July 2021

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I look forward to continuing to grow my practice in 2021 with the help of my PA, Phong Dang. He has been a wonderful addition to my team and is fluent in Vietnamese.

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D E PA R T M E N T S

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In the 405 14 WHAT’S ONLINE A look at social media in the 405.

16 TRENDING Essentials for relaxing outdoors.

18 PERSON OF INTEREST Kirkpatrick Foundation’s Louisa McCune carries on her family’s legacy of animal welfare.

20 FASHION Latin accents to spice up your summer wardrobe.

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Dining 56 THE DISH OKC’s vegan options offer a bounty of exceptional flavors.

Home

Out & About

64 ENTERTAINING 101 Give your table a spritz of citrus for a bright, summer look.

74 ARTS & CULTURE Nashville’s Oklahomie Luke Dick

66 IN CONVERSATION WITH A deep dive into the art of henna tattooing.

76 ONE MORE THING Science Museum Oklahoma takes visitors inside Sherlock Holmes’ art of deduction.

58 THE DRINK A guide to the 405’s best margaritas.

68 DESIGN Sarisa and Brandon Munoz infuse joy into their home through eclectic decor.

60 LOCAL FLAVOR A guide to OKC’s best restaurants.

O N T H E C OV E R Barrios Fine Mexican Dishes makes tacos as beautiful as they are delicious, including the lamb barbacoa and fish tacos that grace the cover.

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405 Magazine Volume 7, Number 7, July 2021. 405 Magazine is published monthly by Hilltop Media Group at 1613 N. Broadway, Oklahoma City, OK 73103, 405.842.2266. ©Copyright 2021 Hilltop Media Group. All rights reserved.

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ARE YOU LEAVING YOUR FAMILY YOUR MONEY? OR A MESS?

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FROM THE EDITOR

A Fond Farewell started 2021 with a resolution to get my house in order. A noble goal … but little did I know it would become an unending progression of projects. Davis, my partner, first attacked the garage while I undertook organizing my long-neglected home office. This, of course, led to kitchen improvements, which led to bathroom improvements.

We repaired exterior walls and removed old wallpaper that has driven me crazy for 15 years. And yes, we painted … and painted.

After six months, as I look at all the things we’ve changed, I’ve begun to realize that “getting my house in order” means more than home improvement. Our year of COVID has brought many things into focus. It’s as if we collectively opened the little boxes of personal treasure we’ve had stashed away and examined the gems inside – memories, hopes, priorities – the things that make us who we are, that make our hearts soar and make us feel grateful when we go to sleep at night.

When I graduated from college in 1987 and began working as a journalist, newspapers were thriving and newsrooms were thrilling in many respects. The work – 35 years of telling other’s stories through the computer keys on my desk – has been deeply rewarding, but 2020 has provided a sense of clarity that only an existential crisis can. Life is fragile, and the time has come for me to walk away from my desk and write my own story.

It’s hard to let go of what you know. As the Franciscan author Ilia Delio writes: “If we get nothing else straight about our present moment, it should be this: stability is an illusion … If there is no permanence in the present, then the only real stability is the future.” In other words, we need to let go of what we know to evolve and become a better version of ourselves.

Thus, this will be my last issue of 405 Magazine as Editor in Chief. It has been such a privilege to shepherd this publication through a troubled time – and it has been fun, too. Hopefully, I’ll still be able to share stories with the readers of the magazine from time to time.

In the meantime, it has been an honor. See you around the 405.

I

Melissa Mercer Howell EDITOR IN CHIEF

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In the 405 Sultry Summer Samba Spice up your wardrobe with bold colors and sizzling Latin details.

SHEVAUN WILLIAMS AND ASSOCIATES

Page 20

Earrings, belt and bracelets from Oak City Vintage; scarf from Jack Loves Jill Vintage on Etsy; and Rosette banana print dress from Black Scintilla.

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IN THE 405

W H AT ’ S

BEST SHOT

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405 Magazine has an e-newsletter, the 405 Now, designed to keep you in the loop and give you a weekly rundown of our best stories from the week.

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IN THE 405

T R E N D I N G

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Patio Pleasures

BY EMILE Y SE X TON

T H E M O N T H O F J U LY is the height of patio season.

Terrace-hopping across the 405, catching up with friends and soaking up the sun with icy cold drink in hand … it doesn’t get much better than that! Here are our essentials for this month’s warm days outside.

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1. Supergoop glow screen, Cayman's Clothiers 2. Kosas lip balm, Salt & Water 3. Jones Beach Bond No. 9 fragrance, Balliets 4. Sunsational hat, mode 5. Cult Gaia Fan Ark tote, Balliets 6. LoveShackFancy top, Gretta Sloane 7. Tom Ford Soleil Blanc shimmer oil, Cos Bar 8. LoveShackFancy skirt, Gretta Sloane 9. Sabine-Be sunglasses, FORMA Optics & Art 10. Valentino Garavani platform espadrille, Balliets Balliets, 6443 Avondale Dr., OKC | Cayman’s, 2001 W. Main St., Norman | Cos Bar, 5820 N. Classen Blvd., OKC | FORMA, 1100 N. Broadway Ave., OKC Gretta Sloane, 6476 Avondale Dr., OKC | mode, 1227 N. Walker Ave., OKC | Salt & Water, 629 W. Sheridan Ave., OKC 16

JULY 2021

The Painters of Pompeii Roman Frescoes from the National Archaeological Museum, Naples

Reserve your timed ticket today!

This exhibiton is organized by the National Archaeological Museum, Naples and MondoMostre.

IN THE 405

Wild Things Louisa McCune works on behalf of the furry and feathered as part of 2021’s Animal Conference

BY GEORGE L ANG | PHOTO BY C H A R L I E N E U E N S C H WA N D E R

Kirkpatrick Foundation Executive Director Louisa McCune carries forward her family’s legacy of animal welfare.

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P E R S O N

hen she looks at family photos going back a century, Louisa McCune sees one commonality in those ancient black-and-white portraits: animals. They were ever-present throughout the Kirkpatrick Foundation executive director’s family history, with all kinds of dogs, cats, horses and cows photo-bombing McCune’s ancestors.

That tradition of animal husbandry eventually passed to her grandmother, Louise Rucks, who wrote a column titled “Hound Hill” in The Oklahoman for 36 years.

“She was kind of like an Erma Bombeck, you know, dispensing animal advice,” says McCune. “She was the National Dog Writer of the Year twice in the 1950s, and she was the president emeritus of the Dog Writers Association of America, which still exists.”

The Enid native followed her grandmother into journalism, writing for several New York-based magazines in the 1990s before returning to Oklahoma to become editor of Oklahoma Today in 1997. And when she made a career change and began her work with the Kirkpatrick Foundation in 2011, McCune said she was energized by the foundation’s commitment to animal wellbeing and wanted to expand that further.

While McCune loves dogs, cats and other traditionally domestic animals, she also extends her care to less cuddly animals, such as pigs, cows and chickens that are increasingly at the center of factory farming. In 2016, she worked to educate voters on State Question 777, the so-called Right to Farm

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While McCune loves dogs, cats and other traditionally domestic animals, she also extends her care to less cuddly animals, such as pigs, cows and chickens that are increasingly at the center of factory farming.

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bill that would have deregulated factory farms and provided a shield for environment-based lawsuits. In addition, she strives to end the practice of cockfighting, which continues despite its being illegal in the state, and worked to have a new animal shelter become part of the current Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) 4 plan.

Every three years, McCune hosts The Animal Conference, a two-day event that serves as a State of the State conference on animal wellbeing. This year’s event will be held Aug. 27-28 at Oklahoma Contemporary, 11 NW 11th St. McCune is finalizing a list of speakers – in past years the conference has heard from a wide range of experts on everything from marine biology to the intelligence of dogs.

One of the key attractions this year will be an appearance by the Lutheran Church Charities’ K9 Comfort Dogs, a fleet of golden retrievers who are specifically trained to be gentle and therapeutic for people experiencing trauma.

“They are deployed anytime there’s a major tragedy, like Sandy Hook Elementary School after the mass shooting, and they’ll go to hurricane sites and tornado sites and they’ll go wherever they’re asked and they stay as long as they need to,” McCune says. “They’re like rock stars, you know? Every single news channel in America has covered these dogs. I mean, there are these people in absolute trauma, they’re in the immediate aftermath of trauma, and these dogs come and provide this comfort.

It’s an incredible program. I can hardly talk about it without crying.”

As part of the conference, McCune delivers a “State of the Animals” speech that discusses how animals are faring in Oklahoma, from horses and cows to lab animals. She hopes that, a few conferences from now, she can reach a long-standing goal for the state.

“Our big, hairy, audacious goal is to make Oklahoma the safest and most humane place to be for an animal by the year 2032,” she says.

For registration, visit theanimalconference.com.

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IN THE 405

LatinFlavored Looks Add some bold, stylish fashion flair

BY LINDA MILLER P H O T O S B Y S H E VA U N W I L L I A M S A N D A S S O C I AT E S

ashion remains an excellent way to convey a certain mood or attitude.

When it comes to clothing with Latin influences and flair, that feeling is often sultry or sizzling and definitely fun.

Many of this season’s trends can be traced to looks reminiscent of traditional Latin or Spanish clothing, making it even easier to add a little spice to any outfit.

Bright colors, print scarves, intricate embroidery, interesting texture, ruffles, bare shoulders, peasant and puffy sleeves, full skirts and flounces graced the spring designer runways and beg for second glances no matter how they’re styled.

A nod to Latin America-inspired fashion offers a fresh approach this season. It’s a look that can be played up head-to-toe or, as local stylist Elizabeth Wheat says, it can be an “accessories opportunity.”

Add layers of necklaces or bracelets in either metal or painted wood. Put a ring on every other finger. Opt for big, colorful earrings that sway with every movement of your head. Slip into a pair of metallic huarache sandals for a sophisticated take on the classic. Cinch your waist with an unexpected belt. Try a matador hat on for size, or take a more minimal approach by tying a scarf around your head or tucking a flower or two into your hair.

If more is better, and for many it is, let accessories be the final touch and start with an off-the-shoulder dress or top. A one-shoulder style is another flattering option. Ruffles are plentiful this season, so embracing the feminine detail can be done in a big or small way. Wearer’s choice, but too many ruffles may lean more towards young girl than modern sophisticate.

So, who’s in the mood for a little Latin American fashion flair?

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C+D+M oneshoulder floral blouse from Black Scintilla; and Virtue earrings from Eden.

Photography: Shevaun Williams Model: Leslie Evans, Tabb Agency Stylist: Elizabeth Wheat Hair and makeup: Ashley Pike, Ashley Tolman Beauty Betsy King Shoes, 3001 Paseo, betsykingshoes.com Black Scintilla, 1112 N. Walker Ave., blackscintilla.com Eden, 3014 Paseo, edensokc.com Gretta Sloane, 6476 Avondale, grettasloane.com Jack Loves Jill Vintage, jacklovesjill_vintage Oak City Vintage, 1112 N. Walker Ave., oakcityvintageokc.com

FA S H I O N

Floral scarf from Jack Loves Jill Vintage on Etsy; earrings and bracelets from Oak City Vintage; Ganni blouse and Katharine Kidd skirt from Gretta Sloane; and Cecelia wedge sandals from Betsy King Shoes.

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IN THE 405

Necklace and belt from Oak City Vintage; Story On pleated ruffle top from Black Scintilla.

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JULY 2021

FA S H I O N

Hat and belt from Oak City Vintage; earrings, necklaces, bracelet, tortoise acrylic bag, The Korner blouse and Traffic People pants all from Eden; and Seychelles metallic sandals from Betsy King Shoes.

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O K C ’ S D E L E C T A B L E R A N G E O F T A K E S O N A P E R E N N I A L M E X I C A N C L A S S I C

TACO TALK By

G r e g

H o r t o n

Ph o t o s by L e x i H oe bin g and Rac he l Wate r s

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Mexican food is as diverse as its namesake nation is large; it’s the 13th largest country in the world. And while it’s often viewed as a monolithic form, the cuisine is regionally specific: Aguascalientes, Baja, Chihuahua, Durango, Jalisco, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Sonora and Yucatan, among others.

All contribute something to the category we reductively lump under the banner “Mexican food.”

What they all share, though, is the taco – a dish that didn’t get its name until the late 19th century, but as Mexican food historian and Los Angeles Times journalist Gustavo Arellano likes to say: “Tacos have existed since there was a tortilla, even if they didn’t exist by that name. So they’ve been around since time immemorial.”

Oklahoma City is home to many examples of Mexico’s regional taquerias, and we have a strong tradition of TexMex and gringo tacos. It’s impossible to catalog all the tacos in the city, but we made a delicious effort, and along with an introduction to some wonderful Mexican food pioneers, what follows is our overview and occasional deep dive into the 405’s taco scene.

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S SERGIO GIL CAME TO OKLAHOMA on vacation in 1985. “She brought me,” he says, gesturing at Eva, his wife of 40 years and mother of their five children. “She brought me back in 1988, and my father-in-law said I should stay.”

It was the second time Eva and her family helped Sergio decide where he would build a life. The first time was after they met in Long Beach, California and he married her.

Gil and his father had Tacos San Pedro in Long Beach, and his father wanted him to come back to the west coast.

“He said, ‘You’re my oldest son. The business needs you.’ But I stayed,” Gil says. He laughs; he does so regularly and with sincerity, especially as he moves among the guests at OKC’s Tacos San Pedro, a business he and Eva established in 1992.

Both are originally from Mexico: Sergio from Michoacán, Eva from Mexicali. Sergio comes from a restaurant family; his grandmother had five taquerias in Mexico City in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. He lived with her for a few years as a boy, and he remembers going to the restaurants, so the smells and tastes of tacos, birria and flautas are the stuff of his childhood. And they are the heart of Tacos San Pedro’s menu.

“I wanted to introduce these flavors, this food, to Oklahoma City,” he says, moving his hands from his chest and opening his arms in a gesture of giving. Thirty years later, he and Eva are still serving up some of the best traditional Mexican food in Oklahoma City at their restaurant at 2301 SW 44th Street.

Over the years, many people have asked them why they didn’t expand. It’s sort of an obvious question, especially given that they were the first Mexican food restaurant in OKC that wasn’t Tex-Mex. Chelino’s, Nino’s and Cocina de Mino were here, but no one was serving southern Mexican cuisine.

“People loved our food,” Eva says. “We started seeing Asian customers first, and then white people about 1995. People started asking why we weren’t building more locations.”

