Thai Sweet Basil Express is the newest in a string of restaurants to occupy its location.  Frankly, I don’t understand why any of them cannot seem to make a go of it.  They have all served delicious food, and the owners couldn’t be more accommodating or friendly.  Nevertheless, here goes the latest…

I took four friends and family members to lunch with me so I could get a variety of opinions and tastes.  We arrived kind of early for lunch, so we were the first ones there and got to spend some time with the new owner and chef, Chonlada Robertson, and her assistant, Pat.  They are friends of the previous tenant, who owned the Elephant Cafe, and who has moved to Boston.

We started with a couple of appetizers — the Edamame ($3.95) and the Potstickers ($3.95).  The Edamade is great for vegetarians and a rather fun thing to do while you wait for your entree — just sitting and pulling soybeans out of the skin with your teeth!  And it’s a great source of protein without filling you up.  The pork and veggie Pot Stickers were nice and crunchy and served with a soy-ginger dipping sauce which was very good.

My friend, Ali, went with the Yellow Curry Chicken ($5.95) and went spicy with it.  About two bites later, she began blowing her nose. This continued throughout the meal due to the heat.  I had a bite, and it was delicious, and yes — it packed a delightful punch to the nose.  If you like yellow curry, you have to try this dish.

My husband went with the Hawaiian Fried Rice with chicken ($6.95), which included eggs, raisins, pineapple chunks, cashews, tomatoes, carrots, onions and green peas.  It was more on the sweet side of things, which makes sense if he ordered it.  Most of the entrees he chooses could also qualify as dessert.

I had the Garlic Lover with chicken ($6.95), which included mushrooms, garlic, black pepper and fresh garlic sauce on a bed of steamed broccoli and cabbage.  This was yummy and yes, my breath stunk up the entire car on the way back to work, but it was worth every bite.

Mom went with the “I Love Veggie” ($6.95) and (gasp) added no meat, but tofu instead.  One of the great things about Thai Sweet Basil is that almost any of their entrees can be prepared for vegetarians. 

Cousin Carol had the Spicy Basil ($6.95) with pork. Her dish included fresh chili and garlic, bell peppers, onion and mushroom, green onion and sweet basil leaves.  This was yet again a completely different and really nice taste.  We all really enjoyed sampling each other’s dishes and the variety of tastes and seasonings.  All of our dishes were accompanied with a generous portion of white rice.

We thought the prices across the board here were very reasonable for the amount of food we received. Protein options for most entrees are chicken, pork, beef or tofu for $6.95 and shrimp for $7.95. The servings are very generous and piled high on your plate, such that we all took home half of our entrees for dinner the next night.

Chanlada and Pat have many years of cooking experience in Thailand and most recently, in Oregon.  They say they are always very interested to see how people all over the U.S. like their food prepared.  Toward the end of our meal, they insisted we try the appetizer entitled, “Oh My God!”  ($4.95). This was a fried tortilla roll with crab meat, cream cheese and basil leaves, accompanied by a fantastic spicy plum dipping sauce.  It was great as a dessert, as the sauce was also sweet. This was probably the best thing we tried.

Pat also insisted we come back to try his “subagetti” (spaghetti).  He said he used to work in an Italian restaurant and invented this Thai/Italian fusion dish.  There are four varieties available:  peanut sauce, red curry, green curry and yellow curry.  It’s the chef’s special available for $6.95 also. 

Pat and Chonlada are anxious for their business to begin.  We told them things should pick up after SNU classes begin again.  They said they ran more of a fast-food express type place in Oregon, so they are prepared for larger crowds. 

Here’s calling all Bethany-area residents.  This is another delightful place for new tastes.  Let’s get out and support them!  After you’ve tried it, let me know what you think.

Andrew has long been imploring us to get out and experience the tasty offerings of the authentic taquerias found in Oklahoma City. Only problem is that most of his recommendations are found in South OKC and, at least for me, that’s a long way to travel for lunch, which is when I most often have opportunity to grab some food. So, I was excited to hear about Chalo’s Tacos, a true taqueria found on the very north edge of Bethany, and much more conveniently located for my lunching. I had to give it a try.

The truth is, I’ve been meaning to try Chalo’s for a long time. One of our loyal Twitter followers was the first to recommend it to me, and he’s been very persistent in pushing it for some time now. But as I drove by the location over and over, I never saw it. That’s because they only very recently put a sign up outside. So, now it’s pretty easy to spot, sitting in the same strip mall as, and just to the north of, Pizzini’z pizza.

