A couple, a lake bum and a mule...

...walk into a bar. No, wait, I've got my jokes all mixed up. Man, it really has been too long since I last blogged! I hope I haven't lost my touch. "Pish tosh," as Niles or Frasier would say. Yes, I still watch Frasier. A brilliant show. Whenever I watch it I feel like I instantly speak good English (j/k I know that isn't proper grammar I was making another joke). Annnnyyyyywaaayyyyy, I'm not sure why it's been so long since any of us has blogged, my apologies to our one follower. I sense there has been a void in your life? I know there has been in mine. I really do enjoy blogging. I didn't realize how much until I hadn't done it in awhile.

So this post tells the story of yesterday - the supposed end of the world. To be honest, I had bought into all that Mayan calendar hoopla earlier this year and was all excited to throw a giant party. Alas, school and work ruled my life this last year and I soon forgot the end of the world was nigh. To celebrate it, I went to Urban Wineworks with A and Kyle (A's hubby who I suppose we could call K but then I'm K so maybe he's K2 but isn't that a movie about some snowy summit? I suppose he could be KM for K-male but those are the initials of my dog Keltsy Marie and we certainly don't want any mixups there. KB for K-boy? Veto. K2 it is). So A, K2 and I headed out for a late lunch at Urban Wineworks in the Plaza District. We in-the-know call it U Dub or we in-the-lazy call it that b/c, again, the full name of the restaurant is quite a mouth-full of slurred words once one has tasted plenty o' "damn fine wine" from said oenophile hot spot. Sadly, U Dub no longer serves lunch, only dinner and Saturday/Sunday brunch. Nevertheless, we sampled a few of the wines, even convincing K2 to have a sip (he's not much of a wine drinker). Oh, and by 'convincing' I mean A shoved her glass in his face and said, "Try this." They're so presh. U Dub also has a really cool collection of wine-related goods: openers, foil cutters, pressure seals, pourers, etc. A and I were just as pleased with the assortment of obvious Christmas gifts for ourselves as we would have been with eating food! The biggest surprise was the Aglianico. When the bartender said it had a nice, peppery finish I was a bit skeptical. Pepper and wine? But it was quite tasty indeed! A bought a bottle for her mom she liked it so much.

So by this time it was almost 3:00p and we hadn't eaten lunch. K2 was hungry but you couldn't tell. He really was a trooper. So we packed up in Mango Tango (yes, I let A drive again. She did much better this time - stayed in the lines and everything...so proud) and headed off to Midtown thinking we'd eat at McNellies since K2 hadn't ever eaten there and he likes beer and burgers. We thought we ought to go somewhere he would like since we'd taken him to U Dub. He was merely a backseat prisoner when we left my house. However, we didn't make it 15 feet before I spotted The Mule! A and I had talked about it before and when I said, "Oh, there's The Mule - that sandwich and beer place I told you about," she slammed on the brakes, turned MT right into a narrow alleyway (going the wrong way I might add) and hurriedly sped around another corner to snag a spot just vacated by another vehicle exclaiming, "Oh, that car just left!" Side note: I came to the realization today that A is quite the talker while driving. K2 and I got everything from, "What are you doing?!" to "Uh, hello!" to "Uh, you need a new car geez!" to "Okay, Buick, you can slow down I'm driving fast enough!" There were many more but I can't remember them all. Really I wondered if she even needed K2 and I there to talk to - she could probably carry on a full convo all by herself and be happy as a clam.

I digress. So we pull in to the stellar parking spot right in front of The Mule. It's in an old building that's been re-purposed - as most in the Plaza District have been - complete with exposed lighting, metal sheeting and chalk boards that serve as a drink or specials menu. All they serve are hot sandwiches called "sandies" and some soups and salads and a variety of cocktails. I chose the Beer Bite. It is made with Lake Beer and Angry Orchard Hard Apple Cider. What is Lake Beer? I'll tell you what Lake Beer is. No, it is not a brand. In fact, it is beer that one drinks at the lake - Coors Light, Bud Light, Natty Light, etc. Still confused? It's okay, I was too even after the waiter explained it, K2 got it and A got it. No judgey wudgey here. Some of us are slower than others. Anyway, I'm not a big beer drinker but this was pretty tasty. It was light and bubbly but not fruity or lake beery. A nice subtle blend. The sandies ordered were The Cortez (K2), The Macaroni Pony (A) and the BCLT (me). All three were good and the fries were delish too! They were a bit unusual, though, in that they came with what we think was either nutmeg or cardamom - some holiday spice we couldn't quite pinpoint. Nevertheless, they were crunchy and "not too potatoey" as K2 put it. Turns out he's not a big potato fan. Weirdo. For dessert, we all split the PBC&J w/ salted caramel ice cream. It was okay but coulda used more chocolate. Like all over the plate or in a side dish for dipping. I love chocolate. It's a weakness. I also thought the PB was a tad salty when paired with salted caramel ice cream. The ice cream was amazeballs, though. My fave thing on the plate for sure. Btw, I should mention that we ordered dessert b/c when I noticed that they had dessert on the menu and said something about it A ecstatically turned to K2 and said, "Oh yes, whenever we go out and eat somewhere we always order dessert. You can't eat somewhere and not order dessert!" To which I replied, "She just made that up right now as the words are coming out of her mouth but it's cool I'll go with it." I think K2 just nodded his head and gave us a courtesy laugh. Like I said, he's a trooper. And such a nice guy. I approve.

