PLEASE NOTE: Mexicasa is no longer in business.

Expectations can be a horrible thing. When I go into a movie, I try and convince myself that it’s going to suck before it even starts. Why? Because when it’s just so-so, I’m not disappointed. And if it turns out to be good, well, I leave feeling like it was a special treat.

Unfortunately for Mexicasa, the opposite can also work. People like us who fondly remember Tom and Jerry’s (see our past review of T&J’s) might visit looking for a fine-dining twist on Mexican food, the way Iron Starr has worked on barbecue. After all, Tom and Jerry still have their name and brand firmly on this new place (just check out the website). But high expectations are bound to be crushed and Mexicasa ends up disappointing.

There were a couple of highlights, which ought to be mentioned before the mediocrity begins. They do a pretty good chips and salsa at Mexicasa. That may not sound like much, but compared to some other spots around town, it’s a nice surprise. The chips were freshly fried, crisp and light, but hearty enough to stand up to the salsa (if you want something with more kick, ask for the hotter salsa, which is tasty, fiery and offers a more interesting flavor).

Also surprising, a pretty nice queso, free of charge. This wasn’t the “cheese jelly” you often get — it was real melted cheese, with a mild flavor. Not as good as queso you pay for, but the best of the freebies, by far. In fact, if free queso is the primary requirement for your Mexican dining experience, you should run, not walk, to Mexicasa.

Another good thing mentioned by Tim and Sam was the ranchero beans, which can be substituted for the refried variety. According to them, they were above average and offered a great alternative to the normal sides.

But sadly, the rest of the meal was just … average. My shrimp fajitas ($13.99) were fine. The shrimp was cooked and came in a good portion. But I was hoping for a bit more, honestly. A little seasoning — just a touch — could have done wonders for the dish. Again, this is the problem with high expectations. Anywhere else I would have said, “Mmmm, shrimp fajitas.” At Mexicasa, I kept feeling like a little innovation would have put them over the top.

And it’s something that is apparent all over the menu. From the standard enchiladas, tamales and tacos, I kept wondering where the vision was. Certainly, if you’re opening a new Mexican restaurant in a region where Mexican restaurants are in abundance, you’re going to have a point of view or an opinion expressed through the food. Other than a couple of pork stew dishes (like the Carnitas de Puerco for $12.99), the “street tacos” ($11.99 dinner, $7.99 lunch) which Sarah had and found pretty tasty, and the aforementioned chip set-up, I didn’t see anything to distinguish Mexicasa from Chelinos or Nino’s or any of the other ok-but-not-great Okla-Mex restaurants out there.

Andrew’s chimichanga ($9.99 dinner, $7.99 lunch) was pretty soggy. Sam’s enchiladas ($8.99 dinner, $7.99 lunch) were decent (he recommends the shredded chicken over the shredded beef). Tim’s tamales ($10.99 dinner, $7.99 lunch) were pretty dry and lifeless. And to top it off, we had pretty poor service. We don’t give too much weight to service since it can vary greatly day to day, but it’s worth a mention this time as it was noticeably off.

If we’d had the same experience anyplace else, we’d have said, “Meh. It was fine, but nothing to write about.” The difference here, and the reason we’re writing, is that we hoped for so much more from Mexicasa. It has the pedigree to be better and we wish it were.

As it is, if you’re close by and looking for some decent Mexican food, Mexicasa is good. If you’re thinking about making a trek across town for a special visit, you would probably be better off visiting your own local good-but-not-great Mexican restaurant and saving the gas.

Of course, we always want to know what you think, whether you agree or disagree. So, please let us know in the comments.

Let’s start off by clarifying that we — myself, Sarah and Tim — went to Sauced in February (yes, it’s taken us that long to publish this review). We know that February isn’t the greatest month for sitting out in the ample patio, drinking a beer and eating a slice. So, if that’s what the charm of Sauced is really about (and we suspect it is), we clearly missed out.

But at the same time, a restaurant can’t be completely about atmosphere and experience. They do, after all, serve food as well, and the the food just didn’t strike us as all that memorable.

Now, it’s not the worst thing in the world for food to be “OK.” The worst thing is when it out-and-out sucks and it’s expensive. The food at Sauced does not out-and-out suck and is maybe only a little expensive, so it doesn’t have everything going against it — it just doesn’t have that much going for it.

Sauced is fine. It’s OK. It’s good. The food is just not memorable. And that’s unfortunate for a place that has so much going for it in the “experience” department.

The pizza ($16.50 for cheese plus $1.50 per topping) — we split a half-pepperoni and sausage and half-garlic, mushrooms and brocolli pie — was on the dry side. It’s a big pie with a very thin crust, but that crust was quite bland and there was very little sauce on it (ironic, considering the name of the restaurant). We did appreciate the availability of some unique toppings, like broccoli and carrots, but overall, it just fell short. That, plus the hefty price tag, make this a poor pizza value in our opinion.

You might see the large diameter of the pizza as improving the value, but the super-thin crust means that, even at a large size, it’s not very filling. The three of us easily finished every last bite of our large (which cost $21) and could have had more. Put it all together and it’s average pizza at a pretty substantial price.

We also tried the hummus and chips appetizer ($3.10). It wasn’t anything to write home about, either. These were ballpark-style tortilla chips and some pretty bland hummus with a little seasoning tossed on. Frankly, I didn’t taste anything.

The one thing I did have that was great was the coffee and I’d gladly get another cup of that. Again, this adds to the appeal as a hang-out or coffee shop as opposed to a dining establishment.

If I lived in or near the Paseo, I would go to Sauced because it’s a neighborhood kind of place. I like the funky art on the walls. I like that it has a great beer list and a place to sit outside. But I don’t live right there and I don’t know that Sauced has enough to pull me back for another taste. A restaurant needs to make that first impression count and while I wouldn’t necessarily ward anyone away from Sauced, I am not going to push people in that direction.

I have a feeling we’ll get some pretty spirited comments on this one. Please, let us know what you think in the comments, whether you agree or disagree with our review.

Over the last several years, Oklahoma City has become home to a number of fine dining establishments, each with their own charms. High-end sushi? We’ve got it. Gourmet Italian? We’ve got it.

But if you want to know where Oklahoma City has really flourished, look no further than the prime steakhouses. We have a bounty of wonderful restaurants that serve top-of-the-line steaks at top-of-the-line prices. And Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse is no exception.

Located in Bricktown, Mickey Mantle’s (not to be confused with The Mantel, just down the street) has been serving great steaks for nearly a decade. It’s a classy establishment, featuring a well-worn bar that is at once cozy and lush and a dining room where white tableclothes and candles wrap everything up in sophisticated elegance.

But let me tell you, if you strip all of that away, what you’ve got is still a great restaurant. An expensive restaurant, but great nonetheless. They could seat all of their guests cafeteria-style and it wouldn’t matter. The food is that good.

I tried a couple of appetizers. The Baked Herb Boursin Cheese ($13) was good, especially with whole roasted garlic cloves on top. The combination of flavors was excellent, though I was a bit let down by the toast points that came with it. Had they been just a little thicker or a little less crisp, the dish would have been much better.

By far my favorite appetizer, and the one I have been raving about to my friends, was the Maryland Style Crab Cake. At $22, it is expensive enough to be an entree, but it’s also big enough to be an entree. A lot of crab cakes, especially around here, are cut at least 50-50 with bread crumbs or some other filler. I swear to you, I think the crab cake at Mickey Mantle’s had to be at least 95% crab. It towered above the plate, seated on a beurre blanc with a piece of lump crab at the top. Flavorful, decadent, delicious — I was blown away by this thing.

For a lighter start to a meal, I also recommend the Insalata Caprese ($9). There was no big twist to this classic salad — thick-cut tomato slices and fresh mozzarella covered in basil, olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette — it was just executed perfectly. The mozzarella was tender and flavorful, the tomatoes (out of season, I might add) were full of flavor and it all came together wonderfully.

Now, I recently saw a complaint about Boulevard Steakhouse from a diner who said the prices were too high, especially when sides must be ordered a la carte. I, as a man on a budget, certainly sympathize with the sentiment, but that’s how it’s done at top-end steakhouses all over the country. Chili’s and Applebees will give you a steak and potatoes and a side of mealy vegetables, but that food just doesn’t compare. If you don’t feel like the flavor of the food and the experience of dining at Mickey Mantle’s or Red Prime matches the price you must pay, then I wouldn’t spend the money to eat there.

