Tulsa City-County Library

"When you open a book, you can go anywhere, be anyone, achieve anything.  A book is a doorway to other worlds".  This is one of the very first lessons my dad ever taught me.  To say my dad read a lot was like saying it gets a little warm here in the summer.  The man read constantly and his love of books was the greatest gift he ever gave me.  I never go anywhere without a book and with the recent acquisition of my Kindle - I now have the ability to have several books with me at any given time.

I'd always loved the library but really, bookstores were more my thing.  Libraries were dusty, had a slight odor of mold, and all the books seemed to be five years out of date.  Bookstores though - now that was the ticket!  They were bright and shiny, it smelled new, and had all the latest bestsellers.

But then something happened.  I bought my home and wouldn't you know it - right around the corner was the Brookside branch of the Tulsa City-County Library.  So one afternoon, while I was "busy" at work, I decided to check out the library online.  I was amazed.  Here were all the latest bestsellers available to me with just the click of a mouse.  Why hadn't I realized that the library was this great?  Why had I waited so long to check this out?  What was my problem?

That afternoon I stopped at my local branch and got my first, official, Tulsa City-County Library card.  The next day, the search was on.  I started requesting books left and right.  Some were available right away and those that weren't - I was simply placed on the waiting list.  And I requested that they be delivered to my library so I wouldn't have to go out of my way.  Basically - it was like bringing the bookstore to me.

There are some drawbacks to using the library - sometimes you do have to wait a bit to read that latest bestseller and just because it's on the shelf at Barnes & Noble doesn't mean it's at the library - yet; sometimes the lag time is a couple of weeks.  But the amount of money I save every year is well worth these small annoyances.  Seriously - using the library probably saves me close to $700 each year and that's nothing to sneeze out.

The library system has also recently added e-books.  Although the collection is small, it's growing every day and most everything I've looked for is available.  The one complaint I have is that they have two sites working - one for traditional printed material and another site for electronic material.  But I've been assured that before long, the two sites will be integrated and work as one.

So get to your local library and check it out or go online at http://www.tulsalibrary.org/ (printed materials) or http://tulsa.lib.overdrive.com/ (electronic material).  Winter will be here before you know it and there's nothing like curling up on a chilly night with a great book.

Food Trucks

You've seen them - sitting there on the corner, looking all tasty and smelling all fabulous.  And you think to yourself - how good can the food actually be?  Well, I'm telling you - pretty freakin' good!  Long a staple of thriving metropolises (metropoli?), the food truck is finally making its mark here in Tulsa.  This past Saturday was the Eat Street Tulsa Food Truck Festival, held in the Blue Dome district.  With more than 15 of the best trucks going - there was something to satisfy every palate - Vietnamese, Chinese, Mexican, along with more American fare such as BBQ, hot dogs, and pizza.

We arrived shortly after 6:00pm and the crowd was thick and in a festive mood (helping with the festive mood was the fact that the McNellies Pub Run had recently finished and half the crowd was working on an endorphin / Guinness high).  We started with tacos from Mr. Nice Guys.  They were your standard street tacos filled to the brim with a nice mix of chicken, lettuce, and some pico.  Next we headed to The Pink Tamale.  The tamales were delicious and had a super texture.  Then we found ourselves at Smoke on the Street (affiliated with Smoke on Cherry Street).  Here is where we sampled fried dill pickles and fried pig ears.  I've had fried pickles before and always enjoy them.  The fried pig ears?  Well, that's another story.  I just could not get past the fact that they were pig ears.  Now, let me be clear - the reason I am not a vegetarian is because of the pig - ribs, bacon, pork chops, bacon, pork loin, bacon - but the pig ear was really too much for me.  Tasty, but it messed with my mind.

There has been some resistance to food trucks here in Tulsa.  Many people mistakenly believe that the food quality is sub-par or that the truck conditions may be unsanitary.  But having worked my way through college at a local pizza joint, I will take my chances with the corner hot dog man any day over a fast food meal served at the Golden Arches.  Those places are swimming in grease and I truly believe the wash-your-hands-after-using-the-facilities is taken more as a suggestion than a requirement.  With the food truck - what you see is what you get.  And even better - with the food trucks, you know you are supporting a local business, not some conglomerate based in Illinois.  Food truck vendors most often buy local, shop local, use seasonal ingredients, and the food is usually fresh, not frozen.

So the next time you leave the BOK Center on a Saturday night and pass the hot dog man - get one!!  I guarantee you it will be the best dog you've ever had.

