New Bellini’s Menu: C’est magnifique!
Beef Carpacio with arugula salad.
So, the Brothers Buthion have officially branched out by purchasing Bellini’s, which opened more than 25 years ago in the Waterford Office Buildings. The longtime owners of La Baguette Bistro in north Oklahoma City dabbled in downtown with Soleil and a second La Baguette before pulling back before full-scale construction turned the area into a war zone.
Mushroom Risotto at Bellini's.
Chef Alain Buthion, who was voted Top Chef in Oklahoma City by Readers Choice voters, said he originally intended to maintain the restaurants menu through the end of this year, but after a week decided change was needed. Now, you’ll fined two-page tour of Italy, covering cuisines from all the regions. If you’re wondering why or how a Frenchman would be interested in Italian cuisine, it’s because he did his culinary training right on the Italian border.
Seared ahi tuna with celery root slaw.
The wine list, older brother Michel said, is still under construction. He said he intends to offer the most comprehensive collection of Itailian wines in the state before too long.
I stopped by today for a tasting and was completely blown away by the offerings: seared marinated Ahi Tuna with celery root slaw, creamy lump crab meat, roasted beets and goat cheese, tomato-anchovy pizze (not pizza), mushroom risotto and beef carpaccio with arugula. It’s an inspired menu, and I can’t wait to go back for the braised pork cheeks. The seasonal menu also offers an Osso Bucco that looks formidable.
Creamy lump crabmeat with crostini.
I will have more on this restaurant makeover in January. The bottom line is, the market’s Italian cuisine just got a lot stronger. The addition of Stella Modern Italian in 2009 bolstered things. Recently chef Jonathan Krell took over the kitchen their for Brian McGrew, who left for the Governor’s Mansion and eventually Cafe 501 on Classen Curve.
Cathy Cummings’ Vito’s Cafe is still king (or queen) of rustic, family style Italian in the style of St. Louis/Kansas City/New York City, and chef Christine Dowd’s Trattoria il Centro, long under siege by the aforementioned jackhammer brigade, is still among the best restaurants in the city, but the new Bellini’s will doubtlessly find a niche for a refined, upscale dinner on the city’s northside.
Bellini’s, 6305 Waterford Blvd Suite 100, is open for lunch and dinner daily, check their website for details.
Have you been by the new, improved Bellini’s? Let me know what you thought.
Pretty Nice Little Saturday
The Pokes play Friday night and the Sooners on Saturday night, so local football fans will have a chance to plan what the scholar Frank the Tank — as portrayed by Will Ferrell in “Old School” — calls a pretty nice little Saturday.
I will be at American Propane, 7401 Broadway Ext., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the filming of the Bedlam Tailgating Showdown. You can get the early scoop on whether Cowboys or Sooners prevail in this year’s event.
Otherwise, you can check out 11-year-old chef Remmi Smith, who will host a free cooking class at Metro Appliances & More, 220 NE 150 St., in Edmond from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Chef Remmi was recently honored by The Century Council in Washington, DC. as one of the ‘top 20 People to Watch” in the country. The award was presented to her by fellow recipient and Olympian, Apollo Ohno.
Her career began two years ago as a result of her interest in childhood obesity. In addition to hosting her own local television show on Cox Cable’s access chanel, her signature Italian dressing in now in stores in Oklahoma City and Norman.
Her television show,” The Culinary Kid,” airs on Cox Cable channel 3 on Saturday mornings at 11:30. Remmi encouraged kids to take her C.H.E.F Challenge, which is to Cook Healthy and Exercise Frequently.
As you can see, it’s a big opportunity so don’t waste your energy streaking to the quad tonight.
Tucker’s, Muppets agree: It ain’t easy being green.
Kermit T. Frog was the first to admit it wasn’t easy being green, but A Good Egg Dining Group’s corporate chef, Robert Black, agrees.
That’s because the newest AGE concept, Tucker’s Onion Burgers was recently designated a 2-star Certified Green restaurant by the Green Restaurant association.
Tucker’s scored 128 points, exceeding the GRA’s 100-point minimum to gain the designation. Points are earned via rigorous guidelines, including a minimum of 10 points in each of the following: Energy, Water, Waste, Chemicals, Food, Disposables, and Building.
How did Tucker’s go green?
- Salvaged the ceiling panels from the previous tenant
- Using Green Pest Control Company
- Paperless payroll for employees
- Energy star Lighting for 59% of the bulbs
- Using ionized water to clean instead of toxic chemicals
See here for details of all the steps and points Tucker’s Onion Burgers has completed, and see the full Certification standards here.
Chef Black said the real difficulty comes next year when the restaurant must exceed this year’s score by at least 10 points to maintain it’s, umm, green card. (Don’t tell Randy Terrill!)
Black did say Tucker’s simple menu definitely helped as the percentage of locally sourced products is one of the standards. So, the lack of a crab, shrimp or lobster sandwich definitely helped.
Meanwhile, Tucker’s is doing great business in its first few months of business. So good, in fact, chef Black said a second Tucker’s location should be in the offing for 2012. A little birdy tells me it will be “north” of the current location on NW 23 and Hudson, “but not too far north.”
