The Tulsa Penguins

All around Tulsa from downtown and into the suburbs there are random 6' tall penguin statues. They were created by local artists and then sold, primarily to business owners it seems, as a way to raise funds to bring African penguins to the Tulsa Zoo.

Okay, I have tried to find a list of where all of the penguins are in Tulsa. Despite a pretty thorough search on the Internet I came up empty-handed. So, although this has nothing to do with my restaurant reviews. I just want to add this to my blog because I have read that other people are interested in the penguin locations well. Below are some that I have found. If you are looking for them or would like to help me compose a list, hit me up on here. :)

This is "Stella the Stewardess"

Success Express

Penguin on 71st St.

"Hildegaard the Happy Camper"

            "Miss Pretty Posh Penguin"

"A Coat of a Different Color"

"Two-Faced Penguin"





Osaka Steakhouse of Japan - Tulsa, OK

Okay, I believe there is more than one Osaka in Tulsa and I am not sure at all if they are under the same ownership so I am going to specify that this review is based on the Osaka on E. 81st St.

Jim and I went to Osaka this past weekend in hopes of having good Hibachi. When you first enter the restaurant you get a good feeling. The restaurant is immaculate and decor is very modern and beautiful. To the right is an exposed kitchen where the chefs/cooks look very professional and hard at work.

It will benefit you to know that we had made prior reservations and actually had reservations to a show following dinner. We had a friend with us and were seated right away at an empty table. The server came quickly for our drink order. When I gave her my order I also inquired about how the lobster was prepared. She said she didn't know but would find out and come back. She did come back with drinks but never answered the question. At this point we had been waiting a solid 15 minutes and plenty of tables were being sat and filled but no one had joined our table. This is important because if you go to many Hibachi grills then you know that especially on a Friday night the chef if not likely to begin cooking at your table and until it has reached capacity.

So we were hungry and decided to order the Tempura calamari and some sushi. The calamari was prepared differently from what I am accustomed to. Instead of being sliced into thin rings, it was dipped in the tempura batter and fried in tubular pieces, about 5" long. It was amazingly tender and served with two different dipping sauces, both of which were good. The sushi was a tuna roll and was okay but nothing really special.

At this point we are easily into half an hour of being there and still no one has joined our table. I knew we could never make the show on time so I went ahead and changed that reservation from 8 o'clock to 10:30. This at least allowed us to relax and not worry any further about missing the show. The wait continued and still other tables (three to be exact) are being sat, already have a chef at the table, and at at least one of them, the diners were already being served their Hibachi meals. I just kept thinking why the heck did I bother making a reservation.

After about another ten minutes the server, whom finally admitted that it was her first day, came back to say that the chef was coming out to cook for just the three of us. When I asked more questions about the menu she could not answer any of them. In the midst of this the chef arrived and I again asked our server about the preparation of the lobster. She said "oh yeah" and then turned to the chef to ask him.

So at long last Hibachi was cooked for us. There was absolutely nothing special about any of the food. The ginger dressing on the salad was just so-so, the rice was well below par in my world - flavorless and somewhat undercooked, and the meat was mediocre. This place was a major disappointment and that's unfortunate because the first impression made one think that a wonderful meal could be expected.

White River Fish Market - Tulsa, OK

My husband, Jim, has been working weekly in Tulsa for nearly two years now. Every now and then I have an opportunity to travel with him which has landed me in Tulsa twice now. The last time I was in Tulsa I decided to do a little restaurant hunting, via the Internet, in search of some new places for Jim and his fellow co-workers to go. One of the first places that I found was White River Fish Market.

This truly is a fish market with cases of fish for sale however, it does operate a restaurant as well. Jim and I stopped in on a Saturday for lunch. The portions seemed ample enough so we simply ordered one entree which was the grilled seafood K-Bob. (Their spelling, not mine.) We were right to only order one entree. We shared this dish and left with food still on the plate. It was truly excellent. There are about five different types of fish on the kabob which I would suspect can change daily depending on what is available. This was a great dish but I have yet to tell you about their best.

We have been back together since and Jim has now been numerous times with several of his co-workers. Take my advice and treat yourself to the grilled Sea Bass. It is a little pricey as sea bass generally is but is definitely worth it. For value and flavor this is honestly one of the best pieces of fish I have ever eaten. I now know several people that like to order the sea bass regularly at White River.

