Flint
15 N. Robinson Ave.
605-0657
flintokc.com
Housed
on the ground floor of the historic Colcord Hotel, this eatery offers
views of the Myriad Botanical Gardens and patio seating. The whimsical
menu includes images demonstrating ways to start a fire because, hey,
the place is called Flint. For lunch, start with jalapeño hush puppies
or white bean hummus. When it’s time for the main course, the menu
bursts with comfort foods: homemade meatloaf, chicken fried steak,
beer-battered fish and chips or panseared salmon.
Park Harvey Sushi & Sports Lounge
200 N. Harvey Ave.
600-7575
There
was a time when sushi was scarce in OKC and unheard of downtown. Park
Harvey offers a can’t-miss lunch deal with two rolls for $10.95. There
are about 10 rolls, but the most popular are the Crunchy, a fried roll
with salmon, jalapeño, cream cheese, eel sauce, spicy mayo, masago,
green onion and sesame seeds; the Lady Love, with salmon, lemon and
other goodies; the Veggie Monster, which speaks for itself; and spicy
tuna, with, you guessed it, Spicy Tuna and cucumber.
Park Avenue Grill
One Park Ave.
702-8444
skirvinhilton.com
Dine
with class on Park Avenue at the Park Avenue Grill inside the Skirvin
Hilton Hotel. (And with a throng of celebrities that stay there, who
knows, you might find yourself dining next to Harrison Ford or Sir Paul
McCartney.) For lunch, start out with the fire-grilled romaine spears or
the grilled ahi salad. Wax nostalgic and try the Perle Mesta roasted
chicken salad with pistachios, grapes and tarragon on ciabatta. (Mesta
was, after all, the hostess with the mostest and daughter of W.B.
Skirvin.)
Museum Cafe
415 Couch Dr.
235-6262
okcmoa.com/eat
Any
museum worthy of cred has a good restaurant, and the Oklahoma City
Museum of Art is no exception. The dining room features abundant windows
and people-watch as you get started with treats like goat cheese
kisses. The diverse menu has something for everyone, from build-your-own
hamburger to peppered tilapia or beef tenderloin. (We won’t tell if you
call in “sick” after lunch and head into the galleries to spend the
afternoon with the museum’s impressive collections.)
Cafe 7
120 N. Robinson Ave., Ste. 175W
748-3354
cafe7okc.com
The
downtown branch of the popular eatery in First National Center offers
entrees all in the neighborhood of $7. Order from the menu or
do-it-yourself and build the pizza, pasta, sandwich or salad of your
dreams. Order the traditional Margherita pizza, or liven things up with a
pie topped with Alfredo or pesto, chicken, Italian sausage, fresh
basil, mandarin oranges or artichoke hearts. The build-your-own comes
with one sauce, one meat, one cheese, and your choice of four veggies.
Golden Dragon
130 N. Robinson Ave., 120E
235-2203
The
Golden Dragon is a favorite of those who love Chinese food and the
budgetminded. It truly is one of the best values downtown when you have
less than $10 in your pocket and you’re really hungry. The lunch buffet
will only set you back about $6 and includes all the favorites one
expects on a Chinese buffet from egg rolls to dishes with shrimp,
chicken and pork. The buffet also includes salad and a dessert when
you’re done grazing.
1889 Land Run Cafe
One N. Broadway Ave. 235-2780
starwoodhotels.com/sheraton
You
don’t have to wait for the gunshot to take off running and stake your
claim at the 1889 Land Run Cafe. Check out the great selection of
sandwiches at lunch, or hit the buffet. Indulge in the Philly cheese
steak sandwich or the N.Y. Reuben. The Color Your Plate entrees are well
balanced with nutrient-rich, healthy options like fresh berries with
Greek yogurt or a turkey BLT. Finish it off with a dark chocolate
brownie, and then stop slacking and get back to work.
— by Kelley Chambers, photos by Shannon Cornman and Mark Hancock
This article appears in Dec 4-10, 2013.