Krebs

The small town of Krebs is often referred to as Oklahoma's "Little Italy". This title ultimately reaches back to the late 19th century when the area's coal mining industry fostered a large community of Italian immigrants.

Today Krebs' Italian American roots still stand firm, as evidenced by its abundance of delicious eateries and Italian grocers. The concentration of such great food and drink has certainly made Krebs a destination for hungry Oklahoma foodies in search of the perfect marinara and the finest of cured meats.

Of course if you know anything about Lacey and I, you know the siren song of soft cheese and homemade pasta is far too much for us to handle....

Our trip started at Lovera's Grocery which stocks a wide array of homemade cheeses, cured meats, sauces, pasta, pickled veggies, and much much more. The store is family owned and operated and this aspect shines through with it's incredible customer service. Sneaking a few samples from the deli counter is always my favorite part of shopping here, although walking out with a bag full of mouth watering morsels is certainly nothing to be ignored.

We picked up all the necessary items to make a delicious lasagna, but that was to be saved for dinner...

Across the street from Lovera's Grocery is a convenience store called Krebs Korner that actually serves fresh Italian food made from products found at Lovera's. With so many great food options in Krebs, it might seem odd eating lunch in a gas station, but trust me, you've never eaten convenience store food like this. Fresh pizza and sandwiches that are out of this world, and very reasonably priced. Just looking at the picture above is making me hungry!

Probably one of the most famous placed in Krebs is a wonderful family style Italian restaurant called Pete's Place. Pete's Place has a fantastic history that you can read all about here, but for now I want to focus on a slightly more obscure aspect of Pete's: Choc Beer.

Many Oklahoman's are familiar with the locally brewed Choc Beer, but some may not be aware that this delicious brew is made in the same building as Pete's Place. Tours are available to those who are interested, and of course the tasty brew can be bought on site. We brought home a sampler case to go with the lasagna we has planned for later in the evening.

On the way home we stopped at a few antique stores in the nearby city of McAlester, and found an incredible deal on these Frankoma plant potters. Lacey was quick to get them set up with some pretty looking succulents. My fingers are crossed that they'll have a good life in our living room, but as most people who know us can personally attest, horticulture is not our specialty.

Finally the payoff! Delicious lasagna cooked solely from ingredients purchased at Lovera's finished off with Choc Spring India Pale Ale. I must say it was perfect - although that's all Lacey's doing....

-Austin

Ozzie's Diner

I hate to follow Jessica's post with her amazing pictures and tranquil retreat experience, but I've recently discovered a great breakfast spot that must be shared. Of course, I wasn't expecting to blog about it so I didn't take my camera and had to make do with my phone.

At any rate, I want to tell you about Ozzie's Diner. It's located in the Max Westheimer Airport Terminal in Norman and serves up all-you-can-eat breakfast. I'm not talking about a breakfast buffet. They actually make the breakfast when you order it and then keep coming back for more. The waitresses don't seem fazed by the throngs of people they've served in a single day and when they call you "hun" you immediately feel at home.

The place isn’t fancy, but the floor to ceiling windows provide a great view of both parked planes and the runway, making for fun entertainment while filling up on comfort food. It was especially a hit with Grayson, who was enthralled with the airplanes and also ate a plate of pancakes faster than humanly possible for a two-year-old.

If breakfast isn't your thing, Ozzie's does have a full menu but I honestly can't tell you what is on it since I've only ever had their breakfast.

The Max Westheimer Airport Terminal in Norman

 

Looking into Ozzie's Diner from the terminal foyer

These are the selections you can choose from for the all-you-can-eat breakfast

I think someone is a little excited for his pancakes

Mike's first round: biscuits and gravy with bacon and hash browns. A solid choice.

My first round: eggs over easy (mmmm) with bacon and hash browns

Guest Post: Meet the Green Girl and The Canebrake

I have been dubbed “green girl” by the folks at my office. My official title is Sustainable Initiatives Coordinator, which is a bit laborious and pretty vague. Green girl certainly cuts to the point, plus it makes people feel guilty when they see me and they are carrying a Styrofoam cup. I find this highly entertaining; as if I have the power to single handily bring Styrofoam use to an end in Oklahoma. Hardly. But hey, if it makes people think twice then so be it. What I actually focus on is sustainable tourism in Oklahoma. Still vague? I work with any tourism entity from tiny restaurants to large hotels on what they can implement to make their business more efficient, environmentally aware and locally focused, in essence how to run a more sustainable operation. A sustainable operation focuses on the interplay of environmental, social and economic factors.