Walk inside and you’ll find a fairly inviting dining room where you can seat yourself at any number of tables. The menu is handwritten on dry erase boards above the counter and it’s pretty simple. Beef, pork or tongue are the meat choices and they can be made up as tacos ($1.35), burritos ($3.75), or tortas ($4.75). They also have tamale ($1.35) when available and a few other specialties.

Please note: they don’t have chips, salsa, guacamole or the like. This is a taco stand in a building, not an Okla-mex restaurant. Go with proper expectations.

Beverage choices are interesting as well. They have an assortment of Mexican bottled soft drinks and beers. I tried to order some water when I was there and was served a bottle of Coke instead (language may be a barrier for those, like me, who don’t speak Spanish). I think they have bottled water but it is evidently hard to get. One important note — if you’d like a bottle of Coke, get the large. They charge the same price for the small or the large. Interesting.

I had tacos (beef and pork — no tongue, sorry Andrew), and a tamal (which was also pork). The tacos are true street taqueria style, small and served open face on two corn tortillas with the meat filling, cilantro, onions and nothing else. They provide you with two different sauces you can add. One is green and one is red. They were both good, but I preferred the green as it was a little spicier and livelier. They also provide you with a plate of limes and thick-cut radishes. I’d never seen the radish thing before, but they were very fresh and I liked them. I guess you can put them on your tacos. I just ate them.

The tamal was good as well. Nothing fancy but very tasty and fresh.

I don’t think that Chalo’s Tacos is the absolute best taqueria in town, but I do think its location makes it very unique. I’m not aware of another place like it on the north side. If you’re looking for that authentic style and south OKC is too far away, it’s a great option. It’s also nice sometimes to have a comfortable place to sit as opposed to visiting a taco truck like Taqueria Sanchez.

However, the downside to Chalo’s Tacos is the price. Keep in mind, these tacos are very small. I ate four of them and a tamal without stuffing myself. That, plus the Coke I didn’t really order, put my bill at $10 for lunch. Compare the $1.35 per taco cost to Max Burger where you can often get two for $1, or to Taqueria Sanchez where the cost is 99 cents.

However, if you’re not quite as voracious as me, you can probably get by for less than I did. Plus, the comfortable atmosphere and convenient location (for those on the north side) accounts for some of the cost.

If Chalo’s Tacos were just a taco truck, I’d say go to Taqueria Sanchez. If it were on the south side, I’d say you have lots of other options to try. But as it is, I say if you’re located in northwest Oklahoma City and looking for a true taqueria where you can sit down and eat with friends, give Chalo’s Tacos a try. And, as always, let us know what you think in the comments.

PLEASE NOTE: Elephant Cafe has closed and a new restaurant with new ownership has opened up in its place. This review does not cover the new restaurant.

When I really need a break from work at lunchtime, I know I can get a quiet, relaxing meal and a variety of tastes at the Elephant Cafe, which just opened in September in downtown Bethany.  It was formerly known as Big! Rice and Noodle (read our review here), and that owner’s niece has taken over and given it a new name.  Lein Wu is half Thai and half Chinese, and the largely expanded menu provides many Thai, Japanese and other Asian choices.  She and her employees have the gift of hospitality that so many of my Asian friends possess.

My work girlfriends and I recently ate here during a working lunch, and everyone really enjoyed their entree choices.  Susan chose safely with the cashew chicken ($6.25).  She said it was good, but for her taste, just a tad too many onions and spices.  I went with a lunch combo ($6.25), which included my choice of a veggie roll (3) or a Bangkok roll (3); a choice of miso soup or clear soup (or hot and sour soup for $1 more); and a choice of lunch entree.  I chose the Bangkok rolls, the hot and sour soup and the spicy basil fried rice, which included chicken, onion, basil and bell pepper.  It also included a spicy Thai chili sauce, but I found myself needing to add extra red chili sauce from the side.  This dish did have a good flavor, but it just wasn’t quite spicy enough for me.  Beth, being a sushi lover, went with the orange chicken ($6.25) and a salmon roll ($4.25).

Side note to whoever dines with Beth — last time we ate here, I decided to venture out and try a bite of her sushi, as she promised me there would be nothing raw or “icky” on it.  She ordered a California roll, and when it arrived, I pointed out how cute the little shaved carrots on top were.  After I had consumed my portion, she said, “oh, by the way, the ‘carrots’ may have been roe.”