While I can’t afford it every week or even every month, I think the food and the atmosphere is worth the cost every once in a while. Mickey Mantle’s serves most of their steaks this way, with side dishes available at an added cost. One exception was the Mesquite-smoked filet ($34), which came with a sweet potato mash and crispy fried onion strings.

If I’m being honest, the onions were kind of bothersome and got in the way. I’d have them for an appetizer, maybe, but when the steak comes, I want the steak. And believe me, I wanted this steak. They cold smoked it for 6 hours, but the end product had no bitterness, just a sweet, woody flavor that played off the quality beef. It was tender, but cohesive. And paired with the sweet potato mash? Excellent.

They also have plenty of seafood options (crab, tuna, lobster, etc.) and about every cut of steak imaginable. The cheapest on the menu is the sirloin at $22, while the most expensive is a big-old porterhouse at $50. They also serve veal and rack of lamb, but I didn’t try those so I can’t tell you how they rate.

If you are a vegetarian, it’s not that Mickey Mantle’s doesn’t want your business, it’s just not their top priority. About the best you can do is get fettucine alfredo, sans chicken or shrimp.

But the sides are great for vegetarians and anybody else who likes food. Aside from the basics — au gratin potatoes, rice pilaf, fresh asparagus — there are treats like mac and cheese, sauteed mushrooms and (my favorite) the mushroom risotto. There’s also a lobster risotto, but I only tried the mushroom variety. It was great.

For a dessert, I tried the homemade chocolate cake, which was kind of a German chocolate variety. It was OK, but I kind of expected more after everything else I’d had. Maybe the problem was that I was so stuffed with food I had to take the cake home and eat it later. Still, I’d probably opt for the chocolate mousse or the creme brulee next time.

If price is no barrier, then I suggest giving Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse a shot. Despite a few very minor quibbles, I think everything I ate there was delicious and well-prepared. It may only be for special occasions for most of us, but it will certainly help make your occasion more special.

When I sat down to write about Kang’s Asian Bistro, I found it hard to describe. Part of it, surely, was from food overload. We had so many dishes and sushi rolls that it’s hard to really separate them properly.

But part of it also is that Kang’s has such a broad reach — from Thai to Chinese to Japanese to American foods — that it can be a little schizophrenic. It’s very much like a locally-owned P.F. Chang’s, except with sushi — or maybe a less-expensive version of Buddha Tao.

For instance, we started the meal with summer rolls — the Vietnamese restaurant favorites with shrimp and vegetables stuffed inside sticky rice paper. These fresh, light rolls don’t boast as much punch as some I’ve had (there was much less mint than I’m used to) but the accompanying spicy garlic sauce and the peanut sauce more than made up for it. But at $7 for four pieces (two rolls cut in half), it is a pretty expensive start to the meal.

We also had lettuce wraps ($8.45), the kind you might find on the menu at Chili’s, but these were much better. The chicken was expertly cooked and flavorful and the spicy sauce they served with them had a real kick, full of nasal heat, that I appreciate.

The sushi, which came next, was good, but not quite what I like. Sushi is subjective. Some people like nothing in their roll but rice and a sliver of fish or vegetable all wrapped up in seaweed. Some like nigiri — where there’s a slab of fresh fish on a ball of rice. And some like those towering rolls, fish inside and out, plenty of sauces and creams and seasonings &mdash the kinds that look like works of art when done right.

At Kang’s, you can get a couple of nigiri at very reasonable prices — anywhere from $1.75 for quail egg or $5.95 for tuna or yellowtail — or sashimi for $9-$11. Sarah would like for me to point out that she tried sashimi for the first time here. Yes, we’re all very proud of her for eating raw salmon, but the majority of the sushi we tried were Kang’s special rolls. They were a bit too much. I am an equal-opportunity sushi lover. I take all kinds, but at some point, you just need to put the roll down and be done with it.

The Mountain Roll ($14.45) was filled with shrimp tempura, cucumber, salmon, tuna, yellow tail, masago, spicy mayo, eel sauce and green onions. It tasted fine, though a bit heavy, but my problem was picking out individual flavors. The same went for the Baby Gecko ($9.45) which had cream cheese, jalapeno, salmon, spicy mayo, eel sauce and green onion. Plus, that one was tempura fried. Tasty, but it all started to taste the same.

The Spicy Cowboy ($11.45) also had tempura shrimp in it, but was at least a bit lighter. It was Tim’s favorite, and a favorite of some we’ve heard from on Twitter. Even though most of the rolls we tried were heavy and complex, they do have plain-old tuna and cucumber and California rolls, too and the pricing is quite reasonable — along the lines of what you’d find at Tokyo.

One big selling point for Kang’s is that if you don’t like sushi, there’s plenty more to eat. My favorite was probably Kang’s Fiery Chicken ($11.95) which was basically a General Tso’s Chicken with a fresher, spicier sauce. I also enjoyed the Mongolian Beef ($11.45) which was tender and flavorful.

One disappointment was the Crispy Thai Fire Fish ($15.45). Everything about that dish was perfect, except for the fish. If they had just chosen something other than catfish, I’m sure it would have been my favorite. Catfish, as Andrew said, just tastes like catfish, and messing with that can create an odd flavor. It wasn’t bad, I just would have liked it a lot more if it had been rainbow trout or another lightly-flavored white fish.

A delicacy was the Five Spice Quail, which wasn’t too hot, but had a richer flavor than plain old chicken. At $16.95, it’s an expensive treat, but delicious.

One other let down was the Thai Steak Salad ($11.50), which tasted great, but was textured all wrong. The lettuce was crisp, the cherry tomatoes were fresh, the marinade/dressing on the steak was wonderful, but Sarah commented that the steak itself was tough and chewy.

All in all, I really enjoyed Kang’s. The restaurant in Nichols Hills is hidden away on Olie Street, and the decor inside is modern, but comfortable. The prices are reasonable — especially for nigiri — and the flavors are spot on. Despite a few texture issues, I would definitely go back.

And if you’re with someone who just doesn’t care of Asian food of any stripe, Kang’s does a grilled beef tenderloin to placate them. If you’re tired of the long waits and higher prices at P.F. Chang’s, you can get similar, locally-produced food at Kang’s Asian Bistro. Please let us know what you think about Kang’s in the comments.

If you asked me my three favorite foods, in no particular order, two of the three would be satisfied right there in the title of Kabuki Steak & Sushi. I am of the belief that, while some steaks and some sushi are far superior to others, a decent steak and some decent sushi are better than 90 percent of what you’ll get elsewhere.

I visited Kabuki on a Sunday night and found the wait for a teppanyaki table — those big grill tables where they put on a show — to be nil. In fact, had my brother and his wife been there 5 minutes earlier, I think we would have walked right in and sat right down.

The teppanyaki table is a favorite for almost anybody, but I liken it to seeing a great movie. The first time I watched “Casablanca,” I was enthralled. I couldn’t wait to see it again. The second time, it was still good, though a little of the luster had faded. If I saw it again within a month or even a year, I might get bored.

Well, teppanyaki tables are fun the first time, kind of fun the second time, but if you don’t give it a rest for a while — maybe a year or so — the show gets boring. No offense to the chef, who does things with knives and forks I only wish I could muster, but it’s old hat. Spinning egg? Check. Whirling spatula? Check. Onion volcano? Check.

This is a great treat for a kid and for anybody who hasn’t been to a Japanese steakhouse before, but if you’re more interested in food, I’d find a table that doesn’t double as a grill. That said, the chef we had at Kabuki is one of the few who can do a medium-rare steak teppanyaki style. The chicken was flavorful. The shrimp were a bit overdone, but still delicious. My wife got the fried rice and raved about it.

There are a few point deductions for the salad, however. I know it’s traditional to serve wet iceberg lettuce with that pink / orange dressing, but I don’t know a person who enjoys it. I really wish they had taken the time to do something different, even if that’s a standard romaine mix.

