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The Chinese New Year is a time for family to come together and have a time of celebration. This seems to be the one time on the Chinese calendar when business shuts down and extended families are not only provided … Continue reading
I do not really expect to influence people’s eating preferences or decide on my own which are the best dishes at Oklahoma City restaurants. However, this year’s politics seem to indicate that our message may be better received if we come off as self-confident and a little audacious, so I will be this way in support of a good cause–giving readers the benefit of my highly refined taste in food to impart my vast knowledge of the best dishes that can be found anywhere in the city.
OK, even I do not believe what I just said, but nevertheless I will list some of my personal favorite items at various restaurants. Even though many of the restaurants listed are excellent all around, these are the items I find that are the best to order. I have already started a series of posts along the same theme, including Pollo Guero at El Birrias, Chicken Tawook at Camilya’s, and some of the city’s best Enchiladas. However, this is my first attempt at creating a comprehensive list.
These, then, are dishes I have found to be among the best of the best, and that others may want to try:
A number of restaurants have excellent steaks but this is my favorite
There are a number of choices in the metro for hamburgers, and for me eating a hamburger is a splurge, but I like these two when I do (but the veggie burger at Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler is something I eat more frequently)
Most of my favorite meats are listed in barbecue and ethnic restaurants
This list could be much longer but these are two of the best
The three chicken dishes are very similar and all are good–I’m not sure which is best
See my Oklahoma Reviews for more information about these restaurants.
Saveur Magazine, in “The Texas Issue” of July 2009 recognizes two facts that I use as assumptions on this web site: that El Paso has its own regional style of Mexican food and that enchiladas are one of the distinguishing features of this cuisine. On page 47 of the issue Beth Kracklauer relates the story of visiting the Gonzalez family of Las Cruces (who are friends of the Jurado family, long time operators of Casa Jurado in El Paso).
The family demonstrates how to cook enchiladas three styles (New Mexican, El Paso style, and Mexican) starting with a common pan of chile colorado sauce warming on the stove. The sauce “consists of nothing more than dried chiles, olive oil, garlic, and sea salt, and it’s going into all three kinds of enchilada.”
Red enchiladas with a chile relleno from Chope’s Restaurant in La Mesa, NM (New Mexico style)
To make New Mexico style enchiladas the cook lays the tortillas flat, each tortilla dipped in chile colorado and topped with a sparse scattering of cheddar cheese, and on top of each stack of tortillas goes a fried egg.
Red enchiladas served at Su Casa in El Paso, TX (El Paso style)
The El Paso style enchiladas are rolled and set side by side in a baking dish, coming from the oven with shredded white and yellow cheddar on top. It was explained that “You’d never get this in Mexico. There, cheese is just a garnish, used very sparingly.”
Red enchiladas served at Birrieria Diaz in Bethany, OK (The Mexico style enchiladas described in this article)
The northern Mexico style enchiladas are rolled, but only lightly dusted with crumbly cotija cheese and accompanied by fried diced potatoes and a tangy cabbage and radish slaw.
The author concludes that though the basic ingredients are the same, the three versions are decidedly not. “The differences between them come down to subtleties of technique–an extra dip of a tortilla in hot oil, another ten minutes on the stove to reduce the sauce, a pinch of cumin tossed in at the end–the kind handed down intuitively, from mother to daughter to grandson.”
I would add my own comments to this article by saying that I think cooks trained in different traditions of Mexican cooking sometimes make other changes as well, such as the chile used (especially for New Mexico cooking), the oil used (vegetable versus lard), other ingredients added to the sauce (cumin, etc.), and other factors. Moreover, green chile is probably more popular in Mexico and New Mexico, while red chile seems to be the norm in El Paso. The story in Saveur Magazine, though, gives a very good description of the differences in the three styles of enchiladas served in the El Paso area–El Paso, New Mexico, and Mexico.