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Sergio and Eva Gil of Tacos San Pedro

The answer to the question came from Sergio’s grandmother. “She told me to focus on one,” Sergio says. “This is a woman who had five, and she says take care of the one. Restaurants can kill you if you let them.”

Tacos San Pedro, like so many things, emerged from a failed search. After they arrived, the Gils looked for traditional Mexican food like they served in California.

They couldn’t find it, so they started making it themselves. Still vacillating about staying or going, Sergio spoke to his father-in-law, who told him, “Stay. We need this food in Oklahoma.”

The process of getting ingredients was difficult right away. Of course, they made their own tortillas, and beef, pork and chicken were easy to come by. Grider, an old grocery store that eventually sold to Buy 4 Less, carried a small “ethnic” section, but guajillo chiles, cotija cheese, lengua and cabeza were impossible to find. Sergio drove a large van to California for supplies, and Kansas for specialty meats.

Tacos San Pedro eventually grew to a point such that specialty food suppliers started delivering. Sergio and Eva told other small Mexican food operators about the deliveries, and a co-op of sorts formed as people would place orders with the suppliers and pick them up at Tacos San Pedro. The Gils quite literally built Oklahoma City’s taqueria business by introducing new ingredients and helping their competitors succeed. It’s a civic awareness and hospitality-

based way of being that are both refreshing and rare.

“We’ve been blessed,” Eva says.

“We thank God for all this.”

“All this” includes five children, three of whom work in the restaurant, five grandchildren with a sixth on the way, and a life built on hard work, steadfastness and what Sergio calls “trust in the Lord.”

He’s still serving the recipes he learned from his grandmother, even trying to replicate the red and green sauces she served at her taquerias.

He said he’ll evaluate retirement in a few years, and they’re hopeful the kids will take over the business and continue the tradition.

Just over a mile from the Gils is La Esquina, on the corner of SW 29th Street and Agnew Avenue. It’s a corner store in name and design. (“La esquina” means “the corner” in Spanish.) Jorge Islas bought the former steakhouse in 1995, and opened Tortilleria la Azteca, renamed La Esquina 10 years ago. He had arrived in Oklahoma City from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico in 1979, and enrolled at Jackson Middle School.

After finishing school, he worked for Goodyear Tire and Rubber while saving money to buy the store.

“In Mexico, it’s traditional to buy tortillas morning and evening so the family has fresh tortillas,” Islas says. “There was only a small tortilla business selling to Grider when I started, but it didn’t last long.”

Five years after he opened, Islas added tacos, including his delicious barbacoa and what some along SW 29th Street say are the best carnitas in the city. At the time, no one was

Variety of tacos at La Esquina.

Dine-in is available.

serving traditional Mexican food on SW 29th Street. Tacos San Pedro and two panaderias (bakeries) were it, so Islas expanded to meet demand. His counter now features more than a dozen options, and he has a small bakery and grocery section. Islas has two sons who work in the store with him, and he, too, is not considering retirement.

Business is still good, after all. He’s built something enduring on the corner, something important to the district.

More than a corner store, La Esquina is a restaurant, grocer, lunch counter and gathering place.

"I WANTED TO INTRODUCE THESE FLAVORS, THIS FOOD, TO OKLAHOMA CITY." – SERGIO GIL

Jorge Islas in front of his corner store.

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The traditional taco follows a similar recipe in taquerias everywhere: a protein wrapped in a tortilla – most often corn – and topped with onion and cilantro. The protein is typically beef, chicken, lamb or pork, but fish tacos

Traditional

are also traditional in Baja and other coastal regions, and goat (cabrito and chivo) tacos are common south of the border. There are variations to the basic recipe, of course, but this one occurs often enough that it’s the rule. One thing to bear in mind, and here we quote the great humanitarian and lover of all things taco, Chris Castro (a regular consultant for us on Mexican cuisine): “No taqueria is a one-stop shop. People figure out what the taqueria does well, and they go there for those tacos.”

A l Pa s t o r

Ba r bac oa

Buche

Ca be z a

What is it? Because it was inspired by Lebanese immigrants to Mexico, it’s spitroasted pork when done the original way.

Locally, pastor is blended with pineapples and chiles to make a slightly sweet, moderately spicy pork taco.

What is it? This depends on the taqueria, but traditionally it’s beef, often beef cheek, slow-roasted and seasoned to be mild. In Mexico, goat is used regularly, but most Americans have never developed a taste for goat.

What is it? Pork stomach. This one can be a bit of a challenge for nonadventurous eaters, but when prepared properly, it’s delicious.

What is it? Literally, it’s head; the bulk of the meat comes from the cheeks, but small, flavorful bits are tucked in around the bone. The texture is very tender and oily, with a punch of beef flavor.

Where can you find it? To see it on the spit (trompo in Spanish), check out the Chelino’s Meat Market, but excellent examples abound, including Café Siete and La Esquina.

Where can you find it? La Esquina (pictured) has excellent barbacoa, as does the Mi Ranchito truck. On the east side, Taqueria La Fondita (Del City) was a pleasant surprise.

Where can you find it? The best and consistent was at Carnitas & Tacos El Tarasco. At El Jalisciense, the edges came out a little charred, which made the texture more pleasant.

Where can you find it? Tacos San Pedro

Ca r ne Asada What is it? Marinated, grilled beef, and while it’s a staple of taquerias, it’s more difficult than we expected to find an excellent version.

Where can you find it? Two of the trucks – Taqueria Sanchez and Mi Ranchito – have great versions, and so do La Esquina and La Fondita.

Cama r o n

Ca r n i tas

What is it? Grilled shrimp taco, Baja style. Like pescado (p.29), it's served with slaw and sauce.

What is it? Slow-cooked, pulled pork, just like at your favorite barbecue joint, but carnitas are deep-flash-fried before serving.

Where can you find it? Hacienda Tacos serves theirs with chipotle aioli for a smoky kick, and Yucatan Taco Stand just straight up serves them spicy. Shrimp tacos are common in taquerias – it's inexpensive and tasty protein, after all – but the ones at Abel's, 1492 and The Mayan are worth driving for.

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Where can you find it? Pretty much every taqueria, but La Esquina and Tacos San Pedro are famous for theirs.

Chile R ojo

Chile Verde

C o c h i n i ta P i b i l

Desebrada/Deshebrada

What is it? Braised pork – often shoulder – in a red sauce, the heat of which will vary according to the peppers used by the taqueria. You’ll find it as carne adovada in many places, including La Fondita in Del City.

What is it? The sister of chile rojo: braised pork in a green sauce. These tend to run far hotter than the red, so be careful if you’re heat sensitive.

What is it? Pork shoulder, braised with achiote paste and citrus. The traditional dish calls for bitter oranges, so it’s not sweet, but it is tender and intensely flavorful.

What is it? Shredded beef, slow cooked with onions, garlic, chiles and occasionally tomatillos or tomatoes. Depending on the taqueria, the desebrada may start as flank or skirt steak, or a roast like chuck.

Where can you find it? The Mayan, Yaqui’s and 1492.

Where can you find it? Most taquerias will have a version, especially those that have a large lunch counter like the mercados La Esquina and La Michoacana.

Where can you find it? Taqueria Rafita’s and Taqueria Cardenas SLP had the best we found.

Where can you find it? Taqueria Rafita’s. They run neck and neck with Los Comales on this dish, and Cardenas is excellent, too.

Pe s cad o What is it? Fried or grilled fish tacos originated in Baja, where they're served with a cabbage slaw, pico and a sauce. Jicama or cabbage slaw is common, and the sauce is often an aioli of some sort.

Where can you find it? Revolucion and Barrios have a pretty traditional style in a non-traditional setting, and you can find good ones at Yaqui's, Los Desvelados and Tierra Caliente.

L e n g ua

Pa b e l l o n

What is it? Beef tongue. Cooked properly, it’s tender and bland, so the seasoning matters. Most often, you will find it chopped, meaning texture isn’t an issue.

What is it? It’s the South American version of desebrada. (In Cuba, it’s ropa vieja.) The chile blend is very different given the vast difference in regions and climates, but it’s nearly always very mild in taquerias.

Where can you find it? Mi Ranchito and Tacos San Pedro have excellent versions, and for the adventurous, Tarasco serves it sliced thick, rather than chopped, which can be visually off-putting.

Where can you find it? 1492 has it in both locations, and it’s a must-have taco in the city.

Ta c o L o r e n z a

T r i pa

What is it? Carne asada Sonoran style.

The beef is chopped very fine, and then added to a corn tortilla that’s been fried crispy on the plancha. The taco is topped with a cabbage slaw and very mild red salsa. Traditionally, it’s eaten like a tostada.

What is it? Tripa, or tripe, is the small intestine of an animal. At an OKC taqueria, that usually means beef, and while many people have experienced tripe in menudo, it’s a very popular taco filling as well, especially when it’s cooked extra crispy.

Where can you find it? Yaqui’s is the only one we found, but it, too, is a musthave experience.

Where can you find it? The very best version we found – and they will usually ask if you want it crispy – is at Los Comales.

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Salsa

R o ja

Verde

Roasted tomatoes and onions with fried jalapeños. No detectable heat, unless you think tomato juice is spicy.

Tomatillo base with loads of garlic.

Again, no detectable heat, but also not as acidic as traditional taqueria green sauce.

The heat scale of salsa is directly related to the peppers in the recipe. We chose salsas from Big Truck Tacos for the purpose of illustration,

both

because

we

love the color range, and because they are delicious. Chef-partner Kathryn Mathis said the original three – Roja, Verde and OMG –

As p h a lt

OMG

Rather than go traditional, Mathis used mango, papaya, pineapple and orange juice with habanero. The phrase “hot as Oklahoma asphalt” inspired the name, and the result is indeed hot.

Jalapeňo, oil (for emulsification), garlic and a splash of lime juice. Not necessarily mild, and can be quite hot depending on how late in the season the jalapeňos are picked.

were inspired by what she loved in Austin taquerias, but all the recipes are original. Every salsa added after those three, including the rotating Salsa of the Month, was in response to customer requests for more heat.

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OMFG

HAF

“Only Made for Grownups.” Of course that’s what it stands for. Of course.

Serrano peppers drive the heat, and if you think free salsa at a TexMex joint is hot, stay away from this.

Again, “hot as fire.” [wink] Only for the true heat-head; a mix of the Verde and OMG for a base, then loaded up with ghost peppers and habaneros. Mathis did not appreciate being told her salsas weren’t hot enough; this is her answer.

TRUCKS

THE TACO WAS NOT THE FIRST MOBILE MEXICAN FOOD to conquer the United States, according to Arellano’s brief history of mobile Mexican food in Taco USA. From the 1870s to roughly 1940, tamales went coast to coast, either in food stands, on portable trays or in wagons and carts. Opposition from restaurant owners that turned into city ordinances and the growth of automobile culture led to the demise of the “tamaleros,” and it wasn’t until the 1970s that mobile Mexican food reappeared en masse.

Most everyone is at least tangentially familiar with “loncheros,” those boxy trucks with shiny sides that visit worksites to feed hungry laborers. (In OKC, Burritos El Tin Tan has a robust business, and yes, the burritos are delicious.) Arellano writes that in the 1980s with the waning of construction business, the loncheros started looking for places to park their trucks, rather than drive from place to place.

Before that, though, in 1974, Raul Martinez converted an old ice cream truck into King Taco, which he parlayed into a taco empire.

His is credited as the first taco truck – and not surprisingly, it was outside an L.A. bar.

OKC has developed a thriving taco truck culture over the past few decades. If you want to see the scale of it, drive down SW 29th between Western and May on Friday night. Most of the week, though, the trucks are scattered around town, and some, like the everpopular Taqueria Sanchez, post up at a fixed location. The attraction is inexpensive, delicious tacos. A few, like Sanchez and Mi Ranchito, can compete head-to-head in quality and flavor with any taqueria in the city, and to pull that off from a hot, cramped truck is impressive.

Recently, Chef Juan Quixtan, formerly of Iguana Mexican Grill, started parking his new Birrieria Utzil on May and NW 32nd. The shrimp taco is fantastic, and he’s also serving esquites, a smoky, savory street corn that is far more umami than elotes.

For taco truck novices, take cash. That’s the most important thing, as most trucks don’t accept cards. Check out the menu before you go, and have an idea of what you’re ordering before you get to the window – it’s polite, it keeps the line moving and it helps at the places where English constitutes a language barrier. The offerings are pretty standard, and all fall into the traditional category, and if you don’t like cilantro, speak up, or you’re getting a ton of it.

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Evolutions of a form don’t change the origin of a form, so we’re

Non Traditional

opting to call these “non-traditional” rather than the disdainful, inaccurate “gringo” tacos. The American taco with its salad of iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes and orange cheese represented an early hybridization of tacos, but it was only the first of many.

The only question that really matters is: Does something taste good if I put it in a tortilla? In all likelihood, if it was good to start with, it’s still good in a tortilla. It’s like asking, “What makes for a good sandwich?” The answer is always going to be “whatever you like.”

F laming Lips

Big Truck Tacos What is it? A riff on the traditional lengua taco, using hickory-smoked beef tongue cooked to a sliced-roast-beef soft texture, and topped with avocado, pico and queso fresco. If you think you don’t like lengua, start with this one.

B r i s k e t Ta c o

OSO Paseo What is it? Tangy, sweet, Dr. Pepperbraised brisket with a fried pickle spear, pepitas and radish. In other words, it’s like a Saturday cookout in a tortilla.

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F r i e d Av o c a d o Ta c o

B a n h M i Ta c o

Hacienda Tacos

What is it? Just what it sounds like: a pork belly taco with avocado-tomatillo salsa, sriracha, jalapeño and pickled carrots.

The style came from Korean chefs on the West Coast, and we love them for it.

What is it? Almost vegetarian, but there’s bacon. The avocado is sliced, flash-fried and served with 9 Juan Juan, the spicy habanero taco sauce that’s just a little too hot for the heat-sensitive. Yes, you can get it without bacon, but why?

C r ispy Cau l i f l o w e r Ta c o

Revolución What is it? About as good a vegetarian taco as you’ll find. The crunch of cauliflower with a pop of vinegar that reminds you of taqueria red sauces, avocado, cabbage, and cilantro. It’s kind of a salad taco, but some salads really are delicious.

Iguana Mexican Grill

Hot Honey C h i c k e n Ta c o

Cheesebur ger Ta c o

Iguana Mexican Grill What is it? About as gringo as a taco gets, except for the Chihuahua cheese.

