Tommy's Italian-American Grill

[btlsooner]

Can't wait to try it out. The old tommys used to be one of my favorite restaurants.

[Prunepicker]

Don't you be talking down on the Filet'O Fish now. That is my main item of choice when
I visit the grounds of a McDonald's

Same here!

[soonerguru]

Yeah, glad to hear Tommy is back. Hoping he can catch some of the magic of the original Bellini's, before it sold the first time. Tommy's at Northpark was good too (excellent chicken lasagna), but the OG Bellini's from the early-mid nineties was for a time the best restaurant in OKC.

It was great, and very lively, but the fact that was our best restaurant speaks to the improvement we've seen overall in our dining scene.

[Prunepicker]

It was great, and very lively, but the fact that was our best restaurant speaks to the
improvement we've seen overall in our dining scene.

I can't tell you how many gigs I played at Tommy's on NW 122nd. There were many
who came just to hear the band which included some of the best talent in the US.

Seriously. Amos Cunningham, Benny Garcia, Denise Smith, Jack Robbins, Jimmy
Wilson and many others. I was fortunate to play with them. Yes, they were locals
but were/are revered for their contributions.

I took Prunette to a gig and it was the first time I realized they served food.

Hopefully the atmosphere will include Jazz!

[tfvc.org]

I can't tell you how many gigs I played at Tommy's on NW 122nd. There were many
who came just to hear the band which included some of the best talent in the US.

Seriously. Amos Cunningham, Benny Garcia, Denise Smith, Jack Robbins, Jimmy
Wilson and many others. I was fortunate to play with them. Yes, they were locals
but were/are revered for their contributions.

I took Prunette to a gig and it was the first time I realized they served food.

Hopefully the atmosphere will include Jazz!

What years did you play there? I was a cook there (and Bellini's Norman, OKC) from ~97-2000.

[Prunepicker]

What years did you play there? I was a cook there (and Bellini's Norman, OKC) from
~97-2000.

90's and 00's. Not sure of the exact dates. It was mostly with Amos Cunningham and
Denise Smith.

[Pete]

Don't know how new of news this is, but they now have their rooftop patio open:

[hfry]

Great picture Pete. I thinks it's been open for about two or three months now at least. On some nights it's packed and others it can be quite but with some nice spring weather I can see it being a great spot.

[Pete]

Ate there tonight.

I had a ceasar salad to start (quite good) then the spaghetti and hot Italian sausage. The entree was okay; the sausage was just served split open on top of the pasta and didn't have much flavor and zero bite. The sauce was nothing special.

My dining companion had the chicken lasagna which was quite good and made with an alfredo sauce.

They weren't very busy at all and that concerns me a bit. I'd go back but try something different. The atmosphere is nice but still comfortable.

[bchris02]

Ate there tonight.

I had a ceasar salad to start (quite good) then the spaghetti and hot Italian sausage. The entree was okay; the sausage was just served split open on top of the pasta and didn't have much flavor and zero bite. The sauce was nothing special.

My dining companion had the chicken lasagna which was quite good and made with an alfredo sauce.

They weren't very busy at all and that concerns me a bit. I'd go back but try something different. The atmosphere is nice but still comfortable.

I ate there once. It was decent, but not great. I agree on the flavor and bite as that was one of the things I noticed. The biggest issue for me is its priced quite high for what you get. Zio's is comparable quality and is more reasonably priced. I don't mind paying higher prices if the food is worth it but for me, Tommy's didn't do it. It does have a great atmosphere however.

What do you think is the best Italian restaurant in OKC?

[soonermike81]

What do you think is the best Italian restaurant in OKC?

I'm partial to Vito's or Papa Dios. Haven't tried Tommys yet.

[Thomas Vu]

I'm partial to Vito's or Papa Dios. Haven't tried Tommys yet.

+1 for Vito's. I know some people also like Gabriella's (or the one that's by the cowboy museum)

[warreng88]

For those of you who have not been, try Bella Vista on the south side. Nothing to look at and the service isn't great, but the food is amazing.

[Roger S]

For those of you who have not been, try Bella Vista on the south side. Nothing to look at and the service isn't great, but the food is amazing.

I have never tried Bella Vista but this is the standard review I see for them.... The food has to be really amazing for people to put up with some of the complaints I've heard about the service.

[Pete]

One thing I forgot to mention about Tommy's...

There are basically two separate sides of the restaurant.

Not realizing this, we were seated in the area with the bar and with several TV's. When I was leaving, I noticed there was a bigger, nicer room with a counter surrounding a wood-fired pizza oven. In this sort of restaurant, I'd much rather not have TV's in the room and will know better next time.

