Saying goodbye to Andrew
by Tim | August 18, 2009 | 17 Comments
It’s a sad day for EatAroundOKC.com and for shady restaurant lovers everywhere. Our very own Andrew Littleton is moving to Nashville at the end of August and today, I offer this post to say goodbye.
Andrew was the very first writer to join the EatAroundOKC.com team nearly two years ago. Since then, he’s contributed over forty restaurant reviews and numerous comments on this site. He also invented the “Shady Restaurant of the Month” series, which has become one of the most popular features of our site. We regularly hear from readers who love the shady restaurants and can’t wait to hear of Andrew’s next find.
With an iron stomach, a seemingly impervious immune system, and an almost reverent respect for anything and everything deep-fried, Andrew has braved Oklahoma City’s shadiest regions to find the culinary jewels that most of us would never find on our own. He’s brought recognition to many of OKC’s deserving but previously unknown restauranteurs. And, he’s done it all for the love of Oklahoma City and its restaurant community, because I can tell you that he, like all of our writers, works strictly as a volunteer.
It is Andrew who first introduced us to Nic’s Grill and Mama E’s and who is primarily responsible for directing the producers of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives to those locations. Andrew also directed our attention to the amazing tacos at Los Comales, the succulent chicken at El Regio Loco and Oklahoma City’s only location for eating goat biryani in a truck stop — the Tandoor restaurant. Of course, the list of hidden finds goes on and on. You can relive the memories by viewing all of Andrew’s review contributions on his author page.
So, it is with great sadness that we say farewell to Andrew. We wish him well as he and his family make the transition back to their home state of Tennessee. I hope you’ll leave a comment here on this post and join us in thanking Andrew for his contributions here.
(Oh, and if anyone out there loves shady restaurants and fancies themselves a writer, we’ve got an opening on our writing team. Contact us if you’re interested. It pays nothing, but it’s sure a lot of fun).
Thanks again, Andrew. Best of luck to you and may Nashville’s shady dining industry finally get the respect it deserves.
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August 18th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Thanks for all the great words of warning – and recommendations. Enjoy the new digs!
August 18th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
I will definitely miss the Shady Restaurant of the Month! It’s what first brought me to this site, and I always loved checking them out. Good luck in Nashville, Andrew!
August 19th, 2009 at 6:38 am
@Alisa and @Everyone – we’ll do our best to keep up the shady tradition Andrew started. We still have a solid writing team of four regular contributors and several occasional writers, plus we’re on the hunt for a new writer who might be able to specialize in shady restaurants. So, bear with us in the transition, but we look forward to continuing to bring you the shady goodness along with all of our regular reviews as well.
August 19th, 2009 at 7:40 am
Good luck in Nashville! Thanks for all you’ve done to let us know about the little gems in our own backyard. You will be hard to replace!
August 19th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Sad to see you go! You’ve introduced me to so many great places!
However, I wish you the best of luck in Nashville!
August 19th, 2009 at 9:17 am
I’m very excited that Andrew is coming home, but I’m sorry for OKC’s loss. I hope he’ll start something similar for Nashville! I don’t where he learned to brave shady restaurants. It wasn’t from me or his mother, but we’re very proud of his sense of adventure and may one day get brave enough to join him (on his second trip) at a shady place in Nashville.
August 19th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Andrew’s reviews were so great, and his honesty intertwined with his humor showed us, tongue in cheek, the true side of shady delights. Although I live in Mountain Home, AR, I may well have to travel to Oklahoma City again.
And Andrew is my son-in-law.
Somewhere out there is Andrew’s clone ready to pitch into the next hidden shady restaurant. This Arkansas lady has her bag packed and is waiting.
August 19th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
That’s too bad!!!! Best of luck in Nashville. Make sure to go to Arnold’s, it’s awesome!!! We’ll miss your reviews here.
August 19th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Say it isn’t so! What will we do for shady but delicious finds Andrew has found for us. He will be sorely missed around here! What has to be I guess. Good luck with your move and we wish you all the best!!!
August 19th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
As a fellow EatAround writer, I too, shall miss Andrew’s presence. I have learned quite a bit from him these past two years – how to fix squirrel, rabbit, duck fat rice, etc. Andrew, I will miss your humor and weird observations as I don’t think anyone else will be able to fill your shady shoes. Happy eats in Nashville, my friend…
August 20th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Andrew, just make sure you leave us with your secret tamale place…take care in Nashville!
August 22nd, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Best of luck in Nashville!!
August 23rd, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Nashville’s gain is clearly our loss.
Luck to you Andrew, and may your car always find you a lil’ bit of Shady to ease away your hunger.
August 26th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Mama e’s would like to thank you for your recomendation to the foodnetwork. We will miss your talent and your inspiration to get resturants to the next level,mama e will never be the same. We will see you again in nashville with a new location for the best soul food , again thank you and keep daring to be different.
August 28th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Thank you for the wonderful thoughts and words, it was like I ate there before I pulled up! Then again, I have never eaten so many Tums in my life.. however I hear they are good for immunity, so it’s a catch 22! Best of luck to you and your adventurous ways!
October 6th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Today Oct.6,2009,, was my first time ever eating at Mama E’s,,,and i am very happy to say it was greater than great,,,i have been looking for weeks now to find somewhere i can get homemade dressing,,,and bygolly i found it,,yes i will deffinitely go back,,,,i will be spreading the word to everyone i no about the place to go eat,,even if one isn’t hungry go and take it home for later because if u let them close on you for that day u will be upset trust me,,,,,Thank’s 2 u all
December 1st, 2009 at 2:27 pm
It makes me sad to see Andrew go. You made me realize that some of the best food in OKC are at places with bars on the windows! You have inspired me to take up the calling to find more shady places!
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