One of the projects I thought would be good to include in this blog is a list of recommended restaurants in various cities, which I call Steve’s List. Some restaurants listed are based on my personal experience, but most come from reviews I have found from various sources on the Internet. This effort is to find the best restaurants of various cuisines and in various geographic locations, but also to keep the list narrowed down to a manageable size. I hope the list will be of value for those who are looking for interesting experiences that do not focus on tourist traps and the lowest common denominator food.
So far I have published lists for all of the Southwestern states, and based on my research and past experience, I believe that these states are particularly notable for their Mexican food. This seemed to be a good time to create a list of the “Top Ten Cities in the United States for Mexican Food.” It is just my personal list, and I am unsure about the order that some cities should be placed, but it seemed very evident to me about which cities should be the top ten.
The list of top ten Mexican food cities is based on both the quality and quantity of Mexican food available (and is limited to larger cities). The factors I use to determine the top cities include the number of “top restaurants” (which ideally should include both high end alta cocina restaurants and specialized restaurants which provide a variety of foods from certain areas of Mexico). I am also looking for a general Mexican food culture which supports things such as markets, bakeries, and small restaurants. In the end, though, it is not the number of businesses but the quality of them, and for this I turn to my own experience and the reviews I see on the Internet.
It seems to me that no cities outside of the Southwest would qualify as having a general Mexican food culture, although many have a large number of restaurants with a variety of food. My experience is that once you get a certain distance away from the Mexican border the “default” style and flavor of the food is Americanized in a way that gets very far away from the original style of Mexican food. These cities tend to have a few good restaurants and many that have a bland sameness. I do not want to knock people’s tastes for Americanized food, but I think a great number of people like the authentic food once they have a chance to try it (but too many cities do not provide that chance). We can always go back to the old style Mexican “comfort food,” but I think good Mexican food cities should also provide other choices.
The question of the American styles of Mexican food (Tex-Mex, New Mexican, Sonoran, and Californian) is an interesting one. I do not consider any of these to be authentic Mexican food, but they are based on food from Mexico (in contrast, the “Americanized” Mexican food I talk about is some way that Mexican dishes are modified to the point that they have more American elements than Mexican ones).
All of the cities I list as being in the top ten Mexican food cities are in states which have traditionally been home to the Tex-Mex, New Mexican, Sonoran, or California styles of Mexican food. A search of restaurant reviews on the Internet demonstrates that all the cities on my list have evolved from the original Mexican food styles to more diverse styles, as if these four styles are really a stepping stone for people to appreciate authentic Mexican food. People in these cities seem to embrace authentic food from Mexico when these types of restaurants open up, and restaurants find a customer base for what they offer.
My disclaimer here is that I have not eaten in enough restaurants in enough cities to say that I can make a definitive list of the best Mexican food cities. Still, I have some experience, and through scouring the Internet I am able to make some assumptions about the best cities for good quality Mexican food.
Some of the cities I am excluding do have some very good Mexican food. For instance, Chicago is the home of the Rick Bayless restaurants, where many believe you can get the best Mexican cuisine in the country. I have not tried them personally, but I have a pretty good idea that this is not far from the truth. Nevertheless, Chicago does not seem to have a large saturation of taco shops and the kind of small restaurants that I think would be present in one of the “top ten” cities. I believe that Chicago and other very large cities have some very good Mexican food, but it does not seem to be widespread throughout the city and the region.
I will also say that I do not have enough knowledge of some cities which I think could be possible candidates. These would include some cities in California such as San Francisco, Sacramento, and Fresno (I have been to Fresno but I would not place it in the top ten). Some cities which I am purposely excluding from the top ten include Las Vegas and Denver (I was not very impressed with either one). Some cities in Florida have very good Latin American restaurants, but they would not be in my top ten for Mexican food.
I would also say that Santa Fe should be in the top ten, but while it is one of the best cities in terms of quality, the city is just too small to compare to some of the nation’s metropolitan areas. I am limiting the list to metro areas of about 500,000 population or more with the thought that these are probably the only ones that can provide the variety of different Mexican cuisines that can contribute to its being a “top ten” city.
