The ballpark is calling – the Oklahoma City RedHawks are slated to play the Albuquerque Isotopes in their first home game of the season on April 15 at RedHawks Field. As in every spring, the air around Oklahoma City’s vibrant Bricktown District becomes filled with the smells of hot dogs and popcorn and with the sound of clinking baseball bats followed by cheers. That’s baseball season, and now that the RedHawks have become the Triple A-affiliate of the Houston Astros, fans have more to rave about. The franchises agreed to a player development contract in September, which could mean that Oklahoma City will see some of the best up-and-coming pitchers and hitters get the homefield advantage. For a complete schedule and tickets, go to www.oklahomacity.redhawks.com.

The Kings of Leon finally seem to have what they wanted. Beginning as a Southern rock and blues-inspired group, the Nashville band hit it big in Britain with its first albums, Youth and Young Manhood and Aha Shake Heartbreak. They were fast stars across the Atlantic, but it wasn’t until their fourth venture, Only by the Night, that the Followill clan could come home as certifiable rock stars. Now brothers Caleb, Nathan, Jared and cousin Matthew are making a track back to Tulsa as U.S. gold- and platinum-selling artists to a stage where their hit-making sound belongs – on the BOK Center stage, April 8. But will it feel like a homecoming of sorts? Two of the brothers (Caleb and Nathan), as fans will know, were born in Oklahoma (City, to be specific). Most will agree, however, that the Kings’ ever-evolving sound will always have a home. www.bokcenter.com

Art is an adventure, and Gilcrease Museum is the destination for all who appreciate the fine work that goes into fine art. Sculptor Veryl Goodnight and painter Curt Walters are the featured artists at Rendezvous Artists’ Retrospective Exhibition and Art Sale, open to the public April 14-July 10, the annual show at Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa. The sale is scheduled for April 15, but works that are not sold in the opening will be available for purchase through the summer. Walters and Goodnight teach classes, demonstrate their processes and will hold artist talks during the opening weekend. For more information, go online to www.gilcrease.org.

“I had this hand-made in Mexico,” says Jimmy Blacketer, pointing to an exquisitely veneered wooden podium. It’s a few days before opening at Waterfront Grill and he’s excited.  

“And over here, the wine rack”– he shows off a tall, elegant vitrine – “the necks are lined with leather to protect the bottles.”  

He’s planned every detail, from the umbrellas on the huge outdoor deck, designed to weather an 85 mile-per-hour gale, to the elaborately molded dishes designed to serve just one appetizer, Oysters St. Charles.

But Blacketer despises pretension.

“We want a guy to come straight off the golf course, grab a burger at the bar and feel welcome. And we want a couple dressed up for Saturday night to come for a romantic dinner, and not feel out of place.

“Restaurants are in my blood,” he says while helping workers install the pipes feeding a vast waterfall on the east side of the building.
He was born to the business. His father is Jim Blacketer, who has owned almost a hundred restaurants in his career, and the younger Blacketer, now 43, started working at 15. He soon went off on his own.

He bussed tables, managed a Chili’s and later ran the Tulsa outposts of his father’s Atomic Burritos chain. Then came the wildly popular Los Cabos on the Riverwalk in Jenks. He teamed with his father to create “an atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re on vacation.”

They succeeded.

Just south of Los Cabos was the only privately owned piece of vacant land on the river. When it came up for sale, the Blacketers grabbed the chance. After $5.5 million in building costs, Waterfront Grill was set to open. Meanwhile, Blacketer toured the country, stopping in restaurants coast to coast. He took notes. He made contacts. He took Rob Lowe’s personal chef back from the coast to prepare California-style sushi. (The Bonzai Roll, the chef’s own creation, has spicy tuna, jalapenos and avocado, topped with warm eel.) He got a supply contract for steaks from famed Allen Bros. in Chicago. One bite of those steaks and you’ll know they are USDA Prime. Bread comes fresh from a nearby artisan baker, Farrell’s. With sushi, a wide variety of sandwiches, inventive salads, juicy burgers and flatbread pizzas as well as more elaborate appetizers and entrees such as the artfully constructed Crab, Avocado & Mango Stack, there’s something to please every palate. 