Otherwise, it’s ground beef, diced onions and pickles, and house salsa. It tastes like a delicious burger, with salsa, and that’s the point.

Quesabirria Ta c o

Stitch Cafe

Yaqui’s

What is it? A spicy, crispy taco with fried chicken, house pickles, slaw and chipotle aioli for some smoky goodness. You’ll want some of the fresh lime to cut through all that fat and protein, and the pickles help, too.

What is it? It didn’t start showing up until the late ’00s in Tijuana, so it’s pretty new, therefore non-traditional. Birria is wrapped in tortillas and cheese, and then fried crispy on the plancha. It’s served up with consomme for dipping, thus leading to the unfortunate moniker preferred in Texas: wet taco. But we don’t have to act like Texans.

TA S T Y T R U T H S A B O U T

TEX MEX Why flavor should outweigh authenticity

ONE OF THE GREAT CULINARY FOOD fights in the Southwest is over the use of the term “Tex-Mex” to describe a category of Mexican food. (Yes, for the sake of this subject, Oklahoma is part of the American Southwest. We may be other things too, but we are definitely at least that.) The fight isn’t about appropriateness; it’s over the desirability and “authenticity” of said cuisine. The two great symbols of Tex-Mex are the combination plate and the crispy taco, and it’s especially the latter that gives rise to the most disdain.

When journalist Gustavo Arellano set out to write a thorough history of Mexican food in the U.S., Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America, he was surprised to discover that he was one of the first even to attempt it. Most books about Mexican food are cookbooks, and Arellano, a journalist at the Los Angeles Times, said that no one had ever bothered to look into debunking myths about Mexican food.

“Beware the cult of authenticity,” Arellano said in a recent interview with 405 Magazine.

“Much of it is white people ‘Columbus-ing,’ where they think they’ve found Mexican people in their unadulterated phase. A lot of ‘authentic’ food is crap, and a majority of white diners in the building does not negate the quality of Mexican food in that spot.”

Arellano has little patience for talking about “authentic Mexican food,” as all food evolves, and Mexican food, like American food, is regional, diverse and shaped by various subcultures.

“Mexican food is a giant mishmash,” Arellano says, “and different cultures contributed – the various Indian populations, Spanish conquest, Lebanese immigrants, Germans and other Europeans after WWII. There is traditional Mexican food, but it’s silly to call a taco inauthentic. It seems to be some kind of code for ‘better than what we have.’”

So, let us consider the crispy taco – which by the way, is not an American invention.

There is an “American taco,” the one from childhood, hawked by Old El Paso and other companies: crispy, mass-produced corn shell, seasoned ground beef, orange cheese of some composition, lettuce and tomato.

Simple, tasty and, according to so many people, “inauthentic.”

Food keeps evolving as cultures come together, so of course there’s an American taco, just as young Korean chefs started putting bulgogi in a tortilla. As Arellano puts it, “cultures meet and marry and sometimes the kids are better than the parents.” It’s a metaphor, and a good one.

The beloved al pastor taco emerged not from some mythical place of pristine Mexican

food, but from Lebanese immigrants who evolved the form of the taco.

In Mexico, crispy tacos are called “tacos dorados,” or golden tacos, and they’ve been a feature in Mexican cuisine, albeit a minor one, for as long as there has been the technology to fry tortillas. Arellano said that the tradition emerged during Lent in Mexico, when meateating is at a minimum, so taquerias served tacos dorados de papa: fried tacos with mashed or roasted potatoes. And the beef belongs, too, given that northern Mexico is beef country, so barbacoa, carne asada and chili con carne wrapped in a tortilla make perfect sense.

“Tex-Mex had a 120-year head start in the U.S.,” Arellano says. “Tacos and combo platters are a fixture of the American Southwest. Mexican food has always come to the U.S. in waves, and much of the food of the Southwest was originally Mexican food.

It wasn’t until after WWII when large-scale immigration started that Mexican food from other regions showed up.”

And it’s still showing up, and evolving.

Arellano insists that if the origin is Mexican, even after it evolves, you can still call it Mexican food, so ignore the hipsters who seek out “authentic” and show disdain for your crispy taco and your combo plate. Who doesn’t want a taco, enchilada and tamale on the same plate? Sad people.

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BREAK FAST

According to food historian Gustavo Arellano, Austin’s South by Southwest festival is the explanation for the ubiquity and popularity of the breakfast taco. “The first reference to the breakfast taco is in a story about San Antonio in The Arizona Republic in the 1970s,” Arellano says.

“You know it’s the first reference because it’s capitalized in the newspaper, the standard treatment for a new word or term. I grew up eating breakfast tacos, but we never called them that. It wasn’t until hipsters started coming to South

by Southwest, ‘discovering’ breakfast tacos and then returning to their home cities around the country that we see the explosion in popularity of this style.”

Arellano said the actual provenance of the breakfast taco is most likely the Rio Grande Valley, the stretch of river that divides the U.S. from Mexico along the southern tip of Texas. Austin, as is often the case, takes much of the credit, and at least in this case, they get credit for its spread, if not for its origin. Now, the breakfast taco is available throughout the U.S., and while form varies, the standard ingredients in addition to eggs are cheese, bacon, chorizo, avocado and salsa. Beyond that, it’s up to whomever is making it to decide the construction.

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The Little Twin

Chorizo and Egg

Big Truck Tacos

Cafe Siete

What is it? The entry-level breakfast taco at Big Truck Tacos: flour or corn tortilla, eggs, choice of protein. Pictured is egg with borracho chicken, a spice-rubbed, beer-can preparation made in a spicy tomato sauce.

You probably won’t need salsa, but that’s half the fun of Big Truck.

What is it? While it’s true that breakfast tacos aren’t common in many regional Mexican cuisines, when you do find them, chorizo is the most common protein after eggs. Cafe Siete makes its chorizo in house, and the taco is served in a traditional style. If you need the extra kick in the morning, ask for the chiles toreados – whole fried jalapeños.

B u i l d - Yo u r - O w n B r e a k fas t Ta c o

B r e a k fas t Ta c o s

Elemental Coffee

Neighborhood Jam

What is it? Elemental’s standard breakfast taco – corn tortilla, fried egg, choice of protein, spicy aioli and spinach – can be modified with carnitas (when available) or ham, or even tofu (sigh). Like all food items that emerge from Elena Farrar’s team, the tacos are delicious, if unconventional.

What is it? Definitely an evolved form of the breakfast taco, largely due to the addition of green chile hollandaise, this popular brunch spot’s tacos also feature guacamole, cotija cheese, sour cream, pico and cilantro. In addition to the hollandaise, it’s the fluffy eggs that make this a comfort food indulgence.

Pork and Beans

Chorizo and Egg

Stitch Cafe

Taqueria Rafita’s

What is it? A remarkably different and delicious riff on a breakfast taco. Stitch smokes its ham in house on oak, and then adds scrambled eggs, refried beans and smoked gouda, to create a smoky, tangy, sweet, umami masterpiece.

What is it? A very traditional form of the popular breakfast taco with Rafita’s house-made chorizo. While it’s not pretty, it’s definitely one the must-have tacos in the city. Rafita’s is one of OKC’s taquerias that seems to do just about everything well, and its breakfast tacos are worth the drive to the Ten-Penn area.

masa

tortillas

Masa is the delicious star of some of the world’s great comfort foods: tamales, pupusas and of course, corn tortillas. The key to great tortillas is using masa harina (corn flour) in which the corn has been nixtamalized, soaked in an alkaline solution like limewater.

chilaquiles

fresh corn tortilla

f l au ta

Gustavo Arellano said that workingclass families innovate to avoid waste, which is true in every culture.

“Refrigerator soup” is the appropriate metaphor. Chilaquiles and migas, egg dishes that include strips of tortillas, emerged as a way to use up the last of these ingredients.

Fresh tortillas are not shelf stable. That’s a weird realization for consumers who are used to buying the mass-produced variety in a resealable plastic bag that lasts for what seems like months. They’re best on the same day – especially for tacos, obviously – and after two to three days, quality degrades rapidly.

Once the tortilla starts to lose freshness, the frying starts. Flautas or taquitos are essentially a rolledup taco that’s fried. Traditionally, a tomatillo or avocado-tomatillo salsa is used for dipping. Another option is to leave the tortilla flat, tostadastyle. The advantage of this style is that you can build it as high as you want, so you’re not constrained by the circumference as with a taco.

tortilla chips

ta c o s d o r a d o s

Tortilla chips are far more popular in U.S. cuisine than in traditional Mexican cuisine. One delicious place they show up, though, is on the table with birria. The meat is served in a bowl, and toasted or fried tortilla chips are used for scooping – a bit like a nacho, but let’s not say that.

Tacos dorados are simply fried tacos, as in fried with everything already inside them.

Mashed potatoes are a traditional choice, and again, the green sauces are served for dipping. For a delicious introduction to this style, head over to La Tropicana Tacos Y Mas on S. Western.

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L O U D S O F S T E A M D R I F T S L O W LY

across the perfect mirror of the lake. Not a whiff of air ruffles the leaves. A little brown wren lands on the deck, her warbling breaking the silence of the early morning. It’s perfect.

Sitting and soaking in this beauty brings a kind of contentment only a deep connection with nature can.

Such is the setting for Deer Lake Cabins Ranch Resort in the Piney Woods of East Texas.

Thirty years ago, the ranch served as a family retreat – the family still owns it and still gathers here. Over the years, the property grew into several dwellings culminating in 18 cottages; a 19th is under construction. Of those, 10 are situated on the shore of Deer Lake, largest of several lakes and ponds on resort land.

I didn’t know what to expect when I accepted an invitation to visit Deer Lake Cabins Ranch Resort, although I’d looked at the website. It does fit the definition of “resort” in that it provides numerous amenities and activities and, with 800 acres, it qualifies as a ranch. The combination makes a special result.

The accommodations range from cozy two-person nests to a three-story dwelling with six bedrooms, a loft, four bathrooms and a game room – great for large families or groups of friends.

That one, Rambling Rose, can accommodate up to 16 guests.

We stayed in Blue House on Deer Lake, a lovely home with three bedrooms and two baths, a multilevel deck, a grill and fire pit and our own dock. The kitchen was well-appointed – nice, since we brought food for most of our meals.

Different accommodations have different furnishings and appliances. We didn’t have a dishwasher, but had a washer and dryer. We could have lived there comfortably and permanently.

Our cottage was “Texican-themed,” but each cabin features different décor.

Blue, a half-Australian shepherd, half-blue heeler, is the ranch’s one-dog welcoming committee. We had barely gotten our car unpacked when Blue appeared at our deck door. I opened the door and he came in, flopped down on an area rug and took a nap.

Making himself at home, he made us feel right at home.

U P A N D AT ’ EM First on the itinerary was a guided tour of the ranch via utility terrain vehicle. Fifteen miles of trails, all navigable (depending on weather) by UTVs, are available to guests. Our guide, Kendra Daugherty, hit the highlights, showing us all the cabins on the north and northwest sides of the lake, then back past a playground and a large, open-air pavilion. We stopped in the mare barn to see a lovely, white mare with her new foal.

EN J OY I N G R A N C H LI F E Nearby are the arena and a show barn. Ranch owners show Pony of the Americas cutting horses. Guests are welcome to visit the horses and, if they are lucky, see Johnny Brown (known to all as Mr. Johnny) training horses in the arena.

The loft of the arena houses an escape room, great for indoor fun … for those who are not claustrophobic. The ranch also has an outdoor escape experience, sort of a cross between geocaching and orienteering. Maps and walkie-talkies are supplied in case anyone gets lost on the multiple trails.

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TOP: Meadow View Lodge, with four bedrooms and three bathrooms, can accommodate 12 guests.

ABOVE: Kangaroo Corner, with a great lake view, is adjacent to the swimming beach.

LEFT & BELOW: Animals and activities make Deer Lake fun for families.

RIGHT: Each of the 10 lake houses has its own private dock.

Cutline

Next was the stable, where guests gather for horseback rides. Groups are small, horses are sweet and gentle and the rides, which take riders through forested areas and lush meadows, last about an hour. For guests too young to hit the trails, a ride atop a pony led by an experienced wrangler is a great introduction.

Another favorite of guests young and old is the petting area, home to pot-bellied pigs; silky chickens; goats Chocolate Chip and Caramel Sauce; and Laverne and Shirley, the sheep.

Animal feed and fish food is available in the office. Guests in lakeside accommodations enjoy feeding fish from their docks. The lakes and ponds are stocked with perch, sunfish, bass, crappie and catfish. Since this is private property, you don’t need a fishing license.

This resort does minimal advertising – families tend to come back year after year. Prime times are often booked up six months to a year in advance. The patron loyalty it commands lies in the beauty of the landscape, the fact that guests never feel crowded, the variety of free activities, a good selection of for-fee extras and the friendly, family atmosphere. For a back-to-nature getaway, you couldn’t do better than Deer Lake Cabins Ranch Resort.

OT H ER PAST I M ES There are several playgrounds on the ranch, plus volleyball and basketball courts and gaga ball arenas. That last one was a new one to me, but it bears a resemblance to dodge ball, a game fixed in my childhood memory bank of traumas. Equipment for these games is available at the main office.

A smooth swimming beach in a cove provides cool summer fun.

My husband Jack and I opted for quieter pleasures. Among the other complimentary equipment available are kayaks, pedal-boats and bicycles.

Pedaling around Deer Lake was just our speed, and gave us a chance to see the lakeside view of the other cottages.

The ranch is open all year and regularly schedules hayrides. Post-COVID, they’ll have regular cookouts.

Deer Lake Cabins Ranch Resort is about 300 miles from Edmond, approximately a five-and-a-half-hour drive. The nearest town is Mt. Vernon, about 100 miles east of Dallas.

Go online to deerlakecabins.com, or on Instagram and Twitter @deerlakecabins.

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

ASK THE EXPERTS:

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From landscaping to plumbing, it’s hard to know what to do and when to do it.

The following pages contain insightful advice from home improvement pros to help homeowners navigate the many services available.

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PROMOTION

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Mister Robert Fine Furniture began 63 years ago, when my parents started a store that assured its customers the best in fine furniture and home décor. I was literally raised in the business, and after graduating with my degree in Interior Design, I passed the NCIDQ exam and became a Professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers. With over 20,000 square feet, Mister Robert has become the destination for individuals wanting to invest in their interior spaces. I am honored to continue my parents’ legacy.