Wondering how close it will be to the new Smashburger due to open soon on the corner of N. Penn and Memorial, where Harrigan’s once lived.
Meantime, point your carbon footprints toward Tucker’s if you’re hankering for an onion burger as environmentally guilt-free as it is Oklahomacentric.
Have you been to Tucker’s yet? Let me know what you thought.
Red River BBQ Shootout Tonight
Leo's turned in the winning plate of ribs for Oklahoma at the Red River BBQ Shootout
DALLAS — If you’re headed for Dallas today and can’t wait until Saturday morning to get your Red River Rivalry on, you might happen to downtown Dallas for the first-ever Red River BBQ Shootout.
The Red River Shootout Party starts at 5 p.m. in the Main Street Garden, 1920 Main Street. Oklahoma City icon Leo’s BBQ will be on the pit today representing Oklahoma versus Cousin’s BBQ of Fort Worth, cooking for Texas.
Pitmaster Charles Smith earned the right to fight for Oklahoma in a preliminary competition on Thursday night, besting Elmer’s of Tulsa and Van’s Pig Stand of Shawnee. Smokin’ Joe’s Rib Ranch and RV Park was scheduled to compete but had to drop out at the last due to an emergency.
Cousin's kept its presentation simple, but the ribs were perfectly cooked.
Cousin’s narrowly defeated famous Black’s Barbecue from Lockhart, Baker’s Ribs and Big Daddy’s from Wylie, Texas.
I was fortunate enough to be a part of the preliminary judging, which was done blind. Samples were brought to the tables unmarked by wait staff and scored without consultation with the pitmasters. Leo’s scored highest for Oklahoma, Cousin’s scored highest for Texas.
So Smith will vie for bragging rights and $1,000 this evening. The winner will be decided by People’s Choice. Cousin’s has a pretty good advantage, so if you’re a Leo’s fan who will be in Dallas for the big game, you might happen over to this preparty to show your support for the iconic barbecue joint, which has seen it’s share of hard times in the last year.
Leo’s has reopened its doors to it original 36th and Kelley location, but the downtown spot is closed. I’ll be sharing more information about Leo’s next week in Mood, but for now come on down and get some of that good hot barbecue sauce.
Winner will be announced at 8:30 p.m. by Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. Live music will be provided by three bands, including Oklahoma veterans The Damn Quails at 5:30 p.m.
See you there.
Foodie Film Feastival: Gluttony
It’s only fitting that after I ate my way through the fair yesterday, that we come to gluttony. No episode of “Man v. Food” has ever illustrated it better than the late, great John Belushi in the classic raunch-fest, “Animal House” — the comedy that changed its genre forever. By the way, this scene is a real helper for Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon fans.
“Se7en” hit on the subject, though with not a shred of joy. And the Foodie Film Feastival is all about the celebration of food and film. Hope to see you there tonight.
Foodie Film Feastival: Some Like it Hot
Food and film work together on screen and off. Dinner and a movie is an entity unto itself. And what’s the point of dinner and a movie? In the basest terms, an interlude to intimacy.
Today, I’ve pulled a few scenes where food, film and sex combine for a tasty and titillating result. Above you’ll see Tom Jones, as played by young Albert Finney, seduced over poultry much the way Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway played chess in “The Thomas Crown Affair.”
Below, Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger use food as foreplay in “9 1/2 Weeks.”
More subtle is the passion between star-crossed lovers Tita and Pedro in “Like Water for Chocolate” but with no different result. (Please excuse the lame dubbing)
Hope to see you at the Foodie Film FEASTival, which starts Thursday and runs through Saturday.
Foodie Film FEASTival: Flavor on the Screen
“Big Night” is my favorite food film. There might be better ones, but this one is my absolute favorite. I remember watching it on DVD with great friends Anne and Guido Ferlo, who lived through the time period depicted and hailed from New York. Louis Prima was no stranger to them, neither was the food.
As for this succession of scenes, you had better be prepared to eat. Call Vito’s, Trattoria il Centro, Rococo, Sophabella’s, Benvenuti’s, Stella Modern Italian, Bellini’s, Flip’s or Papa Dio’s. Whatever your favorite Italian restaurant, make reservations now because you are going to want some in 7:53.
Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott combined to make this independent film in 1996, a truly great food film. Ian Holm steals the show but in this montage you’ll see Isabella Rossellini, Minnie Driver, Tony Shalhoub, and Marc Antony.
Hope to see you out at the Foodie Film Feastival on Thursday.
Foodie Film FEASTival: Scenes from a Kitchen
And so the first-ever and hopefully of many Foodie Film FEASTival begins Thursday at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Film curator Brian Hearn has a great line-up of films planned for us this year, starting with “El Bulli: Cooking in Progress,” then “Soul Kitchen,” and “The Trip.”
Check in with me Wednesday for more info about those films. Meanwhile, to mark the occasion, I will be dropping some of my favorite film scenes that center around food here on the blog.
