Restaurant Renaissance
Super Cao Nguyen spearheads Oklahoma City’s food journey to fresh, chef-inspired meals.
Chicken-Fried News: Teachers to-go
Texas is really feeling their oats ever since the Oklahoma teacher of the year moved to the Lone Star State due to a higher salary and better infrastructure. Drivers on Classen Boulevard might’ve noticed a new billboard that reads, “Your future is in a Fort Worth classroom. Teacher starting salary $52,000.” It’s one of several…
Next Issue: Facebook emerges as a threat to local journalism
P. 4 As local journalism faces challenges, Facebook emerges as a threat to both truth and the bottom line. By Laura Eastes, George Lang, Ben Luschen and Jacob Threadgill Illustration by Jim Massara
Pet project
Akira 7 p.m. May 16 Tower Theatre 425 NW 23rd St. towertheatreokc.com 405-708-6937 $10 Tower Theatre has had its Projector Club for almost as long as it has been showing movies in its revived theater. But the actual purpose of the club took a lot longer to develop. Stephen Tyler, a co-operating manager at Tower…
Cover: Fresh influence
During the 1950s and ’60s, Oklahoma City earned the reputation as “the cafeteria capital of the country,” which was given to the city by the president of the American Restaurant Association. Dr. Bob Blackburn, executive director of Oklahoma Historical Society, said that 37 independent cafeterias operated during that period and defined the food scene in…
Analytical art
JRB Art at the Elms’ May exhibition 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday JRB Art at the Elms 2810 N. Walker Ave. jrbartgallery.com 405-528-6336 Free One of the most immediately striking aspects of an ongoing local art exhibition wasn’t necessarily planned in advance. The latest exhibition at Oklahoma City’s JRB Art at the Elms…
Green business
Editor’s note: This article is part of a series examining cannabis and cannabinoids in Oklahoma leading up to the June 26 medical marijuana referendum. If State Question 788 passes on June 26, Bud Scott’s yearlong campaign to create an industry framework for medical marijuana in Oklahoma will be ready to set in motion. Scott, an…
Filling a void
Scottie’s Deli 427 NW 23rd St. scottiesdeliokc.com 405-604-8940 What works: The smokiness of pastrami complements the saltiness of corned beef on New York, NY sandwich. What needs work: The potato salad needs more smoked vinegar. Tip: Don’t forget about the vegetarian options, particularly the Smoked Portabella Reuben. The pictures lining the ceiling at Scottie’s Deli…
Thriving tech
Seven months into the job, Joshua Fahrenbruck, the chief operating officer of OK Innovate, sees the future of Oklahoma City’s burgeoning tech and innovation scene. The city’s potential success hinges largely on the work of the past decade, from the support for co-working spaces and incubator startups to the existing tech talent in the OKC…
Gazedibles: Banh appetit
Banh mi: the perfect fusion of French and Vietnamese cultures that marries a perfectly crispy French baguette to clean southeastern Asian flavors. The banh mi’s prevalence can be seen in abundance in OKC’s Asian District, but its influence has spread across the metro. By Jacob Threadgill | Photos Gazette / file | with photos provided…
Chicken-Fried News: Justice two-step
During the same Legislative session that Oklahoma made advancements on criminal justice reform to reduce the state’s overcrowded prisons; it took another step backwards. Gov. Mary Fallin signed seven criminal justice reform bills — many of which reduced sentences for nonviolent offenders and those convicted of drug possession — in April. Voters asked for many…
Consummate scribe
Radney Foster 8 p.m. May 16-17 The Blue Door 2805 N. McKinley Ave. bluedoorokc.com 405-524-0738 $35-$40 Radney Foster, one of the most lively Nashville-based songwriters in a city full of them, was wide awake at 9:30 a.m. for a phone interview with Oklahoma Gazette, far earlier than the interview times scheduled by most other night-dwelling…
Second helping
Spoon w/ Walker Lukens 7 p.m. May 17 The Jones Assembly 901 W. Sheridan Ave. thejonesassembly.com 405-212-2378 $30 Walker Lukens loved his last show in Oklahoma City. Luckily, he gets a return visit to the city May 17 opening for Austin, Texas, colleagues Spoon at The Jones Assembly. Genre-bending singer-songwriter Lukens’ last gig in OKC…
Highly regarded
Sophia Massad has no patience for romantic partners who discourage or insult their counterparts as a mechanism for dealing with their own insecurities. Her conviction comes from firsthand experience. “It sucks,” Massad said. “There’s no reason to be in a relationship with someone who’s putting you down.” The local musician, singer-songwriter, vocal coach and music…
Key collection
HERD 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday-Saturday through May 31 Nault Fine Art 816 N. Walker Ave naultfineart.com 405-642-4414 Free Brian Nault has a strong passion for collecting African tribal art, and his goal is to share that passion with the rest of Oklahoma City. His tool for spreading that love is Nault Fine Art, a gallery…
Transit improvements
About seven years ago, Oklahoma City Councilman David Greenwell was appointed to the Central Oklahoma Transportation & Parking Authority (COTPA) board, which provides oversight to the city’s parking and transportation system. Greenwell became the first council member to serve on the board in a number of decades, if not the very first. The councilman provided…
Charcoal-kissed
Early in his career, chef Jonathon Stranger admits that he was caught up in the quest for accolades. He certainly received them while developing fine dining concepts Ludivine and The R&J Lounge and Supper Club before branching out with new ventures En Croûte and St. Mark’s Chop Room & Bar. As he has gotten older,…
Chicken-Fried News: Sour Treat
Do you believe that adoption agencies in the state should be allowed to refuse service to same-sex, non-Christian and single-parent households on religious grounds? The state Legislature apparently does. Earlier this month, the House of Representatives voted 56-21 on a bill that would allow faith-based adoption agencies to refuse service to certain would-be…
Chicken-Fried News: Unethical behavior
Missing from the Capitol this session were lobbyists going through security with brightly wrapped packages trimmed in gold foil with cards addressed to lawmakers. Inside those cards, we at Chicken-Fried News imagine messages reading, “Happy birthday my favorite lawmaker. Enjoy your big day, and tomorrow we’ll discuss that legislation I need your vote on.” …
Agents of change
oNE OKC noon-4 p.m. May 19 Exhibit C NE 23rd Street and N. Rhode Island Avenue oneokc.net Free Exactly one year ago, several thousands of people gathered for the second annual oNE OKC: A Northeast Renaissance block party along a closed stretch of NE 23rd Street near N. Rhode Island Avenue. There, inside a large…