Blah, blah, blah, you say. Ok, don’t give up on me yet. I just needed a few primer sentences so when you read these blog posts you understand what we are talking about when we say sustainable as it refers to tourism. But enough with the definitions, if you want to know more about our ECO program or sustainability, just hop on over to our site.

So what is the green girl doing on the Oklahoma Dispatch? Simple. I want to dispel two myths about green travel in Oklahoma. 1. That it doesn’t exist. 2. That people don’t really care about sustainability, especially the tourism industry.

My hope is that through these posts you discover cool and innovative places around our great state that you can visit and support. What you are bound to discover is that while we can use a lot of big words, fancy ideas and interesting products to discuss sustainability, it really all comes down to the people. So I look forward to introducing you to some of my favorite “sustainable friends,” as I call them, and telling you their stories.

So first up, The Brackens...The Bracken Family runs The Canebrake Restaurant and Resort in Wagoner, Oklahoma. I am an Oklahoman but my geography leaves a lot to be desired. Needless to say I had never heard of Wagoner, nor had I been there. However, it didn’t take long until I was introduced to The Canebrake. This place is probably the mecca of green travel in Oklahoma. That is not an exaggeration. It is a serene resort situated near Ft. Gibson Lake and every detail has been intentionally thought out. Sustainability is at the core of everything The Canebrake does and that stems from Sam and Lisa Bracken.

Sam serves as the executive chef at The Canebrake. He oversees the restaurant and all dining options with extraordinary care. I’ve never had a bad meal from Sam. He sources a lot of his ingredients locally, purchases organic and most importantly knows where his food is coming from and is happy to tell you all about it. This past weekend I had meatloaf sliders from local, organic bison. Yum.

The Canebrake often has cooking demos in conjunction with other activities where Sam and his hospitable team turnout wonderful meals while explaining the food and processes they use.

Lisa teaches yoga at The Canebrake. The Canebrake has yoga classes everyday as well as yoga workshops. I attended a yoga workshop last weekend led by Lisa. Lisa is a tiny ball of energy who manages to contort her body into any shape imaginable. Tiny, energetic and a contortionist! Yes, it’s true and typically these types of people evoke a nice blend of jealousy and annoyance out of me. But Lisa defies any stereotypes and is an incredibly relatable, low key yogi. She teaches with a great sense of humor and encouragement. She sells Okie Yoga t-shirts that say, “Namaste, Y’all” on the back. I think that pretty much sums up Lisa.

A main part of The Canebrake is the Yoga Barn where all the classes take place. While The Canebrake is incredibly polished and well done it has a down home sense as people walk through the lobby in their yoga ware with yoga mats in hand. Since The Canebrake is located on 400 acres there is plenty of space and outdoor options. I find the space to be welcomed relief from my usual busy routine.

All the rooms and suites at The Canebrake are luxurious yet comfy. They employ a variety of green energy practices, many of which you wouldn’t know about if I didn’t tell you. The property uses geo-thermal for heating and cooling as well as solar. The insulation for the aforementioned Yoga Barn is denim. Yep, old blue jeans. This is effective insulation keeps the temperature consistent no matter the season.

The Canebrake has an aggressive recycling program, ensuring a reusable home for almost all disposed products. They participate in the Clean the World program. Clean the World collects shampoos and soap from lodging properties, sterilizes and recycles them and distributes them to children in parts of the world where soap is needed but not accessible.

The spa, oh yeah, there is a spa. So the spa uses products that are kind to you and the earth. At this point I hope you see a theme. Thoughtful. The Canebrake is a thoughtful destination. Lisa, Sam and their team are committed to running a thoughtful business. No one is doing anything because they have to, rather because they believe in it and they have seen the benefits of the choices they make. As a visitor, I benefit from their thoughtfulness, but so does a whole bunch of people from local farmers to kids on other continents. It’s a good cycle of thoughtfulness they have created. So when you need respite from the crazy of your daily grind head over to Wagoner and chill with the Brackens. You can thank me later.

-Jessica

Guestroom Records

The city of Norman is a college town filled to the brim with cool art galleries, bars, great restaurants, music venues, indie shops and a ton of other stuff that any young hip go-getter can stand behind. While there's plenty of material to choose from, I feel the need to highlight a place that's very near and dear to my heart: Guestroom Records.

