Fresh Music

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October 19, 2011

My Brightest Diamond, All Things Will Unwind

You may be familiar with Shara Worden, best known as My Brightest Diamond, for her recent collaborations with a range of indie music heavyweights; she’s contributed her haunting vocals and astounding range to works by The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens and David Byrne. The classically trained musician honed her skills down the turnpike at the University of North Texas in Denton, and she effortlessly combines opera, cabaret, chamber music, rock, punk, electronica and a little bit of everything to create something all her own. Her third studio album is a collaboration with the famed yMusic chamber ensemble.

Ryan Adams, Ashes & Fire

Alt-country dreamboy, Ryan Adams is a quite a prolific guy. Ashes & Fire marks his 13th studio album since bursting onto the scene with his 2000 debut Heartbreaker . He’s also found time to produce for Willie Nelson and for countless collaborations with musicians from Counting Crows to Toots & the Maytals – not to mention his 2009 marriage to Mandy Moore. His latest '60s folk-tinged effort features tracks with Norah Jones.

Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto

With four albums under their belts, Coldplay is by all accounts one of the world’s most successful bands with more than 50 million records sold and a bevy of awards. The band’s last album, Viva La Vida , debuted at number one and sold millions, yet didn’t seem to be as well crafted as previous efforts. According to early reviews, Mylo Xyloto is more reminiscent of the songwriting found on the band’s breakthrough X&Y.

Vince Gill, Guitar Slinger

Norman, Okla. native, Vince Gill, has always done things his own way. He may not get tons of radio play anymore, but he’s still one of the biggest names in country music. And as his last album, the 2006 Grammy-winning four-disc opus, These Days, shows he’s still a master of his craft. As the name suggests, Gill’s latest effort indulges the guitar and includes everything from dark, moody to bright and cheery tracks. It also features his wife Amy Grant and his daughters Jenny, Sarah and Corrina.

Drinking Buddies

By

Staff

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October 19, 2011

Wine clubs come in as many varieties as vino itself, even in a state with arcane laws restricting both mail-order wine-of-the-month clubs and the availability of wines that are everyday in most of the world. Still, clubs of all sorts are great ways to try and to learn about wine and to share with others.

Oklahoma City’s Paseo Grill has launched a special program for wine lovers. With Vintages, guests can purchase fine wines at the best prices available in the market and store their selections in a newly built, 2,220-bottle wine cellar. Their wine steward is available to confer with guests about which wines to purchase. 405.601.1079.

Vintner’s Cellars VC Wine Club offers members fine wines made in Oklahoma from grapes imported from all around the world. Every two months, members receive two bottles of wine selected by their vintner, complete with notes and suggested food pairings. 405.359.9463.

Tulsa Hills Wine Cellar is free to customers with some interesting benefits in addition to discounts, advance notice of special releases and access to invitation-only tastings and events. Members gain access to a website that enables them to see what they’ve purchased from Tulsa Hills Wine Cellar, add their own tasting notes and rank their purchases. 918.445.8804.

Trula

By

Brian Schwartz

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October 18, 2011

Walk into the lobby of the Mayo Hotel and you’re surrounded by the opulence of a bygone era. Now the Mayo has food worthy of a hotel where presidents, tycoons and movie stars once rubbed shoulders. It’s served in a more casual setting just off the main lobby, a two-tier eclectic jumble of Art Deco molding, postmodern metal pipes and beams, and chairs adorned with frescoes of Prohibition-era flappers. Chef Jeff Meldrum, who spent eight years cooking at Southern Hills Country Club, has designed a menu of elegant, classic dishes that would have been acclaimed by the gilded long-gone elite that patronized the Mayo in its glory days. Sole Marguery, invented in Paris around 1890 and a favorite of gilded-era gourmand Diamond Jim Brady, features filet of sole adorned with crab, lobster, mushrooms, and a rich, bubbling French hollandaise. There are modern, cutting-edge entrees, too. A coffee-crusted filet mignon is topped with wilted shallots and a chipotle demi-glace. For those craving a lighter meal, small plates such as beef Carpaccio and oysters Acapulco round out the menu. 115 W. 5th St., Tulsa. www.themayohotel.com

