100 Oklahoma Foods to try before you die
This list is from yesterdays Oklahoman. I don't think some are worthy of this list but whatever........
100 Oklahoma foods to try before you die
By Sharon Dowell
The Oklahoman
This list was started more than a year ago, when I jotted down several dozen favorite Oklahoma items I wanted to share with readers sometime during Oklahoma's centennial year. I carried the list with me for months and asked friends, longtime residents and food professionals what they'd include.
Eventually it became apparent the list could easily accommodate 150 or even 200 Oklahoma favorites. Staff writers and editors in our newsroom suggested even more favorites for the list. But, in keeping with our centennial theme, we pared the list and kept the best of all the favorites suggested. We have listed them in no particular order.
It includes longtime favorites as well as many new food items being grown, produced or served in Oklahoma. Some have wonderful stories behind their creation, and we hope you'll take time to check out these companies' Web sites to learn more about the foods and companies.
By sharing this list early in the year, we hope you'll seek out items you've not previously tried during these next 12 months. Experience our bounty of fresh produce during spring, summer and fall; the variety of Oklahoma food products at grocery stores and specialty shops; and "have to try it just once” items served at Oklahoma restaurants and special events. Collectively, these foods reflect who we are as Oklahomans, our diverse cultures and our tastes. The list offers a fun way to celebrate our state's centennial and become more familiar with all that's available to us right here within our state boundaries.
1.Pecan and walnut chewy praline from Woody Candy Co., 922 NW 70, Oklahoma City, local 842-8903, toll free (800) 842-8904, woodycandycompany.com
2.Freshly ground Oklahoma-grown wheat flour, available at Oklahoma farmers markets or try the Oklahoma Food Cooperative, oklahomafood.coop.
3.Artisan breads from Farrell Family Organic Bread, 8034 S Yale, Tulsa, (918) 477-7077, Farrell Family Organic Bread. Baked in the old-world tradition, the breads are available at multiple locations in Tulsa and Oklahoma City and served at better local restaurants. The chocolate yeast bread with dried cherries is awesome but don't overlook the challah, stirato or wheatberry nut levain.
4.Old-fashioned, hand-stirred cherry limeades made to order at Ballard's Drive-In, Interstate 35 at Exit 72, Paul's Valley, (405) 238-6456. Johnny Ballard, 85, has been in business more than 54 years. He uses fresh-squeezed lime juice, homemade simple syrup, cherry syrup and carbonated water.
5.Eischen's Bar fried chicken, served with white bread, pickles and onions, 108 S Second, Okarche, 263-9939. Don't miss the fried okra, too. This bar opened way before statehood.
6. Meers burger, any variety, served in a pie tin at The Meers Store & Restaurant, Meers, (580) 429-8051, The Meers Store & Restaurant, Meers, OK - (580) 429-8051. Beef comes from the owner's herd of longhorns.
7.Sand plum jelly, any brand. Look for it where Oklahoma products are carried.
8.Chicken-fried steak dinner or sandwich, Ann's Chicken Fry House, 4106 NW 39 Expressway/Route 66, Oklahoma City, 943-8915. Dine to '50s and '60s music and check out all the fun memorabilia.
9.Schwab's hot dogs and chili, available separately at grocery stores. Schwab & Co., 235-2376, (888) 508-8668, schwabmeat.com. Five generations of the Schwab family have been offering meats since 1912.
10.Braum's ice cream, any flavor, multiple locations, braums.com. The first Braum's store was opened in 1968.
11.Sonic Drive-In meal with tater tots, cherry limeade and extra-long chili-cheese coney, many locations, sonicdrivein.com. Carhops have been serving fast food since 1953.
12.Witt Pan Fry Steak, served at Rick's Cafe Americain, 5107 S Harvard, Tulsa, (918) 742-1076, owned by Rick Kamp, an Oklahoma City native and part of the family that ran Kamp's grocery store for decades. The dish is Kamp's interpretation of the chicken-fried steak meal his grandparents prepared in a cast-iron skillet, then baked in the oven.
13.Oklahoma-grown blackberries in July.
14.Big Bevburger, Beverly's Pancake Corner, 2115 Northwest Expressway, Oklahoma City, 842-3614. Rubye and Beverly Osborne founded Beverly's Chicken in the Rough in Oklahoma City 70 years ago. The Big Bevburger was another popular menu item, though the family is no longer involved in this last remaining outlet of the once-popular chain.
15.Honey from Oklahoma bees at Honey Hill Farm, Edmond, 341-5499. Look for it where Oklahoma products are sold.
16.Snickerdoodle flavored coffee from Neighbors Coffee, neighborscoffee.com. Look for the coffee where Oklahoma products are sold.
17.Snickerdelicious flavored coffee from Java Dave's Coffee, multiple locations, javadavescoffee.com.
