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.

The Rising Sun -- March 14, 2016

Great California Sushi Rolls!

While reading the Tulsa World's restaurant reviews, Scott Cherry reviewed a new restaurant downtown by TU called “The Rising Sun.” Noting that one of the owners had gone to culinary school in London, it seemed to be a good idea to try this new restaurant out.

The Rising Sun is across the street from the football stadium at TU. The name of the restaurant is stenciled onto the building and the building appears to be an old converted service station. From the outside appearance, this is not a place I would expect to find fine food.

However, I have had a past experience in Madison, Wisconsin where a chef who had studied in France had a small restaurant in the back of a service station and had the best food in town. The best Mexican food I have had was in Roland, Oklahoma in the back of a service station … so the appearance of the building sometimes says little about the quality of the food.

The interior decorated in an appealing mix of frugal and simplicity

Walking into The Rising Sun the staff greeted us warmly. This was spring break, so it was not expected to be very busy. The Rising Sun had good traffic.

Being a person who likes curry, I ordered the Curry Chicken, Miso soup and hot green tea. Lance, who was with me, ordered green tea, Spicy California roll and Chicken Katsu sandwich.

I was served the miso soup right away and it was wonderful. I was surprised by the amount of appetizer that Lance was served. Not liking uncooked fish, I did not order the sushi, however Lance was served 12 sushi rolls that he seemed to really enjoy.

The main course arrived and looked wonderful. The Chicken Katsu sandwich that Lance ordered came with a fresh homemade bun and a plate full of french fries. I received a huge plate of rice and a small bowl of Curry Chicken. The food was amazing. I really wanted to have more Curry Chicken, as I am not a fan of rice and enjoy curry, but the flavor was amazing and was well worth the price.

An abundance of rice with the curry chicken

The Rising Sun has amazing service. The green Tea was kept full at all times. This restaurant is a good place to go when one wants to enjoy well prepared Asian food.

Philbrook Museum of Art -- Second Saturday, March 12, 2016

Philbrook Museum of art is a wonderful Tulsa attraction. Oilman Waite Phillips donated his Italian Renaissance villa on 23 acres to the city of Tulsa. The villa is a wonderful demonstration of the talented craftsman of the early 20th century.

On the second Saturday of every month, there is free admission to the art exhibits and villa grounds. This March has been warm and Saturday the 12th of March was a perfect day to spend enjoying this Tulsa treasure.

To begin the day a visit to LaVilla Restaurant seem like a great idea. Fortunately, when we arrived, there was not a wait we were seated immediately. Lance and I both ordered the Strawberry Kale Salad with Granola. Preparation of the salads took about 15 minutes time to enjoy the ambiance of the beautiful grounds. The salad was fantastic; very well done.

After having the salad a tour of the permanent exhibits, grounds and the temporary exhibits was in order. Being a person who really enjoys the architecture of the early 20th century, I am really disappointed that much of the inside of the villa's rooms has been covered up with walls that hide the original craftsmanship. A couple of the rooms are kept as close to original, but it would be nice to see all of the rooms restored to their original condition. The art exhibited is world class however.

The temporary exhibit is currently, “The Essence of Things” February 14, 2016 – May 1, 2016. The exhibit was very interesting showing one the simplicity of design.

FIRST FRIDAY ART CRAWL - Tulsa, Oklahoma 3-4-16

FIRST FRIDAY ART CRAWL