[CH] Tulsa, OK restaurant reports
Jonathan Smillie (jsmillie@tickets.com)
Wed, 20 Oct 1999 22:43:10 -0700
Heads,
Having spent the last three weeks in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I thought I'd let the
list know of a couple of places worth visiting if you happen to be in that
neighborhood. Not all of these are CH-oriented places, but there seems to
be a decent appreciation for non-fiery good food in these parts, so if you
must berate me for traveling off-topic, do it off-list.
Here are the reviews:
Bourbon Street Cafe (15th Street): A "New Orleans" themed restaurant, with
a number of interesting seafood items on the menu. I resisted the crawfish
etouffe and went for a blackened tuna steak, which although I requested it
as hot as they could make it (they offered "mild" "medium" "hot" and
"extra-hot"- I asked for "thermonuclear") wasn't more than a
little-tingle-of-cayenne hot, but very tender and flavorful nonetheless. My
companion had a filet, blackened medium, which he recommended as "melting
in your mouth". We also had "Cajun popcorn" (deep-fried baby crawfish) for
an appetizer, with an aioli dip that was spicier than anything else served
that night. A good wine list and attentive service make this worth a visit,
though CH listmembers are well advised to bring their own heat.
Jamil's Steakhouse (51st & Harvard) a totally unprepossessing little place
from the outside, crammed with tiny tables and walls hung with
aviation-related art. Not the most inspiring venue at first sight, but the
food is tremendous. Appetizers included home-made hummus, tabbouleh, and a
Lebanese salad with an olive-oil/lemon juice dressing (one of the owners is
from Lebanon) as well as thick-cut smoked bologna and ribs (must be
"Southern" Lebanon...). My friend and I both elected to have the 8oz.
filet, which came bacon-wrapped and perfectly cooked (I love a place that
knows what "rare" means!). Didn't have room left for dessert, so can't fill
you in on that part of things, but I would strongly recommend Jamil's to
any steak fan in the Tulsa area.
Atlantic Sea Grill (61st St at Eton Square): an excellent seafood
restaurant. Dined there alone my second weekend in town; the New England
mussels are not to be missed by any shellfish fan, and the blackened salmon
filet was spicier than anything I ate at Bourbon Street Cafe. Get the
roasted-garlic mashed potatoes if they're on the menu. As with most places
I visited in Tulsa, any wine more complex than Boone's Farm will run you
about $6 a glass, but at least at Atlantic they have some wines worth it...
India Gate (off 71st St, near Woodland Hills Mall): I ate here for lunch
two years ago when last in Tulsa, and went back for dinner this trip. Had a
very nice vindaloo-type chicken curry (it wasn't called "chicken vindaloo"
but there were similar elements in the sauce), which came in about an 8 on
my personal heat scale. My friend had the Rogan Josh, which was very tasty
but not very hot (he asked for medium). Inexpensive and very good.
OK, enough rambling. Hope these are of use to some of the list....
Jonathan