The prices at The Mule are reasonable too. A drink and two sandies cost K2 and A about $23. Not too shabby. Here are some pics. We remembered to take them this time! Well, A remembered and then remembered to tell me. Two points for A.

So after we stuffed our faces full of rich food, wine and the aforementioned lake beer cocktail we headed off to The Beef Jerky Emporium. We did make a pit stop at Acme Veterinary Clinic where A sang the "Acme" portion of the commercials she swears she remembers from long ago, but that's another story for another blog. I might add that she almost peed her pants after she sang the word "Acme." It's good that she makes herself laugh, I guess. Anyway, I think if I were ever to own a store I would somehow find a way to work the word "Emporium" into the name. How freakin' cool is that word?! So simple and yet so awe-inspiring. When I hear the word Emporium my mind wanders thinking of all the neat things that could be waiting for me on the other side of the door. In this case, it's all kinds of jerky and spreads and butters and salsas and canned goods. Everything I've tried there has been tasty, but it isn't cheap by any means. We all picked up a few things and called it a day. As A drove me back to my house her chatter continued so I tried to amuse myself by saying K2's name in different tongues - Austrailian, French, British. Except I didn't get very far b/c I started with French and K2 poo pooed that and thus the game was over. Wah wah. We play the say-that-name-in-a-different-tongue game at work quite frequently. It really is a ball; mostly because none of us can speak in anything but Oklahoman so everything comes out sounding a lot like a southerner who fell and bit her tongue and now has a slight speech impediment. Oh well, que sera, sera.

Girls' Night In

Every so often we get together for food, drinks and laughs in the comforts of one of our own homes. Girls' Night In has become a time-honored tradition of sorts. You can usually count on C, M, T and me (K) to be in attendance but we occasionally welcome the sight of a newcomer; this time it was L. Last time it was someone of the male persuasion but we'll get to that story in a bit.

A typical girls' night in consists of a smorgasbord of tasty, sometimes homemade apps, entrees and desserts (I say sometimes homemade b/c M is kinda famous for her veggie trays that she makes from a veggie tray she purchases from SuperTarget). Anyway, this time 'round everything was in fact wholly homemade. My garlic lemon chicken with artichokes was the main dish. I got the recipe from The Joy of Cooking. M brought Oreo balls. She got the recipe from Pinterest. T brought pizza rolls. She got the recipe from Pinterest. L brought roasted brussels sprouts. She just made the recipe herself. Recipe is also probs a bit if a stretch seeing as how she simply tossed the sprouts in evoo and salt and then roasted til they were kinda soft and charry. Nevertheless, they were tasty! C brought turkey lettuce wraps. I'm not sure but I think she got the recipe from Pinterest. T also bright some super cute trivets she'd made for C. She got the idea from Pinterest. If I didn't know better, I'd think GNI was sponsored by Pinterest, for Pinterest and in the interest of Pinterest. I, myself, have never visited the website. I feel as though I've made it this far without ever having pinned something and my life is great so why start now?

Anyway, add in a few bottles of wine, a couple of episodes of Sex and the City and you've got GNI! I love GNIs. They are good for the soul. Laughter, witty banter, educated discussions...we've got it all. Plus, the occasional male stripper. I also love male strippers. I also think they are good for the soul. Happy face. But we typically reserve the stripper for our girls' Christmas. We feel the holidays, and more specifically Jesus' birthday, are the most appropriate time to enjoy a male stripper, don't you?!

Anyway, I recommend you have a GNI of your own sometime. They rock!

Uno, Dos, Tecate!