Guestroom Records is an Oklahoma hipster* institution, serving the general cool faction of the state since it first opened back in 2003. It's hard to go anywhere in the OKC metro area without seeing one of their stickers on the back of a car or a Guestroom t-shirt being worn by an impossibly beautiful girl with glasses and cute bangs. Hell, I even have a friend who's lawnmower has a few Guestroom stickers on it.

The permeation of Guestroom's image is certainly no accident. Owners Travis Searle and Justin Sowers started Guestroom in college as a humble record distribution enterprise. In less than a decade they've managed to open two stores (the other being in Oklahoma City) and are seeing their sales rise in a time where most other record stores are barely getting by. The guys have cultivated an incredibly loyal clientele of music lovers through love of the game, and good ol' fashioned business sense.

If Size Records is the diggers paradise, then Guestroom is for those with a well planned record shopping agenda. Their catalog is impeccably organized, digitally inventoried, and voluminous. Guestroom reliably carries new releases, and has an excellent track record for keeping the classics stocked on the shelf at all times.

Guestroom also runs a record label from the store under the same moniker, and has put out some wonderful records from locals like The Starlight Mints, Rainbows Are Free, The Boom Bang, and Shi++y/Awesome.

Ten years ago, I used to take vacations just for the purposes of finding a decent record store. Now when I travel, I don't even bother. Between Size Records, and both Guestroom locations all of my record needs are fulfilled inside and out. Whether searching for obscure collectible rarities, or just making sure I have a run of the mill copy of Meat is Murder I can rest assured that my record consumption is taken care of on a very local level.

What I find more comforting however, is that both shops have a deep involvement in our local music scene. Sure, business is business, and there's money to be made, but I can honestly say that my town's record stores care about, and help foster the local counter culture.

-Austin

* I mean hipster in the non-pejorative sense, as in general bohemian types.

And This Week's Snapshot Answer is...

The Kenton Mercantile in Kenton, OK! Congratulations to the folks who answered correctly...

This little treasure located in the panhandle is just about as old timey and Americana as you can imagine (although they do have wifi!).

The info on Travelok.com says it all:

"The Kenton Mercantile, otherwise known as "The Merc," is one of the best little cafes and general stores in the Oklahoma panhandle. One of the last old, small-town general stores, the Kenton Mercantile serves as an anchor point for sightseeing around Kenton and Cimarron County. Stop at The Merc to stock up on food, refreshments and supplies for your trip and camping needs.

The Kenton Mercantile also serves as a small-town museum featuring dinosaur artifacts, unusual jar and bottle collections and the largest collection of dinosaur toys in the five state area. In addition, group tour services include self-tour information on local sites and a pre-arranged tour to historic Robbers Roost.

The Merc also offers homestyle cooking, postcards, souvenirs and "Kabins" for rent. Dine at the Kenton Mercantile and feast on hamburgers, cheeseburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, chili, stew and hand-cut french fries."

-Austin

Snapshot: 01.26.11

Alright dispatchers, its time again for another snapshot! Can you tell us where we were when we took this shot?

POPS

It's been gray, snowy and cold in Oklahoma for the last couple of days. Not exactly the type of weather one would typically idealize for a road trip, but us Dispatchers are prone to cabin fever (that is unless we're in an actual cabin) and hitting the road tends to be the only cure.

We've mentioned a few of our favorite go-to places when we need a quick getaway, but none come up quite as much as a little place called POPS on Route 66.

The 66 foot toll soda monolith lights up at night...

Ok, so I'm obviously kidding when I call POPS little. Since opening a few years ago on Route 66, POPS has developed itself into one of Oklahoma's biggest and most widely recognized tourism destinations.

For those not in the loop, POPS is a hyper-modern gas station that carries hundreds and hundreds of different sodas. Everything from the big name standards to the wildly obscure (see the Judge Wapner Root Beer below) can be found stocked in the many coolers within. POPS also houses a restaurant that serves up sandwiches, burgers, salads, and other traditional diner meals.

