Easy Pot-luck Favorite

Story & Photo by Nancy Laffey/Contributing Writer

One of the busiest restaurant dining days of the year is coming soon. May 9 is Mother’s Day, and restaurants will be teeming with families ready to treat the selfless and hardworking mothers in their lives to a meal away from home. With spring in full bloom and the weather getting warmer, outdoor dining is now a reality again! El Patio has the best patio in town to enjoy a refreshing margarita and some excellent Mexican cuisine. Every mom deserves this special treat and zero dishes to clean. El Patio Mexican Restaurant is my go-to establishment for quality service for large or small groups.

They serve consistent dishes every time without question.

For my Mother’s Day starter, I ordered the

Guacamole Mexicano, fresh-made chunkystyle guacamole.

Don’t get the regular guacamole dip, it’s not the same, you must splurge for the primo stuff. I want to see all those avocado chunks, not just a green creamy paste! This guac is chock full of all the freshest ingredients and not too much lime. Treat yourself to this starter, along with their classic white queso; your mom deserves both.

Among my friends, El Patio is known for a sweet and stiff margarita, a classic on the rocks or frozen one that will compliment your meal nicely. But I ventured out this time with a Sangria Margarita from their specialty drink menu. It was colorful, with a swirl of berry-colored sangria and that classic tart lime flavor in the margarita. She was the perfect marriage of cocktails for a Mother’s Day treat! After all that, the main course arrives speedily, and I think I’m full of chips and dips … but somehow I clean my plate every time. El Patio has an extensive menu of classics and dishes that are unique to them. I have never ordered anything that wasn’t fresh and flavorful. My go-to dish at El Patio is the Chicken Avocado Enchiladas. They aren’t your typical enchiladas, in that the meat inside is more of a fajita-style chicken with grilled bell peppers and onions. The filling is wrapped in corn tortillas, which cooked properly are superior to flour. They are topped with a spicy salsa Verde, and I also add the white queso to the dish for a creamy and cheesy addition. The avocado part of this dish is served in slices on the side, not every bite needs a bit of avocado but it is a nice cool balance to the spice of the Verde sauce. The dish is served with rice in a neat pile, some sour cream and a slice of tomato. I love the presentation of the dish, unlike all Mexican restaurant dishes, I think this one goes to great lengths to be an upscale option, and I really like that they take pride in making each dish unique this way. Cheers to all the wonderful mothers, I hope your families treat you well this Mother’s Day and every day.

2nd Annual "Sid Wilson" Memorial Ranch Rodeo 5PM - 7PM

101 Rodeo Arena, Ponca City Open Men's Rodeo 80% Payout $1,200 Added Money $5.00 Gate Fee/12 & Under FREE Silent Auction Concessions Available Events: Stray Gathering, Sort & Pen, Doctoring, Branding 20 Team Limit 4 Man Teams $100 per Man Call In: 580-716-2771

Schatte Memorial BBQ Extravaganza 9AM - 4PM 1104 North 4th, Ponca City The "Schatte Memorial BBQ Cookoff" was started in the fall of 2020 as a way to recognize and honor the legacy of Paul Schatte, a long time member and former teacher/principal of First Lutheran Church & School, and a legend in the BBQ world. A portion of the proceeds from this event will be designated to a memorial scholarship fund set up for the grandchildren of Paul Schatte. This event will be competitive by nature, but light-hearted in honor of Paul. Vendors will be open from 9-4. Cookoff tasting kits will be available from 11:30-1:30.

Gannon Fremin & CCREV at Ridin’ High 9PM - 12AM 2200 East Coleman Road,

Ponca City Gannon Fremin & CCREV Advanced Tickets: $5.00 At The Door: $8.00

1Jockeys and Juleps 3:30PM - 7:30PM 901 Monument Rd, Ponca City Join the Kay County OSU Alumni Chapter for a fun-filled afternoon at the Marland Mansion for Jockeys & Juleps and the 147th airing of the Kentucky Derby! Tickets to this exciting event are $50/person. Admission includes Kentucky-inspired heavy hors d'oeuvres, traditional Derby beverages and games. Derby attire is optional. Hats for the ladies and ties/bowties for the gentlemen would be a great way to get in the spirit. Net proceeds will benefit a scholarship fund for students attending OSU from Kay County. The Oklahoma State University Alumni Association (“OSUAA”) cannot prevent you and/or any other attendees from becoming exposed to, contracting, or spreading COVID-19 while attending OSUAA’s event. Attendees choose to accept the risk of contracting COVID-19 and indemnify and hold OSUAA harmless from all liability. [see article on page 18 for additional details]

5Movies on the Lawn 8PM - 10PM 1604 West Grand, Ponca City This FREE event is back at the RecPlex lawn! Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and bug spray. Youth and teens under the age of 14 are asked to have adult supervision. Please practice proper social distancing. The lawn opens at 8:00 p.m., and the movie starts at dusk. Coco Wednesday, May 5. Batman and Robin Thursday, June 3. Wonder Woman Saturday, June 19.