At least, I'm pretty sure that's how it goes. Especially when you've had like 4 of them! Let me take you back to where this story first began. A and I decided we shouldn't just eat we should also exercise...a novel idea, I know. Anyway, she and her hubs, K (yes, his name is simply "K"...no not really it's Kyle a.k.a Upgrayed - if you've seen Idiocracy you'll catch the reference :)), are very adventurous so she just so happens to have this Oklahoma Hiking Trails book that tells of the glorious trails and places you'll go if you just take a quick drive to any one of the many outdoor sanctuaries that exist in our great state. Turns out, the book is right! I had no idea all of these trails existed! I've always been a Hefner kind of girl but Hefner is flat and concrete. This book takes you to wooded areas with dirt paths and "rugged" terrain. A wanted to check out the Bluff Creek Trail, or as she called it the Bluff Crail Treek, which is right by Lake Hefner. And so we did. Side note: A drove this time to try and learn her way around the city a bit. Side note #2: A struggles to stay in the lines when parking Mango Tango. Side Note #3: I'm not sure why.

It was beautiful in both scenery and weather! We could not have picked a more perfect day! It was just right for sweatshirts but when we started moving around and walking we didn't perspire like you would on most other Oklahoma days with any kind of sun, especially in the Summer. Anyway, save for a few bike riders on their mountain bikes, we were the only two out there and had the trail to ourselves. You do have to watch out for the bikers, though, because they sneak up on you quickly and it would probably smart a little if one were to run over you. Plus, you'd get mud all over you and who knows what creatures would be lurking beneath the surface of the leaves and rocks, etc. Heck, who knows what creatures are flying around you at any given moment! We were strolling along one of the paths when all of a sudden something brushed the side of my head near my right ear! Gasp! Luckily, I was wearing a hat so I had a protective layer between the unknown creature and my precious head. Upon retrospect, it was likely the leaf that was attached to the lowly hanging branch I had just walked by but still! One must always remember to look up when one is walking. Btw, A, this is where those helmets would have come in handy. Ha! You thought I was just being silly (or blonde) when I said, "Helmets required? Oh no, we don't have helmets!" as we entered the trail near the entrance sign that read that same warning. For those of you who are confused, the sign said helmets were required and I thought it was for everyone but really they are only required for the bikers. Go figure?!

Once we completed our hike we then were ready to eat. Alas, to the food! I feel like we're always eating but, then again, this is a foodie blog so what did I expect?! We mixed it up this time, though, and headed to Mustang to enjoy some Mexican food at Los Vaqueros. I always think of Mustang when I think of someplace to get authentic Mexican food. J/k it was actually really good. And inexpensive! And quick! I got the beef fajitas for one with a GIANT Tecate. I mean it really was big. It was the size of my head, or at least the size of A's head (her head is smaller than mine). I'm not a big beer drinker but A recommended I order a Tecate. Funny trend I'm noticing as I write this...I seem to wind up consuming 3-5 times more alcohol when I'm with A than when I'm with other MFLers. Example A: the pitcher at PonP. Example B: the 32oz Tecate from Los Vaqueros. Hmmmm. Interesting. It would seem that in addition to liking owls, sparkly/glittery items and sock monkeys, A also has an affinity for large drinking vesicles. I told you she's unique.

A ordered some enchilada plate known as El Jalisco (I think). I don't know what was on it but it looked delish. Both dishes came with your standard beans and rice, of course. Both of which were pretty good. The tortillas are thin and yummy and the chips, queso and salsa are also pretty tasty. Oh, and then we got the sopapillas. Totes yum! They aren't hollow inside like most others, which I really appreciated. They were doughy and sugary and lip-smacking good. Add a dollop of honey and you can't go wrong! Happy faces.

Louie Louie's...

Tonight I dined with a named MFL contributor but first-time MFL diner, Laura. Or, as you may know her by the handy dandy side bar legend, L. We've both been so busy as of late that time simply got away from us. We realized we hadn't seen each other since late July! Craziness! During the break she sold her house, moved and has been working feverishly on her capstone class to obtain her Masters Degree in teaching. I've been working feverishly on org 2 and biochem while also just plain working feverishly at the vet hospital. So I guess we have legit excuses but it was high-time we met up and caught up and it worked out perf today!

We went to Louie's Lakeside. It's a touch smaller than some of the other Louie's and shares its parking with lake-goers not coming to eat, which is nice but misleading. One of the things I appreciate about L...I can always count on her for an early din din. I tend to eat around 530 or 600 most nights and tonight was no different. L was on board so 5:30 it was but when I got there the main lot was full. I was worried we'd have to wait for a table and that everyone else has figured out the secret to skipping crowds by eating during the geriatric dinner hour. But I was mislead. L had already been seated by the time I got there and we were promptly greeted by our waitress.