“MAY have been roe?  And just exactly what is roe?” I shrieked.  I was a first time sushi eater.

“Well … like … maybe salmon eggs,” she hedged.

I had been tricked and hoped I would live to see my next meal.  Which I did.  But not before she heard another thing or two about it.

Anyway, back to lunch, friend Ali had the “best decorated” lunch by choosing the steak teriyaki lunch box ($7.95), which included the steak, rice, salad and vegetable tempura.  It probably also tasted the best.

The previous time I dined here and had my first sushi experience, I tried the elephant combo appetizer ($7.95), which included crab rangoon, Bangkok rolls, chicken satay and vegetable rolls.  It was accompanied by a variety of dipping sauces, which were all tasty.  The chicken satay was especially nice smeared with the peanut sauce.

Dinner entrees run between $8.25 and $11.95, which isn’t bad, considering the amount of food you get.  I could have easily taken home half of my lunch for dinner again that evening.  And another nice thing is that they accept credit cards whereas Big! Rice and Noodle did not.  Miss Wu has done a nice job in creating a pleasant atmosphere.  We were the only patrons when we first arrived, but several others arrived during our meal.  She sent out two dessert entrees for us to try — the fried ice cream and the fried bananas.  The fried bananas won hands down!

I’ve said before that if one works in the Bethany area, one will be challenged for lunch and dinner choices.  That’s why I’m always excited to see somebody new giving it a “go” in this part of town.  So, try the Elephant Cafe and let me know what you think in the comments.  I hope Lien will be able to stick around for a long time.

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.

Not long after I posted the first shady restaurant review, it was recommended that Mi Familia, on the Bethany / Oklahoma City line at 16th and Rockwell, be considered for review and nomination. However, I couldn’t post it as a shady restaurant because, for one, I don’t think it is shady. It definitely had its shady characteristics, but I just don’t think it has the whole package. I think we have to be careful not to brand a restaurant as “shady” simply because of cultural differences, but only for reasons listed in the original criteria set for this prestigious award. In my opinion, Bethany just doesn’t have a lot of shady areas. Maybe I’m in denial. I’ll let the readers weigh in on the subject, but there are several things that make Mi Familia a great, and safe, place to dine.

Mi Familia is a Guatemalan-influenced restaurant with several Mexican staples as well. The outside of the restaurant is hard to miss. It is a bright sky-blue with a mural painted on it. Each window has written advertisement of the food inside as well, as many Latin restaurants do. Also, they advertise Vigo wire transfers for those wanting to send hard earned cash back to the homeland. There is a saying that if you want authentic latin food, look for the Vigo or Western Union sign out front.

The restaurant’s interior has been made over recently. When you first walk in you see a few tables in a room that opens up to the kitchen, and then there is a separate dining area around the side of the restaurant. They used to have a wall blocking the kitchen which made the place seem rather small, and they would always seat the Hispanic customers in the front space, and the non-Hispanics around on the side. Now that it is opened up it feels more inviting and less awkward. The walls are bright orange and purple and decorated with chilies, garlic, and onions.

The food here is interesting. There are several things I like, and several things I don’t like. I would call it inconsistent. I like their tamales. Tamales are served in a whole banana leaf South American-style which means they have a very creamy consistency, much like the tamales you find at El Salvador Restaurante Y Pupuseria. You will also find a chicken chunk, piece of potato, and other tidbits hidden in there for a surprise. I think the El Salvador tamales are a little better, but these are bigger and could be a complete meal by themselves. I usually get the Mama Elsa’s Plate which includes a tamal, pipian (a South American stewed meat product and sauce), plus rice and beans. The pipian has been beef at times and chicken at times. I much prefer the beef over the chicken. I feel like they often use inedible pieces of chicken making me think that they are just using left over parts that can’t be used in other dishes.

Their Chile Rellenos are different than most others I have had. They are full of ground beef and loads of cumin. They have a good flavor, but I prefer my chile’s with more cheese. They also serve pupusas here. They are good, but not as good as El Salvador’s.

(Side note: I actually had the best pupusas and tamales of my life at the shadiest “restaurant” in town the other day. I can’t list the place because I don’t want it to get shut down. It is actually run out of a lady’s apartment off I-240, surrounded by barbed wire, and you must speak Spanish and have an insider to get there. AMAZING food. I highly doubt it is governed by any food laws therefore its legality is in question, but she had two tables and a menu on the wall. The absolute best pupusas I’ve had, and she makes her own Horchata — El Salvador’s take on the popular Mexican rice based drink — that is out of this world).

