Tulsa World Magazine October-November 2019

TULSA W O R L D

M A G A Z I N E

T U L SA WO R L D M AG A Z I N E | I S S U E 2 5 | O C T O B E R - N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 9 | T U LS AWO R L D M AG A Z I N E .C O M

TAKE YOUR DECOR FROM HALLOWEEN TO THANKSGIVING

THE

CHEF ISSUE

Tulsa chefs show off their ink and tell the stories behind the tatts LOCAL LEGENDS AND TODAY’S TRENDSETTERS: From the pioneers to the up-and-comers, these chefs shaped city’s food scene

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FROM THE COVER

The CHEF Issue 30 46

Building Tulsa’s culinary culture: Rick Kamp changed the Tulsa food landscape when he opened Razor Clam in 1973, and a long list of chefs since have left their marks through inspiring others and blazing new trails.

Kitchen ink: From gritty line cooks in greasy-spoon diners to the executive chefs at the world’s most popular restaurants, it’s hard to find a cook who doesn’t sport some tattoos.

Noted Tulsa chef Rick Kamp has a montage of photos on the wall of his study from the night in the mid-1970s when he prepared dinner for famous French author, teacher and cook Simone Beck.

COVER: Lisa Becklund, owner of Living Kitchen, shows off her foodthemed tattoos at the Cherry Street Farmers Market.

JOSEPH RUSHMORE/for Tulsa World Magazine

STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World Magazine

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INSIDE

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Women to watch: We’re honoring the legacy of Tulsa’s strong female leaders by highlighting the women who are making the decisions in our city today and the ones who will be leading us into the future.

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A look for the whole season: Stretch your fall decorating from Halloween through Thanksgiving with these great tips.

Also inside

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Hit the road this fall: From checking out fall foliage to holiday happenings in driving distance, check out these great ideas for a little travel this fall.

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How I Got Here: Andolini’s Mike Bausch planned to play football and be a Marine, not own a pizzeria.

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Let’s Go: Organize your family’s calendar with our guide to the biggest and best local events.

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Tulsa

W O R L D

FROMTHE

EDITOR.

M a g a z i n e

Tulsa World Magazine is a specialty publication of the Tulsa World, 315 S. Boulder Ave., Tulsa, OK 74103.

This magazine is published with the October 5, 2019, edition of the World.

All content copyright Tulsa World 2019.

The contents may not be reproduced without permission.

NICOLE MARSHALL MIDDLETON Editor nicole.marshall@tulsaworld.com

Telling the stories of culinary legends, trendsetters

SARA STEPHENSON Assistant Editor sara.stephenson@tulsaworld.com James Royal Lead Designer JAmes D. Watts Jr., Jimmie Tramel, Scott Cherry, Judy Allen, Sharon Bishop-Baldwin Writers JOHN CLANTON Photo Editor John Walblay Page Editor KYLE MARGERUM, Vanessa Pearson, Steve Reckinger Designers Additional copies of Tulsa World Magazine can be found at the Tulsa World or at local retailers. Annual magazine subscriptions are $29.70 for six issues. To subscribe or have single issues mailed for $4.95, go to tulsaworldmagazine.com or call 918-581-0921.

ADVERTISE IN TULSA WORLD MAGAZINE To advertise, call 918-581-8509 or email jennifer.carthel@tulsaworld.com.

WANT MORE TWM? Don’t want to miss a copy of Tulsa World Magazine?

Make sure you get them all by subscribing to the Tulsa World at tulsaworld.com/subscribe.

6 Tulsa World Magazine

Nicole Marshall Middleton Tulsa World Magazine Editor

I

f you’ve been around chefs or “the industry” at all, you’ve heard the stories.

Stories about who mentored who. Stories about cooks coming of age at Tulsa’s top restaurants, those epic eateries that are long gone but live on for their culinary impact on the community.

Stories about the influencers, the people who took what we eat to another level and fashioned extended families out of the roving band of gypsies who bounce from one restaurant to the next.

Working long hours, in close quarters, among people driven by an insatiable need to create — that’s where legends are born.

In this edition, Scott Cherry tells the stories of Tulsa’s culinary legends as well as some of the modern trendsetters who are leading the next wave of rookie cooks.

The passion for the food industry is strong for this group, so strong many opt for another outlet to express themselves and their undying love of the trade.

Today, chefs sport tattoos of food, kitchen tools and their rock star lifestyles. From gritty line cooks in greasy-spoon diners to the executive chefs at the world’s most popular restaurants, Judy Allen tells us it’s hard to find a cook who doesn’t sport some ink and she found some of the best body art in Tulsa.

We also have a feature by Sharon Bishop-Baldwin celebrating Tulsa’s top businesswomen. These are the women to watch in their respective fields for what they have already done for the community, and how they will surely impact it in the future.

This edition of Tulsa World Magazine also premieres a new look for the cover, with the masthead placing an emphasis on our coverage of Tulsa by our exemplary Tulsa World newsroom staff and seasoned contributors. This magazine offers a different way for us to showcase award-winning photography and features about the people, the food, the arts and the events that make Tulsa an increasingly popular destination.

Following the footsteps of former editor Ashley Parrish, I’m excited to have the opportunity to lead this staff as the new editor of the Tulsa World Magazine.

The Tulsa World has been my home since I joined the newspaper 26 years ago. After nearly 20 years reporting on crime and breaking news for the news department, I moved to the Scene department in 2012 to cover food, home and garden and lifestyle features. As assistant editor, I helped get Tulsa World Magazine started in the fall of 2015 and was named editor of the Scene staff in 2018.

Like the chefs we feature in this edition, I’m mesmerized by my chosen calling. I’m inspired every day by my colleagues and I can’t wait for the next opportunity to create something unique.

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HOW I GOT HERE. Mike Bausch

Mike Bausch co-owns Andolini’s Pizzeria LLC with his brother, Jim Bausch. Mike is also vice president of the World Pizza Champions and is in the Guinness Book of World Records as a member of the team that made and baked the world’s longest pizza.

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Mike Bausch Andolini’s Pizzeria owner isn’t waiting for Superman Interview by Jason Collington / Photo by Ian Maule

> When we first opened, I was 22 and within six months of graduating from college.

homeless shelter. I said, “We are done with anything frozen.”

> My brother and I had both been in the Marine Corps.

I didn’t know I had Type 1 juvenile diabetes. I got through all the training, even though I went down to 135 pounds. I had lost all my fat and muscle. I thought that was so hard on me. But I had done it with such a debilitating disease with no insulin in my system, and I had still gotten through it. So opening a restaurant didn’t seem so daunting.

> Whenever someone underestimates the customer’s palate, that’s a bad move. You have to appeal to the person with the palate.

> The dream growing up? Play football for Notre Dame and be an officer in the Marine Corps with a JAG contract and do law. If you want to tell God a joke, tell him your plans because I am a pizzeria operator in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But I wouldn’t change anything about it. > We became the best pizza restaurant in Owasso. But I wanted to compete against something in New York. I wanted to know everything I could about pizza. > Product first. We will price it once we make the perfect item. We will staff it with people who are stoked about it because it’s the perfect item. > We are our harshest critic. We don’t wait for something to go wrong. Being named by TripAdvisor as one of the top 10 pizzerias in America was not by accident.

I am so proud of our 300-plus employees. > We have to keep hustling. We have to be hard on ourselves and hard working. It does yield good results. > Once you are in love with yourself, you can’t progress.

We are not in love with ourselves. > In high school, I was on the volleyball team. Didn’t lose once. I was on the wrestling team. Didn’t lose once. I suck at volleyball, I suck at wrestling and I was captain of both teams. I will outwork anyone in the room. I will stay later. Get there earlier. I will find the smart way to do it. I will dedicate to having the perfect effort. > One big course correct was in our second year. We bought every frozen ravioli we could find. We had a customer base that liked them. Problem was we saw another restaurant that is now closed have the same thing. I took the freezer we had at the time and put it on Craigslist. Took all the raviolis and gave it to a Tulsa

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> My first job was day camp that I didn’t get paid for. I was 13. I was a counselor in training. > The biggest mandate I tell my staff is if you are not impressive, by default, you are unimpressive. If you say, “I did everything I was told to do,” that’s unimpressive.

You have to be impressive. Everything that is normal is unimpressive. If you are not an impressive restaurant, you will fail. You may not fail today. You may not fail tomorrow. But you will fail. We don’t need a parachute to skydive, but you need one to skydive twice. If we want to live through tomorrow, we have to have our quality be our parachute. > At 14, I knew exactly who I was. I didn’t need to find myself. > If you are funny and working hard, I want to be around you and you around me. > I take the DIY and say we can do it. Not I. We. > A figure-it-out mentality and YouTube can get you pretty damn far. > Talent is incredibly overrated. So stupidly overrated.

People who can show up on time and figure it out and then do it are in short supply. > My father said lead by example. > My mother said jealously is a wasted emotion. > I am all-in at work. And then I am all-in at home.

If you have a computer with 30 programs open, the memory slows down. With just one program open, you can kill it. > The one thing I wasn’t told that I learned was no one is going to save you. There is no Superman. It might not work out. You have to pull yourself out of it. You need help. You need to know who to ask. We were down on our luck when we were opening in Broken Arrow. There is nothing more magical than get the hell up and go.

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fall

road trips

Load up the family and hit the road

By KIM ARCHER For Tulsa World Magazine

W

hether viewing the breathtaking hues of autumn leaves or spending an old-fashioned holiday in a Texas town that goes all-out for Christmas, fall road trips are the perfect time for a family outing.

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Take a drive to see the leaves change color this fall.

MATT BARNARD/ Tulsa World Magazine file

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Strawberry Brie (center left) and spinach-andartichoke (bottom right) stand out on a tray of pastries at Esperance Bakery in Jenks.

STEPHEN PINGRY/ Tulsa World Magazine

Fall foliage Perhaps the most traditional fall ritual is a trip to see the leaves change color. In Oklahoma, one of the most popular leaf-peeping routes is the Talimena National Scenic Byway. It winds more than 50 miles from Talihina in southwestern Oklahoma to Mena, Arkansas, on the eastern edge of the Natural State.

Most native Okies have been down this storied route through the Ouachita National Forest at least once in their lives. If you haven’t been, make sure to fit the experience into your schedule for a day or weekend trip.

A lesser-known, but equally colorful, foliage tour runs south on Oklahoma 10 from Miami to Tahlequah. Enjoy breathtaking views of Grand Lake and the picturesque Illinois River while spotting abundant wildlife along the way.

Make it a perfect day by stopping at Esperance Bakery, 610 W. Main St., in Jenks to pick up some European-style treats for your trip. With indulgent choices like Bierocks and French pastries, the view will be considerably better, or you can plan to stop for a picnic along the way.

Halloween If Halloween is your thing, how about trying a haunted attraction you’ve never been to before? Located northwest of Wichita in the small town of Maize, Kansas, the Field of Screams and Clown Town is known in local folklore as the site of the vigilante murders by the evil Spurlock Family in 1966. It’s so scary the operators discourage bringing children younger than 8 years old.

But if you prefer a tamer Halloween where the kids can have fun, visit Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, for a family-friendly Harvest Festival that runs through Oct. 26. And while there, don’t miss this year’s new Pumpkin Nights, where you can traverse a wonderland of nearly 10,000 illuminated pumpkins throughout the park.

No need to venture far from home to find spooky fun for the whole family. Head an hour southeast of Tulsa to The Castle of Muskogee’s annual Halloween Festival.

Craft the ultimate Halloween experience all in one spot. The event offers 11 different ways to be scared out of your wits, along with carnival food, pony rides, a train ride adventure and stage shows. The amusement begins at 5:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 26.

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The Castle of Muskogee’s annual Halloween Festival offers 11 different ways to be scared out of your wits, along with carnival food, pony rides, a train ride adventure and stage shows.

Tulsa World Magazine file

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Above, take a walk, a car or a horse-drawn carriage through the spectacle of 2 million lights at the Rhema Christmas Lights Extravaganza in Broken Arrow.

IAN MAULE/ Tulsa World Magazine file

At right, the Cedar Rock Inn in west Tulsa is a great place to get pampered.

JOHN CLANTON/ Tulsa World Magazine file

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Christmas How about taking a trip to Grapevine, known as the Christmas Capital of Texas? If you’re yearning for an old-fashioned Christmas, this quaint Dallas suburb packs 1,400 holiday events into 40 days with a yesteryear flair. Enjoy millions of sparkling lights on Main Street, life-size ice sculptures and ice slides at SNOWLAND at Great Wolf Lodge, Grapevine Vintage Railroad’s North Pole Express and classic holiday movies at the Historic Palace Theater.

Almost everyone in town knows about Tulsa’s Christmas Lights Extravaganza at Rhema Bible Church. If you want to stay close to home to see spectacular holiday lights, you won’t be disappointed. Take a walk, a car or a horse-drawn carriage through the spectacle of 2 million lights.

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Furry friends As you prepare for your road trip, make sure you find the right place to board your dogs and cats. Many people have boarding facilities they prefer. But if you don’t, look no further than Veterinary Associates, 6925 S. 69th East Ave. The full-service animal hospital not only offers quality boarding services for all animals, but the practice also specializes in caring for animals with medical needs.

Staff will administer medications and will closely monitor your beloved pets. And you will have peace of mind knowing that your furry companions are safe while you enjoy extended time with family.

Veterinary Associates is tucked inside a neighborhood just north of 71st Street.

SUSAN RUSSELL/Courtesy of Veterinary Associates

Featured content brought to you

by Esperance Bakery in Jenks, The Castle of Muskogee, Veterinary Associates and Cedar Rock Inn.

Respite If you’re looking for a little breather during the holidays, get pampered at Tulsa’s Cedar Rock Inn. The luxury inn was established in 1890 before Oklahoma statehood and is equipped with every comfort imaginable. Start your day with a three-course gourmet breakfast, hike the trails that meander through 45 acres of west Tulsa foothills, get an indulgent massage or order your favorite bottle of wine. All amenities are provided to ensure you have a relaxing and peaceful stay.

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ulsa has always had strong female leaders at the helm. From mayors and CEOs to our own newspaper publisher. ¶ So we’re honoring that legacy by highlighting the women who are making the decisions in our city today and the ones who will be leading us into the future. ¶ From Paula Marshall, CEO of Bama Cos. who is respected internationally and is known as one of the city’s leading philanthropists, to Kuma Roberts, who is changing Tulsa’s conversations on inclusivity and diversity, we salute you.

STORIES BY SHARON BISHOP-Baldwin

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WOMEN TO WATCH LAUREN LANDWERLIN

Executive director of corporate communications at Saint Francis Health System

JOHN CLANTON/Tulsa World Magazine

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What is something you have seen your company or any other company do well to raise the status of women in the workplace?

Healthcare has historically been a field where women are in the majority. In fact, women make up almost 80% of our workforce within the Saint Francis Health System. In an environment like this, there is never a lack of women role models or opportunities to raise the status of women.

What advice do you have specifically for women who want to be successful in business?

Don’t overlook the importance of honing your self-awareness skills and emotional intelligence as you build your portfolio and develop your personal brand. By understanding your personal values, needs, emotions, personality traits and how you’re perceived (or want to be perceived) by others, you’ll be more authentic and be in a better position to handle any challenges or uncertainties you may face.

Do you do any sort of mentoring to other women in the business world?

Yes. However, I think women in leadership are always in a mentoring role for someone — formally or by nature of their position. We are all being observed by others and thus have the capacity to influence others’ choices, beliefs or actions.

What is one thing women in the workplace could or should do to be supportive of their female colleagues?

First, give thanks. This means thanking those that came before you for paving the road you are now on, thanking those by your side and on your team and thanking those in your periphery for their presence and contribution to the organization.

Second, give way. Helping others succeed should be higher on your list than helping yourself succeed.

What is the best business advice you can give in five seconds or less?

Remember why you started and why you stick around. If who and where you are is no longer who and where you want to be, change it.

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WOMEN TO WATCH Alexis Higgins

CEO of Tulsa Airport Authority Is Tulsa generally a welcoming environment for women in the business world?

The Tulsa business community has been extremely welcoming to me as I stepped into my role at the airport. I have personally seen the focus expand on equality from programs offered through the Tulsa Regional Chamber to the selection of women in key leadership roles at some of our city’s most critical institutions.

