Chimis on Cherry Street, Cody's Birthday Bash – Tulsa, OK ● April 9, 2016

Every year Cody's and Lance's birthday celebrations are close together and all have a good time as we enjoy the early Spring. Lance and Cody spend much time planning to make the events fun for all. This year, Cody spent much time researching restaurants to come up with the best price point and best atmosphere for his celebration. Cody reserved a room a week ahead of time at Chimis on Cherry Street for 6pm to begin to prepare for the even that was scheduled to begin at 7pm. Invitations were sent to many people through Facebook.

Waiting outside for the room to be ready. Reservations at 6pm picture taken at 8pm

The evening began with all waiting until shortly after 8pm for the room to become available. For reasons unknown another group was using the room despite the reservation. We were then led to the room and proceeded to make the best of the situation. We did the best we could to get the room quickly set up.

Lance helping get the room quickly set up

The “meter” of the evening was clearly thrown off. However, we had good company. Our waitress did a really good job making sure that all were taken care of and she was extremely gracious. I did have to go to the bar and order a beer. I really wanted the Marshals on tap, but the tap was spewing foam and the waitress at the bar could not get the beer full without complete gloss of froth. She was really nice and told her I would have no problem with a bottle of Negro Modelo.

The room was nicely laid out with chips, salsa and water. There was one variety of salsa. It would have been nice to have a hot salsa as well. One a positive note, when I asked for extra lemons the waitress brought a bowl full of really fresh lemons and limes.

Photo-bomb!

Due to the schedule being thrown off, the attendees began to show up at different times. The waitress was nice enough to take orders for people as they arrived. However, as the last group arrived, she was upset when they placed their order at 9:50pm as closing time was 10pm. As a person who has been in the service industry all my life I found this very angering. Customers pay the bills and I personally will stay as long as it takes to make a customer happy. If I have to go home late, that is the price I pay for being employed. After making us wait two hours, the staff now wanted to rush us out.

Making the best of the situation. We had fun despite the circumstances!

Shortly before 10pm a gentleman decided that he needed to start busing the room. Tables were being moved in from the main dining area and the staff was starting to cause major disruptions to the event. I asked him if he could get the waitress so I could take care of my check and he completely ignored me and continued with his disruption. When the waitress finally arrived with the check, I reached for my credit card and she ran off. I yell a couple of times saying that I was ready to pay and was not heard. I finally had to go to the main dining area to hunt her down and give her my credit card.

Lance and Cody

Despite the incompetence of the busing staff and being rushed out of the building after waiting two hours patiently, we made the best of the situation.

The Wet Burrito .... YUM!

The food is fantastic. The cooks are excellent. Lance had the “Wet Burrito” which to me looked really good. I ordered the Sauteed Shrimp which was outstanding. The food is excellent at Chimis.

The Pint – Tulsa, OK ● April 8, 2016

This weeks adventure in enjoying Tulsa's finest restaurants found us at “The Pint,” on Cherry Street. Being a beautiful sunny Spring day, a restaurant with a patio to enjoy the weather was the objective. Walking into The Pint, the atmosphere is warm and friendly. Asking if there was seating in the outdoor patio the waitress explained the patio was full but there was seating in the indoor patio. The indoor patio actually turned into a comfortable place to enjoy a meal.

Of particular interest to me was the beer menu. Being one that enjoys a good beer with my meal, I found that The Pint has an excellent selection. I ordered a pint of Rahr and Sons Iron Joe ... Wee Heavy. This is an excellent selection for the atmosphere. Perfect balance of hops and barley. Great hop aroma.

Normally I don't order appetizers, but the menu included Spinach Artichoke Dip. Our waitress Cat was very helpful and let us know that we would really enjoy the Spinach Artichoke Dip. The dip is superb and the flavor is wonderful. There is a perfect balance of cheese, spinach and artichoke. Cat allowed us time to enjoy the Spinach Artichoke Dip and a couple of beers before coming back and taking the main course order. There was no feeling of being rushed which made the experience all the more pleasant.

