Props to NorthFork restaurant

[SoonerDave]

Many of you have certainly noted the demise of an OKC landmark restaurant, Applewoods, but may not know anything of its successor, NorthFork.

Let me preface my comments with this: Many places make it clear they just want your money. Northfork bowled me over by impressing me upon just how much they want my business.

My wife and I, on one of our rare Fridays without the kids, took advantage of the opportunity and opted to give NorthFork a try. We arrived minutes before the busy dinner rush, and were seated immediately.

The menu offers a variety of everything from salads to My-Pi pizza, Chicken and Dumplings, Catfish, to Applewood's traditional pot roast and numerous steaks. Our server mentioned the specialty that caught my wife's attention: lobster and crab-stuffed filet, which came with a choice of house or caesar salad ($22.95). I opted for the 8-oz flatiron steak with garlic mashed potatoes ($12.95), and added a house salad ($2.99).

For my experience, I've generally found you can tell a lot about a restaurant by its salads. Good detail to a salad usually means better detail to the entrees; may not work all the time, but it has for me, and it did Friday. Both my house salad and my wife's Caesar salad were tremendous, oozing fresh and crisp. The house dressing on my salad, a cider-vineagrette, was wonderfully fresh and zesty.

As we waited for our entrees, we were treated to Applewood's traditional apple fritters (absolutely perfect). As our wait lengthened some, our server apologized for the delay (which we barely noticed), and then brought out a *complimentary* appetizer - an absolutely delicious bacon-wrapped nugget of chicken breast and artichoke heart in a Chipotle sauce.

My steak was ordered well-done, but presented closer to medium; my wife's was also medium, but cooked to her liking. When I mentioned that the steak wasn't quite as done as I would prefer (but not disastrously so), the server apologized profusely and rushed the steak back before I could even ask. A few minutes later, he returned with (I presume) a manager and a steak perfectly well done.

My wife's stuffed-steak was absolutely superb; the crab-and-lobster stuffing was delicious (I snuck a taste from an area that wasn't quite so "medium.") My flatiron steak seemed to have missed out a bit on the seasoning, but was still quite good, and the garlic mashed potatoes were wonderful. The hotrolls that were brought out were only OK; a bit coarse-textured and not piping hot, and there was no butter at the table that I saw. But that's a minor complaint; we both ate until we were simply stuffed.

To cap off the meal, I saw the manager come near our area with a large piece of stawberry shortcake, which she brought to *our* table, compliments of the house, as an apology for miscooking my steak. In a word, "wow."

Now *that's* a place that wants my business.

My wife and I came away more than impressed that we had found a place with a good variety of food, excellent dinner salads (not always easy to find), but wonderful attention to detail and service. Her steak was wonderful; mine was good, but the service and personal attention *in a then-busy restaurant* were marvelous.

We don't get to the north side of town that often, but the next time we get a chance, we'll be trying NorthFork again! Highly recommended!

-SoonerDave

[Karried]

That's a great review.... too bad you can't email it to them.. I was going to post their address if you wanted to forward it to them but I couldn't find their contact info yet..

Restaurants and managers always hear the worst and it so nice for them to sometimes hear what they did right. I can't wait to try this restaurant now.. thanks again!

[Midtowner]

SD:

I've eaten there, and will have to say the same. These guys are world class. They know how to operate a restaurant! All of their servers are excellent, the hospitality is great. Couldn't complain about a single thing.

A HUGE improvement over heaven's waiting room (Applewood's).

-- well that name really belongs to the Boulevard Cafeteria in Midtown, but it's just as applicable in the other case.

[bandnerd]

I thoroughly enjoyed my "mac n cheese" at North Fork. It had the rotisserie chicken in it, along with some vegetables. Everyone at the table seemed surprised at my choice, but the server said it was his favorite Plus we got a platter of free desserts and my god, the cheesecake. Very, very yummy. Oh, and the drinks are excellent, too.

[Midtowner]

It's lucky that Adam12 wasn't watching us leave the restaurant.

[bandnerd]

I wasn't driving haha.

[scotplum]

I went last Wednesday and we received a free dessert as well. I was impressed with the customer service for sure. The food was good but not spectacular. I will certainly be going back in the future. We definitely got the impression that they were more than happy to receive our business.

All that being said, how are we supposed to accept a food review from someone that orders their steak well done?! Did you ask for A-1 sauce too?

[SoonerDave]

All that being said, how are we supposed to accept a food review from someone that orders their steak well done?! Did you ask for A-1 sauce too?

Sorry, but I just can't eat meat with blood dripping from it. Never have, never will.