What is something you have seen your company or any other company do well to raise the status of women in the workplace?

This year, we established a Women in Leadership Lunch (WILL) group that brings all of the female managers in our organization together at least quarterly.

We discuss challenges we are facing and opportunities to develop our leadership skills. These leaders are from all different areas of our organization and don’t often cross paths. By committing to at least one meeting a quarter and one group-training session a year, we are supporting each others’ success.

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What advice do you have specifically for women who want to be successful in business?

You must have passion for the work you do and believe in your mission to be successful. Don’t discount your accomplishments — take ownership of them and the role you had in your success or that of your team.

Do you do any sort of mentoring to other women in the business world?

I’m a big advocate for the value of mentorship and have had the privilege of working with many women over the past 20 years as a mentor and a mentee. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing someone you have worked with and encouraged achieve success.

What is the best business advice you can give in five seconds or less?

Always do what’s right, not what’s easy.

Who is a business person who has been a role model for you?

Without a doubt, my mom is my role model. As a working, single mom, she juggled life in the banking world with my chaotic schedule.

MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World Magazine

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WOMEN TO WATCH Amanda Clinton

Vice president of communications at Cherokee Nation Businesses Is Tulsa generally a welcoming environment for women in the business world?

When I think of whether a business community is welcoming to women, I think of it in terms of what female representation looks like. Are females represented at the executive leadership level? … I see more women holding these kinds of leadership roles than when I first started my career in Tulsa but not nearly as many as need to be.

What is something you have seen your company or any other company do well to raise the status of women in the workplace?

There are many other women in executive leadership and upper management at Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Businesses. Our workforce at Cherokee Nation, as well as my department, is majority female. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.’s cabinet is 50% female, and our tribe is exercising a long-held treaty right for the first time by nominating a Cherokee Nation delegate to Congress. That delegate will be a female.

What advice do you have specifically for women who want to be successful in

business?

I advise women to always advocate for themselves, no matter how uncomfortable or how awkward it feels because no one else is going to do it for you. Know the market and know your value. Also, share your ideas, no matter who is in the room. A woman’s voice and perspective matter.

Do you do any sort of mentoring to other women in the business world?

I think mentoring takes many forms. It’s something I try to do frequently. … I’m also proud to admit that hiring women is important to me. Women still lag behind men in pay equity disparity, and when you figure in minority women, the pay gap widens tremendously.

Who is a business person who has been a role model for you?

Sheila Curley and Marnie Fernandez, founders of SixPR, and Nicole Morgan, founder at Resolute PR, come to mind.

They are building businesses that are all female and forces to be reckoned with.

They’re all so smart and so strong, and I’m so proud of these women for what they’ve established.

JOHN CLANTON/Tulsa World Magazine

Paula Marshall CEO of Bama Companies

Mike Simons/Tulsa World Magazine 20 Tulsa World Magazine

What is something you have seen your company or any other company do well to raise the status of women in the workplace?

We offer many opportunities for growth in Bama. We teach our own interpersonal skills classes and offer women advancement through Mechanical, Quality Assurance, Six Sigma and other management positions.

What advice do you have specifically for women who want to be successful in business?

I always advise my women mentees to write their very own personal mission statement so that they know absolutely without a doubt that being in business is what they really want. If they don’t “know themselves,” they will always have guilt no matter what their choice is.

Do you do any sort of mentoring to other women in the business world?

Yes, but I only mentor women who will do the work upfront to know what they want to accomplish. They must read three books (“First Things First” by

Steven Covey, “Deming Management Methods” by Mary Walton and “Sacred Contracts” by Carolyn Myss) and write their own personal mission statement before we meet.

What is one thing women in the workplace could or should do to be supportive of their female colleagues?

At work, if possible, form support groups. Offer to lead the group. Give topics such as ideas to improve work/ family balance, ideas to help recommend policies that would improve work conditions at the company, job share discussions or carpooling and helping each other with after-school care.

What is the best business advice you can give in five seconds or less?

“Just wait; it will all come out in the wash.”

Who is a business person who has been a role model for you?

It would have to be my mentor Dr. W. Edwards Deming, who taught me to think differently about business.

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Congratulations.

Congratulations Amanda Clinton, vice president of communications and creator of “Osiyo, Voices of the Cherokee People,” the winner of five Heartland Emmy Awards, on being named one of Tulsa World Magazine’s “10 Women to Watch.”

777 W. Cherokee St. | Catoosa, OK 74015 918.384.7474 | cherokeenationbusinesses.com

Businesses

WOMEN TO WATCH SHERYL CHINOWTH

CEO of Chinowth & Cohen Realtors Is Tulsa generally a welcoming environment for women in the business world?

There are many successful business women in Tulsa. Are there obstacles in Tulsa that are different from across the nation? Probably not. Are women still fighting the glass ceiling in corporations?

Yes. Women love Tulsa, not just for the business opportunities here, but Tulsa is also a great place to raise a family.

What is something you have seen your company or any other company do well to raise the status of women in the workplace?

There are many women in key management roles at Chinowth & Cohen. Our management team meets regularly, and there is a culture of equality across the board. The management meetings are lively and fun. We all always leave pumped, and everyone gets to voice their opinion.

What advice do you have specifically for women who want to be successful in business?

Pick a career that you love. Work hard, COURTESY/Top Corner Marketing

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be honest and give back. Read everything you can get your hands on regarding selfmotivation, business success books, both stories and articles. Read The Wall Street Journal every day, as well as the Tulsa World.

Do you do any sort of mentoring to other women in the business world?

Coaching women in real estate and business is a passion. I have done speaking engagements to women’s groups nationally and locally. I also belong to an Executive Women’s Group that mentors each other, and we have become great friends. Always good to have bright, successful women at your fingertips when you want to bounce something off someone who is also good in business.

Who is a business person who has been a role model for you?

My father started a real estate company in 1944. He supported a family of five children through his company and still made our lives fun. He taught me so much, one of the biggest being, “Don’t take yourself too serious.”

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WOMEN TO WATCH Kuma Roberts

IOM executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Tulsa Regional Chamber Is Tulsa generally a welcoming environment for women in the business world?

In Tulsa, with only 24% of women holding executive or senior-level positions, men still outnumber women in positions of authority across Tulsa’s business community. It’s abundantly clear that Tulsa has work to do as it relates to gender equity and inclusion.

What is something you have seen your company or any other company do well to raise the status of women in the workplace?

We’ve gotten really intentional — intentional about simply talking about the equity gaps we have within our organization.

On our board for instance, we’ve become much more intentional about recruiting women to join the board and in asking our members to help us identify more women and people of color to serve on our board.

We are also partnering to be more intentional about developing more women/ POC in senior and middle-management roles within their organizations to tap for volunteer committee leadership positions.

We have increased our programming to

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include topics and speakers to attract and support more women like the Small Business Connection Women & Business Leaders events.

What advice do you have specifically for women who want to be successful in business?

Be bold. Sit at the front of the room. Ask hard questions. Follow your passion. Success means doing the things that set you apart. The risk is normally worth the reward.

What is one thing women in the workplace could or should do to be supportive of their female colleagues?

Sponsor another woman. Mentoring is fantastic and certainly has its role in the workplace, but a sponsor is the person sitting at the table fighting for you when you aren’t in the room. This can take many forms: reinforce what another woman says during important meetings, provide honest feedback about her performance, be intentional about introducing a woman to your networks, advocate for another woman to lead critical projects and elevate a woman for leadership positions.

JOHN CLANTON/Tulsa World Magazine

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WOMEN TO WATCH Dayna Kidd Soule

Chief financial officer of Muscogee (Creek) Nation Casinos

MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World Magazine

Is Tulsa generally a welcoming environment for women in the business world?

I have worked in Tulsa my entire career and have never felt unwelcome because I am a woman. I have progressively moved up or held leadership positions in the majority of companies I have been employed with.

What is something you have seen your company or any other company do well to raise the status of women in the workplace?

I have not seen any companies actually raise the “status” of women but have noticed Women in the Workplace recognition days, lunch-and-learns and networking activities that provide keynote women speakers that are empowering and influential for women.

What advice do you have specifically for women who want to be successful in business?

When I was going through school, a teacher told me that I could get far in business because I am a minority and a woman. When I told my grandfather

about the statement, he got angry and told me, “No, you WILL NOT go far because you are a minority woman and you better NOT let that decide your fate or be the reason you obtained a position. Your education, experience and performance is what will allow you to obtain positions and move up within organizations.” His statement gave me a different outlook, as well as a different drive. So the best advice I can give women is focus on obtaining an education while gaining experience in the field you would like to specialize in.

Do you do any sort of mentoring to other women in the business world?

As a leader, it is my responsibility to mentor all employees to help them achieve their goals and career initiatives.

If an employee wants my position, I will do everything in my power to assist them in obtaining my position.

What is the best business advice you can give in five seconds or less?

Knowledge is not knowing everything but being able to utilize your resources to obtain the knowledge and answers needed.

Sarah J. Gould

Owner of KKT Architects Inc. Is Tulsa generally a welcoming environment for women in the business world?

Tulsa is a place where I feel like I can make a real impact. The strong collaboration between business, nonprofit and community partners really sets Tulsa apart from other places I have lived and has afforded me the opportunity to work with other amazing women business owners, education leaders, executive directors, board members, colleagues and even competitors. As a female, I cannot think of any place I would rather base my business.

What is something you have seen your company or any other company do well to raise the status of women in the workplace?

KKT, along with a growing number of companies, recognizes the importance of flexibility and mobility for all of our employees. Life is complex, and by giving people the flexibility to take care of their personal responsibilities, it allows them to excel in the passions they are pursuing professionally and promotes 24 Tulsa World Magazine

equality for the roles women and men have both inside and outside the office.

What advice do you have specifically for women who want to be successful in business?

Find your passion, and use it to help build the community and the world you want. Understand your personality and how you interact with others. Trust your instincts, and don’t be apologetic about your approach.

Do you do any sort of mentoring to other women in the business world?

I believe that everyone should strive to be a mentor to those around them.

Two areas I feel especially passionate about are exposing young people to the career choices available to them and working with young female architects, engineers and designers to help them gain the skills, experience and confidence to move their careers forward.

What is the best business advice you can give in five seconds or less?

Be yourself, work hard and be present in the moment.

Mike Simons/Tulsa World Magazine TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

congratulations From

Dayna Soule, Chief Financial Officer

On Your Selection - Tulsa World Magazine’s Women to Watch PROUD RECIPIENT OF 8330 RIVERSIDE PARK WAY TULSA , OK 74137 • 888-748-3731 • RIVERSPIRIT TULSA .COM

WOMEN TO WATCH Kelley Davis Chilcoat Business partner at King Investments LLC

JOHN CLANTON/Tulsa World Magazine

26 Tulsa World Magazine

What is something you have seen your company or any other company do well to raise the status of women in the workplace?

Many of the businesses at KingsPointe Village and Kings Landing Shopping Centers are owned by women. They are local women who had a vision, made a plan and made it happen. I always like to encourage people to shop, eat and spend local. These wonderful, unique businesses that continue to develop around Tulsa are the spirit of our city.

What advice do you have specifically for women who want to be successful in business?

Do not be leery of pursuing an unexpected path, and challenge yourself to learn something new every day. If your initial plan doesn’t work, rework and change your plan, but don’t ever change your goal or your focus. I had always wanted to be an elementary school teacher. I got my degree in Early Childhood Education, worked for OSU Child Development Programs and then TPS. … Later, an opportunity arose to design, own and operate a restaurant. I love working with the public, so that’s where I took that leap of faith, that unexpected path, and owned my restaurant for 15 years.

Do you do any sort of mentoring to other women in the business world?

Not necessarily through an organization; however, I have been able to assist many of my employees and associates in the past recognize and explore their abilities and encourage them to keep moving forward toward their goals.

Volunteering also always opens up opportunities for women to collaborate, reflect and inspire to build up one another.

What is the best business advice you can give in five seconds or less?

“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” — Eleanor Roosevelt Who is a business person who has been a role model for you?

I have been blessed with amazing, strong, driven people in my life. My great-grandmother was one of the first women in Oklahoma to become a licensed real estate agent. My mother and aunt have mentored me, guided me … and I remain in awe of them. I have two younger sisters that I work with on a daily basis, and I watch, observe and learn from them as well, even though I often joke that I am the older, wiser one.

TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

WOMEN TO WATCH Peggy Simmons

President and chief operating officer of Public Service Company of Oklahoma Is Tulsa generally a welcoming environment for women in the business world?

Speaking from my experience over the last year in Tulsa, I would say yes.

Many of the business and civic leaders have reached out to build relationships and offer their own personal welcome to Tulsa. Relationships are important in business, and I appreciate the outreach.

However, I think there is space for more women leaders in the business community, allowing our decision makers to be more reflective of the communities that we serve.

What is something you have seen your company or any other company do well to raise the status of women in the workplace?

Acknowledge the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and identifying appropriate metrics to move the needle. I think this is taking place in many companies. It is also important to have real conversations about diversity and inclusion and why this is tantamount to our success as a company and the culture.

TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

What advice do you have specifically for women who want to be successful in business?

Be authentic in your leadership. We all know what the numbers mean, and we all have a job to get done. … Bring that unique perspective to the table that only you can bring to inspire others to achieve the desired outcome for your department, company, community, etc.

Do you do any sort of mentoring to other women in the business world?

Yes, I absolutely believe in mentoring. … One of the things that I have initiated within PSO is a focus on mentoring middle-school students, specifically with the intent to reach them at an age where they begin making decisions that will affect their futures. I truly believe that as leaders, we are creating an experience with each interaction, and I try not to take those opportunities for granted.

What is the best business advice that you can give in five seconds or less?

Stay prepared and there is no room for fear.

MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World Magazine

Tulsa World Magazine 27­​

WOMEN TO WATCH Jennifer Bighorse

Marketing director of Osage Casinos

Mike SiMONS/Tulsa World Magazine

What is something you have seen your company or any other company do well to raise the status of women in the workplace?

Being part of Osage Casinos for 12 years, I have seen several women grow and be promoted at all levels. In my opinion, Osage Casinos is supportive of anyone willing to work hard to succeed for the company.

What advice do you have specifically for women who want to be successful in business?

I think it is smart to listen to your executives and co-workers and understand that everyone has their own communication style and management style. The hardest part is to not take constructive criticism personally.

Everyone is trying to work toward the same goal. Another thing that has been helpful to me is to get out and get involved in the community. I’ve served on several boards and committees for organizations, such as the American Cancer Society, Tulsa Arts Alliance and Family & Children’s Services. The

power of networking has provided me with numerous meaningful connections and great business opportunities.

Do you do any sort of mentoring to other women in the business world?

I have two ladies who report directly to me. My goal is to help them work through their issues or concerns and find solutions. I am also lucky to have many female friends who are in the business world from several industries.

We meet regularly and bounce ideas off each other and talk openly about hurdles.

What is one thing women in the workplace could or should do to be supportive of their female colleagues?

Empowering women and giving them opportunities to succeed is the best way to support female colleagues; give them the opportunity and let them go above and beyond.

What is the best business advice you can give in five seconds or less?

Associate yourself with people you want to be like or who make you a better person.

Brooke Hamilton CEO of NPI-Nameplates Inc.

Is Tulsa generally a welcoming environment for women in the business world?

Yes and no. More often than not, I am welcomed by all business people, women and men. Oklahoma has a powerful group of women in business, and I always find that they are overly gracious. The “no” to this question is only correct about 10% of the time. On occasion, you will come across another person in business, and they will want to know why I was chosen to be a part of the board or how did I get to be CEO. Although this is a family business, I have worked hard to get where I am.

What is something you have seen your company or any other company do well to raise the status of women in the workplace?

As a woman-owned business, NPI has always given men and women equal opportunity in all positions. However, Oklahoma Dream It Do it and OK to Grow have given NPI the opportunity to showcase our women under 40 in manufacturing by awarding us the emerging leader in manufacturing award.

Do you do any sort of mentoring to other 28 Tulsa World Magazine

women in the business world?

I think this is a must. Previously, I have been a mentor for Women in Recovery, and I continue to work with two national groups — SGIA and GPI — where we share issues, best practices and how to lead as a woman in manufacturing.

What is one thing women in the workplace could or should do to be supportive of their female colleagues?