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They can help you avoid costly mistakes, make sure you consider all potential aspects of your interior and ensure your project concludes with the best possible result. In short, hiring an Interior Designer will help make your home or office more livable. We use professional knowledge and skill to assist the client in creating a space that meets their needs and desires in the most aesthetically pleasing way.

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My favorite brands meet a high standard for quality, uniqueness and beauty. I want leathers to be top grain and fabrics to be both beautiful and durable. Frames should be made of hard woods, with 8-way hand tied springs where possible.

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Together, we make their space unique and specifically designed for them. Working so closely with each client, we become friends, and these friendships are long-lasting and exceptionally meaningful.

What is a common misconception about interior design?

I think many people still believe that just because you work in a furniture store, you are an Interior Designer. It involves a lot more than matching colors or telling people where to place the sofa; it is a profession that helps clients create the spaces they dreamed of, creating beauty while at the same time assuring functionality.

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A SK T H E E X PERTS: HOM E IM PROV EM EN T

PROMOTION

Wilshire Cabinet + Co & Wilshire Closets CUSTOM CABINETRY AND CLOSETS Since 2017, Wilshire Cabinet + Co has revolutionized how Oklahomans buy cabinetry for indoor and outdoor spaces with a whole new standard of innovation and fresh inspiration. This year, Wilshire Closets launched, redefining organizational solutions for custom closets and all your home storage needs. Offering outstanding products, a one-of-a-kind showroom and a team of specialists providing an unrivaled customer experience, it’s easy to see why they excel.

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Product quality, expert staff and service. Our foundation is beautiful cabinetry designed and engineered to last, featuring highly durable finishes, premium soft close hinges and drawer glides, and backed by a limited lifetime warranty. Our incredible team has more than 100 years of combined cabinetry design experience to guide you in making the selections that perfectly fit your style and budget.

Installations and warranties are performed and managed by our skilled, in-house service department rather than subcontractors.

We also offer collections of accompanying products, including Cambria® quartz, to complete your entire project.

If I want to remodel my kitchen or build a new home, where should I begin?

From an entire room to hardware photos, and countertop colors to special storage features, creating a collection of inspirational images is an important tool to communicate your likes and ideas, whether a remodel or new home build. Next, consider budget and timeline. Most importantly, choose a company that stands behind their products and commits to navigating you through the entire process – like we do, beginning with our free in-home consultation and initial estimate.

How will I know what cabinetry is best for my home?

By trusting the experts! To recommend the cabinetry style and finish best for your home, we invest the time to understand how you and your family live on a daily basis, how you entertain and if you have any special holiday traditions. We learn your design aesthetic and the special features you value. Remember, the most durable cabinets offer longevity while adding resale value to your home.

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How can I make my closet more functional?

From baskets and fabric cubes to plastic shelf dividers and cut-to-fit jewelry trays, there are certainly lots of after-market accessories you can buy to try organizing your current closet.

But, if these do-it-yourself options aren’t helping, then you are ready for a custom closet. Our specialized designers will inventory your existing closet and assess all the available space. By asking all the right questions, the storage solution we provide for you will be perfectly tailored.

The result: a beautiful and functional closet.

OKC Gallery 320 W Wilshire Blvd Oklahoma City, OK Norman Annex 226 E Main St Norman, OK @wilshirecabinet @wilshireclosets 405-286-6282 wilshirecabinetco.com wilshireclosets.com

PROMOTION

Sydnye Steen LUXURY TILE, STONE & CUSTOM ACCESSORIES Tell us about the history of Artisan Tile Studio.

Artisan Tile Studio opened in 2015 as a small boutique tile store catering to the interior design community, custom builders and home owners.

You’ve recently expanded your showroom and warehouse. What changes were made?

Thanks to our loyal clients, in five short years, we were in the position to take on several additional tile lines housed at Tile and Design when the owner decided to retire. With the acquisition, the number of lines we were able to offer doubled, and we needed more space. We are just finishing up the build-out of our brand-new 7,000-square-foot showroom and warehouse.

How do you source and select materials for your showroom?

Once I realized we were no longer limited to mass-produced product in the world of tile, I began searching out the best that the industry had to offer. Along the way, I have made

some of the best friends who have opened doors that I never thought possible.

What are some design trends you’ve observed in your industry?

I’m a tried and true natural stone girl! With that being said, our industry has taken digital imaging to a whole new level. Porcelain tile has taken on the look of marble, wood and metal in a way that I would have never dreamed possible.

Which do you think is more important when selecting materials for a project – function or form?

I believe form and function are equally important. The client has to love what they are using, and it’s my job to make sure what they select works for the application.

Tell us about one of your favorite projects.

Anything custom. We have the best of the best when it comes to custom tile. With the likes of New Ravenna, Maison Surface, Artistic Tile and the fabulous Allison Eden, the sky is the limit!

What makes Artisan Tile Studio unique?

Our state-of-the-art showroom was designed with our clients in mind, from private meeting areas to the best tile selection OKC has to offer. We have the most amazing exclusive lines, as well as custom lines that can’t be found anywhere else in the metro.

What do you wish clients knew about your business?

Even with the expansion, at heart we are still a small boutique tile store catering to the interior design community, custom builders and home owners. We do our very best to give each and every one the best customer service and attention they deserve.

300 W Wilshire Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73116 405-242-2227 405MAGAZINE.COM

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A SK T H E E X PERTS: HOM E IM PROV EM EN T

PROMOTION

California Closets LUXURY CLOSETS How does the process work when a client engages California Closets?

Your new custom closet starts with a complimentary in-home consultation with one of our design consultants to measure your space, take inventory of your belongings, and listen closely to understand your needs and ideas.

We’ll invite you for a follow-up visit to our downtown Edmond showroom to see your custom-designed solution come to life. We strive to meet the highest quality of standards and are backed by a limited lifetime guarantee.

How do you know when it’s time to call in a professional?

If you consistently struggle to keep your space organized and you feel overwhelmed, we will create custom solutions to make your closet more functional and efficient. Our designers work with our clients one-on-one to make sure all needs are met based on needs, budget and style.

How can clients best maximize a small space?

When you have a small closet, it’s important to be more selective about what you keep. You don’t have enough space to store items that are hardly ever worn. When we design small closets, we know that every inch of space is precious, so we work with you to maximize the functionality.

What are other areas of the home can you help clients with?

We have innovative storage solutions for all areas of the home, including pantries, laundry rooms, coat closets, garages, home offices, Murphy beds, entertainment centers and wine bars.

What storage solutions do you recommend for clients on a budget?

Our design consultants are experts in designing custom solutions for any space and budget. The price is driven by the size of your space, complexity of your design, and the materials you choose. We have a pricing guideline on our website that explains how to best design within your budget.

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(L to R) Lindsay, Michelle Woford, Jerrie Lynn Miller, Whitney

What are some of your favorite local projects?

I have so many favorites, as I have been designing closets in the OKC area for 21 years! The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the excitement on my clients’ faces once the closet is completed. One of my latest projects was completing a custom closet for local twin bloggers. Lindsay and Whitney from @TheDoubleTakeGirls style blog needed a beautifully organized space for their day-to-day work. We love how this closet + office project came together.

111 S Broadway, Edmond, OK 73034 (405) 844-4880 www.locations.californiaclosets.com/ok/oklahoma-city Facebook: @CaliforniaClosetsOklahomaCity Instagram: @Californiaclosetsoklahoma

Photography provided by Michelle Chan

What are your top tips for an organized closet?

Only keep the clothes that you use and love. If it no longer fits or has a stain that can’t be removed, it’s time to part ways! And make sure everything has a home; I have a few favorite things in my custom closet – adjustable shoe shelving, built-in laundry baskets and pull-out belt and tie racks – that make it easy to find the right item.

PROMOTION

Janice Carty & Amie Cook CUSTOM FURNISHINGS Tell us about the history of The Wood Garden.

We started the Wood Garden a little over 25 years ago.

We had antiques and built custom kitchen cabinets for new construction – in fact, the name was inspired by a customer who said our cabinet was so perfect for the space that “It looks like it just grew there!” Over the years it has evolved into the design center, furniture and accessory store it is now.

Your store is a one-stop-shop for interiors. What can customers expect when they walk in the door?

Our customers can always expect to walk in and see a variety of beautiful things. From furniture to accessories, lighting ... really anything to complete your home, or just a room. It changes often in our store, and we like it that way; it’s always different when you walk in. Whether you are a designer or an individual wanting to update a room, we offer many options, including custom fabrics to fit your style.

What are some tips for clients who are designing on a budget?

I encourage all customers, especially those on a budget, to not go too trendy. Don’t do just one style; mix it up a bit, that way you don’t get tired of it so quickly. I think if you mix the styles you love – for instance, a little traditional with transitional – it will feel more like you.

customer service. I think it’s important to give options, but I try to narrow it down to just two or three. It helps my client to see the bigger picture, without feeling too confused.

What are some of the top trends you’re seeing in interior design?

I think for a while we saw a lot of gray, white and very light.

I see more color and warmer hues nowadays. And I see people mixing “their” style with some more trendy things, instead of just sticking with traditional, or contemporary.

What should clients look for in an interior designer?

I think you should choose a designer who allows you to be a part of it. I always say to my clients, “This is what I would do, but you are the one living here, and I want YOU to love it.” I think it’s so important for a designer to get to know how the client and their family lives in their home, and design it to fit their needs.

How do you source and select your furniture and decor?

I choose manufacturers that I have had long relationships with, who have a reputation for excellent quality and

7650 N Western Ave Oklahoma City, OK 73116 405-848-9663 405MAGAZINE.COM

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A SK T H E E X PERTS: HOM E IM PROV EM EN T

PROMOTION

Reed Savage PEST CONTROL Seeing that people were spending more time and a lot of money in their back yards, SWAT Mosquito Mist System owner Reed Savage set out to research the best way to kill mosquitoes in Oklahoma. To accomplish this, he looked to two states where mosquitoes thrive – Texas and Florida – to see what treatments were being used in these areas. There, he discovered companies were using not only the typical backpack spray method, but also something relatively new that he had never heard of: a mosquito misting machine that automatically sprays at night when the pests are out.

Sixteen years later, the machines continue to be the area’s gold standard for effectiveness.

405 Magazine talked with Savage to understand mosquito control and how the mosquito misting system works.

Which is more effective for dealing with mosquitoes, periodic backpack spraying or a mosquito misting system that sprays daily?

The good news is both options work – just applied differently for different needs. For some people who have a one-time event or use their yard every so often, the backpack sprays can definitely work for that target group. For people who spend a lot of time in their back yard, because it’s spraying every day, the mosquito misting system is going to provide more consistent control.

What is the difference between the two mosquito control options?

Both are effective, however, when you get a backpack spray, it is generally good for up to 21 days in normal conditions. What reduces the spray’s effectiveness is rain, sun, wind and sprinkler systems. With a system, it usually sprays three times per night, so its effectiveness is not diminished by the elements above. Think of it this way: With a yard spray, you get 1 spray in 21 days; with a system, you get more than 60 sprays in 21 days. Usually a hand-held remote comes with the system for those times in the season when the mosquito population is more dense.

What is the system, exactly, and how is it installed?

The system consists of the machine itself, a series of discreetly placed nozzles and tubing that is integrated into the environment. It typically follows the perimeter of the backyard fence line and underneath the eaves of the house. So when the system mists, it eradicates mosquitoes in the area and repels from that point out.

Is the system safe for animals and children?

The chemicals are safe when used as directed. People, pets and food aren’t generally around when it’s misting; machines are typically programed to automatically run at night when nobody is outside. It does its work and then it’s gone – the beauty of this is that you can go out immediately after it’s finished spraying. Permethrin is the solution that is used, and it’s the same ingredient that’s been widely used for flea and tick treatment for decades. Also, it doesn’t take much solution to kill a mosquito, so when it’s sprayed out of the machine, the mist is typically 99 percent water.

When should I begin a mosquito control program and for how long?

Starting around the end of March and ending around the first week of November. Or to a client’s preference.

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Serving Oklahoma since 2006 405-610-7928 | swatokc.com

PROMOTION

Well Kept Space ORGANIZATION How did you get into this industry?

We - Adrienne, Ashlee and Jessica - have always had a passion for organizing and creating order within our homes and work spaces, and after each of our kids were in school full-time, it didn’t take long for us to realize that helping others embrace their spaces through organization was a gift that we could give to the people of Oklahoma City and the surrounding area.

Who is a good fit for your service?

Anyone! We joke that you can never be too organized.

We preach giving our clients the gift of time. No one wants to come home from a busy day of work or raising babies and clean out the playroom or pantry. Let us do the dirty work; we create systems that are functional and individualized to the client’s life, that can be sustained well after we are gone.

If a client begins to feel overwhelmed with clutter, where do you help them begin?

We tell our clients to start small. Take one area at a time; not even one room. Categorizing and purging is key. Start by making separate piles of things you want to keep, things to donate and things to throw away.

Little by little, it will all start to come together.

What are the top three organizational mistakes people make?

Not labeling Not purging Starting too big How do I get my partner on board to declutter?

Again, start small and create a system that is functional and can be maintained. Once one area of your home is organized, it doesn’t take long to realize that you want the rest of the areas to follow suit.

How has COVID-19 affected your industry?

With everyone spending more time in their homes and needing to create a work environment within the home as well, organization became a true need. We had to get creative, though; we did virtual consultations and even worked through FaceTime and Zoom to help clients organize their fridges and pantries. Our clients’ comfort and safety were always made the highest priorities.

How can clutter affect someone’s mental health?

We often hear that clients don’t know where to start, and if they do begin, it becomes way too overwhelming to continue with the job. When you live in a space that feels overwhelming, it is only a matter of time before your mental state will start to feel overwhelmed – which then can be a cause of stress, anxiety and depression. We have had a number of clients, at the end of the job, express to us how much “lighter” they feel now that their project is complete.

405-819-0147 wellkeptspace.com 405MAGAZINE.COM

47

Premier Architects & Residential Designers Meet the movers and shakers who are shaping the way OKC looks and how we live in it.