I have only mentioned grilled dishes to this point but broiled, fried, or smoked dishes are on the menu as well as gumbo and red beans and rice. Don't go here for fancy decor. As I mentioned earlier, this is a restaurant within a market; the tables are Formica, the floor is tiled, and there are cases of fish on display. What is important is that the restaurant is clean, the service is efficient and friendly, and the food is great! If you love seafood and are in the Tulsa area, trust me, I am not steering you wrong. White River Fish Market.

Bocado - Midtown West

I went to Bocado with my husband and a couple of friends. We were greeted by a friendly host and as we had a reservation were immediately seated. It was 8 p.m. on a Saturday night and the place was sufficiently packed. The restaurant interior has a loft-like feel and is furnished minimally. I point this out because unfortunately a large open space with no barriers and high ceilings with a crowd of patrons makes for a noisy environment. There is a nice patio in back and on good weather days I would opt for sitting out there.

Lets get to the food and the service. First we ordered cocktails and a four-cheese plate with bread. The cheese was very good but I would say the portions were a bit on the small side for four people. We then ordered entrees. Two of us ordered the organic chicken picatta, one had the Bocado burger stack, and the other chose the Chesapeake flounder and we chose a white wine to have with dinner. We barely had received the cocktails we ordered when the server brought out the white wine which was well ahead of the arrival of our entrees. On a good note he did have the foresight to bring an ice bucket so that it remained chilled.

The food arrived within about half an hour and was presented very well. Every one of us truly enjoyed the food. I was not able to finish mine but was really looking forward to taking the leftovers home to have later. (It was just as good heated back up!) Since the restaurant was so busy when the server came back we went ahead and ordered another bottle of wine. Once again we had barely gotten the first bottle open when he brought out the second bottle. This wine was a red and he did not bring new glasses.

So to sum it up, the service overall was friendly and adequate and the food was well worth the price and met expectations. The only two negatives were the noise and the wine service. I think this restaurant has a lot of potential and I will definitely go again. It is still fairly new so I highly suspect as they become more established that they will work out the kinks.

Gato Bizco

Since I just finished up a bad review I want to up my karma with a good one. So Gato Bizco...this is a tiny but homey little joint in Candler Park. There are only a few tables that all seat six and maybe about six bar stools. The decor may seem a little kitschy but if you understand the name then it makes since. (Gato Bizco is Spanish for cross-eyed cat.) The owner is very friendly and always on-hand on the weekends. The staff is friendly as well and they all work together like a well-oiled machine.

The menu consist of breakfast and lunch only and is Mexican-American fare. I personally love having breakfast here so I have never tried the lunch items. My favorite dish hands-down is the Huevos Rancheros. I really cannot count how many times I have had this! My next favorite dish is the Senor Sparky. I will warn that on the menu this dish has six eggs but if one asks they will gladly make it with two. Their biscuits and grits are both yummy too!

The service is consistently good, always getting one seated and served as quickly as possible. I have only  had a mistake made once with my order and the owner recognized the mistake, quickly brought me a corrected dish, and took the charge off my bill. Maybe this is because my husband and I are regulars or maybe he just knows good service. So forget about Flying Biscuit and do yourself a favor. (You won't wait nearly as long.) Go to Gato Bizco!!!

Urban Cannibals Bodega & Bites

Okay, did I miss something about this place? I had breakfast at UC with my husband. Hmmm...not so much. I will say that the owners were very friendly  and accomdating when we ordered off the menu but the food fell short. After ordering at the little counter in back we grabbed a table. The few tables and chairs they have are awkard in comfort and are situated oddly.

When our order was ready we went and picked it up. I had an egg and cheese biscuit and I have to say that the biscuit was so dry it crumbled when I attempted to bite into it. The egg was scorched and this is particularly annoying to me so I didn't have but a couple of bites of my breakfast before giving up on it. My husband ordered fried eggs and they were over-cooked as well. All in all nothing was special about this food or worth paying for.

Since UC also doubles as a general store, while you eat and sit in uncomfortable chairs you can also view the tampons for sale on the shelf a few feet away. Seriously? No one wants to see that while eating.