Kansas City, Here We Come

By

Michael W. Sasser

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October 18, 2011

Arriving early on a Friday evening permits the opportunity to check into your hotel and not have to miss an evening in cultural and cosmopolitan Kansas City, Mo. First you’ll want to experience the culinary king of KC, barbecue. Try the third-generation-perfected barbecue at Gates Bar-B-Q or the Zagat-praised Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue. Feel free to indulge, because you can work off some of dinner’s calories at some of the highest energy nightlife venues in the city afterward. Dance at Marquee in downtown’s Power & Light District or enjoy a classic cocktail at the deliciously old-school speak-easy-inspired Manifesto in the Crossroads District. Czar Bar on Grand Boulevard downtown features live music and DJs in an environment both intimate and energetic. If your nocturnal travels take you to Westport late, check out the wine flights and eclectic menu at Firefly Lounge.

Grab breakfast Saturday morning at your hotel or enjoy the relaxed atmosphere at Happy Gillis or the equally friendly Cook Shack Café. You’ll need your strength for the day’s whirlwind tour of the city. Strategically map out the best route to visit Kansas City’s most colorful sites, such as the Jesse James Farm & Museum, Arabia Steamboat Museum, National Frontier Trails Center and Fort Osage National Historic Landmark. For high culture, the American Jazz Museum is a must-see, and you will want to stroll the Crossroads Arts District to get a look into the vibrant art heart of KC. Don’t miss The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. For an indulgent Saturday night dinner, pull yourself away from iconic barbecue and instead consider The American Restaurant, Kansas City’s only Mobil Four-Star Restaurant, or the acclaimed Progressive American culinary stylings at Bluestern. Your must-see evening jazz crawl should include visits to The Blue Room and The Phoenix Jazz Club. Definitely end up at midnight at the Mutual Musicians Foundation for the historic venue’s weekend “The 12 O’clock Jump” live radio program and general bacchanalia.

Sunday morning after breakfast, see the sites you missed on Saturday, plus the new handsome Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, and check and see if any of the numerous annual festivals are underway. Otherwise wind down your visit with shopping at the City Market or Country Club Plaza, lunch and a farewell to KC.

Stay In Style

Kansas City has a broad range of accommodation types, including these options.

The Raphael Hotel is conveniently located in the Plaza district and renowned for quality of service and simple elegance. www.raphaelkc.com

The Hyatt Regency Crown Center is a traditional full-service hotel catering to conference guests, so it’s also buoyed by excellent staff, an impressive array of services and amenities and immaculate rooms. Grab an upper floor room for a terrific city view. http://crowncenter.hyatt.com

Q Hotel & Spa is Kansas City’s inclusive “green” hotel located in the heart of the city and complete with free amenities such as parking, wi-fi, yoga, breakfast, evening drinks and shuttle service to area attractions. Affordable accommodations range from clean and simple to the stellar Special Occasion Suite. www.theqhotel.com

At A Glance

Kansas City has been dubbed “Paris of the Plains” as well as the “City of Fountains” for its 200-plus fountains located around the city. Situated opposite of Kansas City, Kan., the surprisingly cosmopolitan city is well-known for its contributions to the musical styles of jazz and blues as well as to cuisine (Kansas City-style barbecue).

Access: Although just a few hours easy drive from most of Oklahoma, Kansas City is also served by most major American carriers via Kansas City International Airport.

Population: Approx. 460,000

Climate: Located not far from the middle of the country and sitting at the confluence of the Missouri River and Kansas River, Kansas City’s weather is entirely seasonal with its most extreme weather at the height of summer and winter.

Main Attraction: Arts and culture abound in the Paris of the Plains, including a new performing arts theater, numerous art and history museums and music venues that conjure the original jazz era. Nightlife and dining resemble those of larger, cosmopolitan cities back east.