18.Field's "World's Best” pecan pie, prepared in Pauls Valley, available at grocery stores, One of the favorite pies of all.
19.Original yogurt cheese made at Wagon Creek Creamery, Helena, (580) 496-2447, wagoncreekcreamery.
com. The more healthful yogurt cheese can replace cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, ricotta or mayonnaise in recipes ranging from dips to cheesecakes, cutting total fat and calories. Jalapeno and garlic varieties are also available.
20.Fresh-picked Oklahoma blueberries in June.
21.Lebanese hors d'oeuvres at Eddy's Steakhouse & Seafood, 4227 N Meridian, Oklahoma City, 787-2944, Eddy's Steakhouse. Dinners come with a relish tray, tabouli, hummus tahini, cabbage roll and a smoked pork rib, in addition to salad and potato.
22.Fried rattlesnake, available at any of the state's annual rattlesnake festivals or roundups, including those in Apache, Waurika and Okeene.
23.Hideaway Pizza, you choose the toppings, multiple locations, hideawaypizza.com and The Original Hideaway.
24.Hot Hamburger at Murphy's Original Steak House, 1625 SW Frank Phillips Blvd., Bartlesville, (918) 336-4789. The creation includes a slice of bread, hamburger patty, gravy, fries and more gravy. The burger is $5.94; add cheese and it costs $6.21.
25.Rush Springs watermelon at the town's annual festival in August.
26.Hiland fat-free milk, available at grocery stores.
27.C innamon rolls from the Tower Cafe, 625 Highway 81 South, Okarche, 236-7911.
28.Head Country barbecue sauce, made in Ponca City, available at grocery stores, headcountry.com.
29.Nonalcoholic grape juices from Redland Juice Co., 10851 Bryant Road, Lexington, (405) 527-9181, redlandjuice.com. Look for it where Oklahoma products are sold.
30.Coit's frosted mug of root beer, Coit's Root Beer Drive In with three locations in Oklahoma City.
31.NoName Ranch burger served at Irma's Burger Shack, 1035 NW 63, Oklahoma City, 840-4762. Fresh beef from Wynnewood's NoName Ranch is also available at Bill Kamp's Meat Market, 7310 N Western, 843-2455.
32.Kaiser's punch. The concentrate for different colors of fruit punch is prepared at The Grateful Bean Cafe and frozen; the concentrate is sold in gallon-size plastic tubs in the freezer section of Crescent Market in Nichols Hills Plaza, 6409 Avondale Drive, 842-2000.
33.The Coney Island restaurants at 428 W Main in Oklahoma City and 3 East 5 in Tulsa, with Greek-style or coney-style chili and steamed buns. Tulsa's metro area has 25 Coney Island restaurants; Oklahoma City has a second location at 240 SW 25.
34.Oklahoma-grown peaches in the summertime.
35.Commercial food products made by Tulsa-based Bama Companies: the hand-held fruit pies and biscuits for McDonald's, apple minis for KFC, Taco Bell's empanadas and some of Pizza Hut's dough.
36.A thick pork chop sandwich served on 14 Flags Plaza during the Oklahoma State Fair in September.
37.Strawberries Newport, served at the annual spring Festival of the Arts in downtown Oklahoma City. Includes layers of puff pastry, pudding, fresh strawberries and whipped cream.
38.Soft chocolate sugar cookies from Someplace Else, A Deli & Bakery, 2310 N Western, Oklahoma City, 524-0887. The homemade cookies are less than 50 cents apiece.
39.When the weather gets cold, opt for a bowl of homemade beef stew and sweet corn muffins at VZD's, 4200 N Western, 524-4203.
40.A legendary onion burger made fresh to order and served at any of the burger joints in El Reno.
41.Homemade cinnamon rolls from the Savoy Restaurant, 6033 S Sheridan Road, Tulsa, (918) 494-5621, savoyfoods.
com. Open at 6 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Owner Bill Kelamis opened the restaurant at the current site in 1975 and began experimenting with an iced cinnamon roll recipe. Caramel pecan cinnamon rolls are served just Fridays and Saturdays.
42.Lamb fries, Cattlemen's Steakhouse, 1309 S Agnew, Oklahoma City, 236-0416, Cattlemen's Steakhouse - Oklahoma City Stockyards.
43.English-style banger sausages or any of the other homemade sausages at Siegi's Sausage Factory & Deli, 8988 S Sheridan, Tulsa, (918) 492-8988, siegis.com.
44.Chips, cheese sauce and salsas at Ted's Cafe Escondido, multiple locations in Oklahoma City area.
45.Fried or pickled Oklahoma-grown okra.
