Game of Othello
Tammy Weiss, co-owner and executive chef of Othello’s Italian Restaurant in Edmond and Norman, was one of 60 chefs to battle it out in the traditional category of the International Pizza Expo, held March 19-21 in Las Vegas. “It was exhilarating,” she said. “It was like one of those food challenges with judges and hundreds…
Artistic appetite
If you’re looking for good Italian food with a little something extra, make a trip to Italian Jim’s Restaurant in downtown Edmond. Not only can you enjoy a nice meal, but you can watch as master glass artists create amazing pieces of artwork. Owner Chris McGahan moved the eatery and adjoining glass studio from Yukon…
McClendon’s genius
I’ve had the good fortune to know both men, who, by any measure, are two of the most visionary entrepreneurs responsible for much of Oklahoma City’s renaissance. Chesapeake is America’s second-largest natural gas producer. Early on, McClendon and Ward realized the promise of unlocking huge deposits of natural gas by fracking. In replacing McClendon, Chesapeake…
Real must-see TV
If only there were a TV network not driven by profits, a network with the goal to make us more knowledgeable and more responsible citizens. A network that chooses to present scientifically based programs, shows that inspire, educate and entertain. A network that delivers the news with honesty and integrity. If only there were such…
Embryonic
Recent research has clarified how emergency contraceptives, or ECs, work. Seldom suppressing egg release, ECs are often “embryocidal,” as European medical authorities stated in 2009, destroying life before implantation. Game-changing recent studies precisely revealed how the most popular ECs work. Chilean researchers attempted to definitively show Plan B chiefly suppresses ovulation without embryocidal effects and…
High-stakes pigeons
Credit: Brad Gregg Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater has charged Karen Mae Clifton, executive director of the American Racing Pigeon Union (AU); internationally known pigeon racer Richard Wayne Mardis; and James Orr Steele, president of Pigeon Racers of Oklahoma (PRO), with felony commercial-gambling charges. PETA investigators in 2010 allegedly witnessed illegal betting totaling nearly…
Lottery limbo
Rollo Redburn Credit: Mark Hancock Politicians and industry officials guessed that figure could be upwards of $150 million per year, depending on how likely Oklahomans were to buy tickets. But no one really knew, and if you asked for a wager, they would say, “Wait until it’s started.” As it turns out, the lottery has…
Enforcing the law
Credit: Brad Gregg Federal officials on March 15 put state Insurance Commissioner John Doak on notice that a second level of health insurance regulation, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, will ensure enforcement of the ACA in Oklahoma. The move comes after Doak informed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that…
Bloomin’ treats
We’re talking restaurants, naturally. Making its way to Oklahoma City is Texas-based Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar, 1845 Northwest Expressway. Opening late next month in the Elephant Bar building on the southeast corner of Penn Square Mall’s parking lot, Whiskey Cake is a “farm to fork, garden to glass” restaurant that features seasonal American cuisine.…
Jackson’s action
Jesse Jackson with membersof Robin Howard’s family Credit: Shannon Cornman The 54-year-old Howard died June 23 from pneumonia caused by blunt force trauma to the chest following a confrontation four days earlier with Oklahoma City police officers. The death was ruled a homicide by the state medical examiner. Jackson came to OKC last week to…
Correction needed for correctional officers
If you answered yes to all of these application questions, you may qualify to become a correctional officer for the state of Oklahoma. For your valuable service, the state will pay you $11.83 an hour to start, less than most of your local convenience store clerks and less than any other state corrections officer in…
Shaved Hamm?
