The OK magazine

DECEMBER 9, 2018 THE OKLAHOMAN

The Oklahoman’s Lifestyle Magazine

THE U.S. $5.99

PHOTO ISSUE THE FOOD DUDE OKC Mexican food

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Page 14

STORY IN PICTURES

CAPITOL GAINS

“Machine Gun” Kelly

State Capitol renovations

Page 96

Page 104

THE OKLAHOMAN

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THE OKLAHOMAN

The Oklahoman’s Lifestyle Magazine This magazine is published with the Aug. 5 edition of The Oklahoman.© 2018. All rights reserved.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

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Memories from 1968

FROM THE EDITOR

100 W Main St., Suite 100 Oklahoma City, OK., 73102-9025 Interim Publisher: Jim Hopson Editor, VP of News: Kelly Dyer Fry Magazine Editor: Don Mecoy dmecoy@oklahoman.com

Near as I can tell, photographers from The Oklahoman archived nearly 30,000 photos during the past year. Our photo staff is seasoned, talented and hugely productive. In this issue of The OK, we share their gifts and hard work with you.

In these pages, artist Todd Pendleton crafted a graphic depiction of the 1933 kidnapping of Oklahoma City oilman Charles Urschel by George “Machine Gun” Kelly.

You’ll also find a history of the area’s Mexican food offerings from our go-to guy on gustatory goings-on, Food Editor Dave Cathey.

Elsewhere, we take you to some of Oklahoma City’s burgeoning areas, 23rd Street on the north side, with travel guide Steve Lackmeyer, and a Latino area on OKC’s south side, with Josh Dulaney. Of course, our photographers provide compelling images of both neighborhoods.

Plus you’ll see news about real estate, fashion, technology and many more photographs.

I can’t end this note without paying tribute to my predecessor and old pal, Phillip O’Connor. To put it in photo terms, Phil arranged and framed this issue; I just triggered the shutter. Stay purple, Phil.

Enjoy.

Creative Art Director and Designer: Todd Pendleton Designer: Scott Horton Photo Editors: Doug Hoke and Chris Landsberger Additional copies of The OK can be purchased for $5.95 plus tax at the front office of The Oklahoman, online at www.oklahoman.com or by calling 405-478-7171.

Phone or online orders will incur an additional $1 shipping charge. For bulk sales (26 or more copies) and rates, call 405-478-7171.

Advertise in The OK. To advertise, contact Vicki Thomas at 405-475-3338 or vthomas@oklahoman.com Want more of The OK? Get every issue by subscribing to The Oklahoman at www.oklahoman.com/ subscribe.

Don Mecoy 3

CONTENTS

THE OKLAHOMAN

Teachers and supporters of increased education funding pack the first and second floors of the state Capitol during the second day of a walkout by Oklahoma teachers. Photo by Nate Billings

34 CAPTURED MOMENTS 14

2018 photos taken by The Oklahoman staff.

TAKING A BITE

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Oklahoma City has a rich history of Mexican cuisine.

HEADING UPTOWN

The bright future of NW 23rd Street includes a nod to its past.

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ON THE COVER

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LATIN LANE

SW 29th street is a vibrant business corridor.

DOME SWEET DOME A visual tour of extensive updates at our state Capitol.

Kaleo Johnson, 5, and his brother, Hilo Johnson, 7, dressed in traditional Kiowa/Absentee Shawnee outfits, pose for a photo before going to Red Earth Festival. Photo by Doug Hoke

THE OKLAHOMAN

Kingston Tully, 8, jumps on the OKC sculpture during a concert at Wheeler Park in Oklahoma City. Photo by Sarah Phipps

6 ASKED & ANSWERED

A Q&A with Debby Hampton, CEO of United Way of Central Oklahoma.

10 PARTY QUESTION

What treat are you bringing to holiday gatherings?

26 CHIC

Accessories provide the final fashion touch.

90 DOWN HOME

Wet bars show up in unexpected places in some new homes.

96 ON THE DRAW

An artist’s rendition of a notorious OKC kidnapping.

MISC.

85 CHRONICLE

A uniquely Oklahoman photo.

86 TECH

Christmas gift ideas for the gamer.

111 PAGE FROM THE PAST

A front page pulled from The Oklahoman archives.

Carlos Covarrubias pulls the straps of his backpack around his face as he fights back tears on the first day of school. Photo by Jim Beckel

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FEATURE Q&A

&

Answered

Photo by Chris Landsberger

Asked

THE OKLAHOMAN

Debby Hampton, president and CEO of United Way of Central Oklahoma since 2010, leads an organization that has delivered services through its member agencies to one in three people in central Oklahoma.

H

ampton is intimately familiar with the local landscape of nonprofits, having spent four years leading the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits after 16 years with the American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma, including four years as that organization’s CEO. Q: What’s the best part of your job?

A: It’s the people, the nonprofit agencies and clients, corporate employees, foundation employees, United Way board, United Way staff and community leaders. Bottom line — Oklahomans

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wanting to make a positive impact in our community.

Q: What is your biggest professional frustration?

A: Never having enough resources, both volunteer time and charitable dollars, to meet the needs.

Q: What’s the most important quality for a leader?

A: Passion for the work you do and an abundance of energy.

Q: For what in your life do you feel the most grateful?

A: I am most grateful for the incredible family I have been

THE OKLAHOMAN

Debby Hampton speaks at the 2017 United Way of Central Oklahoma Campaign Kickoff breakfast. [Oklahoman Archive photo]

blessed to have, those who are related and those who become such good friends they are your family.

Q: What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?

A: A perfect workday would be a day in which United Way could provide the resources, both monetary and volunteer staffing, to give our agencies what they need to find solutions to the toughest health and social service needs. Wow! What a great day that would be!

Q: The one thing Oklahoma needs right now is ... ?

A: What Oklahoma needs right now is true collaboration and partnership within local government, state government, as well as with nonprofit organizations and for-profit businesses. We should be working together finding solutions to Oklahoma’s toughest problems.

Q: Which living person do you most admire?

A: I admire so many — my board chair, several amazing community leaders ... but if I would pick one person right now, it would be our son, Jonathan. He has gone through a tough year, far more difficult than most 24-year-olds should go through. Yet, he has managed to keep a positive attitude and he continues to care about others professionally, personally and in his volunteer positions at Boys and Girls Club and A Chance to Change. But most of all, he has kept his keen sense of humor and love of life.

Q: Most treasured possession?

A: It is not material. It is time with friends and family.

Q: What do you consider your greatest achievement?

A: Anything at all that I have achieved has not been me; it has always been the team I’ve been a part of. If anything, I have learned it is important to surround yourself with strong, smart, positive leaders. Then, everything falls into place, especially if no one cares about the credit.

Q: What is a dream you have that you’ve yet to achieve?

A: Professionally, along with nonprofits, for-profits, government, and community leaders, it would be to find solutions to our toughest health and social service problems and to become the national leaders in solving those tough issues instead of being on the lists for being the worst in areas like criminal justice, mental health, domestic violence, affordable housing, etc.

Personal dreams include exercising and learning to cook, but those are long-term dreams.

Q: Where are you happiest?

A: At the beach or at a Thunder game watching Rumble!

Q: Favorite holiday memory?

A: I love Thanksgiving because every Thanksgiving everyone in my family is given a gift card, and between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, they must give it to someone they feel needs the gift or support. On Christmas Eve, without giving names, we tell our story of the person or organization we gave the card to and why. I love hearing the thought and time each person takes in choosing who to give the gift card to. Also, they decide it is more important to give back, and not just during the holidays.

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PHOTO STAFF

THE OKLAHOMAN

THE

Their images help define Oklahoma. Every day, Oklahoman photographers fan out across our state capturing moments large and small, weaving a visual tapestry of our time. Together, they’ve accumulated 169 years of experience.

Sarah Phipps

Year started: 2007 Likes exploring the mountains anywhere in the West.

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Nate Billings

Year started: 2000 A lifelong Los Angeles Dodgers fan.

Chris Landsberger Year started: 2006 BMX bike racer for the last 30 years.

Doug Hoke Director of Photography Year started: 1977.

Dog lover.

Jim Beckel

Year started: 1981 Enjoys foods that combine great taste with healthy ingredients. His favorites include banana splits, apple cobbler, taco salad, BLT sandwiches, strawberry milk shakes and, best of all, egg nog. His top pleasure food? Chocolate chip cookies.

Bryan Terry

Year started: 1998 Enjoys hiking in Colorado and New Mexico and visiting National Parks during the summer.

THE OKLAHOMAN

MAILBAG

Here’s what readers of The OK wrote: Our August issue, which featured Josh Dulaney’s story looking back at the tumultuous year of 1968 through the eyes of Oklahomans who lived through it, triggered reminiscences and recollections for some readers.

The August 5th edition of The OK was another fine issue of historical information and pictures. The 1968 picture on page 63, showing Robinson with four lanes of southbound traffic, was a show stopper. I worked for Liberty National Bank at the time and seeing the ole Liberty Bank sign at Park Avenue, the very heart of the city, brought back a flood of memories. That sign would soon come down as Liberty was in the process of building a new 36-story office tower at Main and Broadway. And that is what’s great about The Oklahoman’s Archives that harken back to a time that reflects a bustling city in which we once lived and worked so many years ago.