Anyway … Mi Familia serves chips, salsa, and watered-down cheese sauce before your meal like every other place in town. I differ from Tim in my analysis of the cheese sauce at restaurants. I think this watered-down “cheese” is insulting at most places. I would rather pay for something good than be given a ramekin of something that is slimy, watery, and unflavorful. I know my opinion differs from most of Oklahoma City. Please don’t hate me.

The one thing I say stay away from is the enchiladas. I have had them, my wife has had them, my kids have had them, and each time they have been less than satisfactory. I think it is a cultural difference. They have a flavor that is unlike any enchilada I have ever had, and I don’t like it.

You can also get mole here. Not the fuzzy little blind mammal with the star-shaped nose (not that I wouldn’t eat that given the right circumstances), but the bitter and rich chocolate-based sauce. You don’t see that served many places in town.

So, Mi Familia gives you the opportunity to try something different in the Bethany area. Are there better restaurants out there? Sure. However, if you are like me, you get tired of the same places over and over again, and this place definitely provides a different take on Central American food that is worth noting.

Please note: Big! Rice and Noodle has closed and been reopened by a new owner as the Elephant Cafe (read our review of Elephant Cafe).

It’s always a big deal when a new restaurant opens in Bethany. Those of us who work here are pretty limited in eating choices, so we’re always excited to try something new. When Mom and I drove by Big! Rice and Noodle the other day, we couldn’t wait to check it out. Knowing that my co-reviewer, Tim, especially likes Thai food, I told him to go, too, and to give me his opinion. Which he did. So really, this article is a co-review by Tim and Sarah.

First of all, Tim and his co-workers arrived at 11:15 for lunch only to discover the place doesn’t open until 11:30. So, if you have plans to visit, please make note of the hours. Tim was able to review the menu which is posted outside, but then had to move on to someplace else because of time constraints. When Tim returned the next time, he had the following to say about his experience.

Tim’s take: I liked it and I give it the benefit of the doubt for being fairly new. I like the concept and the location. I wish the food had a little more zip to it. It was good, just not over-the-top great. I had Pad Thai and it was smooth and sweet, but usually I like it to have some kick and spice and smokiness in there too, and that was missing. They did provide the hot sauce so we could add our own heat, but that still didn’t quite get it for me.

I thought the place set itself up as a nice dinner location, but not so much a great lunch place. For one, it’s slow because they are trying to keep up with just a few employees. For two, the pricing is more dinner-ish and they didn’t have any lunch specials, which i thought would be beneficial. The plates and glasses and stuff are nice, so they are going for a little “higher-end” experience, which is fine, but they might have a tough time pulling that off in this location. With the college nearby, I’d think they could get a good bit of traffic if they provided something a little more accessible and quick.

A lot of the Thai places around where I live [the Asian district] have lunch specials in the $5-6 range and usually include soup and a spring roll. This place had the Pad Thai at $6.50 or $8 (with seafood) and you have to buy everything else ala carte.

I did like the fact that they had some interesting dishes, like the mango wrap Sarah mentions below. That was good and very interesting. The menu was, overall, pretty unique and I like that as well. The food seemed to all be quite fresh. Sarah says it’s handmade, and I can believe it.

Sarah’s take: The first time Mom and I went, it was slow. The second time I went with my work friend, Beth, it was much faster, but we were the first ones in there for lunch. Maybe that made a difference.

The owners are Naya, Jack and Pat Surasrang, who have lived in the U.S. for 20 years. They immigrated from Thailand, and have owned restaurants in California, Maine and Connecticut. They opened this location in Bethany last November in order to be closer to family, and everything they make is homemade.

Mom and I ordered the mango wrap as an appetizer, which was enormous. We were thinking small, burrito-style wrap, like an eggroll, but this was square-shaped and it was the size of an entire plate. Three or four people could easily have split one wrap. In spite of the size, it was delicious. It was on the sweet side, which Mom loved (she goes running and screaming at the site of one grain of pepper, let alone a bottle of hot sauce). By the time our entrees arrived, we were stuffed. She had the crispy noodles with vegetables and I had the cashew chicken. Again, these entrees covered the entire plate. So, we ended up taking most of it home for dinner that night. We could have easily split these dishes. My take on the taste is the same as Tim’s – it was all good, but it needs just a little spice to kick things up. If you can’t stand spice, then this is your place. They do have two spicy dishes on their menu, but most of the time, Asian food has a little more something to it than this did.

