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OptimalHealthAssociates.com 405.715.4496 NOEL R. WILLIAMS, M.D. | DENNIS E. SANDLER, M.D. Optimal Health AssociatesTM DBA Optimal Health
Making more plans… after urologic surgery.
Mercy’s skilled surgeons offer a full range of urologic procedures for prostate, urinary incontinence, kidney stones and more. Their less invasive options can reduce pain and improve recovery times. So it’s quicker to get back to doing what you love. Our providers: Jeremy Davis, MD – board certified in urology Gregory Jia, MD - board certified in urology Brian Link, MD – board certified in urology; fellowship training in urology oncology Katie Feisal, PA-C
Learn more about urological surgery at mercy.net/okcsurgery.
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FEATURES
June 2015
60
Cool, Cool Summer
School’s out for summer! Now what? As the calendar moves into less hectic pages, it’s time to find some fun excursions here in the metro – and perhaps a bit beyond – for kids and families to get out and enjoy. Think of these selections as preventive therapy for the summertime blues.
54
Taking Off While the classics of menswear (dark suit, white shirt, striped tie) might never go out of fashion, sometimes you want an outfit that’s less downto-earth. This month, help give your wardrobe – or your dad’s, considering that Father’s Day is waiting in the wings – a bit of lift.
49
Indie and Incredible The independent cinematic feast known as the deadCENTER Film Festival is turning 15 this month, celebrating the occasion with another outpouring of parties, panels, informative seminars and 100 examples of movie magic of every description. For film lovers, XV marks the spot.
2 SLICE // JUNE 2015
On the cover
Celebrating 15 years of independent film with the deadCENTER Film Festival. Illustration by Ghost
OYSTER PERPETUAL DATEJUST II
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oyster perpetual and datejust are trademarks.
DEPARTMENTS
28
EXCHANGE
A conversational give and take about exulting in life and the value of patience with pillar of the Paseo Dr. Joy Reed Belt.
12 From the Editor UP FRONT 16 Chatter A local blues-rock band letting a new EP rip, travel ideas that can really take you places, an Olympian’s autobiographical message of hope and other area topics of conversation. 20 Details Cake is the ideal signifier of a party and cause for celebration in itself – at least when it’s as tasty for the eyes as these visual treats. 22 Style File Take the plunge into stylish perfection with a variety of ensembles for lounging poolside or strolling the beach.
68
24 Retro-Spective Remembering the way we were with a look back at some of the city’s most popular public pools in a bygone era. 26 By the Numbers Fast facts and statistics on the subject of Oklahoma road trips. 30 Mingling Making an appearance on central Oklahoma’s social scene. 34 77 Counties Travels through Oklahoma with author and photographer M.J. Alexander.
90 4 SLICE // JUNE 2015
LIVING WELL 68 Tri to Stay Healthy It’s important to be active, whatever lap of life you’re on – and you might be surprised how many local triathletes don’t let their age keep them on the sidelines.
June 2015
FARE 76 A Little Tenderness Caryn Ross shares a culinary secret from the sea for making an especially toothsome beef tenderloin. 78 Sips of Summer Patio weather is an ideal time to take white wines for a taste test; deliciously complex flavors are right here in OKC. 80 Eat & Drink Take a gastronomic tour with Slice’s citywide dining guide. PURSUITS 88 Top Ten Prime picks for a variety of metro June entertainment. 90 Fabulous Fabergé Bring your appetite for aesthetic elegance to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art for its showcase of intricate, bejeweled splendor. 94 Uncovering the Gems of the Philippine Islands Getting there requires some planning, but for beachcombers and lovers of beauty, going back again and again will become a lifelong dream. 98 See & Do The sights, sounds and various happenings that are enlivening the metro this month. 102 Last Laugh 104 Last Look
94
PLASTIC SURGERY Jewelry for the Soul Whether you’re looking to freshen up a bit during lunch with a little filler or Botox or want to come back from vacation looking well-rested and years younger, the plastic surgeons at OU Physicians Plastic Surgery have spent years gaining the experience to bring you the solutions you are looking for. Their passion is plastic surgery—jewelry for the soul. The wide array of procedures available at OU Physicians Plastic Surgery include:
• Advanced Botox and filler injections
• Face lifts with small incisions (the so called “mini” refers to the size of the incision, not the amount of work)
• Endoscopic brow lifts • Nose reshaping • Eyelid surgery
• Liposuction • Breast augmentation • Breast reduction • Tummy tuck • Skin rejuvenation • Body contouring after weight-loss surgery
• Hand surgery and rejuvenation
MEET OUR DOCTORS Kamal Sawan, M.D. Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Chief of Plastic Surgery at OU College of Medicine Suhair Maqusi, M.D. Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Hand Surgeon Assistant Professor Christian El Amm, M.D. Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Craniofacial Surgeon Associate Professor
PLASTIC SURGERY 825 N.E. 10th Street, Oklahoma City, OK (405) 271-4864
The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo
JUNE 2015 // SLICE 5
TIMELESS ELEGANCE IN 22KT YELLOW GOLD
June 2015
Volume 6 Issue 6
PUBLISHER Elizabeth Meares elizabeth.meares@sliceok.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mia Blake mia.blake@sliceok.com EDITORIAL Associate Editor Steve Gill steve.gill@sliceok.com Contributing Stylists Timothy Fields, Fashion timothy.fields@sliceok.com Sara Gae Waters, Home saragae.waters@sliceok.com Contributing Writers M.J. Alexander, Mark Beutler, Lynsey Bradley, Lauren Hammack, Jill Hardy, Greg Horton, Caryn Ross, Ana Maria Villanueva-Lykes, Elaine Warner ART Art Director Scotty O’Daniel scotty.odaniel@sliceok.com Graphic Designer Brian O’Daniel brian.odaniel@sliceok.com Production Assistant Tiffany McKnight tiffany.mcknight@sliceok.com
Created by Valerie Naifeh for Naifeh Design
Contributing Photographers M.J. Alexander, Justin Avera, David Cobb, Terrell Fry, Simon Hurst, Claude Long, Michael Miller, Quit Nguyen, Elaine Warner, Carli Wentworth ADVERTISING Business Development Manager Heidi Turner heidi.turner@sliceok.com Executive Director of Advertising Cynthia Whitaker-hill cynthia.whitakerhill@sliceok.com Account Executive Jamie Hamilton jamie.hamilton@sliceok.com Account Manager Ronnie Morey ronnie.morey@sliceok.com ADMINISTRATION Distribution Raymond Brewer
405.607.4323 | Casady Square | N. Pennsylvania & Britton Road www.NaifehFineJewelry.com
6 SLICE // JUNE 2015
WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA sliceok.com
Finding your dream home and selling your previous. There is no other choice for exceptional service and knowledge in the metro area. Member of the Norman and Oklahoma City Board of Realtors
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405.401.0448 • Zan@LeariaGroup.com JUNE 2015 // SLICE 7
PROMOTION
June 2015
EVENTS // PRODUCTS // EXCLUSIVE OFFERS
Showcase of Excellence KB Gallerie is a local, family-owned company with more than 77 years of combined
experience in residential design, remodeling, product knowledge and installation services. With a team of professionals who have completed hundreds of projects all over the United States, their passion for exemplary craftsmanship shines through clearly in all they do. They’re an easy choice for OKC metro projects requiring attention to detail and exceptional quality, as you’ll soon have the perfect chance to witness for yourself.
GRAND RE-OPENING SHOWROOM EVENT June 4, from 6-8:30 p.m. Come explore products from many national manufacturers specializing in residential design from cabinetry to countertops, sinks, plumbing fixtures, flooring and hardware – and let KB Gallerie showcase all that they can do for you! Showroom Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Evenings and Weekends by Appointment
KB GALLERIE
1120 N.W. 51st St., OKC, 405.888.5353 | kbgallerie.com
For Your Peace of Mind If you’re a woman 40 or over, yearly mammograms are
an essential part of caring for your health. When it’s time to schedule your next appointment, you can trust Breast Health Network. Led by some of Oklahoma’s most renowned breast-health experts, their professionals bring the latest in advanced digital imaging and diagnostics to a patient-friendly approach to care. And as a part of OU Medicine, treatment options are available through many of the state’s leading physicians.
SERVICES INCLUDE
• Mammography • 3-D Mammography (Tomosynthesis) • Ultrasound • Osteoporosis screening • Statewide mobile mammography program Most insurance plans, including government programs, cover yearly screening mammograms at no out-of-pocket cost for women 40 and over. Breast Health Network is here with four metro locations to keep Oklahoma women alive and well.
BREAST HEALTH NETWORK
Formerly Oklahoma Breast Care Center, Breast Imaging of Oklahoma and OU Breast Institute
BreastHealthNetwork.com 8 SLICE // JUNE 2015
Volume 6 Issue 6
READER SERVICES SLICE 729 W. Sheridan, Suite 101 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 Phone 405.842.2266 Fax 405.604.9435 info@sliceok.com, sliceok.com Advertising Inquiries sales@sliceok.com Job/Internship Inquiries jobs@sliceok.com Story Ideas and Letters to the Editor Your views and opinions are welcome. Include your full name, address and daytime phone number and email to editor@sliceok.com. Letters sent to Slice magazine become the magazine’s property, and it owns all rights to their use. Slice magazine reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Single Copies Single copies are $4.95 each. For rack locations, see sliceok.com/subscribe or contact our office. Back Issues Back issues are $9.50 (includes P&H) each. For back issue availability and order information, please contact our office. Bulk Orders For multiple copy order information, please contact our office. Subscriptions Slice Magazine is available by subscription for $14.95 (12 issues), $24.95 (24 issues) or $34.95 (36 issues). Subscription Customer Service Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. CST SLICE P.O. Box 16765 North Hollywood, CA 91615-6765 Phone 818.286.3160 Fax 800.869.0040 subscriptions@sliceok.com sliceok.com/subscribe Slice Volume 6, Number 6, June 2015. Slice is published monthly by Open Sky Media, Inc. at 729 W. Sheridan, Suite 101, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, 405.842.2266. © Copyright 2015 Open Sky Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of Slice content, in whole or part by any means, without the express written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Slice is not responsible for the care of and/or return of unsolicited materials. Slice reserves the right to refuse advertising deemed detrimental to the community’s best interest or in questionable taste. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of ownership or management. Basic annual subscription rate is $14.95. U.S. single-copy price is $4.95. Back issues are $9.50 each
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Slice, P.O. Box 16765, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6765. Subscription Customer Service: Slice, P.O. Box 16765, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6765, Phone 818.286.3160, Fax 800.869.0040, subscriptions@sliceok. com, sliceok.com/subscribe
Oklahoma’s Wives, Mothers, Sisters and Daughters Count On Us PROVIDERS
Pamela Miles, MD
Caroline Flint, MD
Lydia Nightingale, MD
BreeAnna Gibson, MD
Monica Reid, MD
Heather Jones, MD
Chris Schultz, MD
From providing routine screening exams and maternity care to managing more complex gynecological conditions, women can access the most comprehensive preventative care, technology and up-to-date treatments from the obstetrician-gynecologists at OU Physicians Women’s Health. We specialize in: • Low to moderate risk obstetrics • Gestational diabetes and pregnancy-related high blood pressure management • Multiple pregnancies (twins and triplets) • Vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC) • Heavy or irregular periods • Management of abnormal pap smears • Gardasil vaccination • Endometriosis • Uterine fibroids • Minimally invasive gynecological surgery • Menopause management • Contraceptive counseling and management • Paragard and Mirena intrauterine device (IUD) placement • Nexplanon placement for long term contraception • Office sterilization (Essure) • Office hysteroscopy • Polycystic ovarian syndrome and cardiometabolic management Other services that are readily available for our patients in the OU Physicians Building include mammography, bone densitometry, X-ray, ultrasound and laboratory services. If help from a specialist is needed, care is literally just steps away.
To schedule an appointment, call (405) 271-9494.
Landon Lorenz, MD
Chad Smith, MD
Gillian Mackay, MD
Katie Smith, MD
Andrew Wagner, MD
CERTIFIED NURSE MIDWIVES
Lori Edwards, APRN, CNM
Robin Evenson, APRN, CNM
Leanna Harkess, APRN, CNM
Jessica Kayser, APRN, CNM
Deborah Melser, APRN, CNM
Dorothy Pointer, APRN, CNM
REGISTERED NURSE PRACTITIONERS
Tara Chavis, APRN
WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTER www.oumedicine.com
Debra Clark, APRN
Joyce Tow, PhD, APRN
Not pictured: Lisa Hays, APRN
Seeing patients in the OU Physicians building, 825 N.E. 10th Street, Oklahoma City. Complimentary valet is available.
The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo (#96169-03/15))
Elisa Crouse, MD
ON THE WEB THIS MONTH ON SLICEOK.COM
More of the Man in Motion We had a ball capturing model Andy Shane Tofa’s physical exuberance in this month’s men’s fashion feature – to see some extra shots including outtakes and peeks behind the scenes, visit sliceok.com/style/.
It’s back! We got such a great response to this giveaway last year that we’re firing it up again – each Friday in June, we’ll be giving away $50 worth of some of the city’s finest dining, in the form of gift cards and certificates to purveyors of tempting tastes. To enter, keep an eye on our e-newsletters (you can sign up at sliceok.com/newsletters/); we’ll draw a winner at random each Friday at noon. Good luck, and bon appetit!
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10 SLICE // JUNE 2015
Hello Oklahoma! The John A. Marshall Company is the 90-year-old new kid on the block Headquartered in Lenexa, KS, John A. Marshall Co. is a family-owned and operated furniture dealership that has provided commercial interiors solutions to thousands of organizations since being established in 1923. As a charter member of Herman Miller’s national Certified Dealer Network, we are committed to providing quality service wherever our clients may need us. As a result of our efforts, we have consistently been recognized as one of Herman Miller’s Top 10 performing dealerships. John A. Marshall Co. acquired Workplace Resource of Oklahoma from Herman Miller on June 1, 2014. The majority of the Workplace Resource employees were retained, as were the offices in OKC and Tulsa. Now that the transition period is behind us, we are excited to share our expertise and creativity with organizations across Oklahoma. We carry fantastic furniture lines, including our flagship, Herman Miller, as well as Sit On It, Geiger, National Office Furniture, Nemschoff and many more. Services include interior design & space planning, project management, warehousing, delivery & installation. Our highly motivated sales group and skilled designers work together to achieve great results that lead to higher employee retention rates, increase performance and maximize real estate space. No job is too small or big for us to handle, from one chair to complex projects involving thousands of workstations and offices in a multitude of settings - Corporate, Healthcare, Government, Education. We also offer many wonderful products that carry over into the residential market for home offices and living areas. Feel free to stop by either of our showrooms or visit us online.
Oklahoma City
Tulsa
501 NE 122nd Street Suite B Oklahoma City, OK 73114 (405) 752-9696 www.jamarshall.com
1402 S. Peoria Avenue Suite 140 Tulsa, OK 74120 (405) 752-9696 www.jamarshall.com JUNE 2015 // SLICE 11
From the Editor
IN TUNE WITH JUNE
SIMON HURST
W
MIA BLAKE
Editor-in-Chief mia.blake@sliceok.com
12 SLICE // JUNE 2015
e are in the season of weddings (and anniversaries – happy 12th, hubby!), vacations and all-around warm-weather fun. When I take a moment to review this issue’s slate of stories, I realize I have a touch of summer fever already, and why shouldn’t I? It’s a wonderful time of year. Cooking out, swimming, gardening … some of my favorite pastimes that are still pleasant before the real heat makes us moan “ugh, summer” while we jostle for position in front of the A/C vent. We begin by reminiscing about the public swimming pools that were a fixture of Baby Boomer school breaks before getting “Footloose” for prom, then preview a film festival smack dab in the deadCENTER of the country before moving on to hot (both temperature and style) looks for the gentlemen in our lives. We tackle the topic of how to handle the inevitable summer slump when it hits the kiddos and finally finish up with patio-friendly white wines and beef on the barby plus beaches so unbelievably picturesque they seem like a movie set. On page 54, a fabulous fashion pictorial styled by Timothy Fields and photographed by Simon Hurst features OU musical theater major Andy Shane Tofa demonstrating some of his amazing athleticism while modeling outfits from metro retailers. How he was able to keep a smile on his face while doing some of the leaps and jumps we requested is beyond me. My abs were groaning just watching him (from over on the couch, natch). And keep in mind, the handful of photos we’ve printed are just the very tip of the iceberg. He executed some of these flying bounds over and over and over until we caught just the right expression and body positioning with the lighting and styling just so. Bravo, Andy! This month also brings us the subject of our cover story, the 15th annual deadCENTER Film Festival. The creatives at Ghost crafted the cover illustration for us to celebrate the event, of which we have been proud sponsors since its infancy. We are so excited to see “the little festival that could” all grown up and hitting the big time. Get your All-Access Pass and attend this year so that you can say you “knew them when.” In a few short years I would bet dollars to donuts that tickets will be hard to come by. This June is extra special to me because I get to see my husband experience his first official Father’s Day. I think he was born to be a dad; he takes such joy in everything our son does, from toothy grins and giggles to meeting milestones and even the unglamorous aspects involving oh-so-many bodily fluids. He pulls shifts in the early hours so mama can grab a little extra shuteye and dances like nobody’s watching just because our baby loves it. I am so lucky to have him and can’t wait until our little guy is old enough to know what an incredible father he has. Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing dads out there!
JUNE 2015 // SLICE 13
YOUR OPINION MATTERS
A LOT.
TAKE OUR SURVEY AND TELL US WHAT YOU THINK. YOU COULD WIN ONE OF THESE FIVE PRIZES: A Weekend Getaway to The Artesian Hotel Casino and Spa
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UP FRONT POWERHOUSE PALATE-PLEASERS Tiny or towering, nothing says “party time” like cake … and beauties like these are treats for the eyes as well. See page 20.
CHATTER Topics of conversation from around the metro 16 STYLE FILE Fresh, fun looks in multiple styles for poolside lounging and beyond 22
CARLI WENTWORTH
RETRO-SPECTIVE A quick look back at a piece of local history 24 BY THE NUMBERS Checking our figures on Oklahoma’s road trip highlights 26
EXCHANGE Talking creative fulfillment and family legacies with longtime Paseo patron Joy Reed Belt 28 MINGLING Glimpses of central Oklahoma’s social scene 30 77 COUNTIES Travels through the state with author and photographer M.J. Alexander 34
JUNE 2015 // SLICE 15
UP FRONT | Chatter
STARS POWER
LUMINOUS LOCAL ALUMNAE SHARE THE SPOTLIGHT
Kristin Chenoweth
Even if they’re not athletes, people affiliated with OU tend to be called Sooners; OSU folks are Cowboys; UCO has Bronchos. OCU? Those ladies and gentlemen are Stars. For a well-timed piece of supporting evidence, turn on CBS June 7 for the Tony Awards, an elite spectacle honoring Broadway’s best and brightest – in which two of the nominees for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical are OCU alumnae Kelli O’Hara and Kristin Chenoweth.
Getting in Tune
BACK WITH A HOWL: THEM HOUNDS UNLEASH A HEART ATTACK About a minute and a half into the opening title track of “Heart Attack,” Erin Ames repeats a chorus and suddenly flings her voice upward into a triumphant, pulsing vibrato scream – Them Hounds are back. The OKC psychedelic blues quintet still put on a raging live show (as demonstrated at Norman Music Festival) but have left the at-home listener empty-handed since their eponymous 2013 debut … until now, with the release of a sizzling EP. The tweaked lineup – ferocious, fuzz-edged bass from Johnny Bohlen and dizzying lead guitar work by Philip Eller, plus Chris Lashley on guitar and Kolby Purdum on drums – sounds muscular and richly layered, and Ames remains a masterful force on the mic, combining for a sonic texture that should draw favorable comparisons to The Dead Weather. The worst part about “Heart Attack” is its duration; five songs is too few for those of us who love the Them Hounds sound. As “Whiskey Valley” winds and grinds to a close with the instruments dropping out to leave Ames’ voice alone for a few final melodiously melancholy “Whoa-oh”s, it’s clear the EP is aptly named; there’s a definite pang of loss at the realization it’s over already. Head back to the studio soon, sirs and ma’am.
If the last time you were on a bicycle was cruising your parents’ neighborhood with playing cards stuck in the spokes, send some good mental vibes to the participants in the Oklahoma Freewheel tour, who will saddle up June 7 in Hollis and head east to Fort Smith. It’s a 7-day journey of around 400 road miles, purely for fun. Hopefully they’ll have the ride stuff. Kelli O’Hara
O’Hara, nominated for “The King and I,” told Playbill, “I’d actually never watched it on the television like we did, and it was very exciting. [I felt a] big ‘phew’ of relief. I think I was pretty nervous this year.” Chenoweth (who stars in a revival of “On the Twentieth Century”) said, “I love this business, but it can be so hard. But today? Is a good day. Smiling from ear to ear, which if you think about it, kind of hurts.” It’s not a foregone conclusion that the award will end up in Oklahoman hands – they’re vying with Leanne Cope, Beth Malone and the great Chita Rivera as well as each other – but the friendly rivalry is a fun coincidence, and good PR for their shared state and school. Brava! 16 SLICE // JUNE 2015
WORLDS TO EXPLORE
What can you fit inside 30,000 square feet of conference room space? Entire realms, planets, galaxies, planes of existence … if you can imagine it, it’ll probably fit right in at Oklahoma’s most venerable fan extravaganza. Welcome to SoonerCon 24. Celebrations of science fiction, fantasy, horror and their commingled offshoots will be packed cheek by Jawa (“Star Wars” is hot right now) in Midwest City’s Reed Conference Center June 26-28 at the annual demonstration of the coolest aspects of being a geek. This year’s special guests include writer and producer Larry Nemecek, Nebula-winning writer Elizabeth Moon, voice actors Chuck Huber and Ian Sinclair and Robert Picardo, star from both the “Star Trek” and “Stargate” TV franchises as well as everything from “The Wonder Years” and “China Beach” to “The Mentalist.” Plus, browse the exhibitors’ hall for merch, get in on some gaming, flex your creativity in costume contests and find some new names and fandoms to investigate. If flights of sci-fi and fantasy are your mind’s delight, you should go. Boldly.
PHOTOS: KRISTIN CHENOWETH COURTESY KRISTINCHENOWETH.COM; KELLI O’HARA COURTESY KELLIOHARA.COM
THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD
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DreAmHome.orG JUNE 2015 // SLICE 17
UP FRONT | Chatter
Calendar Watch June 14 Flag Day June 18 International Picnic Day, apparently. We didn’t know, but we aren’t likely to object. June 18 First day of Ramadan June 21 Tell your dad he’s rad, your pops he’s tops, your père he’s debonair with flair and beyond compare June 21 Happy summer!
ON THE PAGE
A GYMNASTICS LEGEND SHARES HER STORY AND STRUGGLES There’s a reason most of us don’t have literary options on our life stories: a good autobiography requires a noteworthy subject. You can hardly ask for a more glorious first career than that of Edmond’s beloved Shannon Miller – as the cover of her book points out, she’s “the most decorated gymnast in American history” – but this particular tale goes past the point at which she ruled the world from atop a 4-inch-wide beam. When she took off the leotard, she still had to make her way in the world, and “It’s Not About Perfect” carries on past Miller’s Olympic years to the more mundane, and less controllable, struggles of finding direction in life, new motherhood and serious health concerns. The elite athlete is now a mother of two and cancer survivor, and a major theme of her book is how the lessons from one part of her life have helped carry her through the others. From early childhood her personal mission was not to win, but to push herself to improve; not to best Belarusian legend Svetlana Boginskaya, but to be her best. After a climactic event, she writes, “In that moment I had no idea if I would win a medal or what color it might be; I just wanted to savor the feeling. The feeling, not of perfection, but of satisfaction in having given it my all.” That competitiveness against the idea of imperfection could make setbacks especially frustrating, but gave her strength and determination to overcome the betrayal of her body – the resulting narrative should serve as an inspiration for readers as well as a triumphant memoir.
ROCKIN’ DOWN THE HIGHWAY
-RUSSELL WESTBROOK
The Thunder star recently enjoyed a night of bowling with teammates, supporters and young friends to mark the successes of his Why Not? Foundation that supports and encourages at-risk kids, and launch of Russell’s Reading Room. For those of us who enjoyed his postgame interview speech patterns this season, it was a pleasure to hear him add, “My job is to be able to find different ways to be able to raise money so I can go out and help kids, as in Reading Rooms or whatever it is that may be that I want to help oversee.” 18 SLICE // JUNE 2015
GET THE PICTURE
Art is good for the soul, and experiencing it enriches our lives. But our days have a tendency to fill with minor obligations and distractions and impediments, and with the best of intentions it can be difficult to make time to accommodate a journey of artistic appreciation. So if you’re having trouble going to the museum, now you can bring part of the museum to you. The OKC Museum of Art has established a presence on the Google Cultural Institute, making a portion of its permanent collection available to examine in high resolution and, as Registrar Maury Ford puts it, “accessible to everyone, everywhere, at any time.” The site is laden with features that allow cross-indexing, group discussions and Thomas Moran, “Falls at Toltec Gorge” guided exploration; visit google.com/culturalinstitute and search for OKC Museum of Art to have a look … whenever you want.
