Best of
Tulsa 2016

You voted, we counted.

Here are your winners + finalists.

Contributors: Nicci Atchley, Liz Blood, Claire Edwards, Mitch Gilliam, Joshua Kline, John Langdon, Joe O’Shansky, Megan Shepherd.
Photos by Valerie Grant and Michelle Pollard

Food and Drink

best NEW BAR

Lefty’s on Greenwood

Lefty’s four-page drink menu features 15 beers on tap ranging from 3.2% abv to 14%, a strong top shelf of spirits, weekend brunch, daily happy hours, and a variety of frozen margarita flavors and popular drinks like the Peach Mule.

The walls are lined with dozens of framed records from local favorites like J.J. Cale, J.D. McPherson, Parker Millsap, and The GAP Band, alongside an array of vintage liquor advertising mirrors. The quirky, pseudo-sports bar aesthetic, bathed in a plethora of natural light, welcomes fans who want to watch the game (eight televisions, mostly near the bar) without alienating those who just want to unwind with friends or listen to the bar’s near-daily live music. It’s a hodge-podge of styles made singular; no wonder Lefty’s is Tulsa’s favorite new watering hole.

FINALISTS: Inner Circle Vodka Bar, Saturn Room

best hotel restaurant

The Chalkboard at the Ambassador

The Chalkboard doesn’t rest on its location laurels. It’s been around for 40-plus years but received a drastic makeover in 1999. Since then, it’s maintained a reputation as one of Tulsa’s very best restaurants. The sophisticated, world-class menu and upscale-but-unfussy atmosphere make it a dining destination, whether or not you’re staying at the adjoining Ambassador Hotel.

Colorado rack of lamb, diver scallops, beef Wellington, Peking duck breast roulade, and small plates like crab cakes, grilled lamb lollipop with baba ganouj, chilled foie gras torchon and prime beef carpaccio with capers, lemon, parmesan and Makaron olive oil are just a few of the items that contribute to The Chalkboard’s sterling name. On the front-of-house side, the restaurant boasts a fantastic wine and cocktail list (the Chilantro—try it), and some of the most consistent service in Tulsa.

**FINALISTS:** The Boiler Room at the Mayo, Daily Grill at Hyatt Regency Tulsa

Best SANDWICH

Phat Philly from Phat Philly’s

The online menu reads “Got the munchies? We’re open till 4 a.m. on Fridays & Saturdays!” Yes, you do have the munchies. You check the time, punch the air victoriously and order an Uber. Messy visions of meat glistening with a sheen of cheese whiz, sautéed peppers and onions plague your mind on the ride over until, behold, you glimpse the yellow awning of this shrine to sandwich satiation known as Phat Philly’s. Approaching the counter with an almost spiritual reverence, the menu’s simplicity offers a universal message: cheesesteak. Gooey, glorious, Philadelphia-style cheesesteak, which you order with a childlike grin. You don’t need waffle fries, but you order those, too.

**FINALISTS:** Banh Mi – Lone Wolf, The Trencher – Trenchers Delicatessen

Best COFFEE HOUSE

The Coffee House on Cherry Street

After you’ve picked out your produce at Tulsa’s favorite farmers’ market, grab a seat next to the fireplace at Tulsa’s favorite coffee house, located just around the corner at 15th and Rockford.

The Coffee House on Cherry Street—known affectionately by locals as “CHOCS”—is a haven for hot drinks (they pour Doubleshot coffee, exclusively), simple, fresh breakfast and lunch fare, and over-the-top cakes and desserts. Try the hyperlocal Sunrise (Fisher Farm eggs, pancakes made with LOMAH dairy, Farrell Family bread and local sausage or bacon), key lime pie, or grab one of CHOCS’ many gluten-free or vegan treats (the pumpkin muffin is supreme).

CHOCS even has its own mobile app with specials and updates, perfect for die-hard coffee lovers. Just be warned: at peak hours, this coffeehouse’s overwhelming popularity translates into frequently long lines. Plan accordingly.

**FINALISTS:** Chimera Cafe, Shades of Brown

Best BURGER FAT GUY’S BURGER BAR

FINALISTS: Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili, The Tavern

best Thai

Lanna Thai

Ask any Tulsan for Thai food recommendations and Lanna Thai is bound to come up. This unassuming haunt at 71st and Memorial—featuring a full bar and weekend live music—has been serving classic Thai cuisine to Tulsa since 1998.

Menu highlights are numerous. Lanna Summer Rolls are full of fresh carrots, basil, romaine, and cilantro, and are wrapped in light rice paper. The Tom Kha Gai is a hearty chicken soup made tart with lemongrass, lime leaves and tamarind juice. And of course, there’s the famous Pad Thai and Pad See-lew. Lanna Thai’s spice level operates on a scale of 1-5, ranging from mild to holy shit.

**FINALISTS:** Keo, My Thai Kitchen

Best Patio

Blue Rose Cafe

After a storied existence on Brookside, Blue Rose Cafe reopened in 2011 at 19th and Riverside, offering cheap beer, reasonably priced food, live music, and, best of all, a kickass patio.

Blue Rose promises classic, no-frills bar fare and boy, do they deliver: burgers, blackened chicken, cheese fries, and wings anchor the menu, but they also offer options for those craving a lighter, al fresco lunch on the waterfront, such as wraps, salads, and salmon.

But, hands down, the crown jewel is its expansive, bi-level riverfront patio with a beautiful view of the sunset, making it a perfect choice for a quitting-time happy hour.

**FINALISTS:** Los Cabos, El Guapo’s Cantina

Best Liquor Store Parkhill Liquor & Wines

FINALISTS: Modern Spirits, Ranch Acres Wine and Spirits

BROOKSIDE BY DAY

best HANGOVER BREAKFAST

**FINALISTS:** Dilly Diner, Tally’s Good Food Cafe

best BRUNCH

**FINALISTS:** Dilly Diner, SMOKE. On Cherry Street

You open your eyes, immediately regretting that last shot of bourbon. A train full of sledge hammers conducted by Tom Waits barrels through your head. You have a hunger.

Brookside by Day—a Tulsa staple since 1991—offers the classic diner breakfast fare, from eggs benedict to breakfast pork chops, along with morning specials and a recently added bar. But, if you’re in more of a lunch mood, get your damn lips around a burger you big hung-over baby.

The atmosphere is inviting, casual, and low-key. Don’t fret about your smeared mascara or the questionable choices you made the night before. BBD doesn’t judge. BBD just wants to help you.

BEST INDIAN India Palace

FINALISTS:
Desi Wok, Himalayas Aroma of India
BEST Deli Jason’s Deli

FINALISTS:
Lambrusco’z, Trenchers Delicatessen
BEST Chinese P.F. Chang’s

FINALISTS:
Golden Gate, Pei Wei
BEST BARBEQUE Burn. Co

FINALISTS:
Albert G’s Bar-B-Q, Billy Sims BBQ

BEST GROCERY STORE Reasor’s Foods

Reasor’s Foods’ updated locations on Brookside, 41st and Yale, 15th and Lewis, and in Jenks, Broken Arrow, and Owasso were all redesigned and expanded to create a healthier, more fulfilling shopping experience.

By offering local Scissortail Farms’ leafy greens and a bevy of other locally grown and organic produce (as well as a stronger presence from other local and regional purveyors) the Oklahoma grocery chain has upped its game to compete with the handful of health-minded but often prohibitively expensive markets that have sprung up across Tulsa.

Registered dieticians are available at five locations, offering services including weight loss advice and disease-related education. They’ll even give you a tour of the supermarket to show you wholesome options.

Other reasons to love Reasor’s: free lunch for military personnel on Veteran’s Day, an annual food drive, their decision to not carry genetically modified salmon, and the cheese island at the Brookside location that rivals that of its neighbor, Whole Foods.

FINALISTS:
Sprouts Farmers Market, Whole Foods Market

Best Place to Watch the Big Game Buffalo Wild Wings

FINALISTS:
Fassler Hall, Leon’s on the Restless Ribbon
Best Vegetarian/ Health Food Zoës Kitchen

FINALISTS:
Laffa, Whole Foods Market
Best Food Truck Lone Wolf Banh Mi

FINALISTS:
Ando Truck – Andolini’s Pizzeria, Mr. Nice Guys
Best Restaurant for Locally Sourced Ingredients Tallgrass Prairie Table

FINALISTS:
Elote Cafe & Catering, Juniper

best ITALIAN

Ti Amo

At a time when new Italian concepts are cropping up in Tulsa left and right, the old school favorite, Ti Amo, has prevailed and nabbed Tulsa’s vote for best Italian. Maybe it’s an affinity for the old reliable; maybe it’s the free bruschetta. Either way, the 25 year-old Ti Amo—with locations in south Tulsa at 61st and Sheridan and downtown at 2nd and Cheyenne—has remained a go-to for low-lit romantic ambiance and house-made Italian food.