Oklahoma City is a special case because I think it has some very good low end restaurants, but I would be hard pressed to name any higher end places that are anywhere close to being authentic. I think people can find very good Mexican food here if they want it, but it takes a pretty good search or a good information source to search out the restaurants that serve it. Still I think it does a better job than cities such as Chicago in making good Mexican food widely accessible.
Following are cities which I think would make the best candidates for the top ten best Mexican food cities in the United States:
The trend toward improvement has accelerated recently across the country, and I think that almost every city has better Mexican food than it did a few years ago. The Internet has helped tremendously both in publicizing restaurants and in educating the general public about authentic Mexican food (also several shows on PBS and other networks have been instrumental in this). I would like to see other cities progress to the point that they can edge out some of these “top ten” cities. Whether a particular city is in the “top ten” or not is really not very critical as long as they have good Mexican food. The question of good food is very subjective, but most of the cities on this list seem to be considered very good by a consensus of people. I have stated a few of the reasons why I think this is so, and it is clear that it is not based solely on the number of restaurants a city has.
On the subject of enchiladas, I think the biggest news for Oklahoma City is how much they have improved over the past 20, 10 or even 5 years. I know that some of the best enchiladas (and Mexican food in general) is found south of Interstate 40. This article, though, is not about the best enchiladas in the Metro, but rather about some interesting ones I have found in the north part of town (and which I think compare favorably to other cities).
Several of the enchiladas mentioned are from restaurants that are known primarily for their American style Tex-Mex food (not in these words, of course, but this is how I think of them). Even in some of these restaurants, though, I have found some gems which I thought should be shared.
The following list is not ranked in any order, but it goes roughly from west to east:
12 E. Main St.
Yukon, OK
In some ways I thought their presentation of New Mexican cuisine fell a little flat, but the green chile was excellent, and one of the best ways to get this is in the green enchiladas.
Green chile enchiladas at Green Chile Kitchen
Green enchiladas are served just about everywhere in New Mexico, and now they are available at Green Chile Kitchen in Yukon. I thought these enchiladas were special because of the green chile, which has a more pure chile taste than many of the others in the Oklahoma City area. It is not over-the-top spicy, just a flavorful chile with a little bit of kick.
12201 N. Rockwell Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK
San Marcos has four restaurants in the Oklahoma City Metro (including one south of Interstate 40), but this location is the one at which I have personal experience. I think the menu is the same at all of the restaurants, but the “authentic” dishes seem to be seldom ordered at the Rockwell location (and I would guess, based on the demographics of the other neighborhoods, that they would be more popular at these restaurants).
Green enchiladas at San Marcos
I have to give the disclaimer that the most authentic enchiladas are not necessarily the best ones, but in this case I think it is worth giving the green enchiladas at San Marcos a try. Like the previous restaurant mentioned in Yukon, you will not get a dish here which is super spicy (but yes, it is a little bit spicy). This is a green tomatillo sauce which I think is popular in central and southern Mexico. For this particular sauce I like to get chicken enchiladas and some sour cream on the side (these are listed simply as “Green Enchiladas” on the menu).
6700 N.W. 39th Expressway
Bethany, OK
Still on the far west side of Oklahoma City is a small restaurant serving authentic Mexican food that has made converts of many locals who formerly had Tex-Mex as the predominant choice. Like most authentic Mexican restaurants, enchiladas are not a big part of the menu. Also like most restaurants I have experienced in Mexico, the enchiladas here do not major on the cheese. The root for the word “enchilada” is “chile,” and the dominant flavor of the enchiladas at Birrieria Diaz is the chile (either red or green).
Red enchiladas at Birrieria Diaz in Bethany
The red and green enchiladas are both good, but I like the green slightly better. The photo shows a full order of the red enchiladas (and both types of enchiladas are available in a half order).
5822 N.W. 50th St.
Oklahoma City, OK
Abel’s serves Tex-Mex style enchiladas, but the “Mexican” styled red and green enchiladas are the ones I think are special. The green enchiladas at Abel’s have a sauce similar to the tomatillo sauce found at some other restaurants, but I particularly liked the flavor here (as well as the rice and beans, salsa, drinks, and the entire meal as a whole).
