405 Magazine June 2018

WATER WAYS

Best Rafting for Wild Rides

A SoSA SURPRISE

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in this issue

JUNE 2018

Features

32

WELCOME TO OKC

Oklahoma City has been enjoying a period of sustained growth, which means a number of new citizens who aren’t yet familiar with the metro’s many highlights. Whether you’re a recent relocation or a lifelong resident, we’ve put together a set of recommendations you need to see, taste, know and experience.

46

THE CANNABIS QUESTION Oklahomans are preparing to head to the polls for a state question potentially legalizing medicinal marijuana usage, but while the state’s future might be greener afterward, opponents are concerned about the legal gray areas that could be created as a result.

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405 MAGAZINE JUNE 2018

THE DAY-DATE 40 The international symbol of performance and success, reinterpreted with a modernized design and a new-generation mechanical movement.

It doesn’t just tell time. It tells history.

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圀栀攀渀 礀漀甀 瘀椀猀椀琀 眀攀 椀渀瘀椀琀攀 礀漀甀 琀漀 攀渀樀漀礀 漀甀爀 挀漀洀昀漀爀琀愀戀氀攀 眀愀椀琀椀渀最 愀爀攀愀 眀椀琀栀 挀愀戀氀攀 吀嘀Ⰰ 挀漀洀瀀氀椀洀攀渀琀愀爀礀 圀椀ⴀ䘀椀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 愀 戀攀瘀攀爀愀最攀 戀愀爀⸀ 䐀漀渀ᤠ琀 栀愀瘀攀 琀椀洀攀 琀漀 眀愀椀琀㼀 䄀猀欀 甀猀 愀戀漀甀琀 䰀椀渀挀漀氀渀 倀椀挀欀 唀瀀 ☀ 䐀攀氀椀瘀攀爀礀⸀

㄀㘀㠀㄀ 䔀愀猀琀 䤀ⴀ㐀 䔀氀 刀攀渀漀Ⰰ 伀䬀 㜀㌀ ㌀㘀 㐀 㔀⸀㈀㘀㈀⸀㐀㔀㐀㘀

in this issue In the 405 17 Breezy fashions for summer getaways; shoppers’ heaven Blue Seven; aprons to greet grilling season; an open letter to

JUNE 2018

Splashing Success It’s pretty wet, a little wild and a whole lot entertaining – shooting river rapids is an exhilarating experience worth building a vacation around, especially if your chosen destination has as much to offer as our set of recommendations. Grab your life jacket and hang on tight.

spam correspondents; Oklahoma’s (near-) record dam; equipment for outdoor summers; Ebony Iman Dallas’ life in art

Home 51 The Cobbs’ SoSA sanctuary; accessorize your kitchen in style

Travel 59 Recommended spots for white water rafting

Dining 73 Elevated pub food at the remodeled Union; simple salmon from chef Amie Gehlert; The Heat’s deep-dish joys; a trio of Mahogany cocktails

Events 85 Fine Western art at Prix de West; Rodeo Cinema expands cinephiles’ options; the ongoing tapestry of Fiberworks

In Every Issue 12 From the Publisher 14 Web Sights 78 Food and Drink 88 Speakerbox 90 On Location 92 On the Radar 96 Backstory

ON THE COVER

60

Mayor David Holt is ready to welcome new residents to OKC. Photo by Matt Payne

VOLUME 4 / NUMBER 6, 405 MAGAZINE (PERIODICALS 21350) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY, 12 TIMES A YEAR, BY 405 MAGAZINE, INC., 1613 NORTH BROADWAY AVENUE, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73103. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT OKLAHOMA CITY, OK AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO 405 MAGAZINE, P.O. BOX 16765, NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA 91615-6765.

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405 MAGAZINE JUNE 2018

5521 North Pennsylvania Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73112

(405)-608-8802

www.diamondsdirect.com

JUNE 2018

VOLUME 4 • NUMBER 6

Publisher | Editor-in-Chief Heidi Rambo Centrella heidi.centrella@405magazine.com

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EDITORIAL y fi a pp ’s D Ha ther Managing Editor a F Steve Gill steve.gill@405magazine.com

Style Editor Sara Gae Waters saragae.waters@405magazine.com Travel Editor Matt Payne matt.payne@405magazine.com Fashion Director Jennifer Salyer jennifer.salyer@405magazine.com

Supe r for O stoked cean ’s 8

Editorial Coordinator Louise Scrivens louise.scrivens@405magazine.com Contributing Writers M.J. Alexander, Mark Beutler, Jerry Church, Christine Eddington, Greg Horton, Lance McDaniel, Lauren Roth, Elaine Warner

ART Art Director Scotty O’Daniel scotty.odaniel@405magazine.com Graphic Designer Brian O’Daniel brian.odaniel@405magazine.com

Call h e wedd r the ing b elle

Social Media Coordinator Tiffany McKnight tiffany.mcknight@405magazine.com Contributing Photographers M.J. Alexander, Shannon Cornman, Andy Greene, Fran Kozakowski, Charlie Neuenschwander, Don Risi

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

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Story Ideas and Letters to the Editor Your views and opinions are welcome. Include your full name, address and daytime phone number and email to editor@405magazine.com. Letters sent to 405 Magazine become the magazine’s property, and it owns all rights to their use. 405 Magazine reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity.

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405 MAGAZINE JUNE 2018

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Learn more at okcspine.org or call 405.996.8135 to schedule a free MRI review and clinical consultation.

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JUNE 2018

VOLUME 4 • NUMBER 6

Executive Director of Advertising Cynthia Whitaker-hill cynthia.whitakerhill@405magazine.com

PUBLIC OPENING REMARKS AND ARTIST PANEL 7 p.m. Thursday, June 7, 2018 EXHIBITION RUNS June 8 – Sept. 9, 2018

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FRED JONES JR. MUSEUM OF ART The University of Oklahoma 555 Elm Ave. Norman, OK 73019-3003 FJJMA.OU.EDU | @FJJMA ADMISSION IS ALWAYS FREE!

CHICKASAWARTISTS.COM Visual Voices: Contemporary Chickasaw Art is made possible by grants provided by the Chickasaw Nation and the National Endowment for the Arts, and by assistance from The American Indian Cultural Center and Museum.

Paul Moore (U.S., Chickasaw, b. 1970); The Field [detail], 2017; Acrylic on panel (triptych), 20 x 16 x 1.5 in.

Loan courtesy of the artist

READER SERVICES 405 Magazine 1613 N. Broadway Oklahoma City, OK 73103 Phone 405.842.2266 Fax 405.604.9435 info@405magazine.com, 405magazine.com Back Issues Back issues are $9.50 (includes P&H) each. For back issue availability and order information, please contact our office.

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405 Magazine Volume 4, Number 6, June 2018. 405 Magazine is published monthly by 405 Magazine, Inc. at 1613 N. Broadway, Oklahoma City, OK 73103, 405.842.2266. © Copyright 2018 405 Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of 405 Magazine content, in whole or part by any means, without the express written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

405 Magazine is not responsible for the care of and/or return of unsolicited materials. 405 Magazine reserves the right to refuse advertising deemed detrimental to the community’s best interest or in questionable taste. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of ownership or management. Basic annual subscription rate is $14.95. U.S. single-copy price is $4.95. Back issues are $9.50 each

For accommodations, please call Visitor Services at (405) 325-4938. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo CIRCULATION AUDITED BY

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405 MAGAZINE JUNE 2018

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

Loving the OKC Life

M Y F IR ST COU PL E of decades were spent moving from town to

HEIDI R A MBO CEN TRELL A Publisher | Editor-in-Chief heidi.centrella@405magazine.com

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405 MAGAZINE JUNE 2018

PHOTO BY SIMON HURST

town, state to state: Michigan to Louisiana to Oklahoma to Connecticut to New Jersey and, finally, back to Oklahoma. Despite not being born here, I most certainly consider Oklahoma my home state, and despite having strong ties to Enid, where I attended high school (Go Plainsmen!), I consider Oklahoma City my hometown.

Adjusting to each new place, each with vastly different cultural offerings, posed a challenge for me – no matter my age. By the time my family and I arrived in Enid, my elder siblings were grown and gone from home, and I was making a fresh start at the ripe age of 13, maybe 14. But life in Enid felt right – I think for the first time since leaving Michigan as a 7-year-old girl.

Back then, of course, I had no handbooks or guides to recommend things to do or places to visit. Too young to take interest in the local newspaper, I got all such suggestions in person, from whomever I was conversing with around town. Even when I returned to Oklahoma City after a four-year stint on the East Coast, it felt just like home; but again, no handbooks, no guides, just old-fashioned word-of-mouth recommendations along with an ounce of trial and error to find my way.

I’ve watched this city grow and change since our first introduction in 1988. I can remember when the now-closed Spaghetti Warehouse opened in Bricktown, which was a really big deal back then: There was O’Brien’s Dueling Piano Bar, a beach-themed club, a seasonal haunted warehouse and a lot of unused space in the district now widely known for its dining and entertainment.

Things are different today, and as we’ve grown and sprawled as a city and metro area, that handbook or guide feels like a helpful amenity – if not a necessity. Our Newcomer’s Guide to OKC (beginning on pg. 32) showcases several of our favorites among the seemingly endless options for dining, sightseeing, shopping, exercising, living and playing in our great city. There’s a dose of history that will enlighten and keep us remembering where we started, what we experienced and how we came together as denizens of the 405 through the good years and bad. There’s also a hint toward current and future plans in place for continued growth.

Whether you’re new to the metro area or you’ve resided here for a lifetime, I hope you’ll enjoy this issue, and I challenge you to find something within these pages that you haven’t yet tried – and just do it!

Web Sights

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405 MAGAZINE JUNE 2018

“When it comes to adventure vacation,” writes travel enthusiast Matt Payne, “rarely is there a higher pinnacle for the trip than the day you decide to hit the rapids. No matter what part of the country you’re in … river rafting is a must for every mountain-bound adventurer.” Riding – and occasionally fighting – the racing waters of nature is an unparalleled rush, and while shooting Riversport OKC’s manmade rapids here in the metro is a blast, the nation is filled with wilder possibilities if you’re hitting the road in search of a fun summer getaway. Check out some of Matt’s top recommendations on page 60, and then head to the digital frontier for further reading and more destinations at 405magazine.com/June-2018/ Adventure-Afloat/.

Boating Brittania

Speaking of ruling the waves, Elaine Warner recently headed across the Pond to take to the river, viewing the Tower of London, Canary Wharf, Greenwich and landmarks from the Eye to the Gherkin while cruising the Thames. Her account of this brief but thoroughly interesting voyage is now docked on our website at 405magazine. com/June-2018/Thames-Time/ – it’s an engaging read, including a pirate or two, so we invite you to set a course and give it a look next time you’re sailing the seas of cyberspace.

Summertime Chews

The weather outside might be trending toward uncomfortably toasty, but don’t let that dissuade you from continuing to embrace the city’s hotter-than-ever dining scene. In fact, we’d like to pick up part of the tab. We’re continuing our Friday $50 giveaway in June, handing out $50 worth of gift cards each week to an eatery featured in this issue or one of our other local favorites.

Entering is free and easy – just keep an eye on our newsletters and click the link you’ll find inside. (Sign up at 405magazine.com/ newsletters/ if you aren’t already.) We draw a winner at random each Friday, so be ready to enjoy some free flavor. Good luck!

Feb31st | $699

l.a. Eyeworks | $490

SEE AND BE SEEN FRAMES FOR THE PERFECT SUMMER LOOK Lindberg | $790

Gold & Wood | $945

4200 W MEMORIAL, SUITE 101, OKC | 405.749.4285 | PHYSICIANS-OPTICAL.COM

405

in the

Relaxation Ahead

PHOTO BY CHARLIE NEUENSCHWANDER

The water is calling, and whether you’re headed to the lake, ocean or poolside, you’re going to need something to dazzle in. This flirty fringed off-the-shoulder cover-up in palm by Luli Fama is $147 at L.A. Sun & Sport at 14201 N May in OKC, and makes a great start.

JUNE 2018 405 MAGAZINE

17

in the 405 FASHION

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405 MAGAZINE JUNE 2018

SPLASHES OF FASHION Primo looks for hitting the lake

BY JENNIFER SALYER PHOTO BY CHARLIE NEUENSCHWANDER

W EL COM E TO SU M M ER – now get out on the water!

There’s no better time to jump in the jeep and head for some waves, as long as you have the right outfit for the occasion.

Jessica is wearing an Ariel ombre sequined halter bikini top by Beach Bunny, $146, set off with matching Hard Tail mesh tennis jacket, $102, and high-waist warrior leggings, $96, in a shade called Rainbow Horizon 61.

The drawstring beach bag is by Maaji, $35, and the adjustable wire-brim hat with UPF 50+ is by Gottex, $75.

Dylan’s sporting a white Toucan longsleeve luxe tee by Tommy Bahama, $79, and board shorts in Rad Plaid with 17” inseam and 4-way stretch by Just Bones Boardwear, $68.

Both looks came from L.A. Sun & Sport, 14201 N May, OKC. JUNE 2018 405 MAGAZINE

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in the 405 FAVORITE THINGS

Matt and Nat backpack, $124.99 “Matt and Nat is an all-vegan company that outlasts a lot of leather bags. Their designs always have slight yet very different and creative details that separate them from others.”

Yeti-shaped heating pad, $26.99 “When the kids aren’t feeling well, you will take all the help you can get – even if it’s a hug from a warm yeti.”

Will Leather Goods duffle, $679.97 “Made in the U.S. with a lifetime warranty. No two are alike, as the blanket panels are made from hand-woven vintage wool blankets.”

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405 MAGAZINE JUNE 2018

Your Lucky Number

Hoboken coffee/Eote coffee, $14-$20 “Both are roasted locally by people who care more about relationship than profit.”

Thoughtful shopping at Blue Seven T HE E X PER IE NCE of Blue Seven is more than that of ordinary

retail shopping. Let me explain: Rarely will you find a store that is not only a mile wide, but a mile deep in character, selection and quality. Talk to owner Caleb Arter for about two minutes and you instantly know that this place, located at 7518 N May, is different.

“The most important thing for me is that when someone comes into our shop, they feel that they are valued – because they are,” he says. “There are so many things that are important in running a retail store, but ultimately the customer needs to leave happy, whether it is because they found something they were excited to purchase or they were just treated really well. In a perfect world, both will take place.”

That perfect world doesn’t just happen. It takes thoughtful stocking of products that don’t stop at the important high standard of quality they seek, but are also produced under the best of conditions. Arter has thrived in the mix of different day-to-day responsibilities; going from an employee of Blue Seven in 2003 to owner, with wife Julie, in 2006 has proven to be a perfect fit.

The store features immense variety – home goods to greeting cards to men’s and women’s apparel to the state-centric products in their Just OK section – and with the way this crew works to make sure you feel right at home while you are there, the results are truly special. - SAR A GAE WATERS

Ebbets Field hats, $54.97 “Hand-made in the U.S. and custom-made for Blue Seven from natural products like wool and cotton, which means they last longer, wick moisture and let the world know you are a fan of Oklahoma.”

Red Wing Heritage Collection boots, $199-$300 “Made in Red Wing, Minnesota, with the very best materials and over a century of experience, these definitely fall into my ‘buy better, buy less’ motto.”

PHOTOS BY DON RISI

Railcar Fine Goods jeans, $209.97, and Groceries Apparel heavyweight T-shirt, $44.99 The jeans are “made in the U.S. from Deadstock selvedge denim, exclusively for Blue Seven,” and the shirt is 100-percent organic cotton.

“Organic means better for farmers, the soil, the rivers and the one that wears the shirt. It’s heavyweight, which means it’s going to last.”

Stance and Richer Poorer socks, $12-$20 “Just because I love black, gray and blue doesn’t mean I don’t like a little color, too. Socks are always a perfect way to express personality.”

in the 405 TRENDS

Protection Perfection Eye-catching aprons for summer cooking R E A DY, SET, COOK – but before

Floret study apron, $32 from Tulips

Farmhouse butcher’s apron, $16 from Live Boho

Gidget apron with tomatoes, $40; Yellow stitched apron, $45 from Culinary Kitchen

Nudie Jeans Co. apron, $139.97 from Blue Seven

Dad Definition apron, $16.50 from Reclaimed Warehouse

Blue Seven, 7518 N May, OKC, myblueseven.com; Culinary Kitchen, 7222 N May, OKC, culinarykitchen.com; Live Boho, 3721 S I-35, OKC, liveboho.com; Reclaimed Warehouse, 3200 S Sunnylane, Moore, reclaimedwarehouse.com; Tulips, 570 Buchanan, Norman, tulipshome.com

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405 MAGAZINE JUNE 2018

PHOTOS BY DON RISI

you do, suit up! Nothing is more essential when you are about to get cooking than an apron, especially in this season of sizzling fare on the grill. Whether it’s a fancy one that could pass for a cute outfit, one with a message or strictly utilitarian, a good apron is important. Here are just a few out there that are prepared to get your juices flowing. - SAR A GAE WATERS

Visit our 28,000 sq ft warehouse where you can watch 100-year-old reclaimed furniture being made while shopping our retail store, lumber yard, and candle company. Shopping the adults can enjoy while the kids play in our two-story playhouse! Visit Urban Farmhouse located in downtown OKC.Â

400 S. Western Ave | 405.812.8374 | Open Mon-Sat: 10am-6pm, Sun: 12pm-5pm

in the 405 LAUGH LINES

beautiful Asian or Russian women who are online now and waiting to meet me).