PHOTOS: “FALLS AT TOLTEC GORGE” COURTESY OKCMOA; RUSSELL WESTBROOK BY LAYNE MURDOCH
“It’s an honor to be able to see it unfold. When I first talked about a foundation, we kind of sat down and had a plan – and to see it unfold is a blessing and is a great thing.”
If summer makes you think of vacations, and the long sunny days give you an itch to travel, you’re not alone – and a new partnership has an itinerary ready for you. Adventure Road is a tourism initiative spearheaded by the Chickasaw Nation that’s designed to remind Oklahomans of the vast variety of exploratory riches on tap between OKC and the Red River; over 150 entities are on the list already from state parks to museums to Miranda Lambert’s Pink Pistol boutique in scenic Tishomingo. Visit adventureroad.com and see what’s out there.
JUNE 2015 // SLICE 19
UP FRONT | Details
20 SLICE // JUNE 2015
Let Them Eat Cake By Sara Gae Waters // Photo by Carli Wentworth
JUNE SEEMS TO BE THE TIME WHEN EVERYONE IS READY TO THROW A PARTY. There are weddings, baby showers and birthday parties, end-of-school and graduation celebrations, and my personal favorite reason to celebrate: summer. So to all of this I say, “Let there be cake!” I am partial to any kind of cake (cupcakes rate right up there), and I don’t think it’s a party without some. Taste is certainly the most important factor, but if it’s pretty as well, that’s a win/win. Fortunately, both qualities combine in delightful form at a bevy of locations across the metro. Enjoy this sweet sampling of divinely delicious beauties, then treat yourself on your special day. (from left to right) Vanilla Sky, Ebony & Ivory and Mary Poppins cupcakes from Cuppies and Joe in OKC, displayed on marble and wood cake stand from Tulips in Norman | Three-tier cake blanketed in fondant, hand painted and embellished with gold and delicate wafer paper flower from Amy Cakes in Norman | Vanilla/Chocolate Cupcake from Sara Sara Cupcakes in OKC | Two-tier candlelight cake embellished with gold dots and a hand-painted magnolia from Mishelle Handy Cakes in Edmond | Strawberry Classic Cupcake from Green Goodies in OKC | Petite two-tier cake with gray fondant and wafer paper textured design from Brown Egg Bakery in OKC | Strawberry Shortcake cupcake from Sara Sara Cupcakes | Coconut Creme Cupcake from Sara Sara Cupcakes on white Juliska pillar candle stand from Tulips
JUNE 2015 // SLICE 21
UP FRONT | Style File
On the Water By Lynsey Bradley // Photos by Carli Wentworth
DO POOLSIDE THOUGHTS HAVE YOU DREAMING OF THE PERFECT OUTFIT? Whether you prefer a bikini or a little more coverage, these looks will have all eyes on you.
Option 1: Channel the ’60s with a polka dot bikini and sheer lace dress.
Look for accessories to add a pop of color like a brightly colored hat or a scarf to bring warmth to your look. Kate Spade swim top and bottoms and Ted Baker sandals from Von Maur at Quail Springs Mall in OKC // White lace dress by For Love & Lemons and Hat Attack orange hat from The Factory in OKC // Ettwa Multi Wayfarer sunglasses and mixed metal chandelier earrings from Anthropologie at Classen Curve in OKC
Option 2: Throw a denim shirt and slashed boyfriend shorts
over your suit to hit the boardwalk in style. Jump start this look with a colorful hat and simple jewelry. Boyfriend shorts and denim shirt by Acquaverde from The Factory // Polka dot rancher hat, bucket bag, teardrop hoops and leaf bracelet set from Anthropologie at Classen Curve
Option 3: A jumpsuit is ideal for quick-change situations and gives the perfect amount of coverage with maximum impact. After a day on the water, layer it over a great tankini, slip on a pair of beautiful sandals and you’re ready for a trip into town.
Jumpsuit by Velvet & Graham, braided belt, necklace and Lucite bangle set from Anthropologie at Classen Curve // Gold jeweled sandals from Nine West at Penn Square Mall in OKC // Sperry swim top and bottoms from Von Maur at Quail Springs // Sunglasses by Tom Ford from The Factory 22 SLICE // JUNE 2015
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JUNE 2015 // SLICE 23
o r t Respective
A Dip Into Memory By Mark Beutler // Photos courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society BACK IN THE DAYS OF OUR YOUTH, summer meant sleeping late, lazy afternoons and going barefoot. The scent of honeysuckle, jasmine and lilac announced “summer is here!� One of the best parts of the season was hitting your favorite swimming hole with your besties. Oklahoma City had some great local pools. There was Belle Isle, Wedgewood Village and of course the ever-popular Springlake, pictured here. Belle Isle has been replaced by a Walmart Supercenter, Springlake is now a Metro Tech campus and the Wedgewood Village pool has been surrounded by a private apartment complex. Progress marches on. Those summer days always went by way too fast. But take a moment to remember and you can almost hear the laughter, smell the chlorine and feel the sting of summer on your skin. 24 SLICE // JUNE 2015
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JUNE 2015 // SLICE 25
OKLAHOMA ROAD TRIPS: PT. 1 BY THE NUMBERS By Steve Gill
471
slot in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time awarded to “On the Road Again,” which Willie Nelson purportedly wrote in flight on an airsickness bag
6:06
length of Deep Purple’s “Highway Star,” one of the greatest open-road driving songs ever penned
30+
species of animals and birds living in the Woolaroc Wildlife Preserve near Bartlesville
8
days spanned by the 2015 OK Mozart Festival (June 6-13), which includes an open-air concert at Woolaroc
2000
year Todd Phillips (later of the “Hangover” trilogy) directed “Road Trip”
11 84
200+ 165
lakes in Oklahoma
depth in feet of Lake Tenkiller
4
105,000 acres covered by the surface of Lake Eufaula
average depth in feet of Great Salt Plains Lake
98
pounds of a recordsetting catfish caught in 2004 on Lake Texoma
254
pounds of an alligator gar caught this April at Lake Texoma, the biggest fish on record in Oklahoma
16
years there’s been an annual Okie Noodling Tournament in Pauls Valley in June (fishing with hands only)
400,000
years before statehood that Eischen’s Bar opened in Okarche inches in length of the all-time record holder in the Rattlesnake Derby in Mangum, which turns 50 next year
56.3
miles of the Illinois River that runs through northeast Oklahoma, perfect for rafting
26 SLICE // JUNE 2015
80
feet in length of the Blue Whale of Catoosa
gallons of water in the shark tank at the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks
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UP FRONT | Exchange
A JOY FOR LIFE
By Lauren Hammack // Photos by Simon Hurst
Conv A e with rsation D Reed r. Joy Belt
I’VE NEVER KNOWN ANYONE NAMED “JOY” WHO DIDN’T PERSONIFY HER NAME. Dr. Joy Reed Belt is no exception. A conversation with the ebullient Dr. Belt is exactly that: a joy. The joy-joy-joyjoy-down-in-my-heart kind of joy. The principal of Joy Reed Belt and Associates, Inc., an Oklahoma City-based executive search firm, Belt is a licensed professional counselor, a voracious reader and amasser of books (paper and digital), an enthusiastic, lifelong learner and the owner and director of JRB Art at The Elms, an award-winning gallery (and arguably the brightest jewel) in the historic Paseo Arts District crown.
Where did you grow up? I was born in Louisville, but my father was a pastor, so we lived all over. I went to high school in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Is it true that the pastor’s kids are the wildest? I wasn’t really “wild.” I was probably challenging, in some ways. My father used to say that my curiosity worried him. Was it hard or sad to move around all the time? No – I enjoyed it. Because of my father’s job, we would move somewhere new every few years and the church was sort of an instant community. Where did you go to college? Ouachita (in Arkansas) for my undergraduate. I was a drama major. For my graduate degree (from the University of Arkansas), I studied guidance counseling and literature. I received a doctorate in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Oklahoma, followed by three years of post-doctorate work at the Menninger School of Psychiatry. What did you think you were going to be when you went to college? I was a singer, but I really liked drama and realized that I especially enjoyed the variety that came with the “behind the scenes” part of drama — directing, costumes and makeup. Later, I taught drama, speech, debate and English. What was your first paying job? My first paying job was working at a shoe store. I always loved the 28 SLICE // JUNE 2015
idea of working. I would also get paid for different singing jobs. I had to sing in church to earn my allowance. Singing in church would have been much better than my crummy chores! I really wanted to be a blues singer, but I could not see the path — not from where I was at the time. What are you obsessed with? Books! They’re so important to me. I began reading from a very early age. I enjoy everything — fiction, literature, mystery, art … at any point in time, I might be reading five different books. Luckily, I have a Kindle, which I carry with me all the time. What do you wish you’d started doing long before now? I don’t know. I see life as three different acts. I’m in the third act now, but I couldn’t be here without acts one and two. What I did then has brought me to this act. What should people try to do at least once? Buy a painting or a piece of art they like, just because they like it. It’s amazing how someone will fall in love with a piece and connect with it at a very emotional or visceral level, and then they start to intellectualize it by asking, “Is this good? Is it valuable?” I always tell them, “If you like it, then it’s good!” They should learn to trust the emotional connection, and leave it at that. My guess is that a lot of people experience that connection,
then they leave and the painting haunts them until they come back for it. That is exactly what happens and when they come back, the painting is usually sold to someone else! How did your path lead to becoming the owner of such an incredible art gallery? John (my late husband) bought me a few painting lessons in 1999 because he thought they’d be a way for me to relax. I ended up opening a gallery — he never saw that coming! Most people remember John as a lifelong supporter and promoter of the arts with a great heart for the community. How long were you two married? 35 years. What was the most important character trait John exemplified in 35 years? Patience. He was an old soul who took the long view on things. Once he identified a goal, he moved toward it and stayed the course, long after most people would have given up. He was also the most positive person I’ve ever known. I miss his wonderful mind. I miss the friendship we shared. There are a lot of tangible reminders of John in this city. The new “Flamenco” sculpture (at NW 29th and Paseo Drive in the Paseo Arts District) is a stunning tribute to John’s contributions to that community and our city. What goes through your mind when you see that? I feel fortunate that there are so many tangible reminders of him. Every time I turn at 30th and Paseo and
Jonathan Hils, “Flamenco”
I see all those colorful buildings, it’s like getting a hug. Were there unfinished projects of his that you’ll see to completion? Yes. There is a 30,000-square-foot building (in the Paseo District) that he called “The Plunge.” He was in the process of converting it to a multiuse space for artists and theatre groups and local businesses. I’m going to try to finish it. It has to be brought up to code and I’ve had to learn a ton. I should get an honorary doctorate in heating and A/C management, I tell ya! What are you most grateful for? My life.
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JUNE 2015 // SLICE 29
UP FRONT | Mingling
Alissa Myrick, Amy Wopsle, Elise Couch
Dynamite duo Lucky
Emcees Timothy Fields and Lauren Hammack
DJ Hot Rod Beats
April Sandefer, Laura Watts, Tamra Lindsey, Melissa Monroe
Jennifer Degge, Misty Nichols, Lindsay Onarecker
Timothy Fields, prizewinners Julia Green and Dr. Kyle German, Editor-in-Chief Mia Blake, Lauren Hammack
Faith Thomason, Philip Brown
BEST OF THE CITY Photos by Terrell Fry
Slice celebrates the most outstanding aspects of life in central Oklahoma in a treat-filled soiree on Film Row. Peter and Tara Levinson
30 SLICE // JUNE 2015
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Kemo Perkins, Ryan Floyd, Chrissi Floyd, Mary Streich, Nick Demos
RED TIE NIGHT Photos by Terrell Fry
Jessica Scott, Jordon Scott, Megan Scott, Michelle Key, Meredith Ellinger
Mwenya Mundende, Vicki Hughes, Krista Hughes
Katelynn Calonkey, Anne Gottschalk
Corey Nelson, Jordan Dixon
Aaron Ketter, Jennifer Anderson
There’s no more elegant gala than the Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund’s crimson-clad evening raising money and awareness.
Mark Beutler, Michael Blain, Kim and Brad Henry
Debbie South, Charles Cuzalina
David Barocio, Sarah Jane Crespo, Shane Jewell
Janet and Dennis Shockley
OKCMOA OMELETTE PARTY Photos by Justin Avera
Exquisite, exceptional egg-based taste sensations are the foundation for the OKC Museum of Art’s delightful spring fundraiser. JUNE 2015 // SLICE 31
UP FRONT | Mingling Dr. Lieschem Quiroz, Christian Swartz
Shannon Thomas, Megan Keenan
Robert Mills, Kirstin Reynolds, David Leader Marty Coleman, Laura Watts
ALLIED ARTS ARTINI Photos by Terrell Fry
Guests head down the proverbial rabbit hole in Allied Arts’ annual beverage-based soiree, enjoying a Wonderland theme this year. Bottoms up! Scott and Deborah McAuliffe Senner
Tom and Linda Fanning
Shane and Brittany Gibson, Chelsey and Dan McKnight Maj. Gen. David and Stacia Gillett, Ann Lacy
CHAMPIONS OF YOUTH GALA Photos by Justin Avera
It’s an evening of magic for patrons and supporters as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County honor exemplars of inspiration, including Dave Lopez and the Chickasaw Nation.
BALLET BALL Photos by Justin Avera
OKC Ballet hosts a particularly graceful gala with a touch of Sinatra for inspiration as its season jetes to a close. 32 SLICE // JUNE 2015
Monte and Eden Turrentine
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MOMENTUM Photos by Claude Long
The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition gives young artists a signal boost and guests an excellent party at this annual powerpacked event.
Laura Rudicel, Jeff and Jenn Bartlett
Melanie Marshall, Kendall Mashaney Chris McCabe, Robert Black
CHEF’S FEAST Photos by Terrell Fry
All kinds of goodness is on the menu at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma’s utterly delectable fundraiser that fuels its Food for Kids programs.
Joshua Benson, Rebekah Hill
John Frank, Rebecca McCart, Bradley McCart
ONE EVENT Photos by Claude Long
The Norman Arts Council’s annual fundraiser – this year’s theme of “Beat Street” celebrates ’80s NYC urban culture – is always a singular sensation.
Erinn Gavaghan, Ryan Hauser, Michael Bendure
Jason Dunnington, Byron Chambers, Zach Johnson
Emily Pierce, Karen Kessinger, Whitney Watts
Kasey Greenhaw, Hilary Farrell JUNE 2015 // SLICE 33
UP FRONT | Wanderlust
77 COUNTIES: GARVIN COUNTY
Celebrating America’s Most Famous Prom By M.J. Alexander
IT’S THE SORT OF IRONIC TWIST THAT WOULD MAKE FOR A GREAT MOVIE. The plot: A perceived danger is banned for decades only to become, once allowed inside the city limits, the very thing that brings the community together for generations to come. And so it came to pass in Elmore City, a farming and oilfield town halfway between Oklahoma City and the Texas state line. Dancing – which had been forbidden for 82 years, through 15 presidencies – is now the town’s point of pride. In an unlikely turn of events 35 years ago, the Garvin County town of 700 souls made national news when its high school junior class won permission to host a prom. The dance would be the first since Elmore City was incorporated in 1898. Headlines about the town’s ban on dancing inspired a Yale-educated writer to create the screenplay and lyrics for what would become an American cultural juggernaut. The events in Elmore City sparked an iconic 1984 movie, multi-platinum soundtrack that displaced Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” from the top of the charts, successful 1998 Broadway musical and 2011 movie remake, building a multi-million entertainment franchise known by a single word: “Footloose.” 34 SLICE // JUNE 2015
THE BAN ON DANCING IN ELMORE CITY WAS INSTITUTED BEFORE STATEHOOD, in an attempt to keep the Chickasaw Nation town clear of carousing. When the students from Elmore City’s Class of 1981 petitioned to overturn the ban, traditionalists dug in their heels. Mary Ann Temple-Lee, junior class officer and daughter of the school board president, remembered years later that opposition to legalizing dancing was headed by the clergy. “What made a lot of people against it was that it was preached from the pulpit.” One of the most quotable opponents was the Rev. F.R. Johnson of the United Pentecostal Church in the nearby town of Hennepin: “No good has ever come from a dance. If you have a dance somebody will crash it and they’ll be looking for only two things – women and booze. When boys and girls hold each other, they get sexually aroused. You can believe what you want, but one thing leads to another.” The question of allowing a prom was brought before Elmore City’s five-member school board, and the vote came back 2-2. Board president, rancher Raymond Lee (father of Mary Ann Temple-Lee) broke the tie with words that had been a long time coming: “Let ’em dance.” The event made front page news from New York to China, including a feature in People magazine. The story caught the eye of Dean Pitchford, who was about to win the Academy Award and Golden Globe for best original song for writing the title track from “Fame.” He drafted a script and lyrics built around a big-city teen reluctantly transplanted to a small town that had banned music and dancing. To infuse the project with realism, he flew to Oklahoma City, rented a car, and drove to Ardmore and Elmore City. He stayed for a week, talking to Oklahomans about their lives. Upon his return to Los Angeles, he tweaked the dialogue, filling the story with details. The curious name of Ren – portrayed by Kevin Bacon in the movie – is an amalgam of the first names of prom organizers and junior class officers Rex Kennedy and Leonard Coffee. The working title of “Cheek to Cheek” was changed to “Footloose” and the movie was filmed in and around Provo, Utah, for $8 million, and earned back more than 10 times that amount. None of the money made it back to Elmore City, but some of the fame rubbed off. In 2010, the town made national headlines again when it recreated the famous prom on its 30th anniversary. The next year, it hosted its first Footloose Festival. Hennessey’s 40-student show choir recreated the movie’s climactic dance finale on Main Street in 2012, complete with choreography, a smoke machine, vintage prom attire and a confetti cannon. In 2013, dancers in garb ranging from camo to pink tutus did the Elmore City version of the Harlem Shake. At this year’s Footloose Festival, the pancake breakfast and 5K run was followed by a car show and crowning of the 2015 Footloose Festival Queen. Vying for the title were six contestants, including two-year-old Maci Wilkerson, whose favorite activity was listed as “likes to fight.” Seventeen-year-olds Micah Hicks and Savannah
Lee were the oldest participants. Lee’s interests include “hanging out with her friends and family, playing with her animals and art.” Hicks’ sentence-long bio concludes with “hobbies include sleeping.” Lee was crowned and changed out of her glittery silver contest dress into a mini-skirt and pink Elmore City T-shirt to wander among the hot dog-eating and pie-eating contests, lawnmower races and contests for best chicken dance, electric slide, line dance, wobble dance, cupid shuffle and twist. APRIL JUNE2015 2015 // // SLICE SLICE 35 35
UP FRONT | Wanderlust
The Footloose Five:
Tales of Fallen Girls, Snake Stomps and the Ban That Didn’t Exist
Its immortalization in “Footloose” made Elmore City’s prohibition the most famous dance ban in Oklahoma. But it was not the only town making headlines as prom prohibition came to an end: at least four other Oklahoma towns made national headlines when they lifted dancing bans.
AMES: Major County
For 66 years, dancing was not allowed in the town of Ames. Change came in 1987, after arguments that pitted neighbor against neighbor. At the time, Ames had five Protestant denominations in a town of 312, and 15 seniors in the graduating class. A petition to the school board asserted that “dancing, drugs, alcohol and sex go hand in hand.” Fred Detrick, an 82-year-old resident, took out paid advertisements warning that “Three-fourths of the fallen girls in America attribute the beginning of their ruin to dancing.” Others, including many parents, disagreed, citing fears of unsupervised parties and drunk driving. Ruby Peck, owner of the Ames Cafe and mother of senior Johnny Peck, told The New York Times that after most graduations “the kids would have a banquet and then come racing down Main Street. I’d rather see them dancing.”
RUSH SPRINGS: Grady County
After a rowdy dance at the 1974 Watermelon Festival, the citizens of Rush Springs voted 266-181 to revive a 1919 ordinance against public dancing – and to expand the ban to include private dancing as well. Arguing for the prohibition, Darrell Haynes, president of Citizens for a Better Rush Springs, said it was not the dancing itself that is objectionable, but rather “the bad environment it creates,” which would foster a “drug culture” that would “degenerate the morals of our youth.” A national news story the next year noted that City Judge William Pilgrim planned on taking off on the day of a high school dance, which was to be held in a private home within the city limits. “Doggone it. I used to enjoy dancing and I reckon I know how these kids feel. I’m the judge here and I’m not about to fine anybody if they want to cut a rug or two in private.” In September 1991, after being presented with a petition spearheaded by 80-year-old Gertrude Sweeny, the town council voted 4-1 to repeal the ban. Jim Rennaker, Rush Springs council member, said of the ban at the time: “I guess they were under the impression it would solve the community problems. But a lot of people considered it petty, small-minded foolishness.” Three days after the ban was lifted, 200 people showed up on a Thursday night for dancing in the streets. A reporter interviewed City Clerk Joyce Knapp as she danced with her husband, Gene: “I’m out of breath! You can tell it’s been 17 years.” She added, with a smile: “This is kind of fun.”
GRAHAM HIGH SCHOOL, NEAR WELEETKA: Okfuskee County
The story goes that the deed for the land where Okfuskee County’s Graham High School stood specified a ban on dancing. Generations of students passed through its doors, with nary a prom or homecoming dance. Fifteen years ago, a group of juniors petitioned to hold a prom. The idea was backed by the teachers and leadership of local churches. Graham Superintendent Dusty Chancey located the original deed to look for a loophole — and discovered there was no ban after all. Never had been. So on April 7, 2000, for the first time in its 85-year history, the Graham High gym was decorated for a dance. All but one of the 25 members of the junior and senior classes attended, as did some of the alumni who never had the opportunity to experience the rite of passage. Among them was Debbie Puckett, Class of 1971, who sat in the gym bleachers wearing a new dress and new hairdo, smiling as she watched her two daughters dance with their classmates: “I have never been to a dance in my life. I don’t even know how to dance. I’m about as excited as the kids. I’m finally getting my prom.”
Not a bump or grind was seen. Parents danced with children, little girls ran around with hula hoops and teenaged boys stood awkwardly around the perimeter of the makeshift dance floor. The date for the 2016 festival was set for April 23. In the original movie, in his climactic speech before the school board, “Footloose” hero Ren tells the town elders, “Ecclesiastes assures us that there is a time for every purpose under heaven. A time to laugh, and a time to weep. A time to mourn, and a time to dance. And there was a time for this law, but not anymore. See, this is our time to dance.” And they do, on the street and into the night. Editor’s note: This installment is part of author M.J. Alexander’s “77 Counties” series, chronicling her travels across Oklahoma. The full series is available at sliceok.com/travel/ 36 SLICE // JUNE 2015
HENRYETTA: Okmulgee County
At the height of the disco craze, a dance was planned for the old J.C. Penney building on Main Street in Henryetta, a city of 6,000 or so. Detractors fought back, uncovering a 1957 ordinance that banned public dancing. The gauntlet was thrown on September 16, 1978, when 700 revelers protested with dance. NBC’s national newscast summarized the scene: “Despite a local ban against dancing, Henryetta residents move to the disco beat … and 82-year-old Mary Davis joins the gyrating group. City Manager Chester Sims arrives to view the makeshift disco.” In December, Henryetta’s old ban on public dancing and new ordinance forbidding keeping poisonous snakes within the city limits inspired Jim Wittman to organize the “Greater Henryetta Snake Stomp.” National wire service stories quoted Wittman as saying “whoever wants to show up will stomp snakes in time to the music,” adding that the event was B.Y.O.S. – Bring Your Own Snake. His attorney, Tom Stringer Jr., called the event “an obvious satire on this silly dance ordinance. It’s not a dance. It’s a snake stomp.” Wittman was arrested at the stomp, although charges eventually were dropped. There is no record of the number of snakes that made it into town. Henryetta’s dancing ban was lifted in 1979, and the law changed to prohibit dances within 500 feet of a church or school. So is it still illegal to dance in Henryetta? A call to the Chamber of Commerce refers me to a compliance officer at city hall, who pauses and snorts: “Dancing ordinances? I couldn’t care less. That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard of.” He suggests the Henryetta police department might know more. But the officer is stumped. “I gotta be honest, I’m not asked that question a lot. I have no idea.” He puts me on hold for awhile and he comes back: “No one seems to know. That would be a foolish law, anyway. We wouldn’t have any interest in enforcing something like that.”