Hot Picks

Shop: For more than 150 years, KC’s City Market has linked local growers and small businesses to city residents. Consider a weekend morning visit for a vibrant farmers market, but there are also numerous fulltime vendors.

Eat: The Golden Ox (www.goldenox.com) is Kansas City’s most famous steakhouse and conjures memories of when KC was home to the second largest stockyards in the country (after Chicago).

Fest: Beginning in September and running for almost three months, American Royal is an annual celebration originally inspired by agriculture but now encompassing everything from a launch parade to equestrian events, shows, balls and special events that accentuate KC and Great Plains life and history.

Visit Online

www.visitkc.com

Sports: Oklahoma City Barons Hockey

By

Staff

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October 10, 2011

It’s been a year since the Barons debuted as Oklahoma City’s official hockey team, and the American Hockey League affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers. Some might guess that the hard part – the first season – is over. When you consider the expectations built up over the course of a year, fans gained and the team’s status as a top development league for players rising in the sports ranks, the Barons have a challenging season ahead. When it comes down to it, the object of the sport from the Barons’ point of view is as much about continuing the momentum as it is scoring on the ice. The team opens its 2011-12 season on the road with an Oct. 9 game against the Texas Stars. Be prepared when the Barons bring it home Oct. 15 to the Cox Convention Center to play the Stars once again. Also look for some hometown action on Oct. 16 with the Houston Aeros. For a look at the season schedule and other information, go to www.okcbarons.com.

A Warrior For Others

By

Jami Mattox

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October 10, 2011

I founded the Oklahoma Brain Tumor Foundation after my 18-month-old son Cade died from a brain tumor in 2000. He was diagnosed at six weeks old, and there wasn’t anybody on a community basis to help me, to provide resources or financial assistance, to say, “Have you done this? Have you looked here?”

After Cade died, I immediately began working with families affected by brain tumors. I held my first support group meeting in April 2000. My initial intent was to be a support system for families who were going through what I went through. I likened it to being in a dark room, searching for a light switch, but no one was there to provide help or turn the light switch on for me. I wanted to provide that for these other families. When my son was sick, we lost almost everything we had. There are so many families that don’t have a family that is in a position to help them financially. Some families end up homeless because they can’t afford to pay rent or bills. The Oklahoma Brain Tumor Foundation developed into providing all of these different services that came out of my personal experiences.

I am extremely proud of what we provide for our families. We have patient navigators on staff that help families overcome whatever challenges they’re facing. We are able to work with families and put support services and assistance in place, so the family can concentrate on taking care of their loved one as much as possible. It’s great to raise money for research and educational resources and support groups, but what families need is someone that’s going to hold their hand and walk through these processes and take lots of stress off their plate. There is such a need for the type of services we provide; we hope other organizations start to provide services for immediate needs.

I feel very blessed that I was entrusted with something as important as these families’ lives and this organization. I feel blessed that I had that little bit of time with my son, because he was an amazing little boy. I feel blessed to be able to work with these families every day and see the impact that our staff members are able to have in these families’ lives and the relationships that are built. Everybody always says, “How can you say that when your son died?” The reality is that he didn’t die for nothing, and there have been hundreds of families whose lives have been made better because of this one little boy who suffered with a terrible disease. Because of that, so many people have been helped. Just to be a part of that is an amazing thing.

Fro-Yo CEO

By

Paul Fairchild

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October 10, 2011

Former University of Oklahoma football player Reese Travis is the CEO of Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt. Based in Oklahoma City, the successful Orange Leaf has opened more than 80 shops over the last two years. Frozen yogurt fans can find Orange Leaf across the country, and soon they’ll be able to get their frozen yogurt fix in Australia, too.

Oklahoma Magazine: You’re turning frozen yogurt into cash, but you’ve proven yourself as an entrepreneur; you could probably be turning other things into cash. Why frozen yogurt?