Dedicated diners swear by the chicken piccatta, the chicken alfredo, the bone-in ribeye, and the shrimp and lobster bisque. All the entrees come with soup or salad, the aforementioned free bruschetta, and impeccable service from an attentive wait staff.

FINALISTS: Dalesandro’s, Mondo’s

best Korean

Korean Garden

When a South Korean ex-pat recommends a go-to spot for Korean food, you don’t ask questions—except maybe later, to ask for seconds. Luckily, Korean Garden, Tulsa’s choice for best Korean food, is well known for its family-style, generously-portioned traditional favorites like the seafood and vegetable pancake, kimchi pancake, bibimbap—a fresh vegetable, fried egg, and rice dish—served with banchan, kimchi fried rice, and stir-fried squid and pork.

If you want to sample a few dishes, take a group of friends and have everyone pick a plate. The café also offers a daily lunch buffet, as well as a cook-at-the-table option, which is a great way to introduce newbies to Korean food.

FINALISTS: Gogi Gui, Seoul Bistro

Best Bakery Merritt’s Bakery

FINALISTS:
Ann’s Bakery, Antoinette Baking Co.
Best Steak Mahogany Prime Steakhouse

FINALISTS:
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Prhyme Downtown Steakhouse
Best Seafood White River Fish Market

FINALISTS:
Bodean Seafood Restaurant, Bonefish Grill
Best Vietnamese Ri Le’s

FINALISTS:
Pho Da Cao, Pho Nhi

BEST VIEW The Penthouse Rooftop Lounge at the Mayo Hotel

Tulsa loves the locally-owned historic Mayo Hotel for it’s glamorous aesthetic and boutique vibe. The mixed-use hotel—with full-time residents, guests, event ballroom, upscale restaurant (The Boiler Room) and rooftop bar—creates a lively, dynamic atmosphere in a storied building full of Tulsa history.

The Penthouse bar’s roomy patio offers a stunning 360-degree view of downtown. Weekends on the rooftop are great for party crashing and people watching. Post-wedding receptions, birthday celebrations, graduations, anniversaries—the Penthouse frequently hosts a variety of parties, with good reason: as you’ve declared with your vote, it’s the best view in Tulsa, from the best hotel in Tulsa.

FINALISTS:
Blue Rose Cafe, In the Raw On the Hill

Best Cocktail Old Fashioned – Valkyrie

FINALISTS: Irish Coffee – Hodges Bend, Norma Jean – Andolini’s

best BAR FOR SMOKERS

Mercury Lounge

They don’t serve food and they don’t do smoke-free, which makes the Mercury Lounge just about the perfect place for two-fisted indulgence, especially on a post-brunch Sunday, when beers and cigarettes become their own forms of therapy. When the weather is good you can take them outdoors to the patio, which given the right company can feel like the pinnacle of civilization.

With a variety of beers on tap and in the bottle, mixed drinks, great live music throughout the week (not to mention one of the best remaining non-Internet jukeboxes in town), and an all-the-time $5 beer-and-shot special, this affordable Boston Ave. institution makes enjoying the hair of the dog a communal pleasure that won’t break your bank.

FINALISTS: Arnie’s, Yeti

Best LGBT Bar/Club

Club Majestic

Oh, Club Majestic! You shining beacon of decadence! You safe haven for self-expression! You dam against the unrelenting tides of basic-ness that threaten to overtake the world!

In addition to being named the best LGBT bar in Tulsa, Majestic is also a rare example of an 18-and-up club that somehow manages to not feel skeezy. And unlike other bars or clubs, imbibing is not necessarily the end game. Between karaoke, dancing contests, drag shows and talent nights, there’s plenty of fun to be had even if you’re under 21 or don’t drink.

Whether you’re a member of the LGBT community or an ally, Club Majestic is the place to be for a night of good vibes and dancing. There’s a go-go cage with your name on it, so go work it!

FINALISTS: New Age Renegade, Yellow Brick Road

Brothers Houligan

best CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

**FINALISTS:** Dilly Diner, Tally’s Good Food Cafe

best MEAL WORTH TWICE THE PRICE

**FINALISTS:** Lone Wolf, The Tavern

Tulsa has no shortage of options for chicken fried steak—that uniquely Southern/Midwestern indulgence of tenderized beef, breaded and deep-fried to juicy, flavorful perfection, then drowned in cream gravy. Bros. Houligan, a Tulsa establishment since 1987, clearly knows what it’s doing. Though it offers a variety of southern comfort food ranging from chicken tenders, fried Gulf shrimp and pork chops to grilled salmon, rainbow trout and several cuts of steak, it’s the gloriously gigantic chicken fried steak that has made it a Tulsa institution. The dinner comes with an embarrassment of sides including green beans, plus choices of mashed potatoes, French fries or waffle fries, and cottage cheese, coleslaw, salad or applesauce.

BEST PIZZA Andolini’s Pizzeria

For the second year in a row, Andolini’s takes the coveted Best Pizza award, and it’s hardly surprising. With the massive success of its Owasso and Cherry Street locations, along with a food truck and a sister restaurant downtown (STG Pizzeria & Gelateria), Ando’s continues to expand, with a recently opened location in Broken Arrow.

If you prefer simple New York-style, pepperoni or sausage is the way to go. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, try the S.P.Q.R., (ricotta, garlic, house-made Italian sausage, and prosciutto), or get decadent with a selection from the Purple Label Luxury List.

FINALISTS:
Hideaway, Umberto’s

best bartender

Ray Conde Kilkenny's

How long have you been a bartender? About a decade. I started out at TGI Friday’s and trained there in 2002 or 2003. Good training back in the day. Not so much now. Corporate training is great, you take that corporate training and take it somewhere private and you’ll make a lot more money.
What’s your drink of choice? Whiskey on the rocks. Jameson is what I drink most. But I like so many others.
What do you think about the craft cocktail movement that’s hit Tulsa in the last several years? Oh man, it’s fantastic. I’m glad people are getting into it. We’ve got a lot of new, fresh bartenders in the scene, people who are just crushin’ it and killin’ it. Valkyrie, all those boys over there are just phenomenal at making cocktails. Mixco and Saturn Room, too. I’ve had some crazy shit at Saturn Room.
What’s the one thing a customer should never do when ordering a drink? Wave you down, ask for your attention, then take five minutes to order because they’re not really sure. It’s one thing if they’ve got questions, but if they literally just want you to stand in front of them while they tap on their face and go “Ummm…” Just don’t do that. I’m super, super busy and I’m going to give you my undivided attention, but don’t “Umm” me, ‘cuz that guy over there wants a drink, too.
What’s the key to being a good bartender? For me, more than making the drinks, it’s about being there for your guests, making sure they’re having a positive experience. In turn, that positive experience bounces right back to you, and you bounce it right back to someone else, and you start a perpetuation of kindness that goes across your bar. Our bar isn’t just a bar, it’s a community. We have lots of regulars who we call friends, most of whom are in my speed dial. It’s about serving the community. We offer a place where you can go and you’ve got friends.

INTERVIEW BY JOSHUA KLINE

FINALISTS: Noah Bush – Hodges Bend, Saturn Room, Amy Pullen – Soundpony

El Guapo’s Cantina

best Mexican

FINALISTS: El Rio Verde, El Tequila
best TACO

FINALISTS: Elote Cafe & Catering, Tacos Don Francisco

best LOCAL BEER SUNDOWN WHEAT – MARSHALL BREWING CO.

FINALISTS: Bomb! – Prairie Artisan Ales, Prairie Standard – Prairie Artisan Ales

Hideaway

best TAKEOUT PIZZA

**FINALISTS:** Andolini’s Pizzeria, Pie Hole Pizzeria

best place pick up the new copy of the tulsa voice

**FINALISTS:** The Brook Restaurant + Bar, Soundpony

best FAMILY DINING

**FINALISTS:** The Brook Restaurant + Bar, Charleston’s

Tulsans have been enjoying Hideaway Pizza since 1993, when the Oklahoma pizza empire opened its Cherry Street location, the first of seven in Tulsa. Started in Stillwater in 1955, Hideaway has grown to include fifteen restaurants around our state with a sixteenth opening later this year in Moore.