Soup, salad, rice and your entree are one price on the teppanyaki. My wife and I opted for the Dinner for Two ($42) which included steak, shrimp and chicken. If you want to upgrade your white rice to fried rice, it costs an additional $2.95. We both ate well for the price.

The cheapest you can go on the grill is $13.95 for the teppanyaki chicken. For the food and the show, that’s a decent price.

The sushi was good, though there was a language problem with one waitress, who didn’t take down my sister-in-law’s nigiri order. I got the Sunset Roll ($9) which was filled with fried salmon, crab and cucumber. Pretty tasty and a nice, big roll. My brother got the Hot Night Roll ($12) filled with spicy tuna and salmon, topped with a spicy sauce and spicy crab meat. For all that spicy, it didn’t seem all that hot (then again, I willingly ate the Lucifer’s Folly roll at Buddha Tao, so I’m clinically insane). If anything, the Hot Night Roll looked like the love child of sushi and an enchilada plate.

Basically, the sushi was OK, but didn’t blow me away. I didn’t try any sashimi, so I can’t tell you where that falls on the sliding scale of fish.

What I will say is that Kabuki is a well-appointed restaurant with good teppenyaki and a pretty nice selection of sushi. It’s similar to Sumo, which is just up the road, but seems a little more inviting. If you’re looking for dinner and a show, this is my recommendation. If all you want is sushi, this isn’t a bad choice, but there are lots of options in the area to get the same or better.

Do you remember that band you used to like? They were totally cool until everybody else found out about them and then, suddenly, they were much less cool. And then their song was on an iTunes commercial and then the radio started playing them (and radio almost never plays the good stuff) and you started to wonder if, since everybody else liked them now, maybe they weren’t as good as you thought.

Welcome to Falcone’s. People raved for the last few years about the New York style pizza, the authentic sandwiches with meats you’ve only heard about on The Sopranos and the owner who seems like he arrived in Oklahoma via the witness protection program. But once word got around, suddenly people seemed less interested.

Let me tell you — that’s bunk. Falcone’s may have expanded from just one tiny storefront to three locations, but the pizza is just as good as ever. Better yet, there’s probably tons of stuff you never took the time to try.

The problem with pizza, especially if you’re eating alone or have a short time frame, is that you can’t wait for an entire pizza to show up, nor can you (or maybe you can, but you shouldn’t) eat one all by your lonesome. In that respect, Falcone’s has you covered. Their mammoth by-the-slice business is perfect.

Now, I like a “supreme” pizza from most places, but don’t recommend it at Falcone’s. What you want, even if you don’t know it yet, is a slice of cheese pizza. It’s all of $2.50 for a big slice. If you do want a topping, you’ll pay an extra 50 cents.

If, for some reason, pizza is not your thing, I suggest a sandwich. Some like the calzones ($5.50 for cheese, $6.50 with pepperoni or sausage) but, in my opinion, they aren’t as tasty as the pizza. The sandwiches, on the other hand, will give you something you’re not likely to find elsewhere — variety.

Try the capicola ham ($7.99), sweet or spicy, with fresh mozarella, and enjoy. Fresh mozarella really is something to experience and it will put you off the stuff they sell at the grocery store for good. Cold sandwiches run between $7 and $8, but they’re worth it. Hot sandwiches are all $8 and include chicken parmesan, meatball, sausage and pepper and a few other specialties. I prefer the cold sandwiches myself.

While you’re at it, do yourself a favor and try a rice ball ($2.50). It’s a big ball of rice mixed with cheese and seasonings, then fried and covered in marinara. I love them and it’s a struggle not to get one every time I go in.

There are some problems with Falcone’s, which you probably know if you’ve been. It’s chaotic, for one. I think the Bricktown location has the easiest set-up while my visits to the Edmond store are mostly exercises in patience. Once you’re in line, you’re probably good, but the servers can get a little short with customers. They expect you to know what you want, which can be daunting for pensive orderers.

And if you’re thinking of ordering a pizza to go, I’d defer to the wisdom of my fellow reviewers, who say the pizza deteriorates quickly. It’s like some sort of Indiana Jones plot — the pizza is perfect, unless you leave the store. On the other hand, their deli offers a variety of Italian meats, cheeses, and even some prepared foods by the pound. That may be a better option if you’re looking to take something home.

So I say choose wisely, grab a chair, and eat some of the finest New York style pizza you’re going to find in Oklahoma City. If you’ve experienced Falcone’s, let us know what you think in the comments.

Table One is not a restaurant. The new collaboration of chefs Ryan Parrott and Jonathon Stranger is an experience built around food. The food is very good to be sure, but you’ll want to try it for the uniqueness it offers as much as anything.

All images provided by Table One

“I don’t want people to think of it as a restaurant,” Parrott said. “Think of it like you’re coming over to my house for dinner. You don’t come over and order food. You allow me to cook for you and come up with something for you to enjoy.”

That’s about the best way to describe this one table wonder. You and a group (up to eight) sit around a table inside an industrial kitchen and watch the chefs prepare your meal while you drink wine, chat with the chefs and each other, and enjoy a unique experience. Think culinary immersion. It’s a fun journey and, as far as we know, there’s nothing else like it in Oklahoma City.

The restaurant is located … well, I’m not going to tell you where it is. That’s because its current location is only temporary, as they are planning a move to the downtown area along automobile alley later this year. Plus, if you’re going to dine at Table One, you’re going to have to contact them first, and they can tell you how to get there once you make your arrangements.

I’m also going to refrain from recommending the dishes you should try. That’s because the dishes I ate might never be made again, at least not in the same way. Your menu will be built specifically for you (and sometimes around you, if you’re picky) based on the best ingredients available and the price you’re willing to pay.

Assuming you have eight people, your minimum price is going to be $75 per person (drinks and gratuity will be extra). That will probably get you around five courses. Spending more will allow their team to create more dishes and use more expensive proteins … etc. The bottom line is this is a completely custom-made deal. Just contact them and work out the experience you want to have.

You may think “why would I want more than five courses?” That’s a valid question, but remember the experience is the product here and more courses means more preparation going on in the kitchen. You’re not just eating, you’re watching the entire process. Each and every course is prepared and plated in front of you. So, the more courses you have, the more interesting stuff you get to watch.

That said, I do think there is such a thing as too many courses. Our experience had fifteen (yes, fifteen). While I enjoyed trying each of them, I can’t remember most of them. I was in mental and gastronomical overload. So, personally, I would recommend honing in somewhere around seven to nine courses. But hey, it’s your meal, and you can have it however you want.

Table One is not for everybody. If you’re a control freak or if you don’t like trying new things, you’ll probably want to pass. To really get into the vision for Table One, you need to let the chefs do what they do best — create. Certainly let them know if you have a food allergy or a specific food you want to include, but outside of that, try and let go and leave yourself open to trying things you never thought of trying before.

Another warning I’d give is that you shouldn’t go in planning for a lot of conversation. The thing is, it’s loud in the room most of the time with the noises and blowers from the kitchen. Plus, the chefs are coming over every little while to introduce the next course. Sure, you’ll talk to each other and to the chefs about the food and the experience you’re having, but don’t plan on having the time or opportunity to really dig into many other subjects.

Though the dishes we had won’t likely be the ones you try, I’ll go ahead and describe a few things on our menu so that you can get an idea of what the food is like. The bar on quality is high here, and everything is well-prepared with fresh, high-quality, and often local ingredients.

My favorite (and a favorite for most of us) was the duck confit and duck breast (known as Duck Duck), served with chunks of sweet potato and figs. Tim’s favorite was the masterfully prepared braised shortribs served with potato puree and sprouts. Everyone also enjoyed the sea scallop with corn chowder and truffle. Andrew gives top honors to the Chilean sea bass accompanied by a whimsical play on peas and carrots (that carrot risotto really was quite good).

Another treat for me was the deconstructed lobster Cioppino with littleneck clams in a peppery tomato broth. This is the kind of thing I see on “Top Chef” and lament, “I’ll never get to try something like that.” Well, Oklahoma City, you can try it and it’s outstanding.

Of our fifteen courses, three were desserts (four if you count the Wensleydale cheese with blueberries, fig and pear). The saffron Panna Cotta was very intriguing and definitely fell into the “never thought of that before” category. Then there was the “Study of Chocolate” and the White Chocolate Souffle. Yes, we were all quite full by the end.