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TRENDS
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1. This extremely handsome chair from Lee Industries can be upholstered in any Lee fabric (starting at $1,380) or leather (starting at $2,250). 30 A Home 2. It takes a dad to sport a chronometer. With Movado, he’ll never miss a tee time with this stainless steel timekeeper with Swiss movement on his wrist. Huntington Fine Jewelers
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3. Himalayan salt is rich in trace minerals, and this salt plate adds to the depth of flavor your foods will achieve when cooked, chilled or simply presented on the plate. Culinary Kitchen 4. Man’s best friend: A stunning accent piece you would expect to find in a London antique shop - metallic brown finished cast resin dog with tray table and antique brass accents. Mister Robert Fine Furniture and Design
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5. Whether your dad prefers crimson or orange, you can help show off his college pride with themed canvas prints proclaiming the excellence of OU or OSU - available in various sizes (starting at $42). In Your Dreams
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6. The man who has everything won’t have these: bespoke 18kt yellow gold cufflinks with lapis and moonface backs by master goldsmith, Anthony Lent. Price upon request at Naifeh Fine Jewelry 7. Blac – the original handmade carbon fiber frame – lightweight and incredibly strong. TSO Optical 8. “Looped and Ready” 14.5” x 11” graphite drawing by Howard Halbert, $3,200 at Howell Gallery 9. Reclaimed outdoor bar table and metal stools. Urban Farmhouse Designs 10. The Shinola Rambler GMT watch is a brand new addition from the trendsetting American brand. $750 at BC Clark Jewelers’ downtown location
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11. The ultimate multitasker, Intellishade is more than your average sunscreen. It packs SPF 45 with three types of peptides for superior skin protection and care. Available in natural or tinted options. $48 from Lori Hansen, M.D. 12. Inspired by Scandinavian architecture, Taki watches feature clean bold lines, fresh color palettes and top-notch craftsmanship. The Museum president owns three! $92.95 at the Museum Store at the OKC Museum of Art 13. Hands down... the best gifts for dad! Cast iron cigar ashtray, Old World ornament and box sign. Gift wrapping is always complimentary. Painted Door
SHOPPING NEWS BC CLARK JEWELERS Jun 4 Life:Style Re:Styled Open House at BC Clark’s Penn Square mall store
HUNTINGTON FINE JEWELERS Jun 20 Meet the newest member of your family at the 2nd Annual Doggie Adoption Day, plus save big on a gift for dad!
"OKC’s Premier Kitchen & Bath Remodeler."
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URBAN FARMHOUSE DESIGNS Jun 13 Wood and Waffles! Urban Farmhouse Designs celebrates their grand opening with an old-fashioned family breakfast – urban style. They’ll be serving up red velvet waffles alongside activities for kids. 10am-1pm
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JUNE 11, 12, AND 13 ONLY Numerous items 45% off and ready for pick-up! Up to 75% off accessories and more!
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Main Store 3720 W. Robinson, Norman Warehouse 3550 Bart Conner Dr., Norman theosmarketplace.com • 405.364.0728 • JUNE 2015 // SLICE 43
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THE NEW TREND: ONE-OF-A-KIND PIECES Does your neighbor have this?
Metal X pattern base with wood and metal banded top
Industrial wood base with barn wood top (Outdoor Collection)
Industrial cart console
JUNE 13 Urban Farmhouse Designs' Grand Opening WOOD AND WAFFLES! Saturday morning, old fashioned family breakfast (Urban Style) 10:00am-1:00pm, activities for kids all day
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400 S. Western Ave., OKC | 405.305.6353 UrbanFarmhouseDesign.com
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INDIE AND
INCREDIBLE BY MARK BEUTLER AND JILL HARDY
In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past 15 years or so, Oklahoma City hosts a great film festival every summer called “deadCENTER.” Entertainers like Oklahoma’s own Megan Mullally will sometimes slip into town for it, and last year more than 25,000 people attended the five-day event. Dollar-wise it brought in more than $2.1 million to the local economy. It really is a big deal.
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The name deadCENTER has nothing to do with that old rock group The Grateful Dead, or TV shows about brain-munching zombies. Rather, it’s named for its geographic location in the middle, or “dead center,” of the country. “This is Oklahoma’s largest film festival,” said deadCENTER Executive Director Lance McDaniel. “According to MovieMaker magazine, we are one of the ‘20 Coolest Film Festivals in the World.’ “We received 1,000 films from around the world and our judges choose the top 100 to play at the festival. We also offer kids’ programming, education programs for high school students and teachers, filmmaker panel discussions, and we host awesome parties!” Brothers Justan and Jayson Floyd founded the film festival, and 2015 marks the event’s 15th year. McDaniel has been with the organization for five of those years. “Our best quality was established very early, and we treat filmmakers great,” he said. “If you get into our festival, it does not matter if you are with your first high school film or a Sundance winner, we make sure you have a great time and are celebrated as a filmmaker. “My first film at deadCENTER was a short film called ‘The Gymnast,’” McDaniel recalls. “I still remember Melissa Scaramucci and Cacky Poarch embracing me and inviting me into their posse of filmmakers here in Oklahoma. It was the first time I really felt like a filmmaker. And now that I have screened six films and am Executive Director, I work hard to ensure that no matter how big we grow, we retain our focus on celebrating independent filmmakers.” Growing big is what the festival continues to do, and through McDaniel’s leadership and the expertise of Director of Programming and Education Kim Haywood, deadCENTER has grown tremendously. “I started just after the 10th anniversary,” McDaniel said. “With the success of the first 10 years, I believed the next growth opportunity for us as an organization was to formalize our education offerings into a formal statewide education program. Since that time, we have visited 30 high schools, leading free film classes and seminars to more than 3,000 students each fall. For our efforts, we received the 2014 Governor’s Arts Award.” The education program has two components, McDaniel says, and is an integral part of what the organization does throughout the year. “deadCENTER University is our program for high school kids. We work with the teachers we meet along the way to invite the best and brightest 50 SLICE // JUNE 2015
students from each school to join us at the festival. They can network with other students and attend seminars from university professors and visiting filmmakers and guests. Last year, Wes Studi led an acting class, Oscar-winner Gray Frederickson spoke about producing ‘The Godfather, Part II’ and Oscarwinner Matthew Mungle led a class on special effects make-up.” A second component of the organization’s curriculum includes the “Oklahoma Film ICON Award,” and honors Oklahomans who have achieved great success and elevated the perception of Oklahomans in film around the world. “We highlight a wide range of outstanding people in all aspects of the film business,” McDaniel said. “This year’s honorees include Bob Berney, who distributed two of the most successful independent films ever: ‘The Passion of the Christ’ and ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding.’ “We are also honoring Bird Runningwater, the Director of Native Programming at Sundance; Bradley Beesley, a renowned documentary filmmaker from Moore who made ‘Okie Bird Runningwater Noodling’ and ‘Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo.’ Additionally, honors go to actor/director Tim Blake Nelson, who starred in ‘Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?’ He also starred in ‘Lincoln’ and ‘Fantastic Four,’ and just debuted his latest film as a director, ‘Anesthesia,’ at the Tribeca Film Festival.” So what’s on the horizon for deadCENTER? “My goal moving forward is to establish the deadCENTER Film Institute as a year-round educational organization,” McDaniel said. “We will offer screenwriting, directing and producing labs for Oklahoma filmmakers. And we will also expand our statewide program to reach more high school, tech center and regional college students. Our annual festival would be one of many programs we offer.” McDaniel hopes young filmmakers realize they don’t necessarily need to head for Hollywood to be successful. And as he gears up for the annual deadCENTER Film Festival, he wants all Oklahomans to come out and enjoy. “This is one of the most exciting weekends in Oklahoma,” McDaniel said. “We expect 30,000 people this year as we celebrate the best independent films and filmmakers from Sundance to Oklahoma and beyond.”
THE LINEUP
Movie aficionados, it’s time once again for that five-day fix for the soul that is starved for out-of-the-box filmmaking. Whether you’re a film buff who pines for better independent movie options during the rest of the year, or a regular Joe who hasn’t ever viewed movies as art, the deadCENTER Film Festival probably has something for you. This year’s festival (which runs from June 10-14) will be the 15th, and its growth from a single night of screenings into a five-day, internationally recognized independent film event is a source of pride for those who are committed to encouraging growth in Oklahoma’s cultural landscape. You can take a look at the schedule online (deadcenterfilm. org/festival/2015-festival-schedule), and get a feel for which titles would best suit you. Planning ahead is also advised with regards
to actual ticket purchases; the festival’s organizers suggest the All Access Pass, which gives you carte blanche entry to any screenings and additional networking events and parties. (Heads up for those intending to purchase single tickets to individual movies; All Access Pass holders are seated first, and then remaining seats are sold, starting 20 minutes before showtime.) The offerings for 2015 range from informative to heartfelt and funny, but all are unique and express a spirit of filmmaking that doesn’t quite fit into the blockbuster mold. The films we’ve chosen to review represent a small portion of the list of choices, but do a good job of illustrating the range of subjects and styles available to enjoy during this year’s festival.
THE DAWES ROLLS AND BLOOD QUANTUM
Understanding the Language of “By Blood”
By Blood
DIRECTED BY MARCOS C. BARBERY AND SAM RUSSELL
Oklahoma’s history is interwoven so tightly with that of its Native American population, it’s impossible to separate them. Thanks to the efforts of those who wish to illuminate the whole of our past – the good, the bad, and the ugly – most citizens know that our state’s creation had a heavy price for many. While we celebrate Oklahoma’s Native American heritage now, it’s good to keep the consciousness of past wrongs alive in some measure, as a means of responsible co-existence and understanding in the present. However, that awareness can slip into a black-and-white view of Native American issues, and it’s that very tendency that is adroitly addressed in Marcos C. Barbery and Sam Russell’s documentary, “By Blood.” The hour-long film looks at the issue of Seminole and Cherokee Freedmen, descendants of African slaves owned by Native Americans who were granted freedom – and tribal membership – by the tribes as part of the treaty agreements they signed after the Civil War. (Many Oklahoma Seminoles and Cherokees were allies of the Confederacy). Both tribes began campaigns in the early part of the 21st century to remove Freedmen from tribal rolls … after more than a century of membership. The film examines a few of the reasons given by the tribe, as well as some posited by disenfranchised Freedmen. (The main suggestions being money and racism.) It chronicles the struggle over the last decade or so, providing a macro-narrative while also highlighting individual stories with poignant simplicity. The story of Cherokee tribal member (and PetSmart employee) David Cornsilk representing the case of Freedman Lucy Allen as a lay advocate against the Cherokee attorney general is worth the price of admission all on its own.
Marcos C. Barbery and Sam Russell’s documentary “By Blood” references the different means that Native American tribes use to quantify tribal membership. In a state where educational and health benefits for Native Americans and tribal revenue are frequent topics of discussion, understanding what makes a tribal member vs. who is “Native American” can be a helpful tool for comprehending the larger conversation. “Blood quantum” refers to the amount of Native American ancestry that an individual has. It’s measured by the degree of Native American “blood” inherited from ancestors. (A person with a parent who is half Native American would be considered one quarter, etc.) Many tribes require a minimum blood quantum for membership, and often, the means of verifying that blood connection is a base roll, or document that lists the tribe’s original members. For the five tribes in Oklahoma that were once referred to as “Civilized,” the Dawes Rolls provide that base of information. One of the tribes profiled in “By Blood,” the Cherokee Nation, requires no minimum blood quantum, but it is necessary for a prospective member to be able to prove direct descent from someone listed on the Dawes Rolls as a citizen of the tribe.
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The Verdigris: In Search of Will Rogers DIRECTED BY BEAU JENNINGS
Part of the charm of “The Verdigris” is its unassuming openness. While many documentaries double as critical thinking exercises, trying to lead you to a conclusion through a series of points, Jennings is just crafting an homage to a beloved fellow Okie. The lack of pretension that characterizes the whole film is evident from the opening frames when you hear Jennings’ voice say, simply, “My name is Beau Jennings, and Will Rogers is my hero.” “The Verdigris” is equal parts musical journey and travelogue; the soundtrack is composed of songs written by Jennings about Rogers, performed around the United States at sites that correspond with significant events in Will Rogers’ life. His birthplace in Oologah, Oklahoma, New York City (home to the Ziegfield Follies, where Rogers’ show biz career started) and the site of his death in Barrow, Alaska, among others. As a fan boy, the quirky Jennings does a great job of engaging the viewer with his tangible enthusiasm during his quest to understand his abiding admiration of Will Rogers. As a filmmaker, he succeeds in matching the movie’s pace and style – homespun and fun – with the personality of its subject matter. And as an historian, he performs an even more noble task; showcasing the actions and traits that made a simple, good man famous, and sharing them with another generation. 52 SLICE // JUNE 2015
HE NEVER MET A MAN HE DIDN’T LIKE
Will Rogers’ Literary Legacy
In profiling one of Oklahoma’s most beloved sons, Beau Jennings is also examining a man who made a unique impact on the nation. At the time of his death in 1935, Rogers had not only been a cowboy, but a vaudeville performer, movie star, radio personality, humorist, political commentator, newspaper columnist and author. His famous one-liners delivered wry judgments on issues of the day, and cut big topics down to size. Although he dropped out of high school in the 10th grade, Rogers was a prolific newspaper columnist (over 4,000), and wrote several books. (Many of his papers have also been published.) Easily one of the most quotable figures in recent history, Rogers’ role as a common sense philosopher made him one of the most accessible voices to the everyday man, and many of his observations remain timeless reminders of his keen wit and understanding. “Lord, the money we do spend on Government and it’s not one bit better than the government we got for one-third the money 20 years ago.” ~Will Rogers
The Overnight
DIRECTED BY PATRICK BRICE
By turns heartfelt and sexually graphic, “The Overnight” might best be described as a slightly more cerebral version of “The Hangover.” (Yes, I’m admitting in print that I’ve seen “The Hangover.”) Patrick Brice’s examination of life, love and shifting identity as a married couple has thoughtful moments (one of the main character’s concern about making friends in a new place is a rarely voiced adult worry), but enough awkward humor (and use of prosthetic penises) to keep it from being too serious. Stars Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman and Judith Godreche do a fantastic job of playing married couples getting to know each other over an impromptu dinner party that turns into an overnight boundary-breaking frenzy after they put their two young sons to bed. The four of them reveal hopes, frustrations and secret desires, consuming copious amounts of liquor and pot in the process. Quotable (“Of course you’re feeling good … you’re drunk and stoned!”) and thought-provoking, “The Overnight” is definitely a jaw-dropper (it’s not described as a “sex comedy” for nothing), but also an acknowledgement that being grown up isn’t necessarily an arrival. Finding yourself is an ongoing process.
WHAT DOES INDEPENDENT REALLY MEAN? For those who are un-initiated in the terminology of independent filmmaking (and even among some of us who thought we were familiar with it) a question that may pop up during the course of a film festival like deadCENTER is … what is meant by “independent”? In 2013 actor Robert Redford, founder of the Sundance Institute, which sponsors the yearly independent Sundance Film Festival (where “The Overnight” premiered this year), told the BBC that independent filmmakers had a “different type of voice” than those involved in Hollywood productions. Some believe that the definition includes production outside of a major studio, which frees the director and producer to make the movie according to the dictates of their vision, rather than what would sell tickets to the majority of the population. (Always a concern when you have to cover salaries of big name movie stars and unlimited special effects editing). A byproduct of smaller production is usually smaller distribution, hence the association
of independent movies with “art house” (read: small and obscure) venues. But events like Sundance serve not just to showcase new films made outside of standard Hollywood methods, but to offer the chance for distribution companies to purchase the movies and give them a wider release. For some purists, this might taint the exclusive feel of independent films (it’s not as easy to feel edgy elbowing your way through a multiplex as it is settling into an uncrowded museum theater), but it undoubtedly increases a film’s audience, which is good for the filmmakers as storytellers. It’s also good for their pocketbooks; bidding on distribution deals at Sundance can climb into the millions. Albert Einstein said, “Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom.” Whatever your interpretation of the term “independent,” as it relates to films, supporting it in its various forms is one way of ensuring that all versions — including yours — get a chance to be seen by audiences. JUNE 2015 // SLICE 53
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Tak i n g O ff By Timothy Fields // Photos by Simon Hurst
JUST IN TIME TO CELEBRATE THE ALL-IMPORTANT DADS IN YOUR LIFE, WE’VE COLLECTED A FEW “AIR-WORTHY” LOOKS GUARANTEED TO HAVE HIM JUMPING FOR JOY. WITH THE HELP OF OUR MODEL ANDY SHANE TOFA, MUSIC THEATER MAJOR FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA, MEN’S FASHION IS TAKING OFF.
With no time to waste – Cremieux Super 130 blue suit, Kenneth Cole pink glaze shirt, Murano paisley and floral tie, Johnston and Murphy leather and canvas belt, with Magnanni monk strap dress shoe and Polo by Ralph Lauren leather briefcase, all from Dillard’s Penn Square in OKC.
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Sophistication and comfort can be had with this cotton suit by 18 Waits, floral print shirt, Grenson leather wingtip shoes, Bailey straw hat, Tsovet watch and Two Guys Bowtie lapel pin from Trade Men’s Wares in OKC.
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Von Maur Quail Springs in OKC provides us with styling reminiscent of old Havana, Cuba, with Hudson jeans, Ted Baker polka dotted button down shirt, Broner straw hat, A.J. Morgan sunglasses and blue suede shoes by J. Shoes.
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Dad will be head over heels for this look from Trade Men’s Wares: Gitman Bros. tropical print cotton shirt, The West is Dead chinos and gray PF Flyers.
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Lacoste shorts, Ben Sherman long sleeve shirt with signature logo t-shirt, Nike reversible belt and Tommy Bahama Beach Bum canvas shoe from Von Maur Quail Springs.
What dad wouldn’t kick it in this? Nike Golf citron top with grey band, Under Armour grey plaid shorts, Nike Fingertrap Max shoes and Daniel Cremieux signature collection belt, all from Dillard’s Penn Square.
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Cool, Cool
Summer Ideas for Fun in the Sun (and Indoors) Around the Metro and Beyond BY JILL HARDY
IT COULD HAPPEN WITHIN A WEEK, OR IT MIGHT TAKE A COUPLE OF MONTHS, BUT AT SOME POINT DURING SUMMER VACATION, MOST PARENTS WILL COME TO A PLACE WHERE THEY CRY OUT THE WORDS …“WILL SCHOOL NEVER START?!” Long, lazy days at home with nothing in particular to do are a welcome break from the formal routine of school. Experts have even found that long spates of unstructured free time are key in developing children’s creativity and problem-solving abilities, and the opportunity for that is usually in short supply during the (often over-scheduled) school year. It is possible to get too much of a good thing, however. No matter how beneficial the chance to relax is for kids, and despite every parent’s best intentions about encouraging creativity when the “B” word (bored) comes out, we all know that at some point, you just need to get out of the house. Whether it’s for a change of scenery, the opportunity to make some special memories, or to keep you from tearing your hair out, here’s a list of kid-friendly adventures around the metro and surrounding areas, with a few day trip ideas thrown in for good measure.
MYRIAD BOTANICAL GARDENS
In addition to the gardens and Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, the Myriad Botanical Gardens offer a wealth of activities for a variety of ages, both moderately priced and free. Starting June 16, the younger set will have the chance for a different activity each day of the week, in the form of Weekly Walk Ups on the Children’s Garden Porch (no official charge, but a donation of at least $2 is suggested) and the whole family can enjoy the Sonic Summer Movie Series in July, on the Great Event Lawn. There’s even a dog park for the family pet, and the Thunder Fountain water feature is free to the public. Rules for both can be found on the Myriad Botanical Gardens’ website, along with a monthly calendar to keep you apprised of upcoming events. 60 SLICE // JUNE 2015
PHOTOS THIS PAGE BY SIMON HURST
301 W. Reno, Oklahoma City, 405.445.7080 oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com
RIVERSPORT ADVENTURES
The Boathouse District 725 S. Lincoln Blvd, Oklahoma City 405.552.4040, boathousedistrict.org The Boathouse District isn’t just for boating – if you have kids who aren’t into kayaking or paddleboarding but have a need for adventure anyway, there’s plenty of use for their adrenaline on the SandRidge SkyTrail adventure course, the zip line or the three rock walls. If you have older children interested in the many camps or classes available, and need to entertain younger siblings, there’s a Youth Zone with downsized versions of the SkyTrail and zipline, as well as a Cloud Bounce and bungee jump. June 2015 also marks the opening of the Lake Overholser adventures; bike rentals, kayaking and paddleboard lessons and rentals, as well as a double zip line, giant swing and pedal boats. Call the Welcome Center before your visit to make sure all activities are operational (several have wind limitations) and to get counseling about your choices for passes. Hourly, single adventure options are available, as are day and season passes for individuals and families.
PHOTOS THIS PAGE: RIVERSPORT ADVENTURES BY GEORGIA READ; CALF COURTESY BRAUM’S
BRAUM’S PROCESSING PLANT AND BAKERY TOUR
WAKE ZONE
Braum’s Family Farm, Tuttle, 405.478.1656
3501 N.E. 10th Oklahoma City, 405.702.4040 cablewakezone.com
If you have Braum’s devotees in your family (and who doesn’t?), a trip to the Braum’s plant and bakery in Tuttle is a must at some point, and what better time to take advantage of that complimentary ice cream bar than in the summer? Departing at 9 and 11 a.m., Monday through Friday, the guided, free tour takes you through the Willy Wonka-like workings of this Oklahoma treasure. Kids of all ages can see how their favorite cookie or flavor of ice cream is made, and parents can find new reasons to love Oklahoma’s first family of dairy after watching the video presentation about the farm’s practices. Just be sure to call ahead — the tours are popular and only conducted by reservation.
If your family is in the market for a new thrill, Wake Zone may be your new happy place this summer. Instead of being pulled behind a boat, wakeboarders (or kneeboarders, waterskiers or wakeskaters) are conveyed through Oklahoma’s only wake park by a system of overhead cables. Situated two miles east of downtown, the ramps dotting the water park may look daunting, but rest assured — the knowledgeable staff will have you and your kids (or … just your kids) on the water in no time. Absolute beginners are welcomed, and although the suggested age for learning is seven years old, private lessons for younger adventure seekers are available. Visit the website for pricing and the all-important waiver. (Parents/guardians must sign in person for those under 18.) In addition to lessons and a variety of passes (hour, day, month and annual), Wake Zone offers a tremendous birthday experience, and summer camp options that in some cases cost “LESS THAN DAY CARE!!” (Wake Zone’s emphasis, not mine.) JUNE 2015 // SLICE 61
BIG SPLASH WATER PARK
4707 E. 21st, Tulsa, 918.749.7385, bigsplashwaterpark.net
ELEVATION TRAMPOLINE PARK
If you need a way to cool off after a trip to the Oklahoma Aquarium (okaquarium.org) in nearby Jenks, consider making a day (or even a weekend) of it in Tulsa, and visiting the Big Splash Water Park. Home to Oklahoma’s only water roller coaster, the Big Splash Water Park also houses three slides that extend four stories, as well as the 72-foot-tall Silver Bullet. There are wave pools (the larger one has four different types of waves) and the Lazy River for the more relaxed fun seekers, and the Activity Pool and Little Splash areas ensure that there are enough attractions for family members of every size. Comfortable cabanas placed throughout the park won’t fool you into thinking you’re in the Bahamas, but they will help you manage your sun exposure, and avoid that atomic burn so often associated with a day at a water park.
14402 N. Lincoln Blvd, Edmond, 1431 N. Moore Ave, Moore, 405.463.3335, elevationtp.com The quest to wear out energetic kiddos is taken to new heights (literally) at Elevation. A trampoline park with something for everyone, Elevation houses 5,000 square feet of open jumping surface (floors and walls), as well as two sports courts (for extreme versions of dodgeball, volleyball and basketball), a foam pit where timid jumpers can try out tricks, and a Kids’ Court specifically for children ages two to six. Pro Tip: Complete the waiver (required for all jumpers, as is a signature of a guardian for those under 18) online before leaving home. While the Elevation staff is supremely helpful, and the electronic devices stationed throughout the line for on-site registration a good idea, it takes the keenest of minds and nerves of steel to remember birth dates and other information in the high-octane atmosphere.