Many of us were reared on takeout Hideaway as a special treat—the ten-minute drive in the back of mom’s minivan with a hot pie on your lap was torturously slow, wasn’t it?

No matter if you dine-in with your family or take a ‘za home for a Netflix binge, make sure you pick up a copy of The Tulsa Voice…as it’s apparently Tulsans’ favorite place to do so. Then, you can Tulsa Voice and chill with that pizza, instead.

Hideaway has cleaned house on many “Best Of” lists in Tulsa (and statewide), but this marks their first win in The Tulsa Voice—and in three categories, no less. Whether it was the magic of their cute mascot, Kahuna, those addictive fried mushrooms, or summoning the power of the Pizza of the Gods, congrats on three well-deserved awards, pie heads.

Kilkenny’s

best Service

FINALISTS: Charleston’s, Mahogany Prime Steakhouse
best Late-night Dining

FINALISTS: Phat Philly’s, The Tavern
best bloody mary

FINALISTS: McNellie’s, SMOKE. On Cherry Street

Best Chef

Trevor Tack McNellie's Group

Which dish were you proudest to plate in 2015? I was really proud of getting Ben Alexander acclimated at the Tavern, and really getting to do some fun Chef’s Tables with him. We did a really fun, tongue-in-cheek pho dish with Jeremy Reed of the Saturn Room. It was a five-spice duck breast over crispy Brussels sprouts with a pho broth and enoki mushrooms. It had all the elements of pho, but it was also very un-pho-like too, and that’s kind of what we’ve been playing with over there: taking familiar things, and presenting them in an unfamiliar fashion.

And the chimichuri octopus ... Dude, that was so much fun. That’s probably my favorite. I’ve been doing it with squid too and it’s just as good. A friend of mine was in Mexico and sent me a picture of a whole grilled octopus, and I immediately texted Ben and said, ‘we are doing this at Temp Tavern. Let’s do different menus, let’s change it up each week.’ It was so good and so simple, and kinda ballsy to throw a whole octopus on a plate.
What do you wish diners would quit asking for? Sides of ranch. Side note: I love ranch. I keep a bottle of it at all times in my house. I’m as Oklahoma as the rest of us.
What’s your favorite restaurant in the world? My favorite restaurant in the world is this little restaurant called La Becasse, and it’s on a lake in a small town in northern Michigan. Just unapologetically French. Sit outside, perfect weather, duck confit, nice French wine. It’s great. I go there every time I’m up there—my family’s from Michigan.
Where do you send out-of-towners for dinner? The Lounge, currently. Juniper, Tallgrass, SMOKE. Those are for special dinners. Then I have a host of dirty floor Mexican restaurants and Vietnamese joints.
What does Tulsa need more of? Tulsa needs more people like your readers: more adventurous diners, more people willing to take chances on different food concepts.

INTERVIEW BY MEGAN SHEPHERD

FINALISTS: Michelle Donaldson – Tallgrass Prairie Table, Bramble Breakfast & Bar, Philip Phillips – Lone Wolf

Best Japanese/ Sushi Yokozuna

FINALISTS: Fuji, In the Raw

BEST NEW RESTAURANT Dilly Diner

As a throwback to the classic diners dotting the highways of the sixties and seventies, Dilly Diner (formerly Dilly Deli) does several things very well, not the least of them breakfast. It’s nearly impossible to snag a table without a wait on weekends, and executive chef Trevor Tack’s menu injects new life into short-order classics by paying special attention to sourcing, pairing, and presentation. The menu favors the diner staples, but with a fresh, local twist: meals like green eggs and ham, Griddle Cakes, French toast, fluffy biscuits and gravy, fat roadside-style cheeseburgers, and spicy chicken and waffles. And of course, pie—lots of it, served with dollops of “farm-to-cone” ice cream (made with Lomah dairy). Did we mention they offer full bar service, with boozy drinks like the cereal milk cocktail? Dilly Diner is a true gem for downtown Tulsa, and it’s no surprise you selected it as your favorite new restaurant.

FINALISTS:
Bramble Breakfast & Bar, East Village Bohemian Pizzeria

You really love McNellie’s

McNellie’s remains a vintage cornerstone of the Blue Dome district, to which it helped give rise after opening 13 years ago. This chugging, charbroiling machine has the most expansive beer selection in town (350+ choices), a separate upstairs smoking section and game room, and a full menu of pub fare like fish and chips, cottage pie and that famous Wednesday-night $4 burger.

Their Harvest Beer Festival, Pub Run, and raucous St. Patty’s Day festivities are day drinking holidays. But McNellie’s appeal is in its familiar—and familial—charms that are always there, every day of the year.

Best Old Bar

FINALISTS: Arnie’s, Soundpony
Best Beer Selection

FINALISTS: Fassler Hall, Kilkenny’s
Best Spot for Day Drinking

FINALISTS: Blue Rose Cafe, Fassler Hall
Best Bar Food

FINALISTS: The Brook Restaurant + Bar, Kilkenny’s

Arts and Entertainment

best PUBLIC ART

Woody Guthrie mural at Woody Guthrie Center

Woody Guthrie was a man of small stature, but his memory and music live on in a big way, especially in Tulsa. In the Brady District, his presence looms large on the west end of the Woody Guthrie Center where a large mural, painted by Clean Hands founder Aaron Whisner, depicts the iconic image of Guthrie playing a guitar adorned with the phrase “This Machine Kills Fascists.”

Guthrie was an outspoken protestor of the rich elite whom he saw as responsible for the poor social and economic conditions working men endured. Earlier this year, Bernie Sanders, who preaches an updated version of the troubadour’s message, visited the mural and Center on his way to a campaign rally at the Cox Business Center.

Besides the awesome painting on the building’s outside, the Woody Guthrie Center houses plenty of other delights: Woody’s actual guitar, his lyric journal, Dust Bowl exhibits, and a music bar. At only $8, it’s a low price to pay to get better acquainted with the patron saint of Oklahoma music.

FINALISTS:“Artificial Cloud” at The Center of the Universe, Día de los Muertos murals at Living Arts

PARTY OF THE YEAR

Cry Baby Hill

Those who don’t know about Cry Baby Hill don’t know what they’re missing. Outrageous behavior by people clad in outrageous (and outrageously absent) costumes can be observed atop our city’s monument to mondo madness. A party at the final race of the Tulsa Tough cycling weekend, Cry Baby Hill has grown from just a few inspired idiots to a crowd of three thousand-plus. It has also become the day’s focal point, eclipsing most notions of the race. Aliens, cavemen, and every member of the Village People dance and drink while confused cyclists whiz by. DJs keep the party going, and refs keep the ragers in check. Those refs are in on the mania too, but if you want to keep barriers off the hill you better listen to them. And if this is the first time you’ve heard of CBH, just remember these words: MIND THE GAP.

FINALISTS: Center of the Universe Festival, Linde Oktoberfest

best KARAOKE

Warehouse Bar and Grill

The humbly named Warehouse Bar & Grill, tucked in an unassuming storefront on Peoria between Yolatti and Urban Outfitters, advertises itself as one of Tulsa’s best-kept secrets. And that it is—amidst the fancy shoppers and upscale restaurants of Brookside, this rowdy, booze-slinging joint keeps it real with dozens of shot specials (written on the wall), simple bar food and reliable, straight-forward service. Y’all voted for their karaoke, but we’re voting for the time we realized they serve deep-fried green beans.

FINALISTS: Elote Cafe & Catering, Yeti

best SMALL MUSIC VENUE

The Vanguard

An all-ages club with a full bar, The Vanguard sets itself apart from other venues with booking often aimed specifically at Tulsa’s youth, and routinely provides a forum for local, unproven upstarts to open for larger touring acts. The club has become internationally famous for hosting North America’s largest street-punk party, the annual Fuck You We Rule OK! festival. Additionally, Vanguard owner Simon Aleman helps coordinate high profile shows for the community, such as the Higher Plains Music Festival, a hip-hop and jazz fest that brought together local favorites along with a headlining spot for Kendrick Lamar collaborator Thundercat. Most recently, the club co-hosted the music leg of Tulsa Overground Film & Music Festival.