L ordered a beer (domestics were 1/2 price I think), half sandwich and roasted red pepper soup. I don't know what sandwich she got but I do know it contained avocado. Another thing I appreciate about L...her undying devotion to the avocado. I fear that she would not be a good person to count on keeping super-secretive intel to herself on account of she'd fold the minute her interrogator presented her with a smorgasbord of avocado dishes and treats. But that's okay because she teaches middle school Spanish so I think the super-secretive intel is minimal. To be honest, I'd probs cave too if tempted with avocados. They're just so tasty! And healthy...even if you consume like 50. In fact, I'm pretty sure 50 is the recommended serving size.

Anyway, I was hungry. I hadn't eaten all day save for a couple spoonfuls of cottage cheese in the morning before leaving for school and was in class all day. So I ordered the grilled onion cheese burger. Go big or go home I say. I wish I'd not gone so big. But it was delish. The onions were cooked to death and the cheese was perfectly melted over top. It was served with a side of Louie's famous shoestring-like fries. We both cleaned our plates (except for my fries) so I'd say the food was a hit! And for $8.66 plus tip it's a pretty inexpensive dinner option with plenty of variety on the menu.

Sadly, I forgot to take pics (are you really surprised?!) but the food is tasty and pretty and consistently so. Check out the website in our side bar. Louie Louie's...oh, baby, you gotta go!

Three Fair Ladies...and B-Ri.

I know, the cleverness is ridiculous. We're part of My Fare Ladies and we went to the Fair and there were three of us so we're Three Fair Ladies. I know. It's awesome. Anyway, the three ladies to which I am referring are C, M and me (K). We thought we'd mix it up a bit and recount the evening through the eyes of the beholder. In other words, hang on to your hat you're going to get three stories about the events of the night and it ain't gonna be pretty. No, just kidding. The evening really was a blasty blast and I can't wait for you to hear from M and C! This will be their first official blog entry! Hip hip hooray!

First, let me (K) say I truly love the State Fair of Oklahoma. I think it is one of the most wonderful fall-time special occasions I attend. The people watching is unparalleled, the food is unbelievable (both in taste and concept) and the attractions (rides and booths) are disconcerting yet exciting. To think that a mere two weeks ago State Fair Park was but a concrete shrine that now plays host to fly-by-night roller coaster operations, game booths that peddle giant stuffed animals as prizes and more neon-lit shacks dispensing fried, doughy, chocolatey, meaty, sugary concoctions than one can imagine is pretty impressive. Yes, it is on a much smaller scale than some of the other state fairs I've been to but I like that about our fair. You don't get lost in the shuffle because it's one big circle. Just keep walking and eventually you'll find an exit. And if you start to panic, stop, take a breath and waltz on over to the nearest InFAIRmation booth where you'll be greeted by a friendly staff more than willing to point you in the right direction! Plus, how clever is the name...InFAIRmation?! It's totes brill.

Where to start?! Okay so we were there for a little over 4 hours I think?! Wow. That's a long time but we did have to fit in eating our weight in fair food, a visit to the smallest woman in the world booth, at least a dozen adult bevies and a couple of tours through a few of the buildings that housed everything from hot tubs to roasted nuts to wrestling masks and frozen wine mixes. All-in-all, I'd say 4 hours is probably a drop in the bucket. We probably could have spent all day there and still not seen everything there was to see and eaten everything there was to eat! I don't even think we'd really want to do that I mean I felt ill after having indulged in a cinnamon roll with nuts and frosting and a couple of fried cheese curds. Imagine eating a turkey leg, roasted corn, indian taco, curly fries, deep fried snickers and mashed potatoes, chocolate covered bacon, etc. I'm getting a tummy ache just writing this post!

Nevertheless, a fun time it was. We first hit up the Wine Garden. We felt that the evening should start out with a glass of vino, even though I did not partake in the vino so much as I did a cup of beer. Neither were very good but they had alcohol in them so we approved. We then set off to find something to eat. There are so many choices and each is relatively expensive so you must choose wisely. Plus, you always go in thinking you're gonna eat 5 different things and leave having consumed part of maybe 3 different things and needing someone to take you to your car in a wheelbarrow. Never fails. I'm going to skip all of the decision making and just tell you what we ended up eating/drinking...a cinnamon roll with pecans and frosting, fried cheese curds with jalapeno ranch, three corn dogs (one jumbo), one gyro, approximately 12 beers, 2 margaritas, fried cookie dough on a stick and 2 white wines. I can honestly tell you that every last one of those items was delicious. Well, except maybe the margaritas because they were really just lime-flavored shaved ice. Whatevs. Everything else was delicious and decadent and fattening and awesome.

