Last month was a march to deliciousness
The Food Dood's Top 10 dining encounters for March
April has been so chock full of local dining news, I’m barely going to get to March’s top 10 before Tax Day.
That’s no reflection on the places I ate last month. Far from it. Last month’s dining tour of Oklahoma was so good, it doesn’t include the Piggy Burger chef Chris McKenna served at Lively Beerworks and Brewing Co. to help them celebrate their fourth anniversary.
Neither does it include the lamb chops chef Kurt Fleischfresser prepared for a private party in early March. The Big Kahuna was on a roll that night, preparing roasted potatoes and much more for a private cooking lesson for a party gathered by Phil Busey.
The top 10 once again includes a visit to Tulsa. Norman and Edmond also make an appearance. For the first time, I have a gift card to give away to a lucky paid subscriber. Hope to keep that going in the month’s ahead.
Let’s get straight to the list.
1. Gambas/Sedalia’s+Palo Santo
Sedalia’s continues to prove why it made Bon Appetit’s Best 24 New Restaurants in America with dazzling collaborations like this Diamonds are Forever gathering. Palo Santo immediately raised local bar standards when it opened in 2020, and it’s only gotten better since. The gambas were the best of an entire menu of delights.
2. Chicken Pot Pie/Paseo Grill
This home favorite isn’t common to many menus, but the one served at Paseo Grill might just be the best. Might just have to scare up a contest of some kind to find out.
3. Mussels/Milo
Chef Nathan Frejo took the stove for The Ellison Hotel last fall. He’s gradually gotten acclimated, and during a recent trip he served these mussels with house-made chorizo that blew my mind. When mussels are right, they’re practically impossible for me to resist. These were so good, we’ll be giving away a gift card to Milo to prove it!
4. Warm Cabbage Salad/Tiger-Style
Just as chef Zach Hutton excelled with a salad that played more like soup during his victorious appearance on Chopped, best pal Caleb Stangroom knocked it out of the park with this soupy, salty bowl of cabbage during his monthly pop-up last month when it landed in his own dining room at The Bradford House.
5. Dumplings/Et al
Finally in Tulsa on a Wednesday, which coincides with the chefs collective’s Dumpling Night. Wow! Hand-folded dumplings, Kara-age donburi, Bonito fries, and wings. sigh.
6. Volcano Roll/Awaji Izakaya
Chef/owner Richard Ly had chefs Kevin Lee and Jeff Chanchaleune in his restaurant last month, and showed dazzling knife skills all night long, but turning the gringo-friendly Volcano Roll into a truly interesting and obviously delicious dish might’ve been his most super-heroic act.
7. Saganaki Flaming Cheese/Woodward Pizza
Rob Crissinger and I met at Woodward Pizza in Edmond as part of our ongoing Pizzabout and ended up falling love with this fiery skillet of cheese that comes with all the bread you need to mop it up. (NOTE: Pizzabout continues on Sunday!)
8. Hashwa/Nunu’s Mediterranean Cafe
Clarified butter-fried beef and basmati rice? Every chance I get, and cabbage rolls, tabouli, hummus and pita are always welcome.
9. Huevos Rancheros/Juan Del Fuego
A trip to visit with chef Luke Fry and his lovely wife and partner Tylyn of Fryed House met me at Juan Del Fuego in Norman. Juan Herrera ran The Diner for years, so it’s no surprise his Huevos Rancheros are exemplary – especially with hash browns.
10. Onion Theta/Sun Cattle Co.
A lovely weekend afternoon in mid-March invited a walkabout from the Myriad Gardens to Film Row. Couldn’t resist an onion-Theta from Sun Cattle Co. because it would open the door to a fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dessert.
Drink:
Yellow Drink/Palo Santo+Sedalia’s
Saffron-infused Martini/Palo Santo+ Sedalia’s
Palo Santo represented the cocktail side of the mid-March power-coupling inspired by diamonds. While Sedalia’s was tucking the crowd into gambas or a Foie Gras Burger, Palo Santo reached peak cocktailing with a saffron-infused martini highlighted by an olive stuffed with Parmigiano Reggiano. The principles included Navy Strength gin, Bianco vermouth, Manzanilla sherry, Pear Williams eau-de-vie, orange bitters, and Meletti Amaro. In a word, YUM!
Couple of things to pass on for the weekend. On Saturday, Our Lady of Lebanon will host it’s annual Lebanese Heritage & Food Festival. Admission is free. Then on Sunday, Rococo will host a sake-pairing dinner. Cost is $95 plus tax and gratuity. Details below.
