Like the neighborhood in which it resides, Picasso Cafe in the Paseo district is both quirky and intriguing. Judging by the polished, gleaming presence on its website where it bills itself as “Oklahoma City’s premier dining establishment,” Picasso Cafe appears to be shooting for a higher-end dining experience, yet on our visit we found Picasso to still be a little rough around the edges.

Picasso Cafe sits in the space previously occupied by Galileo’s, along the colorful, curved segment of Paseo Drive spanning from NW 30th to Walker. Inside, the new ownership has taken some steps to polish up the interior, but one still feels the rough-hewn, shabby-chic influence characteristic of the previous tenant in this space. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it was a little unexpected. Based on what I had seen on their website, I expected Picasso to be a little more polished in its interior, more along the lines of Paseo Grill down the street.

The food we sampled at Picasso was hit or miss. There were three of us dining on our visit, so we got to try a good variety of items. While some things were actually very, very good, other dishes were unimpressive.

Let’s start with the very, very good. According to our server, every morning the Picasso team comes in and makes up a big fresh batch of dough that I consider to be quite magical. They then use this dough in a variety of their menu offerings including the handmade pretzel appetizer ($3), the crust of their handmade pizzas ($10-12), and a new dessert item which was sort of like a tubular beignet ($5). This dessert item wasn’t yet on the menu and I don’t think it had an official name yet.

Everything made out of this dough is truly very good. The pretzel had a wonderful, crispy exterior and a soft, chewy interior. Accompanied by some spicy mustard and a blue cheese sauce for dipping, this simple appetizer pretty much makes the whole trip to Picasso worth it.

Likewise, the pizza crust, also made from the magic dough, was perfection. Not too thick, not too thin. The pizzas are a good size making a great value as you could easily split one between a couple of people. Sarah chose the barbeque chicken pizza ($12), and she claimed “it rocked.” Her full description follows:

“Good crust, tangy sauce, hand-pulled chicken (could have used a few more chunks of this), red onion slices and thinly sliced, fresh jalapeno to give it just the right kick. I was full after three of the eight pieces, so it was a good thing Tim and Sam were there to clean the plate.”

Sarah also had a salad with her meal. The Caesar is the only salad they offer in two sizes ($4/$6), so it was the natural choice for a side. But as she describes it, “this was one of the most bland, underwhelming Caesars I think I’ve ever had. The lettuce looked like the bagged, supermarket variety and I couldn’t tell if there was dressing or not.” I tried some of Sarah’s salad and have to agree on this assessment.

The dishes Sam and I tried also underwhelmed. Sam chose the Chorizo Sausage and Mushroom Risotto ($10) and here’s what he had to say:

“When the server placed the big round bowl in front of me, I looked inside expecting a nice helping of food and a nice presentation. What I found instead was a disappointing portion of risotto topped with chunks of chorizo with yellow sausage grease pooling around the edges of the bowl.

Now, I have a big appetite, but still, after eating all of my food, I had to eat half of Sarah’s pizza in order to feel satisfied. Presentation also could have been improved. If the dish had some chopped green onions to add some color and cut a bit of the oiliness of the greasy chorizo I think that would’ve been a nice touch.”

As for me, I ordered the hamburger. I know it sounds so plain, but the server told me it was his favorite sandwich on the menu. Plus, it sounded so good with bleu cheese, carmelized onion and aioli. The toppings were very good, and I thought it was a good value at $8 including a side of fries or vegetables. But the problem was the meat, which came out cooked beyond well-done, dry, tough, and with a very charred exterior. I may have caught them on an off day so I would try this one again because everything else about the burger was good.

So, our experience at Picasso was hit or miss. There are some things we really like and those things by themselves are enough to warrant a trip out here. Plus, there are sure to be lots of good things on the menu that we didn’t try. Still, the fact that about half of our choices fell short makes it less likely I’ll be making Picasso a regular stop.

Please let us know what you think about Picasso in the comments.

“Wow! That’s a nice tv!”

That was the first thing my friend and I said when we walked into Republic. You can’t miss it. It measures 23′ (yes that’s feet!) diagonally and is powered by a Christie theater-quality movie projector that costs about the same as a well-equiped Mercedes. Now add the other 4 plasma TVs at 6′ apiece and the 20 or so LCD TVs placed all around the place and you have a room perfectly suited for any sports fan.

Oh wait! This is a food review website isn’t it? Then again, we review restaurants, so I guess it’s relevant.

“A contemporary American Public House bridging the gap between beer bar and upscale eatery,” is how Republic describes themselves. Looking at all the steel, glass and high-end video displays used in the restaurant’s design, I agree that this place is definitely a contemporary and modern approach to the typically rustic images of the European pub. The wall display that features bottles from around the world and anchored by the line of taps below it reminds every guest what this place is really all about: beer.

Republic has around 100 beers on tap and if that’s not enough to quench your beer thirst, they also have around 250 beers in bottle form to choose from. If beer isn’t your favorite libation, they also have a nice selection of wines and cocktails. Although Tapworks in Bricktown has a larger selection of beers on tap, Republic is cleaner, cooler and has a much better menu.

“So what exactly is a ‘gastropub?’” you ask. Well the name is a combination of pub and gastronomy and a gastropub concentrates on quality food. With that in mind, let’s talk about the food.

I heard that this place was all about its burgers so I decided to get the Republic Burger ($8). All of their burgers are made with natural Black Angus meat that’s handmade into patties every morning and they are served in on toasted pretzel buns — very tasty! The Republic Burger is made with caramelized onions, apple wood smoked bacon, relish, arugula, blue and gruyere cheeses and topped with a fried egg. “A fried egg?” you say. Yes, a deliciously fried egg.

It was love at first bite.

My friend and I both agreed that this was one of the best burgers we’d ever had. The gruyere helps neutralize the strong flavor of the blue cheese. Towards the last few bites, however, the cheeses became a bit overpowering. My suggestion — if you come with another person, order the Republic Burger and something else like the fish and chips and just split both between the two of you.

Now, for people who don’t have an affinity for foreign cheeses, the Republic Burger might not be the burger for you. So, another option is to stick with the Just-A-Burger ($6), which is the same great burger with more traditional toppings.

Adding to this burger goodness, I tried a side of elbow mac and cheese with bratwurst ($3) and it was equally delicious, though not as hot out of the kitchen as I hoped it to be.

Although I haven’t tried anything else on their menu, I’m looking forward to trying the fish & chips ($12) and their ale braised & glazed ribs ($19) during my next visit.

With so many food and beer combinations I see myself dining at Republic pretty regularly. Although the place has more dining space than bar space (I feel it could benefit from more bar space considering the place is called a pub), the Good Egg Dining Group has done a good job with Repbulic, creating nice, new addition to the OKC dining scene and the developing Classen Curve area. Once the new Whole Foods opens up across the street from it, it will be very hard for me to avoid stopping by Republic every time I decide to go food shopping.

What’s your experience with Repbulic? Leave your opinions in the comments below.

Revisit note: this review was originally published in November of 2006, but has been revisited and updated.