Be positive, honest and lead with integrity and humility. There is no need for jealousy, and when you see outstanding work, praise it out loud.

What is the best business advice you can give in five seconds or less?

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” — Confucious Do it with passion or not at all.

Who is a business person who has been a role model for you?

Our founder, Marjorie B. Conley (my grandmother), and Claudia Hamilton (my mother) both lead by example and gave me the critical foundation one needs in business. I also love Brene Brown. She rocks.

MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World Magazine TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

30 Tulsa World Magazine

TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

LEGENDS & TODAY’S TRENDSETTERS From those who laid the foundation to the modern-day chefs keeping things fresh, Tulsa’s restaurant scene boasts a rich history

I

Stories by Scott Cherry, Tulsa World Magazine

t’s easy to pinpoint Tulsa’s entrance into the modern era of fine dining. The year was 1973, when the Razor Clam opened in an odd-shaped building at 26th Street and Memorial Drive.

Tulsa had plenty of luxurious, fine-dining restaurants before 1973, including such notable places as the Louisiane, Italian Inn, Jamil’s, Eddy’s and Tommy Alessio’s LaScala and Tommy’s Villa Venice, but the emphasis was on steaks, seafood and, obviously, Italian fare.

The Razor Clam’s first executive chef, Rick Kamp, an Oklahoma City ex-pat (yes, it’s like a different country), brought items such as foie gras and truffles to an ever-changing, seasonal menu. The town had not seen anything quite like it, and big rollers flocked to the Clam for its food, exceptional service and unparalleled wine list. This was well before liquor by the drink.

“They were always trying to bust us, but it never lasted very long,” Kamp said.

More restaurants quickly followed the Razor Clam, places such as the Fountains and Al Gebbs’, and the road was open to the city’s current fine-dining scene.

Kamp and his contemporaries influenced virtually a generation of local chefs, who, in turn, have built impressive chef trees of their own.

Over the past 20 years or so, an army of chefs have made their marks at places such as the Faulkner family’s Bodean Seafood, the Merrifields’ Polo Grill, Tim Inman’s Stonehorse Café, Justin Thompson’s JTR Group, Elliot Nelson’s McNellie’s Group and Tuck Curren’s Biga and the now-closed T-Squared and Local Table.

We have profiled a dozen of those chefs, beginning with Kamp and moving through the decades to a few chefs who are influencing what we eat and how we dine today. Some are quickly recognizable, some not so much, but all have had or are having an impact, and all have a story to tell.

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  Stephen Pingry/Tulsa World Magazine file

32 Tulsa World Magazine

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THE CHEF ISSUE [] LEGENDS Rick Kamp

From meat market to fine dining

R

ick Kamp grew up working in his family’s grocery store, Kamp Bros.

Grocery, in Oklahoma City, and by 10 years old, he was in the market cutting meat.

“My mom was a little nervous about it,” he said. “Probably couldn’t get away with it today.”

When Kamp was a teenager, a successful chef and restaurateur named John Bennett asked him to help with a catering job.

“We drove out to the event in his Corvette,” Kamp said. “It had a phone in it. I never had seen anything like that before.”

His connection with Bennett led to a career in fine dining, which included Tulsa’s Razor Clam, the city’s first chefdriven, high-priced, French-inspired restaurant, and his own Rick’s Café Americain.

Some like it haute In the early 1960s, Frank Hightower commissioned the legendary James Beard to help him convert The Cellar tea room in the Hightower Building into a modern French restaurant. Beard hired Bennett, a recent graduate of the new Culinary Institute of America, as its first chef.

“John Bennett brought true fine dining to Oklahoma,” Kamp said. “He was a proponent of French haute cuisine, and that’s where I was introduced to it. He knew Julia Child, and he introduced me to Jacques Pépin.

“Then John Vernon, the sous chef at The Cellar, opened Chez Vernon. He was the first chef I knew who brought in a table d’hote style of restaurant with a chalkboard with a few salads or soups, four to five entrees and a couple of desTULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

serts, which is exactly what I did at the Razor Clam.

“While I was there, I also met Rosemary Champlin Graves (her father was a doctor and cousin to the Champlin Refining Co. founders), who taught me how to bake. She was so sweet and so talented. I still use her techniques today.”

Heading up the turnpike In 1973, Bennett suggested Kamp go to Tulsa and meet with George Suppes, who wanted to open a fine-dining restaurant in a funky building at 27th Street and Memorial Drive.

“I think it originally was supposed to be a pancake house, which accounts for the odd spire on the roof,” Kamp said. “George wanted me to turn it into a haute cuisine restaurant. It was the first kitchen I designed myself. Since then, I’ve designed 50 or more across the country, including one in Augustine, Florida, just last year.”

Kamp quickly realized he had a problem at the new Razor Clam.

“I couldn’t find any waiters who could perform the fine-dining service the restaurant required,” he said. “So I brought Billy, Carl and Leo, three African-Americans who worked at The Cellar and Chez Vernon, up from Oklahoma City. They were maître d’-quality waiters. They could perform any kind of table service.

They could talk wines, and the Razor Clam probably had the best wine list in this part of the country, and this was before liquor-by-the-drink. They were pretty hard on the local people we brought in, but the ones who survived, like Gerard Campbell and Fordyse Eldred, went on to have great restaurant careers.”

Eldred would open the much-revered Fifteenth Street Grill with Bob Butler.

Campbell, a well-heeled Englishman and part of Leon Russell’s inner circle, would one day have his own restaurant, Bristol City, and work as a server in probably 10 or so of the city’s top restaurants.

“Another guy we had there was a bartender, Michael Leavell, who came over from Steak & Ale,” Kamp said. “He left to cook at Nicole’s. I told him if I had known he wanted to cook, he could have stayed here. Later, he reopened St. Michael’s Alley for about 10 years.”

The renowned creme brulee “A lady named Maurie Short, who

had just graduated from Cordon Bleu, I think, came to our back door and said she wanted to make desserts for the Razor Clam,” Kamp said. “I told her to come back and make her best dessert.

“She said she would make creme brulee. She had her own iron — back then we called them a salamander, like a branding iron — and she seared the dark brown sugar on top with the iron.

It was on every menu I’ve ever had. A lot of people today use torches and different sugar, but I don’t think they come close to the iron.”

And then came Rick’s Kamp and James Leake Jr. bought the Razor Clam in 1978 but operated it for only a couple of more years. Kamp made stops at Portico (part-owner), Capistrano, McGill’s and Montrachet (part-owner) before opening Rick’s Café Americain in 1997. He operated Rick’s for 11 years at 51st Street and Harvard Avenue, then the final three years in the old St. Michael’s spot in Ranch Acres.

“For a while, before I opened Rick’s, I also had a brokerage business bringing in hard-to-find items from France to sell to restaurants,” Kamp said.

Other than consulting and designing kitchens, Kamp has retired from the restaurant business. However, he is in his 21st year providing lunch service at Cascia Hall Preparatory School.

Cooking for Simone “One of my favorite memories is cooking dinner for Simone Beck at the Clam, probably around 1976,” Kamp said.

Beck was co-author with Julia Child and Louisette Bertholle on the iconic cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” published in 1961.

“I think she was in her 70s then, but her hands still moved like lightning,” said Kamp, pointing out a montage of photos from that night on a wall in his study. “That was a fun night.”

Something people might not know “I’ve been doing martial arts since I was 21 and still help teach three classes a week,” Kamp said. “I am sixth-degree taekwondo, fourth-degree jiu jitsu and third-degree judo.”

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THE CHEF ISSUE [] LEGENDS Jody Walls

Blazing a trail for female chefs

T

hough still heavily outnumbered, it is not uncommon these days to find a female chef in charge of a fine-dining kitchen. Those women can thank Josephine “Jody” Walls for blazing a trail for them.

Walls was the first prominent female chef in Tulsa, going toe-to-toe with the men in the 1970s. She was welleducated, she was tough and she was talented.

Walls, a Stillwater native, graduated from Oklahoma State University’s school of hotel and restaurant management, studied French cuisine at the Cordon Bleu in London and cooked in small hotels in Germany and Switzerland before moving to Tulsa.

Among other notable achievements, she was the first female to be inducted into the Tulsa chapter of the American Culinary Federation.

She died in 2007 at the age of 60.

Fancy beginnings After returning from Europe, Walls cooked in some of Tulsa’s finest restaurants, including the Razor Clam, the city’s first chef-driven, fine-dining restaurant. When the Tulsa Performing Arts Center and Williams Center Forum were new, she was chef-manager of the Ramekin in the Parker Building and Josephine’s in Williams Center Forum, restaurants with country French menus.

She moved to Portico, a luxury midtown restaurant, before taking a job as director of the culinary arts program at then Tulsa Junior College.

“Her mom and my mom were good friends,” said Rick Kamp, who hired her at Razor Clam. “Most women in the kitchen were bakers back then. We 34 Tulsa World Magazine

STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World Magazine file

brought Jody up on the line, and she did a lot of the stove-top cooking. She had a great attitude, integrity and she was always on time.”

North to Alaska Talk about taking a break from the routine. In 1983, she spent a summer in Alaska, cooking for Mapco oil field crews in remote locations. Provisions were delivered by helicopter, and Walls set up propane stoves to do the cooking. She once said the crew appreciated her hot biscuits and pies the most.

Back to Tulsa After returning to Tulsa, she was a consultant for la Villa restaurant at Philbrook Museum of Art and launched Jody Walls and Co., a highly successful company that catered some of the biggest events in town for many years. She later would open Jody Walls 2300 Restaurant in the swanky condos at 2300 Riverside Drive. Her last restaurants were a cafeteria-style eatery in Boulder Towers at 15th Street and Boulder Avenue and Jody’s Café inside Hardesty Regional Library near 93rd Street and Memorial Drive.

TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

THE CHEF ISSUE [] LEGENDS Paul Caplinger

Seasoned chef inspires the next generation

T

hough he wasn’t that old himself, Paul Caplinger often found himself being the older chef in the kitchen, the steady hand who influenced a younger set of chefs throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.

He was executive chef at The Chalkboard in the Hotel Ambassador and advisory executive chef at Fifty-Five Degrees Food & Wine and Garlic Rose when he died in the fall of 2007 at age 48.

Climbing the ladder The McAlester High School graduate was a product of the Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee’s culinary program. He would work at some of Tulsa’s finest restaurants, including the Polo Grill, Warren Duck Club, the former Diamond Bar D Ranch, the French Hen and The Chalkboard.

Celebrated chef Caplinger twice was chosen to participate in dinners put on by the James Beard Foundation in New York, including one in which he created the menu using Oklahoma ingredients. He was a familiar face at local charity events, and he was a mentor guest chef at OSU.

Tulsa World Magazine file

What they are saying Richard Clark, manager of Margaret’s German Restaurant and former chefproprietor of the French Hen: “We first worked at the Polo Grill together. He was a little older than me, and I’m sure I worked under him. We had a lot of fun then, probably too much fun.

I was about to leave town when my father told me the French Hen was on the market. When we got the French Hen, Paul came with me as chef de cuisine.

“We were there two or three years before he went to The Chalkboard. He had a lot of influence on my cooking style. We wrote the French Hen menu together (much of which still remains) and kind of taught each other as we went along.”

Matt Amberg, chef-proprietor of Oren: “I worked at the French Hen with Richard and Paul. Paul was great to work with and was always a happy guy. I was so young and moldable, I learned a lot during my time there.”

Trey Winkle, chef-proprietor of Levain Kitchen & Bakery: “I didn’t work with Paul, but my wife, Christina, before she was my wife, was a server and bartender at The Chalkboard when he was there. This was before I got into cooking myself, and he introduced me to my first fine-dining experience.

“It was a slow night, and he just started sending out things from the kitchen.

I didn’t know half of them, and he gave me my first tastes of a filet, blue cheese, truffles, foie gras, a lot of things I never had. It blew my mind and was a tremendous influence on getting into cooking.

“I know he influenced a lot of other chefs, too. My good friend Trevor Tack (former Tulsa chef now residing in Oklahoma City) has a tattoo on his arm dedicated to Paul.”

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DEVIN LEVINE

Serving big events, big stars

C

hefs who want to know how to cook for a crowd know where to go in Tulsa.

Chef Devin Levine spent 34 years, including 21 years as executive chef, at Southern Hills Country Club, where he cooked for a variety of big events, including major golf tournaments.

For the past nine and a half years, he has been executive chef for SMG Tulsa, which operates the food side of Cox Business Center and BOK Center, where dinner events can number in the thousands.

Levine was born in Oklahoma City but moved around the country during his childhood — New York City, Miami, Florida and St. Louis — before landing in Tulsa at age 11. His single mother was a professional photographer.

Off to a fast start After graduating from the former Mason High School, Levine enrolled in the culinary program at Tulsa Junior College (now Tulsa Community College).

“It was an accredited program, but it was ahead of its time,” Levine said. “Not 36 Tulsa World Magazine

MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World Magazine

many young people were going into the profession then. A year and a half into the program, I was offered the executive chef job at the Bank of Oklahoma executive dining room. I was 19 and couldn’t turn it down.”

Country club bound At the same time Levine was working for BOK, he also had a full-time gig working nights and weekends at Southern Hills Country Club.

“The chef, Bill Chambers, who had been there about 20 years, really pushed me to learn and progress,” Levine said.

“After BOK, I worked at Camelot Inn for about four years but still kept my job at Southern Hills.

“Tim Fitzgerald took over as executive chef at the club in 1987. I took the executive sous chef job under him so I could be in line if he left. He left in 1989.”

Entering a new arena(s) Levine said almost 10 years ago, he was helping round up chefs for a Catholic Charities benefit and contacted the chef at SMG Tulsa.

“He agreed to participate, but when I called back to confirm, the F&B (Food & Beverage) director said he wasn’t with them anymore,” Levine said. “I inquired about the job myself. After 34 years at Southern Hills, I was halfway thinking about making a move anyway.

“This has been quite a challenge because we have big events at both venues.

I have 12 cooks, two sous chefs and one executive steward, and if there is an event in both buildings on the same night, we have to split up. It can be tough.”

Cooking for the stars Levine said his duties at the BOK Center include operating some of the concessions, backstage catering, honoring band contracts, providing food for 61 premium suites and food for the dressing rooms.

He said most of the performers are happy with home-style comfort food made with quality ingredients, “but we do get some doozies.”

Levine said it is no secret that Paul McCartney is a vegetarian.

“He was very serious about it,” Levine said. “He didn’t even want us to wear leather shoes to serve him.”

TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

Michael Fusco

Fish, love hooked Tulsa chef

N

ew Jersey native Michael Fusco was one of the most high-profile chefs in Tulsa for the better part of 30 years, first at Bodean Seafood then his own restaurants — Flavors and Michael Fusco’s Riverside Grill.

About five years ago, his career got derailed by a serious bout with shingles and encephalitis.

“My wife of 16 years, Jackie, has been amazing, helping me get through all of this,” he said. “I could barely do anything for a while. About three years ago, I did some handyman work just to get my brain trained to work with my hands again.

“My first real job after that was director of culinary at the Cookhouse at the Reasor’s in Brookside. I did that for about a year. One positive about being sick was I developed a relationship with my kids, Bella, who is 12, and Michael Jr., who is 10. Sometimes that is a challenge in this business.”

Fusco recently signed on to manage Kitchen and Garden Ministries at Eastern Oklahoma Catholic Charities, 2450 N. Harvard Ave. “I prepare food Tuesdays and Thursdays for everyone on the campus, and I put together meal kits for the pantry to feed the hungry,” he said. “Actually, I’m looking for a young person interested in culinary to come in and help.”

A young person could do worse. The list of chefs Fusco has mentored is impressive. They include Tim Inman, chefproprietor at Stonehorse Café; Tim Richards, executive chef at Bin 35; Lia Lewis, executive chef at Take 2: A Resonance Café; Tom Farrell, former owner of Farrell Family Bread, and John Oje, director of culinary at Tulsa’s Cancer Treatment Centers of America, just to name a few.

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MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World Magazine

Following his passion Fusco’s father wanted his son to become a naval officer.

“By high school, I had gotten a job at a diner working as a dishwasher and prep cook, and I thought I was in heaven,” Fusco said. “My father and I had our battle over it, but I ended up at Johnson and Wales culinary school in Providence, Rhode Island.”