The junk folder is also a conduit for many email senders who go to great emoji lengths to beg for a reply. Consider this article to be my reply, Love Swans, Asian Beauties Team, Angelina, Sexy Becca, Lonely Asian Girls, Anastasia Single Team, Kiss4You Team, Gorgeous Singles, Asia Charm, Love Sexy, Russian Dating, Ringing Ears, Fastest Fat Burner and Admin Service. I hope you’re reading. <3 Mouna <3 sent a touching message in the subject line: Hi Laurenhammack, <3 I still love you! Please reply!! <3 Dear Mouna, Thank you for your tender expression of enduring affection for me, but I don’t love you back.

Alex. (I guess the period is part of the name) writes: Hi, do you remember me?

Dear Alex., I do remember you – primarily because you sent the same message yesterday and the day before that, and the day before that, and the day before that… <3<3 Romance Tale <3<3 writes: Are you still alone?

Dear Romance Tale, Why, no, I’m not alone. Love Swans, Asian Beauties Team, Angelina, Sexy Becca, Lonely Asian Girls, Anastasia Single Team, Kiss4You Team, Gorgeous Singles, Asia Charm, Love Sexy, Russian Dating, Ringing Ears, Fastest Fat Burner and Admin Service are keeping me company 24/7/365.

Bomb Rocket Woman The people you meet in your spam folder I T ’S PROBA BLY L IK E this for you: Someone refers to an

email you’re sure you never received. While scanning your junk folder, you scroll past an endless clambake of X-rated solicitations from sketchy senders.

A public service announcement is warranted here (mainly for my mom, who might recently have become engaged – by phone – to a Nigerian prince who is just days away from inheriting a very large sum of money): Don’t open those emails!

If junk folders were people, mine would be Sybil, of multiple personalities fame. It frequently heralds the great news that my line of credit has been approved, while accusing me of having a crippling gambling habit. It places equal value on the strength of both my abdominals and my financial future (the way a Nigerian prince might). It’s a one-stop shop for all the prescription drugs I’ll ever need – and never need – all at drastically reduced prices, without a prescription.

My junk folder seems to fret about the slightest degree of loneliness that could descend upon me before the night is over.

It doesn’t give a flip that I’m neither a man nor a lesbian. It’s just betting high that I’m sad and alone somewhere, suffering from erectile dysfunction (which could be cured by the many

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Love Swans (a devoted emailer) asks: Looking for a gorgeous and a bomb Rocket woman?

Dear Love Swans, Um, what? You’re not from around here, are you? I want to take a red pen to that freetranslation.com subject line of yours.

Now that you’ve slipped into my email as unannounced as Jack Ruby, I’ll spend the rest of the night wondering: a.)

What the hell is a bomb Rocket woman? b.) What would I do if I found one? and c.) Will I go to prison one day for having the words “bomb,” “Rocket” and “woman” appear multiple times on my hard drive?

With a promiscuous peppering of ALL CAPS, ORANGE PILL writes: SECRETS to perfect FEMALE satisfaction.

Dear ORANGE PILL, You are being promoted to my inbox. Let’s discuss.

By far, the most intriguing message I’ve seen in my junk folder in years is one I received a week or two ago from a friend who died two years ago.

I’m too superstitious to open a message from the dead, but what if that’s all the junk folder really is – random, rapid-fire messages from the other side? Maybe our loved ones who have crossed over are worried about the size of our … well, you know … waistlines. Maybe they worry that we’re lonely or that we’re paying too much for Viagra. Maybe they really do know the secrets for burning fat and pleasing a woman. Maybe they can help me find a bomb Rocket woman. - LAUREN ROTH

Class of 2018

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This is CASADY.

• 40 different colleges and universities • 95% admitted to their top choice college • 226 acceptances to 118 different colleges and universities • 10 will attend public university honors colleges • 68% received a scholarship • $7,021,440 offered in total scholarships • 62% will matriculate out-of-state • 35% scored 30 or above on the ACT • 10 plan to participate in 6 different intercollegiate sports (field hockey, football, rowing, soccer, tennis, volleyball)

• 4 National Merit Finalists

Casady School is a PreK-12, independent, college preparatory Episcopal day school committed to deeper-level learning. Casady School seeks a diverse, inclusive student body that reflects the diversity of the world around us and therefore admits students of any race, color, creed, religion, nationality, or ethnic origin.

9500 North Pennsylvania Ave. | Oklahoma City, OK 73120 | 405.749.3185 | www.casady.org JUNE 2018 405 MAGAZINE

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in the 405 OKLAHOMYTHS

That Dam Record A watery claim to near-fame

T HE PE NSACOL A DA M in northeastern Oklahoma – spanning the towns of Disney and Langley and named for a nearby Mayes County town – is an engineering marvel born by federal funding during the New Deal.

A product of the era that created public works projects such as the four-mile long Fort Peck Dam in Montana and Nevada’s iconic Hoover Dam, the Pensacola Dam became Oklahoma’s first hydroelectric plant. The $21 million undertaking, constructed between 1938 and 1940 at the height of the Great Depression, dammed the flow of the Grand River to create Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees.

In its 2003 application to the U.S. Department of the Interior for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, the state refers to the Pensacola Dam as “what Oklahomans acclaim to be the longest multi-arched dam in the world … the 51 arch barrels section traverses the Grand River for 4,284 feet; the length of the dam plus the spillways total 6,565 feet.”

It’s undeniably impressive; however …

THE CLAIM: Pensacola Dam is the world’s longest multiple-arch dam.

THE SOURCE: Scholastic Book of World Records, 2014 FACT CHECK: False.

Although it was the longest multiple-arch dam at the time it was built, its claim to world supremacy was eclipsed 50 years ago by a dam built across the Manicouagan River in Quebec.

The Pensacola’s length ranks second to Canada’s Daniel-Johnson Dam, which controls the Manicouagan River. The monstrous 702-foot-high Canadian dam – nearly quintuple the height of the 150-foot-tall Pensacola – boasts a length of 4,304 feet; 20 feet longer than the largest dam in Oklahoma.

No hard feelings about being one-upped, though – 50 years is a lot of water under the bridge. - M.J. ALEX ANDER Editor’s note: Oklahoma is rich with history, lore and fun facts, but some of them aren’t quite factual. In this series, M.J. Alexander hunts for the accuracy – or lack thereof – behind some of our state’s stories.

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DAM DEDICATION DEATH The world’s longest multiple-arch dam began construction in 1959 and was to be dedicated as the Manicouagan-5 Dam, a.k.a. the Manic-5. But on the morning he was to lead the dedication ceremony, the Premier of Quebec, Daniel Johnson Sr., was found dead in his bed near the worksite.

The dam’s dedication was postponed for one year, and in 1969 a plaque was unveiled with the structure’s new name: The DanielJohnson Dam.

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HOLLY HEFTON | FAMILY LAW & CIVIL LITIGATION 405.312.3366 | hollyhefton.com Photo by Charlie Neuenschwander

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in the 405

Summer in the Shade

Making the great outdoors low maintenance and fuss-free A S W E HE A D deeper into alfresco season, it’s time to ready your yard for some fun in the sun. That’s easier said than done in this part of the world, where the middle months of the calendar often can be unbearably hot and uncomfortable. So before you begin work on making your outdoor space more inviting, consider these sound tips from a few local experts for enjoying the great outdoors without suffering the elements. After all, preferring the shade to the sun doesn’t mean staying inside.

Options are plentiful and fit into a range of different budgets, from umbrellas to arbors to going the whole nine yards and installing a pergola – which may scream “long-term project” to many of us, but according to Gwynn McDowell, president of Midland Vinyl Products, 11607 N Santa Fe in OKC, installing a pergola will “typically take no longer than two days to complete,” following a meeting with the customer to discuss the desired layout.

McDowell said that a pergola or patio cover is “the way to go” for creating the perfect shady nook in your garden. A construction using vinyl means you have

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a cover that will stand up to the harsher side of Oklahoma weather year after year.

“The great thing about vinyl is that it will not warp, splinter, rot, peel or be subjected to termites,” says McDowell.

“Any dirt, mud or spills from drinks or food can be wiped or hosed off, and they will never need to be stained or painted,” resulting in the perfect low-maintenance addition.

The structure, which comes in a choice of white, tan, black, EcoStone, Ashland wood and the 12 colors offered in Midland’s Woodgrain series, has to be stand-alone, and needs to be situated on a patio, deck or concrete pad to allow for level installation.

And if you explore the ideas of arbors and pergolas and still yearn for a simple patio umbrella, you may be interested to hear that they are no longer simple. According to Laura McLaughlin, managing owner of Thompson Pool & Patio, 1400 24th Avenue SW in Norman, some offer tilt options and bar-height poles, and may even come with built-in LED lights, ready to soak up some solar energy and shine a light on your evening gathering.

McLaughlin said that while Adirondack chairs are still a favorite, the trend is moving toward more “conversation-style seating” – the perfect pick for your new outdoor gathering spot. “We’re seeing more cushion sofas, love seats, coffee tables and side table settings than before,” she adds.

Creating a fuss-free space means picking the right furniture for the job. Beverly Hayden, owner and manager of J.C. Swanson’s Fireplace and Patio, 17 W 1st in Edmond, said acrylic patio furniture can be left out all year round.

“Acrylic furniture is mildew-resistant, and as long as you keep the dirt off by using a leaf blower, it can be left all year round. If you would rather cover your furniture, make sure you use a water-resistant cover – as a waterproof cover traps moisture, so when you come to remove it, your furniture is covered in mildew,” Hayden says.

And once you’ve created your perfect patio spot, the end of the summer does not have to be the end of patio season with the addition of a fire pit. Hayden said that some even come with the added bonus of a casual dining area – which, of course, are their most popular sellers.

So with all that in mind and sunny days on the horizon, there really is no time like the present to prepare yourself for a summer outdoors. - LOUISE SCRIVENS

PHOTOS: PERGOLA COURTESY MIDLAND VINYL PRODUCTS; PATIO FURNITURE COURTESY J.C. SWANSON’S FIREPLACE & PATIO

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in the 405 CREATIVES

“My mother remarried when I was two years old,” Dallas says. “My Somali family was trying to find me, but they had the wrong last name.”

For 24 years, Dallas had only one photograph of her father, taken the week before he died. The face in the photograph would ultimately end up on canvas, and in some of her paintings, Dallas would transpose her face with her father’s. The story of her search for her father, including the means of his death, is one focus of her upcoming memoir, but it has been her acrylics that have drawn all the attention so far.

“What INSPIRES ME TO PAINT

is telling stories and PROMOTING HEALING .”

ACRYLICS, AFRICA AND UNDERSTANDING The personal journey of Ebony Iman Dallas

BY GREG HORTON PHOTO BY CHARLIE NEUENSCHWANDER

SA ID OSM A N DIED in 1980, and the circumstances surrounding his death are still a

mystery. Osman was a Somali national who was attending college in Oklahoma, and his wife at the time was three months pregnant with their daughter Ebony. For more than half her life, Ebony Iman Dallas would believe her father died by suicide, and she would be estranged from her father’s family because of a Somali civil war and a name change.

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Dallas went to UCO (BFA) and the California College of Arts (MFA) in Oakland, but she was a committed artist by the time she was 11.

“That’s the age I remember tucking myself away into a room to work on a piece,” she says. “It was oils back then. All my teachers pushed me toward oils, and I would work on a piece until I thought it was complete. No one could see it until I was done.”

After her UCO degree, Dallas worked in advertising in California, but she said advertising never “fed my soul.”

“If you’re going to make a career in advertising, you can’t care about what you sell,” she says. In other words, you will have to sell things you don’t like or don’t believe in, perhaps more frequently than you will sell products you love.

The company CEO was an art patron, though, so employee art hung throughout

the office. One co-worker encouraged Dallas to return to creating art, not ad materials. “He just said, ‘Throw some paint on a canvas!’ and he was right,” she remembers. “I decided I wasn’t going to give up this part of me.”

Grad school followed, and it was there that she switched to acrylics. Oils take a long time to dry, even 24 hours or more, depending on thickness of the stroke and environmental factors.

Acrylics are far more convenient when building layers, and so Dallas – who uses big blocks of color and layers of paint – adapted to them.

In 2004, Dallas had a chance meeting in a club with a Somali man who knew her family. She began traveling to Africa regularly, and she got to know her father’s family. It was during those years that she learned her father had not killed himself.

“I felt so guilty,” she says. “I’d been so angry with him for so many years, but when I learned that he had not done that, I was able to hear my family’s stories about him.”

Her uncle is a storyteller of the sort that only emerges in oral cultures, which is to say that the heart of the story matters, but embellishment, humor and drama are all part of the narrative.

The Somali language was not standardized until 1972, so many parts of the country – where both some form of Somali and Arabic were spoken – maintained an oral tradition until late in the 20th century. Dallas learned her father’s story via her uncle’s tales, including a poem her father had written when he was a child. Slowly, a picture of the man emerged, and since everyone on the Somali side talked often of her facial resemblance to her father, her facial features would occasionally fill out a painting of her father.

Her latest series includes a few pieces with a gold leaf halo, much like a Byzantine icon. The effect is arresting because Dallas is telling a story visually, and the characters in her story are mother, father, adoptive father and grandmother. The halos create a “secular saint” sort of feel, so what emerges is an iconography of healing and inspiration.

“What inspires me to paint is telling stories and promoting healing,” she says. “I’m realizing that more and more.”

Indeed, the subjects do not seem the creations of a young woman who had worked through trauma; rather, they depict the expressions and poses of the family who nurtured her. With their bright colors and clear emotional resonance, the images are hopeful without being whimsical or cartoonish. They are like introductory illustrations to a prayer book, one centered on home and family, and even a little mythology.

One small piece depicts an Indian bird. Her father went to university in India for a while, and it was there that his father warned him not to go to America. Dallas calls the warning prophetic; it would certainly prove to be.

“My grandfather told him that black men like my father – headstrong, stubborn – don’t do well in America,” she says, “and when my uncle told me that story, I just saw my father as a bird, wanting to be free.”

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Family fun at your fingertips!

Take a vacation by visiting one of Oklahoma’s more than 500 museums today.

OKMuseums.org JUNE 2018 405 MAGAZINE

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Welcome to

OKC

a newcomerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide to the metro

BY CHRISTINE EDDINGTON AND MAT T PAYNE

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PHOTOS BY MAT T PAYNE

If you’ve recently moved to the 405, welcome and congratulations, you lucky dog! Oklahoma City has something for everyone, and things around here have become pretty fantastic. If this sounds like a love letter to the area, it is.

AERIAL PHOTO BY ANDREWGIMAGE.COM

Our little patch of heaven is a friendly, ever-changing place. We have a low cost of living, a non-stop crop of excellent new restaurants and things to do, an active community filled with people who will smile and chat with you while waiting in line – and we top it off with short commutes and an average of 231 days of sunshine a year. Especially around this time of year. We’re glad to have you, neighbor … here’s a little of what you should know.

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A LITTLE BACKSTORY Around here, we appreciate the bustling civic life all the more because it wasn’t always like this. Our city has been born at least twice. The first time was April 22, 1889, when some 50,000 settlers gathered at noon, waiting to rush out into the prairie and claim homesteads. OKC popped up in a matter of days.

For decades after that, it ebbed and flowed, and our once-vibrant downtown became a ghost town as people left the urban core for the ’burbs.

Oil boomed and busted, as it tends to do, and by the late 1980s, the place felt bleak. But then, everything started to change.

From the “past is prologue” department: “Oklahoma City was reborn in 1993 as a result of the first MAPS initiative, which was proposed by Mayor Jim Norick,” says Kristy Yager, director of public information and marketing for the City of OKC. “MAPS made a huge difference in the way residents and visitors view Oklahoma City.”

It’s an energy that hasn’t even begun to let up yet. “We are working hard to continually evolve,” Yager says. “We don’t like to stand still. Our goal is to keep moving forward, always improving, in as many areas as we can.”

It’s a philosophy former OKC Mayor Ron Norick (whose term was 1988-1998) shares. He’s the architect of the first MAPS initiative, which created the infrastructure for a lot of what we take for granted in central Oklahoma today. With the first MAPS, we built the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark (formerly the SBC Ballpark), the Bricktown Canal, the beautiful downtown library and the Chesapeake Arena (originally called the Ford Center), renovated and added 100,000 square feet to the Cox Convention Center, completely renovated the interior of the Civic Center Music Hall, dammed and added locks, trails and amenities to the Oklahoma River, jazzed up the fairgrounds so we could attract more events and added a set of trolleys to zip people to and fro downtown. These were phased out in 2010.

MAPS 2, dubbed MAPS for Kids, was passed in 2001. It is still in progress, and consists of hundreds of projects to improve school buildings, upgrade technology and bolster transportation by adding bus fleets. MAPS 3 is happening right now.

It will add a new convention center to downtown, along with the 70-acre Scissortail Park, senior centers, streetcars, Riversport Rapids kayaking center, the Bennett Event Center at the fairgrounds, biking and running trails, city sidewalks and infrastructure improvements to the city. Will there be a MAPS 4? Excellent question.

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When asked the slightly-less-excellent question, “If Oklahoma City were a person, what kind of person would it be?” Cynthia Reid, VP of communications and marketing for the OKC Chamber, graciously kept a straight face, looked thoughtful for a moment and then replied that it would be an eternal optimist. “Oklahoma City was settled by people who came here to seek a better future. They were people who maybe didn’t make it someplace else and who forged bravely into Oklahoma, and I think that early spirit continues,” Reid says.

