The Oklahoma City sushi scene has been growing a lot lately. As a long-time OKC resident, I remember the days when finding a good sushi bar was not a hard decision because there was only a handful of options. These days, it seems that there is a new high class sushi bar opening up around every corner, giving fierce competition to the currently established locations. In my mind, there is one that has continued to outshine all of the competitors: Sushi Neko.

Now, I know that Sushi Neko is one of those locations that you either love or hate. Many people talk about the quality of service, the pricing and other things that keep them from either absolutely adoring this place or running over to Okura, Tokyo, or Saii. I am one who is quite fond of Sushi Neko, but I will remain as fair and balanced as I can possibly be.

Sushi Neko has one of the most extensive sushi lists I have come across at any sushi bar, so how does one even begin to write a review over such a vast and comprehensive sushi list? With the appetizers of course. We usually forego the normal Edamame, and move straight to the Miso Soup when we are dining on sushi. Sushi Neko offers two types of Miso Soup, a traditional Miso Soup ($3) and a Spicy Miso Soup ($9). The traditional soup we found was a bit bland and nothing really stuck out about it. I would even dare to say that the Miso Soup from Buddha Tao is superior than the soup at Neko. The Spicy Miso Soup at Neko, however, is absolutely fantastic. Served with scallops and oysters and other things to give it flair, this soup is worth the difference in price — but buyer beware, this is definitely spicy.

Moving on to the feature presentation, the sushi. Between myself and the others I dine with when eating sushi, we have covered the menu very well. Some of the highlights include the Lady Love Roll ($5.80), a piece of fresh salmon rolled with lemon, masago and green onion); the Captain Crunch Roll ($8), eel and cucumber, drizzled in eel sauce and rolled in tempura flakes; and the Tootsie Roll ($6.50), tempura salmon and cream cheese. All three of those rolls are moderately priced from $5-8, with 6-8 pieces per roll. Another personal favorite of mine is the Dynamite Stick (crab meat and nuclear sauce). It’s priced at under $4, but will still bring a tear to your eye as your face feels like it is on fire from the spices.

There have been a few rolls I have tried that I have not liked, and at the top of that list is the Ninja Roll ($10). The Ninja Roll is a mixture of cooked fish, wrapped in the usual rice and nori (seaweed). It sounds delicious, but the unusual mixture of fish leaves a strange taste in your mouth. It’s one of the few rolls that we will never try again.

The service at Sushi Neko is hit or miss. Over the course of your meal, you will encounter 3-4 staff members (your hostess, waitress, chef and bussing staff). The bussing staff does a phenomenal job keeping unused plates, glasses and utensils from cluttering your table. The wait-staff, however, tends to be where Sushi Neko can miss the mark. Some nights they’ll be right on top of things, but on other nights, it seems like it’s a good 10-20 minutes before you can even place your order, and another long period of time before your meal arrives. We have also noticed that the quality of your rolls can vary, depending upon which sushi chefs are rolling that particular night.

Overall, my positive experiences have far outweighed my negative experiences, and Sushi Neko continues to draw me back on a regular basis. If it has been a while since you’ve been to Neko, I urge you to give it another shot. As for me and my house, we will dine at Sushi Neko. How about you?

Tell us what you think, good or bad, about Sushi Neko in the comments below.

Being an Italian food freak, I find that I am often drawn to Italian eateries when I decide to dine out for the evening. It used to be that I enjoyed the Italian chain restaurants, but all of that changed when my date to the senior prom suggested we eat at Caffe Pranzo for the big night. What I did not know is that I would be recommending this place on a regular basis for years to come.

Caffe Pranzo is tucked into a strip mall and it stays fairly well hidden from the bustle of May Avenue. In fact, the first few times I attempted to dine there, I drove past it because of its hidden location. From the outside, it doesn’t look like anything special, but when you enter the doors you are greeted by elegance and class. Dimly lit and very well-themed, Caffe Pranzo makes you feel as if you are dining in a small restaurant in Italy. I was very impressed by the atmosphere, but would my tongue be as impressed as my eyes?

Absolutely.

For starters, there are a variety of choices. If you’re in a soup mood, there are options. If you’re in a cheese and wine mood, there are options. You will not be left wishing something else were on the menu. My personal favorite appetizer is the Caprese. The fresh Italian favorite is served with mozzarella cheese, diced tomatoes, and just a hint of olive oil and spices. The fried calamari is also an excellent choice, and Caffe Pranzo boasts that it is the “best in Oklahoma City.” I would have to agree.

The house salad, while tasty, comes off as a bit “plain Jane” in my humble opinion. I think Caffe Pranzo could do better by creating some sort of signature salad to accompany their meals.

For an entrée, I highly recommend the Chicken Cannelloni. Some would argue standard Italian dishes taste the same no matter where you go, but Caffe Pranzo finds a way to top every other place I’ve tried with this offering. The Cannelloni is delicious and it is baked with an amazing tomato-cream sauce that makes my mouth water even as I type this review. The chicken is very tender — not at all dry — and it has a fantastic flavor.

Speaking of chicken, Caffe Pranzo offers an oven roasted chicken which is marinated a full 24 hours before it is cooked. If you’re not in a pasta mood, try this dish which is served with stir-fried vegetables.

Lastly, dessert. You absolutely MUST try the Tiramisu. I can’t quite put into words my feelings about this dish so let me simply post the description that is written on their menu:

“This dessert is truly an international effort. Imported Belgium chocolate, mascarpone cheese from Italy, crispy lady fingers from France and dairy fresh eggs from Albertson’s are combined with espresso and brandy to make this a light ‘pick me up’ end to a perfect meal.”

There’s also much more to explore at Caffe Pranzo. It is, in my opinion, and incredible experience from start to finish. I’ve been recommending it to people for many years and so far, I have not heard any negative feedback from those who have tried it. So, I invite you to try it as well and let me know what you think (positive or negative) in the comments.