OKLAHOMA CITY MUSEUM OF ART
The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is a haven for culturally conscious children’s activities during any season, but school vacations present the chance for young art lovers to extend their learning by attending day camps. Extensions of the wonderful classes offered by the museum year round, the day camps offer opportunities to get a little more in-depth with subjects like sculpture or video production, and topics are often tied to current exhibits. Professional teaching artists lead the classes, which are aimed at kids aged 4 to 16, and a presentation of students’ work complete with reception finishes up the week. The museum is closed on Mondays, so the “week” of day camp is only four days long. Requirements and specifics can be found online (okcmoa.com/learn/ classes-camps/youth-classes-workshops/camps/), and enrolling as early as possible is suggested – popular camps fill up quick. 62 SLICE // JUNE 2015
PHOTOS THIS PAGE: ELEVATION TRAMPOLINE PARK BY SIMON HURST; OKLAHOMA CITY MUSEUM OF ART COURTESY OKLAHOMA CITY MUSEUM OF ART
415 Couch Drive, Oklahoma City, 405.236.3100, okcmoa.com
Free for All
NO-COST OPTIONS FOR SUMMER FUN
PHOTOS THIS PAGE: METROPOLITAN LIBRARY SYSTEM COURTESY METROPOLITAN LIBRARY SYSTEM; SAM NOBLE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY COURTESY SAM NOBLE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY; ROUTE 66 PARK BY SIMON HURST
IF THE MANY ACTIVITY CHOICES HAVE YOU OVERWHELMED, AND IF THE PROSPECTIVE COST HAS YOU CONSIDERING A SECOND MORTGAGE, REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE ALWAYS SOME FREE OPTIONS FOR FUN IN AND AROUND THE METRO AREA. The Metropolitan Library System (metrolibrary.org) has an array of choices for toddlers to teens. In addition to the summer reading program (kids earn rewards for reading and logging their efforts), there are story times for preschool and elementary children (as well as a popular program where children can read to dogs), and events for teens that include everything from book clubs to movie nights. Visit metrolibrary.org to find a library hosting a program that tickles your child’s fancy. The first Monday of every month is admission-free at the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History (snomnh.ou.edu/), and there’s never a charge for entry at the Fred Jones, Jr. Museum of Art in Norman (ou.edu/fjjma.html). On temperate days, some of the city’s lovely parks can provide picnic opportunities. The 121 acre Hafer Park in Edmond is a perennial favorite (visit edmondok.com for info), as is Martin Nature Park, at 5000 W. Memorial in Oklahoma City (okc.gov/parks/martin_park/). The Route 66 Park (9901 N.W. 23rd, Oklahoma City), boasts the Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Department’s largest playground, as well as an observation tower that allows you to scan the park’s ponds and Lake Overholser. When the temperature heats up, knowledge of where to find a good splash park can give everyone a chance to cool down without forking over a fortune at the pool. Not sure where to find a free splash pad near you? Visit okc.gov/parks/ pools/spraygrounds.html to download a map of pools and splash pads around the metro. Grab it out of your glove compartment and amaze your friends when the going gets tough, and the tough get hot and cranky. JUNE 2015 // SLICE 63
SPOKIES
Downtown Oklahoma City spokiesokc.com For a fun spin on a day downtown, rent bikes through one of the seven Spokies kiosks and traipse through the streets to your hearts’ content. (Or, rather, traipse in 30 minute intervals, checking your Spokie back in and out again; while a day pass is good for 24 hours, you must check the bike into a kiosk every half hour to avoid extra charges). If you have a great time and want to repeat the experience, you can always purchase a monthly or yearly membership. (Yearly memberships can only be purchased online). While a seven-year-old with good bicycle skills could easily handle one of the single-speed cruisers (seats are adjustable), a good height guideline for comfort is five feet tall, according to the Spokies’ official website. (The site also has a list of frequently asked questions, if you want to familiarize yourself with the process beforehand.) Two important things to bring; a helmet and your credit card. No cash or debit cards are accepted, and head protection is totally on you. However, it’s well worth the extra effort; experiencing downtown on two wheels is a surefire memory maker.
Fun Giants HEYDAY AND MAIN EVENT
FOR THE HARRIED PARENT LOOKING FOR ONE-STOP-SHOPPING IN THE RECREATION DEPARTMENT THIS SUMMER, TWO CHOICES LOOM LARGE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE METRO; HEYDAY AND MAIN EVENT. Both offer multiple activities for a wide age range of children that can also hold appeal for adults, and they each feature menus that will please a variety of palates. (If you’re a parent, teriyaki meatballs and a glass of merlot certainly won’t hurt the fun quotient). Each has unique aspects which might sway your initial choice but both are well worth considering.
Main Event, located at 1441 W. Memorial Road in north Oklahoma City, is part of a Dallas-based regional chain of super-sized entertainment centers. In addition to bowling, the Oklahoma City branch offers laser tag, a ropes course, an arcade and billiards tables and grown up menu items (both food and drink) in addition to kid standards like pizza and chicken nuggets. We’ve all been scarred by experiences with pizza at arcades – I won’t mention names, although a certain rodent with a “cheesy” appellation comes to mind – but Main Event is endeavoring to reinvent that association, with offerings like Italian Pesto pizza, and a veggie alternative with sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. If your passion is pool, then you’ll appreciate the multiple billiards tables at Main Event. If the gaming part of your visit is important, then the sizable arcade will enhance your experience. The company’s website (mainevent.com) has explanations of the features and specials (you can sign up for their newsletter to receive additional alerts about discounts and promotions), and a menu.
2501 N. Blackwelder, Oklahoma City 405.606.7003 , oklahomachildrenstheatre.org Located on the campus of Oklahoma City University, the Oklahoma Children’s Theatre is both a theatre for young audiences and a center for classes, camps and workshops for budding actors. The theatre’s season is divided between productions aimed at children aged 1st through 5th grade, and 5th grade and older; there’s also usually at least one co-production with OCU. You can see an overview of the upcoming season and order tickets through the website for the June production of “James and the Giant Peach,” or July’s offering, “Into the Woods, Jr.,” and you can also find information about classes, summer camps and even volunteer opportunities for theatre-minded teens. 64 SLICE // JUNE 2015
While the activities and upscale food choices are similar to those offered at Main Event, the atmosphere at HeyDay, on 3201 Market Place in Norman, is decidedly different. Instead of making the impression of a kids’ place that has been made tolerable for adults, HeyDay comes across as an adult venue that is also comfortable for children. No warehouse-like open floor plans here; the sleek furnishings and sectioned activity zones reduce noise, allowing for a more relaxed mood than you would think possible in a family fun center. (HeyDay does term themselves a “Family Fun Center,” for the record, but it’s worth noting that their facility is used as often for adult group gatherings and corporate meetings as it is family outings). An upstairs area is reserved for patrons 21 years of age and older, and features additional bowling lanes and a bar/lounge. The arcade is not as large as Main Event’s, but the laser tag experience is unrivaled. The co-owners’ hearts are solidly in laser tag, and they’ve made sure that the facility is top notch. HeyDay is locally owned and operated, and committed to excellent customer and community relations, which is a definite plus – and sometimes, unfortunately, a dramatic difference when it comes to attractions like this. Be sure to visit the website (heydayfun.com) or call ahead (405.310.3500) to reserve your spot. Activities are scheduled by time slots, and while walk-ins are welcome, there could be a wait time.
PHOTOS THIS PAGE: OKLAHOMA CHILDREN’S THEATRE BY BRYAN CARDINALE-POWELL; MAIN EVENT COURTESY MAIN EVENT; HEYDAY BY SIMON HURST
OKLAHOMA CHILDREN’S THEATRE
PROMOTION
WHERE THE HEART IS
The St. Jude Dream Home T his is a classic example of good/better/best in action: the good news is that a newly built luxury home in Edmond is opening its doors for tours, giving visitors a chance to explore it for ideas and potentially win some enticing prizes for making the trip. The better news is that the house, valued at $400,000, will become the property of one lucky person – potentially you – who paid $100 for a raffle ticket. (That’s one whopper of a return on your investment.) The best news of all is that the entire enterprise benefits the St. Jude Children’s Hospital, meaning your participation will make life a little better for a grievously ill child. Top to bottom, the St. Jude Dream Home Tour is a great idea. Taking part is simple – just visit the house at 15201 Kestral Way in Edmond (that’s in The Lakes at Traditions); it’s open every weekend from June 20 through August 9, Saturdays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays from noon-5 p.m. Visitors to the house can register (for free) to win a $10,000 Edmond Furniture Gallery shopping spree. Not too shabby. To get your name in the mix for the giveaway, rustle up $100 for a ticket, jot down the website dreamhome.org and circle June 4 on your calendar. That’s the first day of ticket sales, and anyone who purchases theirs on that day will be eligible to win a “Tickets on Sale Prize” – a medium-size storm shelter from Storm Safe Shelters. Buyers by July 9 are also eligible for the Early Bird Prize, but you can get in for the main event anytime before the winner is drawn August 16. And after that drawing, someone will get the keys to this beautifully designed domicile. Built by longtime St. Jude partners Timber-
Craft Homes, it’s 2,800 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 3 baths and a spacious, open floor plan – including an upstairs bonus room and outdoor living area. TimberCraft’s Kristy Stevens calls it “Contemporary style with a rustic flair.” Proceeds from the entries help St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in its mission to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment – and no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family’s ability to pay. The Memphis facility averages over 67,000 patient visits a year, operating costs are around $2 million per day (largely funded by private donations) and while it hasn’t been a solo effort, treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent when it opened in 1962 to more than 80 percent today. The St. Jude Dream Home will be a pleasure to explore – and whether or not you wind up with the keys, your participation in the giveaway will help children and families in need of some good news.
JUNE 2015 // SLICE 65
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ark T. Hanstein genuinely is an expert in his field. Since officially becoming a Doctor of Dental Surgery at the OU College of Dentistry, he’s been working at his namesake practice in the heart of Oklahoma City for almost 30 years. He’s a current and active member of the American and Oklahoma Dental Associations and Oklahoma County Dental Society, and is a Fellow of the American College of Dentists. And after three decades, he’s still passionate about his work: “I love the atmosphere downtown, and I’ve got great patients.” But his career has been about more than building a successful Dr. Hanstein and team in Tulsa after giving practice; he’s also dedia new smile to a M.O.M. patient cated to giving back his time and expertise to the community, and many of those patients have been on the receiving end of that expertise because of programs like the Oklahoma Mission of Mercy. The free event provides oral assistance to the uninsured or people without access to dental care, and Dr. Hanstein has been participating annually since its inception in 2010 (part of an outpouring of support that has provided almost $7 million of care so far), and says he’ll still be participating after 25 years if he can. He’s a longtime member and past president of the Kiwanis Club, has served on the boards of the Myriad Gardens Foundation and Infant Crisis Services, been appointed by three consecutive governors to the state Athletic Commission … he’s even received the key to the city of Warr Acres and was among the first responders to the OKC bombing in 1995. In his downtown office or the community he loves, Dr. Hanstein’s efforts have resulted in an ever-growing number of sincere smiles.
MARK T. HANSTEIN, D.D.S. 201 Robert S. Kerr Avenue, Suite 521 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 405.235.7288 | okcdrhansteindds.com
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iabetes is a killer. Nearly ten percent of Americans have it, and Oklahomans suffer at a higher rate than the national average – it’s our state’s 4th leading cause of death. And while bringing those numbers down won’t happen overnight, some of Oklahoma’s finest medical minds are working to understand the earliest workings of diabetes, and thus make the future brighter for our youngest citizens. Dr. Steven Chernausek is the Edith Kinney Gaylord Endowed Chair in Pediatric Diabetes/Endocrinology, senior faculty at Harold Hamm Diabetes Center–Children’s and the associate chief of OU’s Pediatric Diabetes and Endocrinology Section. Board-certified in pediatrics and pediatric endocrinology, Dr. Chernausek is a member of numerous national organizations and is a Past-President of the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society – he’s done research on the hormonal control of growth and the effects of high glucose levels during pregnancy; studies that suggest babies with low birth weights and low birth-weight babies who gain the most weight in the first few months of life are at a higher risk of developing diabetes later on. Dr. Kenneth Copeland is the Milburn Endowed Chair in Pediatric Diabetes/Endocrinology and is director of Harold Hamm Diabetes Center– Children’s and chief of the Diabetes and Endocrinology Section within the Department of Pediatrics. Since 2002 he has served as the national co-chair and Oklahoma principal investigator of the NIH-sponsored TODAY study (Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth). Dr. Copeland is also a Past-President of the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society, and in 2005 he co-authored the first American Diabetes Association standards of care for children with Type 1 Diabetes. Their work is part of Harold Hamm Diabetes Center’s efforts to pursue numerous avenues of research, patient care, education and prevention addressing the diabetes epidemic, and to promote the well-being of all people with or at high risk for diabetes in Oklahoma, regardless of ethnic background or financial status. And when the rate of Oklahomans afflicted with diabetes lowers, when overcoming it to continue life is made easier, when a cure for the disease is found, it will be due in part to the dedication and research of leaders like Drs. Chernausek and Copeland.
Dr. Steven Chernausek
Dr. Kenneth Copeland
HAROLD HAMM DIABETES CENTER – CHILDREN’S 1200 N. Phillips Ave., OKC | 405.271.3303 | haroldhamm.org
JUNE 2015 // SLICE 67
LIVING WELL | Exercise at Any Age
68 SLICE // JUNE 2015
TRI TO STAY HEALTHY By Greg Horton // Photos by Simon Hurst
IN EARLY 2000, STEVE “BUZZ” BUSSJAEGER TOOK HIS NINE-YEAROLD SON TO A 5K RACE. BUSSJAEGER, A SELF-IDENTIFIED SANDLOT ATHLETE GROWING UP, WANTED TO ENCOURAGE HIS SON TO PURSUE OUTDOOR INTERESTS AND LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. HIS SON TOOK TO THE RACES, AND EVENTUALLY, BUSSJAEGER RAN A RACE WITH HIM. “The little s--- outran me,” Bussjaeger laughed. Losing to his young son became the impetus to make lifestyle changes of his own. “I joined the YMCA and finally quit smoking,” he said. In truth, Bussjaeger, now 62 years old, was a pretty good athlete in college. A minor league baseball team offered him a shot at professional baseball, and he won the only bike race he entered in college. He said no to baseball, and after graduating from Pittsburgh State University with a degree in chemistry, Bussjaeger settled into his career. The trajectory of life from play to sports to marriage, family and career is a familiar one to most people. Like our first rudimen-
tary attempts at art – those pictures of houses and families adorning our refrigerators – our love for play and sports gets boxed up, literally and metaphorically, in our memories, photos, dusty trophies and reminiscences of what Bruce Springsteen sincerely and sarcastically called “glory days.” Bussjaeger rediscovered that love for physical activity via triathlons. The Y membership turned into spin classes and regular workouts. As he was getting back into shape, he saw an ad for a triathlon at Oklahoma City Community College. “I figured anyone could swim 500 yards,” Bussjaeger said. “I nearly drowned 50 yards in, and by the time I got to the 5K run, it felt like a death march.” JUNE 2015 // SLICE 69
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LIVING WELL | Exercise at Any Age
“I NEEDED A RETIREMENT HOBBY TO KEEP ME IN SHAPE.” – STAN SPEARS
Although the picture he paints is grim, there are better ways to get involved in triathlons, and training makes it accessible to people of any age and body type. Stan Spears is a certified personal trainer, and he and Bussjaeger both help people prepare for triathlons. Spears worked for FedEx for 34 years in various jobs, including the physical side of the business. “I remember joking before my retirement that I’d have to find something to do, or I’d turn into a fat, retired man,” Spears said. “I needed a retirement hobby to keep me in shape.” What exactly that hobby would be Spears did not know at the time, but a chance conversation with his mailman would lead Spears to his first triathlon. The mailman was a triathlete; he invited Spears to come watch one. At the event, Spears discovered that triathletes came in all sizes and ages. “Triathletes are not just categorized by age,” Spears said, “they are categorized by weight, too. The big guys are Clydesdales, and the big ladies are Athenas.” Both Bussjaeger and Spears are in a category called grand masters, which means they are over 55. Masters are triathletes between 40 and 54 years of age. 72 SLICE // JUNE 2015
At many events, the divisions are further subdivided by age in five-year increments, meaning triathletes compete against their peers, both according to age and body type. The egalitarian nature of the system makes it accessible to all ages and sizes, and that, Spears said, is one of the best parts of participating. Oklahoma gets more notice than is comfortable for some of our lifestyle choices. In 2013, we were ranked seventh in the nation in rate of obesity with nearly one third of adults qualifying as obese. Seventeen percent of children and teenagers (10 to 17 years old) are also obese. The numbers are familiar to Spears, and he said he is proud to be associated with a group that is trying to pursue a healthy lifestyle. “These are dedicated, phenomenal people,” Spears said. “We have great fellowship, we commit to a healthy lifestyle, including healthy eating, and we spend time together for support and encouragement, both at competitive events and at social events.” Many of the people Spears is speaking of are members of Tri-OKC, the Triathlon Club of Oklahoma City, which has 400 members. Bussjaeger estimates that about ten percent of the group are grand masters.
“Tri-OKC tries to promote the sport,” Bussjaeger said, “but we also provide advice and encouragement to all triathletes from beginners to elite athletes.” The open-door policy for beginners makes joining easy, but Spears said the best way to get acquainted with triathlons is to do what he did: go as a spectator. Going as a volunteer is also an option. “We love our volunteers,” Spears said. “They enjoy it, too. It’s very gratifying, because the triathletes are just so grateful to have them there. I even encourage triathletes to volunteer. There is much to learn by watching the elite athletes go by, including stride, seat position on the bike, breathing technique, all kinds of things.” Tri-OKC has helped a few members turn pro, but the group does not exist as an incubator for grooming talent as much as it exists to support the members, promote the sport and provide opportunities to meet new people in a welcoming, social environment. As this is Oklahoma, one of the things the group does regularly is hang out at Lake Arcadia. “Much of the training for triathlons is free,” Spears said. “For the swim training, we go to Lake Arcadia. After we finish practice, we usually have a cookout by the lake.”
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LIVING WELL | Exercise at Any Age
Tri-OKC also sponsors clinics, meetings and seminars where members learn about multi-sport training, water safety, techniques and other topics associated with triathlons. Bussjaeger said they occasionally hold expos to promote the sport as well. “We don’t do much marketing, but we do host expos where we try to find people who are already interested in one of the sports,” Bussjaeger said. “We talk to them about multi-sport training. Most people don’t even think in terms of triathlons.” The IRONMAN Triathlon is likely the sole reference point most people have for triathlon, and that isn’t necessarily a good thing. The IRONMAN is a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race and a full marathon combined. Even the official marketing for IRONMAN speaks of earning a “lifetime of bragging rights.” Presumably, they mean if you live, as the numbers alone are daunting, if not outright off-putting. Training for a marathon is grueling; running one is even more grueling. Imagine combining that with a swim and bike race. Triathlons come in various sizes, though, and sprints are where most people start. A sprint is a quarter mile swim, 12.5mile bike race, and 5K run. Those numbers sound like something more attainable for most. The next step up is the official Olympic triathlon: 1500-meter swim, 25-mile bike race and 10K run. The biggest race Tri-OKC sponsors is the “half iron,” which is comprised of exactly half the distances of the IRONMAN Triathlon. Training for triathlons actually makes good sense for people who like to work out regularly, as triathlon training provides a few legitimate benefits. Bussjaeger said switching between the three sports pre74 SLICE // JUNE 2015
vents the burn out that occasionally happens to people who are runners or bikers only. Also, training around an injury is easier with multi-sport training. Finally, training in different seasons and weather conditions is easier with multi-sport. Much of the difficulty of promoting triathlons comes from its absence in the most formative places for sports in America: schools. In spite of its clear benefits, triathlon is not popular in American schools, and public and private schools are where we first learn to love a particular sport. Very few colleges or universities even offer a scholarship for triathletes, and that, too, is a problem. Student athletes focus on sports that will get them a scholarship, so sports that are perceived as hobby or fringe sports do not draw the interest of students.
Bussjaeger said that most triathletes he has met are over 30. It is a sport that people come to later in life, and the club is working to get more young people involved. At a time when we are considering the longterm health impact of sports like football, triathlons might have a fighting chance, as all three sports promote healthy living with very low health risks. Also, unlike specialty
sports, the skills associated with triathlon can be practiced deep into our AARP years. “When you participate, they write your age on your calf,” Spears explained, “and you would be amazed at the range of ages out there. At the last El Reno event, we had a man who was 78 participating. I saw his age on his calf when he lapped me!” A few of the Tri-OKC club members, including Spears, have qualified for Team USA. They will participate in the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Chicago in September. The international competition is generally better than Team USA because they have better programs. It is one of the obstacles that Tri-OKC is trying to help rectify. “We are working on developing better programs and attracting younger people to the sport,” Bussjaeger said. “The USA teams get their butts kicked in international competition, and we would like to change that.”
FARE
BEVERAGE BLISS Warm weather is a fine time for white wine; try a sampler of creative varietals to discover a refreshing new favorite. See page 78.
A LITTLE TENDERNESS Recipes for delectable dining by unlocking the secret to exceptional beef tenderloin 76
CARLI WENTWORTH
EAT & DRINK Variety is on the menu in Slice’s citywide dining guide 80
JUNE 2015 // SLICE 75
FARE | In the Kitchen
JIMBO’S BEEF TENDERLOIN
1 (3.5 to 4 lb) center-cut beef tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin and fat ¼ c olive oil 1 T fresh rosemary, chopped 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped fresh cracked pepper 2 T coarse sea salt Place the trimmed beef tenderloin in a resealable plastic bag. Add the olive oil, rosemary, garlic and cracked pepper. Seal the bag and rub the mixture all over the meat. Place the meat and marinade in the refrigerator to marry overnight. Remove the beef tenderloin from the fridge one hour before you plan to cook it, so it can come to room temperature. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Fifteen minutes before you place the meat on the grill, rub the beef tenderloin with the sea salt. Give it a good massage. Allow it to rest. Place the meat on the grill and cook until all sides are nicely marked by the grill and the internal temperature comes to 120°F to 125°F for rare or 125°F to 135°F for medium rare using a digital thermometer. This should take between 25 to 35 minutes depending on the heat of your grill. Transfer the beef tenderloin to a cutting board and tent it loosely with foil. Allow it to rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
A LITTLE TENDERNESS
By Caryn Ross // Photos by Carli Wentworth
A SEA CAPTAIN ONCE TOLD ME … (bet you never expected a recipe to start like this) his secret to beef. His name was Captain Jimbo and boy, could he cook. We met in Singer Island, Florida, and became friends; Jimbo and I would drink coffee on the dock every morning and talk about all things food. One evening he invited my family to a cookout dockside. I assumed we would have fish, but he surprised us with a beef tenderloin that lived up to its “tender” moniker more than any other I have eaten in my life. His recipe is quite simple and the instructions are very clear: NO SALT until right before it goes on the grill. You must only use sea salt to season this steak – it has the same chemical components as table or kosher salt, but the finer “impurities” (the components that travel with the salt in the sea) give it distinctly different flavors based on its point of origin. Salt is actually the base for flavor development in food; it’s important! I encourage giving this a try in lieu of your favorite T-bone or ribeye next time you fire up the grill. If you’re going to cook steak, you have to make potatoes. To make insanely rich au gratin potatoes, it comes down to a few secrets. Number one is to use freshly grated cheese, none of that store-bought pre-grated junk. Second, use russet potatoes. They have a higher starch content and hold up better when baking in cream. Follow these rules and you’ll be set to have an unforgettable meal … one fit for the captain’s table. 76 SLICE // JUNE 2015
STEAKHOUSE AU GRATIN POTATOES
4-5 russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 1 T unsalted butter, softened 1 c heavy whipping cream ½ c whole milk 1½ T flour 2 large cloves of garlic, minced ½ t kosher salt ¼ t freshly cracked pepper 1 c cheddar cheese, grated ½ c sharp cheddar cheese, grated ¼ c Parmesan Reggiano, grated Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rub the softened butter all over the insides of a large baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the whipping cream, whole milk, flour, garlic, salt and pepper. Place of the sliced potatoes on the bottom of the baking dish and then pour of the cream mixture over the top. Repeat until all of the potatoes and cream mixture are in the baking pan. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the potatoes with cheese and continue baking for 15 minutes or until potatoes are bubbly and lightly brown on top. Remove from the oven and allow the dish to cool 10 minutes before serving.