Not everything was a favorite for everyone in our group. But, all of us were glad to try everything and experience new, interesting flavors in a very unique setting. And that’s the bottom line here — the food is excellent, but even better is the fun you’ll have sharing in the activities of the kitchen with a group of chefs and assistants who truly make you feel at home.

If you’re up for a very special experience, call Table One at least a week in advance to schedule the meal and discuss prices. Put your tastebuds in their hands and you will be rewarded with a singular meal you won’t ever forget.

This is part two of Greg’s Oklahoma City Cupcake Smackdown. If you recall, we’ve had two cupcake bakeries open up here in the city in relatively short order, so we’re taking a close look at them both. Here, we’ll take a look at the newly opened Cuppies & Joe. Click here for the review of Sara Sara Cupcakes.

The first thing I’ll say about Cuppies & Joe is that you should go to Cuppies & Joe. Even if you don’t like cupcakes. Even if you don’t like Joe (but who doesn’t like Joe — I mean, what did he ever do to you?).

Why? Because Cuppies & Joe is a great place to hang out. It’s like if your friends invited you over, but instead of bedrooms, they all just decided they wanted a bunch of tables and chairs and somebody on a keyboard playing easy-going music.

The restaurant is owned and operated by the Diefenderfer family, who, I was told, just really like making cupcakes. And pies, too. You can check out their online menu to get an idea of their full selection.

At $2 a piece ($22 per dozen), the cupcakes aren’t break-the-bank expensive, but they’re also not that big. Unlike Sara Sara Cupcakes, Cuppies & Joe serves the size of cupcake your mom probably makes. But let me tell you, you only wish your mom’s cupcakes tasted this good.

While Sara Sara does a host of specialty cupcakes, Cuppies focuses on some basics with a few twists thrown in. You can have chocolate or vanilla cake with chocolate or buttercream frosting and any combination therein. The Boomerang is chocolate with mocha frosting. The Neverland is peanut butter cake with chocolate frosting.

All of them are good. And if you want something a bit different, the Horsebite (carrot cake with cream cheese frosting) and the Roman Holiday (tiramisu) are great.

But the one that knocked me off my socks was the Sassafras. Here’s a short story about it:

My brother loves Red Velvet cake. I am indifferent toward Red Velvet cake. Every year for three years, my mom forgot that my brother was the one who loved it and got me a Red Velvet cake for my birthday. Then, remembering it again, would get him the same cake for his birthday. Thus began my fiery hatred of Red Velvet cake.

The Sassafras is a Red Velvet cupcake with buttercream frosting. On paper, I should hate this thing. In reality, I’m surprised I’m not at Cuppies & Joe right now, half-naked and smearing whatever I can’t fit into my mouth all over my body. It was great.

My wife would also like to point out that if you like Starbucks, but don’t like paying crazy money for Starbucks, Cuppies & Joe has some of the best coffee around at very low prices.

My only worry for Cuppies & Joe is the parking issue, which can be hairy. There’s a few street spots out front, but they’re on a very busy stretch of 23rd street which can make for some nail-biting parallel parking. A better bet is to take the little alley around back where there’s a private parking lot available.

If you can find a place for your car, you won’t have any trouble finding a place in your stomach for some of their delicious cupcakes.

Now, where else can a guy get some cupcakes? Let me know and I’ll be there soon. Oh, and let us know what you think about Cuppies & Joe in the comments.

I am a comic book geek, so I hope you will grant me this brief history lesson. Marvel Comics debuted a muck-encrusted character named Man-Thing in May of 1971. About a month later, DC Comics introduced their own vegetable-based hero, Swamp Thing. The way publishing works, there’s no way DC Comics was copying Marvel — they came up with the ideas independently and put them out almost simultaneously.

It happens a lot. “Deep Impact” and “Armageddon” came out in the same summer. In Oklahoma City, we have our own version with two cupcake shops — Sara Sara Cupcakes and Cuppies & Joe — opening up within about a month, and about a mile, of each other.

And so, in the grand history of Andrew’s Shady Restaurant of the Month and Sarah’s Onion Burger Tour, we begin Greg’s Oklahoma City Cupcake Smackdown. But in this case, since there’s just two restaurants and they both opened up so close together, we’re publishing both reviews at the same time.

This post covers Sara Sara Cupcakes. Click here for the review of Cuppies & Joe.

Cupcake-only bakeries have been popping up all over the U.S., usually in major metropolitan areas. The big one, Sprinkles, has franchised around. Despite the timing, Sara Sara is not jumping on the trend. Instead, this bakery is a tribute to Sara Brinson, the daughter of co-owner Dana Brinson and niece of co-owner Toni Hoffman, who died last year. She loved baking cupcakes and had talked about opening a store like Sara Sara with her aunt. Her family, looking for something to do with their grief, turned to the kitchen and followed up on that dream.

And the dream has taken off. The publicity for this little shop, nestled in a house next door to Iguana Mexican Grill, has been huge. Word of mouth has the place bustling and with good reason — they make good cupcakes.

Taking a bullet for you good people, I have eaten all or part of: Count Rockula, Strawberry Shortcake, Cherries Jubilee, Judge Joe Cannon, Cappuccino, The Destin and Coconut Cream. I know, I know. I totally deserve a medal to be pinned on my enormous belly.

I’ve only heard two knocks on Sara Sara — the cupcakes are a little dry and the prices are a little high. And I cannot wholly disagree. The Coconut Cream and the Cherries Jubilee I tried could have been a bit more moist. That said, they weren’t so dry that I couldn’t eat them, they just were a little dry.

I talked to chef Eric Smith and he candidly addressed the problem — lack of training. Because the construction time ran up so close to opening the doors, there wasn’t much time to perfect the cupcakes. They’ve gotten better, however, and they’re honing in on the perfect times for their different recipes.

Meanwhile, the Strawberry Shortcake, which was warm and fresh when I ate it, was perfectly moist. And my favorite, the Count Rockula — chocolate with chocolate cream, cocoa puffs and marshmallows on top — was so good I don’t remember anything but wanting more.

The price is $3.25 per cupcake or $36 for a dozen, which might seem like a lot, but really — how many cupcakes are you going to eat? For a cake meant for one (or two, if you’re capable of sharing), the price tag isn’t that shocking. If you’re planning on downing three or four, then, yeah, the price goes up.

A bit more shocking is the price for a glass of milk. At $3, it’s steep, but there’s no better companion to a warm brownie than a cold glass of milk served in a frozen glass. I had the chocolate milk and it was heavenly. Other beverages include hot chocolate ($5), espresso ($3) and soft drinks ($2).

This is not your everyday bakery. The design is stark and modern, like an Ikea full of baked goods. This is almost an experience restaurant — a cool place to take your friends or to pick up a few cupcakes to try at the office.

Located downtown, they’ve definitely got a chance to become part of the neighborhood and expand their business. As it is, they’re not hurting — the cupcake display was almost empty when I visited. I guess everybody wants a sweet treat now and then.

Trattoria il Centro is not the kind of place to sell T-shirts, though I’m sure they’d be OK if you wore one in for dinner. If they ever do make T-shirts, I hope they consider the catch phrase I came up with on my way out the door.

Trattoria il Centro — you’ll eat until you explode.

I’m not saying the portion sizes are too big. Trattoria il Centro gives a good plate for the money, but it’s not ridiculous. The fact is, the food is so good, I couldn’t stop eating.

Trattoria is owned and operated by chef Christine Dowd, a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America who trained and practiced her art for years in New York City. The influence of such a high-caliber chef is evident at Trattoria, in the creativity of what you taste and also in the artistry of presentation. It offers Oklahoma City an experience that is truly a cut above at a price point that is very affordable. This makes Trattoria, in my opinion, one of the better values this city has to offer.

The location and atmosphere is another plus. On the ground floor of the Montgomery building at Main and Walker, the large and open dining area is modern and energetic. Their downtown location puts them just a block from the Civic Center and the Arts District. They also offer free shuttle service to and from all of the OKC Thunder home games, giving you the chance to park (for free) a little bit away from the action, have a fabulous meal, and be chauffeured to the Ford center in style.