We prepared to leave when we were called upon to bring our dishes to the back of the restaurant. Even that was strange as there was no obvious place to put them.Upon asking we were pointed to some rusty metal contraption in a corner to leave them on. ???

What I like in ATL

Okay. While I may review some of these at some point for those of you who just want to know where to dine in the city I am going to make a list and sort it by neighborhood. Of course I will continue to add to the list and please don't hesitate to let me know if you think of something I should add. Just note that unless I have been there I won't add it since it's my list.

East Atlanta Village
Grant Central Pizza
The Glenwood
Graveyard
Soba - Vietnamese
Holy Taco
Spoon

Glenwood Park/Grant Park/Cabbagetown
Vickery's
Agave
Six Feet Under

Inman Park
Il Localina - Off my list. Please read my post on it. :)
Parish
Across the Street

Little Five Points
The Vortex
Little 5 Pizza
Corner Tavern
Fox Brother's BBQ

Candler Park
Gato Bizco - breakfast & lunch only
Fellini's Pizza

Decatur
Watershed
Taqueria del Sol
The Brick Store Pub

Virginia-Highland
Murphy's
LaTavola
Mali
Fontaine's
Alon's Bakery

Midtown
Publik
Trois
Marlow's
South City Kitchen
Eats
Baronda
Einstein's - not the bagel place.
Lobby at Twelve
Vickery's
MuLan
Nan
Tamarind
Rosa Mexicano
Pasta da Pulcinella
Lupe's

Midtown West
The Real Chow Baby
Figo
Taqueria del Sol
Six Feet Under
Spoon
Nuevo Laredo
Flip

Buckhead
Atlanta Fish Market
Fado
Houston's
Nava
Pano & Paul's
Blue Ridge Grill
Bluepointe
Buckhead Diner

Downtown
Legal's Seafood
Ruth's Chris

Chesire Bridge
Las Margarita's
Alfredo's
Roxx

Ansley Park
One Midtown Kitchen

Other Notables not by Neighborhood
Rathbun's
Two Urban Licks
OK Cafe
Canoe

Mulate's - French Quarter

Ugh! Yet another waste of time that resulted in leaving to go eat elsewhere. We had been here once before. I cannot recall what I had so it wasn't memorable in a good or bad way. This last visit will ensure that we don't return.

The atmosphere is fine and so is the service - no complaints there.

We ordered dinner. Jim asked for the rib-eye and wanted to have the Crab Au Gratin. It came out in a timely manner and once again i only took one bite. Here's the thing. If you are charging 24.99 for each of these dishes it should be good. Jim's steak was tough and marbled to the point it was difficult to cut and chew. More importantly, it wasn't even a ribeye steak, it was a NY strip. One server insisted that it was a rib-eye and didn't want to take it back to the kitchen. When our server made it back to our table she commented instantly that it was a strip. My Au Gratin looked and tasted as if it had been over-cooked and then left to sit out for 20 minutes. You know how cheese gets tough and chewy when it is over-baked? That's what I am talking about! I simply won't pay $50 for a mediocre dinner for two.

Sometimes I wonder if I am just spolied by Atlanta restaurants. I can name a lsit as long as my arm (probably longer given enough time) of restaurants here where you can get a really great entree for $25. But then...I find a little gem like Roberto's and I feel a glimmer of hope.

Lazizza - New Orleans

Oh my! Where to begin with this one? Horrible isn't sufficient enough to describe this train wreck that calls itself a restaurant. We actually wanted to go to Alberto's right around the corner but being as the Jazz Fest was going on many of the restaurants were closed. So we saw this place and decided to give it a shot. I hadn't eaten all day, it two o'clock and I was really hungry.

So we walk into a large dark space and there were several tables and chairs at the front, a couple of booths in back, some sort of lounge area off to the side and a bar. Only one table was occupied. Normally this would have tipped me off not eat there but since everyone was at the Jazz Fest I was hoping that accounted for the lack of patrons.

The bartender came out from behind the bar, gave us sticky menus and took our drink order. When he brought our drinks back we ordered the Hawaiian pizza. It was described as having pineapple, peperoni, tomatoes, and cream cheese on it. It wasn't exactly like any Hawaiian pizza I've had before but I could never have dreamt up what got delivered to the table.