48

JULY 2021

SUMMARY We went out looking for respected trade firms in the area. To this end, we conducted a multifaceted research process. DataJoe conducted a massive Internet research campaign to isolate the top trade firms in the region. There

3 Level Design

D5 Architecture

JHBR Architecture

Renaissance Architects

Aaron Tatum Custom Homes

DAB Architecture & Construction

JollyBird Home Design

Sam Gresham Architect

Krittenbrink Architecture LLC

Sam Moore Architect

10400 Greenbriar Place, Ste 103 Oklahoma City, OK 73159 405-378-7772

2300 SW 89th St, Ste D Oklahoma City, OK 73159 405-692-8421

301 1/2 E Main St, Ste 106 Norman, OK 73069 405-366-6048

5201 N Lincoln Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73105 405-523-1955

ADG

companies. This campaign favored online

920 W Main St Oklahoma City, OK 73106 405-232-5700

Davis Design Group, LLC

reputation as the primary metric for selec-

Allen Bown Architects

DBG Construction LLC

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris LLC

Design Architects Plus

are many ways to try to determine the "best"

tion. To implement the campaign, DataJoe conducted a massive Internet "reputation" research campaign, reviewing indicators across a wide variety of online sources, including ratings, reviews and memberships. In the end, we utilized a proprietary algorithm combining all of the above metrics to then score each company. This list reflects the entities with the highest scores.

FINAL NOTE We recognize that there are many good trade firms that are not shown in this representative list. This is a sampling of the huge array of reputable firms within the region, but it is by no means exhaustive. Inclusion in the list is based on metrics and other information that we were able to gather in our independent research. We take time and energy to ensure a fair, multifaceted process, although we understand that the results of this research project are not purely objective. We certainly do not discount the fact that many, many good and effective trade firms may not appear on the list.

DISCLAIMERS DataJoe uses best practices and exercises great care in assembling content for this list. DataJoe does not warrant that the data contained within the list are complete or accurate. DataJoe does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. All rights reserved. No commercial use of the information in this list may be made without written permission from DataJoe.

215 NW 32nd Street Oklahoma City, OK 73118 405-523-2116

29 E Reno Ave, Ste 440 Oklahoma City, OK 73104 405-600-1941

Andrew C Thomas Architect LLC

1000 W Wilshire Blvd, Ste 336 Oklahoma City, OK 73116 405-314-1402

ARC Architecture

701 W Sheridan Ave, Ste 302 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 405-579-4300

Architects In Partnership

3220 Marshall Ave Norman, OK 73072 405-360-1300

Architecture Planning Technology, LLC 309 S Peters Ave Norman, OK 73069 405-321-1020

Birnie W Whitlow Architect LLC

609 NE 17th St Oklahoma City, OK 73105 918-809-5867

Bockus Payne

1001 NW 63rd St, Ste 300 Oklahoma City, OK 73116 405-842-0858

Bradford Concepts 2609 Crestwood Drive Jones, OK 73049 405-823-8364

Brent Gibson Classic Home Design 415 W 15th St Edmond, OK 73013 405-340-1980

Butzer Architects and Urbanism

718 W Sheridan Ave Oklahoma City, OK 73102 405-601-4949

BWA Architects PLLC 3637 W Main St Norman, OK 73072 405-329-0423

Christopher Lee & Company Fine Homes

219 W Wilshire Blvd, Ste 101A Oklahoma City, OK 73116 405-607-4882

Cornerstone Architecture

1601 SW 89th St, Ste G100 Oklahoma City, OK 73159 405-609-6161

Crafton Tull & Associates

QUESTIONS? For research/methodology questions, contact Chris Tumbaga, Researcher, at surveys@ datajoe.com.

300 Pointe Parkway Blvd Yukon, OK 73099 405-787-6270

Creative Home Designs 816 N Walker Ave, Ste 110 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 405-919-3535

1905 Marked Tree Cir Edmond, OK 73013 405-640-3977

1301 Cornell Pkwy, Ste 1000 Oklahoma City, OK 73108 405-601-2700 1501 SW 104th St Oklahoma City, OK 73159 405-691-9900

Fitzgerald + Associates 3900 N Santa Fe Ave Oklahoma City, OK 73118 405-521-8999

Fitzsimmons Architects 2721 N Walker Ave Oklahoma City, OK 73103 405-600-9460

FLX Architecture & Interior Design

4801 Gaillardia Pkwy #170 Oklahoma City, OK 73142 405-562-7330

600 NE 4th St Oklahoma City, OK 73104 405-526-0280 Oklahoma City, OK 405-655-8077

5020 NE 37th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73121 405-427-1006

LWPB Architecture

San Seville Design

5909 NW Expy, Ste 600 Oklahoma City, OK 73132 405-722-7270

2425 S Bryant Edmond, OK 73103 405-650-0103

MA + Architecture, LLC

Shawn Lorg

4000 N Classen Blvd Ste 100N Oklahoma City, OK 73118 405-525-8806

329 SW 174th St Oklahoma City, OK 73170 405-226-2317

Marc F Wilson CPBD AIBD

Small Architects

5214 N Willow Ave Bethany, OK 73008 405-842-9597

Mass Architects

1225 N Broadway Pl Oklahoma City, OK 73103 405-231-1990

Miles Associates Architecture

865 Research Pkwy, Ste 100 Oklahoma City, OK 73104 405-235-3915

Miller Architects

GH2 Architects, LLC

Mitscher & Associates Architects

704 W Sheridan Ave Oklahoma City, OK 73102 405-601-5300

GHD

6917 N Classen Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73116 405-748-4841

Green Couch Design Jones, OK 73049

GSB, Inc. Architects & Planners

3555 NW 58th St, Ste 700W Oklahoma City, OK 73112 405-848-9549

Guernsey

5555 N Grand Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73112 405-416-8100

HNTB Corporation

101 N Robinson Ave, Ste 1130 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 405-416-9000

Höffner Design Studio

13401 N Western Ave, Ste 302 Oklahoma City, OK 73114 405-843-6656

914 N Broadway Ave, Ste 200 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 405-526-1300

Integrated Architecture One South Broadway, Ste 200 Edmond, OK 73034 405-509-7800

Jaggers Home Design Edmond, OK 73025 405-820-9670

Studio Architecture

816 N Walker Ave, Ste 100 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 405-605-1044

Swanson Homes

3015 Dutch Forest Ln Edmond, OK 73013 405-641-5274

TAP Architecture

TASK Design, Inc.

1405 NW 19th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73106 405-683-2364

1228 NW 36th St Oklahoma City, OK 73118 405-625-2115

Oak Leaf Custom Homes

Tetra Tech

7100 N Classen Blvd, Bldg.

100 Oklahoma City, OK 73116 405-590-3937

Phase One Design LLC

3411 W Rock Creek Rd, Ste 120 Norman, OK 73072 405-701-3505

3600 S MacArthur Ave, Ste A Oklahoma City, OK 73179 405-606-8600

The McKinney Partnership Architects 3600 W Main St, Ste 200 Norman, OK 73072 405-360-1400

phi design LLC

Travis Pawley AIA LEED AP

Preservation and Design Studio, PLLC

Trinity Group Architects Inc

PO Box 30235 Edmond, OK 73003 405-203-2858

3600 W Main St Norman, OK 73072 405-310-4322

Prime Architects

HSE Architects

108 S Broadway Edmond, OK 73034 ?405-664-0635?

Newcomb Associates

Hornbeek Blatt Architects

11032 Quail Creek Rd, Ste 155 Oklahoma City, OK 73120 405-752-8885

Space (Specialized Planning & Architecture for Church Environments LLC)

415 N Broadway Ave Oklahoma City, OK 73102 405-232-8787

616 NW 21st Street Oklahoma City, OK 73103 405-601-6814

Howard & Associates

108 South Broadway Edmond, OK 73034 405-840-1111

3110 N Interstate Dr, Ste 210 Norman, OK 73072 405-928-1357

718 W Sheridan Ave Oklahoma City, OK 73102 405-625-2131

101 S Broadway, Ste 200 Edmond, OK 73034 405-340-8552

400 Nw 23Rd St Oklahoma City, OK 73103 405-842-2998

119 W Main St Norman, OK 73069 405-579-7883

FSB Architects & Engineers

5801 Broadway Ext Ste 500 Oklahoma City, OK 73118 405-840-2931

11100 Stratford Dr, Ste A100 Oklahoma City, OK 73120 405-749-4642

3030 N.W. Expressway, Suite 1450 Oklahoma City, OK 73132 405-947-7262

Troy D. Rhodes & Company Inc.

212 N Crawford Ave Norman, OK 73069 866-226-8071

Rand Elliott Architects 35 Harrison Ave Oklahoma City, OK 73104 405-232-9554

Randy Floyd Architects 401 W Sheridan, Suite 401 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 405-272-0288

RBA Architects

14918 Hertz Quail Springs Pkwy Oklahoma City, OK 73134 405-843-0522

Rees Associates, Inc

9211 Lake Hefner Pkwy, Ste 300 Oklahoma City, OK 73120 405-942-7337

4323 NW 63rd St, Ste 201 Oklahoma City, OK 73116 405-843-8600

Wade Design Group 2009 N Kelly Ave, Ste 150 Edmond, OK 73003 405-684-3151

Wilson & Company, Inc 2420 Springer Dr Norman, OK 73069 405-579-3229

Wpm Design Group Inc Po Box 720936 Oklahoma City, OK 73172 405-990-8249

405MAGAZINE.COM

49

PREMIER ARCHITECT & RESIDENTIAL DESIGNER PROFILES

PROMOTION

SPECIALTIES • • • • • • • •

Residential Hospitality Community Commercial Entertainment Education Civic Planning

GSB, Inc. Architects & Planners GSB, Inc. Architects & Planners has been creating signature spaces in Oklahoma and across the country for 42 years.

Led by firm principals Ronald G. Smith, Michael Hinchey, Phil Elwell, Larry Schwab and Ryan Eshelman, GSB’s team of professionals is dedicated to providing clients with expertly designed projects and outstanding customer service.

GSB works with residential clients to create unique design solutions tailored to their exact needs. “Each home is designed to reflect the client’s personality,” explains Hinchey.

“For instance, we recently completed a spacious classicalstyle estate home with main house and guest house, an airy Palm Springs mid-century modern inspired ranch home renovation, and a contemporary two-story residence centered on the client’s love of art and nature. Each home we design is one of a kind.”

3555 NW 58TH STREET, SUITE 700W OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73112 405.848.9549 GSB-INC.COM 50

JULY 2021

Another market of substantial expertise for GSB is the design of clubhouses and amenity centers for luxury residential communities across the country. “These facilities provide residents with a broad spectrum of activities for health and recreation,” says Eshelman. “They often include a social lounge, fitness center, resort-style pool, outdoor kitchen, bocce and pickleball courts and fire pits, all in the context of beautifully landscaped sites.”

The firm’s relentless pursuit of excellence has allowed it the opportunity to work on high-profile projects from coast to coast.

“GSB is one of the best kept secrets in OKC,” notes Smith. “From the MAPS 3 OKC Convention Center and The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to the OKC Zoo Animal Hospital and Animal Kingdom Lodge at Disney World, many people have seen our work without realizing it.”

If you have an upcoming residential or commercial project, contact GSB today. They can help turn your vision into a reality!

PREMIER ARCHITECT & RESIDENTIAL DESIGNER PROFILES

PROMOTION

Brent Gibson Design Brent Gibson knows custom home design; it’s his business and his passion. With more than 35 years of experience, he and his team have designed custom homes throughout the state and beyond, and are educated about and thoroughly understand the construction details important to a home.

Shane Rickey works alongside his father-in-law as well, custom-designing homes to meet clients’ desires. They love his fresh, clean-line approach to the modern designs for which he is known, many of which are award-winning creations. No matter what style or size of home, Gibson and his team treat every client as top priority, and make sure they have a great experience throughout the build process.

“Having worked with multiple home designers/architects, we can confidently say there is no better choice than Brent Gibson,” said one client. “It is apparent the moment you sit down with Brent that he’s not just a home designer but an artist, with God-given talent.”

Gibson’s daughter Nicole Rickey also works with their clients, and has her own company – Nicole Rickey Interior Design – which provides full interior designs for the custom homes they build.

Gibson has designed homes for country singer Toby Keith, OSU football coach Mike Gundy, OU football coach Lincoln Riley, Bob Funk of Express Ranch and pro golfers Bob Tway and Scott Verplank.

Other notable design projects include Coles Garden and Event Center, Outabounds, Muirfield Village and the new downtown Main Street in Waukomis, Oklahoma.

“My goal is to know my clients on a personal level, listen to their ideas and create beautiful, one-of-a-kind homes that their families will live in and enjoy for many years,” Gibson says.

@BRENTGIBSONDESIGN @SHANERICKEY @NICOLERICKEYINTERIORS 415 W 15TH ST #1 EDMOND, OK 73013 405.340.1980 BRENTGIBSON.COM 405MAGAZINE.COM

51

PREMIER ARCHITECT & RESIDENTIAL DESIGNER PROFILES

MA+ Architecture 4000 N CLASSEN BLVD., SUITE 100N OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73118 405.525.8806 MAPLUSARCH.COM

Mitscher & Associates Architects MICHAEL E. MITSCHER 3110 N. INTERSTATE DRIVE, SUITE 210 NORMAN, OK 73072 405.388.8485 MITSCHERARCH.COM 52

JULY 2021

PROMOTION

Celebrating more than 50 years in business and three offices across the state, the talented team at MA+ Architecture helps clients bring their vision to life by providing a client-first and inclusive team approach to design projects.

From beginning design considerations to owner occupancy, MA+ spends significant time with the client, engineers and construction managers in order to reach a common goal of client satisfaction and a completed project within schedule and budget constraints.

This architecture and interior design collective realizes designs across the state that begin with space-planning visuals, or “Arch Viz,” produced by an in-house 3D visualization studio. While MA+ serves a multitude of sectors, education design has been an enhanced focus for the firm for the past 20 years. Principal Architect Gary Armbruster leads the firm’s education design studio, and is one of four people in the state holding the Accredited Learning Environment Planner (ALEP) designation.

At MA+, clients become family. Whether volunteering or hosting school supply drives, the team at MA+ does everything they can to help equip communities, so they can utilize their new spaces to their fullest potential.

With almost 40 years of combined experience, Mitscher & Associates Architects provides its commercial and residential clients with one-of-a-kind architectural designs that are unique and affordable. A focus on client relations and design expertise sets the firm apart.

“Time and time again, Mitscher and Associates found ways to meet my vision and stay on budget,” said one client. “I would absolutely recommend them for any scale of project you may have.”

Founding Principal Michael E. Mitscher, AIA/NCARB, has extensive experience in designing facilities to meet the needs of his clients, particularly in the healthcare sector, along with a strong background in commercial, corporate, retail and residential projects. Some notable Mitscher and Associates clients include Norman Regional Health System, The University of Oklahoma, Norman Pediatric Associates and State Farm Insurance.