MOVING FORWARD “EVERYTHING WE DO AS A CITY IS FOCUSED ON THE SAME PURPOSE. WE WANT TO BUILD A CITY THAT WILL RETAIN OUR CHILDREN’S CHILDREN.” - Kristy Yager

Right now, in addition to getting the new streetcars ready for passengers, the city is working on streets through its Better Streets, Safer City program, and preparing to unfurl an expanded recycling program. Paper, plastics, tin/aluminum/ steel cans, glass jars and bottles, cardboard and paperboard (such as milk cartons) all can be recycled.

“The new recycling program is a win for both our city and our residents, and is something we know our customers have wanted for a long time,” says Jennifer McClintock, spokesperson for the City of Oklahoma City utilities department. “It’s not only more convenient in terms of the amount of materials people will be able to recycle, but the addition of cardboard will really cut down on the amount of waste sent to our landfills. Ultimately, the new recycling program is part of a longer-term initiative to help stabilize our landfill grown and ensure sustainability of our solid waste program for years to come.”

“Everything we do as a city is focused on the same purpose,” Yager adds. “We want to build a city that will retain our children’s children. We always think about how a program or initiative will impact our children.”

One of the many things we’ve been doing right over the past couple of decades is the diversification of our economy. Our city now has a thriving technology sector, focused in two areas whose overlap has yielded some innovative collaboration: aerospace and bioscience. “We’re an emerging location for research, with assets like Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) and the OU Health Sciences Center,” Reid says. The growth in OKC is happening so fast, Reid pointed out, that between the writing and the reading of this story, things will have changed even more.

Sue Hollenbeck, director of sports business for the OKC Convention and Visitors Bureau,

OKC National Memorial

agrees that diversification is key. Her job (and her passion) is sports. She studied to be an athletic trainer in college.

“My job is to sell Oklahoma City to rights-holders and help bring in tournaments, meetings and other sports-related events,” Hollenbeck says. She’s been with the CVB for ten years, and her first big project was helping to open the Chesapeake Boathouse. “We have so many sports and sports events in Oklahoma City – through the Thunder, the Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship, USRowing, the U.S. Olympic Committee’s training site at Riversport, the Dodgers and the events Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci host.”

Of course, one of the primary events to shape the course of your new city’s destiny was the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building, which happened on April 19, 1995. “I recently read that 60 percent of the people who live here now didn’t live in Oklahoma City at the time of the bombing. Our goal and our responsibility is to teach the story of that day to everyone,” says Kari Watkins, executive director of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.

“We created what has become known as the Oklahoma Standard on that day. I don’t think people did anything different that than they would have any other day; people outside of Oklahoma were just watching. To explain it is difficult. The fabric of our community, our grit

“I RECENTLY READ THAT 60 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE NOW DIDN’T LIVE IN OKLAHOMA CITY AT THE TIME OF THE BOMBING. OUR GOAL AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO TEACH THE STORY OF THAT DAY TO EVERYONE.” - Kari Watkins

and our unity are a real anchor for Oklahomans,” Watkins says.

Oklahomans have been pulling together to help one another as long there has been an Oklahoma. “I think that has spilled over and become a part of our DNA as a city, and it’s helped us get over the bumps in the road. Pulling together the way we did after the bombing, as awful as it was, gave us the confidence as a city to know that there is nothing that we can’t handle, and there is nothing we can’t pull together and accomplish.”

HITTING THE HIGH NOTES The city’s communal efforts have paid off in quality of life. From drag gospel brunches to live cattle auctions, Oklahoma City is exploding with unique opportunities – not only for Oklahoma newcomers, but also for those of us who have lived here for years. Across the city are experiences we never knew existed, have forgotten about or can experience again, but in a new manner, such as watching a film while floating in the Oklahoma River. Maybe you’d finally like to take that art class you’ve been thinking about in the back of your mind, or see the city from atop a huge Ferris wheel. Make this a summer full of amazing experiences ... we have plenty of recommendations, big and small.

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Food &k Drin

When thinking of the exploding culinary scene in Oklahoma City, it’s hard not to see Ludivine as one of the prime movers.

Dining at the innovative eatery is always a delight, but ringing in the weekend here is an absolute blast. Each Friday, they select a charismatic Oklahoman who takes the mic and offers a toast to close out the week.

If you happen to be dining at Ludivine beforehand, consider the bone marrow luge.

Lunchbox at Edna’s

Sounds like a place you might get a sandwich, right? Not exactly. When it comes to dive bars, Edna’s is at the top of the list.

This crusty Oklahoma staple is best known for a refreshing quaff made of orange juice, amaretto and beer. While you’re there, stick a dollar on the wall.

Food and tunes at The Jones Assembly Kind of a new kid on the block – the building is vintage, darling, but the revamp is exciting and new – this bar/restaurant/music venue is a beautiful example of urban repurposing. The young people love it. The food is creative and delicious, and the atmosphere is too cool for school. Of note: the Frosé, a frozen rose wine concoction topped with a gummy bear. So summery.

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Onion Burgers at Nic’s Grill Local burger enthusiasts are happy to wait in line along Pennsylvania to enter the tiny, cash-only counter for a Nic’s burger. There’s a new spot in Midtown, but the fragrant old-school atmosphere of the original can’t be beat.

Many say these are the best burgers in OKC.

FROSÉ PHOTO BY SCOTTY O'DANIEL

Ludivine’s Midnight Toast

Gospel Brunch

at The Boom!

There is no shortage of brunch spots where a Bloody Mary can roll a hangover on into Monday, but this little gay gem offers something a little unusual for here in the Bible belt. The show features Kitty Bob and Norma Jean, two cross-dressing gospel singers whose raunchy performances are so sidesplitting that they will leave you rolling in your omelet. As long as you don’t mind a little good natured (hilariously harsh) teasing, this is the most fun you’ll have eating in Oklahoma City.

Shows at noon and 1:30 p.m.

Reservations are essential.

Strawberry banana cake at Leo’s

Happy Hour at Sonic

Leo’s Barbeque, located on Kelly and 36th, definitely brings it when it comes to smoked meats – but if there’s one piece of cake that you eat this year, you need to make sure that it’s the strawberry banana cake from Leo’s.

Don’t know when Sonic’s happy hour is? Your Oklahoma City citizenship is on shaky ground, friend. Sonic is to our part of the country what Dunkin Donuts is to the Northeast: Both are home-grown favorites that have spread nationwide, or nearly so. Sonic throws more than a million (!) drink combinations at you, though, and that wins. Plus, carhops and excellent onion rings.

During happy hour (2-4 p.m. daily at most Sonics), all sodas and slushes are half price. The more you know …

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Dinner on the lake at Red Rock Canyon Few places in the world transition from day to night with the swagger of Oklahoma.

That is to say, our sunsets are the finest in the world.

Nothing enhances one further quite like watching sailboats glide across a lake, over a glass of wine and a live saxophone blowing in the distance. The only place to get all that in one neat package is at Red Rock Canyon at Lake Hefner on Friday nights. Make sure you get there early to get a seat on the patio; you’ll feel like you’re on vacation.

Rooftop drinks at the O Bar More and more rooftop opportunities are popping up across the city, but drinks on the patio of the O Bar, located on the seventh floor of the Ambassador Hotel, are a cut above.

Beef and atmosphere at Cattlemen’s Steakhouse Open since 1910, Cattlemen’s is the oldest continually operating restaurant in Oklahoma City. It’s been won and lost in a card game. Its Stockyards City location is part ramshackle Wild West and part bygone beauty queen, but there’s no arguing with its authenticity.

Before you know it, you’ll be daring family and friends from up north to order the lamb fries. It is an experience as truly Oklahoma as they come.

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Brunch at Café Kacao Housed in an old Wendy’s on Classen, Café Kacao’s Guatemalan menu and coffee bar are great anytime, but Sunday brunch is the best. No booze and no performing drag queens, but the crispy motuleno or the French toast will blow your mind.

Sights

Sunset picnic

at The Wheeler Wheel In 2008, Wheeler District visionary Blair Humphreys’ brother Grant made a quirky-yet-prescient eBay purchase: the old Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel. The relocated, refurbished Wheeler Ferris Wheel has rapidly become one of the city’s visual icons. Surrounded by pavilions, giant sculptural letters spelling OKC (created by artist extraordinaire Hugh Meade), the occasional food truck and hammocks where visitors lazily watch the sunset … with a picnic, it is the perfect evening. Rides are just $6 per person – parking is free – and the view is sensational. Take it for a spin this summer.

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On the Horizon Stuff to do in OKC for the rest of 2018: A partial list

June deadCenter Film Festival, June 7-10 Okla-

Cattle Auction in the Stockyards Head down to the Stockyards Monday mornings for an experience like no other – as the sun rises over dozens of pens teeming with nervous bovines, cattle are herded into a small holding pen as cattlemen look on, somehow following the auctioneer’s frenzied chatter. That’s right, think “old guy in a cowboy hat,” monotonously but at a fever pitch, calling out, “One-dollar-onedollar-one-dollar-can-I-get-twotwo-dollars-two-dollars-can-Iget-three SOLD for three dollars …” to a room of stone-faced buyers. These auctions have been taking place in the state for more than a century, and are nothing short of fascinating.

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homa’s largest film festival and one of the “Top 20 Coolest Film Festivals in the World” and “Top 50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee,” according to MovieMaker Magazine.

Red Earth Festival, June 8-10 at the Cox Convention Center Since 1987, Red Earth has drawn participants and spectators from around the world while celebrating native cultures in the region and the country.

OKC Pride Weekend, June 22-24 A three-day street party, all leading up to the parade, arguably OKC’s most vibrant, at 6 p.m. June 24.

July Red, White and BOOM, July 3 It’s a

family-oriented, lawn-chair-bringing event at the State Fairgrounds, and a free concert presented by the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, with excellent fireworks.

White Water Bay You know you want to go.

This OKC mainstay has been giving people water wedgies since 1981.

August Wheeler Crit Every Tuesday, March through September, some of Oklahoma’s best cyclists race the Wheeler District’s North Loop. Spectators are welcome, no charge.

Nighttime at the OKC National Memorial OKC has grown up a lot since the tragedy that altered the city forever. Our memorial is one of the nation’s most somber and beautiful – and while seeing the Outdoor Symbolic Park by day is one thing, to be there when the sun sets and the lights go on is transcendent, and deeply moving.

Summer Movies Outdoors

September Plaza District Festival, Sept. 29 Pop over

to the Plaza District at the end of the month for great music, excellent food, local art and spectacular people-watching. It’s our mini-“Portlandia.”

Myriad Gardens Walking Tour, Sept. 29 It’s an ideal occasion to join this monthly event by meeting in the lobby at 10 a.m. for a guided tour of natural beauty.

It may be the season of blockbusters, but that doesn’t mean you have to go to a theater. On Wednesday nights, you can stretch out on the lawn of the Myriad Gardens, kick back on a picnic blanket and catch a flick – starting with Minions 3 on June 20 and running through August. And Riversport Rapids transports the moviegoing experience to the water; Floating Films returns June 2 with Jumanji and gives viewers the option of watching from the riverside or on a raft or tube.

October Wanderlust Pop-Up Shops, Oct. 13 Eighty

groovy vendors plus food trucks at the Wheeler District, all bathed in that glorious early fall sunshine.

Haunt the Zoo, Oct. 20-28 For 35 years, little kids (and parents) have loved the OKC Zoo’s sweet, not-too-spooky event.

November Quarter Horses, Nov. 1-17 The Lucas Oil

AQHA World Championship Show returns to State Fair Park in OKC. Owners, exhibitors and fans will notice changes when they view the 2018 tentative schedule, which is now available online under the schedule tab at aqha.com/worldshow.

December The Devon Ice Rink Located on the east

side of the Myriad Botanical Gardens, the rink is open through early February, and is a great way to have wintertime fun … and exhaust visiting family members.

Opening Night, Dec. 31 Presented by Arts Council Oklahoma City, Opening Night is a family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration featuring venues large and small, and performances of all types. Bundle up and stay for the fantastic fireworks finale.

Wild Encounters at the Zoo The Oklahoma City Zoo is a warm-weather must every year, particularly for those who have children. However, the experience can be much more than simply wandering through the grounds: Wild Encounters at the Zoo offer visitors an opportunity to get up close and learn about some of its most popular creatures, including Galapagos tortoises, grizzly bears, flamingos, rhinos, elephants and sea lions.

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e s i c r e x E ivities

ct & Outdoor A

Rooftop Yoga at Plenty mercantile

Why not elevate your experience – literally – by checking out rooftop yoga at Plenty Mercantile in Automobile Alley? Part of OKC’s Yogafest lineup, Plenty Rooftop Yoga is scheduled Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. through the month of June, with whisperings of extending it through the summer.

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Riversport OKC

For decades, the downtown stretch of the Oklahoma River was only barely, sort of, technically a river. Ask a longtime resident, and they’ll tell you it was the only river that had mowers on it instead of rowers. That was just a dozen or so years ago, but the difference now is dazzling. Riversport has put together a remarkable lineup of opportunities to get out onto the water this summer.

They offer courses in stand up paddleboarding, kayaking, sailing and rowing that take place on the Oklahoma River and on lakes Overholser and Hefner.

Discovery courses are available for all, plus more advanced and in-depth courses for those who really take to the water.

Ride OKC

Do you love history, art and architecture … but also beer and riding bikes? Then you’ll love spending a Saturday with Ride OKC. This incredible company launched this year and takes visitors on a tour from downtown to Bricktown, Midtown and beyond, stopping at notable homes, buildings and street art.

The half-day trip is punctuated with stops at local breweries, including Twisted Spike, Anthem, Stonecloud and more.

Farmer’s Markets

Nothing elevates a meal more than fresh produce, and Oklahoma City has no shortage of farmer’s markets to explore to get those locally sourced fruits and vegetables, flowers, honey, baked goods and more. Make a morning checking out all the goings-on at any of these festive marketplaces.

Farmer’s Public Market 311 S Klein, OKC

OSU-OKC Farmer’s Market Saturdays 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

400 N Portland, OKC

Paseo Farmer’s Market at 612 Saturdays 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

612 NW 29th, OKC

H&8th Night Market Yoga at 21c Yoga is good for you, but yoga surrounded by one of the city’s most impressive art collections in our world-class 21c Museum Hotel is an experience that takes it to the next level of consciousness. 21c offers yoga every Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

At the corner of Hudson and 8th, H&8th Market returns this year on June 1 with more food trucks and shopping options than ever. What began as a way to induce folks down to Midtown has quickly become the premier food truck event of the city, and is not to be missed.

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g n i n r a e L for life

A Note From Your New Mayor, David Holt

Art Classes on the Paseo

There’s nothing like picking up a new hobby or revisiting an old creative passion, and Oklahoma’s oldest artistic district, The Paseo, offers all kinds of opportunities for young and old to flex those creative muscles. Paseo Pottery, Stained Glass Class at Prairie Arts Collective, Painting Classes at Paseo Gallery One, Brayer and Brush Adult Artisan Workshops and Su Casa Needlepointing are all unique opportunities to hone your craft or learn something new.

Private Mixology Classes

Want to turn an average cocktail party into an unforgettable event? Have the expert mixologists from Blue Label Bartending OKC come to your party and teach you and your guests how to craft some of the most popular cocktails in the world. Classes run from an hour to three hours, and cover everything from the beverages’ history to appropriate glassware.

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“I became the 36th Mayor of Oklahoma City on April 10. I’m the youngest OKC Mayor in a century, which I think symbolizes a lot of changes happening in our community – all good changes caused by the investments of earlier generations in the last 25 years. I love Oklahoma City, and I love our momentum. The MAPS projects have built a great quality of life that has caused families like mine to choose Oklahoma City. But though we have come a long way, we’re not finished yet.

“Over the next few years, we’ll have important conversations about a MAPS 4, about a vision for public education and about incorporating our city’s diversity into our decision-making. I think Oklahoma City’s best days still lie ahead, and I think we’ll get there by working together. I think our unity has been our strength; our city’s unique ability to set aside our differences to seek a common purpose. That idea of ‘one OKC’ will guide me as I lead our city into its next chapter.”

Nuts and Bolts An OKC user’s guide to the mundane and practical

Water rationing: Odd/even watering days are in place, so if your address is an even number, you water on even days.

Action Line/Center/App: The City of OKC wants to know about code violations, problems in neighborhoods, tall weeds in yards, violations of historic preservation rules, potholes and anything you need help with. There’s a free app (OKC Connect), or you can email action.center@okc.gov or call 405.297.2535.

Public or private schools: Like in any large city, some schools in our districts are outstanding. There’s a great school locator tool on the OKC Public Schools website, here: excensus-guidek12. net/oklahomacityok/school_search/ current/. A private school guide is available here: abetterlifeokc.com/ education/private-schools/.

Dog licenses: don’t need them. But please spay/neuter/vaccinate.

Neighborhoods: To learn about your neighborhood association, the Neighborhood Alliance can’t be beat.

Visit nacok.org. For a good list of Oklahoma City neighborhoods and districts, try the Chamber’s superthorough site: visitokc.com/about-okc/ okc-districts/.

There are 638,000 people living in Oklahoma City, within which there are 621 square miles and 26 different school districts.

Culture: Cultural organizations and attractions are plentiful. Check out the OKC Philharmonic, Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, OKC Museum of Art, OKC Ballet, Lyric Theatre, Carpenter Square Theatre, CityRep, Canterbury Voices, Individual Artists of Oklahoma and many, many more. A great list can be found at alliedartsokc.com.

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BLURRED LINES

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Oklahoma’s Cannabis Question Marijuana proposal heads to the polls

BY GREG HORTON

ILLUSTR ATION BY RYAN OLBRYSH

Oklahoma will vote on legalizing the use of medical marijuana on June 26, but with less than a month to go before the vote, many of the details are still unclear.