Surprise job in Tulsa In four years, Fusco earned his culinary degree and a bachelor’s in business and restaurant management. He first worked at Grisante, an Italian place in Kentucky, and had a brief stint at Windows on the World in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Then he received a phone call from a former school friend, John Shuler, who told him about an opening at Bodean Seafood in Tulsa.

His first impression of Bodean, then a 40-seat restaurant, in August 1986, wasn’t terribly impressive.

“Then I saw the retail market with probably 40 varieties of fish I never had seen before,” Fusco said. “Where I grew up, restaurants used only East Coast fish back then. Then they told me I could do a chef’s board menu every day and buy the freshest fish for the restaurant. It was amazing.”

Still, Fusco said his long-range plan was to cook at a restaurant in California.

“Then I married a Tulsa girl, and that was that,” he said.

Moving on Fusco was at Bodean from 1986 to 1995 before opening Flavors.

He closed Flavors in 2007 and opened Michael Fusco’s Riverside Grill with new partners. That partnership dissolved in 2012, and Fusco spent a brief time at Stonehorse Café before taking the executive chef job at Wolfgang Puck Bistro, then culinary director at Union Public Schools before being struck by illness.

“I have to be grateful for where I am right now,” he said.

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THE CHEF ISSUE [] LEGENDS James Shrader

Falling in love with Tulsa

J

ames Shrader has mentored a number of young Tulsa chefs since opening Palace Café with wife Brooke in 2002 and recently has opened two more restaurants — Kitchen 27 in Philbrook Museum of Art and Prairie Fire Pie on Cherry Street.

We have American Airlines and a restless young chef to thank for that.

Shrader was born in Redondo Beach, California, where his father was in the airline business.

“My dad lost his job, and we moved up and down the coast,” Shrader said.

“When my parents divorced, my mom moved to the Seattle area (Kent, Washington) when I was 7. I lived there until I was 22 or 23.”

Following culinary school and working at the prestigious Bellevue Athletic Club, Shrader said he tired of the weather and the traffic in Seattle.

“I came to Tulsa to hang out with my dad,” he said. “By now, he was working for American Airlines. I thought it would give me a home base while I was figuring out where I would go from there.

It sounds corny, but I really fell in love with Tulsa. I love the change of seasons, and I met my wife here.”

The journey Shrader has made since his formative years in Seattle could fill a book.

High school inspirations “I was not a great student in high school,” Shrader said. “A lot of my friends dropped out, but two things happened to keep me in school — one, I had a son, and two, I enjoyed the culinary program.”

Shrader trained under Walter Bronowitz, at the time president of the Washington State Chef’s Association, attending culinary classes three hours a day throughout his junior and senior years.

38 Tulsa World Magazine

“I graduated with the equivalent of an associate’s degree,” he said. “Chef Bronowitz was a huge inspiration. He was an East Coast guy, and he would take us to the farmers markets, have us buy our stuff, then go back and cook it.”

Right out of high school, Shrader found a job at The Keg, a high-volume steak and seafood house, where he stayed for more than two years.

“That place would have 250 covers for lunch, 500 for dinner,” Shrader said. “It could be brutal. If you failed, the crew

would laugh at you because you folded under pressure. The tickets would pile up and pile up, and sometimes, some would fall on the floor and there would be chaos. If you couldn’t keep up, you were pushed off the line and someone else jumped in.

“They showed me the business side of food, what it takes to run a profitable establishment. I mean, if a cook wolfed down a burger on the job, that burger would show up missing. It was that tight.”

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food. We had a lot of fun there, but ultimately, the excess went against my core values. And I was done with the weather and traffic.”

Settling down in Tulsa

JOHN CLANTON/Tulsa World Magazine

Off to culinary school Shrader decided he needed more training, so he enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

“That was where I really learned how to cook,” he said. “I didn’t understand how much I didn’t know until I got there. I trained under Harvard graduates on restaurant law, restaurant design and cost control. I learned culinary French and acquired the skills to read and write TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

a French menu. I learned about the passion that goes with food.”

Back to Seattle and Bellevue Shrader moved back to Seattle after earning his degree from CIA and found a job at the swanky Bellevue Athletic Club.

“It was heavily subsidized by members,” he said. “It was so crazy, trying to figure out how to spend that much money. It was a regular restaurant, too, so we had to put the money into the

After moving to Tulsa in 1996, Shrader got a job with the new Back Street Bistro in Jenks, where he worked with ownerchef Sherry Swanson and chef de cuisine Mickie Crockett, who would go on to be chef and general manager at some of the finest places in the Dallas area.

From there, he took a job as executive sous chef running Greenleaf’s in the DoubleTree Hotel at Warren Place, got his first executive chef job at Finales Restaurant & Cabaret downtown, worked a season in Alaska at the Nullagvik Hotel in Kotzebue, returned to Tulsa and had a short stint at Tim Inman’s Stonehorse Café.

“I had a great time at Back Street Bistro,” he said. “Mickie was fabulous, and Sherry was really good to us. She gave us the freedom to create, and she opened the books to us so we could see some of the financial side of the business.

“What I like about DoubleTree was the action. We served breakfast, lunch and dinner, and I worked for a great chef, Wayne Wetendorf, who eventually went back to his hometown in Canada.

“Pat Hobbs gave me my first real executive chef job at Finales (315 E. First St.). It was way ahead of its time downtown. Except for a nightclub or two, there wasn’t much going on in the area, but I loved it. I designed the kitchen, managed the staff, implemented the menu, pretty much everything. It closed in 2000.

“My brother got me the seasonal gig in Alaska. The hotel restaurant had failed in the past, but I was able to run a profit from May to September when I was there. Then I worked about six months at Stonehorse Café, and it was time enough to see how Tim Inman operated, especially on the business side. I was there when he transitioned from Stonehorse (now Center I) to Utica Square and saw the frustrations of doing a build out.

“By now, Brooke said it was time to get our own place, and she was right.”

They found space in the old White Bear gift shop, which had closed on the corner of 15th Street and Peoria Avenue, and Palace Café was born.

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THE CHEF ISSUE [] LEGENDS

LISA BECKLUND

Bringing the table to the farm

C

hef Lisa Becklund is, by her own definition, first and foremost a farmer.

While many of the better chefs today employ farm-to-table practices in their restaurants, Becklund IS farm-to-table or, more accurately, just farm table.

She and partner Linda Ford operate Living Kitchen Farm & Dairy near Depew. They raise goats and chickens, and they grow fruits, herbs and vegetables.

They schedule nine-course weekend dinners at a log cabin on the farm from April to the end of the year. The dinners are $110 a person, plus tax, except for December, when they are $145. They take reservations for three months at a time, and typically, all the dinners are sold out within 24 hours.

“We started the dinners to pay for the farm failures,” Becklund said. “Had to feed the goats, too. The dinners haven’t changed a lot, except now they are packed.”

Becklund cooked her first dinners on 40 Tulsa World Magazine

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a farm near Heyburn Lake in 2006. In 2009, she and Ford leased the 400-acre Oakley Farm near Depew.

Rising star in Seattle After culinary school, Becklund was executive chef at The Pink Door and Yarrow Bay Grill in Seattle before opening her own restaurant, La Medusa. Travel and Leisure magazine once named it one of America’s top 50 restaurants.

“At some point, I just got bored with what I was doing, and I needed to get away from my surroundings on the West Coast,” she said. “I wanted to learn to grow things, and I met a farmer in Oklahoma who gave me the opportunity to come here.”

Becoming an Oklahoma farmer “I became enamored with the farmers market when I came here,” Becklund said. “The people had an aura about them, a way of being, living, that I didn’t

know. I was a restaurant person, a hustler. I had to learn to be calm and grow as a person.

“I never intended to live here forever. I just wanted to spend one year on a farm.

Now, I know being a farmer here is what I want to do.”

Becklund sold products from the farm at the Tulsa Farmers Market on Cherry Street for nine years.

“Now, I come to buy,” she said. “Some of my best friends, like Mike and Emily (Mike Appel and Emily Oakley of Three Springs Farm), are here.”

Rolling in the dough A dinner highlight at Living Kitchen Farm & Dairy is the sourdough bread, prepared by sous chef and pastry extraordinaire Cat Cox. “Cat bought a mill from John’s Farm (near Fairview) and mills our own Oklahoma grains,” Becklund said. “She is dedicated. She even takes her sourdough starter with her on vacation so she can feed it.”

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THE CHEF ISSUE [] LEGENDS Libby Billings

Building the Deco District food scene

A

fter working at Mexicali Border Café and On the Border during high school, Libby Billings knew she was destined to open her own restaurant.

“Dad told me I better go to the culinary program at OSU-Okmulgee (now Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology) first, hoping I would get an associate’s degree and go into something else,” Billings said. “Except I loved it. I’ve never had a job outside the restaurant business.”

After quickly moving through the ranks, Billings became the face of the Deco District restaurant scene after opening Elote Café & Catering when she was 26 years old. She since has added The Vault and Roppongi in the district.

She also was an early proponent of farm-to-table cuisine, composting and using biodegradable products.

The early years During and after college, Billings put in time at the Polo Grill, Grapevine, A Bar & Kitchen, The Brasserie, Chimi’s and Sonoma Bistro.

“I went to the front of the house as manager at Chimi’s at 51st and Harvard,” she said. “One time, corporate told me to cut the hours of the kitchen staff, and they promptly walked out on me. All of them. Luckily, corporate was able to send people from other Chimi’s. There were several locations then.

However, I did learn to value my employees.

“Also, Becky Brugman, an area manager, was a big inspiration to me. She kept encouraging me and being positive. I was like 22 years old. It was fun, but I obviously needed more experience.”

Going downtown When she was 26 years old, Billings left Sonoma Bistro to open Elote Café & Catering in 2008 in the former Nelson’s Buffeteria space on Boston Avenue downtown.

“I had done some catering on the side for siblings’ weddings and special occasions, and I was cooking out of a commercial church kitchen,” Billings said. “I opened Elote thinking it was only going to be a catering business.”

She said she realized at some point that she might be able to make some money serving lunch Monday to Friday.

“I noticed there wasn’t a Mexican restaurant in the area, and I knew I could do Mexican just fine,” she said. “A lot of Mexican cuisine also fits my vegetarian lifestyle. I was raised vegetarian.

After we opened, someone wrote that it looked like someone just came in and slapped some paint on the walls, which is exactly what we did. We still had the old Nelson’s booths, where you almost sank to the floor. We didn’t have much money to work with at the time.”

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MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World Magazine

The good steward Billings said her upbringing also taught her to be a good steward to the environment.

“There was no recycling in Oklahoma when I started,” she said. “I found a lady who had a small recycling company called Shikoba, and we were her first client. I had to order biodegradable products. If I ran out of straws for a few days, I would tell customers they must be being shipped by bicycle.”

Though a vegetarian, Billings knew the menu had to have some meat to it. She found local sources for free-range chicken and cows that had been raised responsibly.

“I never mentioned then the chicken was free-range,” she said. “I didn’t know it was a selling point at the time.”

Building the neighborhood Billings said she had witnessed the growth in the Blue Dome District and the Tulsa Arts District, and she made it her mission to promote the Deco District in the heart of downtown.

She held Luchador wrestling matches, sponsored Salsafest and other events to bring people and businesses to her part of town.

“It has taken a while, but now, we have a variety of restaurants in the Deco District, and we have more on the way,” she said. “It worked.”

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THE CHEF ISSUE [] TODAY’S TRENDSETTERS Ben Alexander

Swift rise through restaurant ranks

B

en Alexander’s road to a culinary career in the United States had some twists and turns, to

say the least.

He was born in Incheon, South Korea, placed in an orphanage in Seoul and at 2 years old was adopted by an American couple. He grew up in Tempe, Arizona, and had a hitch in the Navy before finding his way into the restaurant business.

“When I was deployed in the Middle East, I was contacted by a Korean TV show that connected biological parents with their children,” Alexander said. “I talked to my biological mother and found out I have two halfsisters. I was making plans to meet her, but it didn’t work out. Maybe someday.”

Alexander’s rise through the ranks in the restaurant business has been swift.

About a year ago, he was promoted to vice president of culinary operations with the McNellie’s Group. He oversees a total of 19 restaurants in Oklahoma and Arkansas, including Fassler Hall, Dust Bowl, McNellie’s Pub, El Guapo’s, Yokozuna, Elgin Park, Dilly Diner, The Tavern/Bull in the Alley, Howdy Burger and The Bond event center.

“I have control of the menu, but it’s always a team effort,” he said.

A taste for cooking “When I was a senior in high school in Arizona, I had enough credits to just have to go to school half a day,” Alexander said. “My dad 42 Tulsa World Magazine

but not any longer.”

Climbing the ladder After moving back to Tulsa, Alexander found a cooking job at Sisserou’s and was executive chef at Wolfgang Puck Bistro for a short time before being offered the executive chef position at The Tavern/ Bull in the Alley.

“I did that for three years, then got a call from McNellie’s head office,” he said.

“They just said that this (vice president of culinary operations) would be my next job.

It’s a team effort, but I also know anything that happens in the kitchen or goes on the plate is my responsibility.”

Coincidentally, Natalie is private dining coordinator for McNellie’s Group and is the founder of the Hearts of Steel Foundation, which helps families suffering from congenital heart defects.

Outside the McNellie’s Group STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World Magazine

wanted me to be in classes, so I enrolled in a tech program for culinary. I found out I was pretty good at it and liked it.

But after school, I went in the Navy.”

The Bonefish connections Following his military obligation, Alexander landed a job at Bonefish Grill in Denver, Colorado, where he met his first significant mentor and, more significantly, his wife.

“Natalie was from Bixby and had gone to school at Oklahoma State,” he said.

“She was training in Denver to open the Bonefish Grill in Tulsa, and that’s how we met.

We eventually went to Wichita a little bit, then worked our way back to her home.”

In Denver, he also met Michael Sagrillo, managing partner at Bonefish.

“I was just out of the Navy, and I was a hothead and angry,” Alexander said. “He treated everyone the same, and he taught me the business side, how to be successful and how to translate that to the kitchen and how to get along with everyone. I used to be dictatorial

“We like Mandarin Taste,” he said. “We go to SMOKE. Woodfire Grill for special occasions, and Levain Kitchen & Bakery is a great place.”

What folks might not know “I play hockey,” he said.

“I’ve noticed lately that when I come home and sit down for a while, then get up, I wonder why I’m so sore. Maybe age is catching up.”

Guilty pleasure?

“I go by Jack in the Box after a hockey game and get the Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich or the Sourdough Jack with two tacos,” he said.

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THE CHEF ISSUE [] TODAY’S TRENDSETTERS been there eight years, and we were always the closing managers on Saturday night,” Snell said. “I told her my idea for a wood-fire restaurant, and about a week later, she came to me and said she was opening her own restaurant and liked my concept.”

Snell took a long and steady road to his spot among the current young chefs having an impact on Tulsa-area cuisine.

Taking grandfather’s advice Snell grew up in West Fork, Arkansas, south of Fayetteville and graduated in a class of 60.

“I never did well in school, but I worked in a Tex-Mex restaurant with friends and liked it,” he said. “At the end of my senior year, my grandfather, who lived in Tulsa, asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I told him, ‘Just keep cooking.’ He told me there were schools that could train you for that and offered to put me through Tri County Tech in Bartlesville.”

Perfect timing for mentor MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World Magazine

Kevin Snell

Setting restaurant scene on fire

K

evin Snell has been getting rave reviews in the two years he has been executive chef at Amelia’s in the Tulsa Arts District.

The restaurant, owned by Amelia Eesley, specializes in wood-fired, locally sourced cuisine and an impressive seTULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

lection of wines from around the world.

The area has other woodfire grill restaurants, most notably SMOKE. Wood Fire Grill in Tulsa and Owasso, and the recently opened Lowood in Tulsa. Snell was able to sell his version to Eesley when the two worked together at Stonehorse Café.

“I had been there five years, and I think Amelia had

As luck would have it, chef Philippe Garmy was head of the culinary program at Tri County at the time. Garmy, a native of France, had owned the well-respected Back Bay Gourmet in Tulsa and was referred to by some as the area’s “gastronomic guru.”

“I learned an amazing amount of things from Philippe, especially French cuisine and the stuff he liked,” Snell said. “He had a huge influence on my career. He’s back living in Paris now.