A few days before opening night, there’s a preview party at Waterfront Grill. It’s a dress rehearsal for the staff. Attentive yet unobtrusive, they make sure the diners feel cosseted and welcome. At the long bar, set beside a wall of glass overlooking the river, guests order Stag’s Leap merlot by the glass and locally-brewed Mustang Ale. The bar is packed and clamorous, but beneath a ceiling of intricately woven mahogany strips, the dining area, though full, is spacious and calm. One wall is a counter overlooking the kitchen. It has six separate stations where a bevy of chefs work with rapid, trained precision. Steaks sizzle on the wood-burning grill. Blacketer stands at the counter, pointing, gesturing, and calling out orders. He feels like the father of a newborn baby: nervous, anxious and, with good reason, proud.

120 Aquarium Drive, Jenks. 918.518.6300. www.waterfrontgrilljenks.com

Maggie traces her musical beginnings back to the age of 5 when her parents enrolled her in piano lessons. By middle school, she was singing and writing her own songs. Maggie is currently touring the country to promote her latest CD, Good Morning & Good Night. Her songs have been featured on MTV series The Hills and The City as well as CBS’s The Young and the Restless. She also had the opportunity to perform “The National Anthem” at the first playoff game for the Oklahoma City Thunder against the L.A. Lakers in 2010. Just 24, Maggie has no plans to slow her touring and recording schedule.

“My goals for the future are to keep pressing on, no matter what,” she says. “As far as I’m concerned, I will have failed only if I stop doing what I love.”
 

Upon graduating dental school, Steven set up his dentistry practice in Midwest City. In 2008 he joined Dr. David Wong to begin teaching at the Tulsa Institute where he instructs dentists on techniques in periodontal surgery. In his downtime, Steven spends time with his wife and three daughters. He also volunteers to provide dental care at Bryant Avenue Baptist Church Dental Clinic. For those who hope to achieve success, Steven recommends thinking for yourself, being consistent and working with people you can trust.

The Raveonettes, Raven In The Grave – According to legend, when members of this Danish indie rock outfit learned that Rolling Stone editor David Fricke would be at the SPOT festival, they went all out to get on the roster. In a nutshell, they succeeded, Fricke raved about them and a record company bidding war ensued. Critics and indie music lovers love to love The Raveonettes, and their mainstream popularity seems to grow with each release. April 5.

Alison Krauss & Union Station, Paper Airplane – The reigning queen of bluegrass is back with her follow up to her 2007 Album of the Year collaboration with Robert Plant, Raising Sand. It’s her first album with Union Station since 2004. The 11-track Paper Airplane exhibits an artist in her prime backed with a band she knows like family. She’s likely to add a few more Grammy’s to her collection – she already has 26; more than any other female performer. April 12.

k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang, Sing It Loud – By this point k.d. lang has just about done it all: country, pop, jazz and big band music and performances with the likes of Roy Orbison, Elton John, Loretta Lynn and Tony Bennett. After 25 years in the business, lang presents an album with her own band, the first time since her early recordings with the Reclines – the Patsy Cline tribute band that got the singer her start. The mostly original tracks, co-written by lang, range from retro pop to jazz. April 12.

Architecture In Helinski, Moment Bends – The offbeat Aussie – no, they’re not Finnish – indie pop group captured the attention of music lovers with their 2003 debut, Fingers Crossed. Known for their unique blend of modern indie musical elements with a healthy dose of 80s pop, the group is a music festival regular, and they’ve opened for everyone from Deathcab for Cutie to Polyphonic Spree. Their fourth studio effort offers plenty of the catchy pop they’re known for, but it also marks the evolution of the band’s sound in a more mature and mysterious direction. April 19.