State Sen. Ervin Yen (R - Oklahoma City), who is an anesthesiologist by profession, said he is not supporting State Question 788 because he believes it permits recreational marijuana usage.

SQ 788, if passed, will legalize “the licensed use, sale and growth of marijuana in Oklahoma for medicinal purposes.” The verbiage, which led to a failed lawsuit by former Attorney General Scott Pruitt, is straightforward, but opponents believe it is intentionally vague.

“The language allows for marijuana to be recommended for any reason,” Yen says, “and medical professionals are not restricted to M.D.s and D.O.s. Any doctor could make a recommendation, and I think that’s inappropriate.”

WHO CAN APPROVE, AND WHY

warrant a marijuana recommendation.

He named four categories and said that if further research led to indications that marijuana is effective in the treatment of other conditions, then the Legislature could expand the definition.

“I think there is good research that indicates marijuana is appropriate treatment of some conditions,” Yen says.

“Treatment for seizures is definitely indicated, as is use in palliative care – for patients with less than one year to live.”

Yen’s categories in SB 1120 are: 1. Neuropathic pain resulting from trauma to the body that leads to nerve damage, and pain related to diabetes; 2. Spastic muscle contractions from multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, paraplegia and other conditions; 3. Nausea and vomiting that is unresponsive to traditional treatment, especially as a result of chemotherapy; 4. Chronic wasting disease, such as those seen in AIDS or some cancers.

Marijuana is a Schedule I drug according to federal statute – a category that includes heroin and cocaine – so doctors cannot issue a prescription for it, but can make recommendations. If SQ 788 passes, doctors would need a liability waiver to issue recommendations.

“If the question passes, we will have several areas of concern to clean up,” says Rep. John Paul Jordan (R - Yukon), the author of HB 3468. “My bill includes a waiver of liability for doctors, so they can get malpractice insurance. I’m also trying to get the oversight changed from the department of health to a Cannabis Commission that is defined in the bill.

The authors of the state question could not have predicted all the problems “I THINK THERE IS we’re having with the state department INDICATES of health.”

Yen’s proposed legislation, SB 1120, seeks TREATMENT OF SOME CONDITIONS.” to define what categories of doctors can - State Sen. Ervin Yen make recommendations, as well as delineates what categories of conditions would

GOOD RESEARCH THAT MARIJUANA IS APPROPRIATE

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BLURRED LINES

“I FELT MY LIBERTIES WERE MORE RESPECTED IN D.C. BECAUSE D.C. TRUSTS ITS DOCTORS AND PATIENTS TO DECIDE THEIR OWN COURSE OF TREATMENT, INSTEAD OF HAVING POLITICIANS

Brandon Isaak is an audio engineer and music producer in Oklahoma City. While a resident of Washington, D.C., he used medical HEALTH CARE DECISIONS.” marijuana as part of his treatment.

- Brandon Isaak Isaak is in favor of 788, and opposes Yen’s proposed legislation; he also lives in the senator’s district.

“I felt my liberties were more respected in D.C. because D.C. trusts its doctors and patients to decide their own course of treatment, instead of having politicians dictate health care decisions,” Isaak says. “The theme here is that Senator Yen wants to of marijuana. Middendorf has been a supersede the will of the people – if the question passes – by rewriting 788 with his own volunteer chaplain in the Oklahoma corlegislation.” rectional system for many years, and is Jordan’s bill also restricts the right to recommend to M.D.s and D.O.s. “We can’t now on the OKC Chamber of Commerce write bills that directly contradict the verbiage in the state question,” Jordan says, “but Task Force to reform the county jail we can define who the medical professionals are. State Question 788 was never intendand the corrections system. He does not ed to expand the scope of who is a medical professional.” come from the perspective of someone In fact, in other states where medical marijuana is legal, the doctor certifies a recwho advocates for recreational usage, ommendation for a medical marijuana card, and then the patient works with a local, and he is not sure that evangelical clergy authorized dispensary to determine which strain of marijuana best meets the patient’s or their parishioners are shifting, but he needs. Jordan said people need to understand that the license makes it legal for people is a proponent of decriminalization and to possess medical marijuana – but only if they have the doctor’s recommendation. medical marijuana.

Neither Yen nor Jordan seem opposed to medical marijuana in theory, but both are “I’m not sure why we have such a pushing for much more clarity in definitions and categories. Proponents such as Isaak, negative view of marijuana when our however, see an attempt to make the process so restrictive that very few people would views are not consistent with the way we actually qualify. view alcohol,” Middendorf says, “but as a chaplain in the system for eight and a RED-STATE RECEPTION half years now, I do know how damaging Beyond the issues of definitions, though, is still the question of whether the state it is to individual lives and communities question can even pass. Oklahoma – and this almost goes without saying – is a state to flood our prisons with people who are deeply committed to religious identity, and fundamentalist and evangelical Chrisconvicted on marijuana charges. We are tians have long shown antipathy to intoxicants of all kinds, including marijuana. With subtracting important people – fathers, Republicans at the state and national level showing a shift toward accepting at least mothers, siblings, etc. – from their commedical marijuana, will the bulk of voters also shift that direction? munities for marijuana charges. I think Jon Middendorf is the senior pastor of OKC First Church of the Nazarene, which is there are benefits to those communities part of a denomination that is opposed to the consumption of in decriminalization.” alcohol, to say nothing While SQ 788 is not focused on decriminalizing recreational marijuana, proponents see it as a step “I’M NOT SURE WHY WE HAVE SUCH A in the right direction. First, though, the question has to pass … and for what it’s worth, Yen and WHEN OUR VIEWS ARE Jordan – both conservatives – do not agree on the legislation either.

Yen said he believes Jordan’s bill is - Jon Middendorf too much “in lockstep” with 788, so the process of clarifying and defining is likely to take a long time even if the question does pass.

DICTATE

NEGATIVE VIEW OF MARIJUANA NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE WAY WE VIEW ALCOHOL.”

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home A SoSA Oasis

PHOTO BY DON RISI

A rooftop saltwater pool beckons under a cerulean sky at the Cobb familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home in the South of Saint Anthony district. In the not-too-distant background, downtown Oklahoma City makes its presence known, adding to the distinctly urban vibe of the neighborhood.

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home HABITAT

FINDING THE PERFECT VIBE The Cobb house brings Malibu to SoSA

BY CHRISTINE EDDINGTON PHOTOS BY DON RISI

T HE COBB FA MILY ’S cool SoSA pad is perched high atop a hill,

with excellent views of the Oklahoma City skyline. If not for those views, a visitor might just as easily imagine the house perched beach-top in Malibu. It’s filled with light and spare geometry, and its east-facing glass wall opens almost entirely – merging the outdoor living space, pool and deck with the interior. The whole is breezy and relaxing, and feels removed from the hustle and bustle of Midtown and Downtown, even though it’s in the midst of the former.

Like many SoSA families, the Cobbs moved into the neighborhood after years spent in suburbia. “We lived in a house with a turret,” Michelle Cobb says. “It was the house we bought when we were first married. He had sold his house, and I’d sold mine, and we lived in Edmond.” As the couple shared their story, Michelle’s eldest daughter Catherine, 25, strolled in, and daughter Kylie, 14, listened.

Time had passed, and the Cobbs wanted to make a change. “I asked Michelle to just drive by and look down here,” Sean says. “This house was a five-year process.” Initially, Michelle was hesitant. SoSA was wildly different than their Edmond enclave. But she met the neighbors, and as fate would have it, there were two little girls across the street who were Kylie’s age – and that sealed the deal.

The family at home: Sean, Michelle, Catherine and Kylie.

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On the home’s lower level, Kylie’s suite includes a spacious sitting room filled with texture, light and art.

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home HABITAT

Ample light and plenty of room for entertaining in the Cobb family kitchen. The large center island is perfect for cooking, and a favorite spot for guests to linger.

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“We wanted a unique house more than we wanted a large house,” Sean says. “We knew that when we brought Brian Fitzsimmons to the project. Our criteria were that we wanted a pool, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a beach vibe. We had no idea what Brian’s design would look like beyond meeting those.”

Fitzsimmons, whose own home was one of the first in the reimagined SoSA district, brought the family almost exactly what they wanted. A few tweaks later, they were off to the races. “We added a window in the kitchen so I could see down into Kylie’s courtyard, and did a few little things,” Michelle says.

After living in Deep Deuce and Maywood while the home was constructed, the Cobbs moved in in December 2015. The neighborhood and its relaxed, familial lifestyle have proven to be a perfect fit. Sean, an owner at Funnel Design Group, has embraced urban city life and has sold his car, which he doesn’t miss at all.

Michelle, an aesthetician and owner of her own company, Dega, loves the relaxed, family feeling of the neighborhood, with impromptu get-togethers as the norm. “Our neighbors have become some of our closest friends,” she says.

Restful blues anchor serene neutrals in the master bedroom (below, top), further evidence that minimal and colorless are not the same thing. One big, perfect pop of vivid blue energizes the master bath (below, bottom). The rest of the large room is a brilliant combination of cool white and gray.

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home DÉCOR

Laurel ring dish, $18; Veggie brush with handle, $12, set of 4 brushes for bottles or wine glasses, $20, veggie brush, $6, pot scrubber, $6, from Sara Kate Studios

Kitchen Companions Revitalize the gear that makes your home cook W E A L L H AV E the usual suspects hang-

ing around the kitchen countertops. Canisters of flour and sugar, cleaning utensils, small appliances … are the stacks of mail just me? While cleaning the kitchen may be a several-times-a-day affair, why not freshen it up, too, with a few new additions? Clear everything off the countertops for a clean slate and start anew. Nothing makes a kitchen look cleaner than a mostly blank counter space. Put away things you don’t need handy every single day, then add in some stylish kitchen tools and beautiful serving pieces for display.

Not only will this make your kitchen look revitalized, it might spark a desire to get cooking in it! - SAR A GAE WATERS

Marble cutting board and glass dome, $52.50; White and gray tray with large and small cellar, $48.99, from Urbane

Plenty Mercantile, 1466 S Bryant, Edmond, plentymercantile.com; Sara Kate Studios, 1100 N Broadway, OKC, sarakatestudios.com; Urbane, 1015 N Broadway, OKC, urbaneokc.com

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PHOTOS BY SCOTTY O’DANIEL

Wood and gold measuring cups, $49.99, teak measuring spoons, $24.99, marble and acacia spoon rest, $35.99, compost caddy, $39.99, from Plenty Mercantile

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travel

PHOTO COURTESY WILDWATER RAFTING

Shoot to Thrill It’s noisy, unpredictable from moment to moment and can be disorienting due to the speed – they’re called rapids, after all, not languids – but working as a team to navigate a raft along swift, choppy rivers is an adventure you won’t forget.

These are some of our most highly recommended destinations for watery adventure; a flow chart, if you will.

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travel RAFTING

A long stretch of the Arkansas River

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ADVENTURE AFLOAT

Echo Canyon glamp site

Chart a course for rafting destinations

BY MAT T PAYNE

If you’ve rafted before, you know the feeling.

Floating on crystal clear water, surrounded on both sides by untouched wilderness. Bald eagles circle lazily over a sheer cliff. A fox and its litter drink from the river’s edge. The earthy smell of pine and dirt mixed with the babble of water – so grounding that for a moment, you almost forget that you’ve got a thousand emails waiting for you when you get home. And then, your guide tells you that it’s time to start paddling …

Echo Canyon luxury campsite

PHOTOS COURTESY ECHO CANYON

SU DDE N LY YOU R E M E M BER why you’ve got a helmet

on your head, plus you already have a bruise on your cheek from a f lailing limb earlier in the day and you vaguely recall that, during the pre-trip safety meeting, someone mentioned a former guest and a snapped femur. Now a class four rapid awaits – what you fear the most, but also what you’ve come for. Before you know it, the current catches you and the next few seconds are an odd amalgamation of yelling and exhilaration with a smattering of blacking out. Faster than you can say “dry bag,” the water smooths out. Your heart pounds, and you are more alive than you can ever remember. The hiking and biking and the fresh air are great, but this is why you’ve come to the mountains.

When it comes to adventure vacation, rarely is there a higher pinnacle for the trip than the day you decide to hit the rapids.

No matter what part of the country you’re in, or how many days you’re on the water, river rafting is a must for every mountainbound adventurer. Here are a few of our picks for the most incredible rafting adventures across the country.

COLORADO

When thinking about rafting, Colorado is, more often than not, the first state that comes to an Okie’s mind – and with good reason. A day’s drive away, Colorado offers countless opportunities to get into the water. Among our favorites is Echo Canyon River Expeditions on the Arkansas River. One of the largest in the state and celebrating 41 years in business, Echo Canyon runs not only half-day to multi-day white-water rafting opportunities, but also the 8 Mile Bar and Grill, private outdoor event spaces and an outdoor game area. Last year, they also opened the luxury Royal Gorge Cabins, in addition to four glamping tents.

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travel RAFTING

Ziplining with WildWater Rafting

SOUTH CAROLINA

The Mountain Lakes region of South Carolina is one of the country’s greatest wilderness areas. The lakes and streams are ripe with outdoor adventure opportunities, and rafting is certainly one of them. This year, the Chattooga River celebrates its 50th anniversary as a “Wild and Scenic River,” and “wild” and “scenic” describe it perfectly. WildWater Rafting offers zip-line canopy tours and on-site yurt lodging, and their guides create some of the best rafting opportunities on the east side of the country.

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Sleeping arrangements inside a yurt

PHOTOS COURTESY WILDWATER RAFTING

South Carolina is home to dozens of beautiful waterfalls.

OREGON

PHOTOS COURTESY TRAVEL SOUTHERN OREGON

Few states offer as many unique travel opportunities as Oregon, and Southern Oregon is exploding with incredible things to do.

Quaint towns such as Medford and Ashland boast innovative farm-to-table restaurants, and the wine country is unrivaled. Crater Lake is one of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most striking national parks, but if you want to really get down and dirty in Oregon, rafting the Rogue River or the Upper Klamath are the best ways to do it.

Both Momentum River Expeditions and Indigo Creek Outfitters offer a variety of rafting opportunities. Momentum focuses on highend trips that are as short as half a day or that run up to nine days.

Momentumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effort in organic cuisine and the camping experience is as great as the rapids you will raft.

Indigo Creek Outfitters offers an assortment of opportunities to get on the water and incorporate local brews, wines and stand-up paddle boarding into their adventures.

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travel RAFTING

The 405 travel team talked to Riversport OKC rafting manager Andre Reyes for tips on how to make the most of your river rafting adventure, and here is what he had to say: Be prepared. Wear the right gear. This includes clothes you’re comfortable getting wet in and secure shoes, such as tennis shoes or secure sandals.

Remember sunscreen. And wear it. Nothing ruins a trip more than a sunburn.

Gear up. The organization you’re rafting with may provide personal floatation devices and a helmet. If not, bring your own. Make sure you get the right Andre Reyes, Riversport OKC rafting manager size, and have a friend help you tighten the straps for a snug fit.

Safety first! Be clear regarding levels of difficulty. This isn’t the wild river ride at your local theme park. Rivers are classified on a scale from one to six – one being a meandering river to six being an intense waterfall. Before you head out, call a local kayak center or your guide and ask about the conditions of the river.

If you don’t want to lose it, don’t bring it. Don’t bring anything that you wouldn’t mind losing overboard. If you’re going to wear sunglasses, get a strap to keep them on your head, or be prepared to lose them forever.

Paddle! It takes a team to get a raft safely down the river. Be ready to work! Your guide should teach a series of commands before hitting the water; do as you’re told and everyone will be fine. If your guide feels like he or she can’t rely on the crew, they’ll avoid the most exciting rapids.

Raft (almost) all year long. Whitewater rafting is just as much fun in the spring as it is in the summer. On cooler days, wear non-cotton clothing or a wet suit. We rent splash jackets at Riversport Rapids.

Get ready to have fun. You wouldn’t be on the river if you didn’t want to have fun! Relax, get to know your raft mates and your guide and enjoy your trip.

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e r u t n e Adv dma Gran ELAINE WARNER IS …

The soubriquet “Adventure Grandma” is about half right: I am definitely a grandma. Most of the wildest things I’ve done have been to score points with my three grandsons, and since the boys are grown now, I don’t have to do those things. But I don’t mind watching others do them. That’s what I did when I visited Columbus, Georgia.

Columbus is on the Chattahoochee River. When I was there in 2007, there wasn’t much going on along their riverfront, but by the time I visited again in 2016 – wow, what a change.

That year, they started construction on what is described by USA Today as “one of the top 12 man-made adventures in the world.” Two dams were breached to create the world’s longest white-water urban rafting venue. By changing the amount of water released from the existing dams, they can create a 2.5-mile run with Class I to III rapids or a wilder ride with Class III to V rapids.

More placid places on the river are perfect for even beginning kayakers.

In 2008, the only thing that got exercised for me was my patience, when I visited the Columbus Museum. I’m usually a gracious guest, but I was put off when the first thing I saw at the museum was a list of rules. No photography … and no pens. They handed us stubby golf course pencils. No way! If I couldn’t take pictures and I had to write with a tiny pencil, I would not write about them. And I didn’t.

A few years later, I needed an idea for an article and I remembered the museum. “Maybe I was just having an off day when I was there,” I thought. I went to the website and watched a video. The museum looked great – until the middle of the video, when they read out all the rules, and I got cheesed off all over again. So, no article!