Saturn Grill was one of the very first restaurants I reviewed back when I started this website in the Fall of 2006 (see the full text of my original review below). After visiting their new location on Memorial for the first time last weekend, I thought it was time to revisit this review.

It had been a while since I’d been to Saturn Grill. I’m not sure why, but I just got out of the habit of going. Maybe the persistent crowds at the original location and the fact that our family now has three small children kept me away. Yeah, that’s likely it, so when they opened a new location I thought I’d give it a try to see if I could get the same great food with a little more breathing room for the family.

The verdict – yes, indeed. The new location is quite a bit more spacious and not nearly as crowded (at least at the time I went). And, at least in my sampling of the Spicy Steak Sandwich ($8.95), the quality still remained.

I will say, however, that it was a difficult sell for bringing the kids. The kids meals are $5 each with a choice of four entrees. My kids both went for the pizza, but didn’t really enjoy it. It was way too big as well and they should have split one. Maybe that’s the trick I should try next time. Ah, well, at least we had plenty of room to spread out around our ginormous table. And my kids always appreciate the space-like decor which is consistent even in the new location.

I’m glad I made it back to Saturn Grill. If you’ve tried either one of their locations, please let us know what you think in the comments.

I always love a good surprise, especially when that surprise is extremely tasty. Saturn Grill was just such a surprise for me. A friend of mine invited me to lunch there. I had never heard of the place before, but now it’s at the top of my list.

There’s so much to love about the Saturn Grill because there’s so much that’s interesting. Let’s start with the quirky, yet nicely done, decor. On one side the wall is painted to look like the red surface of its planet namesake, while the other side displays a starfield. It’s as if you’re suspended in the depths of space (or so my four year old son believes). The approach could have come off cheesy like some sort of shopping mall arcade, but Saturn Grill pulls it off in a sophisticated yet playful way.

Intriguing tables, chairs, stools and large, half-moon booths provide a great variety of seating for groups of many sizes and a variety of ecletic lighting fixtures add to the vibe. Outdoor seating is also available (always a plus) on simple tables with modern, brightly colored orange and purple chairs.

The menu matches nicely with its environment. The truly eclectic range of dishes defy categorization, but the choices are reasonably limited and every one offers something interesting. This carefully crafted selection separates Saturn Grill from your everyday deli or cafe.

My usual pick is the Skinny Chick and Salad ($7.95). A good portion of flattened chicken breast is seasoned, grilled and served alongside the salad of your choice. I usually pick the tomato and mozzarella salad which offers fresh tomato slices and quality chunks of soft mozzarella on a bed of spinach with a light vinagarette.

In addition to the regular menu, Saturn Grill offers daily specials which are always tempting and widely varied. Often with a southwest flavor, these specialty plates are a great way to experience their creativity. Specialty soups, sandwiches, pastas, and even deserts round out their offerings. Saturn Grill’s menu is a shining example from which many restaurants could learn a great deal — offer fewer choices but make each of those choices unique and purposeful.

Saturn Grill isn’t the cheapest place to eat. For a limited service restaurant, the price tag can be a little higher than what you find at some other places. But remember, folks, it’s about value. And the level of creativity and taste you find at Saturn Grill is well worth the few extra dollars you might spend. Obviously, there are many who agree and for that reason I recommend arriving at times slightly off of the peak hours to avoid what can be very long lines.

If you’ve read many of our reviews, you know that we’re always searching for the unique things restaurants offer to the Oklahoma City landscape. So, when Andrew and I visited Rococo’s, there was one thing that stood out to us above everything else — east coast style.

You feel it from the moment you walk in. The rich, dark, almost swanky decor is absent the southwest influence that we’re accustomed to around these parts. The seafood-rich menu and extensive wine list add to the vibe. But you really find out what this place is about when owner/chef Bruce Rinehart stops by your table, which he is almost certain to do. Spend just a moment conversing with Bruce and you’ll understand what is unique about Rococo.

Bruce spent a lot of time opening and running restaurants on the east coast, so you can understand where the style comes from. If you are from that region, I’d imagine Rococo would feel a lot like home. If you’re not, Rococo is still worth your attention for its other great strength — fresh seafood.

We actually get a lot of questions about where to get good seafood in Oklahoma City. Now that I’ve been to Rococo, I can say I think it’s a worthy seafood contender. There aren’t a great many places I know of that offer simple, fresh seafood presentations. Most of the time around here, seafood is fried or blackened or spiced up in some other southwestern or cajun-influenced way. But at Rococo, we had a beautiful presentation of their Petrale Sole filet ($18.75), lightly dusted with flour, sauteed in butter and served with capers, lemon pulp and tiny, delicate croutons. It’s rare to get to taste the actual fish as much as you could in this presentation, and the fish tasted great.

We also had the crabcake (market price) that Rococo is happy to claim as the best in the city. That might seem haughty to you, but I’d have to say that I agree with the claim. This is not a mixture of crab and other fillers pressed into a patty. This is a heaping mound of huge chunks of crab meat topped with a few types of breadcrumbs and baked. You order crab and you taste crab — and again, the crab tastes great.

In addition to the on-menu seafood items, Rococo offers off-menu specials that vary daily as they overnight fresh seafood from the coast as available. That’s right, here is a place where you can literally taste fresh seafood from the east coast. If you want to stay up on what’s fresh, subscribe to their email newsletter on their home page, or follow them on Twitter. We’re seeing a lot of restaurants really utilize Twitter lately and Rococo is one that does a great job communicating that way.

Alright, so I’ve given you a glowing picture of what I think Rococo does best — seafood with an east coast flair. But their menu doesn’t stop there. In fact, their menu is widely varied with steaks, chops, pastas, and even some sandwiches at lunch. It might even be a bit too varied in my opinion. Personally, I’d like to see them expand their seafood options and limit the other things, but that’s just me.

I mean, I haven’t tried all that many things, but I had a bit of the Penne Bolognese ($15.75 at dinner) and, while it was fresh and perfectly fine, it was lighter on flavor than I would typically expect from the rich Italian dish. There are other places I would put above Rococo for Italian food, at least based on what I experienced.

Andrew had the filet ($25.25 and $34.75), which was very well-cooked and flavorful with a really nice sauce that didn’t overpower. I had a bite of it and thought it was good as well. Nothing wrong with it and it’s a decent price, I’m just thinking there are lots of other places you can get steaks done at least as well.

One thing to keep in mind is that Rococo offers a pretty reasonable lunch menu. Sandwiches and smaller entrees are offered anywhere from $7-$15 making a good value when you’re looking for lunch.

So, my bottom line on Rococo is that they offer a lot of options and they do it all pretty well, but if you want to try the thing they do exceptionally well and that’s unique here in our fair city, go for the seafood, especially the crab cake and whatever seafood specials Bruce is flying in on the day you visit. This is where Rococo shines and can provide you with something you’re not likely to experience anywhere else in town.

What are your thoughts on Rococo? Let us know in the comments.

PLEASE NOTE: we’re sad to say the Turquoise American Bistro is now closed and it appears it is not returning.