“I also met my wife, Linda Miller Snell, there. She was in the pastry program. At the time, I was working in the kitchen at Oaks Country Club six days a week and was going to school five days a week.

But heck, I was 18 and didn’t mind it.”

Perseverance pays off Snell said following school, he cooked at The Brasserie with Justin Thompson and Pare with Susan Simmons, but at the same time, he had an eye on joining chef-proprietor Tim Inman at Stonehorse Café.

“I kept taking my application to him, and he kept turning me down,” Snell said.

“Finally, he hired me, and I remember telling him I would give him five years, and interestingly enough, it was almost exactly five years.

“I wanted to work for him because Philippe said he was solid and I could learn what I needed. I wanted to learn how to manage a kitchen, and Tim is exceptional.

“When Amelia and I traded ideas about a new restaurant, it was just the right time for both of us.”

Going local When making plans for Amelia’s, Snell said he started finding local sources for many of his products.

“That part has grown far more than I thought it would,” he said. “We get our pork and chicken from Angie (Faughtenberry) at 413 Farm (in Mayes County) and as much of our produce as we can from farmers.”

Guilty pleasure?

“Spicy pork rinds, pickled sausages and a greasy pepperoni pizza with the kids, Layla, 8; Ari, 3, and Auguste, 1½.”

What folks might not know “I never worked for Michael Fusco (Bodean Seafood, Flavors, Fusco’s Riverside Grill), but somehow, we met and hit it off,” Snell said. “I have 30 acres outside of town, and we go deer hunting together.”

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THE CHEF ISSUE [] TODAY’S TRENDSETTERS Matt Amberg

Tulsan comes full circle

M

att Amberg said during his cooking career he never wanted to end up being a 40-year-old line cook.

He got in just under the gun when he and his wife, Yara, opened Oren two years ago in Brookside.

For Amberg, it also was something like coming full circle. He grew up in a house about four blocks from the restaurant, and his parents still live there.

“I remember going to Chubby’s for candy in Stonehorse (now Center I) and going to the Brook when it was a theater and going down to Crow Creek and to Zink Park. I got into some trouble there,” Amberg said.

Home and away over and over After high school, Amberg said he worked at Wendy’s, then at the former Candlewood Club washing dishes and working the snack bar.

“Then I got pretty lucky,” he said. “I got a job with Rick Kamp at Rick’s Café Americain when it was on Harvard (Avenue), then with Richard Clark and Paul Caplinger at French Hen, then with Curt & Marj’s (Curt Hermann and Marjorie Alexander).

“I moved to Savannah, Georgia, and worked at the Sapphire Grill, where I met Andrew (Donovan, currently executive chef in Tulsa at The Reserve at Grogg’s Green Barn). My sister had a baby and the family wanted me back home, so I came back and worked for Tim Fitzgerald Catering for a while, then with James Shrader at Palace Café for two years.

“I always wanted to cook on the East Coast, and Andrew was in New York at the time. I asked if his boss could set me up with some restaurants, and he got me one full day each at places like Gramercy 44 Tulsa World Magazine

MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World Magazine

Tavern, Oceana and Core: Club, where Andrew was working. I knew immediately I wanted to stay there. I came back and finished up my last six months at Palace Cafe, then spent six and a half years in New York.”

The Brooklyn influence Amberg said for him, the most important restaurant he worked in during his New York days was The Farm on Adderly in Brooklyn.

“The chef was Tom Kierney, and he was most influential in my career,” Amberg said. “It was a farm-to-marketdriven restaurant, and I learned to focus on vegetables and local ingredients. Tom and I shared a similar aesthetic.”

Back to Tulsa Amberg said he and Yara had a son, Judah, and figured more children were in their future. They wanted to buy a house, open a restaurant and raise a family, and it was too expensive in Brooklyn.

“We had a choice to move to Israel or Tulsa,” he said. “Tulsa was the most logical choice. I worked with Tim Inman at Stonehorse Café while we were saving our money and looking for a place to open a restaurant.

“When we finally said it was time to make it happen, I got an appointment with Henry Aberson (Center I owner) and showed him my business plan. We hit it off real well, and that’s how we got Oren started.”

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THE CHEF ISSUE [] TODAY’S TRENDSETTERS Tiffany Tisdale-Braxton

Cooking across the country

T

iffany Tisdale-Braxton lived all over the country as a young girl and has cooked all over the country as an adult.

The family followed her late father, Wayman Tisdale, when the Tulsa native and University of Oklahoma All-American played in the National Basketball Association in Indiana, Sacramento and Phoenix.

“Me and my three siblings all were born in different states,” TisdaleBraxton said. “We always lived where Dad was playing, but we came to Tulsa for summers and holidays. We moved back to Tulsa when I was in the fourth grade.”

Her cooking exploits included time in Washington, D.C., as a personal chef to some National Football League players. Today, she is chef at Vista at the Boathouse, the trendy new restaurant at Gathering Place.

From sociology to food After graduating from Booker T. Washington, Tisdale-Braxton went to OU to study sociology and Spanish.

“Nothing to do with cooking, but I started cooking to-go items for other students so I could make a little money on the side,” she said.

“Then when Dad was sick, he was in Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City for 30 days. He hadn’t eaten anything in a week, and for the first time, I fixed a full Thanksgiving spread. My dad started eating and went on and on about how good it was. That kind of got me thinking about cooking.”

Cooking becomes a career After college, Tisdale-Braxton said she TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World Magazine

went to work for Keystone Food Group and cooked for a sorority house, then moved to Dallas, where she got a job at Del Frisco’s steakhouse.

“Then I spent six years as a private chef,” she said. “I lived in Dallas, Houston, Washington, D.C., and had mostly NFL clients (though she did not want to divulge their names). Because we were starting to have children, we wanted to come back to Tulsa to be close to family and have that support system.”

She now has three children — Bailey, 12; Branndon, 3, and Boston, 1.

Back on Tulsa time She first went through the Kitchen 66 program, the kickstart entrepreneurial program of the Taylor Lobeck Family Foundation, to start a catering business.

“I learned the business part outside

the kitchen, which was very valuable,” she said. “Then I got the opportunity here at Gathering Place. I’ve been here more than a year now, and the menu has gone through so many phases, figuring out what works. I think we have cool stuff that still is approachable.”

Grandmother’s influence Hands down, Tisdale-Braxton said her biggest influence was her grandmother Frances Ware.

“We have a huge family, and cooking has always been a big part of our lives,” Tisdale-Braxton said. “Grandma worked for years as a cook at Tulsa Country Club, and she was head of the culinary department at our church. I was always helping her. She’s 85, and I’m 31, and I’ve spent more time in the kitchen with her over the last 25 years than anyone.”

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Branden Bentley, chef de cuisine at SMOKE. Woodfire Grill in Owasso, shows off what he calls his farm to arm tattoos.  MIKE SIMONS/ Tulsa World Magazine

KITCHEN

INK

Chefs express themselves and their love for their craft with their tattoos

By Judy Allen For Tulsa World Magazine

46 Tulsa World Magazine

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L

isa Becklund’s cozy kitchen in rural Oklahoma produces a dizzying number of intricately designed dishes every weekend evening throughout Living Kitchen’s farm dinner season. But possibly more gorgeous than what’s on the plates is what’s adorning the arms doing the dicing, searing and plating: tattoos, and lots of them.

At first glance, Becklund is the face of someone high-ranking in a formal chef’s brigade, draped in a crisp chef’s coat. But one glance at what’s under the rolled-up sleeves and you see that kitchen artistry is not far from fine art.

From gritty line cooks in greasy-spoon diners to the executive chefs at the world’s most popular restaurants, it’s hard to find a cook who doesn’t sport some ink. Once disguised by formal chef whites, which have given way to short-sleeved jackets in many a kitchen, exposed tattoos are yet another outlet for culinary creatives to express themselves.

Becklund is part of a large brigade of local chefs, cooks, bartenders and others in the food industry who decorate themselves with the stories of their lives. Michelle Donaldson, a former Tulsa chef now cooking in Detroit, has her idol, Julia Child, tattooed on her arm. Tim Richards, chef at Bin 35 tattooed a quote from Anthony Bourdain on his arm after the famed chef passed away.

And if you’re a hot young chef such as Philip Phillips? No doubt your arms, legs, chest and even your knuckles are a colorful timeline of where you’ve been and still hope to go, with some fantasy thrown in for good measure.

“On my deathbed, you can know my life by simply seeing my tattoos,” Phillips said, “There’s A LOT of Harry Potter pieces on me!”

Here, a dozen of Tulsa’s mostdecorated chefs, as well as the former Tulsa chef who inspired the story, tell the tales behind their tattoos.

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MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World Magazine

Philip Phillips Chef/owner of Lone Wolf Banh Mi, 203 E. Archer St. and 3136 E. 11th St., and Chicken and the Wolf in Mother Road Market, 1124 S. Lewis Ave.

Philip Phillips knew he would be getting a lot of tattoos once he moved out of his parents’ house, getting his first at age 18. Now, about 60% of his body is covered in them.

“I’ve always lived my life on the fringes of popular culture,” Phillips said. His entire torso is covered in an elaborate Harry Potter piece that took 16 separate four-hour sessions to complete. “My first neck tattoo came the day I got sponsored by Aura Knifeworks — I slapped their logo on my neck the same day I was contacted by them,” Phillips said. As one would expect, he has plenty of wolves as well. “I have about five wolf tattoos that represent my time at Lone Wolf. Lots of wolves. Lone Wolf forever.”

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Photos by STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World Magazine

Nico Albert Executive chef of Duet, 108 N. Detroit Ave.

Nico Albert got her first tattoo at age 19, shortly after moving to Tulsa.

“Tattoos weren’t even legal here,” Albert said. “I drove to Ark City with new friends who were going to get tattoos.”

The tattoo, a fleur de lis on her ankle, pays homage to her father’s Acadian roots and French culture. Albert always wanted a full sleeve of ink — now, thanks to the larger pieces she’s acquired over the years, her arm is almost covered in a patchwork of images. Cherokee traditional designs, a nod to her Native American heritage, as well as salt crystals and a black pepper plant, are part of the mix.

“Chefs are creative people, and a love of tattoos goes along with that,” Albert said. “We are expressing an art form, as we do when we cook.”

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Tim Richards Chef at Bin 35, 3509 S. Peoria Ave.

Anthony Bourdain was a kindred soul to many chefs, documenting the seediness of the restaurant kitchen world. Tim Richards’ arm sports a quote from Bourdain, “Life — and travel — leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks — on your body or on your heart — are beautiful. Often though, they hurt.”

Richards had it done right after Bourdain died in 2018. “I chose that quote because of the scars this industry has left on my body and because it neatly summarized how I felt about his passing,” Richards said.

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Chris West Owner of Lassalle’s New Orleans Deli, 15 W. Fifth St.

If one could literally wear their heart on a sleeve, Chris West does, and his heart bleeds New Orleans. West’s arms represent his life before arriving in Tulsa post-Katrina. “I was in the corporate world, where tattoos were considered taboo,” West said. After arriving in Tulsa and opening Lassalle’s, West got his first tattoo and has been documenting his life on his arms ever since. “My right forearm is a collaborative piece, representing the seafood of New Orleans — crabs, crawfish and the like in their raw state,” West said. The “swamp scene” further exaggerates his passion for the Big Easy, where he was born and raised.

“My left arm is halfway done and shows off favorite NOLA musicians, including Trombone Shorty and Lionel Batiste,” West continues. “They are a big part of my life.”

STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World Magazine TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

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Myssie Roberts Executive sous chef at Bird & Bottle, 3324 E. 31st St.

“My love for food wasn’t natural or something I felt destined to pursue,” Myssie Roberts said. “When I was young, all I wanted to do was figure skate.”

Then, at age 21, she picked up cooking, working in the deli at Whole Foods, and later fell in love with the fast-paced world of restaurant life.

Her first tattoos were herbs. “My favorites came first: basil, sage, mint, thyme and rosemary — herbs that I use as often as I can,” Roberts said.

“Then came the herbs that I rely on for calming and peaceful vibes — eucalyptus and chamomile — because the higher up in the cooking world you rise, staying calm and centered becomes extremely important. My growing collection of herbs, vegetables, insects, words like ‘be kind’ and ‘be brave’ on my wrists always remind me to keep growing and never stop.”

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Above, Myssie Roberts, executive sous chef at Bird & Bottle, has blueberries tattooed on her leg by Dustin Charles Cleveland at Ritual Electric Tattoo, 2301 E. Admiral Blvd.

At left, Roberts shows her food-related tattoos, including sage (bottom), rosemary (left) and Mint (right) MATT BARNARD/ Tulsa World Magazine

TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

Justin Thompson Owner of Justin Thompson Restaurant Group

There is a time and place for crisp, white chef’s coats, in regards to the changing kitchen culture. “But it’s not the expectation these days,” said Justin Thompson, whose kitchen lines sport short-sleeved cook shirts instead of white jackets. Thompson also wears short sleeves when he’s in the kitchen, exposing an array of tattoos. “My left forearm is an herb garden,” Thompson said. “I got it when I started cooking at the Brasserie.” Thompson’s first tattoos, however, weren’t food related. His right arm has a profile of the god of nature, Dionysus, and Saint Brigid graces his left arm. “I got them in college,” Thompson said. “They meant something to me at that time.”

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BRANDEN BENTLEY Chef de cuisine at SMOKE. Woodfire Grill, 201 S. Main St., Owasso

The first tattoo Branden Bentley got was a picture of the guitar he “cut his teeth on,” a Gibson ES135. “I learned how to play and pick on this guitar, and it also looked pretty badass,” Bentley joked. His dad taught him to play many different instruments and gave him his love of music, leaving the chef with many memories of their relationship.

“My tattoos are a photo album of my life — mostly good memories that I wanted to hold on to which have made me who I am today,” Bentley said. “I feel like I’m letting my family and memories live on just a little longer than they 54 Tulsa World Magazine

would without them.”

Bentley’s right arm, chest and torso tattoos are dedications to family, with photos of his parents, grandpa, uncle and a beautiful old hotrod car that he built with his “Pop” in high school. His family artwork also includes portraits of his two dogs, Haily and Bocephus. “Haily is my cow dog that is almost 20 years old. This is without a doubt my favorite tattoo,” Bentley said. His left arm is a harvest of corn, beets, carrots, tomatoes and the “high and mighty swine,” his favorite protein with which to work.

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Branden Bentley, chef de cuisine at SMOKE. Woodfire Grill in Owasso, shows off what he calls his farm to arm tattoos.  MIKE SIMONS/ Tulsa World Magazine

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Lisa Becklund Chef/owner of Living Kitchen Farm & Dairy, 25198 S. 481st East Ave., Depew

Lisa Becklund has been drawn to botanical illustrations throughout her life.

“I remember thinking how wonderful it would be to be engulfed in the drawings, to somehow be a part of them,” Becklund said. “If there is a plant or vegetable I am interested in, I Google its botanical illustration before anything.”

Becklund’s left arm and shoulder are covered in such illustrations, an homage to what she loves most in the world, aside from family. She started on her neck with her favorite vegetable to eat — an artichoke. Then came garlic. “I didn’t see a reason not to add celery and fennel and then corn and tomatoes and then, of course, eggplant and peas, and I love nasturtium flowers, so why not?”

Becklund said.

“I’ve got a little space left so I suppose summer squash of some variety will be next,” she said. “I may never be done!”

JOSEPH RUSHMORE/for Tulsa World Magazine 56 Tulsa World Magazine

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MATT BARNARD/ Tulsa World Magazine file

ADAM GREEN Pitmaster at Mac’s Barbecue, 1030 W. Rogers Blvd., Skiatook

“When I first checked in with the Marine Corps, they said, ‘This is where the bars are, and this is where the tattoo parlors are,” Adam Green said. He had always wanted a tattoo, even as a kid grabbing the rub-on scorpion tattoos at the state fair. “I got the worst, cheapest tattoo and continued to get a tattoo on every deployment.” Green got a tattoo in Singapore from Johnny Two-Thumbs, coincidentally the same artist who inked Tulsa chef Ben Alexander on his Navy deployment.