Now, remembering my second visit and the great tie to this month’s travel theme, I thought about Columbus. In addition to the river, they have other great attractions. I called the museum. The staff has changed and the rules have relaxed a bit. Marketing Director Brigette Russell was charming and invited me back, promising me a personal tour.

I’d like to go back, and maybe I will choose the museum instead of the Class VI rapids. But if anyone hands me a stubby little pencil, someone’s going to get stabbed with it.

PHOTO BY MATT PAYNE

Tips for Your Trips

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dining Super Grouper

PHOTO BY SCOTTY O’DANIEL

You don’t have to pay any dues to get into The Union, but the SoSA pub’s revamp has made it more than worth a try. Especially thanks to dishes such as the blackened grouper sandwich – spicy enough to beguile the taste buds without going over the top into Cajun caricature and served on a toasted baguette with slaw, it’s flaky, crunchy and utterly delicious.

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dining

LOCAL FLAVOR

A MORE PERFECT UNION Polishing a SoSA gem

BY STEVE GILL PHOTOS BY SCOT T Y O’DANIEL

YOU MIGH T NOT have a ton of familiar-

ity with the little restaurant and bar at 616 NW 5th in OKC; it’s not part of a bustling enclave of hotspots, nor on a particularly busy main drag. In fact, even if you do happen to be passing by between Walker and Shartel, from the road it doesn’t look all that different from the houses and apartment buildings around it. But this is an ideal time to look closer; the South of Saint Anthony neighborhood is on its way up in the world, and with its recent renovation and menu expansion, The Union at SoSA has become a must-visit.

The space isn’t new – it draws its name from a former life as a midcentury meeting hall of the electricians’ union, and took on a new identity as a bar a bit more than a year ago. But its 2018 revamp is a definite upgrade: A lighter interior makes the small space feel considerably airier, with decorative touches both small (the little cacti-filled window boxes) and large (the things. Even the salad, an overlooked majestic sweep of the epoxy-topped oak bar on the building’s northeast side). afterthought on a bar menu if ever there Fortunately for diners, the attention to detail extends to the contents of the menu, was one, can impress with the Market as well. I feel like it’s a good sign that you’re in for a treat if in lieu of mozzarella Orchard’s candied pistachios, golden sticks, the appetizer menu starts off with bites of fried goat cheese, served with a raisins and slivers of green apple. smear of sour cherry gastrique that complements their flavor nicely and a sprinkling When it comes to the menu, though, I of ground pistachios. am burying the lede: I consider it a funThe steaming, spicy, sink-your-teeth-into grouper sandwich is probably my favorite damental must to recommend the Chickentree, but if you’re feeling more like a pizza, flatbread choices range from a fairly en crisps. Picture a pork rind but thinner, traditional topping combo in The Don to The Hipster – on which the sweetness of the a fried wafer of chicken skin that’s firm fig preserves that take the place of a standard tomato sauce plays really enough to be crispy but not nicely off its salty prosciutto and caramelized onions. And while on one so brittle that it shatters hand, there’s only one burger option, on the other, the Only Burger boasts under your teeth, basted EATERY & COCKTAIL OFFICE @ THE UNION a wagyu patty, truffle aioli and butter-toasted brioche bun. I’m not so hung with a honey-mustard up on haute cuisine that I’d call wagyu beef essential for a burger, but glaze and served warm and 616 NW 5th, OKC it’s good – and I am all the way onboard with putting Muenster on more 405.601.2857 fragrant. The end result is

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absolute genius. I’ve never had anything like them, but dios mio, they are outstanding.

Pub food is often an easily maligned genre because it represents a lower bar (so to speak).

You can usually get away with concentrating on the booze and letting visitors’ palates fend for themselves on fairly uninspired or even substandard fare. So it’s a pleasure to encounter a watering hole where the reverse is true; The Union’s menu is more adventurous, and straight-up better, than it has to be. Whether or not you plan to imbibe, head to SoSA, track down The Union and give it a try.

A TOAST TO VARIETY

Fancy as the food is, The Union remains a bar first and foremost – and choice is on tap. You can sit in the main dining room at the oak bar, peek into the opulently decorated speakeasy downstairs on special occasions or enjoy the Oklahoma sky by heading out back to lounge on the rear patio and order refills from the window of a parked Airstream trailer. And wherever you wind up, the selection is bountiful, given that the beer list alone has more entries than the entire food menu combined.

With a few labels of red and white wines and a smattering of craft cocktails (the smoked pineapple sounds delicious) waiting to be tried, you should have no trouble finding something you like. It’s hot out there; stop by The Union for a cold one.

JUNE 2018 405 MAGAZINE

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dining

CHEF’S TABLE

HOW IT’S MADE

Salmon with Poblano Pesto, Quinoa and Cabbage Slaw After grilling salmon to personal taste, and ensuring it hits an internal temp of 145 degrees, prepare the following:

POBLANO PESTO

4 poblanos (roast on a grill or oven until skin is charred, peel and de-seed) 2 serranos 2 cups arugula 1/2 cup toasted pepitas 1 tbsp chopped garlic 1/2 cup cotija cheese (optional) 1 cup olive oil Salt

Amie Gehlert’s satisfying salmon A MIE GEHL ERT , chef de cuisine at Barrios Fine Mexican Dishes, grew up on an 83-acre farm outside Belle, Missouri, a small town about 100 miles west of St. Louis. There was a huge garden, as well as chickens, cows, hogs and horses. The family was close, and food was central to their gatherings – especially blackberry cobbler.

“We picked wild blackberries in the summertime to sell in town for $8 a gallon,” Gehlert says.

“Whatever we made, we could use for fair money.

I rarely made much, since I would eat all the ones I picked! After picking, we would go to Grannie’s house and make fresh cobbler with homemade ice cream. The sweet-yet-tart flavor with the flaky, sweet crust would melt in your mouth. I can taste and smell it now.”

Baking cobbler with her grandmother is the first memory of cooking Gehlert has, and while other kids were playing in a nearby creek, she wanted to be in the kitchen.

Gehlert got a job at Pauline’s Supper Club in Ponca City when she was 16. She started her first shift as a busser, and then everything changed.

“The chef quit in the middle of the rush,” she says, “and the owner asked if I knew how to cook. I said yes, and it was history after that.”

She went on to pursue formal training at Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis-St. Paul after deciding that she wanted to make a career of cooking. She said she thought long and hard about what she wanted to do for a living, and because she loved cooking and seemed never to tire of it, she chose the culinary world. She describes her style at work as “light and clean,” but says she adds a comfort food twist. She is still her grandmother’s protégé in that respect.

“I love to cook just about anything, and I still attempt to make any dish I can remember my grandmother cooking,” she says.

While her favorite comfort food is breakfast, especially fried eggs, for her recipe this month, she chose a dish she added to Barrios’ menu when she started there in August. - GREG HORTON

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QUINOA

Measure the amount of quinoa you would like, then double that for water.

For example, to make 2 cups of quinoa, boil 4 cups of water and season with salt. (You can also use any type of stock if you prefer.)

Cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes over medium heat.

Serve immediately or cool and store for later use.

CABBAGE SLAW

1/2 pound red cabbage, shredded 1 oz radishes 1 oz carrots 1 oz cucumbers 1/2 oz chopped cilantro Slice the cucumbers, radishes and carrots, and then julienne.

Toss all ingredients together and dress with 1/4-1/2 cup of Serrano Vinaigrette according to preference.

SERRANO VINAIGRETTE

4 serranos 2 oz cilantro with leaves and stems 3 cloves of garlic 1 red onion 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1 cup apple cider vinegar 4 cups olive oil Salt to taste Add first six ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth.

Slowly add oil to emulsify.

Season with salt.

Top 1/2 cup of quinoa on a plate with 1/2 cup of dressed slaw, salmon and 2 tablespoons of pesto smeared on top.

PHOTOS BY SHANNON CORNMAN

Light, Clean Comfort Food

Add first 6 ingredients to a blender or food processor and puree. Slowly add oil.

Season to taste.

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food drink Symbols

$ most entrees under $10 $$ most entrees $10 to $25 $$$ most entrees over $25 outdoor dining reservations accepted valet parking new or updated entry

American ANCHOR DOWN Sip a beer or specialty cocktail and munch on a selection of gourmet corndogs in this fresh Deep Deuce concept housed within repurposed shipping containers. 30 NE 2nd, OKC, 605.8070 $ AURORA Its warmly comfortable atmosphere makes a perfect backdrop for a quick cup of Hoboken coffee or hearty breakfast or lunch assembled from superb ingredients – just be certain not to miss the beautiful secluded backyard area. 1704 NW 16th, OKC, 609.8854 $ BACON Sometimes the name says it all.

Noted OKC chef Sean Cummings fills a menu – from soup and salads through sandwiches, entrees and desserts – with tempting taste combinations that feature one of America’s favorite theme ingredients. 7523 N May, OKC, 848.4868 $$ BAR ARBOLADA OKC residents near Film Row have a neighborhood bar to call their own – but visitors from farther away also are welcome to sample the local beers, well-executed cocktails and seasonal menu of small plates. 637 W Main, OKC $$ BUTTERMILK Get a fresh, hot start to the day at the Paseo’s brick-andmortar version of a beloved OKC food truck, specializing in a wide range of deliciousness served between biscuits.

605 NW 28th, OKC, 605.6660 $ CAFÉ 501 Rustic stone oven pizzas, fresh salads and specialty sandwiches on house-made artisan breads. Add welcoming atmosphere and enjoy. 501 S Boulevard, Edmond, 359.1501; 5825 NW Grand, OKC, 844.1501 $$ THE DRUM ROOM March your own drumsticks in for a heap of crispy, juicy fried chicken (among the city’s best) starring alongside fried okra, waffles and a fully loaded bar. 4300 N Western, OKC, 604.0990 $$ EDDIE’S BAR & GRILL This stylish spot not far from UCO is equally ideal for a casual drink, appetizers while watching

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the game or a dinner date. And bear in mind that the wings are outstanding. 930 E 2, Edmond, 285.7725 $$

cocktails and beer and a spectacular patio add extra savor. 1 NW 9th, OKC, 388.0033 $

FLINT Approachably casual style, plus the kitchen’s impeccably serious attention to detail in the outstanding contemporary cuisine, winningly combined in the Colcord Hotel. 15 N Robinson, OKC, 601.4300 $$

NEIGHBORHOOD JAM Serving tasty takes on classic American dishes and more specialized options such as pineapple bourbon pancakes, this breakfast-centric spot aims to become a community favorite through outstanding execution. 15124 Lleytons Court, Edmond, 242.4161 $

GREY SWEATER Chef Andrew Black offers guests an imaginative culinary journey via a three-tiered tasting menu drawing on flavors from around the world – unpredictable, but always outstanding.

102 NE 4th, OKC, 455.6274 $$$ HATCH They call it “early mood food,” and if you find yourself in the mood for a sumptuous made-from-scratch breakfast (or lunch), it should be right up your Automobile Alley. 1101 N Broadway, OKC, 232.3949 $$ HOUSE 333 Meatballs are only the beginning at this Campus Corner hangout; a broad menu of everything from wings to lasagna to vegetarian options sets off the ample bar very nicely indeed. 333 W Boyd, Norman, 701.3800 $$ HUNNY BUNNY Bringing the allure of fresh, hot breakfast treats to Uptown 23rd, this purveyor of made-from-scratch biscuit sandwiches located in the Tower Theatre is a must for comfort food lovers.

429 NW 23rd, OKC $ THE HUTCH ON AVONDALE The all-time classic Coach House receives an update with a more modern menu sprinkled with experimental twists, and a full suite of tempting cocktails, wines and spirits. 6437 Avondale, OKC, 842.1000 $$ THE JONES ASSEMBLY It’s noteworthy as a spectacular concert venue, but don’t overlook the kitchen’s output the rest of the time. The bar (try a Frosé) and main menu (try everything) are sufficient to make memories even on non-special occasions. 901 W Sheridan, OKC, 212.2378 $$ KITCHEN NO. 324 A seasonally inspired café and craft bakery serving spectacular rustic American cuisine.

Open for lunch and dinner, and a thorough treat for breakfast or brunch.

324 N Robinson, OKC, 763.5911 $ MARY EDDY’S Inside the inviting environs of Film Row anchor 21c Museum Hotel, this showplace of a restaurant turns out a seasonally driven menu of expertly tuned flavors and dishes meant to be shared. 900 W Main, OKC, 982.6900 $$ NASHBIRD Make tracks to this 9th Street spot serving Nashville-style “Hot Dang!” chicken, with whatever spice level you like. Speedy service, whiskey

NIC’S PLACE Already justly renowned for his skill at the grill, burger master Justin Nicholas offers breakfast, dinner, drinks and late night treats served in outstanding style at this Midtown diner and lounge. 1116 N Robinson, OKC, 601.

9234 $$ PACKARD’S NEW AMERICAN KITCHEN They’re not kidding about the “new” – the entire lunch and dinner menus are filled with innovative tastes for a distinctive dining experience. 201 NW 10th, OKC, 605.3771 $$ PICASSO CAFÉ Their neighbors in the Paseo are painters, potters and sculptors, so it’s apt that creativity abounds in these zippy sandwiches, salads, pizza and surprises, including plentiful selections for vegetarians.

3009 Paseo, OKC, 602.2002 $ THE R&J LOUNGE AND SUPPER CLUB A sentimental dining

experience with vintage recipes and atmosphere. Seating is limited but the patio is a year-round treat, and the drinks menu is a thing of beauty. 320 NW 10th, OKC, 602.5066 $$ THE PRESS Built in a former printing facility and garage, this concept from The Mule’s team adds Oklahomainspired comfort food to the Plaza District – the chicken-fried steak comes recommended. 1610 N Gatewood, OKC, 982.1010 $$ REDROCK CANYON GRILL Rotisserie chicken, enchiladas, pork chops and steak by the lake in a casual, energetic, hacienda-style atmosphere of stone walls and mahogany beams around an open kitchen. 9221 E Lake Hefner Pkwy, OKC, 749.1995; 1820 Legacy Park, Norman, 701.5501 $$ SATURN GRILL A star of the lunchtime stage in Nichols Hills Plaza, its rotation of daily specials and tasty twists on pizza, sandwiches and salads keep it crowded on weekdays. Calling ahead is recommended. 6432 Avondale, OKC, 843.7114 $ SCOTTIE’S DELI Soups, salads and especially sandwiches, all made from scratch and featuring meats that are cured, smoked and cooked in-house.

Start with the pastrami and get ready to fall in love. 427 NW 23rd, OKC, 698.3696 $

SCRATCH Isn’t that the best place for food to come from? Top-of -the-line ingredients are combined into entrees and sides that are carefully concocted in-house, as are the bevy of wondrous craft cocktails. 132 W Main, Norman, 801.2900; 607 NW 28th, OKC $$ SUNNYSIDE DINER A new day dawns for breakfast and lunch on the west side of downtown as a former service station becomes a no-pretense, made-fromscratch diner. Order up! 916 NW 6th, OKC, 778.8861 $ SYRUP The most important meal of the day is also the most enticing at this unique breakfast boutique serving a heaping helping of signature dishes (the crunchy French toast is something special) and Stumptown coffee. 123 E Main, Norman; 1501 NW 23rd, OKC, 701.1143 $ VAST Keeping your attention on the steaks, seafood and other temptations might be difficult; the view from atop the Devon Tower is truly unparalleled in Oklahoma, making this a fantastic date spot. 280 W Sheridan, 49th floor, OKC, 702.7262 $$$

VICEROY GRILLE Opulent décor, comfortable environs and some outstanding cuisine make a strong recommendation for the Ambassador Hotel’s in-house restaurant; don’t overlook the brunch options. 1200 N Walker Ave, OKC, 600.6200 $$ WHISKEY CAKE High-quality locally sourced ingredients, prepared using slow cooking techniques that’s a prime recipe for outstanding dining. Enjoy – and don’t forget the namesake dessert. 1845 NW Expressway, OKC, 582.2253 $$

Asian CHICK N BEER Wings and brews are food for the soul; these freshly fried beauties are done Korean-style, and with serious flavor. Grab some kimchi fries and a local beer and enjoy. 715 NW 23rd, OKC, 604.6995 $ EL TORO CHINO Big, bold flavors from disparate cuisines are blended in this self-described “Latin + Asian Kitchen” - creating results that are as excitingly distinctive as they are delicious. 2801 NW 36th, Norman, 708.9472 $$ GOGI GO Fast-casual Korean barbecue comes to Midtown thanks to chef Kevin Lee’s dream of making the traditional cuisine approachable for OKC diners. Pick your protein, grab it as it comes off the grill and get ready to come back again and again. 1325 N Walker, OKC, 778.8524 $ KWAN’S KITCHEN Cantonese classics and French-Chinese cuisine

in truly sumptuous surroundings? The roomy, regal Kwan’s has you covered.

And try the lunch menu’s array of $8 selections for a quick, savory bite. 3031 W Memorial, OKC, 607.8838 $$ O ASIAN FUSION Sublime quality in a wide span of culinary influences – freshly rolled sushi to fiery curry – in cool, vibrant digs. Call ahead for dinner, because it becomes a packed house in a hurry. 105 SE 12th, Norman, 701.8899 $$ SAII With a dark, rich ambiance that elevates it over its surroundings, the captivating Saii serves expertly done Japanese, Thai and Chinese fare plus an extensive and adventurous sushi menu.