Now the bartender whom also seems to be the server, the cook, and the busboy goes back to the kitchen. He spent half an hour, in which no one was taking care of anything in the dining room, banging around and going in and out of the refrigerator. In the interim prospective customers came and went when there was no one there to serve them. Feature that.

At last the train came off the rails. The bartender/server/cook/busboy brings out a pizza. (Not sure one could really call it that but we're going go with it.) It was some sort of lousy pre-made crust that had been topped with marinara and pepperoni and then baked. Now, after it had been baked this culinary moron took cream cheese and squeezed it out onto the pie in a spiral motion. He then followed up by putting cold diced tomatoes (not Roma or Cherry, just plain old tomatoes) and pineapple bits on top of that. I cannot figure out for the life of me what the heck he did to the pineapple. Upon tasting it, it was cold and clearly had not been baked in the oven yet it was an odd brown color. Nothing about this looked appetizing whatsoever. I managed the first bite and I think Jim got two bites in. This is hands-down the WORST pizza I have ever tasted!!!

As soon as the bartender/server/cook/busboy delivered the train wreck he proceeded to go outside for another 15 minutes where he was setting up tables and chairs. When he finally came back he did not ask us if we needed anything (after 45 minutes of waiting to get a glass refilled) and he did not ask how our meal was. I did let him know what I thought of it in a very diplomatic manner as constructive criticism. I don't think he really cared but when he came back with the check he was nice enough to let us know that he removed the pizza from the bill. We left and the place was empty.

Roberto's - Sunshine, LA (near Baton Rouge)

Jim and I just got back from a trip to New Orleans and Baton Rouge where we had some really great food and some of the most terrible food I've had. I am going to start with the postive. Roberto's was great! The outside looks like a dilapidated farmhouse and the interior is only slightly better. Even so the restaurant manages to have a rustic charm to it and doesn't take way from the dining experience. If you want to go here, look the place up on their website first. It is deffinitely off the beaten path. (http://www.robertosrestaurant.net/)

We ordered several different things and they were all really delicious. Jim had catfish, lightly fried and topped with a cream sauce swimming in mushrooms and shrimp. As if that were not enough on the plate alone (since the portion was generous) it was accompanied by a side salad, a slice of Italian bread, fried okra and mashed potatoes. Now, here in GA when we fry okra we bread it and deep-fry in oil. Roberto's fried okra was rather different. It was not breaded and seemed as if it were sauteed in white wine. Still, it was very good. The salad wasn't anything to write home about but it wasn't bad either.

I had the soup of the day which was a wonderful crawfish and corn chowder. Honestly, I have never had a chowder with so much meat in it. There was actually more crawfish than there was corn! I ate this with Jim's salad since green things scare him.

Last but not least one of Jim's favorite desserts is bread pudding. It was highly recommended so we got some to go. It was a perfect bread pudding. The bread was just the right amount moist and packed with all of the right flavors. As equally important the sauce atop it did not disappoint. It was a heavy-handed rum sauce rich in butter and very palatable.

So we had an entree, a salad, a soup, and a dessert and Roberto's went four for four. Everything was so spot-on. We highly recommend eating here if you are anywhere in the Baton Rouge vicinity.

Trailer Park - NYC

Okay...well this place is just special. Where shall I begin? As tacky as it is on the outside you really cannot quite be prepared for the abundance of cheesiness that is inside. There is an old mobile trailer camped indoors with a mannequin's head peering out the window. (That's actually kind of creepy looking to me.) The entire joint is jam-packed with retro memorabilia, signs, furniture, etc. Above the bar is another mannequin that is in the late stages of pregnancy. She is sitting in a 50's era blow-dry chair with curlers in her hair and a beer in her hand and a cigarette in her mouth. So this is just tapping into the atmosphere...onto the food.

Four of us went to Trailer Park for lunch. Now certainly the expectations were not very high given the name and I was not at all surprised to see Chili Mac and Sloppy Joe's on the menu which were in fact the two dishes that my husband and I ordered. They came out in plastic red baskets with plastic ware. (My Chili Mac was in a Styrofoam bowl and then nestled into the basket.) I probably got about two bites into my dish before I pushed it away. I don't know how one could really screw up Chili Mac. I mean its macaroni mixed in with chili and cheese on top, right? I don't think I know anyone that cannot conjure up a quasi-decent pot of chili if they put their mind to it. This chili would have been better if it had come from a can. To describe the taste I can only say that it was like what I imagine sweaty gym socks might taste like. Of the four of us, not one of us managed to come close to finishing the food and we each had different dishes.