I always enjoy a good field trip to Norman because I think college towns excel in great little hideaway restaurants.  So recently, when my husband needed transcripts from OU, I tagged along in hopes of finding the perfect place for lunch.  The registrar made an excellent suggestion to try the Turquoise American Bistro right down the street from Campus Corner.

Chef Giovanni has loaded the menu with tasty-sounding items, and I had trouble deciding what to try.  It finally came down to either the Siracha Chicken Tacos ($9) or the Sunburned Trout ($12), and I went with the tacos.  The menu description says, “Spicy chicken grilled with onions and bell peppers, served on fire-roasted tortillas with pineapple jasmine rice, pico de gallo and adobe creme fraiche.”  It was as good as it sounds.  In my opinion, if one is going to serve rice on the side, please do something with it.  And they did.  The pineapple and jasmine were great additions to plain old rice.  The two tacos were very large, making this dish easy to split with someone, especially with a salad or appetizer.

My husband had the Green Chili Chicken Club sandwich ($7.50) accompanied with organic, homemade, blue corn chips.  The sandwich included  roasted chicken, fired green chilis, smoked bacon and jack cheese.  Of course, my “plain” husband had to hold the chilis and cheese, but he said it was still delicious.

Other “yummies” on the lunch menu include Sesame-Wasabi Pea-Crusted Yellow Fin Tuna ($10) (sushi-grade Ahi tuna crusted in a sesame seed and wasabi pea puree) and the Duck Quesadilla ($11) (paper-thin slices of medium-rare duck breast served between grilled flour tortillas with onion, fire-roasted chilis, jack cheese, fresh pico and sesame barbecue sauce).  Yumm-o!

The dinner menu is separate and entrees include a pair of Bacon-wrapped Farm Raised Quail ($16) and Crab Alfredo with Roasted Garlic and White Wine Cream ($12).  I wish I had room to list every item on the menu, as everything sounds delicious.  Brunch is available on the weekends.  One of the more unusual items is the Turquoise Breakfast Chowder for $7.50 (asparagus, baby spinach, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, shiitake mushrooms and Yukon gold potatoes in thyme-infused miso broth and Southwest 5 spice.)  This is topped with a choice of poached egg or grilled tofu.

Something else that really appealed to me is their selection of hot teas ($3).  Flavors include Sweet Chamomile Citrus and Fragrant Oolong.  Iced teas include Fiesta Fria and Blackberry Jasmine ($1.75).

Owner Emilio Salinas has done a great job in not only providing some delicious and unusual entree selections, but also with the simple and tasteful decor.  Turquoise-colored Venetian glass lamps hang over most of the dining tables, and the walls are decorated with art which is for sale.  The restaurant opened in 2006.

I wondered about their close proximity to the campus and whether they have many college students who can afford their offerings, which are just a little more pricey than your average restaurant.  We were there for a late lunch, and there were at least two tables of college students in our vicinity.  Yet, when we went into a t-shirt shop on the way back to the car, the student working there said she had never been and was wondering about the menu and prices.  Personally, I think the prices are reasonable for such unique and tasty fare, but I am also way past my college days.

This is exactly the type of restaurant I wish someone would open on the west end of NW Expressway in OKC.  I get glazed over and numb thinking about the string of chain restaurants that litter the landscape along that stretch.  The residents in Norman are lucky to have such a great place.  If you have eaten at Turqoise, please let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Buddha Tao does a lot of things very well, but prices itself at the level where they really need to do everything extremely well. So, while Buddha Tao absolutely brings a unique and quality offering to the Oklahoma City restaurant landscape, we’re a little unsure on whether that offering is worth the price tag.

First off, let me explain that this review represents more than just my own perspective. All of our four regular writers dined together here and each offered their own thoughts which I am incorporating into this review. In addition, one of our readers, Chris Johnson, submitted his own full review of Buddha Tao, and I am working in some of his perspective as well. So, you are getting a wide range of opinions in this article. Now, let’s get to it.

Buddha Tao is very slick. Everything from the website to the building’s exterior and interior are polished to the level that I thought it had to be a chain the first time I saw it. But, rest assured, it is not a chain. Buddha Tao is related by ownership group to In the Raw Sushi in Tulsa, but there are no other Buddha Tao locations, at least at the time of this writing. Incidentally, Buddha’s owner, Tony Henry, told me that while he does co-own the Tulsa In the Raw, he is not a part of the group opening the new location in Bricktown.

Buddha Tao is also pricey. As Greg puts it, “Buddha Tao is the kind of sushi restaurant I would love if I was rich. The decor is simple, but cool. The menu is chock-full of great items. Too bad I’m not rich, though, because I couldn’t afford to eat there on any kind of regular basis.” Putting together a complete meal at Buddha Tao, even at lunch, is going to cost you $15-$25 per person easily, and much more if you really want to try out the sushi.

This fact, and just the general feel of the place, lead me to believe it might be more of a dinner and late night kind of place than a lunch place. The four of us went at lunch and the restaurant was nearly empty. Makes sense to me as I thought the menu offered little for the lunch crowd. The pricing is high for lunch and the service was slower than what you need to fit a lunch hour. We haven’t been at night, but I can imagine dinner is more of Buddha’s thing.

Ok, so let’s talk about the food. There is good food here. There’s interesting food to be tried. Like the Robata Grill, a unique technique of charcoaling that packs a great flavor. Sarah ordered the beef tenderloin and pineapple Robata ($11) and gave us her perspective, saying “this was probably some of the best steak I have ever tasted. It was beyond fork tender and practically falling off the kabob. The lunch portion was small, with four bites each of steak and pineapple. The guys were thinking they would have liked more meat, but for me, it was perfect.”

I have to confirm what Sarah has shared about portions. If you’ve read much of my writing you know I’m no fan of large portions, but this was decidedly too small. For $11 you get the single scewer. Rice is $3-$4 extra. Plus, you’re probably going to need something additional to really get a full meal, so you can see how the bill starts to add up.

Buddha Tao also offers some excellent sushi. We all had fun trying the Lucifer’s Folly roll ($10.50). Heed the warning offered by the menu, as this is one seriously spicy roll. Greg explains, “Stuffed with Chinese mustard and jalapeno, rolled in 7-spice and laying in wasabi aoili, it will clear out your sinuses in a burst of pain. But, unlike biting directly into an habanero pepper, the searing heat will be gone in a matter of seconds. What does it taste like? I couldn’t tell you. I was too busy trying not to rip my nose off my face.”

Greg describes our take on the rest of the sushi as follows:

“The most popular roll at the table was the very expensive lobster roll. At $23.50, it is an extravagance, but a tasty one. Plus, there’s an entire tail’s worth of lobster sitting on top of the thing, so at least you know where the money’s going. The Big Buddha roll ($14) was also a treat for the eyes. Beautifully crafted, the roll looked like one solid piece until you started pulling bites away. With a crab cake center and seared tuna on top, it was probably the easiest to eat (and look at) roll we had.