The next time I went with Beth, we each had the chicken fried rice with no appetizer and this time, the portions were better. Again, it was good. It was flavored a little differently than any other chicken fried rice I’ve ever had, but it still needed just a little kick of something.

I’m glad we finally have an Asian food place in Bethany. It will beat driving several miles north to the next closest place. Just don’t go if you’re in a hurry, or if you’re looking for a decorative-type atmosphere, because there aren’t any decorations yet. But maybe this is what adds to the quaintness of the place. Maybe they’re only worried about their food, and not how the place looks. Give it a try and let us know what you think.

If anyone besides me is still missing Seinfeld, I have just the answer for you. Head down to Papa Angelo’s in the heart of downtown Bethany, and you’ll think you’ve walked right into a new Seinfeld episode. Papa Angelo can usually be found holding court in the middle of his small and cozy restaurant, while sons Joe and “Red” hand toss the crust for whatever you have just ordered.

The whole DiGiAntomasso family hails from New York City, and they come complete with the accent. Joe says he arrived first 12 years ago. Well, actually, this is where he was when he ran out of gas, and he just stayed. Except when he had to go back and get Mom and Pop. Papa Angelo, 78, says he is so old that he was a waiter at the Last Supper.

The day that Mom, my friend Beth, and I went for lunch, Papa was out because he had just returned from a drive back to New York for a wedding. But any of the five family members are more than happy to supply the entertainment while your pizza bakes. When Joe found out we were reviewing them for this site, he called Papa and said to get down there – someone wanted to interview him. He said Papa had left on vacation and hadn’t come back. When Papa arrived, I asked him if that was true, and he said Joe was crazy and that what he didn’t know is that he had been up until 4am that morning cooking two pots of homemade tomato sauce. He said all this as he was chewing on a piece of pizza while sitting at our table. A little while later, Red yells over to us from behind the pizza assembly area that Papa is so old he was a busboy at the Last Supper. Papa yells back that he was a waiter, not a busboy. And a big argument (in New York accents) ensued from there over which job it really was. Mama is tired and is sitting with her back to us in another booth while she chews on her pizza that she took out of Papa’s hands. Beth asks her if she works here full-time also, and she says no because she can’t see the TV here as well as she can see the big screen at home. Beth then tells Joe she needs a refill, and he tells her the soda fountain is behind the counter.

All of Papa’s recipes are from the family. And, if you’re not family and you work at Papa’s, you must sign a waiver to never give out any of the recipes. Papa is serious about this. Take the garlic knots, for instance, which I highly, highly recommend. One time a customer pestered Papa so much for the recipe, that Papa gave it to him and said that he added a bunch of red cayenne pepper. Well, the customer ran right home and made his own and about choked to death on them. There’s really not any red pepper in them, but Papa thought he would teach him a lesson. Papa has also won over many fans of his eggplant parmesan. People who have sworn they would never eat eggplant eat Papa’s. Papa says they make their own dough, grind their own cheese, and make their own homemade sauce.

We go at lunchtime, and I recommend getting there early ahead of Bethany High School. We like the lunch special, which is two gigantic pieces of cheese pizza and a drink for $4. Extra toppings are $.25 a slice. The pizza is served on a really flimsy white paper plate (I would suggest they at least invest in some good Chinet paper plates), and if you want a fork, they’re in the corner.

If you’re really hungry, every Saturday night from 8pm – 9pm, the “Empire Challenge” is issued. If you can eat the 20-inch Empire pizza in 45 minutes, it’s yours free. You have to choose two meats and one veggie. No one has ever accomplished this feat. There are eight pictures on the Wall of Shame, and none on the Wall of Fame.

Papa Angelo’s will soon become a chain. Red is headed to Jones, OK, to open a second location at 119 W. Main Street. And, another branch is planned for Choctaw.

So, if you’re ever looking for some entertainment at lunchtime, and some good Italian food (they’ve also got five pasta dishes), head to downtown Bethany and give Papa Angelo’s a try. Usually, you end up making friends with everyone in there because Papa is such a character. Well, actually, the whole family is.