Green had many tattoos, most military or family related, before opening his BBQ restaurant. “I don’t have to cover up anymore!” Green said. “People expect it and accept it. Tattoos are more acceptable everywhere, not just in kitchens. My tattoos are my journal — the places I’ve been and the things I’ve done.”

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Audrey Long Executive chef at The Tavern, 201 N. Main St.

“Before I even decided that I wanted to be a chef, I already knew I wanted to be covered in tattoos some day,” Audrey Long said. “A lot of us in the restaurant world can be a little introverted, and tattoos are an expression of who we are on the inside without having to verbally express it to people.” She got her first tattoo at 17 and has stopped counting but guesses she now has around 40, including a tiny little ramen bowl, the Morton salt girl, a taco, a piece of birthday cake, a Hello Kitty chef and a zombie candy corn. Her toes say “COOKS STUFF” across them because she thought it was silly, and it made her laugh. “I think you should have fun and do things that make you happy,” Long said. “And if that’s getting a Halloween tattoo every year on Halloween (which I do) then go for it!”

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Ben Alexander Vice president of culinary operations at McNellie’s Restaurant Group

“My first tattoo was a Hawaiian girl leaning up against a surf board on my back,” Ben Alexander said. “I got it when I was 18. I was a rebel.” Alexander spent four years in the Navy, and the tattoos adorning his left arm are dedicated to his time in the military — two koi fish and a waterfall landscape. “I had one of the koi done in Singapore,” Alexander said. “Which I don’t suggest ever!” That koi was done by Johnny Two-Thumbs, who also had a hand in Mac’s Barbecue pitmaster Adam Green’s artwork. Alexander’s arm also sports some sparrows, a POW MIA and a dia de los muertes skull to honor the dead, as well as a large geisha on his chest.

“I don’t really have any great stories on why I got them; I just liked them and had money to do so before I was married and had kids,” Alexander said. “I doubt I’ll ever get any more.”

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Private chef Matt Owen’s food-related tattoos include knives, a grapevine and the words “mise en place.”

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MATT BARNARD/

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Matt Owen Personal chef

Matt Owen’s first tattoo, one which he wouldn’t suggest, was a matching design he got with his then girlfriend. “I got that one incorporated into a bigger floral piece on my arm/shoulder,” Owen said.

The next few times Owen got inked were rewards for hitting career milestones: a set of knives and a stylized grapevine, inspired from a book of 19th century woodcuts and engravings related to food and dining. “I got the knives when I felt I had reached a certain level of skill with mine,” Owen said. “And the grapevines when I felt I had

learned a good deal about constructing tasting menus and wine pairings.” “Mise en Place” is tattooed on Owen’s wrist as a reward for surviving his first sous-chef position. “It was a seriously punishing job that definitely made me as a cook, so I felt it was appropriate,” Owen said. Owen’s most recent tattoo honors his wife’s heritage — her Hawaiian name inside a stylized border resembling island heirloom jewelry.

MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World Magazine

Michelle Donaldson District chef at Union Joints (Detroit, MI)

Former Tulsa chef Michelle Donaldson has a likeness of Julia Child inked on her arm. It even caught the attention of Geddy Lee, lead singer of rock band Rush, who posted a snapshot of her arm on his Instagram feed. Donaldson’s Julia is depicted as a saint, with eggs and wooden spoons as her nimbus. “I joke that I’m armed with inspiration,” Donaldson said. “Which, of course, isn’t a joke! She’s been a colossal inspiration my entire career. Julia is goddess status.” Donaldson also has a cheese tattoo on her right arm, along with the name “femme de fromage” from her days as a cheese monger, as well as “NaCl,” the chemical compound for salt.

“It’s my salting hand!” she said.

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Dr. Barry and Cyndie Gardner brought neurofeedback to Oklahoma 11 years ago.

Courtesy/ RenuYou

Proud to serve Oklahoma

O

klahomans are proud people.

We are proud of our athletic teams, proud of our contributions to the world stage of music, proud of living in a state where people are friendly and compassionate about their neighbors. We are also proud of visionary pioneers that excel in the world of professionalism, such as RenuYou Neurofeedback Brain Fitness Center of Tulsa. For the past 11 years, they have been and continue to be a highly esteemed clinic in the field of neurofeedback and draw people from all over the world, with some individuals coming from as far away as South Africa.

Although neurofeedback has been around for more than 60 years, it wasn’t until Dr. Barry and Cyndie Gardner saw the potential and brought it to Oklahoma 11 years ago that it became a reality in our state. Since that time, RenuYou has gained the respect of doctors and therapists around the globe and is considered

to be one of the top clinics in the world for neurofeedback.

Dr. Richard Soutar from New Mind Technologies in Atlanta, Georgia, is a respected expert in neurofeedback and has written several books on the subject.

“I am very impressed and proud of their accomplishments,” he said about RenuYou. “The Gardners did everything right, and it is rare to see such dedication to details. They pursued board certification from BCIA (Biofeedback Certification International Alliance) and then consistently pursued training and workshops beyond that point. They were open to learning a bio-psycho-social approach to neurofeedback — recognizing that they had to look at pharmaceutical use, diet, exercise and nutrition, as well as family and work life when using neurotherapy to achieve optimal outcomes.

“They utilized specially developed software with qEEG brainmapping and psychosocial testing designed specifically

for that purpose. They recognized the value of using an empirical and statistical approach to the assessment and training of patients. They hired experts in each of these areas to work with them ‘in house.’ They developed a coherent team of experts who understood what neurofeedback was and how it could be integrated into what they were doing for optimal outcomes. They developed a very organized office based upon years of experience in wellness services to the community. They coupled this with a deep concern and compassion for each and every patient that they maintained day in and day out. For me, this is a winning formula that we need to see utilized at a wider level. This is evidence-based wellness.”

That’s high praise from an industry expert and yet another reason for Oklahomans to be proud.

More than 11 years of positive testimonies speaks for itself.

SPONSORED BY RenuYou Neurofeedback Brain Fitness Center of Tulsa 7474 S. Yale Ave. / 918-747-7400 / renuyoutulsa.com

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Neurofeedback Brain Fitness Center

RENU Your Brain, RENU Your Life Tired of prescription drugs that are not always effective and can cause unwanted side effects? RenuYou Neurofeedback Brain Fitness Center has the technology to retrain your brain to produce healthier brain wave activity and perform at its optimal level. Considered to be one of the most advanced drug free therapies of this technological generation, neurofeedback is being used to treat a wide range of issues including ADHD, Anxiety, Concussions, Depression, Insomnia, complications from Strokes and also for achieving Peak Performance for Academics, Sports, Dance and Music. The American Academy of Pediatrics calls it an A1 level “best choice” for treating ADHD and the U.S. Military is using it for PTSD related mental health.

RenuYou starts with a qEEG (quantitative brain wave analysis) that records the electrical activity and coherence of the brain. Brain wave patterns are then interpreted by a doctor or certified specialist to determine the correct protocol for each individual. Once treatment begins, RenuYou used “reward biofeedback” that features watching a movie. As sessions progress, normal brain wave patterns begin to manifest. Once these healthier neuropathways are forged, they become a permanent part of the brains productivity.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Marie McCabe, MA, LMFT, BCN, clinical director at RenuYou says, “Our mission statement is to empower people to be healthy as God intended, beginning with a fully functional and optimal brain.”

Every thought you think and every emotion you feel is due to the electrical firing of neurons that manifest as brainwaves such as Alpha, Beta, Delta and Theta. Excessive Beta, for example can produce anxiety, too much frontal Alpha may result in depression and elevated Delta and Theta can often relect ADD/ADHD.

“My son was discharged, from the Navy, at 18 years old for ADHD. I brought him to RenuYou and the treatment did exactly what they told me it would do. He was able to proceed with his career without the dysfunction of attention deficits. We could not have been happier with the outcome and are so very thankful!”

RenuYou Neurofeedback Brain Fitness Center is physician staffed, Board Certified with Professional licensed therapists and are certified brain health coaches under renowned neuroscientist Dr Daniel Amen.

Call today for a complimentary consultation. You’ll see why doctors all over the country refer their patients to RenuYou Neurofeedback Brain Fitness Center.

“My eight year old daughter used to have multiple melt downs, often hitting herself, pulling out her hair, throwing things and hitting others. After treating at RenuYou, our daughter is so much happier. She is more relaxed, able to do school work, can read better and is able to express her feelings in healthier ways. RenuYou neurofeedback has been amazing! They have helped us find the joy in our family again.”

RENUYOU NEUROFEEDBACK BRAIN FITNESS CENTER 7474 S YALE AVE • 918-747-7400 • RENUYOUTULSA.COM BCIA Certified • Physician Staffed • Licensed Professional Therapists

Create a fall decor scheme with warm gold and metallics.  IAN MAULE/ Tulsa World Magazine

Deck the fall 64 Tulsa World Magazine

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Take your holiday decorations from Halloween to Thanksgiving TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

By Nicole Marshall Middleton Tulsa World Magazine Tulsa World Magazine 65­​

L

et’s face it — fall is fall.

Unless you prefer to deck your house in goblins and ghouls for Halloween and turkeys and cornucopias for Thanksgiving, you can pretty much get away with the same holiday decor from the first of October through the end of November.

We sought out decorations that would work for the entire fall season. Pumpkins cross over and leaves do, too.

A purple, orange and burgundy color palette with warm gold and metallic accents seemed to work perfectly for our fall theme.

Add a spider or spider web, or even a black bow, for Halloween if you would like.

And amp up the harvest feel with wheat sprigs or bowls of faux fruit for Thanksgiving, but at least you won’t have to completely redo the decor.

Here are some looks to consider for your table, mantle and front door.

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IAN MAULE/Tulsa World Magazine

Table For a table setting, we started with white plastic pumpkins from Hobby Lobby. After simply poking a hole in the top, we added silk flowers. There was no need to glue them to the pumpkins, so the flowers can be changed the next year. A modern gold-andwhite chevron pumpkin and glittery mason jars with white paper flowers from Hobby Lobby gave the table a luxe look.

Some battery-operated pine cone string lights and a gold runner from Pier One complete the look. Cookies with raspberry and apricot filling, a glass of red wine and a fruit and cheese plate make for a great fall spread.

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THUMBPRINT COOKIES 2 cups almond flour 6 tablespoons butter, softened 6 tablespoons powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract About 1/3 cup jam, one flavor or a mix of flavors

 IAN MAULE/Tulsa World Magazine

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1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until a dough forms.

3. Scoop balls of dough onto baking sheet. Use your thumb or teaspoon to create a thumbprint in the middle of each cookie. Add 1 teaspoon of jam to the middle.

4. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, until they start to turn light golden brown on top.

5. After removing the cookies from the oven, cool them on the pan.

Transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

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Mantle We asked for help from Whitney Eslicker, owner of Adorn Tulsa, 317 S. Trenton Ave., with a look for our mantle. They just happen to have a mantle to display decorations in their gorgeous store on Studio Row. The store is packed with unique holiday decor, jewelry and gifts. Eslicker said she picked that location because her parents used to own the famous Church Studio, and she loves the idea of being in the growing destination district. The mantle is highlighted by velvet pumpkins by Hot Skwash that have real pumpkin stems from a pumpkin patch. Eslicker also creates custom garland and wreaths, so stop by and talk with her if you have a look in mind. We also found some cute pumpkin topiaries at Adorn Tulsa that would fit our fall theme.

Add a touch of fall to your mantle with pumpkin topiaries, velvet pumpkins and custom garland and wreaths from Adorn Tulsa.  Stephen Pingry/Tulsa World Magazine

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Door Stems at Utica Square made a perfect fall wreath featuring our color palette and even added some white plastic pumpkins that match our table design. They have several wreaths in stock at their store and even have a “Door D’Cor” section on their website, tulsaflorist.net.

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Theater >>‘The Deaths of Sybil Bolton,’ written by David Blakely. Presented by Heller Theatre Company.

Nov. 1-10 at the Lynn Riggs Theater, 621 E. Fourth St. FOR MORE: hellertheatreco.com 70 Tulsa World Magazine

Heller Theatre will premiere David Blakely’s new play on the Osage murders.

MIKE SIMONS/ Tulsa World Magazine

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Heller Theatre to premiere new play on Osage terror James D. Watts Jr. Tulsa World Magazine

S

ometimes, necessity is the mother of play-writing.

David Blakely got the first inkling of his newest play while he was preparing to move his family back to his home state of Oklahoma.

“None of my family had lived in Oklahoma, and my partner decided that she would read up on Oklahoma history to get ready,” said Blakely, whose return to Oklahoma was to become the director of the theater program at Rogers State University in Claremore.

“She’s a big history buff, but I have to say, I wasn’t sure this project of hers was all that good a thing,” Blakely said, laughing. “Oklahoma’s history is pretty full of stories that a lot of people would rather not be brought out into the light of day.”

One of those stories was contained in “The Deaths of Sybil Bolton: An American History.” This 1994 combination of true crime and memoir by former Washington Post editor Dennis McAuliffe is the story of his investigation into the truth about his Osage grandmother, who the family also said had died as a young woman of kidney failure in 1925.

McAuliffe soon discovered that his grandmother had in fact died of a gunshot wound and that her death was part of what has come to be known as the “Osage Reign of Terror.”

Oil discoveries in the early 1900s — and the royalties that flowed like the black gold itself — made the members of the Osage Nation some of the richest people in the country. That wealth also made them the targets of unscrupulous Anglos, led by the self-styled “King of the Osage Hills” William Hale, who determined to separate the Osage people from their money through systemic political and social corruption and violent murder.

The story of the Osage murders had served as the basis for a number of novels, from John Joseph Mathews’ TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

Dennis McAuliffe’s book “The Deaths of Sybil Bolton” was republished in 1999 in paperback under the title “Bloodland.” Both are currently out of print. TULSA WORLD MAGAZINE FILE

“Sundown” in 1934, to Linda Hogan’s Pulitzer Prize finalist “Mean Spirit.” But McAuliffe’s book was the first major nonfiction recounting of this dark stretch of Oklahoma history, published nearly 30 years before the Osage Reign of Terror was brought to a wider audience through David Grann’s award-winning best-seller “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

(McAuliffe’s book — both in its original hardcover version and the paperback edition published under the title “Bloodland” by Council Oak Books — has been out of print for many years.)

When Blakely’s partner finished the book, she brought it to him and said, “This is a story you would like.”

“And she was right,” Blakely said. “I’ve always been fascinated by stories of injustice — the way one group of people will impose itself on another group to deny and ultimately destroy the other’s identity.”

Blakely was so inspired by McAuliffe’s book that he immediately reached out to request the chance to adapt the book for the stage.

“His reaction was, ‘Sure, why not?’ ” Blakely said. “But then, as often is the case, life got in the way.”

It wouldn’t be until years later that Blakely returned to the idea of “The Deaths of Sybil Bolton.”

“Heller Theatre Company had hired me to be its first playwright-in-residence, which meant that I had to come up with a play for that year,” he said. “I sent another email to Dennis McAuliffe, asking for permission to do a play from his book, and he said, ‘Are you the same guy who asked me this about 10 years ago?’ ” Blakely originally wrote a one-act version under the title “Four Ways to Die,” which premiered as part of Heller Theatre Company’s “Triple Feature” production in April 2018.

The play would win the 2018 Tulsa Award for Theatre Excellence for best original play, as well as awards for ensemble cast and Blakely’s direction.

McAuliffe came to see the production, bringing with him Grann, who was in the midst of researching “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

“Dennis had read the play in advance and had shared his thoughts about it,” Blakely said. “When he saw it, he said, ‘Who knew I had written the basis of a good play?’ But he did have some questions about why certain elements of his story weren’t included.

“I told him I was saving those for the full-length version,” he said. “It was always the plan for this to be a full-length work.”

McAuliffe is a character in the play, which moves back and forth in time between the present day and the 1920s.

Putting the focus of the play on McAuliffe and his search for the truth about his grandmother, Blakely said, was a way to deal with “this huge, beautiful, sad, angry story. And it’s just one story of many that we as Oklahomans have been reluctant to acknowledge.”

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arts the

Tulsa in

Current and upcoming events around the area

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> 10/18-19, ‘The Golden Age of Greenwood’ Ernie Fields Jr., son of the legendary Tulsa band leader, will lead a show that re-creates the sound of Tulsa’s Greenwood neighborhood from the 1930s to the 1950s.

