I have been self employed since I was 13 years old. While I was working as an actor I also worked freelance creating fresh menu ideas for Divinity Catering in Beverly Hills which managed most of the accounts on Rodeo Dr. from Chanel to Valentino catering their private galas and new product launches as well as new brands launching in the Beverly Hills/Los Angeles marketplace. I also learned a great deal from one of Wolfgang Puck's sous chefs who worked at Spago in Beverly Hills, although now she has turned to pastries which is not a particular hobby of mine. Other than that I have been an independent food broker for several years redistributing Italian cheeses like Pecorino Romano and Parmesan as well as Olive Oil ranging from blends all the way too pure organic 100% extra virgin. Not to mention I learned a thing or two from Dad. I was also asked twice to be a contestant on the Bravo show Top Chef, but reluctantly had to decline due to my hectic schedule and not being able to step away from my current business.

My father had 3 locations from Edmond to the South Side and took the state by storm with his fresh trays of lasagna ready to-go through the drive through window to feed families with great food and great prices with never before seen convenience. Soon he began to cater events such as the National Western Heritage Museum, Remington Park, and even had Mary Fallin (then Lt. Governor) personally serve his lasagna at the state capital boasting he had the best Italian food in Oklahoma City. Soon he managed to take the supermarkets by storm putting his Ziti Lasagna on the shelves at such retailers as Super Walmart, Sam's, and Albertson's as a new product developer.

That's who we are.

This all sounds like bluster. Come down to earth dude. And that stretch of North May is a dump today...your business transactions probably won't help it much in the end. I have concerns over the ability of a deteriorating strip of North OKC's ability to not go to pieces after all of these Custino restaurants bite the dust. At least you are keeping us entertained, and good thing you'll only be causing blight 8 or 9 miles NW of downtown.

Medium camera shot of sterotypical, checkerboard cloth covered table that is also piled high with everything Custino's makes. Two diners are seated at the table: a guy and a girl. A chef-looking person--resembling Hector Boardi--is standing by the table. The guy looks at the table, at his girlfriend then up at the chef.

Guy to Chef: I didn't want to make a "fed-her-all" case out of it.

Camera pans and closes on Chef who gives a big "shrug take" using both arms and upturned hands and says (to camera):
But whaddaya gonna do? It's ALL so good.

(Busboy enters from left of frame, looks at camera, point at girl: And cheap! Like her!)

You are a mean drunk Clark Kent.

Spartan,
You and I are the same age. Can I see your resume? What have you accomplished? I spent six years in Hollywood and opened my own brokerage company out of Florida then moved back to Oklahoma and opened two restaurants(one tangled up in a legal battle). Your profile says you want to make OKC better, what have you done to do that? I am trying to rebuild a piece of a community I grew up in. After being gone 10 years I stayed in Oklahoma because I saw the cusp of a renaissance trying to emerge. It is people in our generation that will end up defining this great state. I plan on supporting local business as opposed to the corporate strangle hold on most of America and pay employees based on their skills rather than use them like cattle. It may not be much but I am trying to make a difference through action not talk. When you open your own business that creates this much of a discussion then you and I can sit down and talk about how we can improve our city. You see, what they don't teach you in school is the only way to make a difference is to do something different. I am building a model for how small business should be in this country rather than the post modern feudal society it has become.

My profile hasn't been updated in years, but I'm amazed to encounter someone who doesn't pretend to know everything about me. Maybe you are the real deal after all.

I don't mean to flame you or anything, but my point is just that your legal battle doesn't look good (though very Italian lol) and I just don't think this is a good recipe for a sustainable business model...a restaurant born out of a legal battle. Hope I'm wrong.

Spartan,
I understand where your coming from with the legal battle, but don'f forget I am the plaintiff not the defendant. I am a business owner protecting the rights to my brand through the legal system designed to handle such discrepancies rather than the shoot outs at high noon of the old west. Thank goodness society has evolved since then and business disputes are handled with pens and not swords. Not to mention it's not like lawsuits are rare in this country.