There’s just something about seeing Mr. Salehi and his family preparing tasty Greek food behind the counter at Athens. It’s like going home for lunch. You know the people preparing your food, and it’s comfortable while you wait. The TV is always on, and today we even had Christmas music playing over the TV, which was even better. Many times there are two or three squad cars full of Bethany police officers eating in too. Plus all the other regulars. In fact, some days at peak lunchtime, you might have to wait for a table. But if you combine two tables for a large group, be sure you put everything back like you found it. They like that. Yep, Athens is one of the few great restaurant finds in the Bethany area.

The Salehis arrived in the U.S. 30 years ago from Iran, or ancient Persia. They have been serving up their own recipes for 11 years now, and I think they have the absolute best gyro meat in town. Remember as a kid when you went to Long John Silver’s and the best thing about the meal was the crunchy tidbits of batter in the bottom of the basket? Well, Athens has the same type of thing, only the crunchy tidbits in the bottoms of their baskets are tasty bits of gyro meat. This is why I think their meat is the best – somehow or another, Mr. Salehi knows how to get his gryo meat crunchy, and it’s fabulous.

These crunchy little tidbits come on the Greek platter, which is my favorite dish. It’s a combination of shaved gyro meat, pita bread, lettuce, tomatoes, onion and their own homemade meat dip, which is a kind of yogurt dip with yummy seasonings. And in fact, they have recently improved on this – today it was very creamy with extra seasonings. I recommend the Greek platter because you can make mini-gyros with it instead of the great big huge regular-sized gyro that, in my opinion, is hard to eat. My husband, on the other hand, likes the big, huge gyro, as it is more of a big, meaty, manly man sandwich. I order a side of their homemade tabouli to top off my platter, which is just right. But if you order the regular-sized gyro, you can get the lunch combo that comes with fries and a drink.

If you’re not into gyro meat (my Mom can’t stand the thought of eating “a sweet little innocent lamb”), Athens also serves great grilled chicken, other types of sandwiches and even great tasting old-fashioned grilled hamburgers and big, thick fries. In fact, sometimes we just go for the burgers. If you’re not a meat person, they also have a good three-salad combo which is made up of the Persian salad, Greek salad and tabouli. And there’s always a tray of freshly made baklava on the counter for dessert.

This is a great place. One of the guys I work with eats lunch here almost every day, and one of my best friends and I use Athens to talk about work strategies. It’s where we go when we really need to talk and solve all of our workplace problems. One tip before you go, don’t park on the west side of the building. The silly loan place next door has posted rude signs that they’ll have you towed if you do. Only park east.

PLEASE NOTE: R-Way-Cafe is no longer in business. A new business has opened up in this location called Maggie’s Cafe. However, we don’t have a review of Maggie’s yet. The article below is not about Maggie’s.

On 39th St, in between car lots (the perfect place for a diner), sits R-Way-Cafe. This building has had two or three different names over the last couple years. The latest is R-Way-Cafe. R-Way-Cafe is in a very diner-esque building and has breakfast, lunch and dinner. I went into it hoping it would be a great place, since it is so close to my house, and it wasn’t all that bad.

The atmosphere at R-Way-Cafe is unlike any diner I had ever been in. The decor is warm, soft, and a little overplayed for what the place is. It is decorated in Pottery Barn type colors with empty picture frames, book ends, and other “modern” type decor. I’m used to my diners having tin signs, white walls, and dirty, tile floors.

R-Way-Cafe serves breakfast until 2PM on Saturday and Sunday. Other times, they serve burgers and diner specials such as chicken fried steak, chicken, pork, meatloaf, catfish, etc. I chose the chicken fried chicken, and the reason may sound like sacrilege, but I’m just not a fan of Oklahoma chicken fried steak. I know, I know, it’s practically the state dish, and there are loads of loyal chicken fry nazis that will more than likely come after me now. It just seems that every place I’ve had it, from Cattlemen’s to Classen Grill to Ann’s Chicken Fry, have had enough breading on their steaks to cover an entire cow. I don’t like that much breading. I guess I like the pan fried version best rather than the deep fried version, similar to how I like my squirrel cooked. I guess it’s a Tennessee thing.

Anyway, back to R-Way-Cafe. The burgers are hand-made patties, and the vegetables are fresh, no fake potatoes, and dinners come with a salad bar. The salad bar was not bad for a diner. Not a lot of “trimmings”, but it was cold, and better than the very anemic lukewarm salads you get at a typical diner. The mashed potatoes were OK. A little chunky and dry for my taste. I like mine with a little more cream. The corn was not good at all. It had a very watery flavor going on with it.

