Show an Oklahoman a vegetable or cut of meat, and he’ll show you how best to fry it.
Green beans? No problem. Okra? Chuck it in the boiling oil. And chicken? Does it even come any other way?
We like to be healthy just like the next guy, but c’mon, who
can eat steamed kale all the time?
With fried deliciousness in mind, we here at Oklahoma Gazette present some of our favorite metro spots to indulge. You might want to tear this out, because we’re pretty positive you’ll be as tempted as we were.
Eat your veggies
Fried pickles got associate publisher Jeffri-Lynn Dyer excited. “Fried pickles? Cock O’ the Walk. Definitely. They’re the spears instead of the pickle chips. Salty, fatty deliciousness.” Graphic designer Mandy Hendrickson seconded that.
Heidi Rambo Centrella, editor-in-chief for OKCBiz, a sister publication of the Gazette, loves the fried pickles at McNellie’s: “Pickles rock regardless, and if they’re fried, even better,” she said.
Fried pickles got some more love from freelancer Doug Hill, who suggested Goldie’s Patio Grill.
“(They’re) very proud of their fried pickles,” he said.
Christy Duane, senior account manager, put in her vote for the fried pickles at The Shack Seafood and Oyster Bar. And Tim Farley, staff writer for Eastword, another sister publication of the Gazette, goes for the ones at Calico Joe’s: “They’re really tasty with the ranch dip and a Bud Light.”
Fried green beans are another favorite. Duane recommended the snack at S & B’s Burger Joint: “They’re surprisingly light for fried green beans.” And Jane O’Neal, graphic designer, heads to Paseo Grill for her fried fix, as do Centrella and Brandi Guthery, listings and event coordinator.
“Paseo Grill has the most yummy fried green beans,” O’Neal said. “I order these as a side item instead of fries because it makes me feel like it’s a healthier choice, but really I don’t care because they’re sooo good!” Yes. Yes they are. We don’t usually think of chips as necessarily fitting in the “veggie” category, but the corn chips at Iguana Mexican Grill can’t be ignored.
“Totally addictive and sinful,” said Shannon Cornman, photographer. “Can’t resist.” Neither can we.
So what other veggies can we fry? Uh, loads more. How about the fried okra at VZD’s Restaurant & Club? “Wins out over fries every time,” said Terri Sadler, advertising director, with a second and a third by Jill Brown, marketing director, and Terri Maxwell, classified sales consultant.
And then there are fries: simple, classic, nomworthy. I head to Drunken Fry for a pint and settle in for these Belgian-style fries that come with about a billion (or, specifically, 17) dipping sauces. There’s the sampler of all the favorites, or pick and choose for a treat of deep-fried deliciousness.
Sadler goes for the sweet potato fries at McNellie’s, which she called “crispy and perfect every time,” while Tricia Dameron, copy editor, likes the ones at S & B’s: “They have the perfect texture: crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. The perfect snack to go with Coop’s Native Amber.”
Meat and greet
Don’t worry — we haven’t forgotten all the different meats out there and all the ways they can be fried.
Managing editor Rod
Lott thinks he’s found the fried-food Holy Grail in Snow Pea. “Several
items here are awesome — and low-cost — but my favorite is the sweet and
sour chicken, which is fried in a perfectly thin and crispy batter,” he
said. “Like everything else in the place, it goes best with a side of
fried rice, which they pile upon disposable plates in generous
portions.”
Mmmm, fried rice. Another fave is the fried rice at T.E.A. Cafe in Norman.
“T.E.A.
Cafe’s beef fried rice is so fried that you can cut the heaping mound
in half and move part of it over on your plate without either side
crumbling,” said Stephen Carradini, online editor. “The only thing that
will fall apart is your ability to say ‘no’ any time you pass it on 12th
and Alameda.”
We
can’t talk about fried food without mentioning a longtime favorite of
the after-bar crowd: Bobo’s. Seriously, this food truck has its own song
(by metro rap duo Lil Mike and Funny Bone) — how many places can say
that? That’s right: almost none.
About
once a year, I head to this trailer parked in an empty lot and stand in
the always-long line for the awesomeness that is Bobo’s — and I don’t
even eat the meat. The chicken wings are smoked, deep-fried, then doused
in honey. Add the spicy, honey-drenched fries and biscuit-donuts, and
you’re in deep-fried heaven.
Rob Collins, editor-in-chief, heads to Kendall’s Restaurant in Noble for his chicken-fried steak fix. “This ‘Man v. Food’-sized portion
boasts some of the crispiest batter you’ll ever crunch into — a
hand-breaded, round steak cut — and it’s covered with oh-so-creamy
gravy,” he said. “And don’t forget the complimentary cinnamon rolls at
dinnertime.
Yummers!”
Looking for something more of the ball variety? Specifically something
that maybe was once attached to a fourlegged creature? Yeah, you know
what we’re talking about: the lamb fries at Cattlemen’s Steakhouse. That
was food editor Carol Smaglinski’s vote. “Have your own testicle
festival and pair a couple with the beer-battered onion rings,” she
said.
We think we
have our (fried) bases covered with all these metro spots. So we have
just one question: What are you still doing reading this? Pull out your
eatin’ pants and get out there.
FRIED GUIDE
Bobo’s, 1812 N.E. 23rd
Calico Joe’s, 9015 S.E. 29th
Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, 1309 S. Agnew
Cock O’ the Walk, 3705 N. Western
Drunken Fry, 5100 Classen Blvd.
Goldie’s Patio Grill, 834 W. Danforth in Edmond and 1310 E. Alameda in Norman
Iguana Mexican Grill, 9 N.W. Ninth
Kendall’s Restaurant, 100 S. Main in Noble
McNellie’s, 1100 Classen Drive
Paseo Grill, 2909 Paseo
S & B’s Burger Joint, 5929 N. May
Snow Pea, 6600 N. Western
T.E.A. Cafe, 1241 Alameda in Norman
The Shack Seafood and Oyster Bar, 303 N.W. 62nd
VZD’s Restaurant & Club, 4200 N. Western
This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2011.