Green enchiladas at Abel’s
Abel’s red enchiladas also make a good meal, and should be added to the list of “enchiladas worth seeking out.”
4521 N.W. 63rd St.
Oklahoma City, OK
I will have to say that I was somewhat surprised to find the next entry to this list at a restaurant that generally does not impress me very much, but I think the rajas enchiladas here are among the best enchiladas in the city. Some rajas dishes seem to have a very odd flavor, but Casa Perico does it the right way (in my opinion, of course).
Enchiladas de rajas at Casa Perico
These have a very robust chile flavor without being overly spicy, and the cheese provides a good balance to it. Some even better news is that there is another Casa Perico at N.W. 122nd St. and Pennsylvania.
13593 N. May Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK
Poblano Grill has a green tomatillo enchilada similar in quality to Abel’s (and others), but it is not on the menu. It so happened that I asked the waiter if they could make a tomatillo enchilada, and I was rather surprised that they could! It was even more of a surprise that it was one of the best green enchiladas I have had in OKC.
Tomatillo enchiladas at Poblano Grill
Poblano Grill is now on my short list of places I want to try again because of being able to make special orders, and because what I had was very satisfying. When I said the Mexican restaurants have come a long way in the last few years, Poblano Grill is a prime example of this (most of the menu continues to be Tex-Mex, but it is a very good sign that they now have other items).
Poblano Grill also has a location in Midwest City.
1121 N. W. 63rd St.
Oklahoma City, OK
I have not been to Mamsita’s for a while, and I do not know if they have changed the menu, but what I really liked was the fact that they served enchiladas with blue corn tortillas. I think Green Chile Kitchen in Yukon was thinking about doing this, but of course it is better if you can actually get it this way when you go.
Enchiladas with blue corn tortillas at Mamasita’s
Overall I did not think this was actually one of the best enchiladas in Oklahoma City, but just the fact that it had blue corn tortillas made it a treat for me.
I envisioned this blog as a means to express various thoughts that did not fit into the format of my restaurant reviews, and of course my thoughts can change over time. My thoughts about Japanese food are largely shaped by my visits to Seattle (and later by two extended visits of a few months). If I am ever able to visit Japan I’m sure this will greatly expand my knowledge of one of the world’s best cuisines (and I certainly hope this can happen). For now, though, I just have my rather limited knowledge with the invitation for others to share theirs.
It is understandable that people in Oklahoma City (and everywhere) are mainly interested in what is good and not in what is authentic. I have found that the most authentic Japanese food is the best food, but I just express my ideas and not everyone has to agree with my beliefs. I do not consider sushi rolls with cream cheese and avocado to be traditional Japanese food at all, but I would not argue with those who call it authentic because I believe these are being adopted by some restaurants in Japan.
In contrast, though, I have never taken Japanese steakhouses very seriously, because I do not believe this is part of traditional Japanese cuisine. Some restaurants in the United States are good though–it is just a matter that most seem to be overpriced.
Seattle has a third type of restaurant that I would call nontraditional known as teriyaki restaurants. I have found these to be a good bang for the buck although the teriyaki sauce tends to be sweet (it certainly makes a good lunch at least every once in a while). Teriyaki House in Enumclaw was my favorite, although there were some good ones in Federal Way as well (these restaurants seem to be concentrated in south King County).
The two most authentic Japanese restaurants I have found in Oklahoma City are Tokyo and Sushi Neko, although there are some others I have not tried (the one on North May in the Lakeside area near Wilshire Blvd. looks like a good possibility). Personally I like Tokyo so much I rarely even think about going anywhere else. The problem in Oklahoma is getting fresh fish (fresh fish is a must for Japanese cuisine). I will not say necessarily that Tokyo has the best fish, but I have always enjoyed it (particularly the salmon). Mainly, though, I just like the flavor of the food at Tokyo.