I think because they were slow they seated everyone in the one smaller room but if I was to go back, I'd request the other one.

There is also an outdoor patio and rooftop deck which might be nicer in good weather, however you'd just be overlooking parking lots and the Kilpartrick Turnpike.

[OkiePoke]

I have been here quite a few times. I always enjoy myself and the food is usually great!

I'm not much on dessert, but I took my girlfriend there for wine and dessert after dinner one night and felt the desert was lacking. Has anyone else tried their dessert?

[Thomas Vu]

For those of you who have not been, try Bella Vista on the south side. Nothing to look at and the service isn't great, but the food is amazing.

Confirmed. Which is weird cause their menu is really big. Some may say there are too many options.

[Urbanized]

The OG Tommy's in Northpark used to have a really great chicken lasagna. I'll have to make it up there sometime to check the one at this location vs the old one. Of course, as Pete sometimes points out, no way that it will be a fair comparison...memories always taste better!

[LakeEffect]

We ate at Tommy's for a work celebration lunch a week and a half ago - my first time. Everyone at least liked what they had. The waiter pointed out that lunch service has been slow lately, and the restaurant as a whole is much less busy than when they opened. I'm not sure how long it can sustain itself...

It's a higher-end restaurant in an auto-centric, low-density area... I bet their customer pool is limited, which hurts them. I, for one, would probably never suggest it for a date night w/ my wife because it would be a nearly 25 minute drive from our house in Lincoln Terrace. Plenty of great establishments in the core.

[Pete]

There are a ton of restaurants right there, including Charleston's, Interurban, Revolve, Hideaway and more coming.

It's nice space and they do a pretty good job but I'm afraid that location with all the competition (nearby and elsewhere) means that they really need to be outstanding in order to draw people in then have them come back.

They also made a pretty big investment in that building.

[bchris02]

There are a ton of restaurants right there, including Charleston's, Interurban, Revolve, Hideaway and more coming.

It's nice space and they do a pretty good job but I'm afraid that location with all the competition (nearby and elsewhere) means that they really need to be outstanding in order to draw people in then have them come back.

They also made a pretty big investment in that building.

I agree. I think it would make it if the food was outstanding, but you can't run a high-end restaurant in a low-density area like that with so much competition and have mediocre food. There is no reason for me to drive out there when there are so many better options that are closer. Even when I lived nearby, I didn't think the food there was worth the cost. I would usually just go to Carino's, or go downtown and go to Zio's.

[tfvc.org]

As I mentioned in an above post I worked at Tommys in Northpark and for Bellinis, and I ate there a few months after they opened. I was really disappointed in the menu, it seems like he got rid of some of the old favorites, and the ones he kept there were changes to them that I didn't like. The prices went up a lot as well, and spent a lot more than what I wanted to. My friend and I was disappointed in the taste and felt really cramped in the restaurant. It was a real drive for me to get there as well, living South of Norman. Needless to say I won't be back, there are a lot more and better options out there.

[Thomas Vu]

I agree. I think it would make it if the food was outstanding, but you can't run a high-end restaurant in a low-density area like that with so much competition and have mediocre food. There is no reason for me to drive out there when there are so many better options that are closer. Even when I lived nearby, I didn't think the food there was worth the cost. I would usually just go to Carino's, or go downtown and go to Zio's.

Not to mention Bravo's, which I think is better than Zio's.

[TheTravellers]

...

What do you think is the best Italian restaurant in OKC?

Vito's, Moni's, or Gabriella's, but there are a few we haven't tried yet. Vito's is the best out of those 3, IMO.

[Dubya61]

For those of you who have not been, try Bella Vista on the south side. Nothing to look at and the service isn't great, but the food is amazing.

Look, I know that taste is incredibly subjective, but I simply cannot agree. I went there last night. There were two other parties there. Both of them raved about their meals to the FOH (who I think was a part owner). We never smelled anything good (or bad) when we came in. We were seated in crappy seats that were uncomfortable. The decor was horrendous (Robert Irvine would have a fun time dissing it). The service was OK, but the food -- it was incredibly disappointing. No taste or flavor. My wife got the linguine with white clam sauce and I got the sausage cacciatore. The dishes we absolutely swimming in un-drained noodles. The sausage (which their menu claimed was trucked down from Chicago) was tasteless. The clams (which their menu claimed were sauteed in a white wine sauce) were flavorless and clearly from a can. Incredibly disappointing. I do a pretty good job cooking Italian cuisine, so I have pretty high expectations when I go out (I mean, if I can do it, it must be easy). Bella Vista did NOT come close to meeting any of my expectations.