Tydude,
Not to insult your intelligence, but the U.S. court system does not jump from the local level to the Supreme Court. I would take the case to the District court that has jurisdiction over Oklahoma.

Not to insult your.. Well, if you feel insulted that's no fault of mine.

I think that Tydude meant the Supreme Court of Oklahoma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_Supreme_Court). But hey, you can try to make a federal case of it.

Not to insult your.. Well, if you feel insulted that's no fault of mine.

I think that Tydude meant the Supreme Court of Oklahoma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_Supreme_Court). But hey, you can try to make a federal case of it.
. . .not do sure DH405. . .what Tyude "said" (wrote) was:

so basically if the Oklahoma Court systems decides to go in the favor of the other owners of custinos you will take it to the supreme court good luck with that ."

I would presume that the "Oklahoma Court systems" would include the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

That's how I took it foodiefan.

Needless to say the point is I have the right to appeal any decision and will do so until I get a result I am satisfied with or run out of appeals. Needless to say I have something in my back pocket that would allow me to take it to federal court after going through the proper local channels first, but considering the case is ongoing i can't disclose it at this time.

Spartan,
I understand where your coming from with the legal battle, but don'f forget I am the plaintiff not the defendant. I am a business owner protecting the rights to my brand through the legal system designed to handle such discrepancies rather than the shoot outs at high noon of the old west. Thank goodness society has evolved since then and business disputes are handled with pens and not swords. Not to mention it's not like lawsuits are rare in this country.

Yup. I don't think you get it. Taking someone to court doesn't look good...people are needlessly litigious these days.

I also think you underestimate the benefits of the shoot out at high noon.

it says that the Neither party should make any Statements disparaging or harmful to Custinos Italian Kitchen from the Judge

Tydude,

Everything I said is public record.

"My former partners were investors with no knowledge or skill related to the business we opened."

This was the only statement that was not public record that I would like to clarify. Although they had no previous restaurant experience they hired a restaurant consultant. I wish them the best of luck in their new business venture.

Just now hearing about comments posted that have since been removed. For the record, I stand by my reporting I did on this story and will note that Mr. Custino and his lawyer repeatedly declined my requests for interviews on the story I produced last month. I printed Mr. Custino's allegations and gave them equal time with those made by his former business partner, Bud Elder. When I turned my story in to my editor, every single part of it was footnoted in light of previous comments made to another reporter about the possibility of suing over coverage. Every part of my story was attributed to interviews, news archives or court records. I wish Mr. Custino the very best in his new venture and I know the community still has fond memories of his father's old restaurant.

Steve,
I have no intentions on filing a lawsuit against you, I have enough on my plate right now. I would like to ask why you didn't include in your article with "The Hormel Deal" that Bud Elder was an officer of the company at the time?

To all the Custino's fans out there, look for an exclusive this month in The Oklahoma Gazette as well as a few other media sources after they break the story.

I would like to set the record straight on something. I was approached by a buyer for Whole Foods for the salad dressing I developed. My new restaurant will have new signature dressings never before seen in the Oklahoma marketplace. One of the advantages of traveling back and forth between Florida, California, and Chicago is picking up on many different twists on similar items. Seeing as this is the heartland of America I am trying to develop products that capture the flavors from all over the continental U.S.

i drove by Custino new Restaurant couple of days ago and it was empty no sign nothing i think he is not telling the truth to us.If he wants to open up a new restaurant i think he should put up a sign telling folks that a restaurant is coming soon

Steve,
I have no intentions on filing a lawsuit against you, I have enough on my plate right now. I would like to ask why you didn't include in your article with "The Hormel Deal" that Bud Elder was an officer of the company at the time?

To all the Custino's fans out there, look for an exclusive this month in The Oklahoma Gazette as well as a few other media sources after they break the story.