Dean Schirf, Harrah

We’ve heard from some readers who are disappointed they can’t get their hands on a copy of The OK. The quarterly magazine is available for purchase at most area Circle K stores or at the front office of The Oklahoman at 100 W Main. Subscribers who may not have received a copy just need to call our customer service department at 405-478-7171.

Your August 5th is one of the most powerful and elegant issues.

A triple PLUS for your 1968 edition.

It really brought vivid memories of my junior year@ OU engineering school. My second year@ OU as a foreign student from Persia, learning about Oklahoma football, history, integration, etc. through OU newspaper, daily interaction. Eating first Big Mac on Lindsay Street.

Fred Khavari, Shawnee

Thanks for reading and writing, gents. We’re glad you enjoyed the magazine and the stories as much as we enjoyed putting them together. We love digging into our archives for those great old photos almost as much as we like hearing from you.

Like what you see? Want to comment?

Submit a story idea? Offer suggestions?

We want to hear from you. Send correspondence to dmecoy@oklahoman.com

THE OKLAHOMAN

Helen Ford Wallace, OK’s lady about town, asked some friends ...

What is your favorite Holiday dessert?

berry tramel

Oklahoman sports writer/ columnist

For the many of us who are culinary-challenged, here’s an idea for the holidays, courtesy of my twin brother, that has become a holiday tradition with our family.

He declared one year that for Thanksgiving, he would bring a dessert to go with the many tasty treasures sitting on the sweets table. And sure enough, here he came with a cellophane-wrapped tray, covering a most mysterious treat. They were about one inch long, half an inch wide, half an inch tall. The top and bottom were covered in white fudge, with some kind of nougat inside. Perhaps a caramel, peanut, almond mix. Quite delicious and quite gone, in a very short amount of time. The taste seemed quite familiar, and finally we figured it out.

My brother had purchased a bunch of Zero candy bars and gone to the trouble of slicing them somewhat thin. When you take a candy bar out of its element, subterfuge rules for awhile. Eventually, of course, he was exposed as a total fraud.

Except for one thing. Few desserts can trump a thinly-sliced Zero bar.

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THE OKLAHOMAN

T lori burson

owner of Stella Modern Italian Cuisine

he holidays are my favorite time of year. It is the perfect time to celebrate with family and friends around the table. My favorite desserts always include chocolate. At Stella, we have the Stella Candy Bar which is chocolate ganache, vanilla honeycomb, peanut butter mousse and sea salt caramel gelato.

For Christmas, we are putting a new twist on this signature dessert and making it chocolate ganache with peppermint gelato and chocolate mousse. It will be the perfect dessert to enjoy with a glass of prosecco.

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THE OKLAHOMAN

Sweet Pecan Praline terry sinclair

owner of Soup Soup Carry Out Restaurant and Catering One of our favorite and best-selling holiday (and all time) desserts is the Sweet Pecan Praline. Recipe as follows: 1 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 cup evaporated milk 1/4 cup butter 2 cups toasted pecans 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Bring sugars and milk to a boil. Cook over medium heat till 228 degrees is reached on thermometer. Toast pecans on cookie sheet for 15 minutes at 350.

Stir in butter and pecans till 236 degrees is reached.

Add vanilla and pour desired size of praline on parchment paper. ENJOY!

kanela huff

president, Kanela & Company Real Estate Agency

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Candy Station I work hard and play hard. It’s an awesome balance of life. I also enjoy entertaining throughout the year but especially during the holidays. When possible, I do most of the cooking myself – but have never considered myself a “Dessert” person.

During the holidays I like to have many “sweet” options available. I normally have “Candy Station” and my daughter will make her iced sugar cookies cut into whatever shape that fits the party’s theme. For adults, I also love to serve French vanilla ice cream with Patron tequila poured on top. It is great in a pinch and quite delightful.

Personally, chocolate mousse is my favorite dessert. A few years back, a great chef, Anne Dalton, saw me buying store-bought chocolate mousse and said, “No! No!” She shared her fabulous recipe with me. Even for a non-dessert maker like myself, it is a great go-to recipe.

THE OKLAHOMAN

pam gutel campbell president, Junior League of Oklahoma City

Oreo Balls

My mother, Betty Gutel, and I have a holiday tradition of making Oreo Balls together. Even though the recipe isn’t complicated, we have a great time making different flavors, decorating them and even eating a few. We typically choose a Saturday in December and spend the day creating and packaging these delicious treats. This is the 14th year for this tradition and we only make them during the holidays. Each year, our family and friends eagerly look forward to receiving their special dessert.

To make one batch: 1 16 oz. package of Oreos (We use original, golden, mint and peanut butter Oreos) 1 8 oz. package of softened cream cheese 1 package of white almond bark 1 package of chocolate bark

Choose your favorite Oreo flavor and completely blend them with the cream cheese. A food processor works the best. Roll them into walnut-sized balls. Place in rows on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Chill for an hour. Following the directions on the package, melt half of the almond bark. Stick a toothpick in the chilled dough and dip it in the almond bark.

After dipping, let the almond bark harden. Next, melt a couple squares of the chocolate bark. After it melts, drizzle it over the white Oreo Balls to make decorations.

Other desserts being produced locally...

Woody’s Workshop

Making peanut brittle at Woody’s Candy Company

Junior League sustaining members, wearing bonnets, gloves, rubber sole shoes and no perfume, assisted Woody Candy Co. candy-makers to spread out peanut brittle. They were at an on-site meeting at the candy company and got to help with the candy process in the production kitchen.

The club heard from Brian Jackson, president, and enjoyed wine, cheese and candy at the event. They sampled fudge, Aunt Bill’s brown candy, toffee, pecan clusters and pralines.

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THE OKLAHOMAN

Hispanic entrepreneurs lean into cuisine to build bridges in the community Mexican food might not be included in the official state meal, but you’d be hard-pressed to find many Oklahomans who would turn down a basket of chips and bowl of hot queso to start their meal.

by dave cathey

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THE OKLAHOMAN

Barrios Fine Mexican Dishes serves traditional TexMex like beef fajitas and specialty desserts.

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THE OKLAHOMAN

A portrait of Luis Alvarado, founder of El Charrito, was mounted on the wall at Julian Gonzalez’s Laredo’s Mexican Restaurant. Gonzalez, who is Alvarado’s grandnephew, showcases the portrait at Casa de Los Milagros today.

Oklahoma chefs, cooks and diners combine to create Oklahoma cuisine each day, one meal at a time, and there is no shortage of influence from our Hispanic community.

Today, restaurants that specialize in Mexican food are ubiquitous and restaurants that don’t feature a menu influenced in some way by Hispanic flavors are in the minority. Hispanic grocery stores operate in every section of the metropolitan area from Edmond to Norman and Shawnee to El Reno.

This isn’t a new trend; this is the quickening of a trend as old as the state.

Hispanic residents predate statehood, their trail often blazed with a wagon serving tamales, chili or a combination of the two, according to an 1897 booster pamphlet written by Edmond resident C. Douglas Clem. In describing the Oklahoma Territory’s cosmopoli-

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consistently been a bridge between cultures learning to live and dine together.

El Patron

Ceviche from Naylamp Peruvian Restaurant.

tan offerings, he wrote about “Mexican chilli and tamalla vendors.”

Similarly, a 1902 business directory for Oklahoma Territory lists an Enid establishment owned by Francisco Garza offering “Mexican chili and hot tamales.”

Between chili carts and the multistate chains that have emerged since, Mexican food has

Oklahoma City’s local love affair with Mexican food began in earnest with the arrival of Luis Alvarado in 1938.

The native of Matehuala in San Luis Potosi, bordering the southwest corner of Nuevo Leon, Alvarado found success through his legendary mother-in-law, Adelaida “Mama” Cuellar. From Mama Cuellar came the tamales and enchiladas upon which Tex-Mex’s legend spread across the country, eventually through El Chico.

But before the first El Chico opened in 1940, Mama Cuellar’s daughter and son-in-law struck first.

The original El Charro opened at NW 10 and Dewey Avenue in 1938, two years before the first

THE OKLAHOMAN

El Chico opened near Lemmon Avenue in the Oak Lawn neighborhood in Dallas.

Alvarado next opened Café El Charrito at 2909 Paseo and followed that with Café Palacio in Capitol Hill. El Charro expanded to Wichita, Kansas, in 1948. El Charrito No. 2 at Main and Walker opened in the early ’50s.

By the mid-1960s, Alvarado faced retirement and agreed to merge with his family’s El Chico, which in the decades that passed had grown into a huge regional chain that stretched across Texas and into Louisiana.

In 1968, the company went public with a 172,000-share offering of its common stock. Key to that move was the El Charrito merger. Alvarado’s stores outside the city became El Chico units with Oklahoma City stores initially called El Charrito y El Chico.

The El Charrito name was phased out completely in short order.