The vegan roll ($5) didn’t excite me, but that’s probably because its flavor was subdued next to the lobster, crab cake and other-wordly pain of the other rolls.

One glaring omission was a sashimi platter. There are sashimi selections ranging from $11-$14, but they are for one kind of seafood each. As much as I like my raw fish, I also like a little variety and I fear that paying $25+ for two kinds of fish might be a bit much.”

The menu also offers a lot of other options. Andrew had the Kobe beef burger ($11) and loved the fact that they prepared it perfectly to medium rare, as requested. As he says, “Most places cook to at least medium when you ask for this, but Buddha Tao didn’t shy away from it. It had a spicy mayo on it that really brought out the mild flavor of the Kobe beef. I thought it was fantastic.”

I was the only one who was dissatisfied with my order. I tried the noodle bowl, which I thought looked terrific on the menu. You can order it with your choice of meat and I chose Filet Mignon ($15). Unfortunately, the meat was not nearly as tender as what Sarah experienced. In fact, it was very, very tough. Plus, I just didn’t like the noodle bowl. The broth was very dark and overpowering and, I guess, I wasn’t expecting it to be so much like a soup as the menu described it as “tossed in a tangy-savory katsu sauce.”

On the other hand, our reader, Chris Johnson, really enjoyed the noodle bowl. He comments, “A mixture of vegetables accompanied a proportionate serving of chicken — and we all loved this dish. The flavors really shined through and it was the favorite entree of the evening.” So, this one is obviously a matter of taste, though I would avoid the steak when ordering this as it seems the chicken comes out better.

So, is Buddha Tao worth a try? Well, on the one hand, it’s definitely unique and there is definitely some good food here. On the other hand, it all comes down to value — is it worth the higher price tag? Personally, I’m glad I tried it, but I doubt I’ll be going back. But that’s just me, and I think the question of value is something that each person has to answer for themselves.

If you do go, I recommend going at night instead of at lunch (with the exception of a few lunch only items, the menu appears to be very similar between lunch and dinner), trying the Robata grill and some of the very special sushi rolls, and planning for the higher-end cost. Do that and you’ll likely have a great experience, then you can decide whether to make it a regular stop.

Have you been to Buddha Tao already? Let us know what you think in the comments.

I have to admit, I have a bias against fancy-schmancy hotel restaurants. It just seems like all too often they are trying to be fancy for fancy’s sake because the upscale hotel needs a fine-dining establishment downstairs to cater to their high-end guests. The prices are always off the charts and the food is typically generic. So, it was with low expectations that I gave the Park Avenue Grill a try. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised by the talent of their chef.

Park Avenue Grill resides on the ground floor of the fabulously renovated Skirvin Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City. It definitely has location going for it with this beautiful, historic structure to call home. The antique tile floors and majestic wooden columns throughout the spacious restaurant interior are a joy to see.

But as I looked past the fine atmosphere to the offerings on the dinner menu, my bias got the best of me. I saw mostly what I expected — generic, fancy-schmancy dishes including steaks, fish, chops … etc. I immediately began to lose hope. “Here we go again,” I thought. It’s not that I worried the food would be bad. I mean, I figured these guys knew how to cook. It’s just that I wasn’t seeing anything particularly creative to strike my interest.

Then my eyes caught a glimpse of the chef’s five course tasting menu. There, in the lower left-hand corner, I found details of a complete five course meal offered for $50 per person. Now, $50 is a lot of money, but I recalled my experience at Deep Fork Grill, where I thoroughly enjoyed the chef’s five course meal that now sells for around $70. “If these guys can pull off a great tasting meal for $50, this could be a lower-priced alternative to the Deep Fork experience,” I thought. This, plus the fact that the courses looked quite interesting, convinced me to give it a try.

The results were very encouraging. Each course was a beautiful balance of complex flavors with simple yet interesting presentations. Not only that, but Park Avenue Grill nails the issue that was my main complaint about Deep Fork — portion sizes. At Deep Fork, they charge higher prices but serve you so much food that you can’t possibly finish it all in one sitting. At Park Avenue, the price is lower and portions of each course are appropriate to where you can comfortably finish the entire meal. To me, Park Avenue’s solution is better. I want to enjoy the entirety of my meal without feeling overly stuffed or having to carry home bags of food that will never taste as good reheated.

It wasn’t just the portions that impressed me. The chef’s talent expressed through the quality of the flavors surprised me. Here I was allowing my hotel restaurant bias to convince me that I wouldn’t find anything interesting when, in reality, everything we tried was surprisingly a cut above the standard you might expect.

Take the jumbo lump crab cakes, for example ($12). My wife and I split this appetizer and found it to be unusually delicate, filled with almost nothing other than tender crab meat, seasoned and lightly breaded. The lack of fillers or other ingredients to distract from the crab was refreshing, and the poblano tartar sauce added just the needed kick. It’s a standard dish done better than you will find most places.

Similar pleasant surprises awaited me throughout my five courses. First came the smoked butternut squash soup with cappuccino cream and a warm hush puppy stuffed with braised squash and herb scented gnocchi. Yeah, that’s a lot of ingredients, but the result was surprisingly simple. I thought the hush puppy was dry and a bit unnecessary, but otherwise this was a big win.

The following courses were equally as interesting — duck confit salad with warm bacon vinaigrette; Maine sea scallops seared in uni butter sauce with carrot puree, onions and edamame (scallops are becoming one of my favorites); and pan-seared stockyard filet with pistachio foie gras sauce. Sure, the descriptions are overly verbose, but each selection was expertly cooked, nicely seasoned, and elegantly presented.

There is also a dessert course. We got to taste two things. First, their own secret-recipe carrot cake was very good. It was extremely moist and had a very dark, rich flavor. The key lime pie, on the other hand, wasn’t the best in my opinion. It was more sweet than tart, almost like a lime cheesecake and not what I look for in key lime pie (for excellent key lime pie, you can see our review on Iguana Mexican Grill).

There is only one major thing I would recommend regarding the chef’s tasting menu. I think they should borrow from Deep Fork and throw some surprise into it. Park Avenue has the whole thing printed up in the menu, which makes it seem less custom-made. I’d rather not know exactly what I’m going to get. Vary it up and let the waitstaff provide full descriptions upon presenting each course. To me, that makes for an even better experience and it would keep me coming back if I knew I could experience something new each time.

My only other complaint with Park Avenue was the ambient music. It was quite loud and consisted of what I like to call “fake jazz,” that elevator-style monotony that makes me want to gnaw off my own arm. I admit, I’m a bit picky when it comes to music, being a jazz musician myself, but I have yet to meet someone who really likes this musical style. Perhaps they’ve done their research and find that this is the best musical option, but my recommendation would be to find something else and turn it down. Classical is nice or, for a more lively feel, try real, acoustic jazz. Of course, my wife always favors no music, also a good option.

Music aside, the Park Avenue Grill is, in my opinion, offering more than what I tend to expect from a fancy hotel restaurant. Everything we tasted possessed that little something extra. This really made it a worthwhile experience. Plus, the $50 five-course menu is a great way to taste a wide range of interesting creations for a reasonable cost.

