you’ll be missing Sushi Alley’s most creative, eye-popping delights. Tender, flavorful scallops are grilled with yuzu kosho, a traditional marinade from Kyushu Island made from the peel of the yuzu fruit mixed with zesty green peppers. Yakitori skewers of chicken or flavor-packed pork belly are brushed with tare sauce and grilled; the meat is sweet, juicy and sublime. If you want to do the grilling yourself, order the Ishiyaki Beef. Slices of raw beef will be brought to your table, along with a flame-heated stone on which to cook it. What all these have in common, says Bossler, is “our core philosophy: There is elegance and sophistication to be found in simplicity.” 1730 Utica Square, Tulsa. www.sushi-alley.com