The Cuellar brothers built El Chico up to 77 units before selling controlling interest to a Dallas holding company called Hela in 1974.

Luis Alvarado died in 1977, and the El Chico operating in the original El Charrito No. 1 closed for good in 1987. The Alvarado family name still flies over two local restaurants — one in Edmond, the other at 11641 S Western Ave. The success of El Charrito inspired other entrepreneurs to try their hand at the Mexican restaurant business, and Alvarado’s guidance fueled those who worked for him, including a pair of Peruvians who married his nieces, to make their own way.

The El Charrito in the Paseo Arts District was the crown jewel of Luis Alvarado’s empire of Mexican food emporiums.

Luis Alvarado’s El Charrito restaurants were known for exotic décor as much as what was considered exotic foods when they opened.

Tex-Mex tide The success of El Charrito inspired plenty of competition,

A look inside the dining room of the El Charrito in the Paseo Arts District.

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THE OKLAHOMAN

but few were as successful as El Rancho Sanchez, opened in 1954

by Serapio Sanchez and his son, Eulalio.

Eulalio, who went by Larry, served three years in the U.S. Army and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He and his father moved from Austin to Oklahoma City in 1954, and their family restaurant would operate the next 45 years. At one time there were six Sanchez restaurants, including The Casa Maria, Don Serapio’s, and Casa Juanito.

Mino Hernandez worked for Luis Alvarado for many years before opening his own place in 1974. He called it La Roca Grande, La Roca for short. Hernandez brought with him Gilbert Alviso, who was first a chef at El Charrito.

Hernandez sold La Roca to his stepdaughter Cindy Cabrera. She changed the name to La Luna, and La Luna Cantina and Grill still operates in Newcastle.

Hernandez’s son, Mario, and

daughter-in-law, Leticia, opened Cocina de Mino with a few tables in a home with Mino’s help.

Cocina de Mino proved to be a hit, expanding to Tulsa then Kansas City along with seven locations in Oklahoma City, including the original store at 327 SE 29, which opened in 1982.

Cocina de Mino, like El Charrito before it, became a springboard for future restaurateurs like Ana Davis of Café do Brasil, the city’s only Brazilian restaurant.

“I worked as a manager at Cocina de Mino Mexican restaurant for Leticia Hernandez,” Davis said in a 2013 interview. “From that little lady I learned everything, from cooking and food presentation to greeting customers at the door and making them feel special.”

Cocina de Mino was sold in 2000 to a group including four former employees, who operate the remaining location on South Western.

Tulio Ramirez came to Oklahoma City in 1963 from Mocupe, Chiclayo, Peru. and learned the restaurant business from Alvarado. Tulio eventually opened his own, El Chalan on South Robinson in an old El Charrito that would also become the first Tulio’s Mexican Cafe. He then opened in Norman then expanded north to Penn Square Mall in 1989. A Tulio’s still operates in Norman today.

Two other Peruvian would enter Alvarado’s world by marriage.

Julian Gonzalez, whom everyone called Pepe, came to Oklahoma City to work on his way to Utah. But he was introduced to Luis Alvarado, who hired him to work at El Charrito. It was there he met his future wife, Taide.

After their marriage in 1964, Pepe was assigned to manage the El Charrito in Shepherd Mall.

Pepe stuck with the company through the El Chico merger, serving more than 20 years before

Mariachi band. Photo courtesy of The Oklahoma Historical Society.

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THE OKLAHOMAN

A portrait of Serapio Sanchez, who came to Oklahoma City in 1954 to open El Rancho Sanchez, was mounted on the wall at Don Serapio’s during its 18-year run on May Avenue and at the location in El Reno.

partnering with Manuel Tello to open Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant in Edmond in 1981. Pepe partnered with son Julian to open Laredo’s and Casa de Los Milagros, which still operates at Classen and Northwest Expressway.

Cesar Aita, who went by Nino, opened his first Nino’s Mexican Restaurant in 1978, just north of Interstate 240 on South Western Avenue. Aita came to Oklahoma City about 1960 and took a job as a busboy at El Charrito. After three years in the Army, Aita returned to El Charrito and met Sonia Tello, another of Alvarado’s nieces.

Before he sold Nino’s in 2006, Aita had opened a total of five Nino’s locations. The last three Nino’s spots, which were owned by yet another group, closed simultaneously in 2012.

Gonzalez died in 2015; Aita in 2013.

The spirit of mentoring shown

Marcelino Garcia, who still goes by Chelino.

Paying forward

Marcelino “Chelino” Garcia learned the restaurant business working for Nino Aita at Nino’s. Garcia owns 17 local restaurants and a number of ancillary businesses related to Mexican food today.

was passed down through others still in the business. For Aita, it was directed at one of his favorite employees, a youngster named

Garcia came to Oklahoma City in 1979 at age 15, carrying 36 cents in his pocket because he’d used his only dollar to buy a candy bar when he got off the bus. Chelino worked 10 years for Aita before saving enough to open his own place, which would feature flavors of his birthplace — Calvillo, Mexico.

“When I told Nino I wanted to open my own place, he didn’t say anything, he just handed me a key,” Garcia said. “The key was to his warehouse. He said, ‘Take whatever you need: tables, chairs equipment — anything.’”

Garcia took his mentor’s offer, leaving behind a list of the things he’d taken.

“He told me, ‘If it doesn’t work out, you can always come back

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THE OKLAHOMAN

Abel Ramos and chef Santos Flores in the kitchen at Abel’s Mexican Restaurant, which opened 10 years ago in Warr Acres.

Nino Aita, originally from Peru, learned the restaurant business working at El Charrito for Luis Alvarado.

home. You will always have a home here.’”

Garcia did return home, but not as a failure. In 2013, Garcia purchased the restaurant property where he first rose to manager of a Nino’s location and made it his 20

13th Chelino’s. Today, the number is up to 17 and many other related businesses.

Garcia’s path to success was untenable without the guidance and good faith shown him by Aita.

“Nino gave me a chance,” Garcia said. “Whether he is living or not, Nino is my hero. He taught me everything.”

So when Nino Aita was struggling with retirement, Garcia handed him a key.

Garcia invited Nino to manage the original Chelino’s on SW 89

Street. As usual, Aita succeeded.

The restaurant performed so well it was expanded. The patio that was added still bears his name.

Garcia didn’t just repay Aita’s kindness back, he’s made an effort to pay it forward.

“I count 27 Mexican restaurants that have been opened by people that used to work for me,” Garcia said with conspicuous pride back in 2016. “People ask me if I worry about the competition, but how can I not be happy for them the way Nino was happy for me?”

THE OKLAHOMAN

A selection of tacos from Cultivar Mexican Kitchen in downtown Oklahoma City

Tacos are king After 50 years building Mexican restaurants into a force to be reckoned with, it inspired cross-cultural response.

Texanna Red’s came from ValGene restaurants in 1983. Mamasita’s was born from another group without Hispanic ownership in 1986. Texanna Reds made it more than a decade while Mamasita’s made it 32 years in Nichols Hills before owner Howard Shiff was forced to close when he lost his lease earlier this year.

Norman native Bill Waugh started regional sensation Casa Bonita in Oklahoma City in the summer of 1968 with his wife, Evelyn.

In more recent years, a couple of fellows named Abel have contributed to local Hispanic entrepreneurship.

Abel DeLoera and his family have opened five San Marcos locations, four are still in operation,

since 1994.

Abel Ramos arrived to the metro from Los Angeles a little more than a decade ago. In 2018, he opened his first Abel’s Mexican Restaurant in Warr Acres, and it’s been a standard-setter ever since. His family has a second location on South Western.

Tacos today are an international sensation. Taquerias are more common than burger joints and pizza parlors combined on Oklahoma City’s south side.

Tacos and Latin cuisine have inspired Anglo-owned concepts like Big Truck Tacos, Hacienda Tacos, Iguana Mexican Grill, Revolucion, Cultivar, Barrios Fine Mexican Dishes, and chains like Fuzzy’s Tacos and Torchy’s Tacos.

OSO Paseo opened in October adding a gourmet taco joint to the Paseo Arts District. A Good Egg Dining group plans to open Mexican Radio in the Plaza District next spring.

In recent years, food from south of the border has come to mean more than Mexican food.

Cafe Antigua and Cafe Kacao have featured top-flight Guatemalan cuisine since 2004.

After decades working in Mexican restaurants, Peruvian restaurants finally began appearing about 10 years ago. Naylamp has locations south and north featuring rotisserie chicken, lomo saltado and the best ceviche in town.

If communities can be illustrated by the foods they love, it’s easy to see where and why Oklahoma City went south.

But south isn’t the only direction. The mass arrival of Vietnamese refugees following the fall of Saigon has enriched our foodways, too. But that’s another yarn.

Until then, we trudge forth, appetites ready, unconsciously revising the state meal one plate at a time.

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THE OKLAHOMAN A bicyclist rides past a Mexican restaurant on SW 29, a street lined with Hispanic businesses.

LA29

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THE OKLAHOMAN

Teto’s Muffler Shop, at 1501 SW 29, is among the scores of businesses along 29th street.