“Mitscher & Associates Architects proved to be a valuable partner to the project team, providing a solid design, strong communication and a timely responsiveness that helped to ensure a successful project,” said another client.

Mitscher is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, a leader in the Boy Scouts Troop 234 of Blanchard, Oklahoma, and a graduate of Leadership Norman.

M&AA Team Members: Michael E. Mitscher, Jamey Loux, Emma Trowbridge, Jill Johnston and Caroline Simon

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Dining Vegan with a Punch In a change of pace from our cover feature, we found some of the most flavorful vegan dishes around the 405, including this intensely delicious vegan “calamari” at Frida Southwest. Page 56

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DINING

Sensational Vegan Flavors Delicious dining for savvy OKC palates

BY GREG HORTON PHOTO BY LE XI HOEBING

ssume for a moment that you’ve given up cake, and that before making the sacrifice, you really loved cake, as in you routinely ate some kind of cake every day. But you gave it all up.

A well-meaning friend knows this and comes to you with a “cake.” Except it’s actually a vegetable puree molded into the shape of a cake, and each bite only serves to remind you of how wonderful cake was. This was vegan cooking for most of the last 20 years.

Nothing tastes like biscuits and gravy, fried chicken or hamburgers, and they’re wonderful because each bite is a comfort bomb of fat, salt, protein and flavor. Fortunately, chefs are now producing intensely flavorful vegan food – some have been doing it for a long time, to be fair; most people just didn’t notice – by relying on fresh, quality ingredients, a robust seasoning palette and solid techniques to build layers of flavor.

Take one bite of the hearts of palm “calamari” at Frida (500 Paseo), and you’ll feel the culinary world shift. No way is this vegan. Yes, it is. Chef Quinn Carroll knew he needed to mimic that wonderful, briny seafood tone, so he marinates the hearts of palm in kelp seasoning and lime juice. The combination of umami from the kelp and vegan Parmesan, citric acid from lime and pepperoncini, and the texture and nuttiness of ground pepitas and a gluten-free masa makes for a complex, layered dish that manages to trick the palate into experiencing seafood. You won’t care about the composition, though, because each bite is an absolute burst of intense flavor.

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The vegan “calamari” is made with hearts of palm to mimic the texture of the seafood favorite.

Indian food restaurants have been quietly producing great vegetarian and vegan food for many years. Unfortunately, nothing does well when it sits on a hot line too long, so head to Tandoor (1901 E Reno Ave.) or order off the menu at one of your favorite places. Chana chaat is a chickpea dish made with coriander, tamarind, green chilis, cumin, tomatoes and onion – every Indian cook has his or her own recipe – to create a refreshing, zippy side dish that doubles as a wonderful lunch. It can also be served cold or hot, and that matters a great deal in the Oklahoma summer months.

You have to have an extensive palate to be a good vegan cook, though. You can’t really do this well and not like certain things. It will always show.”

- PATRICK CL ARK II, THE RED CUP

T H E

D I S H

Fried cauliflower is the crunchy heart of Burrito Baby’s Vegan ‘Rito.

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405-608-8866 piattookc.com

2920 NW 63rd Street, OKC

Talk to vegans around Oklahoma City and one name pops up more than any other: Patrick Clark II, chef-owner of The Red Cup (3122 N Classen Blvd). He makes vegan food people want to eat, and not just vegans. He has a few overarching philosophies when it comes to vegan cooking: “I want it chock full of vegetables, and I want to incorporate weird things occasionally,” he says. “You have to have an extensive palate to be a good vegan cook, though. You can’t really do this well and not like certain things. It will always show.”

Clark uses about 43 different herbs and spices on a regular basis.

To do vegan well, you have to build layers. There is no getting away from it, and Clark is just enough of an iconoclast that his method works beautifully. The best introduction to his cooking for now – he’s working on a menu change – is his tofu scramble, and yes, it’s loaded with vegetables.

Chef Jeff Chanchaleune makes a beets and Brussels dish at Goro (3000 Paseo) that Clark mentioned in the course of our conversation. The dish stands out because it’s pretty simple: sous vide beets, Brussels sprouts, fried shallots, mint. The beets are sous vide with lemon juice, but the main acid is a vinaigrette and some yuzu and rice vinegar. Chanchaleune said he begins with one part acid to four parts fat on his vegan dishes, and then builds umami layers with brown sugar, soy sauce and miso.

Complexity makes vegan easier to enjoy. The Vegan ‘Rito from Burrito Baby (now on the menu at Revolucion, 916 NW 6th St.) relies on the texture of flash-fried cauliflower to contrast the guacamole, cilantro rice and black beans. Mushy is never good. The burrito, like all Burrito Baby’s offerings, is big enough for two.

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Barrios has a variety of margaritas that includes one of the best “house” versions in the city.

The Masters of Margaritas OKC oases for elevating a classic cocktail

BY GREG HORTON | PHOTO BY LE XI HOEBING

he simplicity of the classic margarita is such that, in theory, any decent bar can make one, and good bars can zhuzh them up with premium ingredients or spirit variations such as Mezcal. With only three required ingredients – tequila, lime and orange liqueur – the basic build is accessible to any bar that carries tequila and any triple sec variation: Cointreau, dry Curaçao, Gran Gala, etc.

Given that they are most associated with Tex-Mex cuisine, it’s worth noting that there

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is no clear origin story for the drink, but it’s very unlikely that it was invented by a Mexican bartender. At least, that’s according to Imbibe Magazine, in a story that made much of the lack of cocktail culture in Mexican cuisine and that locals around Mexican resorts do not drink margaritas. The most likely origin is that it was a variation of the Brandy Daisy, a cocktail that first appeared on menus in the late 19th century.

Whatever its origin, though, its popularity is unparalleled in American bars and restaurants, where it can often be a bloated sugar bomb that

has abandoned the simplicity and balance of the original build.

Julia McLish at Barkeep Supply (1121 N. Walker Ave. in Midtown) uses reposado tequila rather than blanco to add more body and a mellower flavor, and she adds complexity by combining fresh orange juice and agave nectar with the Pierre Serrand Dry Curaçao and fresh lime juice. The sugars are balanced well with the acids thanks to the use of fresh citrus, meaning the cocktail is refreshing rather than sweet.

Rachel Cope was a bartender for many years before founding 84 Hospitality, the parent company of Revolución (916 NW 6th St.), where the house margarita follows the classic rules.

“We use 100 percent blue agave tequila, because that matters for taste and quality,” she says. “And we use Gran Gala rather than Cointreau, because it’s just as good for half the price. Fresh lime and house-made simple syrup are the only other ingredients. Always fresh, never the grocery store bulls---.”

Her commitment to 100 percent agave is important, though. Because of the relative rarity of mature agave plants, many commercial tequilas are made with up to 49 percent fermented sugar cane and caramel coloring, to trick consumers into buying cheaper products.

Worse is the race to the bottom on tequila prices that do feature 100 percent agave. David Suro, the greatly respected importer of tequila and mezcal, said: “No way to sugarcoat it: if your bar is buying tequila at less than $19 per liter, you are complicit in squeezing out fair-pay producers and exploiting workers …”

Barrios Fine Mexican Dishes (1000 N. Hudson Ave.) has one of the best – maybe the best – house margaritas in town. Bartender-genius Jenny Kress created the blend of blanco tequila, agave syrup, fresh lime and orange bitters. It’s an outstanding version of the classic cocktail, sporting a black-salted rim.

Speaking of the salted rim: Some drinkers consider the ring of crystals de rigeur for a margarita, while other people prefer a balanced cocktail, and salt does nothing but unbalance this simple, beautiful refresher. McLish splits the difference by only salting half the glass, so that people have a choice.

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DINING

Dining Guide These listings are not related to advertising in 405 Magazine. If you find that a restaurant differs significantly from the information in its listing or your favorite restaurant is missing from the list, please let us know. Email info@405magazine.com

brunch fare, and the bar offers a full suite of

The Beastwich at Back Door BBQ is too much for a lot of people, but you can find light and healthy options in the Dining Guide, too.

tempting cocktails, wines and spirits. 6437 Avondale, OKC, 842.1000 $$ LOS COMALES This Stockyards taqueria isn’t just a breakfast joint, but the breakfast

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tacos ought to be way more popular than they are. Big portions and explosive flavors make this place a favorite among taco-heads, and the pork verde is easily among the best in OKC. 1504 S. Agnew, OKC, 272.4739 $ NEIGHBORHOOD JAM Serving

BRE AKFA S T/BRUNCH

tasty takes on classic American dishes and more specialized options, this breakfast-cen-

CAFÉ ANTIGUA Authentic Guatemalan

tric spot aims to become a community favor-

food in OKC, with traditional dishes like mo-

ite. 15124 Lleytons Court, Edmond, 242.4161 $$

tuleños, machaca, and refried black beans.

Full coffee service is available, and you’ll

STITCH CAFÉ The hand pies got the

want extra green sauce. 1903 N. Classen

business started, and they are still delicious,

Blvd., OKC, 602.8984 $$

but the breakfast tacos, burritos and tots are among the best options in the city. 835 W

CAFÉ CUVÉE A classic French bistro in

Sheridan, OKC, 212.2346 $$

the Ambassador Hotel, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch. Choose from a

LUNCH

menu of classic French and hearty American breakfasts, or go with the comfort of brunch.

BACK DOOR BARBECUE Outstanding

1200 N. Walker, OKC, 600.6200 $$

barbecue in Uptown 23rd, featuring housemade sauces, hearty sandwiches, weekly

CATTLEMEN’S Almost as old as the state itself, this Oklahoma institution’s

specials, and what may be the best potato salad in town. 315 NW 23rd, OKC, 525.7427 $$

immense corn-fed steaks and matchless atmosphere are history served anew every

CLARK CREW BBQ Travis Clark reached

FLORENCE’S For more than 60 years, this

OOZIE Mediterranean Restaurant Tradition-

day. 1309 S Agnew, OKC, 236.0416 $$

the pinnacle of pit master-dom when he won

eastside eatery has been serving crispy fried

al Lebanese food served in an unconventional

Jack Daniel’s competition, and he’s brought

chicken, hearty meatloaf, tangy greens, and

setting – a medical building – but the hashwa,

CHEEVER’S Southwestern-influenced

the delicious brisket, burnt ends, champion-

all the country cooking associated with soul

cabbage rolls, stuffed eggplant, shwarma and

recipes (the chicken-fried steak is a house

ship beans and the best cornbread ever to

food. Don’t leave without trying the pear pie.

specials will make you forget the surround-

specialty) and love of seafood drive the

OKC. 3510 NW Expy, OKC, 724.8888 $$

1437 NE 23rd, OKC, 427.3663 $$

ings. Rustic and delicious family restaurant that’s a true hidden gem. 1211 N Shartel, Ste

contemporary comfort food in one of the city’s finest dining destinations for lunch,

EMPIRE SLICE HOUSE This was the

GEORGE’S HAPPY HOG A well-kept

102, OKC, 724.7659 $$

dinner and brunch. 2409 N Hudson, OKC,

city’s first by-the-slice pizzeria, but you can also

secret among State Capitol workers, the word

525.7007 $$

get full pies, giant meatballs, fresh salads, and

is finally getting out. The turkey and greens

PIZZERIA GUSTO Neapolitan-style

a great selection of cocktails and local beer. The

are worth the trip, and if you’re hungry add

pizza (which uses an extremely hot fire to

ELEMENTAL COFFEE Seriously

full menu is also available late night inside or on

potato salad and rib ends. 712 Culbertson Dr.,

quickly cook superfine flour crusts) stars

spectacular coffee roasted in-house,

the excellent patio. 1804 NW 16th, OKC, 557.1760 $

OKC, 525.8111 $$

alongside Italy-inspired entrees, pastas and

breakfast options and other vegetarian and

EL FOGÓN DE EDGAR Colombian food

HOBBY’S HOAGIES Old school, East-

vegan friendly treats and entrees. 815 N

made from family recipes is the heart of this

Coast-style sandwich shop and deli counter

QUEEN OF EGGROLLS Chef KC Chan-

Hudson, OKC, 633.1703 $$

hidden gem. A bowl of aji verde accompanies

with excellent pastrami on rye, Reuben, New

sombat specializes in traditional Laotian food,

every meal and it should be ladled liberally

York-style pizza, and phenomenal potato sal-

and while her egg rolls are the reason many

THE HUTCH ON AVONDALE Chef

on nearly everything, including flank steak,

ad. Two locations – OKC and Edmond. Family

discover her, the larb, nam khao and capoon

David Henry serves modern American

morcilla, arroz con pollo and patacones. 7220

owned. 325 N Walker, OKC, 605.3131 and 222

are what eventually keeps them coming back.

cuisine with a creative twist a well as classic

S Western, OKC, 602.6497 $$

S Santa Fe, Edmond, 348.2214 $

2815a NW 10th, OKC, 769.2417 $$

appetizers. 2415 N Walker, OKC, 437.4992 $$

augmented with locally sourced salads,

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L O C A L

F L AV O R

SHEESH MAHAL While billed as

GREY SWEATER This beautiful

a combination of Pakistani and Indian

Deep Deuce, tasting-menu restaurant

cuisine, the menu will be familiar to

defies categorization, but it’s easy to

fans of Indian food, with butter chick-

say that it’s the pinnacle of elegant

en, delicious curries, basmati rice, and

dining in the 405. Exquisite attention

fresh naan. You won’t find a buffet in

to detail, beautifully crafted dishes,

the building, but you get complemen-

one of the city’s best bartenders, and

tary tea with every meal. 4621 N. May,

mind-blowing food come together at

OKC, 778.8469 $$

Chef Andrew Black’s dive into culinary art and creativity. 100 NE 4th, OKC,

SWADLEY’S BAR-B-Q

446.6274 $$$$

Family-owned and operated with a deep commitment to OKC, Swadley’s

THE HAMILTON Tucked into

serves up traditional barbecue,

Northpark Mall, this Okie-centric

sandwiches and desserts for groups of

supper club features upscale casual

all sizes. Multiple locations throughout

dining with regional favorites like

the metro. 2233 W Memorial, OKC,

bison tartare, quail, and steaks, as

286.3838 $$

well as an excellent wine list and creative cocktails. 12232 N. May, OKC,

TOKYO It’s neither huge nor lavishly

849.5115 $$$

WINE TASTINGS

7pm First Wednesday of the Month Chef driven Food with Premium Wines FULL SERVICE KITCHEN & LIVE MUSIC

appointed, and the menu focuses on tradition rather than creativity; but it’s

MAHOGANY PRIME STEAK-

palpably fresh and routinely cited as

HOUSE The ambiance and service are

among the metro’s best sushi. 7516 N

sublime, but fine aged steak broiled to

Western, OKC, 848.6733 $$

perfection is the star. 3241 W Memo-

To Good Taste & Good Company 405-843-0073 | bin73.com 7312 North Western Avenue, OKC

rial, OKC, 748.5959; 100 W Main, OKC,

DINNER

208.8800 $$$$

BOULEVARD STEAKHOUSE

THE METRO A perennial favorite

Perfectly soigné ambiance down to

that feels comfortably upscale, the

the last detail and cuisine easily in

far-reaching menu covers culinary high

the metro’s elite – a sumptuous, if

points from vichyssoise to crème brulée.

pricy, masterpiece. 505 S Boulevard,

6418 N Western, OKC, 840.9463 $$$

Edmond, 715.2333 $$$$ NED’S STARLITE LOUNGE FRIDA SOUTHWEST This stun-

A funky dive into supper club glory, Ned’s

ning Southwestern-cuisine restaurant

serves up the best onion rings n the city,

in Paseo is now one of the city’s must

pasta, fish, and chicken fried steak with

try destinations. Everything from the

equal skill. An absolute treat with a solid

short rib empanadas to the Mexican

bar. 7301 N May, OKC, 242.6100 $$

hot chocolate cheesecake is perfection.

