For the
last four years, he has been a chef at The Boundary on 66, 16001 E.
Highway 66 in Luther, smoking the highest quality meats in the cozy
restaurant, which used to be a decadesold filling station.
Position:
“The only employee of the barbecue place owned by my wife, Buffy, who
holds a degree in psychology.”
Miss a kitchen? “Yes! I
do not have a stove, no oven, just commercial barbecue smokers. We do
not serve fried food — no okra, no french fries.”
What
about that name? “We are the eastern boundary of the ’89 Land Run at
Route 66 and Indian Meridian, actually just a few miles east of the
Round Barn in Arcadia.”
Decor: “Artwork for sale, and every piece of art in here has a story.”
Traveling? “We did the whole Route 66 to Las Vegas last year.”
Where did you learn to cook? “At Beverly’s downtown doing short orders at the age of 12.”
When
did you know you were going to be a chef? “I wrote a paper in the third
grade saying I wanted to be a restaurant owner, manager and a cook.”
Where did you meet Buffy? “Through mutual friends; I stood her up the first time, but she was kind enough to give me a second chance.”
No willpower when it comes to: “I love grocery shopping and can’t wait for the new stores to open. I could spend hours.”
Favorite kitchen gadget: “My brain. If you don’t feel comfortable with something, don’t do it.”
You’d come back as: “Thomas Jefferson; he was the one who loved wine and food.”
Handyman style? “Ha, ha. Look in the Yellow Pages.”
Wildest
thing that happened in your professional kitchen: “The electricity went
out. I have a generator and had electric cords stretched out all over
the place to keep all of my smokers, refrigerators and warmers and
commercial smoker going, and just about the time I got it hooked up, the
electricity came back on. True story — that happened recently.”
HERE’S SOME HELP
Stuck on what wine to drink with dinner? Worry no more, as here are some impressive pairings.
Having barbecue or pizza? Pick up a red Zinfandel. For grilled steaks, try a Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon; salmon, go for a Pinot Noir; shrimp, pick a Sauvignon Blanc. How about oysters? Pair them with a Muscadet, a French white. With grilled chicken, go for a Beaujolais, and for trout, try a Riesling. And foie gras? That’d be a Sauternes, another French white. Finally, pair chocolate with Champagne.
The above information comes from Steve Gerkin, wine educator, winemaker and sommelier, who is also a dentist and the owner of Twin Feathers Winery in Tulsa. Gerkin kindly shared his research with people who attended the recent Wine Forum at Oklahoma State University.
SAY BYE
Dakil Auctioneers held a recent absolute auction at the closed August Moon Chinese Restaurant, 2142 S.W. 74th. Customers are going to miss the garlic chicken, pork fried rice and beef lo mein.
BYTES
Last week on Oklahoma Gazette’s Facebook page, we asked where you go for pizza. Here are your answers, verbatim.
“The Wedge. Phenominal food and atmosphere. Artisan pizzas......yummo!” — Katherine Mirrione
“I LOVE pizza! I go to The Wedge in Deep Deuce often since it is close to where I live, but I love visiting Humble Pie in Edmond when I have a chance. Their Chicago deep dish is the best!” —Ashley Cavallaro Dekat
“Papa Angelo’s in downtown Bethany. The BEST and MOST AUTHENTIC New York style pizza around.” —Erica Cranford
“Pizza Shuttle in Norman!” —Leilani Nightroamer
“Delivery - Mazzio’s & All American....but eating out - Hideaway, Sauced, Jo’s...good pizza!!!!” —Chris Walker
“Falcone’s. I was born and raised in New York, and their pizza is the closest to home.” —Joanne Infantino
“Nomad fleetwood with fried pepperoni” —Kim Champlin Searls
“Sauced!” —Marianne Ingels Bacharach
“all american pizza off n. rockwell for cheesy goodness or falcones off n. may for ny style” —Sarah Dempsey
—Carol Smaglinski