6900 N May, OKC, 702.7244 $$ TSUBAKI SZECHUAN Bold flavors are a hallmark of Szechuan cuisine, so tell your taste buds to buckle up; spice is always present but never overpowering in this mouthwatering collection of staples and authentically executed dishes. 1117 NW 25th, OKC, 609.6606 $$

Bakery BELLE KITCHEN Doughnuts, macarons, pastries and ice cream created from scratch, in small batches – making treats like these with care and passion a difference that’s easy, and a pleasure, to taste. 7509 N May, OKC, 430.5484; 30 NE 2nd, OKC, 541.5858 $

Chicken Fried Steak Dinner

CUPPIES & JOE The name is only part of the story: the Uptown nook holds cupcakes and coffee as well as pie, live music, a cozy, trendy vibe and more. Park around back and take a peek. 727 NW 23rd, OKC, 528.2122 $ ESCA VITAE Food for Life, the name promises, and visitors may well find themselves feeling revitalized after sampling this European bakery and café’s espresso drinks, selection of deli sandwiches and vast selection of tempting breads and baked goods. 1114 N Classen Drive, OKC, 601.0402 $ GANACHE They serve les sandwiches, but this patisserie is most enthusiastically celebrated for its mouthwatering croissants, macarons, tarts and other baked treats inspired by the owners’ studies in Europe. 13230 Pawnee, OKC, 267.912.5536 $ PIE JUNKIE A Plaza District haven for serious pie aficionados. Call ahead to order a whole pie or quiche or walk in and choose from what’s on hand; either way the flavors are incredible, and you may never find a better Key lime. 1711 NW 16th, OKC, 605.8767 $ SARA SARA CUPCAKES The ambiance and milk bar make great additions to the variety of specialty cupcakes - selections range from traditional chocolate to blueberry honey and even bacon, egg and cheese. 7 NW 9th, OKC, 600.9494 $

Bar & Pub Food THE BARREL The menu is wellstocked with intriguing and delicious twists on pub cuisine, but the equally ample bar makes it a great spot to relax over drinks as well. 4308 N Western, OKC, 525.6682 $ BLU FINE WINE & FOOD Just south of Main Street, this sleek bar stands out due to quick, courteous service and a menu with gourmet range from mojitos to barbeque chicken pizza to fresh hummus. 201 S Crawford, Norman, 360.4258 $$ THE MANHATTAN A stylish neighborhood bar in the heart of downtown, its cocktail menu is packed with variations on its namesake classic, and don’t overlook the selections of sandwiches, salads and tasty treats from chef Bruce Rinehart. 210 Park Suite 150, OKC, 605.5300 $ THE MONT While the food should tempt palates inclined toward a Southwestern zing, it’s beverages like the beloved Sooner Swirl and the primo patio (with misters) for which this landmark is justly renowned. 1300 Classen Blvd, Norman, 329.3330 $ OAK & ORE A Plaza District port of call built with repurposed rustic materials, it offers more than a handful of creative sandwiches that practically require a

knife and fork, as well as a tantalizing selection of lovingly chosen craft beers.

1732 NW 16th, OKC, 606.2030 $ O’CONNELL’S IRISH PUB & GRILLE Beloved by students, alumni and townies alike, it’s served up killer burgers, beer and festive atmosphere since 1968. A St. Patrick’s Day must. 769 Asp, Norman, 217.8454 $ PUB W Multiple sections provide a choice of atmosphere, but the menu filled with choice beer and “new classic” fare from barbeque wings to pork chops is a constant pleasure. 3720 W Robinson, Norman, 701.5844; 3121 W Memorial, OKC, 608.2200 $$ REPUBLIC GASTROPUB Part beer bar and part upscale eatery, this noisy, amply attended locale pairs a vast selection of quality brews with tasty menu items, including a great burger selection. 5830 N Classen Blvd, OKC, 286.4577; 13230 Pawnee, OKC, 907.5900 $$ SEAN CUMMINGS IRISH RESTAURANT The namesake chef brings the food, drinks, music and atmosphere of an Emerald Isle public house back to the metro – go raise a glass. 7628 N May, OKC $$ THE WINSTON A menu packed with intriguing possibilities among “elevated pub food” balances out an

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4309 N WESTERN AVENUE - 405.604.0990 - DRUMROOMOKC.COM JUNE 2018 405 MAGAZINE

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impressive selection of beer, wine and whiskies. Cheers. 106 W Main, Norman, 561.7616 $$

Barbeque THE BUTCHER BBQ STAND It’s open three days a week and is a good distance from the heart of the metro – but it doesn’t matter, because this is absolutely some of the best barbeque you’ll find anywhere. Go early and prepare to be dazzled. 3402 W Hwy 66, Wellston, 240.3437 $$ EARL’S RIB PALACE A popular choice among locals in a genre that’s hardly lacking in options, the local chain pounds out hit ribs and turkey as well as a top-tier burger. 6 metro locations, earlsribpalace.com $ IRON STAR URBAN BARBEQUE Iron Star specializes in “a unique and tasty spin on comfort food.” While its entrees are excellent, the sides here are equal players as well. 3700 N Shartel, OKC, 524.5925 $$ LEO’S BAR-B-Q Dense, rich flavor and tender texture, delivered in genuine unpolished style for commendable value – no wonder its ribs and brisket are favorites among Oklahoma connoisseurs. 3631 N Kelley, OKC 424.5367 $ SWADLEY’S Expertly prepared meats – the sausage is especially succulent – form the backbone of this Oklahoma chain’s crowd-pleasing menu. And if there’s a special occasion approaching, they’re also award-winning caterers. 5 metro locations, swadleys.com $$

Deep Thoughts Get fired up about The Heat E VE RY SO O F TE N , I hear about a friend of a friend who “doesn’t

eat pizza,” and even in this age of self-imposed dietary restrictions, I always find myself thinking, “What? How? That poor person!”

Pizza is simply among the best things humanity has done with its time on Earth – and understanding that explains why I’m so enthusiastic about The Heat.

Matthew and Joyanne Heard’s pizza emporium at 1319 S Broadway in Edmond is home to the deepest-dish goodness you’ll find in central Oklahoma, Chicago-style collections of tasty ingredients filling a buttery, flaky crust and topped with homemade sauce.

There’s a half-hour wait involved, but it’s so worth it; tide yourself over with seasoned pretzels, and remember to try the hand-tossed crust next time. It’s less distinctive, but both are excellent.

Four years ago, I was part of a panel that selected Humble Pie as the very best pizza in the OKC metro. Their name has changed, the restaurant scene has evolved and grown considerably … but I wouldn’t change my vote a bit. If you haven’t gone deep at The Heat, head up to Edmond ASAP. You’re in for a serious treat. - STEVE GILL

TEXLAHOMA BBQ Family owned and fabulously flavorful, its meats (especially the beef ribs) are eye-rolling good. Don’t forget the espresso barbeque sauce! 121 E Waterloo, Edmond, 513.7631 $$

Burgers & Sandwiches COW CALF-HAY This burger spot offers ample flavor combinations, and the delicious never-frozen patties are massive. Don’t forget the onion rings.

3409 Wynn, Edmond, 509.2333; 212 N Harvey, OKC, 601.6180 $ THE FIXX Massive, monstrous burgers and hot dogs, put together with thought and care. Don’t forget to get a shake or something from the full bar. 644 W Edmond, Edmond, 285.2311 $ THE GARAGE BURGERS & BEER It can get noisy in the sports-bar atmosphere, but even so your focus will likely be on savoring the many tempting flavor possibilities of huge, juicy burgers and fries. 8 metro locations, eatatthegarage.com $ IRMA’S BURGER SHACK Hand-cut fries, hand-breaded onion rings and simply great burgers, especially with No Name Ranch patties - lean and flavorful thanks to a local breed of cattle. 1035 NW 63rd, OKC, 840.4762; 1120 Classen Drive, OKC, 235.4762 $ KAISER’S GRATEFUL BEAN Located in the heart of Midtown, OKC’s

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authentic ice cream parlor and soda fountain (it’s on the National Register of Historic Places) serves up shakes, malts, egg creams and homemade ice cream, plus burgers and meals for vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. 1039 N Walker, OKC, 236.3503 $ THE MULE Solid beer and beverage selection plus a delectable array of gourmet grilled cheeses and melts fill the menu at this relaxation destination in the Plaza District. 1630 N Blackwelder, OKC, 601.1400 $ NIC’S GRILL It’s small, it’s crowded … and it’s incredible. It’s only open for lunch and the lines are often long, but the colossal burgers are easily among the metro’s best. Don’t forget some money, since it’s cash-only. 1202 N Penn, OKC, 524.0999 $ S&B’S BURGER JOINT Good news: these burgers’ exquisite flavors including such ingredients as peanut butter or a coffee crust - come as sliders too, all the better to sample more kinds.

5 metro locations, sandbburgers.com $ TUCKER’S ONION BURGERS With one burger, one side (fries) and one salad, the menu is easy to remember - and the execution makes the meal unforgettable.

Add a shake and enjoy. 4 metro locations, tuckersonionburgers.com $

Coffeehouse ALL ABOUT CHA Universal standards and unusual concoctions (the sweet potato latte is a wonder) in a cheerful atmosphere; the food options are worth investigating, as well. 5 metro locations, allaboutcha.net $ CLARITY COFFEE The vibe is crisp, clean and cool while remaining welcoming and comfortable – including seating for sipping or getting some work done – and the brewers have their beverages down to a science. As the sign says, “Drink the Coffee.” 431 W Main, OKC, 252.0155 $ COFFEE SLINGERS Rocking a brisk, urban vibe on Automobile Alley, it has become a gathering place for genuine java enthusiasts, especially during its periodic educational sampling seminars.

1015 N Broadway, OKC, 606.2763 $ ELEMENTAL COFFEE Seriously spectacular coffee roasted in-house - the passionate staff is always eager to share knowledge about the process augmented with locally sourced salads, breakfast options and other treats. 815 N Hudson, OKC, 633.1703 $ ELLIS ISLAND Their brews use Eote Coffee (thumbs up), but there’s much more in store in this clean, cozy hangout spot – local beers, a selection of wines, treats from La Baguette and Epic Pops and more are waiting to be enjoyed. 130 N Broadway, Edmond, 726.8831 $ RED CUP Comfortably ramshackle surroundings encourage curling up for conversation over great coffee, baked treats, vegetarian-friendly breakfast and lunch specials, and live music. It’s highly

PHOTO BY SCOTTY O’DANIEL

GOOD TASTE

Open daily at 10am! recommended. 3122 N Classen Blvd, OKC, 525.3430 $

Continental BLACKBIRD A Campus Corner gastropub pairing succulently creative dishes like pot roast nachos with a broad beer, wine and whiskey list. There’s little on the menu that won’t tempt palates. 575 S University, Norman, 928.5555 $$ CHEEVER’S Southwestern-influenced recipes (the chicken-fried steak is a house specialty) and love of seafood drive the contemporary comfort food in one of the city’s finest dining destinations. 2409 N Hudson, OKC, 525.7007 $$ EN CROUTE A warmly welcoming, comfortable café in Nichols Plaza offers treats all day long, from fresh pastries to select spirits and beer, with special emphasis on artisanal cheese and charcuterie. 6460 Avondale, OKC, 607.6100 $ LUDIVINE The menu adjusts constantly to reflect availability of elite-quality, locally sourced ingredients - but every dish is the result of genuine culinary artistry. 805 N Hudson, OKC, 778.6800 $$$ THE MANTEL Marvelous steaks, seafood and other specialties combine with a refined atmosphere and outstanding service to set the stage for a truly memorable meal, especially if you have a date to impress. 201 E Sheridan, OKC, 236.8040 $$$ THE METRO A perennial favorite that feels comfortably upscale without exerting pressure to impress on its clientele, the far-reaching menu covers culinary high points from vichyssoise to crème brulée. 6418 N Western, OKC, 840.9463 $$ MICHAEL’S GRILL Thoroughly urbane dining in an intimate setting: the steaks, chops, seafood and pastas are all reliably excellent, and the Caesar salad prepared tableside is the stuff of legends. 2824 W Country Club, OKC, 810.9000 $$$ THE MUSEUM CAFÉ A setting as inspiring as the OKC Museum of Art warrants something special in cuisine: delicately light or delectably robust, its European-inspired menu delights for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. 415 Couch, OKC, 235.6262 $$ PASEO GRILL Quiet and intimate inside, cheerful and comfortable out on the patio, with an award-winning menu filled with distinctive flavors inspired by the cuisines of Europe in both areas – try the duck salad. 2909 Paseo, OKC, 601.1079 $$$ THE PRITCHARD WINE BAR Tempted by tempranillo? Musing about muscat? This Plaza District stop is amply stocked with an extensive list of exceptional wines, and sampling the varied dishes is a pleasure in itself. 1749 NW 16th, OKC, 601.4067 $ ROCOCO An “East Coast-style” restaurant with a diverse menu of

international dishes, all set off by carefully selected wines to create the perfect dinner pairing. 12252 N May, OKC, 212.4577; 2824 N Penn, OKC, 528.2824 $$ SEVEN47 A Campus Corner hotspot boasting sleek, swank décor, an appealingly broad menu including a tantalizing brunch and a consistently celebratory vibe - in toto that makes this a winner. 747 Asp, Norman, 701.8622 $$ SIGNATURE GRILL Unassuming locale; magnificent culinary rewards.

The expertly considered menu mixes French and Italian flavors to present a wide spectrum of amazing flavors in a few select dishes. 1317 E Danforth, Edmond, 330.4548 $$$ WEST Expert staff and stylish décor augment a menu filled with treats from beef pad thai to roasted airline chicken.

Don’t forget the zuccha chips! 6714 N Western, OKC, 607.4072 $$

405.604.8940 427 NW 23rd, OKC ScottiesDeliOKC.com

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French LA BAGUETTE BISTRO Les Freres Buthion have deep roots in the city’s culinary landscape, and this flagship combines fine dining with a great bakery, deli and butcher on site. 7408 N May, OKC, 840.3047 $$ FAIT MAISON Foie gras to Brandy Alexander, this classical French restaurant delivers exceptional cuisine made with exacting care – the name translates to homemade – for exquisite, if pricy, event dining. 152 E 5th, Edmond, 509.2555 $$$

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German DAS BOOT CAMP Longtime fixture for Deutsch festivities Royal Bavaria has brewed up a second round of exceptional cuisine and magnificent beer in a less expensive, faster-paced location in downtown Norman. 229 E Main, Norman, 701.3748 $ FASSLER HALL Bringing German flavor to Midtown via house-made sausages, warm soft pretzels with cheese sauce, duck fries and a heftig beer menu, plus a weekend brunch – what’s not to love? 421 NW 10th, OKC, 609.3300 $ ROYAL BAVARIA Superb takes on traditional dishes like Weinerschnitzel, Jagerbraten and sausages, plus fantastisch house-brewed beers. The time spent is a worthy investment in this family-style dining hall. 3401 S Sooner, Moore, 799.7666 $$$

Indian GOPURAM - TASTE OF INDIA A full-service restaurant whose richly appointed interior and attentive staff accord patrons the feel of fine dining, even during the plentifully stocked lunch buffet. 4559 NW 23rd, OKC, 948.7373 $$ MISAL OF INDIA A Norman institution for over 30 years, specializing in tandoori-cooked delicacies and

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Class in a Glass Soigne sips at Mahogany

I F TH E NAM E MAHOGANY makes you think of steak, it should

– providing prime cuts is the restaurant’s raison d’etre, after all, and they do it well at both locations: There’s one near Edmond at 3241 W Memorial, and another in the heart of downtown OKC at 145 W Sheridan.

boasting healthy, natural, delicious cuisine served amid splendid ambiance.

580 Ed Noble Pkwy, Norman, 579.5600 $$ TAJ A tremendous set of Indian staples and delicacies - the menu has sections for vegetarian, tandoori, South Indian and Indo-Chinese specialties - plus full lunch and dinner buffets. 1500 NW 23rd, OKC, 601.1888 $$

Italian & Pizza BELLINI’S Tasteful in décor and Italian offerings alike, this romantic nightspot quietly, confidently exudes elegance. It’s worth a visit even if only for a couple of the namesake beverages on the shady patio. 6305 Waterford, OKC, 848.1065 $$ BENVENUTI’S Subtly flavored minestrone to rich, hearty ragouts, the splendid menu keeps the booths full and diners planning return trips to this vintage building by the railroad tracks; don’t overlook Sunday brunch. 105 W Main, Norman, 310.5271 $$ EMPIRE SLICE HOUSE Reigning over the Plaza District in New York style (that means thin, flexible crust with a lot of surface area to cover in cheese and tasty toppings), it offers whole pizzas or slices, a full bar and a primo patio. 1734 NW 16th, OKC $ FLIP’S WINE BAR & TRATTORIA Managing to feel rustic despite its location in a busy corridor of OKC, this cozy Italian joint keeps extended hours, and tends to get busier and louder as the hour gets later. 5801 N Western, OKC, 843.1527 $$

But there’s more than beef waiting to be discovered on the menu, and this is a fine time to sample the fruits of the effort they’ve put into revamping and expanding the cocktail list. Take, for example, the trio we were fortunate enough to sample recently: The Paper Plane is easy to recognize thanks to the little example of origami perched on its rim. It’s a concoction of bourbon, lemon and liqueurs Aperol and Amaro Nonino, and sommelier and beverage director Michael Son said it’s become one of his favorite cocktails.

The Ultra Violet is a variation on the gin-based Aviation cocktail that’s also on the menu. This take is “deconstructed and sort of turned on its head” to emphasize the lovely purple shade of its crème de violette. It’s surprisingly light and fruity.