Happy Lunch at Tokyo Restaurant–Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City has an abundance of strip mall sushi restaurants, though, and these can also be a good resource. I do not care much for the California rolls and other specialties of these sushi places, but many of them have more traditional Japanese food on the menu as well. Without arguing whether these restaurants are authentic or not, I will say that I have found Tsubaki at MacArthur and Memorial Rd. to be particularly good. I think three of the four times I have gone there I have ordered tempura udon, a Japanese noodle soup with the shrimp and vegetable tempura providing most of the flavor. Even by Seattle standards I like the tempura here, and I do want to share this with readers.
Tempura Udon at Tsubaki–Oklahoma City
I will say that good Japanese food is not limited to the west coast, and Oklahoma City definitely has its share.
In a particularly insightful Peanuts comic strip, Lucy is sitting in her psychiatrist booth waiting for the other kids to seek her advice. Depressed as always, Charlie Brown approached and deposited his five cents for a consultation. Sizing up the situation, Lucy said to him, “You know, Charlie Brown, the problem with you is you.” Charlie, being even more depressed by this, said, “Well, then, what do I do about it?” Lucy, always having an appropriate response, said, “I don’t pretend to have the solution–I merely point out the problem.”
When doing restaurant reviews and food writing I often feel that it is good enough to merely point out the problem. It may sound more credible if I can explain why some restaurants are better than others, but sometimes all I really know is what kind of experience I had at each place. In fact, all I really promise the reader is that I will try to be objective and to be honest about both the good points and the problems that exist.
I do think there is a problem with Tex-Mex restaurants, which were a major contributor to my love of ethnic foods growing up but which I now mostly avoid. Yes, my tastes have changed, but the question in this article is whether the restaurants have changed. I believe this is the case.
Growing up our family had frequent meals at El Charrito in Oklahoma City, and as far as I know this is considered by many as being the “gold standard” of Tex-Mex food in the city. (Retro Metro OKC has a good discussion on El Charrito).
Some restaurants in Oklahoma City are owned by former employees of El Charrito or use their recipes, and supposedly serve “food like El Charrito’s.” So far, though, I have not found any other restaurants that taste anything like the food I remember at El Charrito. Of course my memory may be faulty, but I suspect I am not alone in having these feelings.
Moving to Texas, though, provided me with a lot more information about Tex-Mex restaurants. Not all of them were particularly good, but a great many were. A number of them were better than El Charrito (but I would say not by much). It was just a matter that Texas had a number of restaurants with a long history (some are still in operation today) while Oklahoma seemed to be losing its “top tier” Tex-Mex restaurants like El Charrito.
One of my all time favorite restaurants was Karam’s in San Antonio. I remember that the tortillas were soaked in sauce to give them a red color, and anything with cheese in it was a special treat. (There was a restaurant in Yukon, OK in the 1980’s where Poquito de Mexico is now located that served the same style of Tex-Mex food).
I had the chance to eat at Karam’s in 2005 shortly before it closed. At the time I was not trying to analyze or write articles about Tex-Mex cuisine–I merely wanted to enjoy a good Tex-Mex meal. It was indeed as good as I had remembered in the past. The only disappointment was how few other customers they had at the restaurant.
El Patio in Austin is another example of a long running restaurant that was very good on my most recent visit.
I do not have photos from these restaurants, but the enchilada from Los Arcos in Edmond, OK is the classic cheesy enchilada topped with chile con carne:
Enchilada (in back) on the tampiquena plate at Los Arcos, Edmond, OK
Los Arcos is a good example of restaurants that I find disappointing for their Tex-Mex food, but which are very good at their more modern (and more authentic Mexican) dishes.
My theory, after eating at Karam’s and some Austin restaurants, is that Tex-Mex can be as good now as it was when I was growing up. It is just that most of it isn’t. I do not think I merely have fond memories of El Charrito–I think it really was as good as I remember.
Many restaurants today (in Texas, Oklahoma, and other states) are trying to do Tex-Mex food but are somehow missing the mark. As to what to do about it, I don’t pretend to have the solution–I merely point out the problem.
