Restaurants, Come and Gone

Good Morning Family and Friends.  What a day it is going to be.


A few days ago I wrote about some of the now defunct restaurants we used to haunt that hold fond memories for me.  Here's just a few memories. 


Der Dutchman's hush puppies and peel and eat shrimp they served on Monday's.  Everyone loved Der Dutchman when they were new to OKC.  One was located by Founder's Tower and if that rings a bell then we are of the same generation.  It also might be the restaurant where my sister went in the men's restroom and accused my brother-in-law (who was also in there) of being in the women's. 


Casa Bonita's buffet with the little flag.  Remember the one on NW 39th?  Fun times and good food.  You raised the little flag if you wanted another enchilada, taco, etc.  I wonder if that has any relation to Oklahomans being overweight....




Tony's Via Roma's lasagna and veal parmigiana............and ooh their appetizers, especially the fried eggplant, fried ravioli, and fried zucchini.  This restaurant was one of our absolute favorites; heavy red velvet drapes to divide the more intimate tables.  Wonderful food, white table clothes, candles burning in Chianti bottles.  This is also the restaurant where my little 9 month old daughter threw her first fit.  We had her and her 3 year old brother dressed to the nines, ready to enjoy our meal.  We had just placed our order when our baby decided she would throw a fit, crying without ceasing.  Our happy outing ended quit abruptly.  Hubby took her to the car, brought her back in when she calmed down, but it started all over again.  Then it was my turn in the car.  Hubby finished his meal alone.


Glen's Hik-ry Inn - EVERYTHING!  I will start with a fillet mignon, a lobster tail, and sautéed chicken livers...........their house dressing.  As they seated you, they'd bring a small tray of celery, carrots, and olives.  A few years after we married, we were at Glen's having a special meal for a special occasion, rarely done since we were now watching our budget.  In drives the Prague High School band bus and a bus load of kids came storming in.  Katrina was there.  When did Prague High School buses start stopping at upscale restaurants?  Dairy Queen was always the best we could do back in my day.




Underwood's barbeque beef sandwich with their sauce.  The last one we remember was in Norman--a buffet line, but good sandwiches.



Lum's ham sandwich.  Now this brings back lots of memories for it was a favorite of the Tinker crowd, especially my friends.  You'd walk in the door and right in front would be a ham and a roast beef on a spit.  Best ham in OKC.  This was located at the SE corner of 15th and Midwest Blvd (before Girlie Pancake House moved there).




Girlie Pancake House's breakfast.  The one we most often frequented was on 29th Street.  Great breakfast place.  Each table had a tray of 8 or 9 different syrups; butter pecan, strawberry, blueberry, etc.



Kip's Big Boy Special, a salad, fries, and their three-bun burger with thousand island dressing.  This was located at the NW corner of 15th and Air Depot next to the theater.  It was a fun place and always reminded me of being on a vacation.




Sirloin Stockade's (circa 1968) sirloin steak.  Another Tinker favorite and where I learned to love a more rare steak...........up until then, I was a "well done" gal.






El Chico's (in Shephard Mall) nachos.  The first time I ever ordered Nachos was at this restaurant...a couple layers of tortilla chips piled high with melted cheddar cheese.  On the top of each chip and cheese was a slice of jalapeno baked right in.  When I order nachos today, the jalapenos have been put on after the nachos come out of the oven.




The Captain's Table view and lobster.  This is the restaurant where we went for lobster; always my favorite.  The restaurant was on the 6th floor, pretty view.  We took my teenage sister her and she told us it was ok, but she'd just as soon be at the McDonald's she saw below.  No accounting for teenage taste.





Shakey's Pizza - the fun.   Live entertainment right there in Del City.




Godfather's pizza.  I have a nice memory of my family and my brother's family eating there....good pizza too, thick and gooey.




Zamudio's cheese enchiladas with chili.  I have so many fond memories of this place.  This is where the Tinker girls took me for my 21st birthday.  Oh how they embarrassed me by making me open embarrassing presents right in front of the other diners.  The food was good, but that memory, and many others, was better. 



Chez Vernon - the best OKC had to offer.  This was located on Classen Blvd somewhere around 15th or maybe it was 23rd.  The building is still there, but the restaurant is long gone.  The menu was on a small blackboard.  I remember there was a full table setting, even spoons at the top of the plate.  I always heard you use the utensils on the outside first, so that is what I did.  It all worked out.  I remember having chocolate mousse for dessert.




Rose's in Midwest City - the best rolls in town.  I could talk for an hour about this place.  Many, many snippets of memories.  It was next to the tire store at 15th and Midwest Blvd.  Another Tinker lunch place.  There was a shortcut to the back door so we'd park in back.  They had lunch plates and always had the best hot roles in town (outside the Tinker cafeteria which were better than all the rest).




Piccadilly's gumbo.  This was in Heritage Park Mall if I have the name correctly.  The best place in town for gumbo....we were limited.



Across the Street's Spaghetti Red.  I think this restaurant was where Checker's is now if memory serves.  I remember having the chili over the spaghetti a lot.




Dairy Mart's fried apricot pies on Thursday.  Now this goes way back.........to my high school days.  My parents told me I could eat out for lunch as long as I had money to pay for it, but they were only going to give me what it costs at the cafeteria, $1.25 a week, a quarter a week.  I could usually come up with a few extra cents a week, but more often than that I could eat for $1.25 a week; 5 days.  On Thursday's, the Lion's Club had their lunch at the Dairy Mart, and that was the day Dairy Mart made fried pies.  I don't remember the exact cost, but I would get a fried pie and ice cream-LUNCH! 



Dairy Boat's Frito chili pies in a bag.  And lime ice!!!!!!!!!!!!  One of the ways I was able to scrounge enough money for the week was Dairy Boat's Frito Chili Pies; a bag of Fritos slit open, chili and cheese over the chips - 15 cents!!!  Those were the days.  Remember the Lime Ice?  Crushed ice with lime juice and salt.  We loved them!


Just a few memories of restaurants that have come and sadly, gone.  Hope you enjoyed reminiscing with me. 


I love you.