So what is this small woman to whom I referred earlier you ask?! Well, she is one of the many "attractions" at the fair. If you are horrified at the thought of a human being an attraction then welcome to the club. We thought surely she couldn't be real. Perhaps they had some cartooney thing bouncing around back there or it was some other sort of stunt that lured you in to paying a buck only to steal it out from under you. We were okay with this but when we entered the booth, that contained only a wooden box and giant fan, we were horrified to find a real woman sitting in the box! She had a tiny chair and a tiny lcd screen on which she could watch tv, sure, but she was still basically a little person on display for fair-goers to gawk at and listen to her poor story! Awful. Just terrible. I do not approve of this particular attraction.

After that depressing turn of events we needed more booze. We sauntered off to find some and came across a booth that served "Sloppy Tecates" and "Messy Modelos." I got a Sloppy Tecate, which is basically a Tecate poured into a plastic cup rimmed with salt and a lime. I assume the Messy Modelo entails much the same in the way of add-ons. Tasty enough for a $4.50 price tag. Much better than the $7.25 lime slushy. Oh, wait, I mean margarita.

So I think I'll sign off for now. I'm going to let M and C regale you with their tales and then I'll come back at the end to sum it all up. In the meantime, here are some pics for you to enjoy...

Yo quiero...Taqueria La Original!

Yes, the title would be better if said by a little chihuahua. I happen to know one that I'm sure would shine in the spotlight. I'll ask him if he'll grace us with his presence for a quick MFL video shoot. Anyway, today I took an honorary MFLer out to lunch at Taqueria La Original. My dear friend Jennifer Cargle, aka Jenn Jenn, now calls Banfield West her home leaving those of us at Banfield South longing for the days of old when we could see her smiling face without having to trek across the city (I-40 and Macarthur is far away!). I guess I 'm happy for her what with the promotion and all but people should really run these big decisions by me first, dammit! Just kidding, Jenn Jenn. I know you're rockin' it over there and will do great things for West! Now back to the food...

Taqueria La Original is located off 10th and Rockwell. It's in a little shacky looking strip center along with some other businesses that I really should pay more attention to before writing about but oh well. I've been to TLO before but Jenn Jenn had never been. How can you turn down street tacos that cost $1.65 each and giant-sized Mexican sodas in glass bottles?! It would be one thing if the tacos weren't delish but they are! They're fresh, hot and simple. It's all about the meat and tortilla. There aren't any extras like piles of lettuce, tomatoes and cheese that fall out anyway. Instead, it's just a little bit of fresh cilantro, lightly grilled onions and the meat on soft, warm tortillas. I always choose flour but I'm sure the corn is equally divine. Jenn Jenn got the chicken flautas, which are fried corn tortillas topped with guacamole, sour cream, lettuce and tomato. You get five flautas for $6 and the guacamole is actually good not just some side item they make and plop on a plate! All-in-all, TLO is a great lunch spot. Inexpensive, quick, tasty with a friendly staff to boot...in spite of Jenn Jenn and I paying for her coke with dimes, nickels and pennies and then tipping with whatever change we had left. I know that makes us sound like complete bitches but I don't ever carry cash and Jenn Jenn had just spent her last few dollars! I hope the girl understood we weren't trying to be snobby?!

Oh and I did remember to take some pics buuuuuttttt they are post-consumption. I've got to start remembering to take them before we eat the food! Grrrr! Nevertheless, I think you get the idea. This is a pic of Jenn Jenn's flautas, coke and the chips and salsa we got as an app. Oh I forgot about the chips! They are authentically homemade. Thicker than most but still delectable and with plenty of salt. I love salt. It's a weakness. And both salsas are good too. Neither is too spicy...even the green!

Yeah, you can't really see the menu all that well but it's got some good stuff on it. Trust. Soooo go check out Taqueria La Original. I think you'll dig it!

Just Another Day on the Red Carpet...

While Mango Tango, A's orange colored Jeep, was in desperate need of a good wash and wax that certainly wasn't the main goal of our rendezvous today. It just happened to be a nice side effect of having plenty of things to do and two cars from which to choose. So we (A and K) dropped Mango Tango off at Red Carpet and went about our scheduled day. I guess I should say that before we arrived at Red Carpet we stopped by RePUBlic Gastropub in the shops at Classen Curve for a quick nosh. Not once has that place ever let me down. So delish and consistently so.