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FARE | Matters of Taste
SIPS OF SUMMER By Greg Horton // Photos by Carli Wentworth
UNION WINE COMPANY IS READY TO TEST THE EDGES of your tolerance when it comes to wine traditions with the release of their Underwood Pinot Gris. The Underwood wines are now in Oklahoma, and they are packaged in cans: silver, Bud Lightesque cans. Union is certainly not the first wine company to try this, but they are the first in the state to offer red, white and rose in aluminum cans. The Pinot Gris was the first to arrive, and it got here in time for patio weather. Spring and summer are challenging times for wine drinkers, especially the “red only” wine lovers. Adam Rott, a certified sommelier at Broadway Wine Merchants, suggests trying white wines in summer for a couple of reasons. “White suffers from a misconception that it is light, with no complexity, and that it lacks the seriousness you find in reds,” Rott said. “There are many white wines that have the kind of complexity red wine lovers enjoy, and the white wines won't overpower meals.” Also, they are delicious in their own right. The goal is to enjoy something for what it is, not scorn it for what it is not. White wines do have far more variety and complexity than is widely believed, and this might be largely due to our tendency to reduce large categories to manageable items. The best-selling whites in Oklahoma are Chardonnay, Pinot Gris/ Grigio, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. We have reduced white wines to the big four plus all the stuff we don't know about. Fortunately, the Underwood comes in a recognizable grape variety, and quite frankly, it is a very pleasant introduction to wines in cans. Packard’s New American Kitchen added the cans to their rooftop patio wine list immediately, and some of their 78 SLICE // JUNE 2015
Finest selection of statuary pottery in the state!
reasons work for your pool or patio, too: they aren’t expensive, and you can’t break a can. Each can is, however, two full glasses of wine, so you are having two drinks, not one. Oklahoma is now home to a dizzying selection of white wines, many of which are perfect for summer cuisine and summer activities. Since we are on the subject of abandoning some wine traditions, this might be a good year to take some risks in wine choice, beginning with Müller-Thurgau. In addition to wine in cans, Packard’s also chose to add Anne Amie Cuvee A Müller-Thurgau to their wine list. The Oregon winery took a German grape and made a light, crisp, fruit-forward white that works by itself or with food. Nick Schaeffer, the general manager at Packard’s, said, “We added it because we like it. Once people try it, they generally like it too. We added it to a couple flights to make it easier to try for the first time.” Raptor Ridge is likely best known for their Pinot Noir, but the Oregon winery has also taken a chance on an odd varietal – odd by Oklahoma standards. Grüner-Veltliner is an Austrian grape that is often used in difficult food pairings like Brussels sprouts or asparagus. The Raptor Ridge version is acidic with bright citrus. It’s not necessarily light, but it is approachable, and La Baguette has it on the list. For the absolute traditionalist, the Andronicus Sauvignon Blanc from Titus Vineyards is an excellent, under-$20 Napa white. Eric Titus talked about his 2013 Sauv Blanc when he was in the city in March. “I think Sauvignon Blanc benefits from time in the bottle,” he said. “It gives it a few months for the acid and alcohol to calm down and the fruit to come forward.” He could not have described the Andronicus any better. If you want to try a Sauv Blanc that isn't all grapefruit all the time, this is a great place to start.
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Eat & Drink $ $$ $$$
KEY
most entrees under $10 most entrees $10 to $25 most entrees over $25 outdoor dining reservations accepted new or updated entry
Have an addition that you’d like us to consider? Send establishment name, address, phone number and a brief description (40 words or less) to dining@ sliceok.com. Submissions must be received two months prior to publication.
AMERICAN ANN’S CHICKEN FRY HOUSE A Route 66 classic with copious decorative memorabilia, and huge portions of excellent chicken-fried steak. 4106 NW 39th, OKC, 943.8915 $ BOULEVARD CAFETERIA Chicken and dumplings, liver and onions - one of the last of the area’s independent cafeterias is still pounding out the hits. 525 NW 11th, OKC, 239.6861 $ CAFÉ 7 Fast and casual, with varied salad, sandwich, pizza and pasta options, all priced under $7. 14101 N May, OKC, 748.3354; 120 N Robinson, Suite W 175, OKC, 748.3354 $ CAFÉ 501 Pizzas, salads and specialty sandwiches on artisan breads. 501 S Boulevard, Edmond, 359.1501; 5825 NW Grand, OKC, 844.1501 $$ CLASSEN GRILL Deftly done diner deliciousness, especially breakfast. 5124 N Classen Blvd, OKC, 842.0428 $ DEEP FORK GRILL Crisply elegant atmosphere complements superb seafood (cedar plank salmon is a specialty) and steaks. 5418 N Western, OKC, 848.7678 $$
PACKARD’S NEW AMERICAN KITCHEN They’re not kidding about the “new” – the menu is filled with innovative ideas. 201 NW 10th, Suite 100, OKC, 605.3771 $$ PARK HOUSE The staunch wine list and great view of the Myriad Gardens add to a menu filled with contemporary American tastes. 125 Ron Norick Blvd, OKC, 445.7080 $$ PICASSO CAFÉ As creative as its neighbors in the Paseo Arts District; zippy sandwiches, salads, pizza and surprises abound. 3009 Paseo, OKC, 602.2002 $ POPS A bit out of the way but worth the drive, this café has burgers, salads, shakes and an unbelievably broad soda selection. 660 W Highway 66, Arcadia, 233.2020 $ THE R&J LOUNGE The culinary luminaries behind Ludivine present a more relaxed, sentimental dining experience; the drinks menu is a thing of beauty. 320 NW 10th, OKC, 602.5066 $$ REDROCK CANYON GRILL Rotisserie chicken, enchiladas and steak in a casual hacienda-style atmosphere by the lake. 9221 E Lake Hefner Pkwy, OKC, 749.1995 $$ ROCKY MOUNTAIN GRILL Amply portioned and green chili-amplified burgers, breakfasts and more fill this inviting diner. 231 S Coltrane, Edmond, 562.4777 $ SATURN GRILL A lunch star: inspired pizza, sandwiches and salads. 6432 Avondale, OKC, 843.7114 $ SCRATCH Isn’t that the best place for food to come from? Entrees, sides and wondrous craft cocktails are carefully concocted inhouse. 132 W Main, Norman, 801.2900 $$ SYRUP The most enticing meal of the day is at this unique breakfast boutique (the crunchy French toast is something special). 123 E Main, Norman, 701.1143 $ VAST Steaks, seafood and globally inspired American cuisine, with a view truly unparalleled in Oklahoma. 280 W Sheridan, 49th floor, OKC, 702.7262 $$ VICEROY GRILLE Opulent décor, comfortable environs and some outstanding cuisine make a strong recommendation for the Ambassador Hotel’s in-house restaurant; don’t overlook the brunch options. 1200 N Walker Ave, OKC, 600.6200 $$$ WAFFLE CHAMPION A Midtown diner bringing joy to those addicted to its gourmet sweet or savory waffle options. 1212 N Walker, OKC, 525.9235 $
DINER, THE The classics never go out of style – just ask the locals who flock here for masterful preparation of ordinary breakfast and lunch fare. 213 E Main, Norman, 329.6642 $
WHISKEY CAKE High-quality locally sourced food served in a homey atmosphere. Enjoy – and don’t forget the namesake dessert. 1845 NW Expressway, OKC, 582.2253 $$
DISTRICT 21 This sleek, inexpensive bastion of creativity is run by Francis Tuttle’s culinary school. 12777 N Rockwell, OKC, 717.7700 $
ASIAN
FLINT Casual style plus outstanding contemporary cuisine makes a winning combination in the Colcord Hotel. 15 N Robinson, OKC, 601.4300 $$
180 MERIDIAN GRILL Blending Asian cuisine with U.S. culture: sirloin with teriyaki butter, hoisin BBQ duck pizza and sushi options. 2541 W Main, Norman, 310.6110 $$
HEFNER GRILL Upscale fare and a tempting brunch to boot, with the enhancements of a live piano and a spectacular lake view. 9201 Lake Hefner Pkwy, OKC, 748.6113 $$
COVELL PARK Lunch, dinner and sushi in style from expert creators of modern Asian fusion. 1200 W Covell, Edmond, 285.1720 $$
INTERURBAN Great food (and prices) in casual comfort – try the chicken-fried steak and anything with honey-pepper bacon. 4 metro locations, interurban.us $$
DOT WO GARDEN Dot Wo continues its legacy by pairing sumptuous classics of Chinese cuisine with fiery, fresh sushi. 6161 N May, OKC, 608.2388 $$
KAISER’S DINER A venerable location is back in business, offering juicy burgers, sandwiches, tempting entrees and a vintage soda-fountain experience. 1039 N Walker Ave, OKC, 232.7632 $
GRAND HOUSE A Chinese restaurant that goes the extra mile to provide enjoyable ambiance alongside its excellent cuisine. 2701 N Classen, OKC, 524.7333 $$
LEGEND’S A casually upscale landmark for over 40 years, it still serves exceptional seafood, steaks and more. 1313 W Lindsey, Norman, 329.8888 $$
GUERNSEY PARK A hidden treasure on an Uptown back street, it’s home to tasty Asian fusion with a hint of French influence. 2418 N Guernsey, OKC, 605.5272 $$
MUTT’S AMAZING HOT DOGS Inspired creations featuring varied prime meats and unexpected and tasty flavor profiles. 1400 NW 23rd, OKC, 525.3647 $
O ASIAN FUSION Sublime quality in a wide span of culinary influences – freshly rolled sushi to fiery curry – in cool, vibrant digs. 105 SE 12th, Norman, 701.8899 $$
80 SLICE // JUNE 2015
SAII Rich ambiance boosts expertly done Japanese, Thai and Chinese fare plus stellar sushi. 6900 N May, OKC, 702.7244 $$
than a handful of creative knife-and-fork sandwiches and lovingly chosen craft beers. 1732 NW 16th, OKC $
VII ASIAN BISTRO A bright, sleek interior and savory spate of Chinese and Vietnamese options. 2900 N Classen, OKC, 604.2939 $
O’CONNELL’S IRISH PUB & GRILLE Beloved by students, alumni and townies, it’s served killer burgers, beer and festive atmosphere since 1968. 769 Asp, Norman, 217.8454 $
BAKERY
POWER HOUSE A cozy, rustic bar with some sizzling specialties, found near the Farmers Market. 1228 SW 2nd, OKC, 512.619.1169 $
BIG SKY BREAD Enjoy cookies, scones, brownies or granola, plus an incredible bevy of fresh-baked bread. 6606 N Western, OKC, 879.0330 $ BROWN’S BAKERY An incredible selection of delicious traditional and specialty cakes, cookies, breads and other baked goods. 1100 N Walker, OKC, 232.0363 $ CUPCAKES TO GO GO Love of travel (and a sweet tooth) inspire the myriad flavor combinations in this trove of treats – its rotating menu means every trip reveals a different taste destination. 2524 W Edmond Rd, Edmond, 330.2190 $ CUPPIES & JOE The name is only part of the story: it’s cupcakes and coffee and pie and live music and a cozy, trendy vibe and more. 727 NW 23rd, OKC, 528.2122 $ HURTS DONUT CO. Ignore your childhood hesitations: you do want a Hurts Donut. The 24-hour Campus Corner locale pumps out nonstop sweet and savory innovations. 746 Asp Ave, Norman, 417.300.6106 $ KITCHEN NO. 324 Seasonally inspired café, coffee curator and craft bakery serving spectacular rustic American cuisine. 324 N Robinson, OKC, 763.5911 $ LA BAGUETTE Comfort and exquisite baking make a tres chic destination for brunch and beyond. 1130 Rambling Oaks, Norman, 329.1101; 2100 W Main, Norman, 329.5822 $ PIE JUNKIE Call ahead to order a whole pie or quiche or walk in and choose from what’s on hand; either way the flavors are incredible. 1711 NW 16th, OKC, 605.8767 $ SARA SARA CUPCAKES The ambiance and milk bar make great additions to the variety of specialty cupcakes in this charming little converted house. 7 NW 9th, OKC, 600.9494 $
BAR // PUB FOOD 51ST STREET SPEAKEASY The joint’s porch and patio are perpetually packed, and the top-shelf spirits and beers flow with joyous abandon. 1114 NW 51st, OKC, 463.0470 $ ABNER’S ALE HOUSE Beers and whiskies of the best, plus knockout dishes aimed at recreating the true English public house vibe. 121 E Main, Norman, 928.5801 $$ THE BARREL Drink deep of top-shelf wines, beers and whiskies, braced by thoroughly appetizing pub fusion cuisine. 4308 N Western, OKC, 525.6682 $ BELLE ISLE BREWERY Live music, handcrafted beers and a great burger selection in 50 Penn Place. 1900 NW Expressway, OKC, 840.1911 $ BLU FINE WINE & FOOD A sleek bar that stands out due to quick, courteous service and a menu with gourmet range. 201 S Crawford, Norman, 360.4258 $$ DEEP DEUCE GRILL A funky, comfortable alternative to Bricktown crowds, featuring burgers, beer and a people-watching patio. 307 NE 2nd, OKC, 235.9100 $ JAMES E. MCNELLIE’S Designed to bring Ireland’s pub culture to OKC, this Midtown hotspot features 350 varieties of beer. 1100 Classen Dr, OKC, 601.7468 $$ MONT, THE Tempting pub food with Southwestern zing at a Norman landmark with a primo patio. 1300 Classen Blvd, Norman, 329.3330 $ OAK & ORE A neighborhood hangout of vintage rustic materials, offering more
PUB W Multiple atmospheres for whatever vibe you like, and a menu of choice beer and “new classic” fare from barbeque wings to thick pork chops. 3720 W Robinson, Norman, 701.5844; 3121 W Memorial, OKC, 608.2200 $$ THE PUMP BAR This jumping Uptown spot has a surprisingly sophisticated menu backing its broad drink selection. 2425 N Walker, OKC, 702.8898 $ REPUBLIC GASTROPUB Part beer bar and part upscale eatery, pairing a vast selection of quality brews with imaginative menu items. 5830 N Classen Blvd, OKC, 286.4577 $$ SAINTS An inviting Irish bar where whiskey and beer offerings pair nicely with classics like shepherd’s pie, bangers and fish and chips. 1715 NW 16th, OKC, 602.6308 $$ SIDECAR The fully stocked “barley and wine bar” (including wine on tap and plentiful spirits) keeps Automobile Alley patrons fueled, with a few delicious tidbits to boot. 1100 N Broadway, OKC $$
BARBEQUE EARL’S RIB PALACE Beloved by locals in a competitive genre, the chain pounds out hit ribs and turkey as well as a top-tier burger. 6 metro locations, earlsribpalace.com $ IRON STAR URBAN BARBEQUE Named for notorious outlaw Belle Starr, its entrees are excellent, but the sides are equal players as well. 3700 N Shartel, OKC, 524.5925 $$ LEO’S BAR-B-Q Rich flavor and tender texture for commendable value – no wonder it’s a periennial favorite among Oklahoma connoisseurs. 3631 N Kelley, OKC 424.5367 $ RUDY’S Totally casual – plastic trays and utensils – with serious barbeque chops. 3450 Chautauqua, Norman, 307.0552; 3437 W Memorial, OKC, 254.4712 $$
BURGERS // SANDWICHES BISON WITCHES Monster sandwiches with standout flavors, best enjoyed with a bread bowl of fresh hot soup and a bag of pretzels. 211 E Main, Norman, 364.7555 $ CAFÉ PLAID Fresh sandwiches begging to be combined with sensational salads (veggie, tuna, pasta…) – an ideal lunch spot near OU. 333 W Boyd, Norman, 360.2233 $ COW CALF-HAY The selections are ample and the delicious never-frozen patties are mmmmmassive. 3409 Wynn, Edmond, 509.2333, 212 N Harvey, OKC, 601.6180 $ FLATIRE BURGERS Boasting innovations like sauerkraut, pineapple relish and habanero salsa.100 N University, Edmond, 974.4638 $ GARAGE BURGERS & BEER, THE The focus is on the many tempting flavor possibilities of huge, juicy burgers and fries. 5 metro locations, eatatthegarage.com $ HILLBILLY PO BOYS Unassuming name; mighty appealing flavor in tasty seafood sandwiches and the licit thrill of moonshine cocktails. 1 NW 9th, OKC, 702.9805 $ ICE HOUSE Big, cheesy burgers, fries and shakes, with the gorgeous Myriad Gardens as a backdrop. 125 Ron Norick, OKC, 232.6427 $
JUNE 2015 // SLICE 81
FARE | Eat & Drink IRMA’S BURGER SHACK Simply great fries, rings and burgers; try the No Name Ranch beef. 1035 NW 63rd, OKC, 840.4762; 1120 Classen Dr, OKC, 235.4762 $
TEXADELPHIA The menu draws raves for burgers and wraps, but especially the monstrous made-to-order cheesesteaks. 200 S Oklahoma, OKC, 208.4000 $
MICHELANGELO’S Enjoy exceptional coffees and wines, a well-stocked pastry case and breakfast and lunch selections. 207 E Main, Norman, 579.3387 $
MELTING POT, THE Make a meal an event to remember with an elegant fondue feast. 4 E Sheridan, OKC, 235.1000 $$$
JOHNNIE’S CHARCOAL BROILER Freshground burgers cooked over real charcoal; try the Cheese Theta or Caesar varieties. 4 metro locations, johnniesok.com $
TUCKER’S ONION BURGERS A small menu whose bravura execution makes the meal hard to forget. 3 metro locations, tuckersonionburgers.com $
LOUIE’S GRILL & BAR Casually cool and come-as-you-are bar-type hangouts excelling at burgers, sandwiches and pizzas. 12 metro locations, louiesgrillandbar.com $
URBAN JOHNNIE’S Gourmet burgers and more in a sleek bar atmosphere from the minds behind Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler. 121 NE 2nd, OKC, 208.4477 $
PARAMOUNT, THE A Film Row joint with a screening room attached, its all-day beverage menu delivers the stuff dreams are made of. 701 W Sheridan, OKC, 517.0787 $
METRO WINE BAR & BISTRO, THE A comfortably upscale favorite covering cuisines from vichyssoise to crème brulée. 6418 N Western, OKC, 840.9463 $$
RED CUP Comfortably ramshackle with great coffee, vegetarian-friendly specials and live music. Highly recommended! 3122 N Classen Blvd, OKC, 525.3430 $
MICHAEL’S GRILL Urbane, intimate dining: steaks, chops, seafood and pastas, and Caesar salad prepared tableside. 2824 W Country Club, OKC, 810.9000 $$$
LOUIE’S ON THE LAKE An unbeatable view of Lake Hefner from the spacious patio adds ambiance to tasty entrees under $10. 9401 Lake Hefner Pkwy, OKC, 751.2298 $ MULE, THE Solid beer and beverage selection plus delectable gourmet grilled cheeses and melts (ingredients range from fontina to figs). 1630 N Blackwelder, OKC, 601.1400 $ ND FOODS Gigantic Boar’s Head deli sandwiches, homemade soups and freshly baked cookies, pies and other desserts. 2632 W Britton Rd, OKC, 840.9364 $ NIC’S GRILL It’s small, it’s crowded … and it’s incredible. Mounds of fresh fries and colossal burgers, easily among the metro’s best. 1202 N Penn, OKC, 524.0999 $ S&B’S BURGER JOINT Good news: these super-tasty burgers come as sliders too, the better to sample more selections. 5 metro locations, sandbburgers.com $ SERVICE STATION A former filling station with vintage décor, now serving up delicious half-pound burgers and fries. 502 S Webster, Norman, 364.2136 $ SOONER DAIRY LUNCH This modest little drive-in has been feeding its staunch fans delicious burgers, tots and shakes for over six decades. 1820 W Main, Norman, 321.8526 $
COFFEEHOUSE // TEA ROOM ALL ABOUT CHA Universal standards and unusual concoctions (the sweet potato latte is a wonder) in bright, bustling atmosphere. 3272 S Broadway, Edmond, 340.9959; 7300 N Western, OKC, 840.7725 $
T, AN URBAN TEAHOUSE This endearing retreat offers over 100 varieties and expert counsel to explore a world of possibili-teas. 7518 N May, OKC, 418.4333 $
CONTINENTAL
MUSEUM CAFÉ, THE Inside the OKC Museum of Art, its European-inspired menu delights for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. 415 Couch, OKC, 235.6262 $$ PARK AVENUE GRILL A soigne dining experience in the Skirvin Hilton, blending traditional steak and seafood with 1930s high style. 1 Park, OKC, 702.8444 $$$
BEATNIX CAFÉ, THE Get a sandwich, cup of hearty soup or powerhouse latte in the lovely laid-back vibe that pervades this dawdling spot. 136 NW 13th, OKC, 604.0211 $
BIN 73 Diners can fill up on filet mignon or simply top the evening off with tapas while enjoying the full bar and chic ambiance. 7312 N Western, OKC, 843.0073 $$
THE BLUE BEAN Smoothies, pastries and sweet treats, plus excellent small-batch roasted coffee – try the specialty flavor combos. 13316 S Western, OKC, 735.5115 $
BLACKBIRD A gastropub with succulent creativity (pot roast nachos!) and a broad beer, wine and whiskey list. 575 S University, Norman, 928.5555 $$
PASEO GRILL Intimate inside and cheerful on the patio, with an awardwinning menu of distinctive flavors – try the duck salad. 2909 Paseo, OKC, 601.1079 $$$
CAFÉ EVOKE Outstanding coffee and other beverages from one of the area’s great caterers; plus soup, sandwiches, snacks or sweets. 103 S Broadway, Edmond, 285.1522 $
CHEEVER’S Southwestern-influenced recipes and contemporary comfort food; truly one of the city’s finest restaurants. 2409 N Hudson, OKC, 525.7007 $$
ROCOCO RESTAURANT & FINE WINE A diverse international menu set off by select wines. 12252 N May, OKC, 212.4577; 2824 N Penn, OKC, 528.2824 $$
COFFEE SLINGERS Rocking a brisk, urban vibe on Automobile Alley, it’s a gathering place for genuine java enthusiasts. 1015 N Broadway, OKC, 606.2763 $
COACH HOUSE, THE Definitely among the metro’s most elegant dining: specialties prepared with classical perfection. 6437 Avondale, OKC, 842.1000 $$$
SEVEN47 Enjoy sleek, swank décor and an appealingly broad menu including a tantalizing brunch. 747 Asp, Norman, 701.8622 $$
DISTRICT HOUSE Pop into the Plaza District for beans from Tulsa’s Topeca Coffee, deli sandwiches and the occasional live music event. 1755 NW 16th, OKC $
LOTTINVILLES Rotisserie chicken, woodgrilled salmon and a host of entrees, salads and panini; the Sunday brunch is epic. 801 Signal Ridge, Edmond, 341.2244 $$
SIGNATURE GRILL Unassuming locale; huge culinary rewards of French and Italian flavors in a few select dishes. 1317 E Danforth, Edmond, 330.4548 $$$
ELEMENTAL COFFEE Seriously spectacular coffee roasted in-house - passionate staff is always eager to share knowledge about the process. 815 N Hudson, OKC, 633.1703 $
MANTEL, THE Marvelous steaks and seafood (don’t miss the lobster bisque), in a refined, intimate atmosphere. 201 E Sheridan, OKC, 236.8040 $$$
WEST The staff is speedy, the décor sleek and modern, and the entrées wide-ranging but elegantly simple. 6714 N Western, OKC, 607.4072 $$
East Coast Style
Fresh Flavor
Fresh Seafood, Killer Pasta & So Much More.