The chicken fried chicken was cooked perfectly, and fork tender. I was pretty excited about it. However, my excitement died down as I slowly began tasting everything they had fried in the past week. Flavors of catfish, pork, garlic, onions, and other fried goodies began to dance across my palate. Not bad flavors in and of themselves, but not what I expected my chicken to taste like. Another very strange flavor was that of a tandoori masala spice. For those not familiar with this popular Indian seasoning, it is a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cumin, cayenne, and whatever else the Indian chef feels like tossing in at the time, before throwing it into a tandoor oven. Again, not a bad flavor. I love a good goat masala dish here and there, or chicken tandoori, but not what I want on my fried chicken. Apparently, at R-Way-Cafe, everything is fried in the same place, and the oil is probably not changed that often.

My wife gave the burger a pretty high review. It did look good, maybe a bit overcooked, but it was definitely a hand-made patty, and was paired with lightly hand-breaded onion rings. The kids had grilled cheese and pancakes. It all looked great. I think the way to go here is breakfast or burgers. Like I said earlier, I really wanted to like this place, and I think I still will, I’ll just stick with what works.

Driving down Council Road you don’t see many restaurants. A few fast food joints, one of those unitarian joints (a “lets have every type of food imaginable” place), a diner or two, and that’s about it. There is a place, however, that you have probably driven by a hundred times and never even seen. Oma’s Pantry is hidden in the middle of a little shopping strip in Bethany, hardly a hot bed for unique restaurants. Oma’s Pantry is a gourmet food shop specializing in European imports. I have always counted on Oma’s to provide me with Aromat seasoning, different European Knorr mixes, specialty cheese, and a variety of infused oils, but it is what they just recently began providing that I have decided to share with the world. Oma’s has started serving fresh hot Panini-style sandwiches that are amazing. They also have a Soup Von De Dag (Soup of the day), real imported German Knockwurst and Bratwurst, and a variety of homemade pastries.

The Paninis are made with fresh meats, bread and cheese. For instance, today I ordered the Flamin’ Hot Pastrami Sandwich. First off, name another place in the city where you can get fresh shaved Pastrami. There aren’t many. Place a healthy portion of pastrami with a couple thick slices of Grueyere, some hot sauce, some of Oma’s coleslaw, all on a couple slices of Holzofen Art Brot (Stone Baked Farmer’s Rye Bread) and you have a lunch that will make any other deli sandwich in town seem pretty ordinary. The coleslaw is fresh, it has chunky pieces of cucumber, cabbage, carrot, etc., and it’s FULL of flavor. Very refreshing when you picture that soggy shredded cabbage concoction we are all so used to. My wife had the Mediterranean Panini which is smoked turkey, a goat’s milk Gouda, onions, tomatoes, and a black olive relish grilled on an Italian bread. There are many other choices involving Black Forest Ham, cheeses such as Havarti and Provolone, French Dip, and of course, a Reuben.

If you are not in the mood for a hot sandwich, they have a cold sub-style sandwich as well. For instance, the Roast Beef with Blue Stilton Cheese deserves a try. You don’t get the chance to eat Blue Stilton Cheese very often in life. Sandwiches are paired with a bag of chips, potato salad, or you can get the German Potato Salad. And did I mention the real German Brats and Knacks? Sorry, I’m very excited that they started offering these. You can buy them frozen and take them home as well to cook yourself if you are like me and hate the offerings our lame grocery stores in this city offer us in the way of sausages. And yes, there are vegetarian choices as well. In fact, the Veggie Melt that stacks grilled asparagus, fresh spinach, mozzarella, roasted sweet red peppers, and an eggplant spread tempts even a hardcore carnivore such as myself. Pair that with a cup of French Onion soup and an apricot turnover if you really want to kick it up a notch.

Oma’s Pantry is a food-lovers paradise. Where else in town can you get a wide variety of imported cheeses, spices, imported meats, treats, as well as fresh pastries, soups, and sandwiches? If you know of another, please tell me. Thankfully, for my sake, Oma’s is right by my house. Too bad there aren’t more places in town like this. This isn’t a budget sub shop. Expect to pay 6 or 7 bucks for a sandwich, but also expect to be VERY satisfied with a tasty hot sandwich straight from the old country.