I should have been more creative in my ordering but I'd been dreaming about the Ahi tuna tartare appetizer since like Monday and hadn't thought much past that so when it came time to order I just copied A. We both ordered the Knife and Fork BLT...be ware the knife. This is no ordinary knife. This knife is the real deal. And heavy. Anyway, A didn't get a side item but I did and let her try some. I got the mac and cheese w/ bratwurst hold the bratwurst. It's not that I don't like bratwurst, because I very much do, it's just that I like my mac and cheese to be pure. Unadulterated. You know, like how Kraft makes it?! It's probs totes delish with the brats but for now I'll stick to just the noodles and cheese and butter thank you.

The tuna appetizer is, IMO (in my opinion), the best I've found amongst several contenders. I find that the avocado and tuna pair well together when left in bigger chunks. Plus, you don't lose the texture aspect by mushing them together. And the sauce?! OMG to die for! It's salty and spicy with a little sweet and fried jalapenos on top. I don't think I have to go on. Yum. Just yum.

The BLT comes with a bit of a twist. I've found that RePUBlic likes to put their own twist on classics and, thus far, they've worked well every time. This particular BLT comes with a fried green tomato, avocado relish (yes, please!), thick-cut bacon, melted cheese and arugula/spinach atop a slice of Texas toasty type bread. The mac and cheese came in a super cute, mini dutch oven of sorts. And get this, we actually remembered to take a picture of the food BEFORE we ate it...well, A reminded me to take one of mine because I was still munching on the tuna tartare and she'd already started to eat hers. So really it's just a picture of the BLT pre-consumption and the tartare about halfway through consumption. Same thing. Whoopsa days!

I mean, look at those beauties! Makes you wish you could have them right now, huh?! Yeah I'm actually still full from lunch so I decided to blog about our day until I could think of what I wanted to eat for dinner. Decisions decisions. At any rate, RePUBlic is reasonably priced, I think. Could it be a little less expensive? Sure. But for the quality of food I've always gotten, and the service and atmosphere, I think it's well worth the price. Plus, they have tons of beers on tap and bottled from which to choose and you can order them in flights to try pairings of beers that the owners think go well together or that take you on a journey through a certain part of the world. Pretty cool! We didn't partake in any drinks today on account of the pitcher fiasco last time but I have in the past and recommend a Lambic! Yes, I know they're super-sweet girly beers but they're so delish and fruity!

Now we're at the point where we dropped off Mango Tango to get so fresh and so clean clean. While she tangoed with the Red Carpet peeps we were off to continue our regularly scheduled programming at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art in Downtown OKC. Just by writing that I instantly feel very classy. Anyway, we went to see a couple of the exhibits, specifically the glass ones. The visiting Fusion exhibit is a little odd but A found solace in a glass reproduction of E. Coli. In fact, it inspired her so much she later bought a glass ball with glass protrusions from the gift shop that she's convinced she'll turn into virus art by filling it with different things and then displaying it in random places around her house. She will take pictures of the virus art in said random places and then create a slideshow and show people her virus art. She will have captions to explain the art like in a real museum. She will become famous because her virus art will go, forgive the pun, viral. A is awesome and unique and this is why I enjoy spending time with her.

"Viral Explosion" - by A

The highlight of the afternoon was seeing the newly-rearranged Dale Chihuly exhibit. Blown glass is one of the most beautiful things to me and this artist has an unbelievable gift. I can't imagine how long it takes to create one of those pieces but then to create enough to fill an entire row boat?! Crazy! And the colors are so vibrant and, of course, everything is shiny. I like shiny things. I think my favorite part is the clear glass ceiling with a variety of his smaller pieces overhead. It creates a kind of life-size kaleidoscope. Very cool.

So basically we're saying Okc rocks! Get out there and see what it has to offer and don't forget to save room for the mini-donuts at RePUBlic! We didn't have any room left or we would've ordered some. I guess we'll just have to go back. Happy faces.

My last name is Spanakopita

I'm concerned that 2/3 of the posts so far are from Greek-ish restaurants.  What does that say about us a group?  That we're Greek?  That we eat Greek food  a lot?  That our last names are really Spanakopita (which by the way I think should be prounounced Spanko-pita because its funny).  Also, spanakopita (span-a-cop-ita?) looks lovely and wonderful - spinach squares.  Alas, I have never tried it.  Next time, dear friends, next time. 