Now, onto the food. The menu at Trattoria is seasonal and rotated regularly. They print in-house which gives them the flexibility to change easily. Just keep in mind that you may not find everything discussed here on their menu year round.

Tim and I both enjoyed the Beef Carpaccio ($10.95), which is ultra-thinly sliced rare sirloin with capers, mushrooms, tomatoes, salad and parmesan. As we went back for bite after bite, each of us expressed a wish to leave room for the rest of the food, but neither of us could hold back. There’s a lot of flavor and freshness in that dish and all of it balanced to perfection.

I also have a fondness for the Portobello Frites ($7.95). These fingers of portobello mushrooms are breaded with panko, fried and served with garlic aioli and truffle oil. If I was a billionaire with a top hat and a monocle, I would have these made for my super-fancy Superbowl party.

We were also treated to a special, which Trattoria dreams up daily. In our case, it was a fritatta with penne pasta, mushrooms, artichokes (I think) and a little pesto on top. Any of these starter dishes would have been a fine meal, in my estimation, though I might have needed two or three orders of the mushrooms.

Trattoria serves a selection of salads most always with a unique, stacked-cylinder presentation. We tried the panzanella, or bread salad. At $5.95, it looked like a piece of edible art. Mozzarella (made in-house) and focaccia croutons really brought the flavors home. It was super fresh and delicious.

Next up was a Tuscan Chicken Sandwich ($6.95) which is only available at lunch. This was the dish that really impressed me, oddly enough. Not because it’s some kind of unstoppable juggernaut of a sandwich, but because at $7 and served with a small green salad, it’s a pretty good deal. This is one of many entrees in the $7-$10 range on the lunch menu, which offers many selections from the dinner menu served in smaller portions and at very reasonable prices.

At this point in the meal, my stomach was no longer sending hungry signals to my brain, which as any dieter knows is a sign to stop eating. But for you, I pressed on. Also, because they brought out the dish I was hoping they would bring — the Ciopino.

This is a fish stew, of sorts. For $14.95, you get mussels, shrimp and chunks of fresh fish in the most amazing tomato broth and saffron rouille sauce. Amazingly fresh. Incredibly flavorful. Even when the seafood was all gone, it took all my willpower not to pick up the bowl and slurp down the remaining liquid. I don’t know where else you can get it around these parts, but it was love at first bite for me.

The Rigatoni Buttera ($12.95 regular/$9.95 lite) is a popular dish, according to manager David Hucks, and it’s easy to see why. If you love Italian food and you want to branch out a little, this is for you. I mean, there’s spaghetti and meatballs on the menu and chicken alfredo and a pasta bolognese — classic Italian dishes we’ve all had and enjoyed. But if you’re a little adventurous, but not Ciopino-adventurous, this is perfect. Al dente rigatoni in a creamy tomato sauce with green peas (tender, not mushy) and spicy Italian sausage. The kicker for me were the red pepper flakes, which brought a touch of heat and elevated the dish to another level.

A little different and maybe not for everybody is the Butternut Squash Gnocchi and Bay Scallops ($17.95). Gnocchi isn’t like the pasta many people are used to, as it’s made with potatoes, and pairing it with the butternut squash brings on an interesting taste. It’s a little doughy, a little acidic and slightly sweet. Not bad, certainly, but not something I would expect everybody to love.

The same cannot be said for Torta Crema e Gelato al Cioccolato ($6.95), because I don’t just expect everybody to love it, I demand that you adore it. The base for this dish is a creamy reduced slice of fudge, topped with a small pile of whipped cream and gelato, all on top of a espresso sauce. This is the dessert you say you’ll split with a friend before it turns into a battle of spoons, each desperate to preserve one more bite. I was full — beyond full — when this came out, and I still found myself attacking it.

The only problem I have with Trattoria il Centro is that there’s so much more to try. Chef Dowd has an amazing restaurant that uses fresh and local ingredients to craft unique, neo-Italian dishes.

If you’re looking to add an experience to the food, Trattoria il Centro also holds wine-tasting dinners on the first and third Mondays each month. For $25, you get three courses and three wines — another great value. But make a reservation or you’re out of luck.

Trattoria il Centro is truly a treasure of Oklahoma City. If you haven’t tried it, you should. There’s really no reason not to. Go at lunch and you won’t be paying more than you would at any other mid-range restaurant, yet you’ll be experiencing quality and creativity you just can’t get many places. Trattoria is high-end but accessible, with reasonable prices and an amazing array of dishes. I cannot wait to go back again. And again. And again…

I don’t know about everybody else, but to me it seems like the Italian boom hit Oklahoma City in the mid-’90s when Olive Garden came to town. We can all take our potshots at the Garden — it’s not real Italian food, the prices are outrageous, etc. — but let’s give credit where credit is due. If it weren’t for those breadsticks, there are quite a few Oklahomans who wouldn’t know manicotti from terra cotta.

Plus, if it weren’t for mass market Italian food, would there have been such a backlash from people who wanted authentic Italian?

I’m not going to call Vivo! Italian Restaurant authentic, but I will call it pretty good. They serve the staple dishes and a few that seem a little weird, but overall, I liked it.

Unfortunately, I gave it one demerit right out of the gate. The bread, baked fresh daily, was bland and kind of doughy. I might have gotten an off loaf, but I wasn’t that impressed. It is served with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, which adds flavor, but I was kind of hoping for a crustier loaf with a little taste.

That said, our appetizer, the Potato Pancetta con Pesto soup, was delightful. At $2.99, it’s a great starter. My wife said she loved the creamy soup and the tender potato pieces. I was impressed by the pesto, which added an entirely new dimension. It might not have worked for me without the pesto, honestly, but that addition made the soup for me.

The salads were a little less exciting. If you get one, I recommend the homemade Italian dressing. It really pops with tangy spices and is thick enough to hold to the lettuce. The Caesar dressing didn’t do as much for me, even though it’s also homemade. I guess I wanted it to be a bit less watery.

The main course is where it’s at for most people and I was not disappointed. The Classico Lasagna ($10.49) is a tower of meat and pasta. Lasagna can be bland, but this had great flavor and came together perfectly. If the test of a good restaurant lasagna is one that’s better than you make at home, then this passed the test with flying colors.

My wife loved the Cannelloni ($9.99) which is stuffed with chicken, spinach and white onions and smothered in alfredo sauce. It was definitely heavier than the lasagna, but in a good way. This is the kind of meal you want to eat if you don’t mind heading home afterward and taking a short nap. It was creamy and delicious.

If I had tried the Cannelloni or the Lasagna first, I might not have enjoyed the Artichoke Chicken Pasta ($9.99) as much. That’s because, compared to the other two, it’s a lot lighter on taste. Basically, it’s penne pasta, chicken and spinach artichoke dip with diced tomatoes on top. It has a fresh taste to it and a crunch added by water chestnuts. By itself, it’s a pretty nice dish. In comparison, it pales a bit.

But there was nothing pale about the Creme Brule ($4.99). My wife and I, already full from our dinner, could not resist the lure of this dessert. It might be too good, because we couldn’t stop eating it. The garnish of raspberry sauce and whipped cream on the side were unnecessary, though it looked nice. The dessert by itself was excellent.

Vivo! is not a revelation of authentic cuisine, nor is it a bold step in a new direction. What they do best, however, is provide excellent service, tasty Italian staples and a few off-the-wall variations. I’ll be going back again, no doubt, with an eye toward trying some of their other dishes. I do not think I’ll be disappointed.

Please let us know what you think in the comments.

Every single time I go into Fortune Chinese Restaurant, the place is practically deserted. I think the last two visits, there was one other occupied table. And it just makes no sense.

I have been to far too many Chinese restaurants that are buffets first and restaurants second. The food they make is destined to sit on a hot line, picked over by dozens with just a sneeze-guard to protect it.

But not at Fortune. When I order there, I know that my food is being prepared for me. It is hot. It is fresh. Best of all, it is tasty.

We’ll start with a few staples of the genre — the egg roll and the egg drop soup. At $1.15, the egg rolls are excellent. There is still a little crisp to the vegetables inside and, again, they’re made fresh everyday. The soup is wonderful as well. For just $1, I don’t think it can get any better. Large streams of hot egg float and swirl in this little bowl. It reignites my passion and wonder for Chinese food.