Credit: Brad Gregg And Hamm might face a doozy since his estranged wife, Sue Ann Hamm, filed for divorce last May. The story was broken by Reuters, the self-appointed scourge of Oklahoma energy barons, already having spanked SandRidge Energy CEO Tom Ward and departing Chesapeake CEO Aubrey McClendon in recent headlines. Sue Ann Hamm, an…
The Hitt Boyz — AlphaCat
While it’s not exactly clear whether this Oklahoma City quartet is hopelessly self-aware or merely revels in modest drollery, what is clear is that AlphaCat sounds nothing like you’d expect — which is to say, it’s actually pretty damn good. Clocking in at just under 11 minutes, it consists of only three tracks: “Best Catt,”…
Viva la renaissance
A Date with Iris By: Shannon Cornman And it’s a chance to come out of winter’s hibernation mode. If you’d like a refresh to align with the new season, there are a few ways to accomplish that. I don’t know about you, but new seasons always prompt me to change my hair color. It’s fun…
Sprouting up
OSU-OKC Farmers’ Market By: Sara Cowan “Now we’re gearing up for the warm season, which would be your squash, cantaloupe [and] tomatoes,” said Ray Ridlen, horticulturist from Oklahoma State University’s Oklahoma City campus. Ridlen, who offers gardening sessions several times a year, saw an abrupt uptick in efforts to establish metro-area community gardens when the…
Dog-gone fun
Credit: Brad Gregg To commemorate the event, Scholastic Books recently held a sweepstakes to award Clifford birthday parties to five lucky winners nationwide, each of whom could invite 50 friends and family members. As it turns out, a Oklahoma City boy was one of those select victors! Well, a 70-year-old Oklahoma City boy. John McKeel,…
Bubbles and bouquets
The Wine Gallery By: Shannon Cornman The metro offers several new choices for the season, including whites, rosés and bubbles. Chateau Marjosse Bordeaux is a light, approachable blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, the two primary white grapes of France’s Bordeaux region. Made by the Lurton family since 1650, the Marjosse wines are associated with…
Lucky 7
Ronald \”Skip\” Kelly Pettis and Kelly, the top two candidates to emerge from a crowded primary race early this month, will square off in Tuesday’s runoff election. Kelly received 31 percent of the primary vote while Pettis garnered 26 percent. The remaining votes were shared by five other candidates, four of whom have endorsed Pettis.…
OKG7 perfect patios
Pops660 W. Highway 66, Arcadiapops66.com928-7677 It’s a local sweetheart, really. But did you know that, on top of the trademark walls of sweet drinks adorning the diner inside, Pops has room for about 50 in the outdoor seating space? It also has a full menu, which makes it the perfect weekend treat. On weekends, Pops…
LETTERS
Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to pbacharach@okgazette. com or sent online at okgazette.com, but include a city of residence and contact…
LETTERS
Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to pbacharach@okgazette. com or sent online at okgazette.com, but include a city of residence and contact…
Feast of love
Twenty-five restaurants will serve wine, spirits and television-inspired dishes for the 26th annual Chefs’ Feast. At this year’s sitcom-themed event, attendees will have the chance to sample some of the best food in the metro and visit with local chefs. Guests must be 21 to attend. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Regional Food Bank…
Kraft, cheesed
Credit: Brad Gregg Welker, who was a high school star at Oklahoma City’s Heritage Hall, signed a two-year contract with the Denver Broncos for $6 million a year after last season. Kraft tried to blame Welker’s agent, David Dunn, saying that Dunn had misjudged Welker’s value and the Patriots offered the receiver a better deal…
Spring into travel
That’s the message behind the Frontier Country Marketing Association, a nonprofit organization that focuses on tourism in the state’s 12 central counties. Sherri Rogers, executive director of Frontier Country, said that one of her favorite things to do when the weather’s nice is to take a day trip to historic Guthrie and take in its…
Range rovers
When Ruth Smith and Derek Kutzer began making music together as Blackstone Rangers in 2011, they didn’t know what kind to make. Today, the now-trio — with the addition of multi-instrumentalist Daniel Bornhorst — still, proudly, doesn’t know. “We haven’t honed in on our sound, and I don’t think that we should, honestly,” Smith said.…
Pedal pushers
Among the latest is the Bricktown Bike Bar, a 17-foot-long bicycle decked out with a bar, designed for groups to party as they pedal. OKC is joining the ranks of cities such as Minneapolis and Portland, Ore., in accommodating this funky concept combining city-cruising with daytime boozing, said Nick Oxford, manager and operator of the…
Songs of the South
The Kamals Photo: Stephen Carradini Taking place March 12-17, the event’s switch from the single-story Friends Bar to The 512, a two-story location, allowed for two stages without too much noise interference, which is almost always a problem at SXSW. The open-air upstairs stage had a bit of peripheral sound invasion, but even during Samantha…