This week, this Fare Lady went to "The Mediterranean Grill" on south Western.  This was actually my second visit there.  It's a quick hop, skip, and a jump from work when I am fortunate enough to get a lunch break.  This visit we shared the hummus - a divine garlicky chickpea concoction floating a few beautifully purple kalamata olives, pits included.  The associated pita triangles are decadent, pillow-like, and taste even better the next day for lunch! 

 

I also had the classic Greek gyro, enticing cucumber Greek yogurt and all.



I must add that the first time I visited I had the Greek salad, a personal favorite type of salad.  You can add gyro meat.  So.  Good.  The only downside to The Mediterranean Grill are the prices.  The salad with gyro meat is between $12.00 and $13.00.  Add in the almost $4.00 hummus and lunch becomes pretty expensive.  It's not so bad if you are sharing with friends, and it's a much more reasonable dinner price.  At any rate, I say it's definitely worth a try - even for a special occasion lunch. 

Gimme some of that PonP action...w/ a "small" pitcher of sangria

Yes, I know what you're thinking. They thought a pitcher was "small"...a pitcher is never small. That's why you order it in the first place! To be fair, our waiter (was his name Wyla? I swear that's what he said) was so tall it made it really difficult to hear him and to say no because if we said no he would continue to talk and we would continue to fall further backwards and down into the booth as we tilted our heads up to see him. So a pitcher it was. The we I am referring to this time is A and, well, me. A = Amy and me = Kate, of course. Side bar legend of nicknames to come for reference. I also realize that you're still wondering what this "PonP action" I am referring to must be?! Well, first of all, get your heads out of the gutter! This is not a dirty reference but, again, a reference to a restaurant that has a somewhat long and difficult name to say when one's speech has been compromised by the presence of a pitcher of sangria. PonP refers to Picasso's on Paseo. Or more specifically Picasso Cafe, but PonP is more fun dontcha think?!

So A and I had just gotten off work after a measly 10 hour shift and decided it was high-time we have a GNO (Girls' Night Out)...pronounced "No," I guess?! Anyway, we trotted off to my neck of the woods in NW Okc for some good food, live music and a few drinks. The journey to the city was fairly uneventful except for what we believe to be the sighting of a possible highway "lady," if you know what I mean. She stood suggestively at the back of her sports car with thigh-high black boots and a tubey dress. Classy. Unfortunately, A and I were driving separate cars so we had to enjoy the moment on our own and wonder what the other was thinking about this random sighting.

Soooo off to PonP we go. I've been there several times but A had never been. I'm trying to bring her over to my side of the world...the one that loves Oklahoma OVER that state that sits below us and takes up space (Boomer Sooner btw). I think she's slowly being converted. On the way to PonP we had another random sighting. A girl in a lacy, flowy, mythical-like white dress was on a white horse being walked around by a guy with long, flowy hair in khakis and a white button-up shirt around the grounds at the Waterford. This was real. We did not imagine it. No comment.

Once at PonP we were welcomed into an eclectic atmosphere of paintings by local artists, hodge podgey furniture and warmly colored walls and accent lighting. Wow, I totally sounded legit right then, huh? We first sat down outside. The cool night breeze and smell of rain enticed us. Then it thundered and the sky suddenly filled with ominous black clouds (yes, black!) sooo we promptly moved inside. Once inside we sat down and ordered the now-infamous sangrias. Honestly, we ordered a glass each but Wyla soon convinced us that a pitcher was the way to go if there were two of us and we were both drinking the same drink. He's a conversational wizard for sure. This comment led us to believe that our glasses were individually large in size and a pitcher would comprise maybe two additional drinks at a lower price per drink than us each ordering two or three more individual drinks. A lie. Our glasses were small tumblers and easily gave us at least five more sangrias a piece. I'm pretty sure we forgave him after sangria three? Happy faces. This is also the point at which A asked me the following question, "Does that guy have spikes on his vest?!" Yes, yes he did. Not so happy faces. On to sangria #4.

(Now me = Amy...a new author. Yay!) After much deliberation between the prosciutto and fig pizza, airline chicken and tuna tacos I settled for the Ahi tuna "Indian taco" something-or-other dish with some type of delish mango salsa and creme fraiche. It was on homemade fry bread. Let me say that again. It was on homemade fry bread. The Ahi was medium rare and delectable. Kate thought it was a little strange that beans were part of the entree but they tasted good regardless. There was a tad too much very fresh cilantro on top. They could have curbed a little of that and it would have gotten another star.

(Me = Kate. Changing it up again!) I too deliberated but my list of potentials was much smaller. I was debating between the same pizza A mentioned above and the airline chicken. The airline chicken we're both referring to does not come on a plane, in a plane or shaped like a plane. It does come with a bacon-bleu cream cheese sauce, cheesy risotto and a side of the vegetable of the day. Holy moly it was phenom and just the right size. A's taco was quite large so she took home about half of it but my little chicken thigh, rice and veggies were just right.