I also tried the fried dumplings ($4.25) which I might ask for steamed next time. They were good, but not spectacular. I’d prefer a crispier, less oily skin. Also nice was the Cho Cho Beef — a skewer of fried, seasoned beef for $1.15. A nice little appetizer.

Honestly, you don’t need to fill up beforehand, because the portions at Fortune are enough for you to eat your fill and still take a little home for the next day.

I like the Slippery Chicken ($4.99 for small, $6.85 for large), though it’s not as spicy as the little chili pepper next to the name would seem to imply. Instead, it is a straightforward chicken, vegetable and brown-sauce dish. It sounds boring, I know, but it was great. Big mushrooms were included and I ate every last bit of it.

My wife tried the Champagne Chicken ($7.95), which we both found too light on flavor. Everything was cooked well enough, but the delicate champagne was too subtle to make an impact.

Better was the Cleopatra Chicken ($7.95), which is reminiscent of a General Tso’s chicken, but this was tender and the sauce, while spicy, still had great freshness. You could clearly see the diced tomatoes and onions that went into the sauce — a real departure from what you get at so many buffet-style places.

Vegetarians and dieters take note — you are represented here. For those who would eschew meat, there is the Buddhist Delight, Ma Poo Tu Fu and Broccoli with Garlic Sauce. For those watching their waistlines, steamed veggies with chicken, beef and shrimp are available.

My worry with Fortune is that business seems slow. I guess their take-out and delivery must be strong, because I don’t know how they’d stay afloat with the few diners that come in at night. Regardless, I love the place and I appreciate our reader, Dan, asking for a review. Otherwise, I might not have found a new favorite Chinese restaurant.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

We are not, as a species, all that great at trying new things. And when we do venture into something different, we generally need reassurance that it’s similar to something else we already know. That is, after all, how we’ve found out that so many things taste just like chicken.

So, when I asked people about Queen of Sheba, they often described it by comparison. “Oh, it’s like Indian food,” someone told me. But someone was wrong. I love Indian food. I loved Queen of Sheba. But apart from a few shared ingredients, they have little in common.

First, a word about the building. Queen of Sheba is in a shopping center that has seen better days. The potholes in the streets have found their way into the parking lot as well and the entire area appears, at times, like a good, stiff wind might blow it all down.

Inside, it’s a different story. Co-owner Mimi Younis has taken great care to make the interior of the restaurant as welcoming and comfortable as the outside is drab and rundown. Because it’s an Ethiopian restaurant, Queen of Sheba plays Ethiopian music, but it’s soft and in the background. I never felt that the atmosphere was overtaking my space. Rather, it provided a nice backdrop for a laid-back meal.

Attention vegetarians: this is a great place for you to eat. They have plenty of vegetarian options at only $7 or $8 a piece. And if you prefer veggies but occasionally enjoy fish, they’ve got that for about $11.

For an exotic restaurant — it is Oklahoma City’s only Ethiopian joint, after all — the prices are pretty reasonable. Appetizers run about $4. Entrees don’t go above $13. But there is a problem. A kind of big one — you have to choose something.

I swear, reading the menu was torture, because trying to decide what to get is so hard. This isn’t like Applebee’s where you’re bored into indecision. At Queen of Sheba, everything just sounds too good.

For the decision-impaired, such as myself, I recommend the Queen of Sheba platter ($13). It doesn’t have everything on it, but it will give you a nice sample. Included are Kay Watt (spicy, stewed beef), Yedir Watt (spicy, stewed, bone-in chicken), Yemisir Watt (spicy, stewed lentils), Yebeg Alitcha (lamb), a dish with chickpeas, one with carrots and potatoes, and a small salad with a fresh, homemade dressing.

There are no forks on the table and I don’t know if you can request one or not. The main eating utensils are your hands, though you’ll likely be holding Injera — a spongy, pliable bread that you can pinch and eat the food with. It comes, rolled up, with the meal and it has a light, slightly sour taste to it.

There’s also a full bar, if you’re into it, and a space for live music. It’s definitely an experience and one I hope all of you take the time to enjoy.

It’s not like Indian food. It’s not like anything else I’ve ever had. It’s just Queen of Sheba and once you try it, you’ll have more than enough reason to come back again and again.

For my parents, finding a good Mexican restaurant took them years. When I was a kid, we went to Pepe’s — not the finest food around — and El Chico. They tried Dos Gabachos. They tried Casa Perico. They were not satisfied.

But when I came home from college, they said they wanted to go to Alvarado’s. And when we got there, Carlos, the owner, knew them. So did the waitstaff. That’s because my parents eat there constantly — and I know why.

There are a few “experience” Mexican restaurants out there — the kinds of places where the food is only one component of visiting the restaurant. Alvarado’s, like most Mexican restaurants, is not the place to have an experience. The food has to be good or the customers will go down the road to the hundreds of other options available.

The truth is, most Mexican joints make me yawn. The food is bland and any indecision I face with the menu is just me trying to decide which dish will underwhelm me today. Not so at Alvarado’s, where I have genuine anxiety trying to choose what to eat because there are so many good choices.

I’m not going to say Alvarado’s is authentic. These dishes aren’t designed to give us a taste of life in Mexico — they’re just delicious. So I don’t know if you can find Guiso Mexicano ($8.69) south of the border, but I love it in Edmond. The dish is sirloin tips, simmered to tenderness in a tomatillo sauce with guacamole and the requisite rice and beans on the side. Many are the times I’ve used the complimentary tortillas to make a few spicy tacos out of this meal.

The Tacos Carne Asada ($9.99) are a treat, too, with crispy diced fajita meat in corn tortillas and frijoles rancheros on the side.

Both my mother and my wife prefer the Tortilla Soup, which you can get in a cup ($1.99 w/entree) or bowl ($5.99), depending on your appetite. This creamy soup is packed full of shredded chicken and crunchy tortilla strips. I could stand if it was a little spicier, but it’s a crowd-pleaser nonetheless.

On my last trip, I was excited to see that the Fish Tacos ($9.99) contained grilled tilapia instead of the usual fried fishsticks some other restaurants insist on using. The fish was flavorful, but not hot. Next time I’ll ask if they can dice a few jalapenos and mix them in with the flaked fish for me.

For dessert, my family is now devoted to the sopapilla with brandy butter sauce ($1.19). I can’t imagine going back to the dry, flavorless sopapillas I’ve had elsewhere after this rich dish. Split it with someone, because it might be too much for one.

There are many more dishes I’ve enjoyed at Alvarado’s — just about everything on the menu — so I’ll stop here. While the food is good, I will admit the prices tend to be a little higher than some competitors. And if the selection weren’t so great and the dishes so consistently delicious, I could see going someplace else. As it is, though, there aren’t many places in Edmond that can give your taste buds the same treatment as Alvarado’s. Give it a try and let us know what you think in the comments.

Barbecue is an informal food, like fried chicken or a hoagie. You can’t be formal when you have sauce dripping down your chin, unless you’re the Queen of England, and I don’t see her visiting Steve’s Rib any time soon.

But it’s Her Majesty’s loss, in my opinion, because Steve’s Rib has some of the finest, no-frills barbecue around. Well, no-frills may be overstating the case a bit. There are plates and plastic cutlery, if you need it, but there aren’t any waitresses or tablecloths or wine menus — at least at my preferred location.

Steve’s Rib is peculiar in that of the two restaurants under that banner, one is a sit-down restaurant with a hostess and bar and the other requires you to stand in line and tell the worker what you want so he can cut it and stick it on a Styrofoam plate for you. Oddly, I’d rather avoid the fancy Steve’s Rib (located in Edmond) in favor of the comfortable and guile-less location on Hefner Road near MacArthur.

The menu, which is tacked up on the wall, isn’t very complex. You can order a sandwich with a choice of meats or you can get a dinner with a choice of sides. It’s not rocket surgery. The sandwiches come in small (around $5.80) and large (around $6.80) and come with one side. Dinners are around $10 and come with two sides.

My wife doesn’t hesitate when she orders. She wants the chopped brisket, which Steve’s does up right. A lot of restaurants will serve a pre-sauced brisket or something that was chopped in a food processor instead of a knife. At Steve’s, the brisket is juicy, flavorful and still retaining those tiny strands of meat that let you know it didn’t come frozen in a bucket.

