Count your (restaurant) blessings

Those of you who have read some of my previous posts know that I occasionally find myself in Oklahoma City on business. Recently while sitting around my hotel room (sipping on some good KY Bourbon and dreaming of Selena's) I thought to pull out my GPS and "explore" the OKC area for restaurants. From my near downtown location I was excited to learn that there were 25 (twenty five !!!) "Sonic" restaurants within 6.1 miles of my location. Further exploration revealed that there were 25 "restaurants" within 5.4 miles with the word "Taco" in their name, all of them with "drive up" windows.

This experience made me stop and think about how lucky we are in the Louisville Metro. Not that we don't have our share of fast food but I can think of no where else that I've ever lived that came close in terms of quality and selection when it comes to dining choices. So here's a "shout out" to ALL the Louisville independents...the good, bad and indifferent...Can I hear ya say Amen !

Amen! Sing it, brother Steve!

Amen to that!

we are a town of foodies for sure. i love it. certainly a fine argument that louisville is an appropriate place for me to have been born and raised!

back when i was just out of high school and considering the culinary program at sullivan, i took a tour of the campus. i was told by the person giving the tour that louisville had a bigger restaurant to person ratio than any other city in the US. this may have been before the city/county merger and the stats may not still apply, it has been several years. just some interesting trivia from this huge food nerd.

You are right.

btw, you might want to check out a favorite of mine (I've only been to the one in Pawhuska, though):

Bad Brad's BBQ in Yukon, just west of OKC

Steve,

I was poking around & came across this place. Given your recent "old school" post, looks like it might be right up your alley.

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Jobe's Drive-In - El Reno, OK

Along Route 66 just west of Oklahoma City, one of the tasty treats for travelers has always been El Reno, home of the onion-fried burger. Although Interstate 40 now zips you past the old frontier town without even a whiff of onions on the grill, it is still a place of serious hamburger passion. If you want to get some kicks of a culinary kind, get off the interstate onto old Route 66 and stop at Jobe’s.

A classic drive-in where each car slip has an Ordermatic menu and an intercom to communicate with the kitchen, Jobe’s has a full menu of charburgers and double meat charburgers, hot dogs, chili dogs, and chili slaw dogs, and even such grander offerings as Fritos pie (chili served atop Fritos chips) and a chicken fried steak dinner. The onion-fried burger for which El Reno is famous is a ground beef patty that is cooked on a grill with a heap of onions that get mashed into the meat as it cooks. The onions cook along with the meat, caramelizing into something sweet and luscious that becomes virtually part of the hamburger itself. (Please note that “onion burger” is NOT listed on Jobe’s menu. Charburgers are automatically cooked with smooshed-in onions unless you order differently.)

You can have a Coke or Dr. Pepper brought out on the window tray that attaches to your car, but in a place like this and with hamburgers as good as these, who can resist a chocolate malt?

There is seating indoors, too; at lunchtime, the place can be packed.
http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Revi ... s-drive-in

we are a town of foodies for sure. i love it. certainly a fine argument that louisville is an appropriate place for me to have been born and raised!

back when i was just out of high school and considering the culinary program at sullivan, i took a tour of the campus. i was told by the person giving the tour that louisville had a bigger restaurant to person ratio than any other city in the US. this may have been before the city/county merger and the stats may not still apply, it has been several years. just some interesting trivia from this huge food nerd.

Ya know...I've wondered several times where Louisville stacks up (compared to other cities) in the number of independent restaurants per capita. Do you think anyone keeps track of such things. Then again, even if they did I don't know that there is a way to factor in the diversity of what is available in our wonderful city (and THAT is one of the really neat things).

Steve. I remember, I remember...

Don't forget Mr. Spriggs BBQ, who at least got a commercial mention on the Soup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz1cee_94L4

For reals, I used to love Cheddars (best chicken wings ever) a local place on Air Depot also, if I recall correctly. Don't let the Midwest City scare you, everytime there is a tornado it cleans more of it up/out.

Also, in Norman, if you like BBQ, I used to love Van's Pig Stand. In an 1940s/50s auto shop, more than a stand, the type of place that when you leave, you bring the smell with you all day. Best. perfume. ever.

Also in Norman, Toto's Italian on campus corner. Authentic, Toto is a soccer player in the 60s that, according to legend, a patron mobster brought over to the US and gave him this spot. There is a side dining room, with a hallway that has a door at the end, with a circle window, NOT the kitchen. And usually at least one big guy sitting by himself, never with his back to the door. And if you order a Peroni, Toto will probably give you a hug with joy. I have a couple friend who went in, the husband forgot his wallet, and Toto wouldn't let the lady pay, bc it was wrong, gave them the meal for free. It was Wyatt and my Valentine place while we completed our sentences in OK.

And what about Barry Switzer's place? That still open?

Unrelated, for the best commercial ever, check out Red House Furniture... (NOT in Oklahoma)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnOyMSEWNTs

I'll tell you a story Steve. Years ago I was sitting in a meeting room with my counterparts from all the other state restaurant associations and the National Restaurant Association Research guy. He was fielding questions. I raised my hand, he called on me and I asked "is it true that Louisville, Kentucky has the most restaurants per capita?" The entire room started laughing and I could hear people from all over saying "we say that in Portland" ... "we say that in Boise!" "that's what we say in Charleston!" To my knowledge, there's no data out there to support it. If you call the CVB they'll refer you to us. If you call us, I always say we can't quantify the statement but we sure do have a healthy restaurant scene. Think about how many restaurants change hands/close/reopen, how many are categorized as restaurants by the health department (nursing homes, day cares, hospitals, schools, Hawaaian Shave Ice, and it would be very difficult to pinpoint a number and compare it to the actual population on any given day.