Do you have an experience at Park Avenue Grill to share? Let us hear it in the comments.

I’ve been wanting to try Cafe Nova for some time now, but a few things have kept me away. First, it isn’t a kid friendly place, and I have a ton of kids. Second, they have a lunch menu, but I don’t have time very often for long, relaxed lunches. So, I’ve been waiting for a good opportunity to get out and try it. Well, I finally had another anniversary, and therefore a reason to dump the kids with someone else while my wife and I enjoyed a nice, relaxing dinner. So, we tried Cafe Nova and … well … I really want to like it, but it just falls short.

The problem is they are billing themselves as a premier dining location in Oklahoma City (with prices to match) and that’s going to bring them a higher level of scrutiny. To support this image, they’ve got to be hitting on all cylinders and for me, while there are a lot of things I like about the place, there is still a lot left to be desired. For my money, I’ll be looking elsewhere for a premium experience.

Among the things I do like is the atmosphere. Cafe Nova is a lot like the other eclectic eateries along the artsy stretch on north Western Avenue. Lots of stainless steel, black tablecloths, big, artsy glass panels, and local artists’ paintings on display. It appears that their logo is an Elk. Not sure why. They have an Elk skull (at least I think it’s an Elk, I’m not an expert on big game skulls) hanging behind the chic bar area. They also have a couple of large flat-panels displaying images of clouds and sky. Seems like a waste of money to spend thousands on flat-panels just to put pictures of clouds on them, but hey, it’s not my money (well, I guess it is when I get the bill).

Anyway, we got there around 5:45-ish, hoping to beat the dinner rush. Boy did we! There was only one other party in there besides us. I asked the server where everyone was and he said that the dinner crowd would kick in later. Not sure where they were because they never showed up, even when we were leaving close to 7. The food was pretty good, not fantastic, but pretty good. The service was great (then again, it’s not hard to give one table good service) and the atmosphere was nice. So where was everyone? Is the economy making a play on the small dinner crowds? I’m not convinced of that because, from my dinner table, I could watch throngs of people outside parking and walking down the street to a bustling Sushi Neko. At any rate, we were able to get personal consultation from our waiter and make our selections in peace and quiet, that’s for sure.

The waiter emphatically recommended two dishes, the tilapia and the Tournedos Oscar. I was leaning towards the Tournedos Oscar in the first place. One thing I love about filet medallions is that they are usually fork tender and, since they are nearly bite-sized, you get a larger proportion of tasty sear per bite than you do on a normal steak.

While we waited for our main courses we decided to try the lump crab quesadilla. Far and away, this was the best choice of the night. The quesadilla consisted of lump crab with fresh baby spinach leaves and goat cheese in a very tender, pan-fried flour tortilla. It was fantastic. It was paired with a mayonnaise-based dipping sauce that had bits of roasted pepper, garlic, and a tart and peppery finish that paired well with the sweet crab. Fresh bread was brought out as well with an oil and balsamic vinegar dipping sauce, although unfortunately they overdid the balsamic vinegar portion of the suspension. No amuse bouche here like you get at Tom and Jerry’s or Deep Fork. Too bad. I think the amuse bouche gives a chef the opportunity to really showcase his or her skill.

The main courses had great presentations. The pecan-crusted tilapia was served atop a bed of spinach risotto and decorated with a tomato vinaigrette. My wife said it was “pretty good.” She wished she had gotten the seared ahi tuna instead. To the chef’s credit though, it’s much harder to make a tilapia dance on your tongue than it is a sushi-grade chunk of ahi tuna. God made ahi tuna taste good sliced right off the fish. You have to really work at messing it up.

The Tournedos Oscar featured chunks of filet and lump crab presented atop a bed of mashed potatoes and decorated with fried spinach leaves. The description said that it would also have a Bearnaise sauce, but I could not detect the Bearnaise. Instead, it seemed more like a cheesy cream sauce (and a soft, nutty cheese at that, perhaps with some brie in it).

I was disappointed with the filet medallions on a couple fronts. First, there was no sear. They almost appeared braised in sauce rather than pan-seared. Second, they were extremely fatty. So fatty in places, in fact, that I looked around in a panic a couple times for a place to dispose of the hunks of connective tissue I was unable to masticate. I tried “Fletcherizing” my food by chewing 32 times … but still no progress. I finally had to swallow them like pills. This happened more than once. Sure, there were some tender medallions too, but the tough ones made me a little apprehensive to go after many more.

The fried spinach leaves were interesting. They were crisp and they had a kind of nutty flavor. I didn’t really like the sauce. It had a flavor in the background that I wasn’t very fond of. It wasn’t bad, it was just a flavor that I didn’t like. I had my wife try to figure it out, too. That’s when I began wishing I had tried the Berkshire pork chops or the shrimp scampi.

I really wanted to like everything about this place. Like I said, good atmosphere, and they deliver a contemporary American cuisine in the “cool” part of town. I’m just not sold on Cafe Nova being one of the premier spots in Oklahoma City. When you’re a higher-end restaurant charging a premium for every plate, you’ve got to stand up to a much greater degree of scrutiny, and I think Cafe Nova just falls a little short. On the other hand, I will be back though for those crab quesadillas. Pair one of those up with a bowl of soup or a salad and you could get in and out with a reasonable bill and a very tasty experience.

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

PLEASE NOTE: Tom and Jerry’s no longer exists as described below and has been reopened as Mexicasa. It is operated by the same people but with a completely different cuisine.

Anytime I am asked about my favorite restaurants in Oklahoma City, I am stumped. I have several “favorites.” I usually have the person clarify the question to narrow down the results. If the inquisitor is in search of finer dining options, I will tell them that Tom and Jerry’s Steak and Fish Grille is near the top of my list. It is fine dining, but not too expensive or snooty. They have diverse menu options, and they can customize their service to adapt to your schedule if needed.

I like to eat well at a finer establishment on occasion. Sure, I have been known to brave the not-so-well -known places throughout the city, but I can also go for an upscale meal — something without blaring music or flat panel TVs where there is not a ketchup bottle or one of those insulting steak sauce bottles anywhere in the building. Tom and Jerry’s is just the place. It is not a kid-friendly place. So, if you are like me (and the old woman who lives in a shoe) you’d better call the babysitter before you set out for Tom and Jerry’s.

Fresh flowers and candles adorn every table. The sound of the resident jazz sax player fills the air (at a soothing level), and the artwork of Thomas Batista (one of the owners) decorates the walls and invites patrons to purchase their favorites and take them home for themselves (I’ve noticed a lot of restaurants in the area do this from Cheever’s to Classen Grill, but do the artists ever sell anything? Just wondering). The atmosphere is one of elegance and sophistication. They also have a nice patio area with a small water garden. It’s great for those warm spring evenings.

The waitstaff here really caters to your needs, but in a way that isn’t abrasive or pushy. I had a reservation the other night, and I had to keep calling and pushing it back and finally Scott, the maitre d’, told me to quit worrying about it and just get there when I could and he would make sure he had a table ready. This was on a Friday night too, not a dead Tuesday evening. I found this level of accommodation refreshing.