As an artist, it’s safe to say that there’s nothing more exhilarating than watching your long-envisioned, creative brainchild come to life.
Such is the case for Tulsa’s Stephen Speaks, with the release of their first major studio album, Age of the Underdog, set for this month.

“I’ve had the idea for this album since 2007, and once I heard it in my head it was a matter of finding the right players. The musicianship overall is much more professional than previous albums. Although the musicians have played with the best in the world, they were chosen for specific sounds, not their big names,” explains Stephen Speaks’ driving force, Rockwell Ryan Ripperger.

“The album is quite different from anything I’ve done in the past. I wanted a hip-hop foundation with real instruments, with a dirty slide guitar. It’s more rock and roll and pop.”

Producing under his own label, Rippley Records Inc. since age 15, Ripperger founded Stephen Speaks in 2000 with a couple of friends.
Many years and numerous albums later, he estimates that he has had more than 100 different friends and musicians come in to the band and play with him.

The band’s changing dynamic has become a central hub in its individual appeal and sound, leaving it open as a project beyond just one specific group of people.

“I try to work with anyone I meet that’s talented. As I’ve evolved as a musician, so have the musicians around me, so there is always opportunity to get with older guys who are better, but at the same time, I like to work with people who are coming into their own,” he says.

“The mix of experienced and new people gives Stephen Speaks a sense of familiarity and innocence – and I always want to keep it that way.”
Within his writing, Ripperger expresses a yearning to connect with others, an aspect that he believes is one of the most crucial parts of music.
“I think it’s important to be in touch with the center of human emotion, and what I think is that there are certain universal truths. I really try to focus on those when I write,” Ripperger says.

“I want to create something that other people can relate to. Almost all the songs on my albums before Age of the Underdog have been predominantly love songs, and I believe that this new album branches out on much more.”

Beef Jerky Emporium

Imagine a small store that offers exotic jerkies – alligator, salmon, turkey and buffalo included. Now imagine this store also offers some of the best traditional beef jerky around. Wouldn’t it be a thin slice of dried meat heaven? Beef Jerky Emporium offers all this and more, including sausages, meat rubs and dry seasonings, an assortment of cures and other snacks. Beef Jerky Emporium has three locations in the Oklahoma City area and also peddles its meat snacks online. 9346 N. May and 4405 SW 3rd St., Oklahoma City, and 810 W. Danforth Rd., Edmond. www.tbje.com

Sonic Drive-In

We all know about Sonic’s juicy burgers and crispy French fries. We also know about their daily happy hour drink specials. But Sonic can now add another feather to its cap with the introduction of its new premium beef hot dogs. The plump, juicy franks are served inside warm buns and topped with condiments that reflect geographical areas of the United States: spicy mustard, sauerkraut and grilled onions on the New York Dog; pickle, relish, tomato, spicy peppers, celery salt and mustard on the Chicago Dog; ketchup, yellow mustard, relish and chopped onions on the All-American Dog; and of course, Sonic’s classic Chili Cheese Coney, topped with warm chili and melted cheddar cheese. www.sonicdrivein.com

Duke’s Southern Kitchen

The taste of the South can take many different forms: fried chicken, grits, fried green tomatoes, Mint Juleps. At Duke’s you can enjoy all these tastes with gourmet flair. The signature fried chicken is cooked up in a cast iron skillet and served with mashed potatoes topped with bourbon cream gravy and green beans. The BBQ Salmon, served with cornbread panzanella salad with avocado and green tomato is a more sophisticated dish with a Southern twist. End the meal with a satisfying cocktail, such as a Mint Julep or an Old Fashioned, and you would swear you were sitting on the front porch of an antebellum home. 10441 S. Regal Blvd., Tulsa. www.dukestulsa.com
 

It’s good to have talented friends. It’s better to have friends who are talented at developing good cocktails. And having friends who develop good tiki cocktails? Well, now you’re just asking for the gods, tiki or otherwise, to smite you with a long string of Old Fashioneds made with Canadian Whiskey, a maraschino cherry muddled at the bottom and enough soda to make a vaudeville entertainer blush.