46.Ham sandwich from Robertson's Hams Inc., 110 N Wanda St., Marietta, (800) 654-4012, www.
robertsonshams.com. Two franchises are near Caddo and in Seminole.
47.Oklahoma-raised beef, available at some Oklahoma farmers markets or through the Oklahoma Food Cooperative, oklahomafood.coop.
48.Cheese fries from Eskimo Joe's, 501 W Elm Ave., Stillwater, (405) 372-8896, eskimojoes.com. Save time to shop for a souvenir next door.
49.A burger from Johnnie's Charcoal Broiler or Johnnie's Express, 11 locations statewide, johnniesok.com. Add some onion rings, if you dare.
50.Homemade granola from Big Sky Bread Co., 6606 N Western, Oklahoma City, 879-0330. Better buy two bags.
51.No salt, MSG, sugar or preservatives are used in the gourmet seasoning blends produced by Cedar Hill Seasonings, Edmond, which has been in business 21 years, 340-1119, cedarhill
seasonings.com.
52.Oklahoma-grown raspberries in June.
53.A slice of the strawberry-banana cake from Leo's Bar-B-Q, 3631 N Kelley, 424-5367.
54.Fresh crop of Oklahoma native pecans available after the first frost, usually in late fall.
55.Vietnamese pho soup at any of the pho restaurants along NW 23 or the metro Oklahoma City area.
56.Caesar salad prepared tableside at Junior's, 2601 Northwest Expressway, 848-5597, Oklahoma City.
57.Watonga cheese, 314 E Second, Watonga, (405) 623-5915, watongacheese.com; Watonga Cheese outlet, 4303 NW 39 Expressway, Oklahoma City, 943-2707.
58.Oklahoma-grown strawberries in spring.
59.Oklahoma bison burger. Look for the frozen patties in the meat department at Crescent Market pr online at
oklahomafood.coop. Several farms in Oklahoma offer frozen cuts of bison meat too.
60.Maria-Rae's salsa and chips, 2517 N Van Buren, Enid, (580) 242-3342. Available where Oklahoma products are sold.
61.Kolaches available during the annual Czech festivals held in Prague and Yukon.
62.The chicken parmesan dinner served family style at the 81-year-old Pete's Place, 120 SW 8 St., Krebs, (918) 423-2042, petes.org. The $16.95 dinner includes salad, antipasta plate, spaghetti and meatballs, ravioli and garlic bread.
63.A Dixie Dog (corn dog) from the Dixie Dog Drive-In, 1421 E South Ave., Ponca City, (580) 762-4439. The batter used for the corn dogs is homemade.
64.A bowl of three-way chili (spaghetti, red beans and chili) made at the 99-year-old Ike's Chili House, 5941 E Admiral Place, Tulsa, (918) 838-9410. Ike Johnson founded the eatery that touts itself as the oldest restaurant in Oklahoma. The three-way chili is sold in regular, special, double and triple portions, priced from $3.45 to $5.65. It's standing-room-only on wet, cold, rainy and snowy days.
65.Greg's Chicken, created by a former chef at Norman's Legend's Restaurant, 1313 W Lindsey, 329-8888, legendsrestaurant.com. The entree is a chicken breast stuffed with spinach and goat cheese, deep fried and served with a sherry-mushroom sauce
66.C heese curds (white or yellow) from Christian Cheese, 13th and Airport Road, Kingfisher, (405) 375-6711. Available where Oklahoma products are sold.
67.Lovera's Famous Homemade Summer Sausage, made at Lovera's Family Grocery, 95 NW 6 St., Krebs, (918) 423-2842, loveras-italian.com. The store has been open since 1946. A pound of the sausage is $5.95.
68.Cinnamon rolls at Annie Okie's Runway Cafe, Wiley Post Airport, Bethany, 787-7732. The homemade cinnamon rolls have been a feature for at least a dozen years.
69.Dan's Indian Tacos available each fall during the Oklahoma State Fair.
70.Daddy Hinkle's meat marinades, based in Cleveland, OK, (800) 298-3929, daddyhinkles.com. Available where Oklahoma products are sold.
71.Choc beer from Pete's Place, 120 SW 8, Krebs, (918) 423-2042, petes.org. We found it at La Baguette Bistro, 7408 N May, Oklahoma City, 840-3047.
72.Shawnee Mills corn bread mix, at grocery stores. Jazz it up with a can of creamed corn, jalapeno peppers, red and green bell pepper and/or shredded cheddar cheese. Shawnee Milling Co., Shawnee, shawneemilling.com.
73.The Wedge, eight layers of chocolate chip cake and chocolate ganache that's a birthday favorite at Lottinvilles Wood Grille, 900 S Kelly, Edmond, 341-4422, lottinvilles.com. Baked in house, one slice (one-eighth of the cake) is $6, one-quarter of the cake is $16 and a whole cake is $65.