Authentic Chinese food is rather hard to define, but over time I have come to the place that I know it when I taste it. This is food that for the most part is found only in the Asian District or else is hidden on a “secret menu” (if restaurants have it at all). My mission here, though, is not to just direct readers to secret or hidden food, but to find very good Chinese food that I think people should have a chance to try for themselves.
The issue of finding an “authentic Chinese lunch,” though, is one of the most challenging tasks I have found. Several restaurants, and even some outside of the Asian District, offer delicious and sometimes very exotic Chinese dishes. Most of these are large plates that are meant to serve a group of people “family style” (they would normally order several plates to get a variety of food). This does not usually work very well for lunch, though, when I want a moderate quantity of food and I have to choose just one plate.
American style Chinese lunch specials fit my budget and appetite very well, but over the years after getting used to “real” Chinese food the American style just does not satisfy me unless there are no other options. I do not encourage anybody who is not familiar with Chinese food to pick an “authentic” dish at random off of the dinner menu instead of their tried-and-true lunch favorites. What I would like to offer, though, are some practical suggestions for those who are familiar with more authentic food or those who just think they would like to try it.
Definitely one of the best restaurants for an authentic Chinese lunch is Chow’s at 3033 N. May Ave. For years Chow’s has served dinner only, but it has been open at lunch time since 2011 (it is still closed on Tuesdays, though). There are two pages of “Lunch Special” dishes on the menu (these are the Chinese style selections) and an additional page of “Chow’s Special” dishes (consisting mostly of American style food). All are lunch specials served with soup (hot and sour or egg drop), and a somewhat smaller food portion for the main dish.
Green Beans with Minced Pork at Chow’s
A good example of the Chinese style dishes is the Dried Green Beans with Minced Pork. I don’t think this is anything people would find weird or hard to eat. On the contrary, I think traditional Chinese food like this tends to have much sharper and well balanced flavors than Americanized dishes. This is certainly a dish I would recommend trying. (see Chow’s menu)
Grand Village at 2336 N.W. 23rd St. serves the same type of authentic Cantonese style Chinese food found at Chow’s, and has a good selection for the lunch specials. I understand that Grand Village has changed owners since the last time I visited, but I still see good reviews of it (in fact, some say it is even better now). Thus I will include it on this list as another very good lunch possibility.
Fish with Black Bean Sauce at Grand Village
One item I really liked here was Fish with Black Bean Sauce. There are quite a few other items, though, including everything from salt and pepper pork chop to eggplant with garlic sauce. Grand Village’s menu is available on line. Grand Village is closed on Wednesdays, so between this and Chow’s, diners will always have good options near N.W. 23rd and May.
A good choice in far north Oklahoma City is Szechuan Bistro at 1010 W. Memorial Rd. This restaurant specializes in spicy Sichuanese dishes, and even normally mild items like lettuce wrap have somewhat of a kick to them. I think the lunch menu is somewhat of a mixed bag as far as being authentic. Although I think there are some very good lunches, the best items I have found so far have been from the dinner menu. In spite of my questions, I think the lunch specials are much better than at the average restaurant. I have made available a scanned version of Szechuan Bistro’s menu.
Within the Asian District (near Classen Blvd. and N.W. 23rd St.) there is ample opportunity to get authentic Chinese food for lunch. I have not found much of the authentic food on the lunch specials, but I have found very good selections off the regular menus at equivalent prices. The drawback to ordering this way is that it helps to know a little bit about Cantonese food (Fung’s Kitchen, Grand House, and Golden Phoenix all specialize in Cantonese style dishes). Even for the initiated, though, the problem is that not very many of the best dishes are downsized for a lunch portion. Some smaller items that would make a good lunch choice are pan fried noodles or congee at Golden Phoenix, Fujian tofu or some of the hot pots at Fung’s Kitchen, and rice noodle soup or the hot pots at Grand House. Fung’s Kitchen and Grand House also have dim sum on weekends, but this always falls out of my price range for a typical lunch.
Every restaurant has items I particularly like, but for the narrowly defined “lunch specials” I would suggest Chow’s or Grand Village (or Szechuan Bistro if you are in north OKC).