Looking for your happy place? Find The Kitchen

Comfort food abounds from chef Demetra Bailey

Editor’s Note: In between pastrami sandwiches and barbecue, chef Ben Krodel landed at The Kitchen by B&B Catering, just a few miles north of the state Capitol on Lincoln Boulevard. That corridor in NE Oklahoma City no longer is home to traffic jams and reverie on Friday and Saturday nights, but it’s still home to Jamil’s Steakhouse and Bedlam Barbecue. The Kitchen is the brainchild of Demetra Bailey, who’s kitchen journey began after losing her son, David Alan “DJ” Bailey, Jr. to brain cancer. His passing inspired the birth of Soulful Creations, Inc. and The Kitchen. Here is Ben’s review.

I am very situational diner. If it's gray and cold out, you're more likely to find me with a Scotch in my hand than an Aperol spritz. I don’t condone letting your situations pick what you eat or drink, but mine do. Food and beverages can make light of a heavy situation, or even elevate a good one. It sucks to be sick, but there's something weirdly fun about eating chicken noodle soup on the couch and watching TV. It's always memorable to celebrate an accomplishment, but how much more fun is it when there's champagne involved? I say this because sometimes you just need a hug, and that’s what the food at The Kitchen by B&B Catering delivers.

There’s not an item on the menu at The Kitchen that isn’t comforting or costs more than $16.95. Every entree, every side, is nothing short of a cure for a bad day. Chef Demetra Bailey, who goes by “Mimi,” has mastered the art of cooking with love. Between Mimi proofing her food with love and a waitstaff booming with good energy, I’m convinced this place can crack a smile on anyone’s face.

The Kitchen will not short you on a portion size especially when ordering the smothered pork chops. The luscious mushroom gravy blanketing my pork chops was so good that I appreciated every available grain of rice to help soak it up. Be prepared to take a nap after ordering this. I’m not kidding, they have an embroidered pillow at the restaurant just for that.

The fried chicken was beautifully seasoned with black pepper covering the outside of the chicken like polka dots. Ultra-crispy but no less juicy, this chicken was everything you would want. Fried chicken made with love and lots of attention is an undefeated recipe. From the brine to the batter, making fried chicken is simple but sometimes the simplest things have the highest ceiling. And this chicken is nearing that ceiling.

Somehow even crispier than the chicken, the fried catfish was exceptional. The cornmeal breading clung perfectly onto the filet protecting the delicate fish from the hot oil. The filet was perfectly cooked inside. So perfect that I had no idea how someone could make a piece of fried fish that was crispy without overcooking the meat itself. If I’m craving The Kitchen but have a really busy day, this is what I am ordering. It's just light enough to allow you to go about your business but still comforting enough to feel right at home.

With very few exceptions restaurants with giant menus tend to sacrifice quality. Menu size is one of the first things I check at a restaurant. At the Kitchen, the menu is right-sized: small enough to ensure quality, but with just enough variety to please a broad audience.

The sides are worth spending a second to talk about. First of all, you are doing yourself a disservice by not ordering the candied yams. The buttered cabbage is incredible and you could never go wrong with the mac and cheese. The sides in no way outshine the entrees, but they definitely add to the overwhelming happiness this food brings to your soul.

In the history of The Kitchen, I bet that no one has ever left this restaurant hungry. The portion sizes at The Kitchen are a physical representation of how much chef Demetra cares about her customers. But in case you aren’t too full after your meal, get one of the desserts. They don’t disappoint. The only difficult part is peering into their case of deserts and having to pick one. Butter pecan cake with German chocolate frosting is a match made in heaven, but so, too, is strawberry cake and cream cheese frosting. you can’t really lose.

The Kitchen by B&B Catering, 4709 N Lincoln Blvd., is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Have a blanket handy in the car for a post-lunch nap.