74.Any variety country pork sausage from J.C. Potter Sausage, 1914 Highway 70 E, Durant, (580) 924-2414, JCP Home Page. Available at grocery stores.
75.Iced sugar cookies from Sweete Memories bakery, 6501 N May, Oklahoma City, 842-4799 are priced at 99 cents each, sweetememories.com.
76.Gyro sandwich from The Greek House, 768 Jenkins, Norman, 364-6300.
77.Oklahoma-grown peanuts.
78.Oklahoma wine; the state now has 38 licensed wineries.
79.Oklahoma-grown asparagus. Check local farmers markets in the springtime.
80.Oklahoma barbecue — you pick the location. If you want some suggestions, start with the killer ribs at Wildhorse Mountain, Sallisaw. Van's Pig Stand in Shawnee; Earl's Ribs in Bricktown; Jake's in Chickasha; Bob's in Ada; Ken's in Amber; and Elmer's in Tulsa are also must-trys.
81.White wedding cake with Bavarian cream, prepared by Ruth's Sweete Justice, 7602 N May Ave., 879-2253, ruthssweetejustice.com. Guests longing for a slice of great-tasting wedding cake will return for seconds of this moist, flavorful confection.
82.Griffin's syrup from Griffin Food Co., Muskogee, griffinfoods.com, available in grocery stores.
83.The homemade salsa at Tio's Mexican Restaurant, 1960 W Grant, Pauls Valley, (405) 238-3535. John Burns opened the restaurant 33 years ago in a small farmhouse; it's still owned by his family and the same cook has been making the salsa since it opened. Homemade chips and the salsa (described as pretty spicy) are served as soon as guests are seated.
84."The works” at Nancy's Crossroads Cafe, 11056 State Highway 39, Dibble, (405) 344-7334. It includes seasoned pinto beans, fried okra, fried potatoes and a slice of corn bread.
85.The pork cutlet chicken-fry dinner served at the Rock Cafe along State Highway 66, 114 W Main St., Stroud, (918) 968-3990, rockcaferoute66.com. Check out the buffalo burgers and alligator burgers, too.
86.The Carolina-style pulled pork available most Saturdays for carryout at Bill Kamp's Meat Market, 7310 N Western, 843-2455. Don't forget a container of the tangy vinegar sauce to pour over the meat. Make your own Carolina slaw to top the meat for an authentic sandwich.
87.Any other Oklahoma barbecue sauce not mentioned above. Where to start? Don't miss Selmon Brothers' brand, at grocery stores.
88.Weiner schnitzel with peppercorn gravy served at Old Germany Restaurant, 15920 SE 29, Choctaw, 390-8647, oldgermany.com. Opened in 1976 by the Turek family, which still operates the business.
89.Chocolate-dipped potato chips from Bedre Fine Chocolate, 2001 W Airline Road, Pauls Valley, (405) 207-9320, (800) 367-5390, www.bedre
chocolates.com. The company is owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation.
90.Sausage prepared by Blue & Gold Sausage Co., Jones, (405) 399-2954, www.blueandgoldsausage.
com. Started in the early 1960s, it has become a fund-raising tool for community groups.
91.Any omelet served at Jimmy's Egg, multiple locations, jimmysegg.com.
92.Any brand of Oklahoma pepper jelly or jam, where Oklahoma products are sold.
93.Batter-dipped and deep-fried Pickle-O's from Classic 50's Drive-In, 1521 W Lindsey, Norman, 321-2271, classic50sdrivein.com.
94.Oklahoma farm-raised venison from Honey Hill Farm, Edmond. Check where Oklahoma products are sold or the Oklahoma Food Cooperative, oklahomafood.coop.
95.Grilled Oklahoma quail. You hunt it, you prepare it.
96.Razor Clam clam chowder (Tulsa)/The Cellar clam chowder (Oklahoma City), originally served at the two legendary restaurants where Rick Kamp once worked. It's now served at his restaurant, Rick's Cafe Americain, 5107 S Harvard, Tulsa (918) 742-1076. The first time Kamp served the chowder at his Razor Clam restaurant in the early 1970s was for Leon Russell and Willie Nelson.
97.Mrs. Smith's pumpkin pie, baked in Stilwell, available in the frozen food section at grocery stores.
98.Oklahoma jerky products — beef, buffalo, venison. Look for them in convenience stores, grocery stores, where Oklahoma products are sold or online at oklahomafood.coop.
99.Oklahoma-grown pickled asparagus, where Oklahoma products are sold.
100.Aunt Bill's Brown Candy, a holiday tradition for decades among Oklahomans. The recipe became popular after appearing in Aunt Susan's food column in The Oklahoman. The burnt sugar fudge recipe is available in our recipe database at NewsOK.com.
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