I’ll start with a true classic. Ang Lee’s “Eat Drink Man Woman” is about a chef/restaurateur who cooks lunch for his daughters every Sunday. The film begins with those preparations. The scene is a balance of precision, poetry and terror as we watch this craftsman create art. Filmmaker Ang Lee uses this opening to lay the foundation of the film, which is a father’s love. We see the ferocity and devotion of this father’s love in one simple meal.
A remake called “Tortilla Soup,” starring Hector Elizondo, changes the family from Chinese to Hispanic and the opening intercuts the preparation with introductions to the daughters. That method stops the device cold. There is a music of the kitchen, and we need the whole song to best understand the founding character. On the other hand, I’d rather eat the food from “Tortilla Soup!”
Check back tomorrow for another scene, and I hope to see you at the FEASTival.
Ludivine Welcomes Hank Shaw
Hank Shaw, author of the popular blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook and the new cookbook “Hunt, Gather, Cook: Finding the Forgotten Feast,” will be in town Tuesday, Sept. 6 for a special dinner and booksigning at Ludivine, 805 N Hudson Ave.
Shaw, who worked as a line cook and commercial fisherman, spent 19 years as a political reporter so he possesses the requisite skills to take us through the basics finding our own food with clarity and first-hand knowledge.
The book takes you from wild greens and berries to the ocean and into the wild.
Along the way, in his confident narrative style, spins yarns of those that got away and more importantly how to make sure they don’t get away again. He offers practical advice not only in the preparation of game and forraged foods but also in the health risks and rewards.
He discusses how to bait and catch sea creatures from gilled to crustaceans, including tips on differentiating between those you should keep and those you should return.
In the section devoted to hunting, Shaw waxes poetic about the ethical nature of hunting, justifying his practices and making a good case for killing one’s own meat. Gun enthusiasts will appreciate his confidence with gun glossary and hunting gear. His yarn-spinning runs the gamut, stirring emotion where none was expected.
To attend the special dinner, call the restaurant for reservations at 778-6800.
Sunflower Opens Today
The end of Walmart’s grocery tyranny over the Oklahoma City market is officially under way.
The first brick to the road to better choices will be pressed into the ground today as Sunflower Farmers Market opens its doors at the corner of NW 63 Street and May Avenue.
While I don’t begrudge Walmart its right to compete in our free market, I do hate the effect the stores have on our grocery choices. The worldwide discount monolith’s shadow has kept cloaked us from other grocers for far too long.
Fear of Walmart’s stranglehold has kept away the likes of Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s from considering us for business. But with Whole Foods due to arrive some time around Halloween, the national view of Oklahoma City has changed.
While Whole Foods is the great white shark in this insurgency, Sunflower is a humble pilot fish, cleaning up on the residual patronage in markets all over the Southwest. This time the pilot fish is swimming lead.
And what a catch it is for the Oklahoma City market. With an incredible array of fresh produce, a large selection of bulk foods, organic meats and products, Sunflower is a game-changer.
Choice is now king, and that’s a good thing. This is the kind of store that’s had Buy For Less and Homeland in overdrive to pull off extreme makeovers in the last year. And the good news is, it’s only the beginning. Whole Foods is poised to be the biggest retail opening since Bass Pro Shops, but will leave a larger foot print.
Store Director Brad Carder
As for Sunflower, it boasts a couple of Okies at the helm in Store Director Brad Carder and Vice President of Operations Steve Black.
Black, who said he’s worked 30 of his 34 years in the grocery business in Oklahoma, called Carder as soon as the ink was dry on an agreement to come into the market.
“We worked together at another retailer before,” Black said. “And I knew he would be the perfect fit.”
Carder said Oklahoma City residents are going to enjoy the store’s food — and perhaps more importantly, the prices.
Their tagline is “serious food, silly prices”
Black said the chain, which has support offices in Phoenix and Boulder, Colo., can offer low prices by reducing overhead costs and buying directly from vendors.
“We have our own distribution centers,” Black said.
The new 28,000-square-foot Sunflower store is in the Country Club Corner shopping center and adjacent to Half Price Books and Autozone. Departments include floral, bakery, deli, natural living and more. A sushi bar, olive bar and large selection of gluten-free items are also featured. Local foods such as Watonga cheese, Big Sky Bread Co. bakery items and Head Country Barbecue sauce have places on the shelves and a huge bulk area features more than 200 items.
But the star is the produce section, which takes up nearly half the store.
“It’s the whole farmer’s market experience,” Black said. “Our model is a little different than most grocery stores in that we’re built around produce.”
Black said the store also has Double Ad Wednesdays.
“Most stores advertisements run Wednesday through Tuesday, but ours overlap,” Black said. “So, if you shop on Wednesday you get the benefit of two ad cycles.”
The location was most recently Ballenger’s Furniture, preceding CompUSA, Homeland and Safeway.
Akin’s Natural Foods Market is across the street, Whole Foods will be no more than a couple miles away and premium Buy For Less and Homeland store are only minutes west and south, respectively. But after attending a sneak peak and getting the chance to shop the store, I have no doubt this place is here to stay.
Congratulations Oklahoma City, you may now expect the best from your local grocer.
The store opens today and keep hours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.
Have you been to Sunflower Farmers Market yet? Let me know what you thought.