Reese Travis: When we began our involvement with Orange Leaf, we were just a franchisee. We thought, hey, let’s do a few of these stores. The model is easy to reproduce. It’s a high-quality product. It’s very profitable. And it’s a fun, family experience. When we were still at the store level, we thought, “Let’s take this small chain, put our business practices to use and capture the momentum of the yogurt industry.”
We thought we had momentum when we started, but our momentum now is incredible.

OM: I’ll be hunting down some Orange Leaf tonight. What flavor am I having?

RT: I’m on this big kick right now. I used to do three flavors. Always chocolate, peanut butter and then I’d do one of the decadent flavors like wedding cake, birthday cake, cookies and cream or cheesecake. And I’d go for a hodgepodge of toppings. Now I get a tart flavor and I top it with granola and cocoa pebbles.

OM: That’s good. It’s good to experiment.

RT: It’s fun to watch our Facebook page. People will say, “I thought that was my favorite but you guys came out with a new flavor and now that’s my favorite.”
People like to mix it up. Our customers have a lot of fun with that.

OM: You’re even expanding into the Land Down Under. You’re worldwide. How’s that feel?
RT: There’s nothing like Orange Leaf over there. We’re getting a lot of interest. People are lined up down the road wanting to try it. It should be pretty exciting to see what happens in Australia. Obviously, we won’t have a problem with the language barrier, and that makes it easy, as well.

OM: Why will Orange Leaf still be serving up the good stuff in 50 years?

RT: Our franchisees. At the end of the day, what makes Orange Leaf successful is our franchisees. When they open a store in their market and they get plugged into their communities, it works. They’re marketing to their communities. That’s really what makes Orange Leaf so successful. We’re really a community shop. That’s what’s going to keep us going. And, of course, we have the best frozen yogurt on the market.

OM: You had a great career as a football player at OU. I’ve heard that you lean on your experiences there for ideas and philosophies that you apply to your business.

RT: It’s very true. A lot of what I’ve learned is stuff I learned from playing football. I’ve had a lot of great coaches in my life that were great leaders that led by example. I played with a lot of teammates that I learned lessons from on a daily basis. My athletic career is really the foundation for what I do today, whether I’m at work or with my family. In athletics, philosophies are simple and a lot of them are based on having a good work ethic, discipline and dedication. I use all my sayings from those days around the office all the time. I’m sure my people get tired of hearing them but I’ve got a great group of team members up here. It is like having a football team. It’s like the locker room, where everybody is focused on the same goal and working hard. That’s the atmosphere I like to have here at work.

Hideaway Pizza

By

Jami Mattox

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October 3, 2011

With humble beginnings as a staple in the college town of Stillwater, Hideaway Pizza has expanded its borders with multiple stores in both of the state’s metro areas and even into – gasp – Norman – solid Sooner country.

Now, the folks at Hideaway have opened perhaps their most groundbreaking restaurant in downtown Oklahoma City’s historic Automobile Alley district. This location is filling a niche as a reasonably priced lunch destination for downtown workers; it’s also a hip eatery for those who live near Automobile Alley. The location is also the first Hideaway to offer a full bar, serving liquor in addition to beer and wine.

The thing that has remained constant with this location, however, is the menu filled with delicious pizza. Staples, such as the Big Country, a pie piled high with red sauce, meats and cheeses (which was also recently named the best pizza in Oklahoma by Food Network magazine) are on the menu, along with other meat- and veggie-laden pizzas. Hideaway is set to open another Oklahoma City location at McArthur Boulevard and Memorial Road in mid-to-late October. 901 N. Broadway, Oklahoma City. www.hideawaypizza.com

Simply Healthy

By

Staff

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October 3, 2011

It is state fair time all over the country, and “purple cows” will be spotted everywhere. A purple cow is any strange combination of foods (usually laden with sugar, fat, salt and sometimes chocolate or caffeine) that are attractive because of the unnatural combinations and effect they provide. The effect is called a bliss point, which is that good feeling that happens when dopamine levels are raised and neuropathways opened to make you remember the yummy taste and good feeling. Caution: Treat purple cows like narcotics; they can become addictive.