500 Paseo, OKC, 683.7432 $$$

PATRONO Not only is Chef Jonathan Krell’s food some of the

GABRIELLA’S ITALIAN GRILL

best in OKC, the service at Patrono is

Gabriella’s specializes in rustic Italian

professional, friendly and seamless.

food, like pizza, hearty pasta sauces,

Krell is as adept at seafood as pasta

and lasagna. An eclectic wine list

and chops, so it’s impossible to go

adds to the experience. 1226 NE 23rd,

wrong with this spectacular menu. 305

OKC, 478.4955 $$

N Walker, OKC, 702.7660 $$$

GORO RAMEN + IZAKAYA An

SCRATCH PASEO Delicious,

“izakaya” is a Japanese pub, and this

scratch food from one of the city’s best

energetic Paseo District spot nails the

young chefs combined with an excellent

mixture of great food, sake and cock-

bar and quirky-cool wine list. It’s mostly

tails that make a pub a destination.

modern American, but surprises abound.

3000 Paseo, OKC, 900.6615 $$

605 NW 28th, OKC, 602.2302 $$

Summer C E L E B R AT E

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FOR INFORMATION ON REMODELING SERVICES, PLEASE CONTACT

KENT STANFORD 405-204-4092

JAMES STAGGS 405-684-6894

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH STRUNK

Alustra® Vignette®; with PowerView® Motorization

405.848.0099 | blindalleyokc.com 3839 NW 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73116

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JULY 2021

Home Boho Brilliance

DON RISI

A look at Sarisa and Brandon Munoz’s unbridled exuberance for all things eclectic. Page 68

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E N T E R TA I N I N G

1 01

Bright yellows, oranges and greens punctuate a soft, floral setting.

Citrus Delight Using Vitamin C to enhance your entertaining B Y S A R A G A E WAT E R S PHOTOS BY CARLI ECONOMY

y love for lemons, limes and oranges has no bounds, especially when it comes to entertaining.

A table set with colorful fruit, especially citrus, is easy, economical and eye-catching. Truth be told, I also love having a bowl of lemons around that can be set on the kitchen counter or even a coffee table. It’s a great way to add a splash of color, but somehow it also just makes the setting more lush.

To continue counting the ways I love this idea, having citrus on hand makes it easier to add a little to your water or favorite cocktail, a salad dressing or a marinade – or maybe you need to make a full-on lemon meringue pie. One word: sangria!

Since July can so often be stifling and we are all looking for ways to be refreshed, this seems like the perfect solution to setting your table. Lay a foundation with a gorgeous blue, green and white block print tablecloth and linens to match. Compotes of lemons, limes and oranges surround a simple white and green

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vase of yellow tulips, and mini vases of kumquat branches are added for a sprawling centerpiece. Juliska napkin rings and flatware accompany the simple white plates and small light blue bistro glasses to complete the setting. Simple, crisp and easy to put together. Citrus to the rescue!

Linens from India and Ivy (@indiaandivy on instagram / indiaandivy.com ) Napkin rings and flatware from Tulips in Norman (@tulipshome on instagram / tulipshome.com)

Crisp, white tableware provides a perfect canvas for sunny, summer colors.

Distinctive designs.

Exceptional home furnishings.

405 .608. 889 9 3409 S. Broad way, S u i te 10 0, Edmond ( 33 rd & B road way) t radi t i on s e d mo n d .c o m

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Henna Happening In Conversation With Mamoii Ali B Y S A R A G A E WAT E R S | P H O T O S B Y R A C H E L M A U C I E R I How did you first become aware of or interested in the artistry of henna?

As I am an Indo-Caribbean American, henna (better known in my culture as “mehendi”) is something I grew up with as a little girl. I watched and partook in circles of sisterhood that were filled with giggles, henna and enriching stories. My friends and I would often buy cones at the Muslim marketplace and go to town with swirls and lines on our hands. It was an abundance of fun! Skip to five years ago, my nieces asked me to work on some really intricate designs on their hands, and that was the start of my ultimate love for the art of henna. I then wanted to introduce a piece of this culture to others around me.

Could you educate our readers about this art form and describe the intention behind it?

We learned growing up that it was a form of beautification for women in our culture, along with a connection to sisterhood; symbolism of joy and beauty. For me, there aren’t any significant or sacred meanings behind the designs. However, each culture – Asian, Middle Eastern or African – has its own connection with henna, what it means to them, and how it represents aspects of their traditions.

Mamoii Ali infuses IndoCaribbean culture into her henna artistry.

Mamoii Ali finds a sense of belonging in Oklahoma City’s increasingly diverse culture through sharing the ancient art of henna tattooing – a skill that has been passed down through her family as a cultural marker. Ethnically Indian and Pakistani, Ali grew up in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago 66

JULY 2021

before coming to the United States and eventually to Oklahoma in 2011.

Since arriving in the state with her family and launching her henna tattoo business five years ago, Ali says she has developed an “ultimate” love for the art, which is beautiful and full of meaning – much like she is.

How have you navigated the pandemic with such a personal and one-on-one business?

Honestly, trying to stay afloat with henna during this pandemic has been a roller coaster to

I N

C O N V E R S AT I O N

W I T H

Henna tattoos express joy and beauty in their design.

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We learned growing up that it

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was a form of beautification for women in our culture, along with a connection to sisterhood; symbolism of joy and beauty.” say the least. I reduced my contact with others to ensure the safety of myself and others surrounding me. I took a step back from taking one-on-one appointments, as cafés had strict guidelines to follow, and I focused on bridal henna, as it was usually a more controlled environment between the bride and me. I took the time to rebrand my business to be more in tune with my vision and personality.

What do you love about working and living in OKC?

Working and living in OKC has been so fulfilling. I have met a myriad of people who have contributed to the development of my small space in the community.

Additionally, it has been a community that is growing in a direction that highlights BIPOC businesses, and I am proud to be a part of that growth.

Your Next Sweet Treat is Calling.

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newsletter for dining news and

reviews around the metro area.

Do you have a favorite OKC spot?

Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite spot in OKC is anything to do with coffee. Currently my two go-to spots are Eôté and Flower and Flour Cafe.

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Living in Color Sarisa and Brandon Munoz bask in the vibrancy of their eclectic, boho interiors

BY E VIE KLOPP HOLZER | PHOTOS BY DON RISI

rowse the home images Sarisa Munoz has posted on her Instagram page, @IndigoLeopardHome, and you’ll be shocked to learn she ever decorated in neutrals. Turquoise, sunny yellow, fire-engine red, coral, navy and emerald green flow, surprisingly seamless, from room to room.

“My husband and I don’t want cookie-cutter,” Munoz says.

“There’s a time and a place for that in people’s lives, and if that’s what you like, there’s nothing wrong with that either. For us, we just like a little more daring, ‘out there’ look.”

With husband Brandon’s blessing, Sarisa mixes intense color schemes with animal prints, black-and-white-patterned tile and bird-themed wallpapers. It’s a lively boho style that has evolved over time.

When they purchased their first home in 2005, their neutral, play-it-safe décor resembled a Pottery Barn catalog. Then Munoz started experimenting with bolder design choices, and she loved the outcomes. In her last home, located in Corpus Christi, she and her husband ripped out the bedroom carpet and applied a Moroccan stencil design to the concrete floor in white and electric blue.

“That started my wild streak,” Munoz says. “I think it’s just me getting older and coming into my own – not having to fit into this mold of, ‘This is what your house should look like.’”

Munoz says she found courage, ideas and inspiration by following designers online. (She especially loves Jonathan Adler.) Today, in a pay-it-forward-kind-of way, she posts her own decorating projects on social media. Her @IndigoLeopardHome page has more than 93,000 followers.

“Sometimes if I write a caption that’s meaningful and heartfelt, people will write me messages,” Munoz says, adding that others reach out to tell her how her photos have influenced their own home design choices. “There’s this connection with people who I don’t even know. I think it’s cool. I love that people want to follow me and see what’s going on.”

There is a strong community of design aficionados posting regularly to Instagram; a community Munoz once followed and now has joined. When she moved to Edmond in 2020, she connected with Oklahoma City-based Daniel Mathis of @NotaMinimalist. The two met up downtown on a COVIDfriendly sidewalk.

“She was looking for vintage portraits, and I had picked up a bundle of them at an estate sale, so I gifted one to her,” Mathis says. “We both have very eclectic styles, and so we clicked immediately. Since then, we enjoy supporting one another

B

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on Instagram and talking about our favorite places to thrift and antique.”

Munoz had quite the challenge redesigning the family’s new suburban home. She decided to change several aspects of the home – including the tilework, paint colors, wallpapers and upstairs flooring – but she was orchestrating it from Texas.

“I created a laminated flip book for our contractor,” she says. “For every single room, it showed, ‘This is the tile I want, this is the paint I want, these are the colors.’ Everything was lined out.”

It was an approach that worked well … for the most part. However, not being able to see the full effect immediately and in person proved problematic in the laundry room. Munoz had the cabinets painted Sherwin Williams Untamed Yellow, and she hated it.

The paint sample she found in Texas did not translate well to the space. Rather than start over, she decided to balance it with a citrus-themed wallpaper called Amalfi Umore by Graham and Brown.

“Once that wallpaper was up, it transformed the room. Now, it makes me happy to go in there,” Munoz says.

RIGHT: Sarisa Munoz decorates with whimsical accents and lots of plants.

BELOW: The range hood in the kitchen is one of many areas in the home featuring black and white tile work.

D E S I G N

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ABOVE: The entry features a leopard-patterned staircase and a custom-made chandelier

by Pepe and Carols.

FAR LEFT: Munoz combines bold paint choices, colorful wallpapers and vintage accessories to create intriguing designs.

LEFT: With high-gloss red cabinetry, the home office has a firehouse-meets-library aesthetic.

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D E S I G N

TOP LEFT: Though it was not intentional, Munoz chose mostly birdthemed wallpapers for the bathrooms.

One example is this cloud-andsparrows design, called Daydream, by Hygge & West.

LOWER LEFT: Green Heron wallpaper

by Wallpaper 4 Beginners is showcased in the guest bathroom.

RIGHT: The Munoz home marries old and new furniture together. The master bedroom headboard is from Article, a modern furniture line.

BELOW: Sarisa Munoz sits alongside a favorite find – a pink lampshade she picked up for $2 at a Bartlesville thrift shop.

Interior decorating is Munoz’s creative outlet, and home is her canvas. She loves decorating with plants, and frequently shops Live Boho.

Interior decorating is Munoz’s creative outlet, and home is her canvas. She loves decorating with plants, and frequently shops Live Boho. However, most times, she sources items from thrift shops, antique stores or Facebook Marketplace. She may not know whether her “treasures” will end up displayed in her home or stashed in storage until the next redesign, but her process appears to work. Half of the furniture and accessories – and almost all of the artwork – displayed in the home are one-of-a-kind items she’s curated over time.

“A lot of times, I’ll do some kind of arrangement and look at it a day or two, and then I’m like, ‘No.’ Then I’ll take it all

down and re-do it. My poor walls! We have so many holes and patches,” Munoz says with a laugh. “It’s not methodical. It’s more of an evolution. I just play around a lot.”

Of course, @IndigoLeopardHome followers enjoy viewing Munoz’s beautifully arranged and ever-changing results.

Mathis believes the Instagram platform is popular for designers and decorators because it provides a way to experience their design journeys with them. Mathis said he received positive feedback when he posted a photo sequence showing the evolution of his gallery wall over the past 10 years.

“People like to see where you started, what you did in the middle, and where you ended up,” he says. “Sarisa has taken what was a fairly basic suburban home, which had good bones, and turned it into something special. There’s just something fun and fresh about her designs, and that keeps me wanting to see what she’s going to do next.”

Designs within the Munoz home may be ever-changing and unpredictable, but one thing is for sure: They will be colorful.

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Out & About

The Science of Deduction Science Museum Oklahoma brings the International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes and Worst-Case Scenario Survival Experience to OKC. Page 76

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OUT & ABOUT

Nashville’s ‘Oklahomie’ Singer, songwriter and filmmaker Luke Dick plays up his Oklahoma upbringing in quirky, heartfelt lyrics

BY E VIE KLOPP HOLZER

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hen Oklahoma is your muse, you’re never too far from home. Sooner State native, filmmaker and musician Luke Dick is keen on collaborations, and living in Nashville has afforded him plenty. Natalie Hemby, Dierks Bentley, Kip Moore and Eric Church are just a few of his partners in rhyme. His music also shines on two Grammy-winning albums, “Golden Hour” by Kacey Musgraves and “Wildcard”

by Miranda Lambert.

“When I heard the steel guitar on [Lambert’s] ‘Bluebird,’ I said, ‘That’s got to be Luke’s song,’” says Aric Gilliland, Dick’s longtime friend from Yukon. “I can hear a song on the radio, and often enough, if it’s a Luke song, I can tell. I absolutely love how Luke weaves his history into his music – some ways more nuanced than others.”