Once you order and you’re waiting on your main course, Tom and Jerry’s likes to present you with an “amuse bouche,” French for “mouth amuser.” It’s a small little tease, normally with a concentration of flavor, to spark the appetite and prepare the palate for the main event (Deep Fork also always seems to do this well). This time we were presented with a roasted pepper and radicchio something or other on a small sliver of roasted potato. I could have eaten a tray of these but my wife didn’t like it at all. She doesn’t like roasted pepper, though.

When you look over the dinner menu, you don’t get four pages of options but rather a single page consisting of 8 to 10 main dishes, a handful of appetizers, and a tapas menu. I like this. This allows the chef to concentrate on making a few dishes very well, which can really translate to higher quality. The menu rotates, but typically features a couple steak options (normally a filet dish and a strip, T-bone, or Ribeye), a fish dish or two, duck breast, and a couple comfort-food-type choices like a fried chicken with truffle sauce, or a gourmet meatloaf. Tapas and Paella are also served for those wanting a Spanish experience. I’m not aware of another restaurant in town offering tapas or paella. Tapas are the new rage, especially among the urban youngsters hopping from restaurant to restaurant for cocktails and these small, Spanish-influenced appetizers. I’m not sure if it is catching on in Oklahoma City yet (there’s not a lot of restaurant hopping involved here), but if it ever does, Tom and Jerry’s is ready to lead the charge.

On my most recent visit, I chose the green peppercorn New York Strip with a cognac glaze, and my wife had the seared Ahi Tuna. Both were fantastic. The strip was perfectly cooked medium-rare and decorated with garlic and green peppercorns. Green peppercorns can really be a nice accent to a steak. They are very aromatic and they have a completely different, and brighter, flavor than their fermented brothers, black peppercorns. The cognac sauce was sweet and flavorful. You could smell the cognac reduction and it was particularly good on the sauteed potatoes that were served al dente along with some roasted asparagus.

My wife’s tuna was served on a bed of thin rice noodles. I have had their pasta before as well, and these guys can make a great cream sauce. I’m a big fan of sauces and Tom and Jerry’s goes the distance with some interesting sauces and reductions often featuring exotic Spanish and even South American influenced flavors. This is definitely not your average steakhouse.

I think Tom and Jerry’s fills a role in Oklahoma City as a comfortable yet fine dining experience. It has a smaller, more independent feel than some of the larger restaurant groups. So, next time you are looking for that nice yet comfortable evening out with a local flair, give Tom and Jerry’s a try. It won’t break the bank or insult the taste buds. Let me know what you think.

“You run a website about Oklahoma City restaurants, and you’ve never been to Deep Fork?” my friends all asked me in disbelief. It seems that Deep Fork is very highly regarded by most everyone I know as one of their favorite places. Yet, I had never been until recently. Now I see why they like it so much. Deep Fork really fires on all cylinders with great atmosphere, great food, great service, and even something unique — the chance to have a chef choose your meal for you.

I have to admit, I’m a food adventurer. Putting my dinner choices in the hands of a qualified chef is right up my alley. So, I had to give it a try at the Deep Fork. You see, if you look closely at Deep Fork’s menu, just below the dinner specials, you’ll see a line that says, “or let Executive Chef Clay Falkner feed you. Four courses – $65 per person.”

Yes, it is $65 and, if you’re like me, that’s a lot of money. So, this one is definitely for the very special occasions that are few and far between. On the other hand, it is four courses and you’d easily spend that amount for a meal of this complexity at any fine restaurant. So, if you’re up for spending that much on dinner, I highly recommend this experience. It’s simply a delightful thing to let yourself be surprised by course after course of intriguing dishes prepared especially for you.

It should be noted that you don’t have to spend this much to eat at Deep Fork. Most of their dinners are $20-$30, and they have some brick oven pizzas in the $10-$20 range, making them really quite affordable when compared to other higher-end places.

Nonetheless, here’s how it went down for me:

Our waiter asked me if there were any things that I didn’t like or if I had any food allergies, or any special requests. I told him I was open to anything. I also told him that I don’t particularly like heavy, rich desserts, but would rather have something light and fruit-based for a dessert course.

Course #1: a small plate of fruits, cheeses and toast points. This course was simple, elegant, and exactly the right portion. A few different exotic cheeses, some fruit, including a compote, and two small toast points. Each piece was original and very tasty. I absolutely loved this course.

Course #2: a spinach, fruit and nut salad with a very light but sweet vinaigrette. This salad was very good. Everything was incredibly fresh. The spinach leaves were about the greenest I’ve ever seen. The fruits included sliced strawberries and thinly-sliced granny smith apples. My only complaint — it was too big (see more on portion sizes below).

Middle course: now this was a surprise. It seems that Deep Fork likes to bring out little surprises of complimentary items for everyone. Both my wife (who didn’t order the four-course) and I were presented with this small bite of bacon-wrapped chicken in a very spicy sauce. I loved it, but it was too spicy for my wife.

Course #3: my absolute favorite of the night — seared sea scallops in an asian-influenced sauce with bok choy and wild mushrooms. I don’t eat a lot of scallops, but I would if I could have these every day. They were fork-tender, juicy and the seared exterior added just the right amount of zip. The accompanying sauce was flavorful but not overpowering. You could really appreciate the natural flavor and texture of the scallop. Amazing.

Course #4: steak, chorizo sausage, potatoes, and grilled asparagus in a rich burgundy sauce with wild mushrooms. As you can tell, this course was more than a meal in itself. I didn’t eat any of this at the restaurant but actually took the whole thing home, split it, and ate it for two separate meals.

This leads me to my only complaint with the experience. The portions are way too big. Anyone who knows me knows that this is a recurring complaint I have with the restaurant industry in general — they teach us to eat way too much food. If I’m going to order a four-course meal, I would like to be able to enjoy the entirety of the meal from start to finish without stuffing myself. In this case, I was completely full by the end of course number three. Generally, it is the nicer, higher-end restaurants that serve appropriate, rather than oversized, portions. Deep Fork missed on this one for me.

One thing that would have made it better is if perhaps I could have split the whole thing with my wife. Or, better yet, perhaps a two-person package price. Maybe $100 for two people, with each person getting their own, customized, and appropriately-sized four-course meal. I think $100 would be very reasonable for two people and if the portions were adjusted, I would definitely want to experience this again. The two person package would also help because it’s kind of awkward when one person is getting four courses and the other person has to wait through three of them before they get any food.

But aside from this issue, I have absolutely no complaints. In fact, I have extremely high praise for the level of service Deep Fork provides. Our particular waiter was extremely attentive, easy to talk to, and very, very knowledgeable. He knew details about each and every course he presented. This level of service is worth the higher price tag when you are looking for a high-end experience.