Local Eats & Drinks

food-ie (noun) - a person having an avid interest in food.

Yes, I am a foodie (despise the word, love the concept).  I love trying new restaurants and foods.  Thankfully, I live in Tulsa, which means I can indulge my hobby at least once a week as long as my pocketbook agrees.  And for my money - it's hard to beat the local joints.  Below is a list of some of my favorite places and why.

Cosmo's (33rd & Peoria) - to be honest, I think the original place had a more relaxed vibe but it's still hard to beat this neighborhood hang out.  They don't allow sports on the TV, they do frequent "theme" nights (The Big Lebowski night, Speakeasy night, etc), they have board games you can play and the menu offers a HUGE selection of sandwhiches and salads and everything always taste so fresh!  But more than anything else - they have the BEST bloody mary in town.  The best!  Plus, this one time, I was quoted on their menu.  So I've got that going for me.

El Guapo's Cantina (1st & Elgin) - Tulsa's only roof top restaurant, El Guapo's is part of Elliot Nelson's bid to take over the world (ok, maybe just downtown Tulsa).  The food is great, the staff is the friendliest, and the atmosphere is amazing.  And on Tuesday nights, you can get street tacos for $1.  Now how great is that?

McNellie's Tavern (1st & Elgin) - Ahhh....McNellie's.  Everyone knows about McNellie's.  They have the coolest bar atmosphere going and the largest selection of beers in the region (350 and growing).  Their burger is pretty good, especially on Wednesdays ($3 burger night) and the sweet potato fries are something to write home about.  Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Dalesandro's (18th & Boston) - If I'm in the mood for Italian food, there is no other place I can think of other than Dalesandro's (Ciao on Brookside runs a close 2nd).  Dalesandro's first opened in Skiatook, moved downtown and now they have a new, spacious place at SoBo.  The menu is fairly small but they have everything you could hope for and the food is fresh!  And as an extra perk - Vintage 1740 is right next door - Tulsa's most hip wine bar.  Except for Valkyrie, which isn't really a wine bar but rather a bar that serves some of the best drinks in town.

The Rusy Crane (1st & Detroit) - the motto of this restaurant is "Be Here" and I think that pretty much sums it up.  The food is fresh and tasty and the menu is varied - suitable to every palate including my one and only vegetarian friend.  And for a refreshing change of pace, they offer "no crash lunches" - lunch entrees that are guaranteed to give you energy throughout the day.  But be warned - the service is.....well, let's just say not good.






The Brook (34th & Peoria) - Mac & Cheese.  That is all.

Yokozuna (2nd & Detroit) - featuring a diverse menu of Pan-Asian food, they have some of the best sushi going.  Fun, different sushi rolls (hello, Hot Mess) and a fun atmosphere, Yokozuna is my go-to place for sushi.  Plus, they offer happy hour on their rolls from 3pm-6pm Monday - Friday, and 10pm-midnight on Friday and Saturday.  Granted, I have to plan accordingly and take a nap if I'm going to be out past 10:00pm, but it's worth it.

Fat Guy's Burgers (1st & Greenwood) - located adjacent to Driller's Stadium, this burger place serves the BEST burgers around.  Thin patties, intriguing toppings (peanut butter?), great french fries - it's nirvana!

Brother's Houligan (15th & Atlanta) - if you're looking for a classy setting and fine dining, just turn around and leave.  The Bros Houligan is all about comfort food and by comfort food, I really mean everything is fried and served with a side of gravy.  I've tried just about everything on the menu and although the chicken fried steak is super-yummy, it's the chicken livers that keep bringing me back.  Yes, chicken livers.  They're awesome and tasty and I don't care that it's an organ meat.  Get over it.

Vintage 1740 (17th & Boston) - I love this place.  Small space, intimate feel, velvet couches, great drink selection - what's not to like???

Valkyrie (13 E. Brady) - this new bar opened this past summer and already it's one of my new favorite places.  The decor is pretty industrial with an open floor plan, but it stll feels warm and cozy.  The premise is a continuously rotating selection of wines, beers, and cocktails based on the seasons.  And you won't fine bottled anything here - the fruit juice is squeezed daily, and all other ingredients (such as grenadine) are made in house.





So that's it - my Top 11, if you will.  So what's your favorite place to grab some sustenance?  If you always find yourself at a chain - branch out!!  Support your local business owners!!  Try something new.  Start creating your own Top 10 list today.