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Dick often incorporates visuals and sounds from his past into his creative works.

His “Red Dog” album is the soundtrack of his 2019 documentary, which shares stories of his upbringing and the unlikely community his mother discovered while dancing at an Oklahoma City topless bar. Look at the album’s lyrics – some unconventional, some sentimental – and you’ll see how much Oklahoma shows up at Dick’s collaborative table.

“There’s something different about Oklahoma to me,” Dick says. “It’s not really the South. There’s a frontier mentality; but it’s not like Texas, like its own nation. There’s a definite, positive peculiarity about it. I always enjoy coming back.”

KIT WOOD

Luke Dick brings Oklahoma roots into his creative process.

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IN T E R E S T IN G LY Q UIR K Y “Hey, hon’, you know it’s all for fun Now put some ketchup on your Garth Brooks and Dunn” “Oklahomie,” by Hey Steve, featuring Patrick Carney A graduate from Yukon High School on Garth Brooks Boulevard, Dick confesses a teenage crush on the Brooks hit “Friends in Low Places.” However, his style aligns more with the Flaming Lips than any country music sensation. This is evidenced by his wave punk band, Hey Steve, and his collaboration for the song “Oklahomie” with Patrick Carney, drummer for the blues rock band The Black Keys.

“I had the hook on a slide guitar, and I took it to Patrick Carney of The Black Keys,” Dick says.

“We pieced a vibe together, like we were making a collage with sounds. It’s almost like you’re driving down I-40 or [Route] 66, and you blink your eyes and all these things appear: pawn shops, barbed wire, and all this. It’s interestingly quirky to me – and down home, too.”

Hey Steve provides the seriously danceable beat for “Oklahomie,” while Gary England, lottery tickets and beef jerky get shout-outs in the verses.

M A D E O F P O LY E S T E R “I grew up in a sea of red All the dirt, the debt and the cigarettes” “Polyester,” featuring Miranda Lambert “Polyester” is another one of Dick’s successful collaborations, woven together from the fabric of his Oklahoma background.

“I have a visual from elementary school; the dirt there was so ridiculously red,” Dick says, referring to Minco, Oklahoma. “When it rained, the rivers and stuff looked like tomato soup.”

He wrote “Polyester” with Chris DuBois, a Stillwater native who understood the Oklahoma references well.

“I had just seen Ken Burns’ documentary The Roosevelts. It showed all these aristocratic kids getting raised with all this care and activity and summer homes,” Dick says. “I wasn’t envious, but I thought, ‘Wow, what a world of difference.’”

Dick brought these thoughts and an idea for a song about how we are shaped by our pasts to DuBois. At that time, he only had one line: You might wear leather, but you’re made of polyester.

“Polyester is such a characteristic fabric, isn’t it?” Dick asks. “Remember those brown couches with flowers all over them that your grandma had? I was thinking of that. I mean, real leather when you’re growing up? We didn’t do that.

Luke Dick

There’s something different about Oklahoma to me. It’s not really the South. There’s a frontier mentality, but it’s not like Texas, like its own nation. There’s a definite, positive peculiarity about it. I always enjoy coming back.”

Anyone who didn’t have something and found a way to have something, that’s the feeling of this song – and how you relate back to your family, friends and roots.”

The song has gained national attention with lots of play on SiriusXM, but – by Oklahoma standards – Dick still resembles the guy next door.

“I guess when someone’s authentic, it naturally comes out in their work,” Gilliland says. “What I love about Luke is he’s always been Luke. Of course, he’s refined his craft over the years. I believe he’s one of the most brilliant song writers I’ve ever heard.”

A M O T HE R ’ S L O V E “Love is a porch light that’s always left on And never burns out between mothers and sons” “Mothers and Sons,” featuring Natalie Hemby For Dick, the front porch light glows in Oklahoma. It’s a sentiment he captures in the song “Mothers and Sons.”

“There’s something about moms – and I saw it with my grandmother – you don’t ever feel shut out. Whatever happens or however big a mistake you might have made, you’re always welcomed back,” Dick says. “The song goes on to the books that I read growing up in the chorus: ‘Where the wild things are, wishing on Silverstein’s stars.’

It’s [about] these very formative feelings that you have, being cradled and read to by your mom.”

Dick has fond memories of his upbringing, and he adores his mother. No doubt their relationship was enhanced by working on Red Dog together.

“Any story she’s ever told me, I felt like there was a lot of humanity in it. That’s what I was interested in,” Dick says about why he initiated the project. “That kind of transparency about, ‘This is what I did, this is what I wish I would’ve done differently, and here’s how it turned out’ – I think those kinds of stories make the world better.”

Like his mother, Dick has a gift for storytelling – and many of his stories ring true to his Oklahoma fans.

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OUT & ABOUT

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Problem Solving Fascinating new exhibitions put Science Museum Oklahoma visitors to the test

BY GEORGE L ANG Science Museum Oklahoma’s International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes immerses patrons in a replica of Conan Doyle’s 221B Baker Street flat.

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as Anthony Horowitz continuing Doyle’s work in recent novels; “Worst-Case Scenario” is based on Joshua Piven’s successful WorstCase Scenario Survival Handbook and its 13 follow-up books.

Most importantly, both exhibits force visitors to find solutions to mysteries and predicaments in immersive, interactive ways. In cooperation with Conan Doyle’s estate, EDG created a detailed depiction of 221B Baker Street, the address shared by Holmes and his friend and biographer, Dr. John H. Watson.

Geoffrey Curley, the lead content designer for both exhibitions, said that Conan Doyle emerged at a time when science and deduction were becoming more common in police work and in daily lives. The Holmes methodology of deductive reasoning depicted in A Study in Scarlet and The Hound of the Baskervilles eventually influenced the real police work at New Scotland Yard and around the world.

“They expedited them,” Curley says of the Sherlock Holmes stories’ impact on police science.

“So some of these tools that were being used [in Conan Doyle’s stories] started to be demanded by the public. If they read about it in Sherlock Holmes, they would ask, ‘Why didn’t you use this technique?’ It made the police a little bit more accountable for how they were investigating.”

As for the “Worst-Case Scenario Survival Experience,” the problem solving is similarly applicable to real life, especially for people who live near quicksand or find themselves needing to deliver a baby in the back of a taxi.

“We have just been through one of the worst-case scenarios, being that it was a pandemic,” Curley says, illustrating that worst-case scenarios are not just for Indiana Jones or sitcom characters. “I mean, right there in Oklahoma, you’re going through storm season, and tornadoes and floods and all of these things, at least weather-wise, are worst-case scenarios. You know, we cross wild animals that can become a worstcase scenario, or even just being in a situation where you’re uncomfortable, being in a meeting or in class

and you forgot your homework. That can be, at that moment, a worstcase scenario.”

The best-case scenario for visitors is that they will feel immersed in the experiences. Curley’s background is in theater and scenery development, and so both exhibits feel like the real thing.

Visit sciencemuseumok.org for more info on these exhibitions, including hours of operation and admissions. And be ready for anything.

PHOTOS COURTESY SCIENCE MUSEUM OKLAHOMA

xhibits Development Group had two worldclass exhibitions – “ T he Wor s t- C a s e Scenario Survival Experience” and “The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes” – with nowhere to go. At a time when hands-on exhibitions were not happening due to the COVID-19 pandemic, EDG needed a place for literary-based forensic detective work and escapes from zombies to take place once the world returned to relative normalcy.

“And they said, “Hey, would you all be interested in taking these exhibitions in, and then storing them, and when your community is ready and the time is right, let’s launch them?’” says Sherry Marshall, president of Science Museum Oklahoma. “And so we did that: We stored two large traveling exhibitions, and then we waited a little bit until we figured, ‘OK, May might be the time that we bring them out.”

“Sherlock Holmes” and “WorstCase Scenario” are complementary exhibits that explore problem and mystery solving, and they are both rooted in literature. A creation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes appeared in 56 short stories and four novels written by Doyle, with numerous authors such

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Cal McLish winds up for a pitch during his time with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

President, Emperor, Chief, Pitcher The baseball ballad of Oklahoma’s Cal McLish

BY MELISSA MERCER HOWELL

k l a hom a h a s lent more than its share of talent to major league baseball over the years: Mickey Mantle, Johnny Bench, Bobby Murcer, and the list goes on.

Then there’s Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish.

Born in a barn near Anadarko in 1925, McLish rose to become a pitcher in both the American and National Leagues, and then an

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MLB pitching coach, in a career that spanned 40 years capped by another 20-some years as a scout.

McLish set a few records during his career – not the least of which was his unusually long name, one of the longest in MLB history – but it was his attitude and authenticity that were legendary.

“My father named me Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma – a president, a Roman emperor and an Indian chief,” he told Larry Moffi in an oral interview for the book This Side of Cooperstown. “My mother told me that he didn’t get to name any of the other kids. He tried to catch up on me, but I think he was in the firewater.”

Early on, it seemed there was no other path for McLish. When his family moved to Oklahoma City in 1933, he was drawn to the night games at Holland Field at NW 4th St. and Pennsylvania Ave., home to Oklahoma City’s only professional baseball team.

“That spring – 1934, I was 7 years old – after we moved to the city, the first time I saw the lights on,

I didn’t know what was there,” he told Moffi. “The whole sky was lit up … But from that day on, I was over there, looking through the knotholes, trying to sneak in.”

In 1943, while he was playing baseball at Central High School, something cur ious bega n to happen. Scouts were appearing from big-league teams – St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates – but McLish and his teammates, Leroy Jarvis and Bobby Morgan, eventually signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

After a year with the Dodgers, he was drafted and served as infantryman with the U.S. Army’s 3rd Division, where he strained his pitching shoulder by carrying a heavy bazooka. The injury would follow him for the rest of his life, said longtime friend Mike de la Garza of Edmond.

In 1946, he returned to major league baseball. He won 92 games in 15 major league seasons with seven teams; his best season coming in 1959, when he went 19-8 with a 3.62 ERA with Cleveland.

McLish set a major league record with 16 consecutive road wins during the 1958-59 seasons. The record stood for 36 years until Greg Maddux surpassed it during the 1994-95 seasons.

“His greatest accomplishment as a pitcher … was lasting 15 seasons in the majors,” says Justin Lenhart, curator at the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. “He was always in the lineup. He was consistent. In baseball … he was known for that. From 1944 to the mid-1960s, he was there with the exception of 1945. It was a solid career.”

As a pitching coach, he coached two Cy Young Award winners and a league MVP, and he coached the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series before retiring in the mid-1980s.

McLish approached baseball the way he approached life, with honest self-assessment, confidence, generosity, humility and humor.

“Had to be smart. Had to be, because my stuff wasn’t that good,” he told Moffi in a summation of his pitching career.

But there was something else that endeared him to others – a kind of “why not?” attitude.

“Cal did things that people wouldn’t think about doing,” de la Garza says. “When he was a kid … he rode his bicycle backwards on the handlebars all the way around Grand Boulevard. He had a great imagination. He liked everyone and everyone liked him. Still, he was one-of-a-kind.”

McLish died in 2010 after a long battle with leukemia, one year after being inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.

“He battled illness like a lot of people, but you never would have known it,” Lenhart said. “He never complained. In baseball, that really endears someone to the players and teammates.”

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LAST LAUGH

Curb Appeal Won’t You (Not) Be My Neighbor

BY L AUREN ROTH I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y B R A N D O N L A N D

t’s been a little more than a year since Mr. Roth and I moved into our current neighborhood. COVID was just shutting everything down when we moved in, and our interactions with the neighbors have been extremely limited. Most exchanges until this point have occurred from safe distances, usually involving apologies from both sides for not being more “neighborly” and promises that we’ll all get together in person eventually.

Now that our whole street has been vaccinated, nearly all of the neighbors have resumed being sociable. Like we are, they’re ready to mix and mingle. When I suggested that it’s time for a big block party, a few neighbors got nostalgic for the block parties they’d often had BC – “Before COVID” – all of which featured a pig roast.

A pig roast block party is next-level from the hotdog picnics I’d envisioned. It’s like the backdrop for a cholesterol drug commercial – the kind where all the picnickers have perfect teeth

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and outfits to match the drug’s product packaging, the weather is always sunny and 72 degrees, and everyone can eat the roasted pig while keeping their triglyceride levels in check.

Most importantly, a pig roast block party comes with a built-in guarantee of participation by ALL the (pork-eating) neighbors, including the weirdos. And I just can’t wait to meet the weirdos.

No matter where I’ve lived, weirdos have lived within a stone’s throw. I wish Zillow would include a “weirdo saturation” rating system for every listing on its website. Prospective buyers could evaluate the merits of one property over another, based on their own willingness to live near the garden variety weirdos.

In our last house, we lived next to a loudtalking – but otherwise lovely – family, who owned a restaurant that served chicken. In their backyard, they tended a nice vegetable garden ... when they weren’t screaming at the 30 chickens they were housing under their deck. Sure, one could argue that the neighbors had probably seen Martha Stewart or Chip and Joanna Gaines doing the same thing, but inside city limits, the chicken farm drove our pups crazy, to say nothing of running a-fowl of the law.

In another neighborhood years ago, I noticed a green garden hose stretched from one house

to an unoccupied house across the street. The same neighbor who was “borrowing” water from the empty house had also hooked up an outdoor extension cord to a nearby electrical pole. It was brilliant, if unstealthy. And a little illegal.

Our current home sits in a beautiful, well-manicured neighborhood that really could be the neighborhood in a pharmaceutical commercial. Throughout the pandemic, I’ve been working from my home office, which gives me just the vantage point I need to channel my inner Gladys Kravitz: why do so many cars drive to the end of our street, a cul-de-sac? A few months ago, the police fueled my curiosity by sending 20 squad cars to a popular house at the bottom of the cul-de-sac – the one with an unusual volume of late-night callers.

Not one of my neighbors knows the entire back story, but every neighbor seems to have one or two snippets of intel on the residents at “that one house,” which, until a kitchen explosion at 5:30 a.m. tipped off the authorities, actually was the setting for a drug commercial – the homemade kind.

I’ll probably never get to meet the kook (or, in this case, the “cook”) at the end of the street. She’s in jail now, which is unfortunate because she’s about to miss out on a really great block party with a pig roast.

Mom, This house is AMAZING! Anna and I are already loving the backyard... of course, being just a block away from her school is perfect.

I’m so proud of you Kayla!

Seriously, mom, I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.

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