Here’s an example of the great service. Just about the time our main courses came, my wife was starting to feel a little ill. This was not related to the restaurant experience at all, but she really thought she needed to go home and lay down. I let our server know and he acted as though this was the most natural thing in the world as he quickly took our plates back to the kitchen and returned minutes later with everything boxed up (including a light, fruity dessert course), and in a sack ready for us to take home. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated the ease with which he handled this whole situation. It turned what could have been an awkward exit into non-issue.

Bottom line: Deep Fork Grill is one of Oklahoma City’s best. That’s what I’ve heard from most everyone I’ve ever talked to about it, and having experienced it myself now, I would have to agree. They have the whole package going for them. Plus, the opportunity to get a “customized” four-course surprise is very unique in Oklahoma City.

Tell us what you think about Deep Fork in the comments below.

The very first time I dined at Cheever’s Cafe, I knew I had found something special. I had just moved back to Oklahoma City and found a home in one of our great historical neighborhoods. Cheever’s was literally just a few blocks away, yet I never tried it until one day, I was invited to a lunch meeting there. After stepping inside and getting my first taste, I was hooked. Cheever’s really delivers on everything I love about local dining.

The atmosphere is lively and sophisticated. Located in an old building that’s been revitalized, but not overly polished, Cheever’s offers that “old turned new” environment that I love so much (which is why I bought a 90 year old house). Artwork from local artists adorns the walls and is rotated often.

I really love Cheever’s at lunch (Monday through Friday only). They offer a lunch menu that, in my opinion, is actually more comprehensive than their dinner selection. Plus, at lunch you can experience Cheever’s for quite a bit less cash than in the evening. The crowd pours in from the capital district and surrounding downtown locations. The atmosphere is energetic and business-casual and provides a real feel for city dining and a great place for your power lunch or lunch meeting.

The first time I went, I selected the seafood tamales ($11.95), and I have to say, that was an excellent choice. It’s been a favorite of mine ever since. It features huge chunks of seafood including lobster, fish, shrimp and scallops in a semi-spicy, cream-based sauce, poured over a sweet-potato masa tamal and served with cilantro rice. This type of creative variation on standard dishes pervades the menu. Each item offers an element of flavor that sets it apart from the norm.

Of course, dinner at Cheever’s is a treat as well. At night, the atmosphere turns a great deal more elegant with a less bustling atmosphere. The menu is more selective and a bit more pricey. However, at night I love the larger selection of steaks. I have to say that Cheever’s filet ($31) is perhaps the best I’ve had in the city, rivaling even that at the Red PrimeSteak, which is owned by the same group. Plus, at Cheever’s, you get a more complete meal with two sides included with your steak for a lower cost than you can get at the higher-end Red Prime.

You can review Cheever’s lunch and dinner menus on their website.

Cheever’s also offers a bonus of dinner rolls included with every meal at no cost. This is a nice treat that you don’t find at many restaurants at this level. Plus, the rolls are up to Cheever’s standards as they have a phenomenal combination of herbs that give a very unique flavor. The only problem is that they are so tempting, you have to work hard not eating too many of them before your main meal arrives.

The only negative I can think of about Cheever’s is that in recent months, it seems to me that the level of service has suffered a bit. The first time I went for dinner, we had a phenomenal waiter who really presented the restaurant in its best form. Since that time, though, the wait staff has seemed to me less passionate and concerned. This may be part of why I prefer to go at lunch where it’s a quicker, more efficient experience and the level of service isn’t as much a factor. For a nice long dinner, though, the wait staff can really make or break the experience and I’ve been a bit disappointed in the more recent times I’ve visited.

But even with inconsistent service, Cheever’s still holds it’s place as one of my very favorite restaurants in Oklahoma City. I’ve reviewed all three of the Good Egg offerings on this site — Iron Starr (read review) and Red PrimeSteak (read review) being the other two. I’m very fond of all three, but I have to say that Cheever’s might just be my favorite all around, especially at lunch. I just don’t know anywhere else in the city that you can experience such creativity, flavor, atmosphere, and excellence for the price.

Oh, and of course, Cheever’s serves the very same chocolate cake (my wife’s favorite) offered at Iron Starr. For more on that, see my Iron Starr review.

I highly recommend Cheever’s for a reasonable, lively lunch experience or for a quiet and lovely dinner out. Do you agree? Disagree? Why not leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on Cheever’s.

The Red Pin Restaurant and Bowling Lounge opened recently in Bricktown, bringing an upscale spin on the traditional bowling alley. While I’m not too much into bowling, I was intrigued by the Red Pin’s claims to offer gourmet food alongside the bowling experience. In fact, they even bill themselves as a restaurant in their title, so of course, I had to check it out. When I did, I found a unique and interesting experience, but one that is more about concept than it is about cuisine.

What I mean by “concept over cuisine” is that you can’t really appreciate the food they offer separate from the concept of the entire experience. In other words, this isn’t the type of place you’d want to go for a typical restaurant dinner. On the other hand, if you are looking for a fun evening with the activity of a bowling alley but with food that is way better, the Red Pin definitely has something to offer.

The atmosphere at the Red Pin is lively and fun. The bowling lanes are on one end of the facility, there’s a bar in the middle, and then an area on the other end for sit-down dining. The bowling facilities are top of the line, with huge televisions spanning across the lanes providing sports entertainment while you roll your own fun.

The food at Red Pin can be ordered from anywhere in the facility, and it consists of clever variations on the types of foods you might find at a bowling alley. Familiar items like pizzas, hot dogs, hamburgers and the like are fancied up and served on nice plates. Most every item is served family-style and intended to be shared. This is why it’s not a real “sit-down dinner” type of place, because instead of ordering a meal and getting a main dish and a couple of sides, you’ll be ordering several different types of “finger foods” and sharing them around the table.

You can see why Red Pin would set it up this way. For one thing, it makes it more like a bowling alley. Also, the food is intended to be eaten while doing other things like bowling or hanging out at the bar. So, finger foods are a good choice.

On the other hand, it confuses me a bit that they set up part of the facility like a full-service restaurant. It just feels a little awkward to sit down at a table for dinner and conversation and pass around plate after plate of snacks. I feel that if they truly want to bill themselves as a restaurant, they should put together some menu offerings that can be ordered and served individually as a complete meal. They could still offer the family-style options, but adding some additional dining options couldn’t hurt. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the food is bad. In fact, it’s quite good (more on that below). I’m just trying to give you the proper expectation. There is a bit of disconnect if you go in expecting a restaurant dining experience.

When I ate there, I tried both the house and Caesar salads. Even the salads come in two sizes ($3.50 and $6) and are intended to be shared. It’s a bit tricky to share a salad, but that’s how they set it up. Both salads were very fresh. The house salad had nice, thick vegetables on a bed of spring lettuce.

I also sampled the powerhouse pizza ($13) which is a big old pizza with a ton of toppings. It was good for fancy pizza, but I think you can find better at any number of brick-oven pizza places.

What I really liked were the Red Pin Sliders. These are small hamburgers or chicken sandwiches made up with some interesting and gourmet toppings. I tried the beef version which comes with either two or three on a plate ($7.50 or $10 respectively). I tasted three. One was made up with roasted garlic and blue cheese, another with grilled onions, shiitake and portobello mushrooms, and the last was with center-cut bacon and cheddar. I have to say the garlic and blue cheese was my favorite, but all three were really good. The sliders are definitely a specialty that is worth trying at Red Pin.