SW 29 alive and thriving as Hispanic businesses stir commerce by josh dulaney

J

ose Realzola Jr. has grown up along predominantly Hispanic SW 29, a thriving corridor of boutiques, service shops and restaurants south of the Oklahoma River.

His parents, Jose and Maria Roberta Realzola, run Berta’s Mexican Buffet at 635 SW 29 and a transmission shop a few blocks west.

“Everything we own is on 29th,” Realzola Jr. said during a break recently as customers dined on food from the buffet.

At 27 years old, he helps his parents operate their

store, which opened about 17 years ago. Like a lot of businesses here, Berta’s was born out of skill, opportunity and the desire for community.

“Mom loves cooking,” Realzola Jr. said. “We were always looking for authentic Mexican food. When this place became available, we opened the restaurant.”

The SW 29 District, known by locals as “La 29” is home to more than 400 businesses between Shields Boulevard and S May Avenue, according to the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber.

In 2013, area leaders came together with the aim to

photos by chris landsberger 23

THE OKLAHOMAN

La Michoacana Meat Market, 1125 SW 29, is part of a regional chain of stores stretching from the Rio Grande Valley to Oklahoma City.

transform SW 29 into a Business Improvement District, which will allow for a special property assessment to fund improvements and services. To that end, an association of merchants was formed.

“For the most part it’s been very positive,” said David Castillo, president of the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber. “We started seeing many of the businesses spruce up their places and make some changes.”

SW 29 is home to many community events throughout the year, including the Children’s Day Festival in the spring. The fundraising event has drawn as many as 15,000 attendees.

“It’s the local market center for the Hispanic community in Oklahoma City, particularly for newcomers, for shopping and merchants,” said Chip Oppenheim, president of the SW 29th District Association, and owner of the Economy Square Shopping Center. “It’s all a very 24

personal and loyalty thing with the community. It’s been a secret part of Oklahoma City for a long time, but a very important part.”

More than 50 years ago, Oppenheim’s grandfather, Leo Oppenheim, developed the Economy Square Shopping Center at SW 29 and May Avenue.

Oppenheim expects SW 29 to thrive for years to come, aided by Oklahoma City’s “Core to Shore” plan to makeover of blighted land between the Oklahoma River and downtown, as well as the Scissortail Park project, which also is expected to spark redevelopment on the southern edge of downtown.

“It’s always been busy and bustling,” Oppenheim said.

“It’s just never got much attention. However it’s getting more attention as we formed this association, and got business owners together to talk about all the great things going on.”

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Bertha’s Mexican Restaurant at 635 SW 29 St.

Food trucks and taquerias aren’t hard to find along SW 29.

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Luana mini tophandle handbag, $360, Sara Campbell winter white dress with gold dots, $320, and Boo Cou earrings, $46, from Boutique One.

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Manolo Blahnik satin pumps with crystal toe accents, $965, from Balliets.

It’s the season for

SHINE & SPARKLE Sondra Roberts black clutch with gold bow closure, $118, from Nancy’s.

photos by chris landsberger 27

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Layers of Carolee pearls and Tat2 Design chain necklaces, $210 to $276, from Balliets.

Saloni rose gold sequin dress with ruffle hem, $795, Alexis rabbit jacket, $550, Aquazzura metallic sandals, $675, from Balliets. Model/ makeup artist: Adrianna Standfill

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How much or how little is up to you. Go all out with glitz and glamour. Choose subtle shimmer.

Make a statement with sequins or satin.

Consider a little black dress with sheer details or lace overlay. Step out in a shimmery jumpsuit. Anything in satin, velvet or brocade is always a great option.

And don’t underestimate the power of accessories. Especially at the holidays.

Reach for a mini satchel or sequin clutch.

Strands of pearls layered with coin and chain necklaces look fresh and modern. Up the dazzle factor with chandelier crystal earrings.

With holiday parties, gatherings and other events on the calendar through New Year’s, followed by Valentine’s Day, another big date night,

there will be plenty of opportunities to dress to thrill.

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Lyman black sleeveless lace overlay dress with tiered ruffle, $284, from Nancy’s.

Model/hair and makeup artist: Olya Grimes. Location: Renaissance Waterford hotel.

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Jennifer Behr crystal chandelier earrings from Balliets.

Alexis print jacket with statement sleeves and sheer detail, $450, GRLFRND raw hem jeans, $248, Marion Parke metallic shoes, $595, and Chanel bag from Balliets.

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Photo provided

Rose gold “Emerson” crystal bead bracelet, $22, from Rustic Cuff at Classen Curve and Edmond.

FRNCH shimmery green jumpsuit, $89, and medallion choker and earrings, $25, from Jonque Mode.

Tadashi Shoji black velvet, sheer and lace long-sleeve dress, $368, and Amadeo pearl earrings, $58, from Boutique One. 31

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THE OKLAHOMAN

THE

YEAR IN

PICTURES Whimsy and wonder. Passion and protest. Sadness and joy. Celebrations and civic tragedy. The following pages include indelible images of the human condition in 2018 captured by The Oklahoman’s photographers.

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Supporters of Dream Action Oklahoma rally with immigrant youth, allies and supporters at the SkyDance Bridge. Photo by Doug Hoke

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The remains of WW II and Korean War Army veteran Alfred Bensinger Jr. are unloaded off of a Delta Airlines plane at Will Rogers World Airport. Photo by Chris Landsberger

Joe à lvarez, 19, holds his newborn daughter, Annayetz, while 17-year-old Leslie Marban pats their daughter’s head at Mercy Hospital.

Photo by Anya Magnuson

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Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield strikes a Heisman pose as he gets by Oklahoma State’s Justin Phillips on the way to a touchdown during the Bedlam college football game. Photo by Sarah Phipps

A child hangs his feet over the back of the bleachers before Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show at the Pawnee Bill Ranch. Photo by Bryan Terry

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People pray during the Churches for Teachers Prayer Vigil, an event supporting Oklahoma teachers and students, on the south side of the state Capitol. Photo by Nate Billings

A mourning relative of two fire victims walks near a memorial in the front yard of the family’s home just west of downtown Oklahoma City.

Photo by Jim Beckel

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A performer flips his water scooter, creating a spiral of water during the Oklahoma City Holiday River Parade. Photo by Sarah Phipps

OU’s Maggie Nichols performs on the uneven bars Perfect 10 Challenge women’s gymnastics meet between Oklahoma and Nebraska.

Photo by Sarah Phipps

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Children of clients at the City Rescue Mission have fun on a playground. Photo by Chris Landsberger

Cleveland Elementary fifth-grader Lincoln Cichweicz builds a model of playground equipment students designed with the help of Devon employees and coaches from the University of Oklahoma’s Tom Love Innovation Hub. Photo by Steve Sisney

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Quarterback Mason Rudolph hurdles teammate Sione Finefeuiaki and Kansas’ Osaze Ogbebor to score a touchdown in OSU’s rout of the Jayhawks at Boone Pickens Stadium. Photo by Nate Billings

A kayaker navigates the water at the OKC Whitewater Festival in Oklahoma City. Photo by Sarah Phipps

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Gov. Mary Fallin sits alone in the Senate gallery as lawmakers debate legislation aimed at wrapping up a special session.

Photo by Steve Sisney

Soldiers arrive at the 45th Infantry Museum during a day out for trainees from Fort Sill who cannot go home for Christmas.

Photo by Nate Billings

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Tim Murphy competes in bareback bronc riding during the International Finals Rodeo at the State Fair Arena. Photo by Sarah Phipps

Maddox Piersall lines up in staging as he prepares for his first race during the BMX Racing League session at Yukon BMX track.

Photo by Chris Landsberger

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A woman talks on her her phone while walking across a street in downtown Oklahoma City.

Photo by Chris Landsberger

Gabriel Sardon, 5, and his sister Maggie Sardon, 3, fly off an an inflatable slide during the Slide Outta Summer event in Edmond.

Photo by Bryan Terry

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Windsor Hills Barber Shop owner Fred Henderson cuts the hair of Leon Mansell in Oklahoma City.

Photo by Chris Landsberger

Sequoyah’s Alexys Keys and Kingston’s Danna Wagon collide during the 3A girls basketball state championship game. Photo by Sarah Phipps

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Tommie Moody smiles as nurse Lori Glidewell offers encouragement to him in his role as a pirate. Special needs students at Washington Irving Elementary School in Edmond presented a stage production of “Peter Pan.” Photo by Jim Beckel

Millwood boys basketball coach Varryl Franklin, middle, has his photo taken with family, friends, and current and former students. The game was the final home game of the regular season in the career of Franklin, better known as “Chop.” Photo by Nate Billings

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Two-year-old Carter Fitch, left, and Annabelle Cranz, 3, take turns looking at their new face paint in a hand-held mirror at a children’s garden festival inspired by Winnie the Pooh at the Myriad Botanical Gardens. Photo by Anya Magnuson

Ryan Truong, center, races to the finish with other competitors in the 50-meter run during the Special Olympics Oklahoma Summer Games at Stillwater High School. Photo by Chris Landsberger

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Bicyclists travel along the Oklahoma City Boulevard toward the river trails during the Myriad Gardens Full Moon Bike Ride.