Highway 60 Tire & Service - Customer Appreciation Day 11AM - 2PM 64643 Us-60, Ponca City Join us Wednesday, May 5th, from 11am to 2pm as we celebrate the most important part of our business… you! Lunch will be served from 11am – 2pm and will include deep-fried pork tenderloin, pulled pork, hot dogs, sides and a drink. There will also be drawing for a Free Set of Four Hankook, Mastercraft, Kumno or General Branded Tires (Your Choosing, Up to $500) from your friends at Highway 60.

1 Million Cups with Kay County Election Board Pioneer Technology 8AM - 9AM Center - 2101 North Ash Street, Ponca City OK 74601 Come and hear all about the

Visit PoncaCityMonthly.com for a full list of events.

workings of the Kay County Election Board with Election Board Secretary, Cheryl Howard.

8Color Blast Fun Run 9AM - 10AM RecPlex - 1604 West Grand, Ponca City Join the RecPlex on May 8th for a 5K Color Blast Fun Run! Color blast runs are a fun way to experience a 5k race with friends and family. Enrollees will receive a race shirt that will be perfect to wear as you run through 5 various color stages. In order to ensure a shirt enrollment must be completed by April 23rd. The race will take place at the RecPlex Outdoor Walking Track and will be gun timed. The run will include a 5k and a 1 mile route and is open to all ages and abilities. Registration is $15 To register, visit www.poncacityok. gov/parksandrec-registration or by calling the RecPlex at 767-0430. MAY 8

William Lee Martin Returns to the Poncan Stage 7:30PM - 9:30PM Poncan Theatre - 104 East Grand, Ponca City William Lee Martin returns to the Poncan stage! After his successful 2020 tour, he's coming back! Come see this great comedian and enjoy your favorite Poncan Theatre alcoholic beverage. Tickets start at $20! The show begins at 7:30 on Saturday, May 8th, 2021. https://www.poncantheatre.org/

Wacky Golf22 9AM - 12PM Wentz Golf Course 2928 LA Cann Drive, Ponca City This is not your average round of golf. This will be a fun golf tournament with plenty of laughs. The course will feature an activity/challenge on all of the par 3 & 4 holes; par 5 holes will play as normal. 2 Person Teams. Scramble format. $70 per person / $120 team Includes cart, lunch, and 2 beverages Some of the activities & challenges may include: Ready 4 Launch- Tee off using a sling shot instead of driver. What a Racket - Tee off by tossing ball in the air and hitting with a tennis racket. Random Draw - Draw to see what club you will use for the entire hole. Cue Ball - Must putt using putter like a pool cue. Tee Ball - Tee off using a batting tee & baseball bat. Dizzy Drive - Close your eyes and spin 3x before teeing off. Proceeds benefit the Charity Angel Ambucs to help with their mission to provide mobility and independence to people with disabilities. Hole and corporate sponsorships also available. ambucs.org

26th Hospice Memorial Golf Tournament Wentz Golf course 8AM - 12PM 2928 LA Cann Drive, Ponca City The 26th Hospice Memorial Golf Tournament to be held at Wentz Golf course. 8:00 a.m. shotgun start followed by lunch courtesy of Ody's and D&P Tank at outside courtyard at Ody's. 18-hole scramble with partner of your choice. Blind draw. $100 per player includes cart and lunch. Honor a loved one with a hole sponsor for $200. Call Wendy at 580-762-9102 for more information. MAY 28

The Oak Ridge BoysElvira 40 Tour 1981 - 2021 8PM - 10PM 12875 North Highway 77, Newkirk Doors: 7PM - This event is All Ages Theirs is one of the most distinctive and recognizable sounds in the music industry. The four-part harmonies and upbeat songs of The Oak Ridge Boys have spawned dozens of Country hits and a Number One Pop smash, earned them Grammy, Dove, CMA, and ACM awards and garnered a host of other industry and fan accolades. Every time they step before an audience, the Oaks bring four decades of charted singles, and 50 years of tradition, to a stage show widely acknowledged as among the most exciting anywhere. And each remains as enthusiastic about the process as they have ever been. The group has scored 12 gold, three platinum, and one double platinum album - plus one double platinum single - and had more than a dozen national Number One singles and over 30 Top Ten hits. PLEASE NOTE: Use the "Pick Your Own Seats" option after clicking on "Buy Now" to choose specific seats! For more information visit Sevenclans.com/first-councilcasino-hotel.

Alien - ($5 Movie) 2PM - 4PM

Poncan Theatre- 104 East Grand, Ponca City Enjoy your favorite movies at the Poncan! An INTERACTIVE showing will take place at 7PM! For those who desire a classic movie-going experience, we suggest the 2PM showing.

In deep space, the crew of the commercial starship Nostromo is awakened from their cryo-sleep capsules halfway through their journey home to investigate a distress call from an alien vessel. The terror begins when the crew encounters a nest of eggs inside the alien ship. An organism from inside an egg leaps out and attaches itself to one of the crew, causing him to fall into a coma. poncantheatre.org