Boo!-mer Sooner
By: Brad Gregg The idea of spooky spirits and pesky phantasms floating about isn’t something you might typically associate with the rebirth and renewal of spring. But with April Fools’ Day also coming up, the University of Oklahoma evidently thought it would be a great time to resurrect its popular ghost tour — only this…
Boxy, but good
Fill a box with 18 random items. Give it to a team of employees from local businesses. See what happens. Science Museum Oklahoma has done just that with its second Out of the Box exhibition, featuring the creations of 11 local businesses whose task was to take those random items — such as springs, hinges,…
Race to the finish
James Greiner Credit: Mark Hancock In fact, Marrs — seeking his third full term representing Ward 1 — won’t let his friends, family or other supporters forget about the election, either. “I had a number of people call and email me, assuming that I had it won and didn’t vote,” he said after the March…
Getting punchy
In Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart” video, the country star portrays someone ravaged by torment, who eventually dabbles in mind-altering substances, cuts her own hair and deviously inspects a kitchen knife. Basically, it’s about being crazy. But wait, don’t award her an MTV Moonman just yet, folks; the character Lambert was playing might not have…
Stick it
Photo: Shannon Cornman That was lacrosse. While relatively new to Oklahoma, it is perhaps the most ancient sport in the Western Hemisphere. Charles, a former high school baseball coach, knew very little about lacrosse, a game dominated on the collegiate level by East Coast schools. Around the same time, however, Edmond’s Parks and Recreation Department…
Heart to art
Tonight, the nonprofit NorthCare sponsores Art Awakening, a one-time showcase of artwork created by those living with mental illnesses. The event features live music, food trucks and the chance to purchase the art displayed. Jennifer Arlan, NorthCare director of marketing and communications, said the idea for the event has been in the works for several…
Tormented
Instead, I got what amounts to a feature-length commercial for said Shock Labyrinth. Also in 3-D (if you have the proper player), Tormented opens with 10-year-old Daigo (Takeru Shibuya, who acts primarily by blinking) putting a gravely injured rabbit out of its misery, much to the horror of his fellow classmates and his mute older…
How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life
That she should be honored to be subservient. That a 28-year-old blonde bombshell would have trouble landing a beau until some 51-year-old man came sliming along. I’m being harsh, but this Dean Martin/Stella Stevens pairing — now part of the burned-on-demand Sony Pictures Choice Collection — engages in all of these and more. I wasn’t…
Enlightened: The Complete First Season
This is not to denigrate her Oscar-nominated turn as 1991’s Rambling Rose or her work as muse to David Lynch, most notably in Blue Velvet or Wild at Heart — all solid and accomplished. It’s just that her role here as Amy Jellicoe is the most complex and multilayered character she’s been given. Amy represents…
Easy Money
Front and center in every sense is a fantastic Joel Kinnaman (The Darkest Hour, TV’s The Killing and our new RoboCop), commanding the screen with real star power as JW, a college student with a brilliant mind for business, but practically destitute himself. So desperately wanting to be part of the cocaine-and-cognac crowd, he spends…
Zero Dark Thirty
Some, including Republican Sen. John McCain, accused director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal, who last collaborated on The Hurt Locker, of falsely suggesting that intel gleaned through torture is what led the CIA to bin Laden. The ensuing controversy hit fever pitch. Is ZDT a nearly journalistic work? Is it morally repugnant propaganda? Mostly,…
K-11
Music producer Raymond Saxx (Goran Visnjic, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) has a drinking-and-drugging problem, which earns him an even bigger problem by Beverly Hills PD’s finest: a stay inside the titular ward of the L.A. County Jail. Dubbed by one of its residents as a “sanctuary for broken toys,” it’s the big cement…
Mama’s getting punchy
But wait, don’t award her an MTV Moonman just yet, folks; the character Lambert was playing might not have been much of a stretch, after all. According to a police report filed by Melanie Peden — a Tishomingo antique shop owner and neighbor to Lambert’s Pink Pistol boutique — the country-pop tart went postal after accusing…
The Collection
Those who haven’t seen the original film are urged to do so before diving into this sequel. It begins where its predecessor ended, and try as the opening credits might, they fail to adequately acclimate any newcomers, who may be lost. Not that the new film is deep or complex. It does, however, work best…