Photo by Doug Hoke

The last Sonic Movie Night of the summer on the Devon Lawn at the Myriad Botanical Gardens featured the movie “Oklahoma!�

Photo by Doug Hoke

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Cars northbound on the Broadway Extension at NW 50 park after the road flooded. Photo by Steve Sisney

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Giraffes check out Star Wars themed treat containers as staff provide animal enhancement during the Oklahoma City Zoo’s Star Wars Day. Photo by Steve Sisney

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Paul George looks up during the National Anthem at the New Year’s Eve game between the Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Photo by Sarah Phipps

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Sienna Fryhover, 7, gives it her all in the adventure zone at Riversport Adventures OKC in the Boathouse district.

Photo by Chris Landsberger

Nick Willard paints an item outside for a Factory Obscura exhibit. Photo by Doug Hoke

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James Lowrey, safety security manager, checks on the progress of the Oklahoma City Zoo’s bee colony on Endangered Species Day at the Oklahoma City Zoo. Photo by Doug Hoke

An Oklahoma city firefighter works to control a fire at the Village at Stratford Apartments in Oklahoma City. Photo by Bryan Terry

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Indigo Labeth, 2, and her sister Claira Labeth, 6, lay in the back of a 1976 VW Bus bay window tin top camper. Photo by Doug Hoke

Dancers perform during Capitol Hill’s fourth annual Cinco de Mayo en Calle Dos Cinco celebration in Oklahoma City. Photo by Bryan Terry

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Abby Jones, 15, a student at Lawton MacArthur High School, holds a sign while listening to a speaker during the rally and walkout by Oklahoma teachers at the state Capitol. Photo by Nate Billings

Jack Eller, 5, of Mustang, has mud caked on his face and body during International Mud Day at Myriad Gardens. Photo by Jim Beckel

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Nov. 23 - Dec. 24 Now Opens Thanksgiving Weekend!

By Charles Dickens • Directed by Michael Baron

Celebrate the season with OKC’s beloved holiday tradition!

Live, on-stage musical delight at Lyric’s Plaza Theatre • Buy now for the best seats & prices!

(405) 524-9312 • LyricTheatreOKC.org Plus, groups of 8 or more, email Groups@LyricTheatreOKC.org for superb discounts!

Additional Funding Provided By: Allied Arts • Oklahoma Arts Council • NEA • AT&T Oklahoma • The O.K. Detrick Foundation • Mark and Beverly Funke • Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Stores

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A bee rests on a sunflower near downtown Oklahoma City. Photo by Chris Landsberger

Delinda Curtis, a teacher at South Rock Creek Schools, participates in a hoop workshop called Hooplahoma at Lake Hefner.

Photo by Bryan Terry

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Bryan Staggs throws the hammer during competition at the Iron Thistle Scottish Festival. Photo by Steve Sisney

Silo celebrates the 2A state baseball championship game after beating Dale at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Photo by Sarah Phipps

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Bryden tries on police tactical gear during Camp HOPE in Chouteau. Photo by Sarah Phipps

Goats line up in the petting zoo as Meredith Malchaski, 9, tries to decide which one to feed first during Freedom Fest at the Yukon City Park.

Photo by Chris Landsberger

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Clarence “Jay” Lee, of Sand Springs, preps a sable rough collie at the Oklahoma Collie Cluster, a collie specialty show. Photo by Doug Hoke

Richard Dines dances during the Oklahoma City Night to Shine event, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, at Putnam City Baptist Church. Photo by Bryan Terry

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Sister Maria Faulkner shovels dirt as she works with volunteers to make bricks for the Gospel of Life farm project at Journey Church in Norman. Photo by Chris Landsberger

Frances Cedartree during a visit by the Oklahoma City Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team, at a camp just west of downtown Oklahoma City. Photo by Bryan Terry

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Dog tags for each Oklahoma soldier killed in Vietnam are displayed above a list of their names during the first National Vietnam War Veterans Day event at the Oklahoma History Center. Photo by Steve Sisney

Will Rogers World Airport. Photo by Bryan Terry

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A child runs in front of the stage during the Fairy Ball in Twilight Time at the Crown Jewel Amphitheater at First Christian Church.

Photo by Nate Billings

Troy Bricker ventures out on exposed rock along the shore at Arcadia Lake. Photo by Steve Sisney

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Eleanor Watkins, 8 months, sits with her eggs during an Easter egg hunt at the Myriad Botanical Gardens. Photo by Doug Hoke

A woman shouts as Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin gives her final State of the State Address.

Photo by Steve Sisney

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People sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” during Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Oklahoma City. Photo by Jim Beckel

Jaishaun Wofford, of Euless, Texas, competes in the steer wrestling event during the International Finals Youth Rodeo.

Photo by Chris Landsberger

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A pair of military veterans stand as the emcee invites soldiers from the nation’s various wars to stand during the 45th Infantry Division Museum’s annual Memorial Day Ceremony. Photo by Jim Beckel

Marshall Conner prays at The Oklahoma City Memorial before running in the Oklahoma City Marathon. Photo by Sarah Phipps

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Trenton Hoover kisses his sheep on the nose as he waits in line for judging during the Gold Star Classic AFR Special Needs Livestock Show.

Photo by Chris Landsberger

Evelyn Carr, 7, participates in the Cobbler Gobbler contest during the McLoud Blackberry Festival. Photo by Bryan Terry

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Haylee Bross, 8, with the Union City 4-H, Club, competes in the water hauling event during the Farmhand Olympics at the Canadian County Free Fair.

Photo by Bryan Terry

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People watch storms west of Oklahoma City at Lake Hefner. Photo by Sarah Phipps

Oklahoma’s Trae Young sits during introductions for the TCU Horned Frogs. Photo by Bryan Terry

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Lindsay Thomas’ hair displays the effects of static electricity during a demonstration with a Van de Graaff generator on the Sideshow Science Stage at Science Museum Oklahoma. Photo by Jim Beckel

A worker is suspended from a safety cable on the side of the First National Center after large chunks of masonry fell from the 26th floor of the downtown Oklahoma City skyscraper, which is undergoing major renovation. Photo by Jim Beckel

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Oklahoma State’s Jeffrey Carroll celebrates with fans as they storm the court after a Bedlam men’s basketball game at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Photo by Nate Billings

Bundled up to stay warm, a person walks down Western Avenue past OKC Kayak in Oklahoma City. Photo by Chris Landsberger

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Russell Westbrook dribbles during a photo shoot at media day for the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Photo by Nate Billings

Senior Elian Mendoza Portillo smiles as he concludes his closing remarks during a special graduation ceremony to recognize English Language Learners at U.S. Grant High School. Photo by Jim Beckel

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Robert Gregg chases a duck off the field during the high school baseball game between Oklahoma Christian Academy and Tushka at Dolese Park in Oklahoma City. Photo by Sarah Phipps

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Corbin Zangari, 3, looks over at Army veteran Courtney Daniels, Lawton, and her 6-week-old baby Kendall Brooks at the Oklahoma City VA Hospital baby shower for new and expectant mothers. Photo by Doug Hoke Cutline for photo here. Photo by

Guitarist Eric Gales plays during his Jazz in June artist clinic. Photo by Nate Billings

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A young boy watches the colored Centennial Fountain of Oklahoma City through special glasses that were handed out at the Bricktown Tree Lighting Festival. Photo by Doug Hoke

Singer/songwriter and former lead singer for the Chainsaw Kittens Tyson Meade poses. Photo by Chris Landsberger

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An Oklahoma City Dodgers employee blows bubbles during an event. Photo by Bryan Terry

Jones’s Jarren Maples slides into home as Oktaha’s Brayden Rodden drops the ball during the 3A state baseball championship game.

Photo by Sarah Phipps

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Hot air balloons light up as their burners fire during the balloon glow at the FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival in Shawnee.

Photo by Nate Billings 76

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The Tower Theatre is once again a beacon along Uptown 23rd where the venue hosts concerts, comedy shows, political rallies, debates, movies and art shows.

Photo by Doug Hoke

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Uptown enjoying second

THE OKLAHOMAN

GOLDEN AGE by steve lackmeyer Uptown 23rd is enjoying a second shot at life with crowds lining up at the Tower Theatre again and the stretch of NW 23 north of downtown once again a destination for shopping, dining and entertainment.

Those visiting the strip might remember a time when NW 23 was blighted and the theater stood neglected with a damaged marquee sign. Fewer folks, mostly old timers, are around to share tales of when Uptown was lined with department stores, shops and restaurants and was the outskirts of the city.

Before the introduction of shopping malls in the late 1950s, the first outpost from downtown retail was being established along what was originally a two-lane street still lined with homes. Shops included Streets, Rothschild’s and Kerr’s — all department stores with a presence downtown.

Stores with ornate carvings in the capstones opened all along the stretch and became home to florists, electronics stores, a TG&Y, and a C.R. Anthony’s. Before Citizen’s Bank built its gold geodesic dome at NW 23 and Classen, it got its start at 601 NW 23.