WHERE: VanTrease PACE, 10300 E. 81st St. FOR MORE: signaturesymphony.org

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> Through 10/13, ‘War of the Worlds: The Panic Broadcast’ This show deals with Orson Welles’ infamous 1938 broadcast and the panic that ensued when some took this story of a Martian invasion to be true.

WHERE: Broken Arrow Community Playhouse, 1800 S. Main St., Broken Arrow FOR MORE: bacptheatre.com > Through 11/10, ‘OK: Jason Lee Photographs’ and ‘Larry Clark: Tulsa’ These two shows present two different views of Tulsa and Oklahoma — Clark’s dark, violent, ultimately heartbreaking portfolio of true “Outsiders” in the 1960s and ’70s and Lee’s disquietingly serene vistas of Oklahoma’s cities, lands and towns, and the traces man has left behind.

WHERE: Philbrook Downtown, 116 E. M.B. Brady St. FOR MORE: philbrook.org > Through 1/5, ‘Dorothea Lange’s America’ Dorothea Lange is famous for a single image — “Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California,” which put a very human face on the Great Depression. This show features 30 of Lange’s photographs, with images by other photographers working during those troubled times.

WHERE: Gilcrease Museum, 1400 N. Gilcrease Museum Road FOR MORE: gilcrease.org

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Photographer and actor Jason Lee poses with his exhibit at Philbrook Downtown. The exhibit will be on display through Nov. 10. TOM GILBERT/Tulsa World Magazine file

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>>10/5, ‘Debussy’s Images’ The Tulsa Symphony presents Debussy’s last orchestral work, along with Mozart’s Serenade No. 9 in D Major, the “Posthorn,” and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol.

WHERE: Tulsa PAC, 101 E. Third St. FOR MORE: tulsasymphony.org >>10/5, Rioult Dance New York One of the most popular ensembles presented by Choregus Productions, this modern dance troupe led by choreographer Pascal Rioult returns to present new works.

WHERE: Tulsa PAC, 110 E. Second St. FOR MORE: choregus.org >>10/6, ‘An Evening with Branford Marsalis’ Jazz legend Branford Marsalis, whose career has ranged from “The Tonight Show” to collaborating with Sting, brings his signature quartet to Tulsa in a concert that celebrates the past and present of jazz.

WHERE: Tulsa PAC, 101 E. Third St. FOR MORE: tulsapac.com

With Tony Award-winning choreography

by Andy Blankenbuehler, “Bandstand” will come to Tulsa in November as an add-on to Celebrity Attractions’ 2019-2020 season.

Michael Pool/ provided by Celebrity Attractions

>>10/9-13, ‘Cats’ Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical setting of T.S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” returns in a new production, featuring choreography by “Hamilton” choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler.

WHERE: Tulsa PAC, 101 E. Third St. FOR MORE: tulsapac.com >>10/11-20, ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ A lonely fellow’s obsession for a forgotten 1920s musical comes to vivid, surprising life in Theatre Tulsa’s production of this Tony Award-winning musical.

WHERE: Tulsa PAC, 110 E. Second St. FOR MORE: theatretulsa.org >>10/11-13, Lysander Piano Trio The Lysander Piano Trio has become a regular favorite of Chamber Music Tulsa audiences, performing here in 2014 and 2016. They will perform music by Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Liszt and Higdon.

WHERE: Tulsa PAC, 110 E. Second St. FOR MORE: chambermusictulsa.org >>10/18-26, ‘What the Butler Saw’ Joe Orton’s farce chronicles the usual madcap dashes of people in and out of doors, from behind screens and all other sort of embarrassing situations as a doctor attempts to seduce and hire a new secretary.

WHERE: Tulsa PAC, 110 E. Second St. FOR MORE: americantheatrecompany.org >>10/23, 25, ‘Carmen’ Tulsa Opera opens its season with Georges Bizet’s masterwork, with Sarah Mesko in the title role of the seductive cigarette girl whose passion for life and love leads to her tragic end.

WHERE: Tulsa PAC, 101 E. Third St. FOR MORE: tulsaopera.com >>10/26, ‘Choral Colors of the Continents’ The newly renamed Tulsa Chorale presents chorale North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.

WHERE: Cascia Hall PAC, 2520 S. Yorktown Ave. FOR MORE: tulsachorus.org 74 Tulsa World Magazine

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>>10/31-11/3, ‘Giselle’ One of the true icons of classical ballet, “Giselle” has been called “The ‘Hamlet’ of ballet,” as it is one of the most challenging female roles in the repertoire. Tulsa Ballet offers this ghostly romance just in time for Halloween.

WHERE: Tulsa PAC, 101 E. Third St. FOR MORE: tulsaballet.org >>11/2, Mozart’s Prague Symphony Alejandro Gómez Guillén will be the guest conductor, as well as the soloist, for the Signature Symphony’s performance of the Haydn Violin Concerto in C Major, part of a concert that will include Schubert’s Mass No. 2 in C featuring the Signature Chorale, and the titular Mozart Symphony No. 38.

WHERE: VanTrease PACE, 10300 E. 81st St. FOR MORE: signaturesymphony.org >>11/5, ‘Bandstand’ Celebrity Attractions presents this Tony Award-winning musical about soldiers returning from World War II as they try to find their way in a peacetime world.

WHERE: Tulsa PAC, 101 E. Third St. FOR MORE: tulsapac.com >>11/7-17, ‘Love, Loss and What I Wore’ World Stage Theater Company presented this comedy of women recounting memories of romance and wardrobes.

WHERE: Tulsa PAC, 110 E. Second St. FOR MORE: tulsapac.com >>11/8-11, The Harlem Quartet This chamber ensemble will be presenting classical, Latin and jazz.

WHERE: Tulsa PAC, 110 E. Second St. FOR MORE: chambermusictulsa.org >>11/10-2/16, ‘Shadow of Time: Anila Quayyum Agha’ Agha uses simple elements — light, shadow, space and pattern — to create communal experiences of beauty and wonder. This exhibition brings together recent sculptural works and drawings, featuring a large-scale installation that fills the gallery and envelops the viewer in illuminated patterns.

WHERE: Philbrook Museum of Art, 2727 S. Rockford Road FOR MORE: philbrook.org >>11/10, Annie Moses Band Vocalist Annie Moses leads her acclaimed classical crossover band in a concert that will showcase the music of America, from Aaron Copland to Johnny Cash.

WHERE: Broken Arrow PAC, 701 S. Main St. FOR MORE: brokenarrowpac.com >>11/16, Mozart Piano Concerto Robin Sutherland, considered one of the finest interpreters of Mozart’s music today, will join the Tulsa Symphony to perform the Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor. Popular guest conductor Gerhardt Zimmermann will lead the orchestra.

WHERE: Tulsa PAC, 101 E. Third St. FOR MORE: tulsasymphony.org >>11/30, Grady Nichols Christmas Saxophonist Nichols gets into the spirit of Christmas early with this concert benefiting ALS Patient Services Outreach.

WHERE: Tulsa PAC, 101 E. Third ST. FOR MORE: tulsapac.com TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

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LET’S GO. Linde Oktoberfest Tulsa celebrates German culture at River West Festival Park. TOM GILBERT/Tulsa World Magazine file >>‌10/5, Wine, Jazz & World FETE The second annual Wine, Jazz & World FETE will feature jazz and world artists, fine wines, culinary offerings, performance art and family activities.

WHERE: Guthrie Green, 111 E. M.B. Brady St. FOR MORE: guthriegreen.com >>10/5, McNellie’s Harvest Beer Festival Head to downtown Tulsa for a celebration of beer at the McNellie’s Harvest Beer Festival.

More than 80 different breweries will be on hand to present some of the best beer around, with many Oklahoma breweries represented.

WHERE: ONEOK Field, 201 N. Elgin Ave. FOR MORE: mcnellies.com >>10/5, The Oak Ridge Boys The Oak Ridge Boys, one of the biggest groups in country music history, will perform at River Spirit Casino Resort.

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WHERE: River Spirit Casino Resort, 8330 Riverside Parkway FOR MORE: riverspirittulsa.com >>Through 10/6, Tulsa State Fair The Tulsa State Fair entertains festivalgoers with a large array of carnival rides, midway games, attractions, free concerts, creative art displays and much more. Find all of your favorite foods on a stick and take in a variety of agricultural exhibits, numerous kitchen demonstrations and vendor booths galore.

WHERE: Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St. FOR MORE: tulsastatefair.com >>10/7, Billie Eilish Billie Eilish will bring her When We Fall Asleep world tour to the BOK Center. The 17-year-old global pop phenom soared to stardom after the release of her debut single, “Ocean Eyes.”

WHERE: BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave.

FOR MORE: bokcenter.com >>10/8, OKC Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks For the 11th time, the Oklahoma City Thunder will play an NBA exhibition game in Tulsa. The Thunder will host the Dallas Mavericks at the BOK Center during the 2019 preseason.

WHERE: BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. FOR MORE: bokcenter.com >>10/9-13, Tulsa American Film Festival The Tulsa American Film Festival returns for the fifth year. The event features American-made independent films of all genres, with a special emphasis on Native American, Latino American and African-American films. The event also showcases films with Oklahoma connections, as well as student films. Don’t miss filmmaker-based panels, discussions and daily after-parties at local establishment.

WHERE: Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis Ave. FOR MORE: tulsaamericanfilmfest.com TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

>>10/11, Air Supply Air Supply, whose soaring soft rock tunes have been reaching radio listeners for four decades, will perform at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.

WHERE: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, 777 W. Cherokee St., Catoosa FOR MORE: hardrockcasinotulsa.com >>10/11-4/4, Tulsa Oilers The Tulsa Oilers hockey team takes to the ice for a new season of puck-slapping action. Catch home games at the BOK Center through April 4.

WHERE: BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. FOR MORE: bokcenter.com >>10/11-13, Brush Creek Bazaar Enjoy shopping, entertainment and carnival activities at an outdoor festival featuring vendor booths with everything from decor and soap to candles and clothing.

WHERE: 10900 S. Louisville Ave. FOR MORE: brushcreekbazaar.org >>10/12, Sawyer Brown Country music group Sawyer Brown will perform at Osage Casino’s Skyline Event Center. The band has released 18 studio albums and such hits as “Step That Step,” “Some Girls Do” and “Thank God for You.” WHERE: Osage Casino, 951 W. 36th North FOR MORE: osagecasino.com >>10/13, ShalomFest Visit Temple Israel in Tulsa to celebrate Jewish life at ShalomFest. This annual Tulsa tradition features food, music, entertainment, a children’s area and more.

WHERE: Temple Israel, 2004 E. 22nd Place FOR MORE: templetulsa.com >>10/15, ‘Baby Shark Live!’

“Baby Shark Live!” will make a splash at the BOK Center. The live show features new and classic songs, in addition to the titular shark song.

WHERE: BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. FOR MORE: bokcenter.com >>10/17, The Charlie Daniels Band Charlie Daniels and his band will return to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. Daniels’ body of work spans from his Dove Award-winning gospel albums to his award-winning Southern rock anthems and country hits.

WHERE: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, 777 W. Cherokee St., Catoosa FOR MORE: hardrockcasinotulsa.com >>10/17-20, Linde Oktoberfest Tulsa Visitors to this Oktoberfest celebration will enjoy delicious food, refreshing beverages, carnival rides, live music straight from Germany and, of course, the chicken dance. Savor authentic German beer imported from Munich, or enjoy a glass of wine while listening to the sounds of live Bavarian-style entertainment. Other festivities include polka dancing and rows of booths filled with art and crafts.

WHERE: River West Festival Park, 2100 S. Jackson Ave. FOR MORE: tulsaoktoberfest.org TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

>>10/13-14, 16, The Raconteurs Jack White will return to Tulsa with The Raconteurs in support of a new album.

The group will perform three shows at Cain’s Ballroom. The Oct. 13 and 14 concerts are sold out.

WHERE: Cain’s Ballroom, 423 N. Main St. FOR MORE: cainsballroom.com

>>10/18, Godsmack with Halestorm Godsmack will end its tour at the BOK Center with opening act Halestorm.

WHERE: BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. FOR MORE: bokcenter.com >>10/18, ‘We Will Rock You’ “We Will Rock You,” a musical based on the songs of Queen, tells the story of a globalized future without musical instruments.

WHERE: River Spirit Casino Resort, 8330 Riverside Parkway FOR MORE: riverspirittulsa.com >>Through 10/19, Tulsa Roughnecks The Tulsa Roughnecks’ season continues through October, with the final home match set for Oct. 19 at ONEOK Field.

WHERE: ONEOK Field, 201 N. Elgin Ave. FOR MORE: roughnecksfc.com >>10/19, Experience Hendrix The Experience Hendrix Tour will bring a critically acclaimed concert experience to the Hard

Jack White, shown during a previous show at Cain’s Ballroom, is coming back to the historic venue for a three-night stay with The Raconteurs. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World Magazine file Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. The tour offers fans an opportunity to see highly regarded music artists like Billy Cox and guitar wizard Joe Satriani, a 15-time Grammy nominee.

WHERE: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, 777 W. Cherokee St., Catoosa FOR MORE: hardrockcasinotulsa.com

>>10/21, Tenacious D The self-proclaimed greatest band in the world, Tenacious D will visit Tulsa as part of its Post-Apocalypto tour. The band is made up of Jack Black and Kyle Glass.

WHERE: Brady Theater, 105 W. M.B. Brady St. FOR MORE: bradytheater.com

Paul R. Giunta/Invision via AP

>>10/22, Wilco Grammy award-winning band Wilco will perform a sold-out show at Cain’s Ballroom. The North American tour is Wilco’s first since 2017.

WHERE: Cain’s Ballroom, 423 N. Main St. FOR MORE: cainsballroom.com Tulsa World Magazine 77­​

>>10/24, Carrie Underwood Oklahoma country superstar Carrie Underwood will return home to perform at the BOK Center. Since winning “American Idol” in 2005, the Checotah native has become one of the most successful artists in any genre.

WHERE: BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. FOR MORE: bokcenter.com

>>10/24, Dane Cook Comedian and actor Dane Cook will bring his nationwide stand-up tour Tell It Like It Is to the River Spirit Casino Resort.

WHERE: River Spirit Casino Resort, 8330 Riverside Parkway FOR MORE: riverspirittulsa.com >>10/25-26, Cherokee Heritage Days Celebrate Cherokee culture and heritage through activities, demonstrations, music and more at HarBer Village Museum in Grove during Cherokee Heritage Days. Enjoy the ancient game of marbles, Cherokee gospel singers and flutists, Indian tacos, basket weaving and more.

WHERE: Har-Ber Village Museum, 4404 W. 20th St., Grove FOR MORE: cherokeeheritage.org >>Through 10/26, Haunted Castle Halloween Festival Find thrills for the entire family at the Haunted Castle Halloween Festival in Muskogee. From the sinister, fog-shrouded forest to the carnival atmosphere of Halloween Land, there are performances and activities for all ages.

WHERE: The Castle of Muskogee, 3400 W. Fern Mountain Road, Muskogee FOR MORE: okcastle.com >>10/25-31, HallowMarine During HallowMarine, the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks opens its doors to trick-or-treaters of all ages to enjoy a safe, fun, indoor alternative to traditional Halloween activities. Bring the kids in their costumes to trick-or-treat among the tanks.

WHERE: Oklahoma Aquarium, 300 Aquarium Drive, Jenks FOR MORE: okaquarium.org >>10/26-31, HallowZOOeen This not-too-scary event is suitable for all ages and attracts thousands of visitors to the zoo for trickor-treating and Halloween fun. HallowZOOeen includes stops where kids can pick up treats, carnival games and special themed activities, as well as Haunted Train Rides around the zoo.

WHERE: Tulsa Zoo, 6421 E. 36th St. North FOR MORE: tulsazoo.org >>10/26, BooHaHa Brookside The annual BooHaHa Brookside Halloween event attracts thousands and features a costumed kids zone and candy zone.

WHERE: Brookside, Peoria Avenue between 31st and 41st streets FOR MORE: brooksidetheplacetobe.com 78 Tulsa World Magazine

Chris Pizzello/Invision via AP file >>10/26, Tulsa Run Athletes and health enthusiasts have been gathering in downtown Tulsa the last weekend in October since 1978 for fun and competitive runs during the Tulsa Federal Credit Union Tulsa Run. A finish-line festival will deliver plenty of fun before and after the race, and post-race events include live music, food and drinks.