I would like to set the record straight on something. I was approached by a buyer for Whole Foods for the salad dressing I developed. My new restaurant will have new signature dressings never before seen in the Oklahoma marketplace. One of the advantages of traveling back and forth between Florida, California, and Chicago is picking up on many different twists on similar items. Seeing as this is the heartland of America I am trying to develop products that capture the flavors from all over the continental U.S.

If Bud Elder was an officer at the time with Hormel, this is the first time I've heard that. This would have been something I would have been eager to learn from you in an interview. That's not something, however, that would be cause for a lawsuit. Every bit of that story was footnoted with public documents or interviews to back up every sentence. Congrats on the salad dressing and best of luck with your new venture.

Steve,

Technically Bud was on the board of advisors for Custino's Supreme Quality Food's at the time of "The Hormel Deal." Of course it isn't grounds for a lawsuit, it was just a question I had I figured you would have uncovered in your investigation. I am well aware of all your sources and you have nothing to fear from me. You are right an interview with me would have turned out a very different article, but I will continue to deny comments to The Oklahoman for the time being. As a sign of good faith I would love to treat you to dinner after our grand opening when i have worked out all the kinks and I know it will live up to your standards. You will have to try our new signature dish that will be made public through The Oklahoma Gazette. It is a collaboration between my father and I that is guaranteed to drop a few mouth watering jaws.

Tydude,

Our new sign will be up very soon. We will be having a soft opening to test out our products and procedures in the very near future. I am trying to avoid too much buzz as last time we were overwhelmed. There will be plenty of attention from Magic 104.1/Renda Broadcasting, The Oklahoma Gazette, and Fox 25 when we are ready to make our grand opening public knowledge. We are waiting for everything to be as close to perfect as possible to best serve our patrons before we start the media frenzy. Keep driving by this week and I assure you you will see our new sign with the new Custino's logo.

Steve,

Technically Bud was on the board of advisors for Custino's Supreme Quality Food's at the time of "The Hormel Deal." Of course it isn't grounds for a lawsuit, it was just a question I had I figured you would have uncovered in your investigation. I am well aware of all your sources and you have nothing to fear from me. You are right an interview with me would have turned out a very different article, but I will continue to deny comments to The Oklahoman for the time being. As a sign of good faith I would love to treat you to dinner after our grand opening when i have worked out all the kinks and I know it will live up to your standards. You will have to try our new signature dish that will be made public through The Oklahoma Gazette. It is a collaboration between my father and I that is guaranteed to drop a few mouth watering jaws.

I vote for treating all of the posters at OKC Talk to dinner so we can make an informed decision and won't have to rely on news articles. LOL

I vote for treating all of the posters at OKC Talk to dinner so we can make an informed decision and won't have to rely on news articles. LOL

Amen t' dat! =)


Technically Bud was on the board of advisors for Custino's Supreme Quality Food's at the time of "The Hormel Deal." Of course it isn't grounds for a lawsuit, it was just a question I had I figured you would have uncovered in your investigation. I am well aware of all your sources and you have nothing to fear from me. You are right an interview with me would have turned out a very different article, but I will continue to deny comments to The Oklahoman for the time being. As a sign of good faith I would love to treat you to dinner after our grand opening when i have worked out all the kinks and I know it will live up to your standards. You will have to try our new signature dish that will be made public through The Oklahoma Gazette. It is a collaboration between my father and I that is guaranteed to drop a few mouth watering jaws.

I second that "amen" t'ing . . .
just t' prove 'd' veracity and so fort'
http://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/articles/2010/03/12/tony_soprano.jpg?1268403261

I third it . . .
http://img.wedoitallvegas.com/articles/godfather.jpg

Don't count me out . . .
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/15/Chefboyardeepic.jpg/300px-Chefboyardeepic.jpg

So what am I? Chicken Liver? (again?)
http://www.zap2it.com/media/photo/2006-06/24116298.jpg?title=John+Ventimiglia+on+'The+Sopran os'

RadicalModerate,

That was the highlight of my day. I mean that was like Rita Rudner funner. I'll make all you guys a deal, if you are on okctalk make sure you mention it to your server and I'll do something special for you guys to make it easier for you to form your own oppinion.