Even before the opening of the first suburban department The Tower Theatre, shown in this mid-1960s photo, was an anchor along NW 23 with surrounding stores including TG&Y and C.R. Anthony. Photo provided by Uptown Development Group NW 23 Street in Oklahoma City, March 1959.

The Oklahoman Archives

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O’Mealey’s Cafeteria was a popular attraction at 319 NW 23 during the first golden age of Uptown.

Photo provided by the Oklahoma Historical Society

LEFT: The historic facade of the former O’Mealey’s was covered with wood frontage and a green and yellow overhang during the long malaise of Uptown. The Oklahoman Archives. RIGHT: The historic facade at 319 NW 23 has been restored this past year.

Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman

stores, NW 23 also doubled in the 1930s as a part of Route 66.

Some of the city’s earliest service stations popped up along the corridor, one of which is a onetime Phillips 66 station at 401 NW 23 that is one of only two of the original designs left in the city. Route 66 fans can catch a photo of the restored station, which is now home to KLLR Coffee Roasters.

The 1930s Route 66 era includes another Uptown icon that has recaptured the full glory it enjoyed through the 1960s — the Tower Theatre. The theater has acted as a bellwether of Uptown’s health. When times were good, crowds lined up to see weekslong runs of “The Sound of Music.” When times were bad, the theater was run down, reduced to running adult films, and finally, shuttered and neglected until the area’s recent revival.

A decades-old Texaco also serves as a witness to the area’s ups and downs, with Sharon Gentry recalling to The Oklahoman in a 2013 interview how her late father, Elmer Gentry, oversaw the station as a community gathering spot.

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“It only had two gas pumps,” Gentry said. “It was a working garage. ... Dad did brake jobs, sold tires, had a lube rack. The little old ladies would call him, and he would help them back out their big cars from their homes, he would put chains on their cars when it snowed. There were people in the neighborhood he would take care of.”

Mike Brake, a longtime local writer and former reporter with The Oklahoman, recalls when shops and restaurants were found along the strip and how the area lost its way.

“I worked at the old Humpty store at 2416 N Walker Ave. (now a parking lot) and knew old Elmer Gentry well,” Brake said. “That was then a neighborhood full of little old ladies, before it went to hell in the ’70s. Veazey’s Drug was on the northeast corner of NW 23 and Walker and a little familyowned restaurant called the Peery House was on the southeast corner, where the convenience store is now.”

O’Mealey’s Cafeteria, meanwhile, drew steady crowds at 319 NW 23 and was, Brake notes, “also an old ladies’ haunt.”

THE OKLAHOMAN The redeveloped former Citizens State Bank is now home to Hurt’s Donuts and a dental practice.

Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman.

“The decline of the area was in two stages,” Brake said. “It happened when Paseo became hippie central in the early ’70s, and later when so many of those old homes and apartment buildings (most located along the south side of NW 23 fronting Heritage Hills) were sold off as cheap rentals, attracting a very low-end clientele.”

The stretch of NW 23 between Classen Boulevard and Broadway certainly looked hopeless by the mid-1990s. But it never fully died.

Sure, the neon marquee at the Tower was dark, the windows of the surrounding shops cracked and storefronts filled with dust and debris.

Michael Smith, owner of an interior design shop at 317 NW 23, now home to Rockford Cocktail Lounge, was a lonely voice in the 1990s calling for the city to help bring life back to the strip. The city responded in 1998 with a $1.9 million streetscape, one of the city’s first efforts to rebuild a street with landscaping, vintage-style light poles and medians designed to slow traffic and create a sense of place.

The former Citizens State Bank stood empty and neglected over the past 20 years before it was redeveloped Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman BELOW: The original Citizen’s State Bank opened at 601 NW 23 and expanded multiple times before moving to the iconic Gold Dome at NW 23 and Classen.

Photo provided by the Oklahoma Historical Society

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The shopping center now known as The Rise along Uptown was previously home to a collection of department stores and shops in the mid-20th century. Photo provided by the Oklahoma Historical Society

Before it was redeveloped as The Rise, a strip shopping center at NW 23 and Walker was long seen as one of the worst eyesores in Uptown. The Oklahoman Archives

The Drake anchors The Rise, a shopping center developed from a blighted stretch of commercial buildings. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman

The name of The Rise shines in neon where Streets Department Store once operated decades earlier.

Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman

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Cheever’s Café opened where Cheever’s Florist had operated for decades at NW 23 and Hudson. The original owner, Charlene Humphreys, braved a firebombing shortly after restoring and opening the restaurant in 1998. The restaurant was eventually taken over by a young couple, Keith and Heather Paul, who were just getting their start in the business with Cheever’s and Iron Starr BBQ a few blocks north on NW 36.

As the Pauls expanded their catering operation, they bought the old Phillips 66 station and hired Brian Fitzsimmons to design its restoration. The couple later bought a nearby former gas station at 324 NW 23 and turned it into their first location for Tucker’s Onion Burgers.

Another influential trio of restaurateurs, Chris Lower, Kathryn

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A former Texaco station is now The Pump, a popular Uptown gathering spot in Uptown and part of a redeveloped shopping center named The Rise. Photo by Dave Morris

Elmer’s Texaco at NW 24 and Walker Avenue was a long time gathering spot for the surrounding community and is once again as part of a revived Uptown. Photo provided

Mathis and Cally Johnson, turned a former hamburger stand at 530 NW 23 into the home of Big Truck Tacos, an instant hit that remains a popular destination a decade later.

With the success of Big Truck, Cheever’s and Tucker’s, restaurants and bars started opening up in long-dormant spaces.

But some restorations required faith that they still existed even if they were no longer visible.

“Modern” facades added during the 1960s where Veazey’s, O’Mealey’s and Streets once stood covered up the far more impressive original architecture. These false fronts were cheap and garish and did not age well.

Developer Jonathan Russell bought the former Hotel/Motel Liquidators at NW 23 and Walker and removed a wornout shingle facade added in the 1970s when it was briefly

People gather for drinks, food and fun where cars were once gassed up and fixed when it was a Texaco station. Photo provided

home to an Evan’s Furniture store.

The Art Deco facade was restored and the shopping center, renamed “The Rise,” is now home to restaurants and shops.

Multiple layers of false facades were removed at an adjoining 1930s-era building that is now home to Pizzeria Gusto.

And Elmer’s Texaco, boarded up for years, was restored and opened as “The Pump,” a popular restaurant and bar with an outdoor patio.

The original plan was to tear down the Texaco to make way for parking and for Ian McDermid and his future wife Haley to open their bar and restaurant in The Rise. Ian McDermid saw a rare shot at restoring a midcentury gas station and turning it into yet another landmark.

“We got a good lease,” McDermid said. “We did all the work; it took a year and a half to get done.”

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Construction of a Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins across from Cheevers, meanwhile, triggered the removal of a cheap facade covering up the old home of O’Mealey’s.

The storefront has been restored, followed by the owners of Queen’s Beauty Supply recently opening up and improving their window displays.

Residential properties up and down the stretch have been fixed up and either reopened as apartments or as retail space.

The 23rd Street Courts along the 700 block of NW 23 was simply a worn-out stretch of early-day bungalow-style homes that had seen a series of commercial tenants come and go over the prior quarter-century.

Mike Tharasena began buying up the homes in 2006 and, armed with a master plan drawn up by architect Brian Fitzsimmons, he saw the bungalows turned into a hip commercial plaza consisting of restaurants, shops and offices.

The shops, most notably Cuppies and Joe, routinely attract a younger mix of college students and families.

The Tower Theatre, meanwhile, is the brightly lit landmark that announces to all that Uptown is back.

The Tower Theatre is one of Oklahoma City’s last grand movie houses with an intact auditorium and neon marquee.

The theater was built in 1931 and remained a popular venue

through the late 1960s, even boasting an Oklahoma City debut for “Cleopatra” with a successful 26-week run, and then an 82-week run for “The Sound of Music.”

Efforts to restore the theater starting in 2006 stalled out until the property was bought and restored by the Pivot Project. The theater is now open most nights, home to concerts, comedy shows, movies, political rallies and debates, banquets and art shows.

In the year of operation ending Aug. 30, theater operators reported selling 60,000 tickets to 325 events.

Only a few eyesores remain along NW 23, more a reflection of a handful of owners’ stance against selling or developing their properties.

Ian and Haley McDermid have continued to invest in Uptown, doubling up with a midcentury themed bar, The Bunker Club at 433 NW 23.

“I grew up a south-sider,” Ian McDermid said. “And as a teen, 23rd wasn’t a place you went. There was nothing there and what was there was crime, drugs and ne’er-do-wells. And it’s amazing how rapidly that background has been erased.

There is so much opportunity left with Uptown, so much potential still to be had.”

Crowds enjoy Sunday brunch outside of cafes along NW 23.

Photo by Steve Lackmeyer, The Oklahoman.

In the first golden age of Uptown, this one-story florist shop was typical of the ornate detailing put into each storefront. Photo provided by the Oklahoma Historical Society.