For dessert, the Red Pin features some selections from local confectioners. I sampled the Chocolate Lava, which is a warm chocolate cake served with a light cream. I also had a bite or two of the cheesecake. Both desserts ($5 each) were very good and pretty affordable for what you get.

Speaking of affordability, I expected the Red Pin to be a bit more expensive than it was. It is somewhat pricey compared to normal bowling alley food, but I really think you get a pretty good value for the price. The trick is just in figuring out how to put together a meal out of the various finger food options. For what it’s worth, I recommend that you at least get a salad to start because it’s just about the only vegetable dish on the menu.

In summary, the Red Pin Restaurant and Bowling Lounge has a lot to offer Oklahoma City as a fun destination and an upscale twist on a favorite pastime. From a culinary standpoint, the food they offer is high quality and even provides some unique and interesting flavors, but it is presented in a family style, finger-food manner. This is consistent with their concept, but it doesn’t provide a great option if you are just looking for a nice restaurant dining experience. So, make sure you go first for the concept and while you’re there, enjoy the cuisine.

I rarely use the word “hate,” but in this case, I think it’s appropriate. I really think that Oklahoma City’s Cheesecake Factory might be the worst restaurant we have. I know that this will be controversial, but hear me out. I have some good reasons to feel this way, and understanding all the things I despise about the Cheesecake Factory will help you to understand the things I value in the restaurants I love. Plus, I welcome all dissenting opinions so please let your voice be heard in the comments.

So, here they are – five reasons I hate the Cheesecake Factory:

1) It’s a chain. In general, I like local places better than chains. There are a few chains that I love (bring on Chipotle), so being a chain restaurant isn’t reason enough to cause me to hate you, but it’s a good start in that direction.

2) Instead of focusing on doing a few things well, they try to do everything. Check out the Cheesecake Factory menu and you’ll notice that it’s enormous. Page after page of every different type of food imaginable: Italian, American, Mexican, Asian, international, salads, pizzas, quiches, soups, steaks, blah, blah, blah … it goes on forever. I’m not saying the food isn’t edible, but it’s just too much. Give me a place that only does a few things, but does them extremely well.

3) They sell advertising in their menu. Speaking of the enormity of their menu, it’s so big, they even sell ads in it, like a playbill. First of all, they charge enough for their food that they really shouldn’t have to sell ads. Secondly, what does this say about the dining experience? It seems to me that at a restaurant, the focus should be on the food. The menu is just a tool to help communicate all of the beauty of the food a restaurant offers. To muddy that up with ads for clothes and jewelry and things totally unrelated to dining is not only distracting but simply makes the process of ordering that much more confusing and lengthy.

4) Their portions are ridiculously huge. Ok, I’m stepping onto my soapbox now. I think large portions are the shame of the restaurant industry. Somewhere along the way, restaurants figured out that you can charge more for food and still make people think they’re getting a deal if you throw an extra chicken breast on there or pile the plate sky-high. This is a terrible practice and no doubt contributes to the obesity and general unhealthiness of our society. Isn’t it ironic that the really nice restaurants, the ones that care about their food and are the most expensive, generally serve smaller portions?

The Cheesecake Factory takes oversized portions to the extreme. Literally, I have ordered a salad there, split it with my wife and still had enough left to take home for each of us to split again. So, if one portion is large enough for four servings, something is wrong.

5) It looks like a palace, not a factory. Now, this one is purely a branding issue. Whoever came up with the name of the restaurant certainly didn’t consult with the architectural designers. The feel of the interior is gaudy opulence. “Cheesecake Palace” maybe, but definitely not a factory.

I know that many of you may not agree with me, and that’s ok. I’d love to hear your perspectives in the comments. Maybe I’ll learn something new. But for me, here’s the bottom line — it’s not that the food is bad, it’s just that everything they do makes me think they don’t really even care about the food. The focus seems to be on other things. I’d rather spend my money on those places that are passionate about their food.

Of course, there is one bright spot — they do have good cheesecake.

PLEASE NOTE: The North Fork Bar and Grill is now closed.

I finally decided to try North Fork Bar and grill. It sits on what I call “chain restaurant row” on Memorial. North Fork filled the building that Applewoods used to occupy. I haven’t heard many people talk about this place, but as we drove down Memorial in search of a place to eat this was the only place with immediate seating available. Bad sign, but it was the only non-chain place on the strip so I thought we would try it. What made me optimistic was an online reservation website that made it the 4th most popular restaurant in Oklahoma City ahead of such places as Deep Fork and even Cheevers.

The experience started off well. I went in with the whole crew (all 3 kids) not knowing what to expect. The server immediately brought us three little plates of cut up fruit for the kids to snack on. What a brilliant move! I appreciated having their mouths full while I explored the menu, and my wife appreciated something healthy for them rather than crackers and bread. While we decided what to select they brought out apple fritters, just like Applewoods used to. Unfortunately, they were cold and stale. I attributed it to off-peak hours since we were there at 7. Warm rolls followed, which were pretty tasty.

I couldn’t decide what to get. There was pan fried trout, a “grown-up” mac and cheese with leeks and roasted tomatoes, a variety of steaks, pork chops, each served a couple different ways, and several other offerings. I asked our server and she suggested the Chicken Madeira, pork and beans, or the chili-rubbed Ribeye. I tried not to physically make a face at the pork and beans selection and decided not to try the Chicken Madeira due to unfairly lofty expectations (similar to what happens when I order Veal Marsala. What is it with exotic wine-based sauce dishes?). So, I settled on the chili-rubbed Ribeye. Wasn’t really wanting to spend $20 on my meal, but hey, I deserve a Ribeye every now and then, right? My wife decided on the adult mac & cheese, and what the kids got doesn’t matter, I don’t respect their taste-buds.

What followed was a lot of disappointment, to be perfectly candid. I was really wanting to like this place. Nice atmosphere, moderate pricing, fruit plate for the kids, has “Fork” in the name like one of my favorite Oklahoma City restaurants, and it wasn’t a chain. The ribeye reminded me of a steak you would get at Applebees. Yeah. Tough, not a lot of flavor, covered with a boring port wine sauce, and no clue what was chili rubbed. It had no spice or apparent seasoning on it. In fact, I salted it myself. It was paired with some french-style scalloped potatoes that were dried out and tough and some bland grilled vegetable medley. Speaking of which, what is it with the grilled vegetable medley lately? It seems everyone does that now and it’s always the same. Thick slices of squash and zucchini with not much flavor. Looks nice on the plate, but doesn’t dance well on the palate. My wife had a similar reaction to the adult macaroni. Neat concept, mediocre flavor. I wish I had ordered the pan-seared trout.

It’s possible there are other items on the menu that have more flavor. Maybe this was an off night. Regardless, it felt very much like those chain restaurants I make every effort to avoid.