While these elements could easily play out in a tacky tourist trap fashion, POPS takes every precaution to make sure its name is revered in the highest regard amongst travelers of all kinds. For starters the building itself mixes the old timey Route 66 Americana template typical of Oklahoma, but funnels it through an incredibly modern architecture style that's not likely to be found at any other gas station (or anywhere else for that matter). The restaurant, which in less competent hands could be treated as an afterthought, is pretty freaking delicious and staffed better than a lot of the high-end eating establishments found in the city. The place is always meticulously kempt, both inside and out and the actual layout of the place is eye-catching, yet tasteful.

While POPS has all of this going for them, the real star of the show is soda. We're talking root beer, cream soda, fruit flavors, novelty sodas, colas, pretentious sodas, sodas that make you say "huh?", organic sodas, synthetic sodas, locally made sodas, sodas of every color, creed, shape, size, taste, and variety you can imagine... POPS has it all.

I am a man who certainly appreciates novelty, and POPS has a way of fulfilling that need quite sufficiently.

Rain Man's favorite soda?

Snacks for the old at heart

As an Oklahoma City resident, POPS more than anything acts as the perfect short term afternoon road trip when a change of scenery is needed. It's only a twenty minute drive away, and it's always easy to find someone willing to go with. Everyone comes home full, and has a few crazy treats to take home with them. What more could you ask for?

-Austin

Holidays at Boiling Springs State Park

The Woodward Countryside

It's January, and the holiday season is quickly fading into the recesses of our collective memories. Not a moment too soon for the scroogey types out there, but I personally feel a little sad once the Christmas tree is packed away, and the egg nog cartons are bled dry.

There's just something comforting about twinkling lights, crisp winter air, and Santa's image plastered across the landscape. I'm unapologetically in love with the aesthetic, but must admit to absolutely despising the non-stop consumerism that comes with it. Christmas should be about spending time with the one's you love, while taking the time to truly appreciate how privileged we are in our everyday lives.

For the last three years in a row Lacey and I have forgone shopping malls and obligatory gift giving and opted instead to get a little peace and quiet by ourselves at an Oklahoma State Park. This year we opted for Boiling Springs State Park near Woodward, a serene little park known for its natural springs and abundant wildlife.

The plan for our Christmas getaways couldn't be any more simple. Its a perfect combination of sleepily lounging, cooking our favorite comfort foods, and maybe some exploring depending on how energetic we feel. The cabins at Boiling Springs are perfect for this plan, providing an adorable kitchen, a cozy fireplace, and a lakeside view which can be easily enjoyed from the comfort of the couch.

Deer are a common sight at Boiling Springs

The springs themselves are really cool, but I must admit we spent more time relaxing than exploring the park...

So cozy!

Pancakes with real maple syrup for breakfast!

While we spent most of the trip getting some much needed quiet time in the cabin, we did make a point to explore the very cool wind farms just a little north of Woodward. Pictures don't really do a good job of conveying how massive the turbines are, but take it from me, they're huge!

The turbines look quite majestic, particularly set against the wide open skies of the Woodward prairie. The vast amounts of rolling land harken back to the area's frontier days, and anyone who sees it will certainly be taken back to a different time and place.

Lacey cooked up an amazing Christmas dinner on our last night there. Here are a few pics just to make you jealous!

The holidays may be over, but that doesn't mean you still can't enjoy a similar break away from everything. I know most people really don't think of the winter as a great time to explore State Parks, but honestly its a fantastic way to get a little peace and quiet... especially during the holidays.

-Austin

Dancing Lights

I'm a sucker for a good light display around the holidays and we've discovered an amazing one, the Downs Family Christmas lights in Norman.

Some friends introduced us to it last year, but we took Grayson this year and all he could say was, "pretty lights...dancing." Then he would sit there in silence trying to take it all in. I must say his parents were pretty mesmerized too.

The light display is at a beautiful home which sits on an acreage just off Highway 9 and 72nd Ave SE. According to their website, when dad Chuck Downs retired in early 2007, his engineering brain needed something to do, thus the spectacular light display was born.

When you pull into the drive, there is a sign telling you what station to tune your radio to so you can hear the songs that correspond to each light show. I believe there are five different songs in this year's rotation. The show is professional quality and is free to the public. They do take donations for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and last year alone collected 9,891 pounds of food and cash donations totaling $17,492.65!

I took some video with my iPhone, but YouTube is blocking the audio because of copyright issues. That said, I was able to find a video that was uploaded by the Downs family directly.

They also have a cool time lapse video of their family building one of the large tree light displays. Each one takes two hours to set up by the family. Check out the video on the bottom of their homepage here.