• PRIME STEAKS, SEAFOOD AND SUSHI • SCRATCH KITCHEN FEATURING HAND-CUT ENTREES • BOOK A PRIVATE ROOM OR CHEF’S TABLE TODAY! 2824 N. Penn Ave • 12252 N. May Avenue • Rococo-Restaurant.com
82 SLICE // JUNE 2015
M-TH: 11A-10P / F-SA: 11A-11P / SU: 11A-9P 1101 N BROADWAY AVE, OKC / 405.212.3949
FRENCH BONJOUR Make your morning tres bien with marvelously executed breakfast and lunch classics in this petite café. 3705 W Memorial, OKC, 286.9172 $ LA BAGUETTE BISTRO Fine dining (linger over multiple courses often) with an exceptional bakery, deli and butcher shop on site. 7408 N May, OKC, 840.3047 $$ WHISPERING PINES B&B A secluded getaway housing sumptuous, savory cuisine in quiet comfort. 7820 E Highway 9, Norman, 447.0202 $$$
GERMAN DAS BOOT CAMP Exceptional cuisine (and magnificent beer) in a fast-paced location downtown. 229 E Main, Norman, 701.3748 $ FASSLER HALL House-made sausages, pretzels, duck fries and a heftig beer menu, plus a weekend brunch – what’s not to love? 421 NW 10th, OKC, 609.3300 $ INGRID’S Authentic German fare, including outstanding Oklahoma-made bratwurst. Don’t overlook breakfast, or the bakery counter! 3701 N Youngs, OKC, 946.8444; 6501 N May, OKC $$ OLD GERMANY Justly renowned for its Bavarian delights – the schnitzels, soups and sausages are spectacular. 15920 SE 29th, Choctaw, 390.8647 $$$ ROYAL BAVARIA Excellent renditions of traditional dishes, plus fantastisch house-brewed beers. 3401 S Sooner, Moore, 799.7666 $$$
HEALTHY // ECLECTIC COOLGREENS Customization encouraged; every available component
in salads, wraps and frozen yogurt is naturally delicious. 3 metro locations, coolgreens.com $$ EARTH, THE Super, super fresh sandwiches, salads and soups in one of the most vegetarian- and vegan-friendly menus you’ll ever see. 750 Asp, Norman, 573.5933 $ LUDIVINE The menu adjusts constantly to reflect availability of elite-quality, locally sourced ingredients. 805 N Hudson, OKC, 778.6800 $$$
ICE CREAM // YOGURT IL DOLCE GELATO Rich, creamy and decadently delicious, handmade daily from scratch. 937 SW 25th St, Moore, 794.7266; 1318 N Interstate Dr, Norman, 329.7744 $ ORANGE LEAF Dozens and dozens of tasty, waistline-friendly flavors and toppings, charged by the ounce. 9 metro locations, orangeleafyogurt.com $ ROXY’S ICE CREAM SOCIAL A heavenly array of hand-dipped ice cream flavors, including cookie sandwiches. 1732 NW 16th, OKC, 593.8328 $
INDIAN GOPURAM – TASTE OF INDIA A fullservice restaurant with the feel of fine dining, even during the inexpensive and plentiful lunch buffet. 4559 NW 23rd, OKC, 948.7373 $$ MISAL OF INDIA A Norman institution for over 30 years, specializing in tandooricooked delicacies in splendid ambiance. 580 Ed Noble Pkwy, Norman, 579.5600 $$ TAJ A tremendous set of Indian staples and delicacies, plus full lunch and dinner buffets. 1500 NW 23rd, OKC, 601.1888 $$
ITALIAN // PIZZA
well as a pizza-lover’s destination in its own right. 103 E California, OKC, 605.4422 $
BELLINI’S Tasteful in décor and Italian offerings alike, this romantic nightspot quietly, confidently exudes elegance. 6305 Waterford Blvd, OKC, 848.1065 $$
MONI’S Handmade, New Jersey-style brick oven pizza and authentic pasta recipes from Southern Italy in a casual, comfy ambience (ideal for dates). 17200 N May, Edmond, 285.5991 $$
BENVENUTI’S Subtly flavored minestrone to rich, hearty ragouts, the fare keeps the booths full; don’t overlook Sunday brunch. 105 W Main, Norman, 310.5271 $$ CAFFE PRANZO The atmosphere raises firsttime diners’ hopes; the execution exceeds them as classic dishes are elevated to greatness. 9622 N May, OKC, 755.3577 $$ EMPIRE SLICE HOUSE Reigning over the Plaza District in New York style, it offers whole pizzas or slices, a full bar and a primo patio. 1734 NW 16th, OKC $ GABRIELLA’S A fresh chapter in the family’s delectable legacy; one bite of the homemade Italian sausage should win diners’ hearts with ease. 1226 NE 63rd, OKC, 478.4955 $$ HIDEAWAY PIZZA Incredible pizza in jovial surroundings; it’s amassed a devoted following for over half a century. 7 metro locations, hideawaypizza.com $$ HUMBLE PIE PIZZERIA No humility needed for this true Chicago-style pizza, boasting perhaps the best crust known to man. 1319 S Broadway, Edmond, 715.1818 $ INFERNOS PIZZA The wood-fired oven isn’t the only thing hot; watch your tongue on the spicier of these sensationally savory creations. 2747 W Memorial, OKC, 242.5088 $$ JOEY’S A creative pizzeria on OKC’s Film Row, Joey’s serves first-rate appetizers and salads along with its mouth-watering pies. 700 W Sheridan, OKC, 525.8503 $$ KNUCK’S WHEELHOUSE Homemade daily with sauces from scratch, it’s a tasty and varied stopover for Bricktown wanderers as
NOMAD II A classic server of old-school pizza, Italian dishes, steaks and fried chicken, plus a slice of OKC history through its décor. 7301 N May, OKC, 843.4557 $$ OTHELLO’S Warm mussels to tiramisu – all you could want in a romantic Italian café. 434 Buchanan, Norman, 701.4900; 1 S Broadway, Edmond, 330.9045 $$ PAPA DIO’S Three generations of the Bonadio family offer an ample menu of new, classic and healthy dishes in separate dining rooms for family or casual dining. 10712 N May, OKC, 755.2255 $$ PEPPERONI GRILL Pizza, salads, seafood and plenty of pasta-powered classics and innovations; even the bread is a pleasure. 1901 NW Expwy, OKC, 848.4660, 1000 W Covell, Edmond, 285.5454 $$ PIZZA 23 A tempting suite of specialty pies and good beer selection in crisp, urban décor. 600-B NW 23rd St, OKC, 601.6161 $$ PIZZERIA GUSTO Neapolitan-style pizza (quality ingredients, extremely hot fire) stars alongside Italy-inspired salads, pastas and appetizers. 2415 N Walker Ave, OKC, 437.4992 $$ REVOLVE PIZZA A fully customizable dining experience: guests build their dream pies from the crust up and the quick-fire brick ovens do the rest. 5500 W Memorial, OKC, 792.2858 $ SANDRO’S New York-style pizza and an array of pasta, all made fresh (and delicious) daily. 914 W Main, Norman, 701.8822 $
FATHER’S DAY • JUNE 21 • CALL FOR RESERVATIONS Give Dad the chance to sink his teeth into something delicious, such as an achiote-rubbed chargrilled ribeye with chipotle demiglace and potatoes au gratin, enormous and tender pork schnitzel with handmade spaetzle and Brussels sprouts, or a classic Reuben on marble rye, just to name a few options. Pair with a fine whiskey or chilled mug of craft beer, and enjoy. Come find something great on tap at all of our local neighborhood restaurants.
405.848.7678
5418 N WESTERN AVENUE DEEPFORKGRILL.COM
405.525.6682
4308 N WESTERN AVENUE BARRELOKC.COM
405.604.0990
4309 N WESTERN AVENUE DRUMROOMOKC.COM
JUNE 2015 // SLICE 83
FARE | Eat & Drink SAUCED ON PASEO All kinds of goodness on a thin, crunchy crust in a battered neighborhood hangout. Don’t forget a Krispie treat. 2912 Paseo, OKC, 521.9800 $
IN THE RAW DUNWELL SUSHI A chic space on the Bricktown Canal offering excellent sushi, specialty rolls and sake. 200 S Oklahoma, OKC, 702.1325 $$
SOPHABELLA’S A quiet, classy gem offering premier tastes from Chicago and beyond in style. 7628 N May, OKC, 879.0100 $$$
MUSASHI’S Exquisitely flavorful Japanese cuisine prepared with genuine artistry by skilled chefs at tableside hibachi grills. 4315 N Western, OKC, 602.5623 $$
STELLA MODERN ITALIAN CUISINE A luscious spate of tastes for a casual lunch, romantic dinner or brunch, amid stylish scenery. 1201 N Walker, OKC, 235.2200 $$ TOMMY’S An old favorite returns to the metro to provide primo pasta, pizzas and plenty of ambiance. 5516 W Memorial, OKC, 470.5577 $$ UPPER CRUST This pizzeria and wine bar specializes in thin-crust, New York-style pies. 5860 N Classen Blvd, OKC, 842.7743; 1205 NW 178th, Edmond, 285.8887 $$ VICTORIA’S A shabby-comfortable atmosphere with local art on its walls and the art of pasta on its plates – try the chicken lasagna. 327 White, Norman, 329.0377; 3000 SW 104th St, OKC, 759.3580 $ VITO’S RISTORANTE Homestyle Italian cuisine in an intimate setting where the staff treat customers like guests in their home. 7521 N May, OKC, 848.4867 $$ WEDGE, THE Wood-fired pies with fresh ingredients (like figs or truffle oil) and sauce from scratch. 230 NE 1st, OKC, 270.0660; 4709 N Western, OKC, 602.3477 $$
JAPANESE // SUSHI CAFÉ ICON Tempting sushi and Japanese specialties fill the menu to bursting with visually splendid and palate-pleasing treats. 311 S Blackwelder, Edmond, 340.8956 $$ GOGO SUSHI Prime for lovers of speed and convenience – go go check it out! 1611 S Service Rd, Moore, 794.3474; 432 NW 10th, OKC, 602.6333 $$
84 SLICE // JUNE 2015
SUSHI BAR, THE Sushi staples done with élan, plus more adventurous options, in a bustling, comfortable environment. 1201 NW 178th, OKC, 285.7317 $$ SUSHI NEKO An established OKC favorite combining style (sleek, brisk, classy) with substance (in a broad and creative menu). 4318 N Western, OKC, 528.8862 $$ TOKYO JAPANESE RESTAURANT It’s small with a traditional menu; but it’s palpably fresh and routinely cited as among the metro’s best. 7516 N Western, OKC, 848.6733 $$
MEDITERRANEAN AVANTI BAR & GRILL Casual elegance with contemporary Italian menu twists: crab falafel, bolognese pizza and more. 13509 Highland Park, OKC, 254.5200 $$ BASIL MEDITERRANEAN CAFÉ Chicken Bandarri, Beef Souvlaki or a fresh bowl of tangy tabouli; flavor leaps from every corner of the menu. 211 NW 23rd, OKC, 602.3030 $ COUSCOUS CAFE Traditional Moroccan tagine dishes to favorites like homemade falafel and kofta, with a bounty for vegetarians. 6165 N May, OKC, 286.1533 $ HAIGET’S Vegan-friendly – and friendly in general – this gem rewards the adventurous with Ethiopian and Kenyan specialties. 308 W Edmond Rd, Edmond, 509.6441 $$ MEDITERRANEAN IMPORTS & DELI Selected groceries and a menu stocked with options; the food is authentic, quick and spectacular. 5620 N May, OKC, 810.9494 $
NUNU’S Tangy, tantalizing, fresh and healthy flavors, reproduced from generations-old recipes. 3131 W Memorial, OKC, 751.7000 $ QUEEN OF SHEBA A spicy, vegan-friendly menu of Ethiopian delights awaits the bold. Bring friends and be prepared to linger. 2308 N MacArthur, OKC, 606.8616 $$ ZORBA’S Family recipes proudly share flavors of Cyprus, Spain, Greece and Morocco. 6014 N May, OKC, 947.7788 $
MEXICAN // LATIN AMERICAN 1492 Authentic Mexican cuisine in an elegant, romantic setting with perhaps the world’s best mojitos. 1207 N Walker, OKC, 236.1492 $$ ABUELO’S The variety, plates, flavors and experience are all huge. No passport required. 17 E Sheridan, OKC, 235.1422; 3001 W Memorial, OKC, 755.2680 $$ ALFREDO’S Kick back with an agave limeade and peruse the ample menu’s avocado enchiladas, fried tacos and more. 4 metro locations, alfredosok.com $$ BIG TRUCK TACOS It’s often standingroom-only at lunch, but don’t let that deter you from fresh, imaginative taco creations. 530 NW 23rd, OKC, 525.8226 $
tour to the wondrous flavors of Guatemala. 1800 NW 16th, OKC, 601.0384 $$ CHUY’S The portions are substantial, the Hatch chile-fueled flavors are strong and the vibe is playfully enthusiastic. 760 N Interstate Dr, Norman, 360.0881 $$ FUZZY’S TACO SHOP Jumbo burritos, big salads and especially shrimp tacos – quickly and in plenitude. 752 Asp, Norman, 701.1000; 208 Johnny Bench, OKC, 602.3899 $ IGUANA MEXICAN GRILL Unique Mexican flavor in a fun atmosphere at reasonable prices. 9 NW 9th, OKC, 606.7172 $$ INCA TRAIL Flavors from around the world, piquant ceviches to homemade flan. 10948 N May, OKC, 286.0407 $$ JUAN DEL FUEGO This self-styled MexiDiner dishes up breakfast and lunch from both sides of the border. 223 34th Ave SW, Norman, 310.20302 $ LA BRASA Flavors of Peru make for a powerfully delicious dining experience in ceviches, sandwiches, fried rice and other entrees. 1310 NW 25th, OKC, 524.2251 $$ MAMA ROJA MEXICAN KITCHEN Handrolled tamales, vendor-style tacos and more, on the scenic shores of Lake Hefner. 9219 E Lake Hefner Pkwy, OKC, 302.6262 $$
CAFÉ DO BRASIL It’s a long way to Rio, but the spicy, savory menu covers the distance in a mouthful. 440 NW 11th, OKC, 525.9779 $$
MAMAVECA Familiar Mexican favorites plus the diverse delights of Peruvian cuisine. 2551 W Hemphill, Norman, 573.4003 $$
CAFÉ KACAO A sunlit space filled with bright, vibrant Guatemalan flavors. The breakfast specialties truly dazzle. 3325 N Classen, OKC, 602.2883 $
TARAHUMARA’S This airy ristorante serves huge, tasty Tex-Mex classics plus less ubiquitous fare like mole poblano. 702 N Porter, Norman, 360.8070 $$
CANTINA LAREDO A sophisticated take on Mexican fare, specializing in fresh fish and Angus beef. 1901 NW Expressway (in Penn Square Mall), OKC, 840.1051 $$
TED’S CAFÉ ESCONDIDO Fast, fresh and amply portioned, it’s often very crowded and always supremely delicious. 4 metro locations, tedscafe.com $$
CHILTEPES Chuchitos to atol de elote, this Plaza District restaurant serves as a guided
YUCATAN TACO STAND Feisty Latin fusion cuisine plus signature nachos and combos…
and over 75 tequilas. 100 E California, Suite 110, OKC, 886.0413 $
okra, waffles and a fully loaded bar. 4300 N Western, OKC, 604.0990 $$
Jamil’s has fed Oklahoma well since 1964. 4910 N Lincoln, OKC, 525.8352 $$
curries and soups, it makes a great dinner date. 211 W Main, Norman, 217.8424 $$
ZARATE’S The familiar joys of enchiladas and chimichangas, plus Peruvian dishes of plantains, yuca and imported spices. 706 S Broadway, Edmond, 330.6400 $$
JAX SOUL KITCHEN The team behind Blackbird and blu dishes up big ol’ helpings of jambalaya, pork ribs, fried catfish and many more deep South classics. 575 S University, Norman, 801.2828 $
JUNIOR’S A landmark restaurant where hand-cut Angus steaks and lobster fight for attention with knockout fried chicken. 2601 NW Expressway, OKC, 848.5597 $$$
TANA THAI There’s a lot to like here, from red snapper filet to pad thai. Pay attention to the soups, and do not play chicken with the spice level. 10700 N May, OKC, 749.5590 $$
MAHOGANY PRIME STEAKHOUSE The ambiance and service are sublime, but fine aged steak broiled to perfection is the star. 3241 W Memorial, OKC, 748.5959 $$$
VIETNAMESE
SEAFOOD FISH CITY GRILL Shrimp and grits, oysters on the half shell… anyone who wishes Oklahoma had a coastline should feel right at home. 1389 E 15th, Edmond, 348.2300 $$ JAZMO’Z BOURBON STREET CAFÉ An upscale yet casual environment boasting Cajun and Creole-inspired selections. 100 E California, OKC, 232.6666 $$ LAND & SEA Chef Sean Cummings harnesses the delicious possibilities of multiple biomes in his latest savory concept. 7523 N May Ave, OKC, 755.2622 $$$ PEARL’S CRABTOWN A huge Bricktown warehouse where the Crab Boil is a favorite and taste is king. 303 E Sheridan, OKC, 232.7227 $$ PEARL’S OYSTER BAR A perennial winner in “best of the metro” polls for fresh, flavorful seafood and spicy Creoleinspired dishes. 5641 N Classen, OKC, 848.8008 $$ SHACK SEAFOOD & OYSTER BAR, THE A massive selection of nicely spiced Cajun and Creole cooking, plus seafood. 13801 Quail Pointe Dr, OKC, 286.5959 $$
KD’S Pork chops, stuffed catfish, shrimp and grits and more of Kevin Durant’s favorite foods, presented with skill and vim – and a dose of star power. 224 Johnny Bench Dr, OKC, 701.3535 $$ MAMA E’S WINGS & WAFFLES A labor of love adored by locals seeking authentic Southern classics. 3838 Springlake, OKC, 424.0800; 900 W Reno, OKC, 231.1190 $
STEAKHOUSE BOULEVARD STEAKHOUSE Perfectly soigné ambiance and cuisine easily in the metro’s elite – a sumptuous, if pricy, masterpiece. 505 S Boulevard, Edmond, 715.2333 $$$ BROADWAY 10 Cruise into the Buick building in Automobile Alley to savor steak supremacy in a cozy enclave amid urban bustle. 1101 N Broadway, OKC, 212.3949 $$$ CATTLEMEN’S This Oklahoma institution’s huge corn-fed steaks and matchless atmosphere are history served anew every day. 1309 S Agnew, OKC, 236.0416 $$
MICKEY MANTLE’S This lushly atmospheric social spot in Bricktown serves powerhouse entrées and sides and with full amenities. 7 S Mickey Mantle, OKC, 272.0777 $$$ OPUS PRIME STEAKHOUSE Hand-cut USDA Prime Black Angus steaks, a vast wine selection and intimate ambience. 800 W Memorial, OKC, 607.6787 $$$ RANCH STEAKHOUSE Effortless opulence, custom-aged hand-cut tenderloins and ribeyes and warm Southern hospitality. 3000 W Britton, OKC, 755.3501 $$$ RED PRIMESTEAK Visionary design and atmosphere house super-premium steaks, vibrant, imaginative flavors and amenities. 504 N Broadway, OKC, 232.2626 $$$ TWELVE OAKS Lobster, seafood and divine steak, enhanced even more by the ambiance of a hilltop Victorian home. 6100 N Midwest, Edmond, 340.1002 $$$
THAI
SOUL FOOD
GEORGE, THE High atop Founders Tower, its spectacular view adds savor to expert chefdriven creations featuring prime beef. 5900 Mosteller Dr, OKC, 607.4360 $$$
BIGHEAD’S Fried alligator, frog legs and simmering, savory seafood gumbo – it’s a bayou treat right nearby. 617 S Broadway, Edmond, 340.1925 $$
HOLLIE’S FLATIRON STEAKHOUSE Plush and cozy, with entrees seared on a flatiron grill and a kick of Southwestern spice in the menu. 1199 Service Rd, Moore, 799.0300 $$
SALA THAI Pineapple curry, basil squid, cinnamon beef... the variety is exceptional, making this a popular midday option. 1614 NW 23rd, OKC, 528.8424 $
THE DRUM ROOM Crispy, juicy fried chicken (among the city’s best) stars with fried
JAMIL’S STEAKHOUSE Steak, lobster or prime rib with Lebanese appetizers gratis –
SWEET BASIL The enormous aquarium adds to the cozy ambiance; with its outstanding
PAD THAI Dine in or carry out beautifully executed exemplars of soups, curries and noodles. 119 W Boyd, Norman, 360.5551 $
CORIANDER CAFÉ Updating traditional Vietnamese recipes, this vegetarian-friendly café makes a quick, casual dining alternative. 323 White, Norman, 801.3958 $ LIDO Spring rolls to vermicelli bowls, this venerable diner runs the gamut of Vietnamese,Chinese and even French cuisine. 2518 N Military, OKC, 521.1902 $$ PHO CA DAO Vermicelli bowls, rice platters, piping hot pho, icy cold bubble tea and more. 2431 N Classen Blvd, OKC, 521.8819 $ PHO BULOUS Super fresh and super fast, specialties like Honey Ginger Chicken or Wasabi Salmon merit closer inspection. 3409 S Broadway, Edmond, 475.5599 $
Check o our exp ut restaur anded ant and mor listings inspirat e edible ion o anytime nline sliceok.c at om
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LUNCH • DINNER • COCKTAILS & SUNDAY BRUNCH 1201 N. Walker • Oklahoma City 405.235.2200 • stellaokc.com
JUNE 2015 // SLICE 85
PURSUITS TROPICAL TEMPTATION Individually scintillating, collectively breathtaking, the jewel-like islands in the Philippines are a treasure worthy of loving, lifelong exploration. See page 94.
TOP 10 Prime starting points for making the most of the month 88
DONELON OCO
FABULOUS FABERGÉ Irreplaceable eggs and other exquisite treasures fill an OKC Museum of Art exhibit 90 SEE & DO June’s music, theater, visual arts and other delights 98 JUNE 2015 // SLICE 87
PURSUITS | High Points
The Top By Steve Gill
IT’S A BIG, BUSY METRO OUT THERE – IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT TO EVERYTHING, HERE’S WHERE TO START.
THAT’S SOME FESTIVAL
June 5-14, Myriad Gardens Sure, the host facility is the Myriad Gardens, but for their Children’s Garden Festival it’s probably just as accurate to think of it as Zuckerman’s Farm. Step inside an American classic as “Charlotte’s Web” comes to life through Oklahoma Children’s Theatre performances, free arts and crafts, jugglers, balloon animals, all kinds of kids’ activities and nature to enjoy.
RED, WHITE AND YOU
June 25-July 4, Throughout Edmond It’s a celebration of Independence Day that goes beyond the day itself; with a community vibe that encourages participation and events that range from a low-stress kite fest to a quick-thinking road rally and a classic car show to a temporary cardboard boat regatta, LibertyFest is an excellent choice if you’re engaged in the pursuit of happiness.
RING MASTER
June 4-7, OKC Civic Center The immense waterfalls of Rauros, the cavernous Mines of Khazad-Dum, the lidless Eye of Sauron atop BaradDur … you’re going to need to imagine those. We don’t all have Peter Jackson budgets, after all, and the focus in this performance is unavoidably (and deservedly) fixed on Charles Ross. CityRep welcomes the solo star back to its stage for a fast, funny, Charles Ross thoroughly engrossing tourde-force in “One-Man Lord of the Rings.”
WHAT A WATERWAY
June 27, Oklahoma River There’s enough diversion at the Stars and Stripes River Festival that you should probably keep your plans for the day fluid (so to speak): besides the experts racing in the regatta, entrants vying in the Riversport Challenge duathlon, dragon boats competing under the evening spotlights and other races, there’s a free family festival all day and fireworks to top it all off. Home sweet H2Ome. 88 SLICE // JUNE 2015
Cultural Wonderland
June 5-7, Cox Center Oklahoma is “the land of the red people”; it’s one of the best places in existence to immerse yourself in Native American traditions and artistry. Yet even here, there is literally nothing else like the Red Earth Festival. Beginning with the immense cavalcade of color and pageantry that forms the parade through downtown and continuing through art exhibitions and dancing displays, it’s three days of exploring, sharing and celebrating Native culture.
Moon Hooch
Nathan James & the Rhythm Scratchers
The Sounds of Summer
June 18-20, Brookhaven Village and Andrews Park The best things in life are free. Exhibit A: a weekend under the stars that spans performances from the Grammy-winning Bill Evans and Soulgrass, Moon Hooch, Nathan James and the Rhythm Scratchers, Kalo, the fabulous Kyle Reid & the Low Swingin’ Chariots and more, plus clinics with the artists, all for the price of nothing more than your rapt attention. Norman’s Jazz in June remains a true joy. Bill Evans
A SPARKLING SOIREE
June 12, Mercedes Benz of OKC Improved health care is eminently worth toasting, right? Then you might be interested in raising a glass to the future by participating in the champagne tasting event St. Anthony POP! It’s a casual fete that boasts tasty treats, live music, raffle goodies and a lavish array of champagnes and sparkling wines (and a newly increased emphasis on spirits this year) to sip and sample, benefiting the namesake hospital. Cheers!
Gerald Balciar, “Desert View”
Sammy Hagar
BIGGER, BETTER, BACK FOR MORE
June 26-27, Downtown OKC One of the great pleasures of living in a city undergoing a cultural renaissance is the pervasive sense of possibility; knowing that with an idea, enough combined talent and effort can pull something like OKC Fest into being. Thanks to guest musicians like Sammy Hagar, the Drive-By Truckers, Rascal Flatts and Clare Dunn, this year’s second installment is set to be an even bigger pleasure.
SEASON OPENER
June 4-20, Myriad Gardens Spring normally proceeds into summer, but when Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park decides to begin a new season, anything goes. Witness theatrical magic unfold as the purveyors of classical mastery begin their 31st summer slate with “The Winter’s Tale,” the Bard’s interweaving of jealousy, serendipity, forbidden love and the stage’s most infamous ursine usher.
