Local Flavor

A great part of the move to OKC (I think probably my favorite part), has been discovering the food. Oklahoma City has some incredible local food - everything from steak to sushi and all the wandering pathways of delectables in between. And today, today I sampled one of the best treats I've found yet.

Check out this monstrosity:

In hindsight, I wish I had turned it around so you could see the onions and cheese exploding out the other side. I made a mess of myself with this sandwich - one bite in and I was wearing it. It was ridiculous. So much meat and this incredible overflow of melty cheese and sauteed onions - not to mention pickles, lettuce, tomato and a healthy helping of mayo and mustard... From the second we sat down (about two feet from the griddle) in this greasy spoon, Nic's, at 10th and Penn - I said 'There's no way I can eat all that.' Colin has long lamented the fact that I'll order a burger and eat only about 1/2 the meat before I take it out and just finish the bun.

The only thing left in that basket were a couple of the crispier fries.

Now, granted, I smelled like burgers the rest of the day because Nic's is maybe 300 square feet in total and you don't come out of a place like that not smelling like grease and onions. And, quite obviously, this blew all pretenses of going back on my diet today straight to hell. But it was worth it. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

I'd go back tomorrow if I had the time to wait in the line that gathers outside of the door (by 11:20) for a coveted seat at that battered wood bar. I'd go back for breakfast because I have a sneaky suspicion the pancakes are phenomenal and quite probably the size of my face. I'd go back for the meatloaf I've heard is even better than the burgers.

Nic himself makes all the food (right there, while you watch) and each time he passed me once he'd set my basket down he wanted to know if it was good. To be honest, I'm not sure if he ever got anything more than a grunt or an 'mmmmmmm' in response.

I was too busy taking bites that were way too big and licking my hands clean. I love food like that - the food that shuts your mouth and keeps you busy. This is not cozy-up-and-have-a-deep-conversation food. This is sit-down-and-shut-up-and-eat food.

Oklahoma City is good at that kind of food. Real good.

There's all sorts of other food less crazy in size and not so in-your-face - Sara Sara's Cupcakes makes these strawberry cupcakes where you actually bite into HUGE pieces of real, fresh strawberries and Sushi Neko has this incredible tuna dish with lemon slices... I can't even describe it right. Cattleman's has steak so tender I dissolved into giggles with each bite (and coming from a Texas girl - that means something) and the Pachinko Parlor has this amazing vermicelli bowl with fennel broth and wild mushrooms and shirataki noodles (gluten free Mom!!). The list goes on and on really.

Oh the food here is so good....

I know Oklahoma City is one of those places that's best known for really one thing that happened TO it and not really anything it's ever done itself, but that's just because people don't slow down and EAT here. The people in this city take great pride in their craft - and for a lot of them, that craft is turning out incredible food with quality ingredients.

And for an eater like me, that makes it easy to call home.