FINALISTS: The Colony, Soundpony

Best LOCAL ALBUM

High on Tulsa Heat John Moreland

Do you remember the first song you wrote? I started writing when I was about ten. All I can remember is that it was nonsense lyrics and a really simple guitar thing, very repetitive. But, I don’t actually remember how it went.
Your lyrics feel more literary than most. As a writer, who are your biggest influences? I don’t read a whole lot of books. I’m trying to make myself do more of that. But, I mostly read magazines and stuff on the Internet. So, it’s hard to cite literary influences. I just kind-of zone out and write what comes to me and make it fit where it sounds like it’s supposed to go in the song.
How much of your writing is autobiographical, and how much is fictional or observational? I mean it all starts out being autobiographical, and then sometimes—well, the lines get blurred a little. If something works better in a song, then it doesn’t have to be true for me to put it in. So, sometimes for musical purposes the truth will get stretched a little bit.
Tell us about performing on Colbert. I was nervous going into it and then as soon as we got to the studio it kind of went away. Everyone was so accommodating and really good at their jobs. And, the theater isn’t as big as it looks on TV. Overall, it was a really good, pleasant experience. I think John Travolta complained about the music we were listening to in my green room. I think we were next to the makeup room and he was in there for makeup. We were listening to Ghostface Killah on my phone. My tour manager got a frantic call from someone at the show saying there was a complaint and we needed to turn it down.
Are you a Tulsa lifer, or could you see yourself one day moving to an Austin or a Nashville for your career? I have no interest in moving right now. I’m not going to make any predictions for the future, but right now I really like living somewhere that isn’t necessarily a music business town. It’s cool to be able to go to Nashville, or L.A., or wherever when there’s business to be taken care of, then be able to leave that bubble and come back to a real place. That’s really nice.

INTERVIEW BY LIZ BLOOD

FINALISTS: Jacob Tovar and the Saddle Tramps
Jacob Tovar and the Saddle Tramps
Sneaker
Paul Benjaman Band

Best Performing Arts Company Tulsa Ballet

FINALISTS:
Theatre Tulsa, Tulsa Symphony
Best Place to Have a Laugh Loony Bin Comedy Club

FINALISTS:
Comedy Parlor, Soundpony
Best Annual Festival Mayfest

FINALISTS:
Linde Oktoberfest, Tulsa Tough
Best Casino Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

FINALISTS:
Osage Casino, River Spirit

Best Local Politician None

FINALISTS: Blake Ewing, Kathy Taylor

best Performing Arts VENUE

Tulsa Performing Arts Center

Next season marks the Tulsa Performing Arts Center’s 40th anniversary, so what better time than now for them to win Best Performing Arts Venue?

Hosting over 500 events each year, the PAC is home to symphony concerts, ballets, operas, children’s shows, Broadway musicals, piano concerts, plays, quartets, lectures, contemporary dance, jazz concerts, and less-traditional events like the Star Trek The Ultimate Voyage 50th Anniversary Concert Tour (April 23, 8 p.m.) and Alton Brown’s Eat Your Science live show (May 10, 7 p.m.).

They’ve also hosted magicians and comedians, and last year the Broadway smash “The Book of Mormon” was their hottest ticket. On the first Wednesday of every month, the PAC hosts “Brown Bag It,” a free noontime concert in the Westby Pavilion featuring a large range of music. Happy 40th, PAC! We’re glad to have you in town.

**FINALISTS:** Guthrie Green, Nightingale Theater

best GALLERY

Living Arts

The non-profit Living Arts continues to be a vital presence in Tulsa for the development and exposure of contemporary art and artists, both local and national. Whether it’s exposing patrons to radical new forms of expression with the annual New Genre Arts Festival or cultural bridge-building with events like the Día de los Muertos festival, Issues of Race, and Voices of Whole People, Living Arts continues to be on the frontlines of building empathy and challenging norms through artistic expression.

**FINALISTS:** 108 Contemporary, Hardesty Arts Center (AHHA)

best MOVIE THEATER

Broken Arrow Warren Theatre

Since its grand opening a little over a year ago, the Broken Arrow Warren Theatre has been drawing movie-lovers like flies to an art deco bug zapper. With a design aesthetic somewhere south of Olivia Newton-John’s disco musical, “Xanadu,” and a retro ‘50s diner ripped right out of “Happy Days,” it’s a lot like a vintage Wurlitzer jukebox that anachronistically plays CDs.

The theater also packs a serious technical punch. When “The Force Awakens” came out last year, director JJ Abrams was adamant it be seen through laser projection with a Dolby Atmos 64-channel sound system. The Warren sports both with aplomb.

Balcony seats, as well as the Director’s Suites, offer full food and bar service with themed drinks and a plethora of amped up diner fare, like a burger whose bun is replaced with two grilled cheese sandwiches. You can get it with cream gravy, which might be a perfect culinary metaphor for over-the-top summer blockbusters.

**FINALISTS:** AMC Southroads 20, Circle Cinema

Cain’s Ballroom

BEST ALL-AGES MUSIC VENUE

**FINALISTS:** BOK Center, Guthrie Green

BEST PLACE FOR LIVE LOCAL MUSIC

**FINALISTS:** Guthrie Green, Soundpony

Sid Vicious punched a hole in it. Bob Wills invented rock ‘n’ roll in it. Insane Clown Posse is banned from it. This building has gone from its dubious beginnings as a Klansman’s 20-car garage to a legendary destination for international music lovers. Jack White is probably buying a house in Tulsa because the Cain’s is here, and Billy Corgan popped by to record a Valentine’s Day video in it. Local journalist Lee Roy Chapman’s funeral was held there. Larger than the Vanguard but smaller than the Brady Theater, Cain’s hallowed stage in the crosshairs of both tried-and-true and up-and-coming performers, all of whom are watched over by portraits of the legends who came before them.

Best Large Music Venue BOK Center

FINALISTS:
Cain’s Ballroom, Brady Theater

Woodward Park

BEST Public park

**FINALISTS:** Guthrie Green, River Parks

BEST PICNIC SPOT

**FINALISTS:** Chandler Park, Guthrie Green

Woodward Park isn’t just for prom pictures and all-denim family photos. As one of Tulsa’s best-kept urban green spaces, the park, managed by the Tulsa Garden Center, offers an idyllic respite for city-dwellers looking to experience the great outdoors without trekking to Turkey Mountain.

Whether for picnics, romantic strolls, Frisbee, a walk with the dog, or just a leisurely day of geese watching with the kiddos, the centrally located park at 21st and Peoria is an ideal patch of green. The Tulsa Garden Center’s azaleas in spring bear mentioning, as do the technicolor leaves of Woodward in the fall. The nearby Tulsa Rock and Rose Gardens offer an interactive eco-museum experience (AKA, flower smelling), and Philbrook Museum is just a stone’s throw away.

Best RECORD STORE

Starship Records and Tapes

Five Questions with Calvin compton & Jesse McNutt from starship records and tapes

What are three records everyone should be listening to? Calvin Compton: David Bowie, Blackstar, definitely. The Gutter Villain EP which we have the CD of. An album everyone needs to hear is Glitter Wizard’s Hunting Gatherers. Jesse McNutt: Calvin already said Glitter Wizard? Bastard! Two from this year, Borknagar’s Winter Thrice, and Abbath’s self-titled. And George Kollias, from Nile— you’ve gotta check out his solo album, Invictus.
How do you feel about Record Store Day? Is it still beneficial, or has it outgrown its use? CC: It’s still beneficial, but you really have to know the audience you’re ordering for. You can’t just order everything and expect it to be bought up. What I think is hurting more [by backing up pressing plants] are the mail order subscription services like Vinyl Me, Please, and Edit, that do limited presses of albums that are already out. Every month.
Have the backed up record plants affected your store? CC: Oh yeah. There can be a record everyone is waiting for, and it can get pushed back three months. And not just around Record Store Day.
So you’re a combination record store and head shop. What’s the most fried thing you’ve ever seen a customer do? CC: Piss themselves while standing right in front of me. They just wanted us to play a Jimmy Smith song. JM: Stand here long enough, and you’ll see five people run into the glass in front of the store.
Maiden or Priest? CC: Ha, Maiden. That’s a horrible question...but Maiden. JM: Wow...

INTERVIEW BY MITCH GILLIAM

FINALISTS: Ida Red, Vintage Stock

Philbrook

BEST MUSEUM

**FINALISTS:** Gilcrease Museum, Woody Guthrie Center

BEST PLACE TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW

**FINALISTS:** Tulsa Community College, University of Tulsa

Besides continually rotating world-class exhibitions, Philbrook stands out for its two gorgeous facilities: the 72-room former Phillips’ mansion off Peoria, and the modern satellite facility in the Brady Arts District, Philbrook Downtown.