A GRAND PRIX INDEED
June 12-August 2, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
The prairie is at its prime, the West at its very best, in the eminently prestigious collection of juried art known as the Prix de West. The more than 300 exceptional pieces selected for inclusion are all for sale, and the event’s opening weekend is laden with seminars, panels and demonstrations for which the public are encouraged to register. From collectors to the curious, it’s not to be missed. JUNE 2015 // SLICE 89
PURSUITS | Spotlight
FABULOUS FABERGÉ
By Elaine Warner
THINK OF FABERGÉ AND CHANCES ARE, YOU’LL THINK OF EGGS. And you will see eggs at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s exhibition “Fabergé: Jeweler to the Tsars,” which runs from June 20 through September 27. But, oh, there’s so much more. Included in the collection of over 230 objects is jewelry, decorative items like the eggs or small animal figures, picture frames and more mundane items like cigarette cases or ashtrays. Each piece is unique with a tremendous range of materials and techniques required to produce it. By the peak period of the House of Fabergé, as many as 500 workers were employed and over 150,000 items were produced. The jewelry company began in 1842 with Gustav Fabergé’s small jewelry store and workshop in St. Petersburg. However, it was his son Peter Karl Fabergé who grew the business into a legendary institution. Karl Fabergé was well-traveled and well-trained. He became involved in restoration and research for the Hermitage, giving him ample opportunity to examine ancient treasures. In addition to having an artist’s eye, he was an astute businessman and demanded perfection for every creation that came from his atelier. The initial impetus for success came in 1883 with the Pan-Russian Industrial Exhibition in Moscow. Tsarina Maria-Feodorovna purchased a pair of cufflinks for her husband, Tsar Alexander III. By 1884, the House of Fabergé was awarded an Imperial Warrant, allowing them to use the imperial emblem on their pieces. Increasing involvement with the royal family brought prestige and more business to the firm, while royal orders for elaborate items gave them opportunities to create some of the world’s most beautiful objects. The sky was literally the limit until the advent of World War I. Then the company was co-opted and turned to producing hand grenades and other items for conflict. With the Russian Revolution in 1917 and the execution of the royal family, the collapse of the House of Fabergé was complete and Karl fled to Switzerland where he died in 1920. It is said that he died of a broken heart.
This page: Peter Karl Fabergé (Russian, 1846-1920), (top) Star Frame, before 1899 // (bottom) Imperial Peter the Great Easter Egg, 1903. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt
90 SLICE // JUNE 2015
PHOTOS THIS SPREAD BY KATHERINE WETZEL
THE EXHIBITION The crown jewels of the many crown jewels in the exhibition are four of the Imperial Easter eggs. The displays are divided into four sections with one egg in each area. The first section, whose centerpiece is the 1897 Imperial Pelican Easter Egg, introduces guests to the legacy of the Byzantine Empire and ancient traditions. This egg, given by Emperor Nicholas II (the titles “tsar” and “emperor” were used interchangeably) to his mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, honors her charitable work. It is topped with a figure of a pelican on a nest of hatchlings. The Empress embraced the pelican as representative of maternal care and Christ’s sacrificial love. Inside the red-gold egg are tiny paintings framed in pearls. The egg tradition, with pre-Christian roots, became an important symbol in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The Romanovs just kicked it up a notch. The egg in the second section is the 1903 Imperial Peter the Great Easter Egg commemorating the 200th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg. A gift to Empress Alexandra from her husband Emperor Nicholas II, this egg is made of red, green and yellow gold with diamonds and rubies. Four miniature watercolors protected by rock crystal decorate the outside of the egg. Inside is a gilt bronze replica of a statue of Peter the Great. The egg itself is 4.25 inches tall. The theme of this section is Russian history and identity. The lapis lazuli and gold Tsesarevich egg with its two-sided portrait of the royal heir, Alexei, anchors exhibits dealing with the House of Fabergé. The museum built unique, curvilinear tables for the exhibit, homage to the tables used to display pieces in the Fabergé showroom. This area illustrates the diversity of materials used and variety of items created. The egg in the final area, the Imperial Red Cross Easter Egg, is much more simplistic in design. The Russians were embroiled in World War I and ostentation was unacceptable. A gift from Nicholas II to his mother, it is made of silver, gold, mother-of-pearl, ivory and enamels. Inside are little portraits of his wife and four female relatives wearing nurses’ attire. The final days of both the House of Fabergé and the 300-year reign of the Romanovs end the exhibition and the story. Karl Fabergé escaped from Russia; the Tsar was forced to abdicate and the family was arrested. One of the most poignant items in the collection is a small star-shaped picture frame. It is believed that this is the only one of their treasures that the royal family still possessed at the time of their execution in Siberia.
This page: Peter Karl Fabergé (Russian, 1846-1920), (clockwise from top): Imperial Red Cross Easter Egg with Portraits, 1915 // Imperial Tsesarevich Easter Egg, 1912 // Imperial Pelican Easter Egg, 1897. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt
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PURSUITS | Spotlight
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92 SLICE // APRIL JUNE 2015 2015
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This page: (top) Peter Karl Fabergé (Russian, 1846-1920), Miniature Easter Egg Pendant ca. 1900 // (bottom) Crown Brooch (Russian, 1890-1910) Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt
THE COLLECTORS After the Russian Revolution, the Soviet government began selling off items they had confiscated from royalty, the upper class and the church. Early American collectors included cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post; Armand Hammer, president of Occidental Petroleum and friend of Lenin; and Lillian Thomas Pratt, whose husband was a General Motors executive. Mrs. Pratt acquired a major collection of Russian art which included a number of Fabergé pieces. She owned five of the Imperial Easter eggs, the four on display here plus a fifth which is too delicate to travel. Her tastes were eclectic, ranging from the elegant eggs to picture frames and parasol handles. The bulk of this exhibition comes from the Pratt Collection which she bequeathed to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. Oklahoma City is the last of five American cities to host this exhibition. From here, the collection will go to China. This is a special opportunity to glimpse a world gone by — and to see creations of such exquisite artistry.
PHOTOS THIS PAGE BY TRAVIS FULLERTON
PRESENTED BY DEVON ENERGY
JUNE 2015 // SLICE 93
PURSUITS | Getting Away
Uncovering the Gems of the Philippine Islands By Ana Maria Villanueva-Lykes // Photos by Donelon Oco
TELLING YOU ABOUT THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS IS LIKE OPENING MY TREASURE CHEST AND PULLING OUT ONE JEWEL AT A TIME. THE PHILIPPINES HAS OVER 7,100 ISLANDS, ONE FOR EVERY WHIM OR FANCY, BUT THE ONES THAT ALWAYS CALL TO THE FREE SPIRIT ARE THE ONES KNOWN FOR THEIR BEACHES. EACH ISLAND RETREAT IS LIKE A ONEOF-A-KIND GEM, UNIQUE IN ITS OWN LANDSCAPE AND OFFERINGS. AND JUST AS EACH HAS ITS OWN TALE TO TELL, MY OWN LIFE STORY HAS BEEN REVEALED THROUGH MY JOURNEY AS A DAUGHTER OF THE TROPICS. Last year, Conde Nast awarded Palawan island, one of the world’s best-kept secrets, number one in its Top 30 Islands in the world. Boracay, the country’s party paradise, was National Geographic Society’s Best Beach in Asia, Travel + Leisure Magazine’s World’s Best Island in 2012 and once again one of Trip Advisor’s Top 25 beaches of the world for the year. Even CNN has listed some of the country’s prized pearls in their list of world’s best. I guess the secret is out, so I might as well tell all. This is the story of my love affair with the beautiful islands of the Philippines. 94 SLICE // JUNE 2015
PEARL OF THE ORIENT SEAS On my first
trip to Boracay, I was searching not only for a potential partner in life but also for meaning and direction. Barely out of college, the world was my oyster and Boracay was my pearl. Some call the island the Pearl of Asia, and rightly so. Once a virgin island, Boracay has been harvested from her soft bed of isolation and strung into a necklace for everyone to wear. Her seven-kilometer skirt of sand is still creamy white, her waters unwaveringly blue and transparent, at the northwest tip of Panay Island, a one-hour plane ride from the country’s capital.
Claimed and conquered by many, she is ruled by an eclectic vibe, and is populated by the gamut: from bronzed fire dancers to pale-skinned sun worshippers new to the warmth of a tropical sun. She is crowded by sailboats, street hawkers, loud revelers, beautiful tanned bodies and fivestar resorts. The long stretch of the beach is divided into three stations, each catering to different markets. Before long, I found myself in Station Two, drawn by the festive music and the smell of grilled seafood. Makeshift stands displayed the freshest catch of the day – squid, fish, prawns marinated in islands spices. McDonald’s and Starbucks mingled shamelessly with kiosks selling everything from shell chandeliers to designer knock-offs.
I came upon a little shack that sold unique handmade jewelry. A curtain of necklaces tinkled as I walked in, announcing my arrival. Lilac jaspers, smoky quartz and rose agates clamored for my attention. Overwhelmed, I stepped outside and found artists gathered under a tree. They fished out their precious pieces from their backpacks, carefully unwrapping them from colorful bandanas. Calloused hands offered out a pale burnt orange stone marked with white and olive swirls crafted by time and nature. I was advised to wash the stone in sea water and soak it in the light of the moon before wearing it around my neck as an amulet. I was thinking of it more as an accessory, but never mind that. I had found my treasure. JUNE 2015 // SLICE 95
PURSUITS | Getting Away
CORAL AT MY FEET I bid farewell to my
single days on the beaches of Palawan. Days before my wedding, my fiancé took me to the famed island province situated between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea. A long and narrow coastline surrounded by hundreds of tiny islands, Palawan stretches 650 kilometers all the way to Borneo. The islands offer just as much variety as Boracay, only it’s not quite as crowded and manic. But my husband is a bit of a snob. He loathed the idea of staying in a commercialized resort or a hotel chain. He preferred “The Beach” of Alex Garland where backpackers sleep on the sand and not in air-conditioned rooms with fluffy beds. Garland himself revealed that the place that inspired his novel “The Beach” was not in Thailand but actually in Palawan. And so we ventured into a little-known resort called Coco Loco, a solitary islet, 30 minutes by boat from the main island of Roxas. The seven hectares is marked by an abundance of coconut trees and nothing else save for the few cottages that are spread around the private compound. Once we stepped off the little boat, getting our feet wet in the transparent waters, we knew we had reached THE beach. There was hardly anyone in sight. The sand looked undisturbed, with no footprints except for a few tiny telltale tracks coming from the jungle and trailing all the way to the beach until they disappeared in the water. The concept of time disappeared as well. Days on that little island were lazy and spent mostly lying on the sand. The only energy expended was when we explored the coral reefs right outside our bamboo hut and even then, we let the waves do most of the work. We waded in shallow water and within seconds we were transported into a different world: coral that looked 96 SLICE // JUNE 2015
like gigantic cabbage leaves crowded the ocean bed. We wallowed in a cornucopia of colors, allowing the water to carry us, rendering our limbs useless and drowning out the noise of our world. Neon-colored fish darted in and out of our dream as if to welcome us home. Back on shore, the menu was not quite as rich as the ocean floor, but definitely not lacking in taste. A choice of meat or the freshest catch, grilled and sparsely seasoned, with each bite sweet and rich with the flavors of the sea. Every night we washed down our feast with local beer, San Miguel, served to us in ice and crowned with a dreamy froth that reminded us of the airy sea foam we dipped our toes in earlier. Golden amber, it smelled subtly of grains and florals and was dark yet refreshingly light … just like the nights of Palawan.
JEWEL OF THE SUGAR ISLAND Always in
search of that undiscovered gem, our road less traveled later led us to the coastal town of Sipalay, known as the jewel of Negros Occidental. This time, we had a toddler in tow. We drove for three hours from Bacolod, the capital of the province, dreaming of sugary sand beaches and ice cold rum. Before long, the low concrete buildings gave way to sugar plantations, interspersed with little barrios where children with smiles brighter than the sun played by the road. Punta Ballo was our destination, a white sand strip that stretches about a kilometer and is sparsely lined with small resorts. It had the variety, and at the same time the seclusion, that we were looking for. A place where we could enjoy the night life and our little one could make sandcastles on the shore, undisturbed.
Our resort, Artistic Dive Resort, is a haven for the lovers of the deep blue. The country has over 420 of the 577 known species of coral in the world, and many of them can be found in Sipalay. The Jewel of the Sugar Island boasts 44 dive sites which showcase not only coral reefs and countless underwater creatures, but also a number of historical shipwrecks. We were content to sit out by the beach every day, watching divers march to and from the water, bathed in the sheen of the water and the knowledge of the secrets of the sea. The night before we left, we stepped out into a purple light. The sun had left a profusion of deep ruby shades in its wake. It laid a quiet blanket over us, disrupted by the harried energy of the staff carrying dinner tables out to the beach. Wild flowers were ceremoniously placed on each like an offer-
ing. By the water, they had built an altar of love – a sand-shaped heart bordered by bougainvillea. We had almost forgotten – it was Valentine’s Day. We dined with a Swedish couple who had been there for 23 days, exploring the underwater life. The day’s bounty was grilled in front of us and laid out in fans of banana leaves resting on a little bangka (local fishing boat).We feasted on grilled fish and pork, listening to stories of a World War II shipwreck covered with coral they’ve never seen before, of caves and canyons giving refuge to numerous creatures and of a whale shark that played with them for an hour. We watched the water sparkle like diamonds under the moon’s light and thought, as wondrous as the stories were, we were content to sit ashore. Our treasures were right where we could see them. JUNE 2015 // SLICE 97
See & Do EVENTS Western Avenue on the Lawn Jun 4 Free for all and filled with fun, this monthly event offers live music, games, food trucks and more. Whole Foods Lawn 6200 N Western Ave, OKC, visitwesternavenue.com Le Tour de Vin Jun 4-6 Local Rotary clubs partner with restaurants and vintners to provide a stellar event that benefits the Center for Children and Families. Riverwind Casino 1544 W Hwy 9, Norman, 321.0016, letourdevin.com Art After 5 Jun 4-25 A special Thursday evening treat draws downtowners and visitors to the OKCMOA’s rooftop terrace for drinks and a spectacular view. OKC Museum of Art 415 Couch Dr, OKC, 236.3100, okcmoa.com 1st Friday Gallery Walk Jun 5 The historic arts district’s name means “stroll,” which happens to be the preferred form of locomotion while taking in its wonders during a monthly display of arts and culture. Paseo Arts District 3022 Paseo St, OKC, 525.2688, thepaseo.com
organization is almost at an end raise a glass at the finish line with this celebratory fete. Park House 125 Ron Norick Blvd, OKC, 278.8944, alliedartsokc.com Urban Pioneer Awards Jun 9 The resurgent Plaza District confers the award on visionary individuals or organizations that have charted a new way to the future of the city - in this case, Keith and Heather Paul of A Good Egg Dining Group. OCU School of Law 800 N Harvey Ave, OKC, 367.9403, plazadistrict.org 2nd Friday Circuit of Art Jun 12 A monthly community-wide celebration of creativity, focused on historic Downtown Norman. Norman Arts Council 122 E Main St, Norman, 360.1162, normanarts.org Live on the Plaza Jun 12 Vendors, artists, residents and passerby unite for a monthly fiesta. OKC Plaza District 1618 N Gatewood Ave, OKC, 367.9403, plazadistrict.org
Oklahoma Book Award winner William Bernhardt. Santa Fe Depot 200 S Jones Ave, Norman, 307.9320, normandepot.org Auto Alley Shop Hop Jun 18 Discounts, giveaways, special minievents and have-to-be-there fun fill this monthly mercantile excursion along one of the metro’s distinctive shopping destinations. Automobile Alley 1015 N Broadway Ave, OKC, 235.3500, downtownokc.com
H & 8th Night Market Jun 26 Midtown becomes a primetime paradise in this after-hours street festival boasting live music, a convoy of food trucks and special giveaways and enticements. Hudson Ave & 8th Street 801 N Hudson Ave, OKC, 633.1703, h8thokc.com
Premiere on Film Row Jun 19 The downtown OKC street festival is family-friendly, pet-welcoming, free to wander through and filled with treats for the ears and taste buds. Film Row 706 W Sheridan Ave, OKC, 232.6060
Stars & Stripes River Festival Jun 27 Boat races of all kinds give plenty to cheer for in this free family event boosted by music and capped off with fireworks. Boathouse District 725 S Lincoln Blvd, OKC, 552.4040, boathousedistrict.org
FILM Classics Series Jun 2-30 Catch a masterpiece you missed the first time around or just want to re-experience on the big screen: “Jaws” Jun 2, “The Goonies” Jun 9, “Braveheart” Jun 16, “Big” Jun 23 and “Apocalypse Now” Jun 30. Harkins Theatres 150 E Reno Ave, OKC, 321.4747, harkinstheatres.com
Red Earth Festival Jun 5-7 The spectacle is incredible as thousands of representatives from hundreds of Native tribes gather in OKC to share their art and culture. Cox Center 1 Myriad Gardens, OKC, 427.5228, redearth.org
Children’s Garden Festival Jun 5-14 The Myriad Gardens helps kids’ love for literature and nature blossom in this activity-filled trip through venerable tale “Charlotte’s Web.” Myriad Gardens 301 W Reno Ave, OKC, 445.7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com
Circle Theater Shows Jun 4-28 The OKC Museum of Art screens overlooked treasures and unsung independent films for cineastes who want to step outside the multiplex. OKC Museum of Art 415 Couch Dr, OKC, 236.3100, okcmoa.com
DWIGHT YOAKAM
June 12 - Grand Casino St. Anthony POP! Jun 12 Here’s to a fourth sparkling soiree of tasty bites, live music, a raffle and special tastings of whiskey, scotch and plenty of champagnes, all to benefit patient care at St. Anthony Hospital. Mercedes Benz of OKC 1225 N Broadway Ave, OKC, 272.7070, givetosaints.com
Rock the Boat Fest Jun 6 A free day filled with family activities, live music and plenty to see and do along the banks of the canal. Bricktown Canal 100 S Oklahoma Ave, OKC, 235.3500, downtownokc.com
The Gift of Love Gala Jun 13 A glamourous evening benefiting Okarche’s Center of Family Love, which is dedicated to serving intellectually and physically disabled adults. OKC Golf & Country Club 7000 NW Grand Blvd, OKC, 263.7100, centeroffamilylove.org
Wines of the West Jun 6 Giveaways, tasty mouthfuls of cooking and plenty of grape achievements in alcoholic beverages fuel this 6th annual treat. Stockyards City 1305 S Agnew St, OKC, 235.7267, stockyardscity.org
June Bug Jam Jun 13 Blues guitarist Seth James headlines a setlist of music and enjoyment to benefit mental wellness agency Transition House. Sooner Theatre 101 E Main St, Norman, 360.7926, thouse.org
YWCA Purple Sash Gala Jun 6 An elegant banquet fueled by dinner, auctions and a runway show makes a powerful fundraiser for the YWCA’s domestic violence prevention efforts. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum 1700 NE 63rd St, OKC, 951.3333, ywcaokc .org
Medieval Knights Jun 13 Lance and shield are optional at Upward Transitions’ annual American Tourist fundraiser, where live music, auctions and other entertainments help benefit the homeless. Chevy Bricktown Events Center 429 E California Ave, OKC, 232.5507, upwardtransitions.org
Allied Arts Campaign Celebration Jun 7 The 2015 fundraising campaign for the community creativity support
Second Sunday Poetry Jun 14 Drop by the Depot for a free reading from prolific author and two-time
98 SLICE // JUNE 2015
LibertyFest Jun 25-Jul 4 Kite flights, feasting, pageants, a rodeo and more fill this week-long celebration of America, capped off with a massive parade and fireworks show. Throughout Edmond 340.2527, libertyfest.org
Bricktown Blues & BBQ Festival Jun 19 Grab some chow, groove on some tunes and enjoy the 20th annual summer sensation in one of the metro’s jumpin’est districts. Bricktown 150 S Oklahoma Ave, OKC, 236.4143, bricktownokc.com
Heritage Celebration Jun 5 On its 30th birthday, the Edmond Historical Society looks back at some of its namesake city’s high points and thanks its staunch supporters. Edmond Historical Society 431 S Boulevard, Edmond, 340.0078, edmondhistory.org
BASCO Festival of Homes Jun 5-14 Tour over 30 outstanding examples of the home builder’s craft in this self-guided constellation ranging from Moore to Newcastle. Hallbrooke 2017 Providence Dr, Norman, bascofestival.com
circus takes on even more wonder as acrobats, jugglers and their three-ring kin are joined by mysterious beasts from myth and legend. Chesapeake Arena 100 W Reno Ave, OKC, 800.745.3000, chesapeakearena.com
Zoobilation Jun 19 The Zoo’s largest fundraiser is a “no-tie” gala; grab a specialty beverage and plenty of food and go wild. OKC Zoo 2101 NE 50th St, OKC, 425.0612, zoofriends.org Sunset Cruises Jun 19-26 Music, appetizers, a cash bar, the quiet breeze and gentle motion of the ship proceeding languidly down the river relaxation like this is a true pleasure. Oklahoma River 1503 Exchange Ave, OKC, 702.7755, okrivercruises.com Dog Harmony Match Jun 20 In need of some canine companionship? Full Circle Obedience hosts this adoption event that matches rescue dogs with owners and homes that are mutually compatible. Myriad Gardens 301 W Reno Ave, OKC, 445.7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com Heard on Hurd Jun 20 A free monthly festival of live music, food trucks and pop-up shops - come enjoy! Downtown Edmond 32 N Broadway Ave, Edmond, 341.6650, facebook.com/heardonhurd
Boathouse Summer Movie Series Jun 5-19 The FAA Credit Union sponsors free screenings, where the “screen” is the side of the Chesapeake Finish Line Tower. Catch “Big Hero 6” Jun 5 and “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” Jun 19. Boathouse District 725 S Lincoln Blvd, OKC, 552.4040, boathousedistrict.org deadCENTER Film Festival Jun 10-14 The crème de la cinema in independent film fills downtown OKC with 100+ specially selected flicks. Downtown OKC 415 Couch Dr, OKC, 246.9233, deadcenterfilm.org Movie Nights in the Park Jun 12 When the sun goes down, the show starts up enjoy a free screening of “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” Hafer Park 900 S Bryant Ave, Edmond, 359.4630, edmondparks.com
GALLERIES ONGOING Shevaun Williams Through Jun 21 State Capitol OKC, 521.2931, arts. ok.gov
WGSO Pond Tour Jun 20-21 Drink in the beauties of nature in the Water Garden Society of Oklahoma’s annual tour of backyard Edens cultivated by its members. Throughout the metro 802.6800, wgso.org
Sketchbooks of O. Gail Poole Through Jun 26 Santa Fe Depot Norman, 307.9320, normandepot.org
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Legends Jun 25-28 A trip to the
Diana Smith Jun 1-30 The Fine Arts Institute hosts a showing of works
d.g. smalling Through Jun 30 Exhibit C OKC, 767.8900, exhibitcgallery.com
