Voice's Choices: Eye Candy

Best dining rooms for art spotting

Hideaway Pizza // 1419 E. 15th St.

A pint of Marshall’s IPA with a slice of The Hideaway’s pepperoni (or The Boz with its jalapeños aplenty if you appreciate, as I do, the occasional good cry) is a work of art on its own—certainly enough for one meal. Hideaway takes it up a notch, though. As with the pizza there—and this is true for all good pizza everywhere—the mural-sized collages that adorn the walls of each Hideaway incarnation bear the brushstrokes and fingerprints of its makers; the artists’ process is just as humbling and satisfying as the final work.

SUN-THURS: 11 A.M.- 9:30 P.M., FRI-SAT: 11 A.M.-10:30 P.M.

Baxter’s Interurban // 717 S. Houston Ave.

Remember when an elephant walked the streets of downtown Tulsa? Neither did I, until I inspected the walls at Baxter’s and found a veritable scrapbook—art, photography, memorabilia—chronicling recent Tulsa history. Perhaps more surprising than the elephant was the unassuming Caesar salad. Turns out, not every restaurant serves the insipid, creamy, glorified Ranch dressing that passes for Caesar nowadays. Baxter’s puts whisk to bowl and concocts a mouthwatering mixture of tangy, lemony, garlicky goodness I’d put up against any salad in town.

Mon-Thurs: 11 A.M.-10 P.M., Fri: 11 A.M.-11 P.M., Sat: 4:30 P.M.-11 P.M.

Los Primos // 1028 N. Sheridan Rd.

The walls at Los Primos are covered in hand painted murals including one that is quite possibly the most majestic piece of art in Tulsa. A nighttime ocean scene is depicted in which a woman (mermaid, perhaps? goddess of the sea?) appears to be conjuring a dolphin out of thin air while two more dolphins and an orca breach nearby. The artwork is something out of a dream, and so are the tacos at Los Primos. They’re some of the best in town.

MON-THURS: 10 A.M.-10 P.M., FRI: 10 A.M.-11 P.M., SAT: 9 A.M.-11 P.M., SUN: 9 A.M.-10 P.M.

Shades of Brown // 3302 S. Peoria Ave.

Shades of Brown Coffee & Art owner Melinda Curren has been displaying the works of local artists on the walls of her establishment since it opened in 2004. Curren estimated that about 100 area artists have been spotlighted over the past decade through the “rotating art gallery” format, which features the work of Claudia Riccardi during the month of April. Stop in for a latte and you’ll see in your hand-crafted mug that art isn’t merely reserved for the walls.

MON-FRI: 6:30 A.M.-MIDNIGHT, SAT: 7 A.M.-MIDNIGHT, SUN: 8 A.M.-MIDNIGHT