To “learn something new” at Philbrook, all you need to do is visit the museum on the second Saturday of each month for free family-friendly art activities, join the My Museum club with your kids (each month, children receive a new art supply!), attend the gallery talk every second Wednesday for talks on the collections and current exhibitions, or stop by on the third Thursday of each month for an evening of contemporary art discussion, cash bar, and light food.

Philbrook makes seeing, learning about, and enjoying art easy.

Best Open Mic Tuesday Night Open Mic – Gypsy Coffee House

FINALISTS: Comedy Parlor, Singer/Songwriter Night – The Colony

Around Town

best BOWLING ALLEY

Dust Bowl Lanes & Lounge

Strikes and spares aside, where else in town can you get tater tots with Philly cheesesteak fixins, a Sleepover Platter (“chef’s seasonal selection of Sam’s Club frozen delights”), or a frozen Long Island Ice Tea?

A night on the lanes is about getting together and having fun, regardless of how many frames it’s been since you picked up a spare. The folks at the Dust Bowl clearly believe in this philosophy, as evidenced by the bank of arcade games, the laneside food-and-drink service, and those wonderful, springy, astro-turf covered stools on the patio.

Best of all is the private room. Gloriously gaudy, with a marlin hanging on the wall and just wide enough for two lanes, it’ll make you feel like Nixon in the poster hanging over The Dude’s tiki bar. (Almost made it without a Lebowski reference. Oh well.)

FINALISTS: Andy B’s, Sheridan Lanes

Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area

best PLACE TO HIKE

FINALISTS: Chandler Park, Redbud Valley Nature Preserve
best PLACE TO FEel like you’re not in Tulsa

FINALISTS: The Brady Arts District, Philbrook Museum of Art

best Street corner

2nd St and S Elgin Ave

2nd and Elgin is home to several finalists you’ll see in this issue, and within a block of several more. It’s also where a few of the biggest street parties in town are held: Blue Dome Arts Festival, Arnie’s St. Patrick’s Day party, and Tulsa Tough’s Blue Dome Criterium.

But the best thing about 2nd and Elgin is its future; by the end of next year, the northeast parking lot will become Nelson and Stowe’s Santa Fe Square, a 600,000 square foot project which, when finished, will add 291 apartments, a 105-room hotel and 260,000 square feet of office and retail space to downtown.

**FINALISTS:** 18th St and S Boston Ave, Main St and M.B. Brady St

best PLACE TO WAIT OUT EXTREME WEATHER

Cellar Dweller

Hidden in the basement of an old office building, the Cellar Dweller—with its red-lit ultra-70s aesthetic and Cheers-like collection of regulars—is the best worst-kept secret in downtown. Sometimes the live music packs enough people in the summer to make the walls sweat. (Or maybe it’s the ghosts sweating. The place is haunted, you know.)

The five-dollar shot of Jameson and PBR (or Old Style) is their staple special, though they sport a great selection of beer, liquor and cocktails. Should a tornado hit, you could hardly do better than a basement full of booze and friends. Just don’t tell anyone.

**FINALISTS:** Fassler Hall, Woodland Hills Mall

best SPORTS TEAM

Tulsa Drillers

The Lafayette Drillers moved to Tulsa in the late 70s. The minor league club long claimed a park at the fairgrounds as their home base before moving to ONEOK Field in 2010. If the sport itself isn’t your thing, you can still visit the park for baseball’s auxiliary aspects. You can get a bunch of ice cream inside of a helmet. You can watch people do a sack race during the 7th inning stretch. You can marvel at the DJ’s choice to play “yakkity-sax” right after a Skrillex track. Best of all, you can drink beer and eat hot dogs with your friends and family while watching the fireworks like a true ‘Merican.

**FINALISTS:** Tulsa Roughnecks FC, TU Golden Hurricane Football

Best Place to Make Something Pinot’s Palette

FINALISTS:
Purple Glaze, Tulsa Glassblowing School
Best Tattoo Artist Kris “Squiggy” Snead – Black Gold

FINALISTS:
Tony Carrera – Pen and Ink Tattoos, Cale Turpen – Geek Ink Tattoo
Best Hotel The Mayo Hotel

FINALISTS:
Aloft Tulsa Downtown, Ambassador Hotel
Best Athletic Store Fleet Feet Sports

FINALISTS:
Lee’s Bicycles, Tom’s Bicycles

Soundpony

Best trivia night

FINALISTS: Baker St. Pub, Joe Momma’s
Best BATHROOM GRAFFITI

FINALISTS: Caz’z Pub, Mercury Lounge
Best NIGHT CLUB

FINALISTS: Club Majestic, Legends

Five Questions with Mike Wozniak of Soundpony

When you opened Soundpony, did you imagine it would turn into the cultural epicenter it’s become for downtown Tulsa? I think we always had a notion that we wanted it to serve the public and be a community spot. A lot of it has been shaped by the community that has surrounded it. I didn’t know what it was going to turn out to be ten years later. We liked art and music and bikes. And Tulsa. That’s genuinely the way we feel about things and that’s part of its appeal.
What’s the strangest graffiti you’ve seen on the walls of your bathrooms? Do you remember the great ice storm of, like, 2009? They had a huge pile of fallen branches at a park near the river. Someone put a graffiti tag in the bathroom that said “burn all them branches.” I thought that was kind of funny. A great number of penises have been drawn here, too. That’s the gateway drug to graffiti. We love it all here.
How do you explain your win for “Best Nightclub”? Well, at night … we have DJs. And we have a real open attitude towards how you want to dance. People feel free to express themselves here so the dance parties become pretty good.
How did selfies in your ladies room become a thing? Miley Cyrus took one while eating a hotdog and, after that, everyone wanted a piece. Yeah. From then on? Legend, kind of.
Can you tell us a little about the work Soundpony has done to promote cycling in Tulsa? Not to get on the grandstand, but we see other cities and how they’re progressing and it’s not necessarily towards a car-centric culture anymore. So much in Oklahoma that we battle against is in health and wellness. We do the Bike Club for youth and have our race teams. We’re just trying to elevate this town in terms of bike and pedestrian-related stuff. The bike is a beautiful piece of working art and Tulsa is easy to commute. It seems like an answer to a lot of our problems.

INTERVIEW BY LIZ BLOOD

Guthrie Green

BEST CHEAP THRILL

FINALISTS: The Center of the Universe, Turkey Mountain Urban Wildnerness Area
BEST PLACE TO STRIKE A (YOGA) POSE

FINALISTS: SALT Yoga, The Yoga Room
BEST FREE ENTERTAINMENT

FINALISTS: First Friday Art Crawl, Mayfest
BEST place for a tinder date

FINALISTS: The Center of the Universe, R Bar + Grill

Five Questions with Shannon Easton-White, Program Manager for Guthrie Green

What do you look for in events and programs to bring to Guthrie Green? Our core team and outside organizers attempt to have a truly collaborative effort to bring diversity in programming to the park every season. From food festivals, fitness programs, educational elements, movies, concerts, and more…there is an endless road of ideas. Organizations are encouraged to present their own events at Guthrie Green, and can start the process by simply filling out an online event proposal form on the website.
This may be impossible to answer, but if you can narrow it down, what was your personal favorite day at Guthrie Green last year? Honestly, every day I am there is a favorite day. Let me pick two days from the 2015 season. Oysterfest will always be a favorite! And KIDS DAY. Our first June in 2013, we decided to do something for the kids while most of Tulsa was celebrating at Tulsa Tough’s Crybaby Hill. This event continues to exceed all of my expectations.
What’s one of your favorite regularly occurring Guthrie Green events? I love our movie in the park series on Thursday nights (May-October). We have worked with sponsors to provide some themed movie nights and these really take it to the next level. Some have included a band beforehand, playing era or genre specific music in line with the film, costume contests, or even themed drinks and food at Lucky’s on the Green.
Guthrie Green won one of our new categories this year, Best Place for a Tinder Date. What do you think makes Guthrie Green such a good place to meet a match? I love that Guthrie Green can serve as a central meeting place for friends, families, and yes, even Tinder dates…The location of the park is walkable to many different downtown districts and if there is not something programmed at Guthrie Green, there is probably something going on near the park.
Anything you’re working on for this year you’re particularly excited about or would like to do at the Green sometime in the future? Every day is a learning experience and it helps keep our team on the edge of our seats. What’s next? We have had opportunities to branch out from Guthrie Green with the same type of mission and produce festivals with our friends, which include Blue Whale Comedy Festival, Tulsa Overground Film & Music, and XPO Gaming Convention. I would say that I am excited about what is to come with these festivals as they grow in 2016! As for the block radius of Guthrie Green, the season is jam packed with fun. Our Sunday concerts will see a change this season with adding new presenters: TulsaJazz.com, KOSU, and La Semana Newspaper. I am looking forward to seeing the bands and activities they have planned for you on Sunday afternoons!