I can tolerate a mild strip of pink in the middle of a steak, but my wife's steaks (always medium and nearly always bloody) are, for me, inedible. And I won't go within five miles of a hamburger that isn't cooked through-and-through.

-SoonerDave

[bandnerd]

Blasphemer! Do you eat it with A-1, too?

My mom gets steaks well-done, too. I'm a medium rare gal, myself, so is my sis. More flavor, better texture...like buttah. Well-done steaks require so much more chewing lol.

However, I, too, will not eat a hamburger that is not well-done. I don't trust hamburger enough. But a steak is a steak, you know what part it came from.

My dear hubby always orders medium rare and then complains that it's too rare...I've tried explaining the difference between medium (which is really what he wants) and medium rare. When I cook a steak at home, I always get "Is this safe?" and sometimes I'll throw it back on the grill for him. There have been a few frustrating times when I couldn't get the steak done to anyone's liking. I'd prefer to let the pros handle it.

[Midtowner]

Fear the mad cow.

[beatlebutt81]

My husband and I will celebrate our 2 year anniversary on Friday, and we were thinking about trying NorthFork for dinner that night. Does anyone think that would be a good idea or is there somewhere else in that same general area that would be better?

[peanut265]

After looking at Midtowner's response with the picture of the cow and the comment "fear of mad cow" it reminded me of a cartoon.
In the cartoon there is a cow lying on a shrink's couch asking the shrink if "he was mad"
The psychiatrist replied. "No you are just a cow with issues"

[Deni]

where is this resturant?

[bandnerd]

North Fork is where Applewood's used to be, on Memorial between Penn and May, on the north side of Memorial. Near the Red Lobster.

[Deni]

thanks bandnerd. You know what resturant I miss. Devil's Fork. We used to go there every friday night growing up. They had the best food in OKC. Anyone remember that ?

[Centerback]

Don't remember a Devil's Fork, where was it located.

[peanut265]

Being new to the area, can anyone recommend a moderate to reasonable price place for decent seafood?
thanks.preferably north.

[Easy180]

Pearl's on NW 63rd has great catfish so I would assume their other seafood is good as well

[Deni]

Devils fork was southside off like 49 and south western where the built SWMC not sure what that hospital is now

[Deni]

ooops not 49 more like 40 between 44th and 29 and western sorry

[mranderson]

I was raised on the South side, and do not remember seeing a place called "Devils Fork." When was it in existance?

BTW. The medical center is still Southwest Medical Center. Although no longer accurate, long time southsiders also know it as South Community Hospital.

In addition. To the comment that North Fork is where Applewood's USE to be. It is the same place, just renamed.

[bandnerd]

No, it is not the same place, renamed.

I know one of the owners. It is a different person, and completely different menu except for the apple fritters.

Trust me on this one, mranderson. It is way better than Applewood's. I liked Applewood's a few years ago, but the quality of food and service was on a steep downslide when I was there last as Applewood's New Year's Eve. It changed hands in the spring and they completely re-vamped the place almost overnight.

[mranderson]

No, it is not the same place, renamed.

I know one of the owners. It is a different person, and completely different menu except for the apple fritters.

Trust me on this one, mranderson. It is way better than Applewood's. I liked Applewood's a few years ago, but the quality of food and service was on a steep downslide when I was there last as Applewood's New Year's Eve. It changed hands in the spring and they completely re-vamped the place almost overnight.

Funny. I read numerous articles that discredits what you just said.

[bandnerd]

And yet, I actually KNOW the owner. So does Midtowner. So do his parents.

Have you been there? You cannot tell me that rotisserie chicken, macaroni and cheese, the wealth of different salads, desserts, chicken entrees, and pasta dishes were offered by Applewood's.

I sincerely hope you try going to this restaurant soon, because it is a totally different place than Applewood's. There is not a sign of an apple in the place. Except for the aforementioned fritters, which as I remember the owner telling us, are the only recipe they kept when they re-vamped the place.

I think a lot of people are confused because they switched hands so quietly and quickly.

I think if you actually refer to the OP you'll see that North Fork is not just Applewood's renamed.

[Deni]

Now Mr Anderson I guess I am about to give away my age. My mom had a shoe repair shop over there when the whole shopping center was still in that area. there was the shopping strip in the front and another facing South community. We were right next to Big Ed's.Devils Fork was at the north end of the shopping center. I think there is still a resturant in that area. I dont know I have not been over there since my mom moved her business after SCH took over that whole area. That is another thing about eminent domain I will never forgive.