The Cable Car – besides being a timely subject for anyone anticipating downtown OKC’s newest transportation system – wound up being our favorite of the three. The premium Ron Zacapa 23 rum might have had something to do with that, but we were especially impressed by its topping of foam containing a cinnamon-vanilla simple syrup with a dash of Cointreau.

While straight whiskey or a robust red remain excellent complements to top-quality steak, Mahogany has done well at broadening their preprandial possibilities. And a larger selection of beverages such as these is definitely a feat worth toasting. - STEVE GILL

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THE HEAT There’s really no need to be humble about this true Chicago-style pizza, boasting perhaps the best crust known to man. It’s one of our favorites; choose your toppings and think deep thoughts. 1319 S Broadway, Edmond, 715.1818 $ HIDEAWAY PIZZA If you’ve been serving a devoted following for over half a century, you’re doing something right.

In this case, that’s incredible pizza in jovial surroundings. 8 metro locations, hideawaypizza.com $$ MONI’S Handmade, New Jersey-style brick oven pizza and authentic pasta recipes from Southern Italy in a casual, comfy ambience (ideal for dates). 17200 N May, Edmond, 285.5991 $$ OTHELLO’S Garlic bread and warm mussels to tiramisu and coffee – all you could want in a romantic Italian café. 1 S Broadway, Edmond, 330.9045 $$ PIZZA 23 The tempting selection of specialty pies on especially buttery, flaky crusts is available for takeout, but dining in is recommended; the Uptown joint’s good beer selection and crisp, urban décor add savor to the flavor. 600-B NW 23rd, OKC, 601.6161 $$ PIZZERIA GUSTO Neapolitan-style pizza (which harnesses an extremely hot fire to quickly cook superfine flour crusts and quality ingredients) stars alongside Italy-inspired salads, pastas

and appetizers. 2415 N Walker, OKC, 437.4992 $$ STELLA MODERN ITALIAN CUISINE A luscious spate of legitimately Italian tastes for a casual lunch, or romantic dinner, amid stylish scenery. The weekend brunch offerings are especially superb. 1201 N Walker, OKC, 235.2200 $$ SUSSY’S An OKC tradition continues, as this quick downtown eatery serves up recipes from one of the city’s first pizza providers more than half a century ago.

Try a Fleetwood or one of the pasta or salad options and see why it succeeded in the first place. 200 S Oklahoma, OKC, 600.1195 $ TOMMY’S ITALIAN-AMERICAN GRILL Stylish and welcoming, this northside neighborhood Italian bar and grill offers up a full selection of beautifully done classic dishes, in addition to more imaginative creations, weekend brunch and some truly excellent brick oven pizza. 5516 W Memorial, OKC, 470.5577 $$ UPPER CRUST A chic, contemporary pizzeria and wine bar specializing in wood-fired, thin-crust New York-style pies complemented by a full menu and wine list. 5860 N Classen Blvd, OKC, 842.7743; 1205 NW 178th, Edmond, 285.8887 $$ VICTORIA’S A comfortable atmosphere, with local art on its walls and the art of pasta on its plates – the chicken lasagna and linguine with snow crab are especially excellent. 327 White, Norman, 329.0377; 3000 SW 104th, OKC, 759.3580 $ VITO’S RISTORANTE Homestyle Italian cuisine in an intimate setting where the staff and management treat customers like guests in their home.

It’s a small space, so calling ahead is recommended. 7521 N May, OKC, 848.4867 $$ VOLARE A flavor-filled variety of Neapolitan-style pizzas, produced with haste from a specially imported oven, fill this stylish Campus Corner space boasting a serious rooftop patio. 315 White, Norman, 310.3615 $$ THE WEDGE Wood-fired pies crafted from fresh ingredients (the possibilities range from pepperoni all the way to figs or truffle oil) and made-from-scratch sauces. 230 NE 1st, OKC, 270.0660; 4709 N Western, OKC, 602.3477 $$

Japanese // Sushi CAFÉ ICON Tempting sushi, Japanese specialties and delicious spectacles like steak cooked at the table on a sizzling stone fill the menu to bursting with visually splendid and palate-pleasing treats. 311 S Blackwelder, Edmond, 340.8956 $$ GORO An “izakaya” is a Japanese pub; visitors to the Plaza District will quickly come to associate the term with expertly crafted deliciousness thanks to this cheerful spot for ramen, yakitori, bar snacks and more. 1634 Blackwelder, OKC, 606.2539 $

PHOTO BY SCOTTY O’DANIEL

AT THE BAR

MUSASHI’S Exquisitely flavorful Japanese cuisine prepared with genuine artistry, thanks to the skilled chefs executing culinary performance art at tableside hibachi grills. It’s a great spot for a special occasion. 4315 N Western, OKC, 602.5623 $$ SUSHI NEKO An established OKC favorite combining style with substance (in the form of an especially wideranging and creative sushi menu). 4318 N Western, OKC, 528.8862 $$

a brunch that’s maravilloso, in a cool Midtown space with a back patio that’s pure paradise. 1000 N Hudson, OKC, 702.6922 $

etoufee, Pasta Orleans or any of the wellseasoned temptations on the weekend brunch menu – and spice up your life.

3005 S Broadway, Edmond, 285.0911 $$

BIG TRUCK TACOS It’s nearly always standing-room-only at lunch, but don’t let that deter you; spend a few minutes in line and get an ample reward in the form of fast, fresh, imaginative taco creations. 530 NW 23rd, OKC, 525.8226 $

C’EST SI BON Crawfish etouffee, frogs’ legs, fried chicken and shrimp po-boys are among the highlights, but the awardwinning catfish is a must-try. 101 N Douglas, Midwest City, 610.2555 $

TOKYO It’s neither huge nor lavishly appointed, and the menu focuses on tradition rather than creativity; but it’s palpably fresh and routinely cited as among the metro’s best sushi. 7516 N Western, OKC, 848.6733 $$

CAFÉ ANTIGUA Visitors can enjoy lunch options from beef stew to a club sandwich, but once they sample the luscious variety of Guatemalan breakfast options – served anytime – they may be perfectly happy to never order anything else. 1903 N Classen, OKC, 602.8984 $

WAGYU BBQ Extremely highquality meats, including the namesake top-shelf beef, brought to you so you can cook them yourself on the grill set into the table. As a group experience, it’s a meal like no other in OKC. 3000 W Memorial, OKC, 285.9796 $$$

CAFÉ DO BRASIL It’s a long way from OKC to Rio, but the savory menu in this Midtown hot spot covers the distance in a mouthful. Even brunch is a spicy, inimitable treat. 440 NW 11th, OKC, 525.9779 $$

YOKOZUNA The noodles, entrees and snappy drinks menu beckon, but it’s the rolls that stand out in this heavyweight contender for local sushi supremacy – personally, we’re partial to the 405 Roll.

13230 Pawnee, OKC, 500.1020 $$

CAFÉ KACAO A sunlit space filled with bright, vibrant flavors from the zesty traditions of Guatemala.

Lunch possibilities beckon, but it’s the breakfast specialties that truly dazzle.

3325 N Classen, OKC, 602.2883 $

YUZO Variety is the word in this sushi tapas bar, boasting a tempting swirl of Colombian, Brazilian and Japanese culinary influences. 808 N Broadway, OKC, 702.9808 $$

CULTIVAR A farm-to-fire Mexican kitchen that stresses sustainability, local sourcing and fresh, fast, flavorful food.

Gluten-free options, chef-crafted tacos, a substantial bar and plenty more are on the menu. 714 N Broadway, OKC $$

Mediterranean & African

HACIENDA TACOS Quality, of both ingredients and execution, and variety make this restaurant in the Shoppes at Northpark a pleasure to visit, and to explore the menu again and again.

12086 N May, OKC, 254.3140 $

HAIGET’S Vegan-friendly – and friendly in general, due to the influence of the warm, patient namesake owner – this gem rewards the adventurous with Ethiopian and Kenyan specialties to explore and share. 308 W Edmond Road, Edmond, 509.6441 $$ QUEEN OF SHEBA Practically the definitive example of a hidden treasure, the spicy, vegan-friendly menu of Ethiopian delights awaits the bold. Bring friends and be prepared to linger. 2308 N MacArthur, OKC, 606.8616 $$ ZORBA’S For well over 20 years, Zorba’s has satisfied appetites and pleased palates. Serving dishes from recipes passed down through generations, they proudly share flavors of Cyprus, Spain, Greece and Morocco. 6014 N May, OKC, 947.7788 $

Mexican & Latin American

THE DRAKE The Good Egg Group’s flagship and a standard-bearer for diners who crave excellent seafood, it serves chef’s creations featuring the sea’s finest, plus an oyster bar and tempting cocktails. 519 NW 23rd, OKC $$$ OFF THE HOOK It’s a choice destination for po’ boys, fried or grilled baskets and specialty items such as the smothered seafood fries. Go get hooked.

125 S Britton, OKC, 840.3474; 1920 S Meridian, OKC, 606.6040 $ PEARL’S CRABTOWN A huge Bricktown warehouse where the Cajun Crab Boil is a favorite, guests are encouraged to “leave the silverware at home and dig in,” and taste is king. 303 E Sheridan, OKC, 232.7227 $$ PEARL’S OYSTER BAR A perennial OKC favorite for its flavorful seafood and spicy Creole-inspired dishes: Shrimp Diablo, Tabasco-infused Caesar salads, Andouille omelets at Sunday brunch and more. 5641 N Classen, OKC, 848.8008 $$ TRAPPER’S FISHCAMP Zesty, widely varied flavor from the Pearl’s family of restaurants finds a comfortable home in a backwoods fishing lodge atmosphere.

Don’t forget the bountifully stocked bar, either. 4300 W Reno, OKC, 943.9111 $$

Steakhouse

IGUANA MEXICAN GRILL Unique Mexican flavor in a fun atmosphere at reasonable prices - a treat from the house-made salsas to the handcrafted cocktails, and all the tastes between. 9 NW 9th, OKC, 606.7172 $$

BOULEVARD STEAKHOUSE Perfectly soigné ambiance down to the last detail and cuisine easily in the metro’s elite – a sumptuous, if pricy, masterpiece. 505 S Boulevard, Edmond, 715.2333 $$$

REVOLUCION You say you want a Revolucion? You easily might once you try this spicy taco-centric haven – start with the queso fundido and don’t stop until you reach the delectable arroz tres leche dessert. 916 NW 6th, OKC, 606.6184 $$

BROADWAY 10 Cruise into the Buick building in Automobile Alley to savor steak supremacy or seafood selections (even sushi) in a cozy enclave amid urban bustle. 1101 N Broadway, OKC, 212.3949 $$$

TARAHUMARA’S Beloved by locals (there’s usually a line but it moves quickly), this airy ristorante serves huge, tasty Tex-Mex classics plus less ubiquitous fare like carnitas de puerco and mole poblano. 702 N Porter, Norman, 360.8070 $$ ZARATE’S In addition to the familiar joys of enchiladas and the like, the chef’s Peruvian heritage shines in dishes featuring plantains, yuca and imported spices. Try something different; find something tasty. 706 S Broadway, Edmond, 330.6400 $$

1492 Authentic Mexican cuisine in an elegant atmosphere, combining its caliente flavors with fusion decor to make an ideal spot for a romantic evening ... including perhaps the world’s best mojitos. 1207 N Walker, OKC, 236.1492 $$

Seafood

BARRIOS A serious collection of Latin-flavored deliciousness, including

BRENT’S CAJUN Sit down to a massive platter of jambalaya, crawfish

CATTLEMEN’S Almost as old as the state itself, this Oklahoma institution’s immense corn-fed steaks and matchless atmosphere are history served anew every day. 1309 S Agnew, OKC, 236.0416 $$ JUNIOR’S The classic restaurant’s decor sets the perfect stage for hand-cut Angus steaks and lobster to fight for attention with knockout fried chicken.

2601 NW Expressway, OKC, 848.5597 $$$ JAMIL’S STEAKHOUSE Saving room for your steak, lobster or prime rib is difficult when your gratis appetizers arrive in the form of a Lebanese bounty, but make the effort. Jamil’s has been feeding Oklahoma exceptionally well since 1964. 4910 N Lincoln, OKC, 525.8352 $$$

MAHOGANY PRIME STEAKHOUSE The ambiance and service are sublime, but fine aged steak broiled to perfection is the star. 3241 W Memorial, OKC, 748.5959; 100 W Main, OKC, 208.8800 $$$ MCCLINTOCK Where better to find a saloon than in Stockyards City? There’s plenty of room at the massive, 50-foot oak bar, and plenty of cocktails and whiskies behind it, but the main draw may be the massive, excellent steaks and chops. 2227 Exchange, OKC, 232.0151 $$$ MEAT MARKET REFECTORY The steaks are excellent, but they’re the tip of the ample menu’s iceberg: fresh seafood and Australian lamb chops command attention as well, and from Hatch green chili crab cakes to champagne sabayon, the carefully selected flavors pop and sparkle in this prime dining experience.

2920 NW 63rd, OKC, 608.8866 $$$ MICKEY MANTLE’S This lushly atmospheric social spot in Bricktown serves powerhouse entrées and sides with a full complement of amenities destined to impress. 7 S Mickey Mantle, OKC, 272.0777 $$$ OPUS PRIME STEAKHOUSE It aspires to the ultimate in upscale dining via hand-cut USDA Prime Black Angus steaks, a vast wine selection and intimate ambiance. 800 W Memorial, OKC, 607.6787 $$$ RANCH STEAKHOUSE Customaged hand-cut USDA Certified Prime tenderloins and ribeyes, served amid warm Southern hospitality. 3000 W Britton, OKC, 755.3501 $$$ RED PRIMESTEAK Visionary design and atmosphere house super-premium steaks, vibrant, imaginative flavors and amenities to make some of the state’s best dining. 504 N Broadway, OKC, 232.2626 $$$ TEXAS DE BRAZIL Inspired by Brazilian churrascarias, this festive establishment offers diners cuts from their choice of skewers laden with beef, pork, chicken and sausage, in addition to excellent sides and a massive salad bar.

1901 NW Expressway, OKC, 362.9200 $$$

Thai SALA THAI Pineapple curry, basil squid, fried rice with crab, cinnamon beef ... the variety is exceptional, making this Midtown diner a popular midday option. 1614 NW 23rd, OKC, 528.8424 $ SWEET BASIL The enormous aquarium adds to the cozy ambiance; with its outstanding curries and specialty dishes, it makes a great venue for a dinner date. 211 W Main, Norman, 217.8424 $$ TANA THAI There’s a lot to like about the food in this little spot, from red snapper filet to pad thai. Pay special mind to the varied soups, and do not play chicken with the spice level. 10700 N May, OKC, 749.5590 $$

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Shoppes at Northpark 12100 N May

405.748.5774

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SHOPPES AT NORTHPARK 12100 N. May 405.748.7227 ShopNancys.com

Exclusive Cosmetics Shoppes at Northpark

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events

PHOTO COURTESY NCWHM

To Be the West When the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum declares that an exhibition features the finest contemporary Western artists in the nation, you can believe that the Prix de West is thoroughly impressive to behold. Dean Mitchell’s “R.T. Williams, Buffalo Soldier” is one of more than 300 paintings and sculptures in multiple styles on display, and the opening weekend’s seminars, demonstrations and trunk shows June 8-10 are musts for enthusiasts.

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events PRIME PICKS

“Gift”

The Traveler’s Ties June 2-Aug. 11, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center Moving temporarily (just a couple of decades) from Japan to Kansas could trigger wicked culture shock, but fiber artist Chiyoko Myose is more concernes with the relationships that such a journey can forge. Her sweeping installation called Sojourning invites visitors to contemplate the connections we share as citizens of the world, concretizing the concept by adding their own strands to one piece, so their own contribution adds to the whole.

Paper Power Cotton, silk, velvet … paper? The OKC Museum of Art’s latest exhibition explores the oeuvre of Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave, who creates haute couture, or at least the appearance of it, by crafting life-sized costumes of eye-catching splendor – which just happen to be made from material similar to what you’re reading right now. The end results featured in Fashioning Art From Paper aren’t feasible as fashion, but they are intriguing examples of creative innovation.

Native Views

Brent Greenwood, “Gathering Medicine”

June 8-Sept. 9, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art

The Chickasaw Nation has a strong sense of its cultural past and heritage, and the modern world carries a powerful influence of its own. Integrating the past and present is a challenge that varies with each person who attempts it, but the results can be fascinating for people of all descents. Visual Voices offers dozens of pieces by contemporary Chickasaw artists, each following his or her own muse in considering their places in the world and the stories of their lives.

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#1 Summer Jam

TAUK

June 14-16, Brookhaven Village and Andrews Park Summer in Oklahoma means that the temperature is hot; summer in Norman means that so is the music. The free audio frolic that is Jazz in June returns for a 35th year of serving up some musical sizzle – with blues and jazz under the stars at Brookhaven and performances by Smoochie Wallus, Huntertones and headliner TAUK downtown on Saturday, the heat is about to be on in the best way.

PHOTOS: “GATHERING MEDICINE” COURTESY FJJMA; “GIFT” COURTESY OK CONTEMPORARY; TAUK BY KALI TAYLOR PHOTOGRAPHY

June 16-Sept.9, OKC Museum of Art

Isabelle de Borchgrave: Fashioning Art from Paper features the life-size, trompe l’œil paper costumes of Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave (born 1946).

This exhibition is organized by Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Society of the Four Arts, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Frick Art and Historical Center, and Artis—Naples, the Baker Museum.

Isabelle de Borchgrave, Charlotte-Marguerite de Montmorency, Princess of Condé (detail), 2017.

Frick Art and Historical Center, Pittsburgh.