INTERVIEW BY JOHN LANGDON

River Parks

best PLACE FOR CYCLING

FINALISTS: Tulsa Tough, Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area
best PLACE TO GO WITH YOUR DOG

FINALISTS: Biscuit Acres Bark Park, Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area

Best Bullshit Caller Blake Ewing

FINALISTS: Lee Roy Chapman, Andy Wheeler

best PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWNERS

The Brady Arts District

Not long ago, there was little more than a few shining beacons in what’s now known as the Brady Arts District: Cain’s, Caz’s, Gypsy Coffee House. Now you’ll find in it the beating heart of the city. No other area of town illustrates so clearly just how much Tulsa has grown in such a short period of time.

That the other two finalists for this category are within The Brady Arts District says it all. Furthermore, you’ll find places in the district as finalists in over a third of all the BOT categories.

One thing we take issue with—The Brady Arts District showing up as a finalist for Best Place to Feel Like You’re Not In Tulsa. Seriously? *The Brady Arts District is Tulsa.* Welcome.

**FINALISTS:** The Center of the Universe, Guthrie Green

best Salon

Ihloff Salon & Day Spa

Many salons offer a full day of beauty indulgence, but with all of the options at Ihloff Salon and Day Spa, you could easily stretch that day into a week.

An Aveda concept spa, Ihloff offers high quality products and top-notch service. With locations in both midtown and south Tulsa, you don’t have to make a cross-town pilgrimage for your bi-weekly pedicure.

The standard hair services include cut, color, perms, styling, and keratin or scalp treatments. What sets Ihloff apart is its body options: facials, pedicures, manicures, massage, eyelash extensions, eyelash tinting, body wraps, makeup application, full body waxing—the list goes on and on.

**FINALISTS:** Raw Elements, Walk-In Salon by Robert Cromeans

best METEOROLOGIST

Travis Meyer News on 6

Five Questions with Travis Meyer of News on 6

I understand you’re a rancher. How does your interest in weather intersect with ranching?Your whole life as a rancher revolves around the weather. You’re involved in the weather, the weather’s involved in your life. It’s kind of like how I was as a kid. So many meteorologists are geared toward TV living because they grew up in a city, and I grew up on a farm. So I kind of have a different perspective.
What sort of natural disasters should Oklahomans be most worried about?Obviously, there’s a natural tendency to have more tornados [here] than any other place in the country—or in the world, really … It’s been horrible in Joplin, it’s been horrible in Oklahoma City. And [Tulsa has] prevailed—knock on wood—without something horrible happening here. But it’s just statistically a matter of time before something not great happens here. (Editor’s note: A few days after this interview, a tornado touched down in Tulsa, causing damage and injuries.)
What’s your take on human-induced climate change?You can’t have billions of people running around in cars and tearing down forests and changing the way that nature had it balanced without knocking it out of balance. When people put it in perspective, yes, it’s a state of flux, yes, things are happening, and yes, I do believe we have an impact on that, but instead of screaming bloody murder and making it a religion, let’s just look at it, learn from it, and try to help future generations.
Do people get pissed off when you have to pre-empt football games or other sporting events? Any particularly juicy pieces of vitriol that anyone sent you? [Meyer reads the following letter to me, which has been edited for brevity]: “Travis, did your mom not hug you enough when you were a kid? Are you an attention freak? I bet you’re a prima donna … Say what you have to say, then shut the hell up! You do this crap every time there’s a dark cloud or a breeze messes up your hair—what hair you have left. Get some help, man. Find the lord, collect stamps, for God’s sake, quit being a camera freak!”
What is the most interesting cloud shape you’ve ever seen? [It] looked like a flying saucer over my small town in Nebraska where I grew up. It produced a tornado and had baseball-sized hail in it … I didn’t know enough about the weather to really be scared. It was kind of my epiphany.

INTERVIEW BY CLAIRE EDWARDS

FINALISTS: James Aydelott – Fox23, Alan Crone – News On 6

Best Hair On a Local Media Personality Chera Kimiko – News On 6

FINALISTS:
Lori Fullbright – News On 6,
LeAnne Taylor – News On 6
Best Place to Take a Selfie The Center of the Universe

FINALISTS:
The ladies’ room at Soundpony, Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area
Best Place You Wish Were Still In Business Bell’s Amusement Park

FINALISTS:
Petty’s Fine Foods, Steve’s Sundry
Best Place to People Watch Tulsa State Fair

FINALISTS:
Guthrie Green, Walmart

best TULSAN TO FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA

@Tulsa_Parking City of Tulsa Parking Enforcement

Trolling Tulsa is a $30 citation.
An interview with LaRoy Parks, City of Tulsa Parking Enforcer

How did you become a meter maid? My father was a parking enforcement officer during World War II in Berlin. He was brought over to America after the war during Operation Paperclip because he shared the same name as a nuclear physicist. He instilled into me at an early age that parking correctly was the backbone of civilization, and to never cut any slack to the sub-humans that refuse to park correctly.
You beat out some very respectable Tulsans for best person to follow on social media. Yet, your Twitter and Facebook accounts are less than two months old. Why do you think you’ve become so popular so quickly? This is the year of the outsider, my friend. You have men like our future president Donald J. Trump that have shown we don’t need to be told who to listen to anymore. You even have a communist libra named Bernie Sanders who seems to be straight out of North Crimea who has brought his message of stealing from others and smoking jazz cigarettes into the mainstream. I think the main reason that the social media accounts have gained such traction is because the people fear me and my power. There is no worse feeling in the world than finding one of my tickets under your windshield wiper!
There are rumors you’re an impostor who doesn’t actually work for the city. How do you respond to that? With a $30 citation.
What can you tell us about your bromance with Blake Ewing? I once was lost, but now am found. Blake Ewing has truly made Tulsa great again. The man earned my respect by engaging with citizens on my comment threads, answering their questions directly and as best as he could. I’m just glad that I was the one who provided the forum for Tulsans to speak with him, when they otherwise wouldn’t have said anything. I stir up courage in the sheeple – er – people. And plus, he isn’t a damn ol DEMONcrat. Oh yeah, he’s a good cuddler too.
You support Donald Trump for President but have been actively campaigning against Vic Regalado for Tulsa Sheriff. What could Regalado learn from Trump? Well, the things mister Regalado did while in uniform at the TPD are illegal in other states like Ohio. Mister Trump has never, and would never, offend the people of Ohio like Regalado has, even though that ugly boy Kasich won the primaries there. Just think to yourself, would I elect a person that has violated Ohio law? The only thing Regalado can learn from Trump at this point is how to grow and maintain a decent hairstyle.
What’s your relationship like with American Parking? Competitive or friendly? I was just fine co-existing with them until they left me hate mail on my website Tulsa-Parking.com. That was a low down dirty thing they did, so I suppose the gloves are off at this point.
Be honest, where does all that parking ticket money go? This interview is over.

INTERVIEW BY JOSHUA KLINE

FINALISTS: Mary Beth Babcock, Steve Cluck

Best Organized Foot Race/Run Tulsa Run

FINALISTS: Color Run, Route 66 Marathon

best PLACE to buy your special someone a gift Glacier Confection

When you first walk into Glacier Confection, it’s easy to mistake it for a jewelry shop. The well-lit cases of brightly colored truffles are so pretty, you’re not sure whether to eat them or wear them.

Glacier offers two kinds of house-made truffles, European and American. While the American candies are delicious, the European-style selections, with their thinner shells and rich fillings, are truly unparalleled.

Must-try selections include the PB&J, a dark chocolate shell filled with peanut butter and strawberry jam; the Green Apple Ghost Chili Sea Salt Caramel, which manages to be sweet, spicy, and salty all at once; and the Green Tea Chai, a slightly sweet and spicy concoction in milk chocolate.