So, here's what I think. If you like a kitschy atmosphere wait until the evening to go here and make sure that you've had dinner elsewhere. Get some drinks at the bar, listen to some pretty good tunes, and marvel at the amount of cheese that is packed into one place. You'll likely have a good time. Just don't eat there. By the way for four very bad lunches and a few cocktails the tab came to over $100!!! But hey, it is New York. :)

Il Localino - Inman Park

I recently celebrated my birthday with some friends by dining at Il Localina. It was my second visit to this restaurant and very likely my last. We had a party of nine on a Thursday night and I think it is important to point out that for the entire time that we dined, there were only four other diners in the restaurant. We ordered apps, cocktails, bottles of wine...then it was time to order entrees.

My dear friend Olga loves shellfish and wanted to order the mussels. It was only offered as an appetizer, not an entree. Well, Il Localina has a special stipulation printed on the bottom of their menu (which one would never notice without it being pointed out) that states each diner must order an entree. After some discussion Olga finally was able to persuade the server to allow her to have the mussels as her entree but the server was clearly not happy about it.

We went on to have our entrees served. I actually was quite pleased with mine however another friend ordered the chicken piccata without as much luck. What was brought to him was three of the tiniest chicken tenders that I have ever seen served in a restaurant. It was actually such a minuscule dish that I have gave him half of my dish.

In the meantime my 19 year-old daughter was sat next to me and had requested a refill to her Sprite three separate times to two different servers. On the third request the server informed us that they are charging us for each refill. Oddly, my friend Bob had several Diet Coke refills with no such disclosure.

So here is my point. Although most of us enjoyed our dinner, there were problems with food, service, and pricing. I would not say it was an over-all bad experience but...when you only have four diners in your restaurant in a two-hour period and I bring in nine people that collectively spent over $50 each I think it is in fairly bad form to charge per fountain soda and insist on each person ordering an entree. I really didn't feel treated very well on what was a very special day.

Sushi Nabe in Chattanooga, TN

While I am still thinking about sushi I want to write about the absolute best place that I have ever had sushi; Sushi Nabe in Chattanooga. It is located in the Coolidge Park area of downtown and nestled on the north shore of the river. It may be a bit tricky to spot the first time but is well worth the effort.

My husband was working up in Chattanooga and I was visiting him when we decided to try Sushi Nabe out. We sat in the back at the sushi counter. On the way back you will see a shelving unit housed with hundreds of personal chopsticks in boxes. Apparently the locals love this place so much they keep their very own chopsticks stored there. The owner's name is Yasushi and he was right there making fresh sushi and wasabi while all the while entertaining us with stories.

The sushi was phenomenal! It was so fresh and absolutely delicious. This was the first time I actually ever tried raw sushi which I never thought I would do. I am glad I finally got the courage to do so and that it was here. I have now had raw sushi in other places and I know that I probably would never have tried it more than once if my first experience was bad. As for the rest of the menu I am uncertain but feel fairly confident that everything is good. We enjoyed the sushi so much that it is all we ate!

Mali in Virgina Highland

I saw a post today on Facebook from a friend that wanted to take Ru San's off of his dining list. I marked it off of my list the first and only time I went there and told my friend so. I also suggested that he try Mali if he wanted good sushi in Atlanta. While it may not be a restaurant that comes to mind for sushi or even a Japanese restaurant, they do have very good fresh sushi. I have been to MF, Niki Moto's, Harry & Son's, Nakato, RA, etc. and still like Mali the best.

The service is great, the atmosphere is intimate and there is a charming patio for dining out on beautiful days like today. If you choose to have sushi the fish is just perfect - it melts in your mouth and tastes delicious. If one wishes to order off of the menu the Thai cuisine is wonderful as well. I like to start with the Yin and Yang wontons which are lightly fried and filled with a ricotta cheese/vegetable mix and served with a light sweet dipping sauce. The Pad Thai portions are sizable and flavorful and I have always liked their curry dishes. I don't think there is anything on the menu that one could go wrong with.