WHERE: Downtown Tulsa FOR MORE: tulsasports.org/tulsarun

ing to the BOK Center on the heels of its first album in 13 years. “Fear Inoculum” is Tool’s fifth studio album and first since 2006’s “10,000 Days.”

WHERE: BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. FOR MORE: bokcenter.com >>10/29, Goo Goo Dolls Goo Goo Dolls will perform at Tulsa’s Brady Theater. The Grammy-nominated group vaulted to prominence in the 1990s with songs like “Name,” “Iris” and “Slide.”

>>10/29, Tool

WHERE: Brady Theater, 105 W. M.B. Brady St.

Grammy award-winning rock band Tool is com-

FOR MORE: bradytheater.com TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

> 10/30-11/4, Will Rogers Days To mark the 140th birthday of the Oklahoma native humorist and writer, a wide variety of events are planned in and around Claremore, with several events at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum and Birthplace Ranch, including the annual Native American Festival at Rogers State University, parade and Will Rogers Motion Picture Festival.

WHERE: Various locations around Claremore FOR MORE: willrogers.com > 10/31, Jamey Johnson Award-winning country singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson will return for a Halloween show at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.

Johnson is known for his 2008 platinum album, “That Lonesome Song,” and his 2010 double album, “The Guitar Song.”

WHERE: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, 777 W. Cherokee St., Catoosa FOR MORE: hardrockcasinotulsa.com > 11/1, Bobby Bones and the Raging Idiots Bobby Bones and the Raging Idiots will perform at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. Bones is vice president and creative director of iHeartCountry and is host of the nationally syndicated radio show, “The Bobby Bones Show.”

WHERE: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, 777 W. Cherokee St., Catoosa FOR MORE: hardrockcasinotulsa.com > 11/1, Stoney LaRue Red Dirt artist Stoney LaRue will perform at Cain’s Ballroom. LaRue got his start playing in bars around Stillwater.

WHERE: Cain’s Ballroom, 423 N. Main St. FOR MORE: cainsballroom.com

> 11/2, Trisha Yearwood Grammy Award-winning country music superstar Trisha Yearwood will perform at the Brady Theater.

Yearwood recently released a new album, “Every Girl,” her first fulllength country record in 12 years.

WHERE: Brady Theater, 105 W. M.B. Brady St. FOR MORE: bradytheater.com

Trisha Yearwood is returning to Oklahoma for a Nov. 2 performance at Tulsa’s Brady Theater. MARK HUMPHREY/AP

> 11/2, Theresa Caputo Theresa Caputo, from the TLC television program “Long Island Medium,” is coming to the River Spirit Casino Resort. Caputo will share stories about her life and explain how her gift works.

WHERE: River Spirit Casino Resort, 8330 Riverside Parkway FOR MORE: riverspirittulsa.com > 11/2-3, Tulsa Pop Culture Expo The 2019 Tulsa Pop Culture Expo will take

place at a thinking-outside-the-box location: the vacated Sears store inside Woodland Hills Mall. Celebrities guests announced for this year’s event include Dean Cain, pro-wrestler Bill Goldberg and Jennifer Marshall. The Tulsa Pop Culture Expo benefits Tulsa Pop Kids Inc., which was created to advance literacy and education through pop culture and entertainment.

WHERE: Woodland Hills Mall, 7021 S. Memorial Drive FOR MORE: tulsapopcultureexpo.com

> 11/1-3, Fall Home Expo Cooler weather, changing leaves and the upcoming holiday season make it a perfect time for the Fall Home Expo. This three-day event features the latest home products, a selection of goods to get you ready for the changing seasons and a variety of holiday gift ideas.

WHERE: Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St. FOR MORE: fallhomeexpo.com > 11/2, Casting Crowns with Hillsong Worship Grammy-winning Christian rock band Casting Crowns will perform at the BOK Center with Hillsong Worship and special guest Elevation Worship.

WHERE: BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. FOR MORE: bokcenter.com > 11/2, Tulsa Beer & Wine Festival Stroll through landscape gardens and treat your taste buds to exquisite food pairings with local and national craft beers and exotic wines.

Glean useful culinary tips from master chefs and expert wine vintners. Enjoy food samplings from favorite local restaurants and serenades of string musicians and nonstop live entertainment.

WHERE: Gathering Place, 2650 S. John Williams Way FOR MORE: gatheringplace.org TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

Tulsa World Magazine 79

> Through 11/3, Scarecrows in the Garden Visitors to the Tulsa Botanic Garden can see scarecrows created by schools, businesses, organizations and families along the planting beds of the Lake trail.

WHERE: Northwest of Tulsa, near 43rd Street North and 52nd West Avenue FOR MORE: tulsabotanic.org > 11/3, Mark Chesnutt & Lorrie Morgan Mark Chesnutt and Lorrie Morgan will kick off the Hard Rock Country Gold Series. Morgan, one of the youngest performers to be introduced into the Grand Ole Opry, has sold more than 8 million records. Chesnutt has produced 14 No. 1 hits, 23 top-10 singles, four platinum albums and five gold records.

WHERE: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, 777 W. Cherokee St., Catoosa FOR MORE: hardrockcasinotulsa.com > 11/5, Kris Kristofferson & The Strangers Kris Kristofferson & The Strangers will perform at Tulsa’s Brady Theater. An actor, singer and songwriter, Kristofferson is a Grammy-winning artist who is in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

WHERE: Brady Theater, 105 W. M.B. Brady St. FOR MORE: bradytheater.com > 11/7, Rascal Flatts Country music group Rascal Flatts will perform at the River Spirit Casino Resort. Rascal Flatts’ body of work includes 10 albums, 16 No. 1 songs, more than 23 million records sold and more than 10 million tickets sold.

WHERE: River Spirit Casino Resort, 8330 Riverside Parkway FOR MORE: riverspirittulsa.com

“Heathens” and “Blurryface.”

WHERE: BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. FOR MORE: bokcenter.com

> 11/7, America Classic rock group America will bring its hits to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. America’s hits include “Horse With No Name,” “Ventura Highway,” “Tin Man,” “I Need You,” “Lonely People” and “Sister Golden Hair.”

WHERE: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, 777 W. Cherokee St., Catoosa FOR MORE: hardrockcasinotulsa.com

> 11/9, Jo Koy Comedian Jo Koy will bring his Just Kidding World Tour to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. Koy pulls inspiration from his family, specifically his son, for material that has universal appeal.

WHERE: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, 777 W. Cherokee St., Catoosa FOR MORE: hardrockcasinotulsa.com

> 11/8, ZZ Top ZZ Top, one of the few classic rock ’n’ roll groups with its original lineup intact, will return to Tulsa for a performance at the River Spirit Casino Resort.

WHERE: River Spirit Casino Resort, 8330 Riverside Parkway FOR MORE: riverspirittulsa.com

> 11/9-10, Wanenmacher’s Tulsa Arms Show One of the largest gun shows of the year comes to Tulsa. The Wanenmacher’s Tulsa Arms Show features more than 4,200 tables with a variety of weapons on display, including collectible antiques and modern firearms.

WHERE: Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St. FOR MORE: tulsaarmsshow.com

> 11/8, MercyMe MercyMe will bring its Imagine Nation Tour to the BOK Center. MercyMe will be joined by Grammy nominee Crowder and GMA Dove nominee Micah Tyler.

WHERE: BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. FOR MORE: bokcenter.com > 11/9, Twenty One Pilots Grammy award-winning musical duo Twenty One Pilots will make a tour stop at Tulsa’s BOK Center.

The band is known for such hits as “Stressed Out,”

> 11/9, Rock n’ Folk n’ Chili Cook-off Horton Records’ fifth annual Rock n’ Folk n’ Chili Cook-Off will feature the best chili recipes from local restaurants, live art, raffles, silent auctions, door prizes and more. Set to perform this year are John Fullbright, Paul Benjaman, Jesse Aycock, Ken Pomeroy and others. The show benefits the nonprofit Horton Records, which helps to develop and support musicians in the Tulsa area.

WHERE: Cain’s Ballroom, 423 N. Main St. FOR MORE: cainsballroom.com > 11/10-14, Oklahoma Jewish Film Festival The sixth annual Oklahoma Jewish Film Festival is a five-day showcase at Circle Cinema. The festival’s goal has always been to “select quality films ranging from comedies to dramas to documentaries that would entertain and engage a broad audience.”

WHERE: Circle Cinema, 10 S. Lewis Ave. FOR MORE: circlecinema.org > 11/10, Bad Bunny Grammy-nominated rapper-songwriter and Latin music’s “King of Trap,” Bad Bunny will bring his North American tour to Tulsa’s BOK Center.

WHERE: BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. FOR MORE: bokcenter.com > 11/14, Old Dominion Acclaimed country band Old Dominion will bring its Make It Sweet Tour to the BOK Center. The Tulsa show will include guests Scotty McCreery and Ryan Hurd.

WHERE: BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. FOR MORE: bokcenter.com > 11/14, ‘Napoleon Dynamite: A conversation with Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez and Jon Gries’ The movie “Napoleon Dynamite” turns 15 this year. Celebrate the anniversary when the film’s stars visit Tulsa for “Napoleon Dynamite: A conversation with Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez and Jon Gries” at the Brady Theater. The screening of the movie will be followed by a moderated discussion with Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), Ramirez (Pedro) and Gries (Uncle Rico).

WHERE: Brady Theater, 105 W. M.B. Brady St. FOR MORE: bradytheater.com

80 Tulsa World Magazine

TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

> 11/22-24, An Affair of the Heart An Affair of the Heart is one of the largest arts and craft shows in the United States. It offers a vast array of crafts, antiques, collectibles, furniture, decorative items, accessories, jewelry, clothing, gourmet foods and more.

WHERE: Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St. FOR MORE: heartoftulsa.com > 11/23-24, Williams Route 66 Marathon & Half Marathon The Williams Route 66 Marathon & Half Marathon is more than just a competitive run. This two-day event features a health, fitness and sustainability expo.

WHERE: Downtown Tulsa FOR MORE: route66marathon.com > 11/23, Boare’s Heade Feaste

Jim Gaffigan will return to perform at the River Spirit Casino Resort.

TOM GILBERT/Tulsa World Magazine file

> 11/16, Jim GafFIgan Jim Gaffigan, a Grammy-nominated comedian, actor and New York Times best-selling author, will perform at the River Spirit Casino Resort. Gaffigan is known around the world for his unique brand of humor, which revolves largely around fatherhood (he’s a father of five), observations on life and food.

WHERE: River Spirit Casino Resort, 8330 Riverside Parkway FOR MORE: riverspirittulsa.com

Spend an amazing evening with King James and Queen Elizabeth at the Boare’s Heade Feaste inside the Castle of Muskogee. Feast upon a magnificent four-course meal of the finest foods prepared by the king’s chef de cuisine while enjoying entertainment by minstrels, dancers and a host of other performers.

WHERE: The Castle of Muskogee, 3400 W. Fern Mountain Road, Muskogee FOR MORE: okcastle.com

> 11/24, Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood, veterans of the television series “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” will bring their Scared Scriptless Tour to the Cox Business Center.

WHERE: Cox Business Center, 100 Civic Center FOR MORE: coxcentertulsa.com > 12/5, Travis Tritt Travis Tritt will perform as part of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa’s 2019 Country Gold Series. Tritt’s 1990 platinum debut, “Country Club,” contributed to the genre’s boom in the early 1990s and set him on a path to stardom.

WHERE: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, 777 W. Cherokee St., Catoosa FOR MORE: hardrockcasinotulsa.com > 12/7, Cody Johnson & Friends Country music artist Cody Johnson will perform at Tulsa’s BOK Center with Joe Diffie, The Steel Woods and Jesse Raub Jr. WHERE: BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. FOR MORE: bokcenter.com > 12/14, 2 Hip Chicks Roadshow The 2 Hip Chicks Roadshow will bring dozens of vendors and one-of-a-kind items to Expo Square. The traveling vendor show will feature vintage and shabby-chic items, clothing, home decor, party items and more.

WHERE: Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St. FOR MORE: exposquare.com

> 11/15, First Draft Tulsa Press Club’s 15th annual First Draft craft beer tasting is moving to a new location at John L. Rucker Warehouse, 1227 S. Detroit Ave. Enjoy local craft beers inside a covered, warm venue.

WHERE: John L. Rucker Warehouse, 1227 S. Detroit Ave. FOR MORE: firstdrafttulsa.com > 11/15-17, Vintage Tulsa Show Browse more than 55,000 square feet of authentic antique treasures during the Vintage Tulsa Show at Expo Square. More than 130 dealers from across the country will be selling antiques, collectibles and more.

WHERE: Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St. FOR MORE: vintagetulsashow.com > 11/17, Oklahoma Bridal & Wedding Expo Find everything you need to plan your perfect day at the Oklahoma Bridal & Wedding Expo at Expo Square.

WHERE: Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St. FOR MORE: bridalshowsok-es.com TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

Tulsa World Magazine 81

Order your copy of “Building Tulsa” today The Tulsa World is pleased to announce a 160-page, hardcover coffee-table book, “Building Tulsa: How a Dusty Cow Town Became a World-Class City.” Order your copy in advance today at buildingtulsabook.com and save $15 off the cover price.

The End. MICHAEL

OVeRALL A transplant from Ponca City, Overall has now lived in Tulsa for more than 20 years and has been writing for the Tulsa World just as long.

He is a projects team reporter and proud father of two.

82 Tulsa World Magazine

A thank-you to those who built Tulsa

O

n a shelf behind his desk at the Tulsa County Courthouse, District Judge Bill LaFortune keeps a shiny stainless-steel plate like the ones used as shingles on the curved exterior of the BOK Center, a couple of blocks north.

This one is etched with a detailed drawing of the arena and is signed by Cesar Pelli, all the more valuable since the world-famous architect died in July.

Judge LaFortune was Mayor LaFortune when Tulsa voters approved funding for the BOK in 2003. And LaFortune himself made the final decision to hire Pelli, who offered him this one-of-akind keepsake during the building’s construction.

No doubt it would have been easier and cheaper to have a less-renowned architect and to build a less-iconic building. But the thought never occurred to LaFortune. Of course, it didn’t.

That’s not how Tulsans think.

“As Tulsans, we want the best,” LaFortune says.

“And we want not just the country but the world to know about it and know how special it is. Second fiddle could not have satisfied Tulsans.”

This November, the World will publish a book called “Building Tulsa” to explain how a dusty cow town on a windswept prairie transformed itself into a world-class city. And the hardest part about writing it was deciding which buildings to leave out.

The original list was much longer, and trimming it required several heated debates. Readers will surely wonder why some of their favorite landmarks didn’t make the cut, but the answer is simple: We ran out of pages long before we ran out of buildings.

The book won’t be an exhaustive compilation of the city’s greatest architecture. Nor will it try to offer a definitive history of the buildings. Such

a project would take up an entire shelf.

The Tulsa World, after consulting with local preservationists and architects, merely tried to choose a representative sample of landmarks spanning more than a century of the city’s history, from the early days of the Boom Era to the recent transformation of Riverside Drive with Gathering Place. The buildings include modest homes and majestic skyscrapers, built by several different generations and inspired by many different schools of design. But every piece of architecture described in the book has one important trait in common: They all set out from the beginning to be world-class. Not just to be good, or even great by local standards. But to be among the best of their kind anywhere.

Amanda DeCort, executive director of the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture, who offered invaluable advice for the book, said it best: “Tulsa has always punched above its weight.”

The foundation opened its archives for the book while homeowners and property developers opened their doors. And, of course, research for the book drew heavily from the World’s archives, an irreplaceable depository of Tulsa history.

But in a way, the book will simply confirm what Tulsans already know about ourselves.

We’re proud. We’re ambitious. Maybe even a little cocky at times. We think our city deserves the best because it is the best. Ultimately, the book will simply be a way to say thank you to all the people over all the years who have built such a wonderful place to call home.

TULSAWORLDMAGAZINE.COM

Celebrating Tulsa’s

Architecture in a hardcover book Read the stories behind Tulsa’s greatest buildings – from art deco skyscrapers to world-class venues

Pre-order online and save with flat-rate shipping buildingtulsabook.com

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