FINALISTS:
Ida Red, Moody’s Jewelry

George Kaiser Family Foundation

best Non-Profit

FINALISTS: Domestic Violence Intervention Services, Tulsa Girls Art School
best Person/Group Making Tulsa Better

FINALISTS: Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition, Tulsa Young Professionals (TYPros)

Best Place to Buy a Local Gift Ida Red

FINALISTS:
Dwelling Spaces, Rustic Cuff
Best Clothing Store for Gals Anthropologie

FINALISTS:
Urban Outfitters, Saks Fifth Avenue
Best Clothing Store for Guys Urban Outfitters

FINALISTS:
Banana Republic, Dillard’s
Best Vintage Clothing Store Cheap Thrills

FINALISTS:
Goodwill, Vintage Vault

Cherry Street Farmers’ Market

BEST FARMERS’ MARKET

**FINALISTS:** Brookside Farmers’ Market, Guthrie Green Farmers’ Market

BEST REASON TO RISE EARLY ON A SATURDAY

**FINALISTS:** Brunch, Tulsa Flea Market

BEST Place to shop green

**FINALISTS:** Sprouts Farmers Market, Whole Foods

No surprises here, folks. The beloved bevy of bok choy, berry, and puffy taco-touting vendors at the Cherry Street Farmers’ Market has earned Tulsans’ approval as the best of its kind in town. The honor is well-deserved: the market is one of the few places in Tulsa-proper where you can consistently find locally-grown, picked, pickled, and plated foods from small businesses and farmers.

The prices don’t hurt, either. While most think purchasing locally sourced and/or organic food is unaffordable, the Cherry Street Farmers’ Market is actively changing that rhetoric with competitive bundles and bulk pricing.

Regardless of the produce cost, the value of engaging directly with the farmers is priceless. A handshake and two cents from the person who grew your food is so much more meaningful than the “paper or plastic” ask at the end of the grocery store conveyor belt.

Live tunes from local singer-songwriters, a walkable festival-type environment, kid-friendly vibes, and a generous SNAP benefit program are just a few of the many things that make Cherry Street Farmers’ Market a Tulsa institution.

Best Thing That’s Changed about Tulsa in the Last Year The continued revitalization of Downtown

FINALISTS: Sheriff Glanz is gone, There will not be an outlet mall on Turkey Mountain

THE BEST OF TULSA 2016
Readers’ choice
winners + finalists

FOOD & DRINK
Best Hangover Breakfast Brookside By Day Dilly Diner Tally’s Good Food Cafe
Best Brunch Brookside By Day Dilly Diner SMOKE. On Cherry Street
Best Bloody Mary Kilkenny’s McNellie’s SMOKE. On Cherry Street
Best Coffeehouse The Coffee House on Cherry Street Chimera Shades of Brown
Best Bakery Merritt’s Bakery Ann’s Bakery Antoinette Baking Co.
Best Farmers’ Market Cherry Street Farmers’ Market Brookside Farmers’ Market Guthrie Green Farmers’ Market
Best Grocery Store Reasor’s Sprouts Farmers Market Whole Foods Market
Best Food Truck Lone Wolf Banh Mi Ando Truck – Andolini’s Pizzeria Mr. Nice Guys
Best Deli Jason’s Deli Lambrusco’z Trenchers Delicatessen
Best Sandwich Phat Philly – Phat Philly’s Banh Mi – Lone Wolf The Trencher – Trenchers Delicatessen
Best Burger Fat Guy’s Burger Bar Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili The Tavern
Best Chicken Fried Steak Brothers Houligan The Brook Restaurant + Bar Caz’s Chowhouse
Best Barbecue Burn Co. Albert G’s Bar-B-Q Billy Sims BBQ
Best Pizza Andolini’s Pizzeria Hideaway Pizza Umberto’s
Best Takeout Pizza Hideaway Pizza Andolini’s Pizzeria Pie Hole Pizzeria
Best Steak Mahogany Prime Steakhouse Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Prhyme Downtown Steakhouse
Best Seafood White River Fish Market Bodean Seafood Restaurant Bonefish Grill
Best Taco El Guapo’s Cantina Elote Cafe & Catering Tacos Don Francisco
Best Chinese P.F. Chang’s Golden Gate Pei Wei
Best Indian India Palace Desi Wok Himalayas Aroma of India
Best Italian Ti Amo Dalesandro’s Mondo’s
Best Japanese/Sushi Yokozuna Fuji In the Raw
Best Korean Korean Garden Gogi Gui Seoul Bistro
Best Mexican El Guapo’s Cantina El Rio Verde El Tequila
Best Thai Lanna Thai KEO My Thai Kitchen
Best Vietnamese Ri Le’s Pho Da Cao Pho Nhi
Best Vegetarian/ Health Food Zoës Kitchen Laffa Whole Foods Market
Best Patio Blue Rose Cafe Los Cabos El Guapo’s Cantina
Best View The Penthouse Rooftop Lounge
at The Mayo Hotel Blue Rose Cafe In the Raw On the Hill
Best Family Dining Hideaway The Brook Restaurant + Bar Charleston’s
Best Meal Worth Twice the Price Brothers Houligan Lone Wolf The Tavern
Best Chef Trevor Tack – McNellie’s Group Michelle Donaldson – Tallgrass Prairie Table, Bramble Breakfast & Bar Philip Phillips – Lone Wolf
Best Service Kilkenny’s Charleston’s Mahogany Prime Steakhouse
Best New Restaurant Dilly Diner Bramble Breakfast & Bar East Village Bohemian Pizza
Best Restaurant for
Locally Sourced Ingredients Tallgrass Prairie Table Elote Cafe & Catering Juniper
Best Hotel Restaurant The Chalkboard The Boiler Room Daily Grill
Best Spot for Day Drinking McNellie’s Blue Rose Cafe Fassler Hall
Best Place to Watch the Big Game Buffalo Wild Wings Fassler Hall Leon’s on the Restless Ribbon
Best Bar Food McNellie’s The Brook Restaurant + Bar Kilkenny’s
Best Beer Selection McNellie’s Fassler Hall Kilkenny’s
Best Bartender Ray Conde – Kilkenny’s Noah Bush – Hodges Bend, Saturn Room Amy Pullen – Soundpony
Best Cocktail Old Fashioned – Valkyrie Irish Coffee – Hodges Bend Norma Jean – Andolini’s
Best Local Beer Sundown Wheat – Marshall Brewing Co. Bomb! – Prairie Artisan Ales Prairie Standard – Prairie Artisan Ales
Best New Bar Lefty’s on Greenwood Inner Circle Vodka Bar Saturn Room
Best Old Bar McNellie’s Arnie’s Soundpony
Best LGBT Bar/Club Club Majestic New Age Renegade Yellow Brick Road
Best Bar for Smokers Mercury Lounge Arnie’s Yeti
Best Liquor Store Parkhill Liquor & Wines Modern Spirits Ranch Acres Wine and Spirits
Best Late-Night Dining Kilkenny’s Phat Philly’s The Tavern
ART & ENTERTAINMENT
Best Gallery Living Arts 108 Contemporary Hardesty Arts Center (AHHA)
Best Museum Philbrook Museum of Art Gilcrease Museum Woody Guthrie Center
Best Public Art Woody Guthrie Mural at Woody Guthrie Center “Artificial Cloud” at the Center of the Universe Día de los Muertos murals at Living Arts
Best Performing Arts Company Tulsa Ballet Theatre Tulsa Tulsa Symphony
Best Performing Arts Venue Tulsa Performing Arts Center Guthrie Green Nightingale Theater
Best Place to Have a Laugh Loony Bin Comedy Club Comedy Parlor Soundpony
Best Free Entertainment Guthrie Green First Friday Art Crawl Mayfest
Best All-Ages Music Venue Cain’s Ballroom BOK Center Guthrie Green
Best Small Music Venue The Vanguard The Colony Soundpony
Best Large Music Venue BOK Center Cain’s Ballroom Brady Theater
Best Place for Live Local Music Cain’s Ballroom Guthrie Green Soundpony
Best Open Mic Tuesday Night Open Mic – Gypsy Coffee House Comedy Parlor Singer/Songwriter Night – The Colony
Best Record Store Starship Records and Tapes Ida Red Vintage Stock
Best Local Album High On Tulsa Heat – John Moreland Jacob Tovar and the Saddle Tramps – Jacob Tovar and the Saddle Tramps Sneaker – Paul Benjaman Band
Best Sports Team Drillers Roughnecks FC TU Golden Hurricane Football
Best Movie Theater Warren Theatre Broken Arrow AMC Southroads 20 Circle Cinema
Best Casino Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Osage Casino River Spirit
Best Trivia Night Soundpony Baker St. Pub Joe Momma’s
Best Karaoke Warehouse Bar and Grill Elote Cafe & Catering Yeti
Best Night Club Soundpony Club Majestic Legends
Best Annual Festival Mayfest Linde Oktoberfest Tulsa Tough
Party of the Year Cry Baby Hill Center of the Universe Festival Linde Oktoberfest
AROUND TOWN
Best Street Corner 2nd St and Elgin Ave 18th St and Boston Ave Main St and M.B. Brady St
Best Reason to Rise Early on a Saturday Cherry Street Farmers’ Market Brunch Tulsa Flea Market
Best Place to Wait Out Extreme&nbs;Weather Cellar Dweller Fassler Hall Woodland Hills Mall
Best Bathroom Graffiti Soundpony Caz’s Pub Mercury Lounge
Best Cheap Thrill Guthrie Green The Center of the Universe Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area
Best Place for a Tinder Date Guthrie Green The Center of the Universe R Bar & Grill
Best Place to Feel Like
You’re Not In Tulsa Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area The Brady Arts District Philbrook Museum of Art
Best Place to Make Something Pinot’s Palette Purple Glaze Tulsa Glassblowing School
Best Place to Learn Something New Philbrook Museum of Art Tulsa Community College University of Tulsa
Best Place to Shop Green Cherry Street Farmers’ Market Sprouts Farmers Market Whole Foods
Best Place to Take Out-of-Towners The Brady Arts District The Center of the Universe Guthrie Green
Best Place to Take a Selfie The Center of the Universe The ladies’ room at Soundpony Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area
Best Bowling Alley Dust Bowl Lounge + Lanes Andy B’s Sheridan Lanes
Best Health/Fitness Center YMCA Sky Fitness Lifetime Fitness + Wellbeing
Best Place to Strike a (Yoga) Pose Guthrie Green SALT Yoga The Yoga Room
Best Athletic Store Fleet Feet Sports Lee’s Bicycles Tom’s Bicycles
Best Organized Foot Race/Run Tulsa Run Color Run Route 66 Marathon
Best Place for Cycling River Parks Tulsa Tough Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area
Best Place to Hike Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area Chandler Park Redbud Valley Nature Preserve
Best Picnic Spot Woodward Park Chandler Park Guthrie Green
Best Public Park Woodward Park Guthrie Green River Parks
Best Place to Go with Your Dog River Parks Biscuit Acres Bark Park Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area
Best Place to People Watch Tulsa State Fair Guthrie Green Walmart
Best Place to Pick Up the New Copy of The Tulsa Voice Hideaway Pizza The Brook Restaurant + Bar Soundpony
Best Hotel The Mayo Hotel Aloft Tulsa Downtown Ambassador Hotel
Best Place to Buy a Local Gift Ida Red Dwelling Spaces Rustic Cuff
Best Place to Buy Your Special Someone a Gift Glacier Confection Ida Red Moody’s Jewelry
Best Place You Wish Were Still In Business Bell’s Amusement Park Petty’s Fine Foods Steve’s Sundry
Best Salon Ihloff Salon & Day Spa Raw Elements Walk-In Salon by Robert Cromeans
Best Clothing Store for Gals Anthropologie Urban Outfitters Saks Fifth Avenue
Best Clothing Store for Guys Urban Outfitters Banana Republic Dillard’s
Best Vintage Clothing Store Cheap Thrills Goodwill Vintage Vault
Best Tattoo Artist Kris “Squiggy” Snead – Black Gold Tony Carrera – Pen and Ink Tattoos Cale Turpen – Geek Ink Tattoo
Best Local Politician None Blake Ewing Kathy Taylor
Best Bullshit Caller Blake Ewing Lee Roy Chapman Andy Wheeler
Best Meteorologist Travis Meyer – News On 6 James Aydelott – Fox23 Alan Crone – News On 6
Best Hair On a Local Media Personality Chera Kimiko – News On 6 Lori Fullbright – News On 6 LeAnne Taylor – News On 6
Best Tulsan to Follow on Social Media @Tulsa_Parking Mary Beth Babcock Steve Cluck
Best Person/Group Making Tulsa Better George Kaiser Family Foundation Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition Tulsa Young Professionals (TYPros)
Best Non-Profit George Kaiser Family Foundation Domestic Violence Intervention Services Tulsa Girls Art School
Best Thing That’s Changed about Tulsa in the Last Year The continued revitalization of Downtown Sheriff Glanz is gone There will not be an outlet mall on Turkey Mountain

