The Black Goat
It takes a certain amount of confidence to open an occult bookstore in the buckle of the Bible Belt.
Specializing equally in both dark and the lighter sides of esoteric knowledge, a tome about Satanic cultural influences can be found a shelf away from Terence McKenna’s most important works and alongside casual and expert knowledge of folk magick (and magick).
In their midst, the best selection of tarot decks in the stat resides under lock here, and key along with many rare and obscure selections (even for esoterica) but there’s also a self-serve herb station and a private area for divinations as well.
The soundtrack is as curated, with the sultry pop hooks of Lana Del Rey bumping into the sharp guitars of Mayhem with some ambient and classic goth-industrial tracks in between.
In addition to stocking hundreds of unique titles from a variety of writers, owner Jeremy Christner also keeps on hand numerous copies of his own published work.
Christner contends that there is a growing occult movement in central Oklahoma and hosts events regularly to connect its disparate practitioners. Brandon Weston, author of Ozark Folk Magic will be in late June for a reading and a workshop.
The Black Goat is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. If you prefer to shop after hours or on Sunday (yes, they’re closed Sunday) or Monday, the bookstore’s rarer inventory is available for purchase online.
Visit theblackgoatokc.com or stop by 2420b N Robinson Ave.
Toast and Coffee
Nothing goes better with coffee than toast and in Toast and Coffee you’ll find just that pairing, but better than you imagined.
Entrepreneurs Richard and Matt Bond teamed up with building owners Shawn Churchman and Tom Spector to welcome visitors to the block with the new concept, which opened in April.
Flanked by a trendy and comfortable atmosphere, the curated menu is filled with nine gourmet toasts, baked treats and locally-roasted coffee (currently served 15 ways).
Both sides of the toast coin are available. The Lox riff on familiar recipes, swapping pickled cucumber, onion and fresh dill for the more traditional capers while the Banana Brûlée is another notable with mascarpone cheese, Nutella, house-made granola, orange zest sliced brûlée and banana, then finished with chocolate ganache and powdered sugar. Told you it was better than you imagined.
Whether the weather or the coffee is hot or cold, the aesthetic inside and out is bright and cheery with a spacious, covered patio set for all seasons.Toast and Coffee, located at 2416 N Robinson Ave. opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Business hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Visit toastandcoffeeokc.com.