23rd Street Body Piercing dates back more than 20 years as one of just a few shops that were open along NW 23. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman

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People caught the Christmas spirit and came downtown to do their shopping despite a cold, Dec. 11, 1954. The Oklahoman Archives

HOLIDAY SNAPSHOT

Before Oklahoma City had a suburban shopping mall, downtown was the place to visit multiple stores to fill one’s Christmas list. The city decked out streets and retailers decorated storefronts for the season, and city sidewalks were crowded with the bustle of shoppers.

Christmas lighting in downtown Oklahoma City, Dec. 17, 1936.

The Oklahoman Archives

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THE OKLAHOMAN

Nintendo Switch games worth buying this Christmas season

Nintendo’s blockbuster video game system, the Switch, is sure to continue to be a hot item this Christmas season. Its popularity is bolstered by a slew of fantastic games, its portability and online ecosystem. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for the Switch gamer in your life, here are some options to choose from.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — $60 A Switch launch title, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, is considered by many to be a masterpiece, even if it’s a departure from the tried-and-true formula the Zelda games are built on. Beautiful graphics, intuitive gameplay and a massive world worth exploring, Breath of the Wild is sure to put a smile on anyone’s face.

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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — $60 Though almost identical to the 2014 Wii U version, Mario Kart on the Switch is a match made in heaven. Handheld play is smooth, and the Switch’s crisp screen means Mario Kart has never looked so good on an on-the-go device.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate — $60 Nintendo’s ultimate brawler makes its way to the Switch on Dec. 7 and will be the Smash Bros. to end all Smash Bros. It’ll have every character available throughout the years, online play and more.

Super Mario Odyssey — $60 The Switch’s Super Mario Odyssey is the definition of fun.

The accessible game play makes it so anyone, young or old, can pick it up and have a fun time. Completionists will love the game’s collectibles, and more casual gamers will appreciate the game’s smooth storyline.

Fortnite — Free, but includes in-game purchases This online battle royale is popular for a reason: It’s free and it’s fun. On top of that, it runs smoothly on the Switch, and being able to drop in on a game while on the go is reason enough to download on the Switch even if you already play it on another platform, such as PC. That said, Fortnite offers in-game purchases and payto-play game modes, so if there’s a Fortnite lover in your life, consider picking up a Nintendo eShop gift card, which allows players to imbibe in these features.

Octopath Traveler — $60 Fans of the JRPG (Japanese Role-Playing Games) genre will fall head over heels for Octopath Traveler. It’s a bit thin on the story, but what it lacks there it makes up in character and mechanics depth.

Rocket League — $20 Another game worth getting for online play is Rocket League. Hitting the scene several years ago, this unique soccer game took the world by storm and is a must-own for fans of both competitive and casual play.

Dead Cells — $35 Fans of the roguelike-metroidvania hybrid video game genre will find Dead Cells to be equal parts amazing and frustrating. The game takes no prisoners, but the reward of making it out alive is worth it.

Nintendo Switch Online membership — $20 for 12 months While technically not a game, most of the online features any Switch games have will require a Switch Online membership. There are multiple membership duration options, but the 12-month membership for $20 is a heck of a deal.

On top of being able to play games online with friends and family, Nintendo also offers a retro arcade of sorts where Nintendo Entertainment System classics like Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros. and Double Dragon are available to play for no additional cost.

Nintendo eShop gift card — Sky’s the limit While also technically not a game, a Nintendo eShop gift card will allow the gamer in your life to download games from the Nintendo eShop, which has digital copies of all the games mentioned above and hundreds of more options to choose from.

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Merry Christmas

THE OKLAHOMAN

Thank you for letting us help you ďŹ nd your Home for the Holidays!

Janice Winchester

HomeTeam405

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas 405-919-4830 janice.winchester@att.net

Billie Jo Hadley Happy Holidays

405-820-4500 jd.hadley@sbcglobal.net

Sharon Blount Happy Holidays

405-590-8702 sharonsharpblount@yahoo.com

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LaDonna Bryce

Laurie Patterson & Laura Robertson 405-888-1237 405-88

Danny Marx

20 E. 9th, Suite 100 Shawnee, OK74801 580-320-2557

Janet Harlan Merry Christmas

Have a Merry Holiday 10 E. Campbell, Edmond, OK 73034 405-627-7584

Bobbi Ottis Happy Holidays

405-245-3694 2332 N. Interstate Dr. Norman, OK 73072

405-410-8909 16301 N. May Ave., Edmond, OK 73013 jgharlan@yahoo.com

Karyn Seabrooke Happy Holidays

426 NW 5th Street, Suite 150, OKC 405-605-6445 or 405-409-7989 KeyRealtyOKC.com

Merry Christmas

THE OKLAHOMAN

Thank you for letting us help you find your Home for the Holidays!

Chelle Greene

Micah Sims

Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays

FIRST Chelle Greene Real Estate RE/MAX First OKC (405) 843-8448 chellegreene@remax.net www.chellegreene.com

Metro First Realty micahsellsok@gmail.com (405) 305-7220

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16145 N. May Avenue Edmond, OK 73013 www.garybaccus.com 405-844-6300 89

DOWNHOME

THE OKLAHOMAN

Beer on tap in outdoor living area, Integrity Fine Homes, 14908 Cascade Drive.

The wine bottle storage rack on the left side moves to expose a storage area behind the refrigerator unit, in $1,350,000 home by Integrity Fine Homes, 14908 Cascade Drive.

Wet bar and wine bottle storage area, in a $970,000 home by Gibbs-Hancock Luxury Estates, 14909 Cascade Drive.

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DRINKS ON THE HOUSE

Wet bars:

THE OKLAHOMAN

They’re not just for drinkin’ anymore.

Coffee/wet bar in master bathroom closet, $1,311,323 home by Matteson Custom Homes, 14800 Cascade Drive.

by richard mize That’s drinkin’-with-the-apostrophe, the one signifyin’ what used to be a sin in these parts: deliberate imbibin’ — with company over even.

It figures. Just when Oklahoma voters and politicians finally demonstrate the ability to listen to Oklahoma people, at least on really important issues, the home wet bar scene starts to dilute like watered-down whiskey.

Wet bars, fridges and reefer drawers are everywhere in new houses these days, at least at the top of the

market. (“Reefer” is for “refrigerator,” by the way, not the green, leafy substance that also has caught some Okies’ fancy, for medicinal purposes, even in Muskogee).

They’re for liquor, of course, and beer, and wine, and they’re in dens and living areas where they’ve always been.

But they’re in game rooms and theater rooms and master bedrooms and walk-in closets big enough to live in, too, for adult beverages — but also for soft drinks and morning coffee, tea and juice.

They’re not necessarily called wet bars.

photos by doug hoke

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THE OKLAHOMAN

Full wet bar in dining room, $1,350,000 home

by McCaleb Homes, 14916 Cascade Drive.

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THE OKLAHOMAN

That’s so ’70s.

And like so much else, they’ve gone outside to porches and decks as big as everybody’s second apartment or first house — where they’re for anything and everything that goes.

First, let’s review Oklahoma’s slowly fizzing social milieu (now there’s a cocktail waiting to be concocted: Social Milieu! Extra bitters!).

Through the bubbles, maybe we can glimpse the evolution of the wet bar, at least as clearly as those liquor ads with the subliminal messages that some of our parents and grandparents warned us about in the ’70s.

It only took nearly 60 years and three elections to get us here: • April 7, 1959 — state lawmakers passed the Liquor Control Act, lifting Prohibition.

• Sept. 18, 1984 — voters staggered to the polls* and legalized liquor by the drink (county option), replacing “liquorby-the-wink.”

Wet bar/entertainment built-in, in upstairs family room, $1,150,000 home by MassaRossa Luxury Homes, 14713 Cascade Drive.

Hubert Gibson, left, assistant county attorney, and L. H. Kolb, right, deputy sheriff, poured out, dumped and smashed more than 400 pints of whisky, wine, gin, and “moonshine” liquor, Dec. 22, 1950.

The Oklahoman Archives

Drivers are urged to vote for liquor by the drink in 1984.

The Oklahoman Archives

Wine storage area under staircase, MassaRossa Luxury Homes, 14713 Cascade Drive.

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THE OKLAHOMAN

Wet bar/entertainment built-in, in upstairs family room, $1,150,000 home

by MassaRossa Luxury Homes, 14713 Cascade Drive.

(*Young people: Back in the ’70s, certain smart-aleck social commentators, pointing out a certain inconsistency in state mores, observed that Oklahomans would vote against liquor by the drink “as long as they can stagger to the polls.” Which they did until 1984.)

• Nov. 8, 2016 — voters legalized the sale of strong beer, cold even, and wine in grocery stores even, which went into effect, at long last, on Oct. 1, the Year of Our Water-into-Wine-Turning Lord Two Thousand Eighteen.

It always goes back to the ’70s, and the first built-in wet bars.

It seems like they were one extreme or the other: small niches that could be closed up and hidden when not in use, or big, gaudy, dark-paneled cocktail lounges designed to make Dean Martin feel at home.