I try to branch out and I’ve found a few winners and few losers. The sliced brisket is just as tasty as the chopped, likely because they’re the same food in different forms. The pulled pork is equally juicy, though the flavor is milder and needs at least a dollop of Steve’s barbecue sauce — I like the spicy, but the sweet is good, too.

The sliced turkey is a personal favorite, especially when I’m watching my waistline. It’s not too dry and it’s full of that smoky flavor that comes from a long, slow cook in the smoker.

The ribs, usually a highlight at barbecue restaurants, are inconsistent. I’ve had some great ribs where the meat is tender and can’t wait to fall off the bone, and I’ve had some bad, fatty ribs, where the taste is bland. If I knew a way to ensure which version I’d receive, I’d order them more often. As it is, I tend to stay away.

Good, but not great, are the smoked sausage and hot links. If you’re going to Steve’s, I’d recommend you try something you couldn’t pick up anywhere else, and the sausage and links are pretty middle-of-the-road.

If the vegetable of the day is okra, order it. They fry it up right without burning the crust. The potato salad is unspectacular and the baked beans could be a little more peppery and a little less sweet, but that’s just my opinion. My wife loves the beans.

Fresh steak fries are worth getting as a side, but you might ask for a sample first to make sure you aren’t getting a soggy batch. A better tuber treat is the baked potato, which costs a little more, but is cooked really well. Forgo the sour cream and cheese, if you’re trying to stay healthy, because a little butter and onions with a few squirts of barbecue sauce make this one a keeper.

And if your sweet tooth beckons, the apple cobbler is delicious and the brownies — with or without nuts — are a nice chocolate ending to a great barbecue dinner.

There’s lots of barbeque to choose from in this city, some good and some not so great. I think Steve’s Rib is definitely worth a try and if you’re like me, you’ll opt for the no-frills version in northwest Oklahoma City over the sit-down, Edmond version. But hey, if you’ve eaten at either one, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Let us know what you think in the comments.

Not to tie the excellent Wedge Pizzeria to that mediocre pantry staple, Wolf Brand Chili, but stranger, how long’s it been since you had figs on your pizza? Well, that’s just too long.

The Wedge could easily be described as “upscale” pizza, but not because of outrageous prices (though if you’re looking for cheap eats, look elsewhere), but because of outrageous quality and innovation.

The wife and I lunched here recently and found favorites all over the menu. For the appetizer, we tried the Anti-Pasto platter. This could have been a meal by itself for $9, with marinated seasonal vegetables (ours had eggplant, locally grown squash, sweet peppers, Sungold cherry tomatoes and beets) plus cheese, German potato salad and two slices of spicy Capicola ham. The flavors, other the peppers and the sharp blue cheese, were subtle. It isn’t for everyone, but as a lover of fresh, local produce, I recommend it.

Also good is the Wedge Trio, which is a plate of their Italian flatbread served with olive tapenade, roasted red pepper hummus and marinated artichoke hearts. At $8, it’s enough to split with four or five people.

We each had a salad (all are $6) and were mostly delighted. She had the marinated mozzarella salad, which came with sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts and arugula. I stole a few bites and was pleased, though I wish the cheese had a little more flavor.

One bit of flavor she didn’t want was a tiny bug that she spied. Before she could catch it, it darted deeper into the salad. Needless to say, the salad was replaced. And I can honestly forgive the bug, since I know they were using local, pesticide-free, organic arugula. The man in me says, “Aw, heck, it’s just extra protein.” The reviewer, however, is glad they were quick to replace the salad with a bug-free version.

My salad had fresh spinach with pears, toasted walnuts and a dijon-balsamic vinaigrette. That dressing (which you can buy by the pint for $8) was amazing. The pears were crisp and crunchy and the walnuts were rich. I’m not usually a fan of fruit in my salad, but this was just a well put together production.

The main attraction, of course, is the pizza and the selection at the Wedge is pretty stout. There’s the normal “build your own” section, though with a few oddities for your choosing including capers, prosciutto, pancetta, goat cheese, figs, pears, etc. But the specialty pizzas really surprised me. It’s rare I find specialties that are so … special.

We tried the Truffle Shuffle ($15) with roasted chicken, truffle oil, sage, spinach and crimini mushrooms. I could have eaten it all day long. The flavors were well-balanced and delightful. This was certainly more than the sum of its parts, though I’ll admit, I was a bit let down with the crust. The Wedge brick-fires all their pizzas, but the oil and ingredients rendered the usually tender crust a bit flimsy. But as knife-and-fork pizza goes, the taste is out of this world.

I also had a slice of the Prosciutto E Formaggi ($14) which is covered in prosciutto, arugula and figs. It’s an odd taste, but not a bad one. The figs aren’t overly sweet. They are complimented with the salty meat and the lightly bitter arugula.

A word of warning — if you get anything with arugula, get it in the summer. I was disappointed in the winter with the arugula, which was harsh and bitter. Manager Elena Farrar told me she begs their local provider, who grows the stuff in El Reno, to find a way to produce it year-round, because the quality drops off when they get it elsewhere.

For those of you who might end up at The Wedge, but would like something a little less experimental, I recommend the American Pie. It comes topped with marinara sauce, fresh meatballs and onions. My wife is also a big fan of The Vedge. All vegetarians take note — this is your dish. Garlic, red bell peppers, artichokes, mushrooms, pine nuts and ricotta make this a favorite.

If you skip appetizers and salads, one pizza is probably big enough for two people. I suggest you go with friends, try a couple of different pies and maybe split an appetizer. It’s not cheap, but you’re not getting cheap food, either.

Let us know what you think in the comments.

Pizza in Oklahoma City is a pretty mundane affair. If someone says they’re ordering, it’s almost always Pizza Hut, Mazzio’s, Little Caesar’s, or Domino’s. If it’s a special occasion, you might find them calling Hideaway or the Wedge Pizzeria, but what about that Mom n’ Pop pizza joint we all remember?

I found one at Pizzini’z Pizza in Bethany. Owner Tarsha Armstrong let me know that her husband manages a location at 900 W. Reno as well, but I haven’t been there yet. At the Bethany location, it’s like stepping back in time.

The decor in Pizzini’z is sparse. There are a few pictures on the wall, but nothing like the overly plastered walls and shelves of some chains. The tables are covered in thick plastic tablecloths and every one of them has the essentials — metal napkin dispenser, powdered parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. The things that took me back to the days of Godfather’s Pizza, however, were the pinball machines and the Ms. Pacman stand-up video game in the corner. If my wife wouldn’t have given me a dirty look, I would have begged for a quarter.

The food is a pretty standard menu with pizzas ranging from medium to extra-large. You might ask, “Why not just call the medium a small, etc., etc.?” Well, because the medium, which I split with the missus, was almost big enough to be a large. At $11.99, that seemed like a pretty good deal — then Tarsha told me that it was buy one and get one free. Outstanding.

We got a half-and-half pizza. My wife is a purist, so she got cheese only and I got the super-supreme with anchovies. I’m not a huge anchovy fan, but I felt like trying something different and, honestly, I was just impressed to see anchovies on the menu. Around here, they aren’t that easy to find. Maybe Tarsha’s Las Vegas background inspires her to bring out the fancy toppings.

Anyway, the pizza was good, solid stuff. I wouldn’t compare it to the high-end specialty places, but I’d rather have it than the same-old from Pizza Hut, Mazzio’s and the rest. They don’t skimp on the toppings, either. My super-supreme was weighted down from all the sausage, pepperoni, ham, mushrooms, olives, onions, green peppers and anchovies. It was filling.

The big seller, Tarsha said, is the calzone. I couldn’t, in good conscience, order one knowing that I wouldn’t eat it all, but she assured me it is just as packed with toppings as the pizza. An extra-large calzone from Pizzini’z feeds a family, she said.

I opted to try the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich as well, and it was different from many I’ve had. While the cheesesteaks at Hobby’s Hoagies in Edmond are juicier, Pizzini’z was crispy and thick with steak. I would have liked the onions and green peppers cooked down a little more, but it was still a treat at $5.99.