by the highly skilled local artist and animal lover. Fine Arts Institute of Edmond 27 E Edwards St, Edmond, 340.4481, edmondfinearts.com June at the Elms Jun 3-27 The cozy gallery in the Paseo is home to intriguing art, inside and out: this month it welcomes the stark contrasts in oils of painter Billy Schenck. JRB Art at the Elms 2810 N Walker Ave, OKC, 528.6336, jrbartgallery.com Molly O’Connor Jun 5-27 The community art space for public exploration of art welcomes a solo show of O’Connor’s especially engaging pieces. The Project Box 3003 Paseo St, OKC, 609.3969, theprojectboxokc.com Woolbright & Keil Jun 5-27 The arresting gallery in the Paseo Arts District adds an extra dimension to its work on display with mixed media pieces and ceramic creations from Chad Woolbright and Jean Keil. In Your Eye Gallery 3005 Paseo St, OKC, 525.2161, inyoureyegallery.com Hellwege and Keuteman Jun 5-28 Fresh acts of creativity courtesy local artists: Jan Hellwege’s oils in “My Blue Mind” and mixed media representations of anima in Keuteman’s “Manitou Spirit Collection.” Contemporary Art Gallery 2928 Paseo St, OKC, 601.7474, contemporaryartgalleryokc.com FAC Faculty Show Jun 5-Jul 25 Instructors from the Firehouse Art Center’s creativity-encouraging classes show off selected examples of their own abilities with paint, charcoal, clay and other media. Firehouse Art Center 444 S Flood Ave, Norman, 329.4523, normanfirehouse.com Spring Stampede Jun 7 RSVP for an invitation to the 10th annual show and sale of original small works by local artists, with a portion of proceeds benefiting the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Rusty Gables 3800 NE 50th St, OKC, 424.1015, rustygables.com
MUSEUMS ONGOING National Weather Center Biennale Through Jun 15 National Weather Center Norman, 325.3095, ou.edu/ content/nwcbiennale Colored Memories Through Jun 30 Oklahoma History Center OKC, 521.2491, okhistory.org Conflict Cast in Bronze Through Jul 12 National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum OKC, 478.2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org Warhol: The Athletes Through Jul 12 OKC Museum of Art OKC, 236.3100, okcmoa.com Audubon and the Art of Birds Through Jul 26 Sam Noble Museum, Norman, 325.4712, samnoblemuseum.org
Heritage Museum OKC, 523.3231, oklahomaheritage.com Ledger Art Exhibition Through Aug 31 Red Earth Museum OKC, 427.5228, redearth.org A World Unconquered Through Sep 6 Fred Jones Jr Museum of Art Norman, 325.3272, ou.edu/fjjma Orly Genger: Terra Through Oct 2 Campbell Park OKC, 951.0000, oklahomacontemporary.org Enter the Matrix: Indigenous Printmakers Jun 5-Jan 2 Paper becomes a medium of cultural exchange and appreciation in these examples of artistic endeavor by Native creators. Fred Jones Jr Museum of Art 555 Elm Ave, Norman, 325.3272, ou.edu/fjjma Prix de West Jun 12-Aug 2 This prestigious, powerhouse collection of carefully juried works typifies the finest in Western art; landscapes, portraits, sculpture and more. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum 1700 NE 63rd St, OKC, 478.2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org Fabergé: Jeweler to the Tsars Jun 20Sep 27 Magnificent treasures the likes of which the world has never seen; Carl Fabergé’s inimitable eggs are coming to the OKCMOA. OKC Museum of Art 415 Couch Dr, OKC, 236.3100, okcmoa.com
MUSIC Diamond Ballroom Jun 2-20 Crank it up down by the river with a set of powerful shows: this month’s headliners include TechN9ne Jun 2, Tyler, the Creator Jun 4, AWOLNation Jun 6 and Aranda Jun 20. Diamond Ballroom 8001 S Eastern Ave, OKC, 866.977.6849, dcfconcerts. com
legend Clint Black Jun 5, Jamey Johnson Jun 12 and blue-collar comic Bill Engvall Jun 26. Riverwind Casino 1544 W Hwy 9, Norman, 322.6464, riverwind.com Blue Door Shows Jun 5-27 Selfbilled as “the best listening room in Oklahoma,” it certainly has some of the best music, including Greg Jacobs Jun 5, Patrice Pike Jun 12, MilkDrive Jun 17, Dan Weber Jun 18 and Susan Herndon Jun 27 - check online for updates. The Blue Door 2805 N McKinley Ave, OKC, 524.0738, bluedoorokc.com Jazz Lab Concerts Jun 5-27 UCO students and metro residents alike step to the Jazz Lab for some sizzling shows: Shortt Dogg Jun 5, Smilin’ Vic Jun 6, Souled Out Jun 12, Miss Brown to You Jun 13, the Old Bulldog Band Jun 19, Shadowman Blues Jun 20, Big G Jun 26 and Heath Jones Jun 27. UCO Jazz Lab 100 E 5th St, Edmond, 359.7989, ucojazzlab.com Frontier City Shows Jun 6-27 The amusement park offers a few extra musical thrills thanks to Red Dirt Live Jun 6, Debby Ryan and the Never Ending Jun 13 and Wild’s 15th B-Day Bash Jun 27. Frontier City 11501 N I-35 Svc Rd, OKC, 478.2140, frontiercity.com Zoo Amphitheatre Concerts Jun 6-27 Big sound under the big sky from great names in music: Vince Gill w/ Tracy Lawrence Jun 6, the Tedeschi Trucks Band plus Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings Jun 17 and the Turnpike Troubadours Jun 27. Zoo Amphitheatre 2101 NE 50th St, OKC, 866.977.6849, thezooamphitheatre.com Twilight Concert Series Jun 7-28 The Arts Council of OKC shares a free, family-friendly performance every Sunday evening on the Great Lawn. Myriad Gardens 301 W Reno Ave, OKC, 270.4848, artscouncilokc.com
The Conservatory Jun 3-19 Sonic jams of all descriptions in an OKC hotspot: this month’s slate includes Naturalist Jun 3, Teenage Bottlerocket Jun 18, New Standard Elite Jun 19 and more - check online for adds and updates. The Conservatory 8911 N Western Ave, OKC, theconservatoryokc.com
Brightmusic Jun 11-16 A multiconcert festival of our home country’s top-shelf chamber music; pieces by Ives, Barber, Gershwin and more fill “America the Beautiful.” St. Paul’s Cathedral 127 NW 7th St, OKC, brightmusic.org
Noon Tunes Jun 4-25 Free lunchtime serenades to sonically spice up your Thursdays: Casey & Minna Jun 4, Eukie, Jr. Jun 11, Matt Blagg and Ernie Tullis Jun 18 and Young Artists Jun 25. Downtown Library 300 Park Ave, OKC, 231.8650, mls.lib.ok.us
Opolis Shows Jun 11-20 Metro, meet Opolis - you’ll make beautiful music together, courtesy of varied acts like July Talk Jun 11, The Melvins Jun 12, The Growlers Jun 13 and Foy Vance w/ Ryan McMullan Jun 20 - check online for adds and updates. Opolis 113 N Crawford, Norman, opolis.org
Summer Concerts in the Park Jun 4-25 Local musicians provide a rotating selection of free shows in this familywelcoming series. Hafer Park 900 S Bryant Ave, Edmond, 359.4630, edmondparks.com Farmer’s Market Shows Jun 5 Solid venue, lush crop of entertainment June features The Story So Far. OKC Farmers Public Market 311 S Klein Ave, OKC, 232.6506, okcfarmersmarket.com
Holly Wilson: If I Were Through Aug 21 Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center OKC, 951.0000, oklahomacontemporary.org
After Hours Friday Jun 5-26 As the week winds down, relax with a glass and some smooth tunes from Annie Oakley Jun 5 and Susan Herndon Jun 26. Native Spirits Winery 10500 E Lindsey St, Norman, 329.9942, nativespiritswinery.com
America’s Road: The Journey of Route 66 Through Aug 29 Oklahoma
Riverwind Shows Jun 5-26 The standout casino welcomes country
Grand Casino Concerts Jun 12-17 It should sound great at the Grand this month, thanks to appearances from country legend Dwight Yoakam Jun 12 and Whitesnake Jun 17. Grand Casino 777 Grand Casino Blvd, Shawnee, 964.7263, grandresortok.com Summer Breeze: Kelly Willis Jun 14 The open-air concert series continues by welcoming the Austin-based singer-songwriter-honky-tonkheartbreaker for an effortlessly engaging performance. Lions Park 450 S Flood Ave, Norman, 307.9320, normandepot.org Nichols Hills Band Concert Jun 18 A monthly musical serenade from Nichols Hills’ community band; bring seating and enjoy. Kite Park 1500 Bedford Dr, OKC, nicholshills.net
Jazz in June Jun 18-20 The heat is on as local and national acts (Soul Grass, Moon Hooch, Nathan James & the Rhythm Scratchers) pump out three nights’ worth of free jazz and blues. Brookhaven Village 3700 W Robinson Ave, Norman, 325.2222, jazzinjune.org VANS Warped Tour Jun 25 Pile into Remington for hard-driving music from dozens of bands, from Alive Like Me to Youth in Revolt. Remington Park 1 Remington Pl, OKC, 866.977.6849, dcfconcerts.com OKCFest Jun 26-27 Sammy Hagar, Rascal Flatts, the Drive-By Truckers, Grace Potter … a bevy of bands and singers grace a temporary stage with powerful tunes in this outdoor show in the heart of OKC. Downtown OKC 220 W Reno Ave, OKC, okcfest.com Summer Breeze: Mama Sweet Jun 28 The open-air concert series rolls on with a high-octane burst of sound from the Red Dirt psychedelic countryrockers. Lions Park 450 S Flood Ave, Norman, 307.9320, normandepot.org
SPORTS ONGOING NCAA Women’s College World Series Through Jun 3 There’s nothing soft about the competition as the nation’s best softball teams battle it out for the top honors. ASA Hall of Fame Stadium 2801 NE 50th St, OKC, 602.8700, chesapeakearena.com OQHA Redbud Spectacular Through Jun 7 Roping, heeling, barrel racing and exemplary horsemanship at every age bracket - plus over $100,000 in prizes and giveaways - provide plenty of equestrian excellence for audiences. State Fairgrounds 333 Gordon Cooper Blvd, OKC, 440.0694, okqha.org OKC Dodgers Baseball Jun 1-25 OKC’s men of summer take a swing at creating a sparkling season on the diamond, hosting Fresno Jun 1, Sacramento Jun 2-5, Nashville Jun 11-14, Memphis Jun 18-21 and Colorado Springs Jun 23-25. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark 2 S Mickey Mantle Dr, OKC, 218.1000, okcdodgers.com OKC Nationals River Race Jun 5-7 One of the featured events of the National Drag Boat Association race series, it’s where drivers torch the water at amazing speeds. Oklahoma River 725 S Lincoln Blvd, OKC, 630.7668, okcmotorsports.com OKC Energy FC Soccer Jun 5-13 Open wide for some soccer! The OKC Energy FC continue their second season by kicking off against the Portland Timbers 2 Jun 5, Vancouver’s Whitecaps FC 2 Jun 9 and Tulsa Roughnecks Jun 13. Taft Stadium 2901 NW 23rd St, OKC, 235.5425, energyfc.com Lung Force Walk Jun 6 Stretch your legs for respiratory health as the American Lung Association educates and raises funds to fight lung cancer through a day of activity. Myriad Gardens 301 W Reno Ave, OKC, 748.4674, action.lung.org OKC Roller Derby Jun 7 Belles on wheels combine velocity and a touch of ferocity; this month the OKCRD
JUNE 2015 // SLICE 99
ZZ JA IN JUNE
32ND ANNUAL
JUNE 18-20•NORMAN, OK THURSDAY, 6/18
FRIDAY, 6/19
NATHAN JAMES & THE RHYTHM SCRATCHERS
MOON HOOCH
Kalo
Kyle Reid & the Low Swingin’ Chariots
SATURDAY, 6/20
Cinematic BILL EVANS’ Culture The Nichol Quintet
SOULGRASS Norman High School Jazz Combo Visit jazzinjune.org for a full festival schedule!
JUNE 12 THROUGH JULY 10, 2015
ILLUMINATE FEATURING LINDSEY BOCHNIAK, JESSICA CRADDOCK, MARY JAMES KETCH & SARAH DAY-SHORT
PURSUITS | See & Do
Broads take on the South Central Roller Girls. Skate Galaxy 5800 NW 36th St, OKC, ockrd.com Mayors’ Golf Tournament Jun 8 Present and future civic leaders host an amiable day on the links to benefit OKC Beautiful. OKC Golf & Country Club 7000 NW Grand Blvd, OKC, 525.8822, okcbeautiful.com Endeavor Games Jun 11-14 Fierce competition in multiple sports for athletes with physical disabilities; it’s an outstanding spectator event. UCO Campus 100 N University Dr, Edmond, 974.3160, ucoendeavorgames.com NAMI Walks Jun 20 The National Alliance on Mental Illness invites you to take a step - take several steps toward removing stigmas and raising funds for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Myriad Gardens 301 W Reno Ave, OKC, 607.6018, namiwalks.org Swing From the Heart Jun 20 Former OSU Cowboy Brandon Weeden hosts a golf tourney benefiting the Children’s Hospital Foundation. Oak Tree National 1515 Oak Tree Dr, Edmond, 503.807.0960, okchf.org Father’s Day 5k Jun 21 Dubbed “Oaks and Acorns,” this first dad-centric 5k organized by the Gardens encourages participants to run with or in honor of their paternal figures. Myriad Gardens 301 W Reno Ave, OKC, 445.7080, oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com Brew Mile OKC Jun 26 It’s a 1-mile race in which runners must drink a beer at each quarter post, followed by a celebratory bash for racers and spectators alike. Cheers! Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark 2 S Mickey Mantle Dr, OKC, brewmile.com Oklahoma Victory Dolls Jun 27 High-speed grace and a strategic application of brawn here and there; these dames do roller derby right. State Fairgrounds 333 Gordon Cooper Blvd, OKC, okvd.net
THEATER ONGOING Good People Through Jun 6 Hope and despair and humor and shifting loyalties swirl in this poverty-adjacent tale of blue-collar America. Carpenter Square Theater 800 W Main St, OKC, 232.6500, carpentersquare.com One-Man Lord of the Rings Jun 4-7 One ring to rule them all … and one actor to portray them. Frodo, Gandalf, Gollum, everybody (well, practically everybody; you’ll probably have to imagine Gwaihir the Windlord) from the towering fantasy trilogy is brought to life by Charles Ross in this quirky, exhausting show. OKC Civic Center 201 N Walker Ave, OKC, 848.3761, cityrep.com
+ ALTERNATIVE by studio1409
AND NAC INDIVIDUAL ARTIST KIM RICE IN THE LIBRARY GALLERY OPENING RECEPTION: 6-10 P.M. FRIDAY, JUNE 12
CLOSING RECEPTION:
6-10 P.M. FRIDAY, JULY 10 OPEN 11 A.M. - 4 P.M. TUES-SAT
122 E. MAIN, NORMAN, OK 4 0 5 . 3 6 0 . 1 1 6 2 NORMANARTS.ORG M A I N S I T E - A R T. C O M
ILLUMINATE ARTISTS TALK: 6:30 P.M. FRIDAY, JULY 10
100 SLICE // JUNE 2015
The Winter’s Tale Jun 4-20 Starting to get warm out there; a perfect time for a cool breeze of expert theatre from Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park, presenting the Bard at his most magical. Myriad Gardens 301 W Reno Ave, OKC, 235.3700, oklahomashakespeare.com Caddie Woodlawn Jun 5-14 A young pioneer girl explores adolescence as her family explores their way into the wilderness of the West. Stage Door
Theater 601 Oak St, Yukon, 265.1590, stagedooryukon.com Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Jun 5-27 Heat and interpersonal resentments swelter in Reduxion’s take on Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer-winning drama. OKC Civic Center 201 N Walker Ave, OKC, 604.4730, reduxiontheatre.com Chuggington Live! Jun 7 Talking trains star and adventure rides the rails in this live-action adaptation from a beloved kids’ show. OKC Civic Center 201 N Walker Ave, OKC, 800.869.1451, celebrityattractions.com The Secret Garden Jun 11-20 Beauty and adventure are waiting to be discovered in Upstage Theatre’s stage adaptation. Mitch Park Amphitheatre 1501 W Covell Rd, Edmond, 285.5803, upstagetheatreok.com James and the Giant Peach Jun 17-21 Excitement, adventure and really big bugs await in this Oklahoma Children’s Theatre production of a Dahl romp. Children’s Center for the Arts 2501 N Blackwelder Ave, OKC, 951.0011, oklahomachildrenstheatre.org Guys and Dolls Jun 19-28 Community theater troupe Summerstock Productions brings the Broadway tale of gangsters, gamblers and true love to UCO; it’s a sure bet. UCO Mitchell Hall Theater 100 N University Dr, Edmond, 974.3375, summerstockok.com Company Jun 19-Jul 11 One of the first modern musicals, exploring the value of human relationships, closes the Pollard season. Pollard Theatre 120 W Harrison Ave, Guthrie, 282.2800, thepollard.org Oklahoma! Jun 23-27 Lyric Theatre kicks off its summer season with a musical tale of love among the waving wheat and an old familiar song. OKC Civic Center 201 N Walker Ave, OKC, 524.9312, lyrictheatreokc.com Alice in Wonderland, Jr. Jun 24-28 A cheerful, fast-paced (wouldn’t do to be late) children’s adaptation of Disney’s animated adventure, presented as part of the Sooner Theatre’s Studio Series. Sooner Theatre 101 E Main St, Norman, 321.9600, soonertheatre.org The Pirates of Penzance Jun 26-27 Cimarron Opera makes summer a trifle more tuneful with a kids’ production of the Gilbert and Sullivan classic. Nancy O’Brien Center 1809 Stubbeman Ave, Norman, 364.8962, cimarronopera.org Exit, Pursued By a Bear Jun 26Jul 18 Called a “revenge comedy,” it’s a bitingly funny look at friendship, abusive relationships and schadenfreude. Carpenter Square Theater 800 W Main St, OKC, 232.6500, carpentersquare.com
Check ou coming t the top soc year’s ia in our D l events ate boo online, k an d o f w h a t s t ay o n t o p ’s happ ening with ou r se event c archable alendar at sliceok .com
COLUMNS ON MAIN
2001 W. MAIN STREET | NOW OPEN IN CARRIAGE PLAZA NORMAN | 405.364.3777 BR IDA L R EGISTRY | COMPLIMENTARY GIFT W R AP | FR EE NOR M A N DELIVERY
Serious about your writing? So am I. Coaching • Analysis Editing • Critique
1201 N.W. 178th Street | Edmond | 405.359.1189 7302 N. Western Avenue | OKC | 405.242.3255
Fiction • Memoir Personal • Professional
Rebecca Rutledge • (405) 642-6136 www.rebeccarutledge.com
The Shoppes at Northpark N.W. 122nd & May | Oklahoma City 405.748.5200
We need your help! Donations may be mailed to ARF c/o Town Hall 6407 Avondale Drive Nichols Hills, OK 73116
Call 843.4222 or 843.3038
New Insta-Lift Plus package of 6 for $145. De-Ages, Tightens and Lifts!
Chris Poore, DDS, MS Mary Hamburg, DDS, MS Robin D. Henderson, DMD, MS Specialty in Periodontics & Implant Dentistry A ll Doctors are Diplomates of The A merican Board of Periodontology periodontal surgery • lanap dental implants • sinus lifts ridge augmentation • frenectomy soft tissue grafting • extractions cone beam imaging • sedation
The Shoppes at North Park • 122nd & May, Oklahoma City (405) 463-0333 • www.facesandmoreok.com
9112 N. M ay, OKC • 947.0486 okperioimplant.com • JUNE 2015 // SLICE 101
Last Laugh
NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP
MY HUSBAND AND I RARELY GO TO BED AT THE SAME TIME, but on the rare occasion that we do, we’ll compare notes about how tired we are. This week, we commiserated about exhaustion one evening, after I’d shampooed the carpet for the same four hours he spent watching TV. To my amazement, my husband can nod off within seconds of his head hitting the pillow. Even after operating heavy machinery for hours while cripplingly sleep deprived, I’ve never managed to go from 60 to zero in 15 seconds. If I weren’t a frequent witness to the “I’m being eaten alive” jerking that goes with it, I’d swear that my husband is faking it when he falls asleep. He could win a contest. Doesn’t he have some kind of list to go over in his head before he goes to sleep? In less than a minute, he’ll be the human chainsaw. One or two power snorts will jerk him awake for a second – long enough to question what day it is or whether I’d just yelled his name – before he’ll fully commit to checking out for the night. As I lie there looking at the time on the nightstand clock, I’ll sigh at having stayed up too late and hope the physical exhaustion of carpet cleaning will lure me to sleep. But first, I’ll recap the day and think about what I’m going to wear tomorrow. Doing that will prompt me to look at the weather app on my phone and respond to some waiting text messages. Then I’ll take a mental inventory of what won’t need ironing in the morning. While I struggle to get my neck right on the pillow, I’ll realize I won’t be comfortable all night because my husband is sleeping on my perfect pillow. As he enters Stage 3 sleep, I’ll arrange and fluff the remaining pillows (all railroad ties except for the one he’s got). Finally, I’ll convince myself that I’m about to drift off. It’s late, but if I fall asleep within the next 10 or 15 minutes, I can still salvage enough sleep to function in the morning. I’ll close my eyes and perfect my relaxation technique, visualizing myself floating weightlessly in the pool, sufficiently SPFed, without a care in the world and not a single wasp within a five-mile radius. Within a couple of minutes, I’ll feel my breathing getting shallower as I let go. Rambling thoughts will begin replacing waking thoughts. I’ll even tell myself, “I must be asleep now. There’s no way that scenario about XYZ would even enter my mind if I weren’t asleep. The sheer ridiculousness of such a random thought …” 102 SLICE // JUNE 2015
By Lauren Hammack
WAIT. “Is there a WASP NEST inside the patio door? Is that why I keep seeing the same wasp at that door? Is that thing laying eggs right this minute? When is the last time anyone saw a can of Raid around here?” And I’m officially awake. While wasp eggs are on the verge of hatching in the cracks of the patio doors right downstairs, my husband lies in a coma. Checked out for the evening. “Did anyone even check to see if the back door is locked?” I wonder. “I didn’t lock it. It’s probably unlocked. And now we’ll probably have a robber tonight. And when we do, I hope he gets stung on his eyeballs by the thousands of wasps that are sharpening their stingers while they incubate in the patio door right now.” I’ll check the clock and realize I’ve just spent 15 minutes obsessing about wasps and another 45 minutes reassuring myself that a healthy fear of flying, buzzing things with stingers is perfectly normal, just like my growing fear of a robber coming in through the back door. I’ll run through a checklist of my other neuroses, just to be sure they’re nothing to worry about, before strategizing how I can wear my hair in the morning without washing it. I’ll be judged, I know, but my struggle is real. I’ll flop around a few more minutes and try to recall the list of unwanted side effects from the Lunesta commercials I’ve only passively watched on TV, before I knew I have “occasional difficulty falling asleep.” Without realizing it, I’ll finally fall asleep for what will feel like 10 minutes. The alarm will go off three times before I stop hitting the snooze button – tearing myself away from the best sleep position of my life, which I always seem to discover about five minutes before I wake up. My annoyed husband will complain that he couldn’t go back to sleep after the alarm went off the first time and all he could do was lie wide awake for the next 30 minutes. Convinced that the robber drugged me with sleep aids during the night, I’ll make a groggy case for just 10 more minutes, but not before I tell my husband to check that buzzing sound around the patio door.
9450 N. May Avenue | Oklahoma City, OK 73120 | 405.607.0420
SUMMER SALE STARTS JUNE 15
Sizes 2-16 Shoppes at Northpark 12100 N. May Oklahoma City (405) 748-7227 shopnancys.com
For over 21 years, Second Chance Animal Sanctuary, a non-profit organization operating solely on donations from kind and loving people, has been working to help homeless dogs and cats find their way to a safe, permanent and loving home. We are a no-kill facility, so each pet we bring to our sanctuary will remain there until they are either adopted, or fostered by one of our many foster families. Please keep us in mind when you are in search of a new pet!
Custom designed container gardens for your home or business.
Second Chance Animal Sanctuary, Inc 4500 24th Avenue NW in Norman (405) 321-1915 www.secondchancenorman.com
405.650.7202 | nestokc.com
nestcontainergardens@cox.net |
JUNE 2015 // SLICE 103
Last Look
Sunny Disposition Photo by Shannon Bever
Summer officially begins this month – get out there and show the world your beaming face.
To submit your photo for Last Look, visit sliceok.com/last-look/
104 SLICE // JUNE 2015
COX HIGH SPEED INTERNET
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*Offer ends 8/30/15. Available to new residential customers in Cox service areas. $19.99/month includes Cox High Speed Internet Preferred when customer newly subscribes to both Cox High Speed Internet Preferred and Cox Advanced TV or higher. Total bundle rate varies based on choice of Advanced TV package. Bundle rate increases by $20/month for months 13-24. Regular rates apply thereafter. See www.cox.com. 2-year service agreement required. Early termination fees may apply. Equipment fees, installation charges, taxes, fees and surcharges additional. Not all services and features available everywhere. A credit check and/or deposit may be required. Offer not combinable with other offers. Equipment required. A DOCSIS 3 modem is required to consistently receive optimal speeds for Preferred and higher tiers, and is strongly recommended for all other tiers. Uninterrupted or error free service not guaranteed. Actual speeds vary. Speed comparison based on max download speed of Cox Preferred package (50 Mbps) vs. AT&T U-verse Pro 3 Mbps service. In-home WiFi setup of up to 4 devices included when you rent or purchase a WiFi Modem from Cox (device exclusions apply). Pro install may require a fee up to $75 and is limited to standard install on pre-wired outlets. Other restrictions may apply. ©2015 Cox Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
Mister Robert F I N E
F U R N I T U R E
&
D E S I G N
Est. 1958 • 109 East Main • Norman • 405.321.1818 • MisterRobert.com •