For the main course, Blackened Chicken Pasta seemed like the way to go. The Blackened Chicken Pasta is amazing. The spices used for the blacking are an ideal combination and the chicken is cooked to perfection. Lance asked for extra Parmesan and Cat brought us a cup full of shaved Parmesan, the first time I have seen this kind of service in my experience.

The Pint is simply a very refreshing pace to enjoy a fantastic meal. It's clear the chef really is quite talented. Normally I eat half and take the rest home, but this time, I could not stop eating as the Blackened Chicken Pasta is soo good.

Outside Patio

For a relaxing time to spend with someone special, The Pint is a number one choice. I'll definitely return!

Lance's Review:

1st time here and absolutely loooved it. Cat was our waitress,and was very helpful, including telling us about specials and things that they have every single day of the week poor girl I didn't mean to make her talk so much her voice was gone but she was excellent. We sat in the front room. the front wall is all glass doors, it was wide open letting us enjoy Cherry Street air and atmosphere. It was a little confusing when we first got here because front door was locked and so you either go through a room full of people or you can go in from the side which is like an alley with strung lights and tables with umbrellas. I had the great opportunity to have the Blackened Chicken Pasta. Kudos to the chef it was AMAZING. I will be back.

All About Cha – Birthday brunch celebrating the Fabulous Lance Edge – Tulsa, OK ● April 3, 2016

Lance's birthday turned out to be a wonderful sunny spring day. A beautiful day to enjoy a Sunday brunch in downtown Tulsa.

Personally, I have never heard of “All About Cha,” so I had no idea what the experience was going to be like. The atmosphere upon arriving was surprisingly comfortable. The restaurant is nestled downtown next to the BOK Center. There is much construction going on, but parking is available on the weekends as one does not have to pay the parking meter.

Looking over the menu, I found that there was much sushi, coffee and tea. Not being one who likes uncooked fish I ordered the Caesar Salad. Lance saw the California Roll special with Miso soup and ordered two.

Double order of California Rolls and Miso Soup

There is also a very excellent selection of wraps and a wonderful selection of desert available. We had about eight people in our party and when we ordered, we were well taken care of by the staff.

Great selection of deserts

The Jasmine Tea that Lance ordered was very good and especially interesting as a flower grew in the tea after our server poured in the steaming water. 开花茶

Jasmine Flowering Tea

The food was beyond expectations for all. We all enjoyed what we ordered and there were no complaints.

Caesar Salad

California Rolls

Satisfaction

Fianna Hills Easter Brunch – Fort Smith, AR ● March 27, 2016

Fianna Hills Easter Brunch – Fort Smith, AR ● March 27, 2016

Easter Brunch at Fianna Hills Country Club is a highlight of the year. From the Country Club dining room, one has an exceptional view of the city of Fort Smith. Easter 2016 turned out to be a beautiful day, the sky was clear and the weather was warm. Beautiful time to observe the passion of Christ.

This year the staff at Fianna Hills really worked hard to provide everyone a nice day. We had made reservations a bit later than usual and found that we may be seated in the bar area. Much to our surprise, we had nice seating in the main dining room. Special attention was made for the place setting at each table. Each table had a name card of the family in attendance and there were nice table decorations of candy and Easter Flowers. The staff was extremely friendly and quick to serve us some mimosa.

First course for me is soup and salad. I did not see soup, but the choices available were much better … a huge plate of Shrimp Cocktail and Mussels Chardonnay. I had the Shrimp, Mussels and marinated cucumber. Fantastic!

Photo courtesy of Fianna Hills Facebook page

Time for the main course! To my surprise, they had Lamb Porterhouse. The lamb was cooked to perfection and wonderful.

And the desert selection was world class...

Fianna Hills went out of their way and provided and very memorable experience for Easter and had a wonderful brunch. Great Job!!!

Anthony's Italian Restaurant -- Saturday March 26, 2016

Anthony's Italian Restaurant

Several months ago December 26, 2015 my mom dad and I went to Anthony's Italian Restaurant. We had an awful experience. The waitstaff was inattentive, an old guy busing tables was down right rude to the point of really creeping us out and the food was awful!