But, such is my luck that I can name a small and talented contingent of folks along the western seaboard steeped in tiki culture and cocktail lore my friends. Sometimes, fortune smiles.

The Dark Magic is a drink that evolved over time but started by building on the shoulders of the Mai Kai’s Black Magic cocktail. The Mai Kai restaurant, one of the few surviving bordellos of 1950s and 1960s Polynesian funk and kitsch, is unexpectedly located in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. And let’s face it; knowing the Mai Kai is still around increases the number of reasons to visit Florida to three. Tiki drinks, mired in their own complexity and calling for distinctive and mostly obscure rums, are not the most accessible.

The Dark Magic, however, strikes a balance of DIY gumption, rewarding treasure-hunting and fine flavor that makes it worth the effort.

The Dark Magic

2 oz. dark Jamaican rum (Coruba or Appleton V/X preferred)
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 oz. coffee syrup
1/4 oz. passion fruit syrup
1/4 oz. vanilla syrup
8 drops Herbsaint or Absinthe verte
1 dash Angostura bitters

Blend ingredients with eight ounces of ice for five seconds with intermittent pulses. Pour into a hurricane or Collins glass.
The divine progenitor of this drink is Craig Hermann, a tikiphile and erstwhile bartender in Portland, Ore., who developed this drink and has featured it in Tiki Kon, a celebration of tiki culture, artistry and cocktails he helps produce each year. The heart of the Dark Magic is the coffee syrup. It provides a bitter and tannic base on which the tart, sweet and molasses flavors can bound and frolic. The passion fruit and lime elements bring tart acidity while the pineapple and vanilla syrup give cover through their sweet characters and heavy bodies. The Herbsaint (or absinthe), as usual, is present to give a high but complex note to the drink that is present throughout. Make a visit to tradertiki.com to find quality passion fruit and vanilla syrup, get your coffee syrup ready and enjoy a drink that will leave you and your guests speechless. Or, at the very least, unintelligible.

Gabriel Szaszko writes at cocktailnerd.com and enjoys visiting Craig Hermann and his family at their home and reading his website Colonel Tiki’s Drinks at coloneltiki.com.

Vermouth Veritas

I have had to go out of my way to find interesting vermouths. Sure, there are your Martini & Rossi’s, your Cinzanos, your Noilly Prats and a whole host of other vaguely unsavory looking vermouths of unsure origins but those aren’t satisfactory when there’s a host of revelatory vermouths to shape and influence the texture of a cocktail. I’ve recently seen several vermouths creeping onto shelves that are worth your time and money to purchase and explore and may yet convince you that the Manhattan well-deserves a spot in the pantheon of humankind’s greatest accomplishments.

Vya Sweet ($15): Vya is the rare California vermouth product. They are careful about the varietals blended to create its base and use a blend of muscat, colombard and veldepenas varietals, along with a dash of port (unusual in a vermouth), to create a very rich and full-bodied base.

Carpano Antica ($32): Carpano Antica is the granddaddy of vermouths. The Carpano brand was the first to commercially produce and distribute a vermouth product and their Formula Antica, while not the original recipe, is based on the classic formula. Carpano Antica comes across as sweeter than the Vya but has a depth and complexity that is unmatched.

Punt e Mes ($18): Punt e Mes is also a Carpano product but bridges the gap between an amaro (Italian bitter aperitif) and a vermouth. It is traditional, in the Torino area, to blend vermouth with an amaro as a pre-dinner drink. Punt e Mes takes that concept and bottles it so that you have a bitter vermouth that greatly changes how it affects a drink calling for sweet vermouth.