Say Goodbye to Eli
Eli, just misses the final four on Top Chef.
Nice run for the Joe Wertz
This is not Eli, it's Gazette Entertainment Editor Joe Wertz (glasses not pictured)
lookalike, but Eli will not make it to Napa.
It’s down to Kevin, Jennifer and the brothers Voltaggio.
Check out today’s podcast.
Wild about Wagyu
Wagyu Wednesday is under way at Red Primesteak.
Videographer Tanner Herriott and I recently visited Red Prime Steak, 504 N Broadway Ave., which recently was listed one of the top 10 steak houses in the United States by msn.com, to learn about Wagyu Wednesday.
Chef Robert Black who oversees all the kitchens in A Good Egg Dining Group, has a serious passion for food. When he talks about Wagyu beef, that passion spills forward like flavor spills from the beef in question. Chef Robert speaks about Wagyu like an instructor, and that’s a good thing when it comes to the confusion there is about Wagyu and Kobe beef. Robert explains Kobe is merely a place while Wagyu is a breed. The Japanese government protects Kobe the way French protect Champagne. But that doesn’t mean the uber-premium beef can’t be raised elsewhere. American and Australian Kobe are what premium California sparkling wine is to French champagne.
To learn more about it, check out Tanner’s video.
To taste it, head over to Red Prime any day, but specifically Wednesdays for a chance to sample multiple cuts. Guests can expect a special Wednesday menu featuring entrees made with a variety of cuts, grades and breeds of Wagyu beef. Each week, chefs will introduce an innovative preparation and will offer meals at different prices to accommodate customer budgets.
One bite, and cost will no longer matter. This is otherwordly stuff. Have you been to Wagyu Wednesday? Let me know how it went.
The Dishwasher’s Tale
Walter Gaylord at work, as he has been for 30 years, at the Tulsa Country Club.
In today’s column, I mentioned an honoree who has been washing dishes at the Tulsa Country Club for three decades. Here’s a story we ran, via the Tulsa World, back in August about the amazingly humble Mr. Walter Gaylord.
Help Wanted: Food Feedback
Is bringing the Jumbo Jack to the metro the first step in building a bigger, better culinary community? No. but together we can make it happen.
My term as friendly Oklahoma Food Dude is a little more than a year old. What fun it’s been. I’ve been with The Oklahoman since Dec. of 1990, working in Sports, Metro, City and State. I even did a stint as television columnist. In the nearly 19 years, I’ve never worked harder than I have the past year. At times, I’ve felt a little overwhelmed — so many story ideas, so little time.
But I’ve never been happier. It took almost two decades, my snoot a-spark from the grindstone, but I’m working to my passion.
In the past year, 105degrees has brought raw food to the city thanks to 105degrees, Ryan Parrott has grown from chef to restaurateur to social media entrepreneur, Chris Lower brought us Cool Greens and Big Truck Tacos — which has spawned copycats on the north side who might not be award that BTT is an inspired a copycat of what’s been going on down South for years – longtime Coach House owner Kurt ”The Big Kahuna” Fleischfresser partnered with Carl Milam and Western Concepts, OKC native Rick Bayless become the first Top Chef Master, “Food Inc.” changed the way people look at food, the Deep Fork Group gambled and won with Ian McDermid’s inspired Drunken Fry concept, the Rock Cafe reopened a year after a devastating fire thanks to the sheer will of owner Dawn Welch, La Baguette opened a second location, Peruvian food was introduced to the metro, Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond took the nation by storm, and I had the sincere privilege to make the acquaintance of been introduced by the inspirational Kamala Gamble and a host of local producers around the state.
While all this was going on, I had a dark secret. I was moonlighting as editor of LOOKatOKC. That job had previously been held by a full-time employee, so I was essentially holding down two jobs. While food is my passion, music and entertainment aren’t far behind. Had that been my only job, I would’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. However, because of the time it took, I sometimes felt guilty that I wasn’t able to give either food coverage or LOOK, the attention they deserved.
Well, that’s changed now. Entertainment writer extraordinaire George Lang has taken over LOOK and I’m now a full-time Food Dude.
I’m spending this month assessing the past year’s coverage to formulate a plan for 2010.
That’s where I need your help.
How can I better serve you? Think big, be critical. It’s time to raise the bar, but I can’t lift it alone. Together, we can put Oklahoma City’s culinary scene on the national landscape. And no, Jack in the Box coming to town isn’t the first step – but 4th meal just got some stiff competition.
Comment, call (405-475-3155) or email (dcathey@opubco.com) me your suggestions. I’d really appreciate it.
