Coney Island OKC

These are the things dreams are made of.



That statement is true if you're a lover of chili cheese dogs! Coney Island is a historic and popular restaurant in downtown Oklahoma City, located just one block north of the bus station. (428 W Main St, to be exact!)


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Loaded chili cheese dogs like those above (made with a hot dog, chili, cheese and onions) cost a mere $1.40 each. A veritable feast of delicious carbs can be yours for around $5. What a bargain!

Staff can load up multiple dogs at a time by lining them up on their arm, as shown in this photo. This feat, I have no doubt, takes both talent and years of training!



On this most recent trip to Coney Island, I didn't save room for baklava for dessert. Keep that in mind when you're placing your order. Fresh baklava is hard to beat!



There is a second Oklahoma City Coney Island location, at 240 SW 25th St. I haven't visited that one, but hope to before long. Bring on the loaded chili cheese dogs! :-)


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Boulevard Cafeteria in OKC

For me, an afternoon lunch does not get much better than this: fried chicken, cranberry salad, and tomato salad!



I ate lunch today at Boulevard Cafeteria, which is located just a few blocks from the Oklahoma Heritage Association (where I now work) at 525 NW 11th in downtown Oklahoma City.



Boulevard Cafeteria has cafeteria-style dining as it SHOULD BE: Lots of choices, and everything is great! The large number of folks who gather here each day for lunch is the first clue that this place is really special. If you're looking for a wide variety of outstanding menu choices, look no further than Boulevard Cafeteria!

(And no, I was not encouraged or compensated in any way to share this enthusiastic endorsement! I simply love this place and their food!)

Zarate's Latin Mexican Grill in Edmond

My family and I finally got to visit this wonderful place. I'd been to the location under a couple different previous names but hadn't tried it under the current ownership. I must've heard from a half dozen people that the food was great and my relayed recommendations probably sent another handful of friends there. So, I was glad to finally try it myself.

Zarate's opened up as a small Mexican restaurant about a year ago but began adding a number of other Latin American dishes about 6 months ago. There are flags scattered throughout the small restaurant reflecting some of the countries whose dishes are crafted in the kitchen. I was too bewildered by the choices initially and my wife never got past the Mexican dishes. Fortunately, I settled on a Peruvian "Seafood Saltado" since it appeared to have a smattering of things to sample.

It was a stir-fry of tilapia, shrimp, potato slices, several kinds of onions and a slew of other things in a wonderful sauce surrounded by fried plantains and yucca as well as some rice. On the side was a Peruvian queso that contained a number of flavors. I was told the list but aside from hearing feta I can't recall them (I think this must be very similar). My wife had what she thought were the best spinach enchiladas she'd ever had. My 2 year-old boy surprised me by eating his whole quesadilla (he says it perfect and loves to repeat it over and over).

We'd all had a long day and were worn out but were very happy to have such a wonderful dinner. If I'd been more alert I would've provided some photos. You'll just have to see it for yourself. Oh, ask to hear the specials. We didn't hear them (probably due to the complexities of prepping a 2 year old and 8 month old to eat in public) until we were nearly finished eating. Zarate's must like to have a number of surprises not even listed on the menu.

Backdoor Steak House in Blair

If you ever have an opportunity to visit scenic Altus, Oklahoma, make sure you drive about 10 miles north of town to Blair so you can eat at the Backdoor Steak House. I asked the hotel clerk when I checked in where the best steak in Altus was, and she directed me to the Backdoor in Blair. I was NOT disappointed.

I consider myself to be a bit of a steak connoisseur, and without a doubt the ribeye at Backdoor is one of the best I've ever tasted. Last night I had the fried pickles as an appetizer, so I just ordered a 10 oz ribeye, but it was plenty of food. Rich and flavorful, I'd love to know what seasonings and marinade they use in their ribeye. Generally when I eat a steak out at a restaurant, I realize that the steaks we cook at home are usually better. Not so with this steak from Backdoor.

You can bet I'll be back again-- with the family! :-)

Warehouse Willy's in Poteau

If you're looking for a good steak and some excellent "mud bugs" (fried crawfish) you won't want to miss Warehouse Willy's in Poteau. I had an opportunity to dine in this fine establishment last Friday following the graduation ceremony in nearby Howe, and the food lived up to the high praise it was given by Lance Ford. Sadly, my iPhone is again not taking pictures, so I don't have any photos of "Poteau mud bugs" to share with you, but rest assured these little guys are meaty and tasty! (The provided dip makes them particularly excellent.)

Poteau and Howe are in what I think must be the most beautiful region of Oklahoma. There are mountains there! The following picture (which I did not take but found on Flickr) gives you a bit of a feel for the skyline around Poteau:



I didn't find an official website for Warehouse Willy's, but TravelOK.com does have an entry with directions and the phone number. Next time I venture out to Howe and Poteau, I'm definitely coming back here! :-)

Prairie Thunder Baking Company --Artisan Bakery of OKC

One of my favorite new places to visit in OKC is the wonderful Prairie Thundery Baking Company --Artisan Bakery of OKC off Classen Drive. They have some of the best sweet treats that OKC has to offer.
The smell of bread baking when you walk through the door is just one of the sweet elements of this charming little eatery. The establishment is owned by a delightful gentleman by the name of John that always takes time to speak to his customers. I have enjoyed many of their decadent pastries and desserts. Their sweets are not only pleasing to the pallet but also to the eye. However, don’t let my ranting about their sweets give those without a sweet tooth reason not to stop in. They have a wonderful selection of breakfast and lunch sustenance.
Their bread is a precious thing to behold and the coffee is a fantastic surprise. I pride myself in being quite a coffee connoisseur, and they have the best cappuccino in town. I like mine with no flavoring and heavy on the foam …I’m never disappointed. They start with the darkest little espresso bean that ends up having the most robust flavor after it has been ground, pressed and steamed. OH DELISH! Everyone should stop by and visit the Prairie Thunder Baking Company.
Want more backstory on the PTBC-Click Here.

Sushi Neko in Oklahoma City

Sushi Neko is an amazing restaurant in downtown Oklahoma City (on Western and 42nd) specializing in all types of Sushi. Not being a genuine connoisseur of sushi myself, I found the extensive menu to be rather intimidating, but thankfully others in our party were able to help me select Negi-Maki. This is a low-carb friendly dish (unlike most of the offerings which are served, of course with lots of rice) made of ribeye steak, spinach and scallions. The marinade used in this dish is wonderful! It was not spicy but VERY flavorful. I highly recommend Sushi Neko! The atmosphere is very cosmopolitan and I think my wife will love it when we go back on a date night, sometime in hopefully the not TOO distant future!