Just Another Evening at Custino's . . .

"So whaddaya mean I'm 'funny'? I'm 'funny' t' youse? 'Funny' like a clown?
You sayin' I'm a f'-in' clown? Is dat what you mean by 'funny'? . . ."
http://www.ticklethewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Joe-Pesci-goodfellas.jpg
("We need t' watch dis guy . . . He's liable t' fold under questioning . . ." =)

Put it on my tab. =)

RadicalModerate,

How did you get a picture of Sunday dinner at my house? I'm on the fence about it, but I may blow that picture up and slap it on the wall somewhere.

Soft opening November 8th. Custino's at 7801 N. May Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73116. Stop by, try our new menu, and give us your input.

good luck on the opening next week

good luck on the opening next week


So is the REAL Custino's open yet? I was thinking about a Pizza pie with sausage and pepperoni this evening.

the new Custinos restaurant open up on Thursday

Be sure to check out our latest news and events, our social networking sites and website are now online

website:
Home (http://www.therealcustinos.com)

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/custinosrestaurantandbar

Twitter:
Custino's Restaurant (Custinos) on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/custinos)

Soft opening on Thursday, November 8th

stay tuned for more information on Custino's Restaurant and Bar located at 7801 North May Ave.

OKCRT,

We are not starting with pizza but we will have special hand crafted personal pizza in the very near future.

I am going to try it out this weekend, the spaghetti looks good on your homepage, what is your hours?

Oklahoma City Custino's Fans: we are officially opening our doors at noon today (Friday, November 9, 2012) stop by and try some of the delicious cuisine. For more information please visit www.facebook.com/custinosrestaurantandbar or Home (http://www.therealcustinos.com) or call (405) 843-2324.

Just went to Custino's and the restaurant was empty so I got spaghetti to go and the spaghetti was good!

Just went to Custino's and the restaurant was empty so I got spaghetti to go and the spaghetti was good!

well thats not good that the restaurant is empty

not a biggie, given the time of the post. looks like he was there in the typical dead of mid afternoon.

Not many places are hopping from 2-4, except the places who run an afternoon discount special (cici's pizza buffet comes to mind.)

Custino's Restaurant & Bar menu is now online on our website therealcustinos.com or go check out our facebook page for the current updates of what is going on at the restaurant.

2871

Here at Custino's Restaurant & Bar we are a full service restaurant, come by and try us out. You won't believe the quality, especially for the price. It's just like coming to Chef Phil Custino's house for Sunday dinner Tuesday-Sunday.

Website: therealcustinos.com
Facebook: facebook.com/custinosrestaurantandbar

not a biggie, given the time of the post. looks like he was there in the typical dead of mid afternoon.

Not many places are hopping from 2-4, except the places who run an afternoon discount special (cici's pizza buffet comes to mind.)

I thought there would be some people there though

I live in the neighborhood and drive by the new restaurant several times a day and so far there have been no cars there but the employees. Maybe we should just give them time to settle in.

Hey hey MonkeesFan, I think restaurants tend to be pretty slow while OSU and OU both have daytime home football games.

I thought there would be some people there though

I spent some time in food service in the latter 70's and early 80's, primarily pizza chains, plus a brief round with a burger shop. Worked in small towns (<7,000) and in Tulsa for a spell. Except for a very rare exception, 2-4ish was just deadville for places like us with no afternoon specials. Even in a bustling college town in Norman there are places I can wander in at 2:30 or 3 and I'll be the only table or one of two tables. As I prefer peace and quiet, it's actually my fav lunch time when I can make it happen.

I spent some time in food service in the latter 70's and early 80's, primarily pizza chains, plus a brief round with a burger shop. Worked in small towns (<7,000) and in Tulsa for a spell. Except for a very rare exception, 2-4ish was just deadville for places like us with no afternoon specials. Even in a bustling college town in Norman there are places I can wander in at 2:30 or 3 and I'll be the only table or one of two tables. As I prefer peace and quiet, it's actually my fav lunch time when I can make it happen.