Saturday, the 26th of March, we returned optimistic that we may have a better experience. As we entered the restaurant, we could immediately sense a huge change in the atmosphere. The wait staff was hustling and very attentive. We were graciously asked if we wanted a booth. The atmosphere was warm and inviting. The menu seems like it is upgraded and is new. 

Living in Fianna Hills in Fort Smith, Arkansas, my parents really wanted a nice restaurant close by so they did not have to drive all the way down to Rogers Avenue.

The experience that we had with them in December was the second bad experience; my parents had a bad experience previously. So this past Saturday we really got excited that things have changed. As we were ordering the waitress was wonderful and also knowledgeable about the beer selection (a big plus for me). I was able to order and IPA without issues. Immediately, bread was brought to us and was warm and fresh. Unlike the Olive Garden, Anthony's actually serves olive oil with the fresh bread and the olive oil is mixed with balsamic vinegar. Wonderful!!

An evening that we were expecting the worst, we found that we were having a great experience. At one point, my father dropped his fork on the floor as he was unrolling the silverware from the napkin … immediately a supervisor replaced the entire napkin and silverware set. Service above and beyond!! 

When the food arrived, my mouth started to water. I ordered the pasta sampler and my parents ordered the spaghetti. The sauce looked wonderful and the smelled amazing. This was the difference between night and day after our last visit. The sauce had an orange look and was not very appealing. My sampler was fantastic. The texture of the pasta and the diced tomatoes show one that care and preparation of the entrees was attended to in detail. The ingredients were fresh and spiced to perfection and it was obvious that the meals were prepared that day. The meatballs were so good, my mom and dad ordered extras to bring home.

Anthony's did a fantastic job. All the waitstaff was hustling, the tables were cleared in minutes as people were leaving and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. If you haven't been to Anthony's lately, it's time to go back. They have made a 180 degree turnaround from our previous experience.

Really good food

Posted by Steve Reid on Saturday, March 26, 2016

Bravos Mexican Grill -- March 19, 2016

Bravos Mexican Grill

Saturday, the 19th of March was a sunny day and a good day to go out to get some Mexican food. Years ago, the last meal I had the night before I ended up in the hospital for several weeks (2008), was at The Green Onion. The Green Onion was a wonderful restaurant, but is now long gone. Currently Bravos Mexican Grill occupies the building.

I've wanted to check out Bravos for a while, they have been in the building now for a while. Entering the building, it did not seem to have the ambiance it once had under the management of The Green Onion, yet Bravos is clean and appealing.

Pollo Relleno

The waiter seemed to know very little English and sometimes not very attentive, but overall did a good job. He kept my margarita full when I was able to get his attention. The chips and dip were very good. I ordered the Pollo Relleno. This is pan roasted chicken breast stuffed with sauteed vegetables, cheese, roasted tomato chilpotle sauce and black beans. The main course was wonderful and very filling.

Overall Bravos is a very good place to go and has some main course offerings one does not see in other Mexican restaurants.

Menu

Enchiladas

Olive Garden, Utica Square, Tulsa Oklahoma – March 16, 2016

Olive Garden (Fort Smith) has been a mainstay in for my family in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The last couple of times we have gone, we have been really disappointed. So when I found that the March Postal Counsel (PCC) meeting was going to be at the Olive Garden at Utica Square in Tulsa, I was excited to see how the service and food compared.

Olive Garden at Utica Square in Tulsa did an outstanding job. The meeting involved about 40 people and I was graciously led to a really nice upstairs dining room. Arriving late, the orders had already been taken, but the wait staff was attentive to every need and I was given wonderful sweet strawberry iced tea and ordered lasagna.

Questions for the mailing industry experts. Mark Waugh is the best! (seated in middle)

There was a bit of a wait for the food. This is to be expected with over 40 people to feed. Being late, I had to wait a bit longer for the lasagna. This was fine and to be expected because I ordered late.

The lasagna was outstanding and I really enjoyed the tea. Olive Garden at Utica Square does an outstanding job!! Hopefully the Olive Garden in Fort Smith can one day to return to the quality level they once had and mach the wonderful experience in Tulsa.