By the ’80s, they’d gone mainstream, to stand-alone built-ins of, say, mirror and brass, smack against a wall of the living room or great room.

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By the ’90s, people started actually planning for and receiving guests in the kitchen where they always wound up anyway, leaving any time-has-passed-it-by wet bar by its lonesome in the other room.

With the turn of the millennium came a cocktail revival, and in rolled the return of the fully stocked bar cart, freshly returned from midcentury.

And wine, glorious wine, with wine racks, wine fridges, actual wine cellars, and whole, small, climatecontrolled rooms set aside just for sniffing bouquets and sipping from the fruit of the vine.

When it comes to luxury, when money is no object, Skye may be a good start, but the sky is the limit.

Check out these wet bars, drink centers, fridges and wine design accouterments from a few $1-million-plus homes in northeast Oklahoma City.

The homes were on the Street of Dreams luxury home tour in October in The Falls addition, southeast of NE 150 and Post Road, courtesy of the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association.

THE OKLAHOMAN

ON THE BLOCK

the metro’s

top 5

6917 NW Grand Blvd., Nichols Hills

$2,860,000

home sales from the last quarter 14812 Dalea Drive, Oklahoma City

9401 Saddle Ridge Rd., Oklahoma City

$2,000,000

$1,800,000

6400 Outabounds Court, Oklahoma City

2611 W Wilshire Blvd., Oklahoma City

$1,600,000

$1,595,000

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THE OKLAHOMAN

On saturday, July 22, 1933, Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Urschel were plaing cards with Mr. and Mrs. Walter Jarrett at their Oklahoma City residence ...

Oklahoma City oilman, Charles F. Urschel 96

Two men, one armed with a machine gun and one with a pistol, entered the home Through the back porch ...

THE OKLAHOMAN

they burst into the sunroom abducting both men and warning mrs. urschel and mrs. jarrett not to call for help. One of oklahoma’s wealthiest men had been...

a graphic tale by todd pendleton 97

THE OKLAHOMAN

The intruders loaded both men into their car and sped to the outskirts of oklahoma city.

Mrs. Urschel telephoned the Federal Bureau of investigation.

She was connected to Director j. edgar hoover.

Hoover immediately sent special agents to oklahoma city to investigate.

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At 1 a.m., Jarrett returned to the urschel residence. After determining that he was not Charles Urschel, he had $50 taken out of his wallet and was released on a dirt road.

THE OKLAHOMAN

i’ll take that ...

On July 26, Tulsa oilman J.G. Catlett recieved a package requesting him as intermediary, including a type-written letter to oklahoma city resident e.e. kirkpatrick demanding $200,000. after several aborted attempts, the money was delivered outside of a hotel in Kansas city, Missouri.

an exhausted Urschel returns home at 11:30 p.m. on july 31.

After recovering, he is interviewed by FBI agents.

Just take your time ...

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THE OKLAHOMAN

urschel recalls being blindfolded in oklahoma city and riding for several hours. after two different stops, he is placed in a cabin.

He is chained to a chair and ordered to lie on a matress on the floor.

later, he is asked if he knows someone he can trust to receive a ransom note. he is forced to write the letter to j.g. catlett.

Urschel amazingly remembers hearing details such as cows and chickens outside the cabin, a water well and an airplane passing by every morning and evening.

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THE OKLAHOMAN

on Monday, july 31, urschel is told he is going to be released. He is driven to a gas station in norman, given $10 and released.

using urschel’s descriptions, including the flight patterns of aircraft, f.b.i. agents determine that paradise, texas, is a likely location of the cabin. they also discover that kathryn kelly’s mother, ora l. shannon, lives at a ranch in paradise.

As early as july 24, investigators started to suspect George R. and Kathryn thorne kelly. george had a prior criminal record. the couple married in 1927. Kathryn encouraged george to pursue life of crime. it is believed she bought a machine gun for george.

on August 12, agents raid the shannon ranch. Harvey J. Bailey, a notorious criminal is in the house, along with $1,100 cash, traceable to the ransom money. four members of the paradise dallas shannon family are arrested along with bailey.

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THE OKLAHOMAN

The Shannons were questioned and admitted that Urschel had been held at their residences and that they stood guard over him. They admitted that Urschel was kidnapped by George Kelly and Albert L. Bates.

Bates, a hardened criminal with a lengthy criminal record,is arrested, with a machine gun and ransom money in his posession. on september 26, George and kathryn are arrested in memphis. They are unarmed and immediatley taken to oklahoma city for trial.

don’t shoot g-men!

Hideout residence

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THE OKLAHOMAN

On September 30, the jury returned a verdict of guilty against R.G. Shannon, Ora L. Shannon, Armon Shannon, Albert L. Bates and harvey bailey for conspiracy to kidnap Charles urschel.

albert bates

Harvey Bailey

armon shannon

r.g. shannon

ora shannon

Harvey J. Bailey, Albert L. Bates, R.G. Shannon, and Ora L. Shannon were each sentenced to life imprisonment; Armon Shannon to 10 years probation. the highly publicized kelly trial drew national attention.

On October 12, 1933, George and Kathryn Kelly were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Twenty-one persons were convicted in this case, the sentences including six life sentences and other sentences totaling 58 years.

GEORGE “MACHINE GUN” KELLY DIED OF A HEART ATTACK AT THE FEDERAL PENITENTIARY, LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS, IN 1954.

KATHRYN KELLY WAS RELEASED FROM PRISON 1N 1958.

SHE DIED IN OKLAHOMA AT THE AGE OF 81.

charles F. urschel died in san antonio, in 1970 at Age 80

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MAILBAG

THE OKLAHOMAN

ICON RESTORATION 104

THE OKLAHOMAN

State Capitol repairs are extensive and expensive

A

by dale denwalt

fter a century of standing as one of Oklahoma’s most important structures, the state Capitol is in the midst of a restoration that officials hope will let it stand for another hundred years.

Construction has touched nearly everything at the Capitol, from the hallways where senators and representatives keep their offices to the intricate stonework

on the building’s exterior. It’s a project authorized to cost up to $245 million paid for with bonds approved by the state Legislature.

The contractors, Manhattan Construction Company and JE Dunn Construction Company, started work in 2015. The exterior restoration is being handled by JE Dunn and will be completed sometime in 2019.

It will take several more years for Manhattan to finish construction inside the Capitol.

photos by sarah phipps

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THE OKLAHOMAN

Granite lions on the roof of the Capitol.

Exterior

From a distance, the Capitol seems like a stone giant, with its bland gray exterior accentuated by the dome and The Guardian statue, both relatively new additions completed in 2002. A closer look, however, reveals detailed art carved from stone.

Decades of Oklahoma’s weather caused damage to the stonework, which has mostly been repaired by master masons. Additional work is being done on granite and concrete throughout the Capitol grounds, including the excavation of the pedestrian tunnel on the east side of the complex.

Kelly Smith repairs stone.

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THE OKLAHOMAN

Stonework at the south entrance.

Stone decoration just under the dome.

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THE OKLAHOMAN

Workers on the ground floor.

Infrastructure A slightly less visible aspect of the Capitol restoration has been the replacement of outdated infrastructure, including miles of electrical and plumbing that hide under the floors and in the walls.

The Capitol now has a new electrical room on the ground floor, described as the “brain” of the building’s electrical system. Contractors shut down the building and cut the power for a week last year to test the new system.

It will be cooler inside, too. Construction workers have also made preparations to pump cool air into the Capitol rotunda for the first time. It will be complete once work on the elevators is finished. While offices have climate control, the large, open area in center gets uncomfortably warm when crowds rally inside the Capitol.

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THE OKLAHOMAN

Interior

Nearly every inch of the Capitol’s interior is being restored, replaced or improved in some way. The extensive construction work began in the basement, which is now called the ground floor, and will move up throughout the building.

Interior restoration, including work on the House and Senate chambers, is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

Recently, historic preservation specialist Stephen Kelley reported that a new color scheme will be tested in select areas of the Capitol. The multi-color paint schemes are based upon a comprehensive analysis of archival and physical colors, plus those that were introduced during the dome construction.

Scaffolding in the Senate chambers.

Restoration designers will install a mock-up of the Capitol’s new color scheme in the rotunda in preparation for using it throughout the Capitol. Image provided by Oklahoma Capitol Restoration

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THE OKLAHOMAN

EARLY CONSTRUCTION

Construction on the state Capitol building was underway when this photo was taken Nov. 1916. Note the rails in the foreground specifically built to the Capitol grounds to handle the huge blocks of limestone used in the structure. The Oklahoman Archives

The Yellow Mule streetcar line and cattle near the construction of the Oklahoma state Capitol building in 1916.

Photo provided by the Oklahoma Historical Society

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THE OKLAHOMAN

PAGES FROM THE PAST

don mecoy

The explosion of the German airship Hindenberg in New Jersey on May 6, 1937, killed 36 of the 97 people aboard. The horrific event during the hydrogen-filled ship’s landing produced this spectacular photo, which may have been the largest ever published on the front page of The Oklahoman. The disaster shattered public confidence in airships, which have never regained 111favor.

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