That makes sense now, thank you

Hey hey MonkeesFan, I think restaurants tend to be pretty slow while OSU and OU both have daytime home football games.

Good point

OKCTALK Custino's Fans,

Keep in mind we are open for lunch starting at 11AM, Dinner starts at 5PM and we close at 9PM.

Be sure to check our menu online on our facebook page along with therealcustinos.com or come in and see the menu and order some delicious cuisine prepared by Chef Phil Custino!

OKCTALK Custino's Fans,

Keep in mind we are open for lunch starting at 11AM, Dinner starts at 5PM and we close at 9PM.

Be sure to check our menu online on our facebook page along with therealcustinos.com or come in and see the menu and order some delicious cuisine prepared by Chef Phil Custino!

How is business so far?

i check Custinos restaurant and Bar on UrbanSpoon and they have 50% like and 8 people voted that is not good for the restaurant

i check Custinos restaurant and Bar on UrbanSpoon and they have 50% like and 8 people voted that is not good for the restaurant

I haven't been myself, as I rarely venture to the north side of the city. But to be fair, urbanspoon is not the be all end all for local eateries, especially not very new ones. They opened what, a week ago? two?

i check Custinos restaurant and Bar on UrbanSpoon and they have 50% like and 8 people voted that is not good for the restaurant

They just opened a week ago, give it time...

I haven't been myself, as I rarely venture to the north side of the city. But to be fair, urbanspoon is not the be all end all for local eateries, especially not very new ones. They opened what, a week ago? two?

And 6 of the votes were made before they opened.

And 6 of the votes were made before they opened.

Sad this would even be possible.

I would discount votes cast either way for both versions of Custino's - lots of bad blood and bitterness involving the two operations. Go with reviews by people you know.... or those who are leading Urban Spoon writers (I'm always thrilled to see a write-up by A Tevington)

I canna say thrilled, but yeah, his reviews are objective and sans nonsense.

And 6 of the votes were made before they opened.

You expect jinking with votes on "People's Choice" contests in the DO & Gazette, but it borders on fraud and misrepresentation when a business does it this way.

You expect jinking with votes on "People's Choice" contests in the DO & Gazette, but it borders on fraud and misrepresentation when a business does it this way.

Well considering they were Does Not Like votes..... I'm thinking it was from people friendly to Bud Elder and not the Custino's.

Maybe. And with pretty much the same certainty that those friendly to Angelo Custino gave bad ratings to Bud Elder's Custino's. As I said... bad blood all over.

Can both of these restaurants just go away?

Can both of these restaurants just go away?

Spartan, you are always so up beat and positive in your comments!

I have not given any bad ratings to Custino's Italian Kitchen and have made sure anyone in my circle holds up to the same standard. It's not always easy taking the high road, but I refuse to stoop low enough to create mock reviews and vote a business down. If anyone has done or said anything I assure you they are no friend of mine. It is childish and beneath the standard of anyone associated with the Custino name. Just because I have a business dispute with the current owner is not grounds to try to sabotage his business. All of the votes on there are from his customers and have nothing to do with me. Per the judges order I have not said anything to cause harm to his business. I was recently baited by individuals associated with an Oklahoma based magazine with a recorder in their pocket to try to lure comments out of me regarding the other Custino's. My only comment has stayed the same, I wish the Elder's the best luck and hope they find success but per my lawsuit and injunction I would like them to do business under another name as that business has nothing to do with any Custino's or any of the recipes developed by a Custino.

One of my current employees went over to Custino's Italian Kitchen after I had expressed my interest in hiring him. It was suggested that he should not work for us and Bud made many negative comments about us an our new business, which had not opened yet. Not to mention driving by and honking, as well as turning into our lot and speeding off. I am not complaining too much as I would rather have him drive by my place of business than my residence. I have no problem with him making Italian food, my conjecture is the use of my family name.

The Judge told the other restaurant that they can use the name.So if you don't like the judge order on the name move and just ignore it