And then there was the live music.

(me = A) Much to our surprise the live music choice for the evening started setting up. Small stage. At least 6 people. Lots of instruments requiring picking. Alas, the biggest ironic moment of the night - their name- The Dizzy Pickers. Kate remarked that she thought we might be in for some hoe-down music. Indeed we were. The lead singer, well, I think she was a yodeler in another life. We got a video but beware, it's a black picture with decent sound - don't expect to see them dizzily picking. What does this look like -- a front row seat?

(me = K) We left with our bellies full and ears ringing and headed home. Turns out I left the sunroof cracked (I actually meant to do this but that's when I thought the night sky was simply dark because it was night and not because of the aforementioned ominous black clouds). Needless to say, the inside of the car was wet and the sunroof was dripping water. On to our heads and necks and shoulders and ears. It was very disconcerting but also really funny. I think my face hurt from laughing by the time we got back to mi casa...we ended up taking a mini-tour of my middle and high school life on the way back. I wanted the sunroof to have time to dry! But A kept saying, "You gotta close the inside cover water is POURING into my left ear!" She exaggerates. It was not pouring; drizzling maybe. Or, at best, dripping consistently so as to form a small puddle in one place that just so happened to be her left ear. I closed it but I don't think it had sufficient time to dry. I blame you, A, if my sunroof cover grows a new sunroof cover on account of it not being dry! 

Anyway, we had fun, as always. PonP is fab. We recommend you order a pitcher of whatever drink you get and always always order a dessert.

First stop...The Greek House: Norman, OK

A couple of days ago M, C, B-Ri and I visited The Greek House in Norman, OK. I guess you should know that M = Meghan, C = Clare, B-Ri = Brian and I = Kate. I don't think we came up with these super-secret, creative nicknames to be more like Gossip Girl, but I do think they arose out of necessity. The necessity of needing something easy to say and remember if one's short-term memory were challenged by the presence of several delicious adult beverages. Namely boxed wine. At any rate, the four of us set off to dine at The Greek House and eat in the presence of Greek people...somehow I feel that this makes the experience more real and satisfying. It's sort of like, "Well, it must be good if actual Greek people own it and eat there, right?!" Yeah I'm pretty sure that's what that means. Anyway, you'd be surprised to know that there is a decent Greek scene in Okc. The Greek House is one of four (you heard right!) gyro-serving restaurants in the 405...at least that I know of but I guess there could be others, which is why we started this blog - to discover them! Each restaurant has their own unique menu with french fries as a side item. This reminds me of when I went to Paris in high school. Every meal we ate consisted of chicken and french fries. It's as if people outside the United States assume that all we eat is something served next to fries. I blame McDonalds. I certainly don't eat french fries with every meal...except I did order some at The Greek House because, for some reason, the Greeks seem to know how to make a damn good fry! Go figure. Annnyyyywaaaayyy, I kept it simple and ordered the gyro sandwich. I think the meat was of better quality than what I've found at a couple of the other restaurants but the yogurt sauce wasn't as good as I've had other places. It was much thicker and less cucumbery than I prefer. Sad face. The pita was totes delish, though, which made up for the lacking sauce and the prices were definitely reasonable. Happy face. All of this tasty food was intermingled with lively conversation that, from what I recall, mostly revolved around us wanting to be queens or princesses. Yes, B-Ri led this discussion. No just kidding. He was involved only in the sense that M was upset with him for not having been born into royalty. He apologized and we moved on. They're so perf for each other it's presh. In the end, I think we decided the only way M could be a duchess is to change her facebook name to include the word Duchess and decide on what she wanted to be the Duchess of. The moral of the story being that we all love Kate Middleton and want to be her, of course. She's gorgeous and just plain awesome. We're pretty convinced that if we were to meet her she would instantly welcome us into her inner-circle of close friends based solely on our classiness but would soon realize she also loved that we're fun. We came to this decision while M and C were telling me that the smells and flavors of The Greek House would be with me for the rest of the evening. I shall not elaborate on this lest my classy card be taken away. Just know that if The Greek House weren't so tasty we'd of had a picture of our food to show you and not just a picture of the sign. We scarfed it down so quickly that by the time I remembered to get my camera out, all that remained was four baskets of tinfoil, plastic cups and napkins. All that was missing was a Bota Box and some Arrested Development, which we promptly headed home to enjoy. Life. Is. Good.