THIS & THAT
©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ROBAS
The Wheel Deal
Paris has Vélib’, London has Barclay’s
Cycle Hire, Shanghai has Forever Bicycle, Rio de Janeiro has Bikerio… and now Oklahoma City has Spokies. Urban centers around the world have incorporated bicycle sharing systems as an alternative to motorized public transportation or private vehicles, providing users with short-distance transportation that’s environmentally friendly and personally healthy without the demands of buying, storing and maintaining their own bikes.
STEAKING A CLAIM
And with the ongoing revitalization and repopulation of downtown OKC (consider the impending Core to Shore park along the Oklahoma River), the City of Okla-
Mankind domesticated
homa City’s Office of Sustainability and
cattle around 8000 B.C., which
Downtown OKC, Inc. decided this was
means we as a species have been
the perfect time to introduce the progres-
enjoying delicious beef for a
sive concept.
solid 10,000 years. You’d think
Bikes can be checked out and returned
that in that time we would have
seven days a week at automated kiosks as
learned everything there is to
part of yearly, monthly or daily memberships; the program was introduced in May with six locations providing docking spaces for 97 bicycles. Some initial problems with the Spokies software led to incidents of vandalism and theft, prompting a temporary shutdown for retooling – this is why we can’t have nice things, people! – but the system has had its tune-up and the program is back in the saddle. For kiosk locations, pricing structure and more information, visit spokiesokc.com.
know about eating cow parts, wouldn’t you? Surprise! “Meat specialist” Tony Mata, with help from Chicago chef Rick Gresh and Jake Nelson of OSU’s Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricul-
The satisfaction of a lengthy, arduous job brought successfully to its conclusion, of seeing a
a cut of meat that’s reputedly ev-
cherished vision made reality after years of effort and hope, is its own reward. Also rewarding:
ery bit as tender and flavorful as
having your efforts recognized as exceptional. The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Depart-
current fine dining favorites while
ment and Oklahoma Travel Industry Association have presented the 2012 RedBud Award for
coming from part of the cow that’s
MIKE MCKEE
Excellence in Bloom
tural Processing Center, has found
Outstanding New Attraction in Oklahoma
generally rendered into ham-
to the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sul-
burger. Whereabouts? They can’t
phur. The honor caps off an amazing be-
say – or, rather, won’t – because
ginning for the 109-acre campus housing
they’re in the process of trying to
a traditional tribal village, educational cul-
patent the specific knife strokes
tural exhibits, carefully tended gardens,
used to produce their beefy
a 350-seat theatre and outdoor amphithe-
brainchild: the Vegas Strip Steak®.
atre, native art and more – over 100,000
Unveiled in April, it’s already avail-
visitors since its opening have experienced
able from a handful of distributors
the results of its devotion to sharing in and
and on the menu at restaurants in
celebrating the Chickasaw culture, a tri-
Chicago and Boise; if you’re sali-
umphant milestone that’s all the sweeter
vating with interest, read more at
thanks to this new cause for celebration.
vegasstripsteak.com. july 2012 | slice 17