Examples of purple cows with high bliss points are the doughnut cheeseburger, fried Kool-Aid balls, treats dipped in batter, fried and rolled in chocolate and double cheeseburgers with bacon, honey and hot sauce. Examples of foods with high bliss points, but not necessarily considered purple cows, are chocolate doughnuts, energy drinks and French fries.

One way to enjoy food and lower bliss points is to notice the combination of sugars from carbohydrate foods, fat and salt and by deleting at least one of the components. Twice baked potatoes offer a great substitution example. Instead of making them with butter, sour cream, bacon and salt, you can substitute plain yogurt, fresh chives, onions, pepper, herbs and parsley to lower the bliss point.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Bake two potatoes until soft (in a 375-degree oven for about one hour). Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the center. Mix in blender potatoes, 1/4 cup plain, authentic Greek yogurt, 1/8 cup chives and 1/8 cup onion. Add pepper and herbs to taste. Fill potato skins with mixture and bake again for 10-15 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Outside The Box

By

Lindsay Cuomo

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October 3, 2011

The widespread appeal of clean, modern design has revolutionized the options available in fireplaces. Manufacturers have answered the call by replacing the old gas log with a sleek, simple ribbon of fire. The technology of the modern gas fireplace has changed the shape of the flame from the short rectangle of the traditional hearth.

Often housed in a shorter, wider firebox, the simple ribbon of flame utilizes a long linear look to add movement and drama to a room.

“The fire ribbon creates a fire with a longer, sleeker look,” explains Doug Campbell, owner of Campbell Design Associates.

The simplicity of the technology and shape allows for a lot of customization, adds Chris Murphy, owner of Christopher Murphy Designs.

“In this world where everything is homogenized, people want something that’s their own. With this style, the sky is the limit,” says Murphy. “You are only really limited to what the mind can dream up.”

After seeing the new sleek, modern style of gas fireplaces all over design magazines, Campbell was drawn to a model from Spark Modern Fire for its look and the low maintenance it offers. In Campbell’s own townhouse, the living room is upstairs.

“I didn’t want to have to haul logs upstairs,” remarks Campbell.

Campbell chose a vented, stainless steel firebox and had a local fabricator create a stainless steel surround that Campbell designed.

High design doesn’t necessarily come with a high price tag, Campbell and Murphy agree.

“They appear to be similar (in cost),” says Campbell. “Maybe slightly more expensive because the sleek, clean styling takes more time and craftsmanship than traditional styles.”

“The cost depends on what you choose and whether it’s new construction or a remodel,” agrees Murphy. “But, they are fairly comparable to a traditional fire box.”

The impact and flexibility of the design of the modern firebox provides for a variety of uses. You can choose a larger scale fireplace to make a bold statement and be the focal point of your space, explains Murphy. Or, you can go with a smaller scale to make the fireplace a cohesive part of your design.

Murphy adds that with a range of customization options, the fireplace can be more than just a functional part of your home.

“(Your fireplace) can be a living, breathing piece of art,” offers Murphy. “Glass can add color and movement and it sparkles like diamonds. You can use various materials like mirrors or metals on the fire box back to give you depth and a reflective aspect.”

For even more flexibility, manufactures, like EcoSmart Fire, offer freestanding fireplaces without the need for pipes and plumbing installation. Models like the EcoSmart use an alcohol-based gas available at most hardware stores to power its flame.

“It provides a similar dancing flame but doesn’t require a gas connection,” says Campbell.

“This option works well in outdoor spaces as well,” adds Murphy.

My Brightest Diamond, All Things Will Unwind

Ryan Adams, Ashes & Fire

Coldplay, Mylo Xyloto

Vince Gill, Guitar Slinger

Stay In Style

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Twice Baked Potatoes

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