Although they’re pre-made, I really liked both the cheese sticks and the fried zucchini. They both come with homemade ranch dressing. Not the healthiest options, but they were delicious. The cheese sticks especially were cooked just right with the cheese a bit gooey but not difficult to eat.

Located in what used to be Payless Pizza in Bethany, Pizzini’z Pizza made me a fan with solid food, friendly service and very competitive prices. For those looking to break away from the chains, Pizzini’z is a good, local option that’s extremely affordable.

Your idea of a special night could be almost anything — a movie with your sweetheart, an evening of dancing, or just a couple of hours without the kids screaming in your ears. Usually, though, special nights include dinner and there aren’t many places better suited for it in Oklahoma City than the Boulevard Steakhouse.

Reservations aren’t required to get a table at Boulevard, but it’s kind of fun to make them anyway. For those of us on a limited budget, a trip to this restaurant isn’t a last-minute, spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. Truthfully, there aren’t many places in Oklahoma City that accept reservations, so it’s nice to know that by calling ahead a few days or maybe even a few hours, you can walk into the restaurant with no waiting.

I don’t know if the décor is elegant, but it’s certainly rich. Nothing inside looks cheap or slap-dash. The Boulevard Steakhouse is dimly lit. The white tablecloths are topped with lights for just your small table. The waiters and waitresses are also dressed up (though you don’t have to be) and they will give you the kind of personal attention you haven’t had since your mother — and maybe not even then.

The ambiance is great, no doubt about it, but when the food arrives, you won’t even care. It’s simply that good.

While the main event here is steak, if you’ve got the cash, give the appetizers a try. The crab cakes are substantial and packed, not with filler, but with sweet, lump crab. The shrimp cocktail, too, is a delight with giant shrimp and a spicy, tangy cocktail sauce.

But when my wife and I visit, there’s no point in avoiding the inevitable — the Portobello mushroom soup. Never before or since have I had a soup like this with a creamy texture and that rich, full flavor of roasted mushrooms in every bite. My wife has threatened to skip the steak altogether in favor of three bowls of this soup — which wouldn’t be all bad considering the prices.

As with any fine dining option, the downside is always the price. In typical steakhouse style, Boulevard does not include sides with their main dishes, so when you order a filet mignon, that’s what you’ll get. It will be prime beef and expertly cooked, but that’s all you’ll get. With prices ranging from the $20 range for seafood and chicken to upwards of $50 for a steak or a nightly special, the pricing can be a bit tough for value-conscious diners to swallow. On the other hand, this isn’t an everyday place to eat (at least not for me). The experience is a big part of the price and, for special occasions, I personally think it’s worth it.

The filet is an obvious choice, but I also recommend the Steak Diablo — a spicy, pepper-encrusted tenderloin — and the filet tips and mushrooms. Usually, steak tips are a budget choice but here you get amazingly tender bites of beef, mushrooms swelling with flavor, and a sauce that ties it all together.

If you do crave vegetables, or if you’re searching for vegetarian options, Boulevard has a number of tasty salads and sides. The sweet onions and vine-ripened tomatoes are excellent, as is the mozzarella and tomato salad. While those are for the individual, other sides are served family-style, with enough potatoes au gratin, button mushrooms, asparagus and hollandaise, and steamed broccoli to share.

If by some miracle you still have room for dessert, they have an ice cream and puffed pastry dish that is somehow tender and satisfying.

Boulevard is a hit to the wallet, but one worthy of a birthday, an engagement, an anniversary or any other big event worth celebrating. Most of us can’t afford to eat at Boulevard Steakhouse every day, but hey, it’s not everyday food that they’re serving.

Let us know what you think in the comments.

“This ain’t Subway.”

That is what I heard George Hobson, owner of Hobby’s Hoagies, tell a customer more than a decade ago. There’s no production line at Hobby’s. You can ask for something to be left off, but if you don’t say anything, they’ll make it the same way they always do — delicious.

I’ve had the pizza at Hobby’s. I’ve had the spaghetti. But if you’re going to Hobby’s Hoagies, do yourself a favor and get a sandwich, because it’s one of the best you’ll ever have.

Most sandwiches come in two sizes at Hobby’s — 7-inch or footlong — and they all come with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, oils, spices and Hobby’s special hoagie peppers on a homemade Italian roll.

That pillowy bread is a big part of the appeal. Unlike some of the stale rolls you’ll get at other sandwich shops, Hobby’s rolls are soft and satisfying, soaking up the oils and flavors of the sandwiches.

Don’t wait too long to eat the Special Italian ($6.59 for a 12-inch), or the ends will get wet with juice — not that that’s ever stopped me before. The Special Italian has capicola, ham, salami and provolone, but the ingredients I love most are those special peppers. They make every sandwich spicy and sweet with just enough heat to keep things interesting.

These days, I usually opt for the Philly Cheesesteak ($7.59 for a footlong) with its tender steak which is cooked on the flat grill with peppers and onions. Every bite is good, but every few bites you get that perfect blend of onion, steak and cheese that makes you stop and close your eyes. It keeps me coming back every time.

That cheesesteak is so good, in fact, that I order a cheesesteak whenever I see one on any menu. I am routinely disappointed. Nobody in the area seems to be able to capture the same juicy, flavorful quality you get at Hobby’s.

My wife loves the deli menu, often ordering a grilled cheese ($3.69) which comes on crisp, thick-cut toast. It’s not a complex dish, but Hobby’s does it well. I’m also partial to the reuben on rye ($6.29) and for vegetarians, there’s the veggie ($4.19) with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, sprouts, pickles, peppers, oil and spices.

This is no knock on the pizza or the pasta — Hobby’s does a good job at both — but I don’t know if I’ll ever get past those sandwiches. Who cares about gas prices? Hobby’s Hoagies is worth the trip.

Ever looked down a stretch of road and seen nothing but the same old, same old? Burger joints, taco parlors, pizzerias — all featuring familiar names and mediocre flavors. At some point, you have to try something new and I’ve got just the place. It’s one of the very best in my opinion. It’s called Thai Palace.

It doesn’t look like much from the outside – just another strip mall restaurant with its name spelled out in boring, green block-letters. The inside doesn’t inspire much either. White cloth on the tables, pictures that fade into the walls as decorations, and what appears to be just a single employee. That’s Nick.

Nick is going to blow your mind.

Formerly the owner of Sala Thai (down in the Asian District), Nick started Thai Palace a few years ago and brought all his recipes with him. I mean ALL of them. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the menu. It puts the Cheesecake Factory to shame with its size and variety. The only difference is, Nick cooks food you want to eat.

Between 11am and 1pm, Thai Palace features a buffet of rotating entrees, rice and soup for $6. It’s not all-you-can-eat. In fact, you can’t even try everything on the buffet on one dish. But don’t worry, it’s still a heck of a deal. You’ll get plenty of food and these are authentic Thai dishes prepared by a master of his craft.

If you don’t want the buffet or if you come for dinner, there’s that massive menu to satiate your appetite. The green curry vegetables are amazing, with veggies still crisp and fresh and a sauce that is as complex as it is delicious. If you want it hot (and Nick will ask how hot you like it), it can sear your mouth shut. I’ve eaten with some friends who dial it up so high they are blowing their noses after every bite. Despite all the pain, though, nobody ever leaves food on their plate.

Personally, I tend toward a less-scalding experience, especially with some classic dishes like Pad Thai. I’ve had Pad Thai from lots of places and it’s not always good. Some Pad Thai is so sweet you might as well be eating candy. Other places it’s so bland it tastes like it was born in a cardboard box. Not at Thai Palace. They hit it right on the mark, blending sweet and savory. If you don’t like the Pad Thai here, you just don’t like Pad Thai.

There are a couple of drawbacks to Thai Palace. One is the overly vast menu with too many choices. The other is an impatient chef. Nick is in the business of getting you your food fast, so if you don’t order when he comes to you, it might take a while for him to return.

But if you can put up with the idiosyncrasies of a one man show, you will be rewarded with a great treat. Thai cuisine is definitely a step outside the ordinary. And for the real Thai experience — the soups, the curries, the stir-fry, the noodles and the deep, hot spices — there’s no place in Oklahoma City that compares to Thai Palace.