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events SPEAKERBOX

OLD PEOPLE TIPS ON DISCOVERING NEW MUSIC

When I worked in a record store (remember them?), one of my greatest joys was introducing customers to new music. The best times were when I would be spinning something and a customer would just come up and ask, “What’s that playing?” It was an open invitation to a long, fruitful conversation, and usually a sale.

I recently audited my last year of music purchases.

More than 75 percent of music I bought in 2017 was either established legacy artists, or re-issues.

Admission: I’m ancient. I’m over 50! It’s difficult for me to wrap my hands and ears around new and developing artists. With record stores almost a thing of the past, how do you find new music these days?

TWITTER: Twitter is a great resource for exposing new and developing artists. Follow music accounts @NME, and @Pitchfork. @RollingStone is also a great follow. Read the reviews and recommendations.

Also, follow influential musicians. Most musicians know other musicians, and you can learn a lot by knowing their peers.

Justin Townes Earle finds himself T HE F IR ST T I M E I listened to “Maybe a Moment,” from last year’s Kids

in the Street, I thought for sure it was Ryan Adams’ comeback single to his Whiskeytown roots. I was fooled - turns out it wasn’t Adams, it was Justin Townes Earle. Kids in the Street is a beautiful, brightly produced record that really showcases Earle’s pleasant voice and burgeoning songwriting.

For years, it seems, Earle has sought his own identity. Being the son of a roots rock rebel and enigma like Steve Earle probably didn’t help; being named after Townes Van Zandt probably ratcheted up the pressure. Toiling in alternative country and ragged bar bands from the beginning, Earle needed time to develop his voice and songwriting skills.

His singing voice of late is pure, and largely devoid of raspy twang. He writes about people and characters from real life and gives them empathy and understanding, like the kids in “Kids in the Street,” and the pretty little thing in the “Champagne Corolla.” The most telling thing about the Kids in the Street record is that the songs are hopeful, unlike his 2015 work Absent Fathers.

At 36, Earle is no longer a kid learning the ropes. Hopefully, this is a sign of continual growth and many years of great music to follow. Justin Townes Earle plays the Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd, on June 4. It’s billed as an all-ages show, with Lydia Loveless as the opening act. Tickets can be found at ticketfly.com. - JERRY CHURCH

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PAY ATTENTION: I was first exposed to Arcade Fire when I saw a poster on a graffiti wall in Bristol, England, in 2003. I also always check out the marquees for places such as The Tower Theatre (@TowerTheatreOKC) and Diamond Ballroom (@DiamondBallroom). If musicians are touring and can generate audiences at these places, then they are usually up-and-comers. - JC

JH Sings ONJ When I first heard that Juliana Hatfield was doing a tribute record of Olivia Newton-John songs, I was a tad suspicious. ONJ produced some delicious songs made for radio, and her exquisite vocal range was unbelievable ear candy.

I was curious about Hatfield’s interpretations because I assumed they would be low-fi, grungeguitar-focused pop-punk takes. I was dead wrong.

Her versions of ONJ’s songs on Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John are sincere and accurate.

From the moody “Magic” to the perfection of auditory dream “Xanadu,” Hatfield delivers. It makes sense. She’s 50. She grew up an ONJ fan, and this is her chance to say, “I Honestly Love You.” Hatfield recognizes how special this recording project is by offering it up in vinyl and cassette formats. You can find out more at julianahatfield.com. - JC

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE PHOTO COURTESY RED LIGHT MANAGEMENT

Ready to Make His Own Name

GO YOUNG: I had a lot of millennial and younger coworkers at my last job, and often talked to them about what they listened to. That’s how I heard about War on Drugs and St. Vincent. Talk to young people and they can learn a lot from you. FYI: Phil Collins never was a member of Led Zeppelin!

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events ON LOCATION

with Lance McDaniel

The Iconic Alfre Woodard

An Oklahoma legend returns to deadCenter awards and 18 nominations, one Golden Globe, three Screen Actors Guild awards and one Oscar nomination, she is the most honored Oklahoma actress in history. She’s been selected as one of People’s Most Beautiful People in America. She even has a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children, for Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales.

With all of these accolades, it’s tempting to think of her as a typical Hollywood star. But the reality is quite different. Since early on in her career, Alfre Woodard has leveraged her success as an actress to fight for justice both here and abroad.

In 1989, Woodard founded Artists for a New South Africa, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa and fighting for democracy and human rights in South Africa. She was inspired by Nelson Mandela, whom she met when she played the role of his wife Winnie in the 1987 HBO film Mandela. Since its founding, her nonprofit has raised more than $9 million and has provided healthcare to over 3,500 South African AIDS orphans.

In the U.S., Woodard has served on the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities and the national board of the Democratic Party. She has campaigned for several candidates and causes close to her heart. When she was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2014, she offered that she always felt a responsibility to use her fame to help the less fortunate.

Born in Tulsa to Marion and Constance Woodard, she attended Bishop Kelley High School, where she focused on cheerleading and running track before auditioning for her first school play.

That was all it took. She was instantly enamored of acting, and headed to Boston University to study acting in college.

Woodard won her first of four Emmys in 1984 for “Hill Street Blues,” the same year she was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in the movie Cross Creek. She hit Emmy gold again in 1987 for “L.A. Law,” in 1997 for Miss Evers’ Boys, and in 2003

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for “The Practice.” That fourth win made her the most honored African-American actress in Primetime Emmy history.

While the wins were historic, a look at her 18 Emmy nominations better highlight the great range Woodard has demonstrated as an actress. Her Emmy nominations include work on “St. Elsewhere,” The Piano Lesson, “Gulliver’s Travels,” “Desperate Housewives,” “True Blood” and Steel Magnolias, for which she also received Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice nominations. More recently, she has played the role of the U.S. President on NBC’s “State of Affairs,” Mariah Dillard on Netflix’s “Luke Cage” and Aunt Josephine in Netflix’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”

The 1997 television drama Miss Evers’ Boys provided Ms. Woodard with her most critically acclaimed role. The film tells the true story about the U.S. government’s 1932 Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment on African-American test subjects. For playing Eunice Evers, the nurse who administered the tests, she won the Golden Globe, Emmy, Cable ACE, Image and SAG awards.

Woodard has enjoyed an equally diverse career in film. After her lauded role in Cross Creek, she starred in Scrooged, Grand Canyon, Passion Fish, How to Make an American Quilt, Primal Fear, Love & Basketball and 12 Years a Slave. Star Trek: First Contact gave Woodard her first action figure for her role of Lily Sloan. And she recently joined the cast of Disney’s live-action remake of The Lion King, alongside James Earl Jones, Donald Glover and Beyonce.

Woodard will return to Oklahoma this month to be honored as an Oklahoma Film Icon at the 2018 deadCenter Film Festival. The event takes place June 7-10 in downtown OKC. For information on how to see Alfre Woodard in person, visit deadcenterfilm.org.

ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN O’DANIEL; PHOTO BY KATHY HUTCHINS

A L F R E WOODA R D IS an acting legend. With four Emmy

CHIYOKO CHIYOKO MYOSE MYOSE

Chiyoko Chiyoko Myose: Myose: Sojourning Sojourning 06/02 06/02 -- 08/12 08/12 Explore the fantastic fiber installations of Chiyoko Myose, a Japanese Explore the fantastic fiber installations of Chiyoko Myose, a Japanese artist who now lives in Kansas. Chiyoko sees herself as a sojourner, artist who now lives in Kansas. Chiyoko sees herself as a sojourner, a person who stays in one place temporarily, and her works express a person who stays in one place temporarily, and her works express the feeling that comes with living in a foreign country. the feeling that comes with living in a foreign country.

Learn more about this exhibition and programming at Learn more about this exhibition and programming at

bit.ly/OCmyose bit.ly/OCmyose..

more info: oklahomacontemporary.org | @okcontemporary more info: oklahomacontemporary.org | @okcontemporary 3000 General Pershing Blvd. | Oklahoma City | 405 951 0000 3000 General Pershing Blvd. | Oklahoma City | 405 951 0000

events SPOTLIGHT

Open Range for Film Rodeo Cinema adding options to OKC

W HE N T HE SH A PE OF WAT E R won the Oscar for Best Picture, had you seen it? Guillermo del Toro’s vivid fantasy romance didn’t make much of a splash in OKC theaters … but it ran for months in Tulsa’s Circle Cinema. That nonprofit theater is the 918’s beloved landmark for cinema fans seeking an expertly curated selection of independent, foreign and documentary films that can often be difficult to find in multiplexes. It’s also the inspiration for and sister to the new Rodeo Cinema in Stockyards City, soon to be bringing more film variety to the 405.

Phase I is located in the Centennial Rodeo Opry, at 2221 Exchange. Renovations are currently underway of the 1928-vintage theater space – including the installation of a massive 1924 Wurlitzer organ for the occasional silent movie – and if all goes well, it may open to the public this month. Phase II will be new construction: a facility at the corner of SW 13th and Agnew that will house two screens, and is aiming for March 2019 as its christening date.

For fans of the local film scene, it’s great news that Rodeo Cinema’s director is Kim Haywood, longtime head of programming for the deadCenter Film Festival. She’ll be working with Circle president and cofounder Clark Wiens to bring a similar spate of movie offerings to OKC – and perhaps most exciting is the revelation that this won’t be a now-and-then special occasion undertaking.

Haywood said their goal is to operate seven days a week, with screenings running all afternoon and evening. It’s an ambitious undertaking, but if Rodeo Cinema can rustle up enough

EVENTS JUN 1 H & 8th Come for the cycling excitement of the OKC Pro-Am Classic, stay for the massive array of food trucks and community vibe.

Hudson & 8th, OKC, h8thokc.com

WANT TO SEE MORE? VISIT OUR ONLINE CALENDAR AT 405MAGAZINE.COM JUN 9 Le Tour de Vin Normanarea Rotary clubs team up to celebrate wine, food and generosity, while raising funds for Full Circle Adult Day Center. NCED Marriott, 2801 E Hwy 9, Norman, letourdevin.com

JUN 7-10 deadCenter It’s time! This joyous weekend is jammed full of seminars, informative panels, rockin’ parties and 100 carefully selected cinematic wonders. Downtown OKC, OKC, 246.9233, deadcenterfilm.org

JUN 9 Asian District Night Market Local merchants and themed vendors help showcase some highlights of Asian cultures in a music- and food-filled family festival with plenty to explore. Military Park, 2520 N Classen, OKC

JUN 8-10 Red Earth Representatives of dozens of Native tribes converge on OKC for a festival celebrating their distinctive heritage and cultures - there’s nothing else like it. Cox Center, 1 Myriad Gardens, OKC, 427.5228, redearth.org

JUN 14 Urban Pioneer Awards Dunlap Codding director - and Film Row revitalizing force - Douglas Sorocco will receive the Plaza District’s annual award. OCU School of Law, 800 N Harvey, OKC, 578.5718, plazadistrict.org

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JUN 23 Purple Sash Gala Yes to violet, no to violence at the YWCA’s annual fete and fundraiser dedicated to overcoming domestic abuse.

Criterion, 500 E Sheridan, OKC, 948.1770, ywcaokc.org JUN 23 Stars & Stripes River Fest Come on out - the water’s fine!

Kayaking, dragon boat racing, a rowers’ regatta and a closing fireworks display provide plenty of family excitement. Boathouse District, 725 S Lincoln, OKC, 552.4040, riversportokc.org

MUSIC JUN 10 John Fogerty / ZZ Top The classics never go out of style, so hearing the former CCR frontman and los Tres Hombres rock out under

the open sky should be a treat. Zoo Amphitheatre, 2101 NE 50th, OKC, 602.0683, thezooamphitheatre.com JUN 14-19 Brightmusic A fourconcert set of film composers’ selected chamber music makes up the seasonending Summer Festival called “Brightmusic Goes Hollywood.” St. Paul’s Cathedral, 127 NW 7th, OKC, brightmusic.org

THEATER JUN 1-23 A Midsummer Night’s Dream OK Shakespeare in the Park opens its summer season with one of the Bard’s best-loved comedies.

Myriad Gardens, 301 W Reno, OKC, 235.3700, oklahomashakespeare.com

PHOTO COURTESY RODEO CINEMA

ON THE RADAR

interest among film aficionados, it’s poised to become a new highlight for Stockyards City. Check out rodeocinema.org for details and schedules. - STEVE GILL

S U N DAY T W I L I G H T CO N C E R T S J U N E -AU G U ST, 7 : 3 0 - 9 P M M Y R I A D G A R D E N S G R E AT L AW N STAG E JUNE 3 The Wise Guys top 40 covers

JULY 22 Scott Keeton Band blues

JUNE 10 Charles Burton Band blues

JULY 29 Orquesta Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Calle Latin pop

JUNE 17 Spaghetti Eddie kids

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JUNE 24 Equilibrium soul / jazz

AUG 12 Maggie McClure Band singer/songwriter

JULY 1

145th Army Band jazz band / swing

JULY 8

Red Dirt Rangers red dirt

JULY 15 Culture Cinematic hip hop/neo soul

Shortt Dogg r&b

AUG 19 Edgar Cruz and the Brave Amigos classical guitar AUG 26 Oklahoma Virtuosi modern symphony P r e s e n t e d BY:

ARTSCOUNCILOKC.COM // #ACOKCTWILIGHT

events SPOTLIGHT

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Woven and Chosen Fiberworks returns to IAO

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Artists of Oklahoma put together a statewide show dedicated to featuring the finest examples of their creative disciplines. Fiberworks is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and remains not only a showcase of quality craftsmanship, but a font of surprising innovation, as well. Be prepared for the unexpected when the show returns to the IAO Gallery at 706 W Sheridan June 15-Aug. 10.

Though organized by Fiber Artists of Oklahoma, Fiberworks is open to all Oklahoma residents; submissions must be original work done in the last two years and consist of fiber art, although that qualification allows for a great deal of interpretation.

“The number one thing that I always appreciate about this show is the amazing variety of work that is contained in the term fiber arts – anything done with fiber as media, or any media done with a fiber technique,” says FAO’s Karen Collier. “It’s open enough that we get some genuinely innovative stuff that I just love, as well as some more traditional arts.”

Juror David Brackett, Associate Professor of textile and fiber at the University of Kansas, has selected the pieces featured in this anniversary show, and will present cash awards for various categories of outstanding work. Brackett will also lead a public workshop about modern macramé on June 16-17; to register, visit fiberartistsok.org.

There’s no charge to see the exhibition, which could include a colorful, expertly woven afghan alongside a three-dimensional sculpture made from interlocking strands of paper or some less orthodox material.

“After 40 years, I’m still surprised every time I see the show,” says Collier with a laugh. “There’s always something creative that catches me off guard.” - STEVE GILL

PHOTO COURTESY FIBER ARTISTS OF OKLAHOMA

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backstory

The Molly Murphy’s Touch Fine food with a side of rudeness BACK I N 1976 , a new restaurant opened in Oklahoma City

that flaunted extremely bad taste, and employed a waitstaff that bordered on rudeness. But it was all part of the charm of Molly Murphy’s House of Fine Repute.

Diners had never really seen anything quite like the restaurant opened by owners Bob and Jeffiee Tayar at 1100 S Meridian in Oklahoma City. A toilet overflowing with flowers greeted guests at the front door, and upside-down flower pots hung from the ceiling. But the pièce de résistance was a cherry-red 1963 Jaguar used as a salad bar.

“We always had such a fun time when we went there,” says OKC resident Carrie Summers-Kaul. “It was completely overthe-top, and I’ve never seen another restaurant quite like it. I remember the sports car salad bar, and for dinner we usually ordered the Bacchus Feast. It was a whole chicken cut in half, and also had beef kabobs and lots of vegetables served family-style.

The servers would bring out bibs and put them on us.”

The food was only a part of the whole Molly Murphy’s experience. The waitstaff donned elaborate costumes, and their language and demeanor pushed the boundaries of what was socially acceptable in the late 1970s and ’80s.

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“I made the mistake once of asking our server where the restroom was located,” Summers-Kaul remembers. “Immediately, he began yelling, ‘Hey everyone! Carrie needs to go to the bathroom. Does anyone else need to go?’ I was so embarrassed. Then a few girls from my class went with me. When we got back, the server stood up and said ‘Carrie, Carol and Michelle made it to the restroom all by themselves! Let’s give them a round of applause!’ It was all good-natured fun, and something I still remember nearly 40 years later.”

The crowds began dwindling by the mid-1990s, and the end came when a local TV station showed up on-site to investigate the use of restaurant coupons. A fight broke out, lawsuits followed and Molly Murphy’s closed abruptly in 1996. But for a generation of Oklahomans, the memories remain.

“I can still see the waitstaff in their costumes, and remember thinking what a fun place that must have been to work,” Summers-Kaul says. “I told my girls about it, and that they missed out on a really fun restaurant. Time passes so quickly, and while places like Molly Murphy’s aren’t around anymore, at least we have all those good memories.

Those were fun times.”

PHOTO COURTESY OKLAHOMA HISTORY CENTER

BY MARK BEUTLER

Climbed 5 peaks this month Won the bouldering World Cup Forgot to lock her front door

People are amazing, but we’re still only human. Manage your lights, locks and thermostat from your device with Homelife. Learn more at Cox.com/homelife Cox Homelife is available to residential customers in select Cox service areas. A high-speed Internet connection is required. Applicable monthly service charges, installation, additional equipment, taxes, trip charges and other fees may apply. Subject to credit approval. Other restrictions may apply. Local ordinances may require an alarm user permit or external lock box. Service provided by Cox Advanced Services: Oklahoma, LLC–License #2002. ©2018 Cox Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

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