Best ofTulsa 2016

Food and Drink

best NEW BAR

Lefty’s on Greenwood

best hotel restaurant

The Chalkboard at the Ambassador

FINALISTS: The Boiler Room at the Mayo, Daily Grill at Hyatt Regency Tulsa

Best SANDWICH

Phat Philly from Phat Philly’s

FINALISTS: Banh Mi – Lone Wolf, The Trencher – Trenchers Delicatessen

Best COFFEE HOUSE

The Coffee House on Cherry Street

FINALISTS: Chimera Cafe, Shades of Brown

Best BURGER FAT GUY’S BURGER BAR

FINALISTS: Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili, The Tavern

best Thai

Lanna Thai

FINALISTS: Keo, My Thai Kitchen

Best Patio

Blue Rose Cafe

FINALISTS: Los Cabos, El Guapo’s Cantina

Best Liquor Store Parkhill Liquor & Wines

FINALISTS: Modern Spirits, Ranch Acres Wine and Spirits

BROOKSIDE BY DAY

best HANGOVER BREAKFAST

FINALISTS: Dilly Diner, Tally’s Good Food Cafe

best BRUNCH

FINALISTS: Dilly Diner, SMOKE. On Cherry Street

BEST INDIAN India Palace

FINALISTS: Desi Wok, Himalayas Aroma of India

BEST Deli Jason’s Deli

FINALISTS: Lambrusco’z, Trenchers Delicatessen

BEST Chinese P.F. Chang’s

FINALISTS: Golden Gate, Pei Wei

BEST BARBEQUE Burn. Co

FINALISTS: Albert G’s Bar-B-Q, Billy Sims BBQ

BEST GROCERY STORE Reasor’s Foods

Best Place to Watch the Big Game Buffalo Wild Wings

FINALISTS: Fassler Hall, Leon’s on the Restless Ribbon

Best Vegetarian/ Health Food Zoës Kitchen

FINALISTS: Laffa, Whole Foods Market

Best Food Truck Lone Wolf Banh Mi

FINALISTS: Ando Truck – Andolini’s Pizzeria, Mr. Nice Guys

Best Restaurant for Locally Sourced Ingredients Tallgrass Prairie Table

FINALISTS: Elote Cafe & Catering, Juniper

best ITALIAN

Ti Amo

FINALISTS: Dalesandro’s, Mondo’s

best Korean

Korean Garden

FINALISTS: Gogi Gui, Seoul Bistro

Best Bakery Merritt’s Bakery

FINALISTS: Ann’s Bakery, Antoinette Baking Co.

Best Steak Mahogany Prime Steakhouse

FINALISTS: Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Prhyme Downtown Steakhouse

Best Seafood White River Fish Market

FINALISTS: Bodean Seafood Restaurant, Bonefish Grill

Best Vietnamese Ri Le’s

FINALISTS: Pho Da Cao, Pho Nhi

BEST VIEW The Penthouse Rooftop Lounge at the Mayo Hotel

Best Cocktail Old Fashioned – Valkyrie

FINALISTS: Irish Coffee – Hodges Bend, Norma Jean – Andolini’s

best BAR FOR SMOKERS

Mercury Lounge

FINALISTS: Arnie’s, Yeti

Best LGBT Bar/Club

Club Majestic

FINALISTS: New Age Renegade, Yellow Brick Road

Brothers Houligan

best CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

FINALISTS: Dilly Diner, Tally’s Good Food Cafe

best MEAL WORTH TWICE THE PRICE

FINALISTS: Lone Wolf, The Tavern

BEST PIZZA Andolini’s Pizzeria

best bartender

Ray Conde Kilkenny's

El Guapo’s Cantina

best Mexican

FINALISTS: El Rio Verde, El Tequila

best TACO

Best of
Tulsa 2016

FINALISTS:
Desi Wok, Himalayas Aroma of India

FINALISTS:
Lambrusco’z, Trenchers Delicatessen

FINALISTS:
Golden Gate, Pei Wei

FINALISTS:
Albert G’s Bar-B-Q, Billy Sims BBQ

FINALISTS:
Fassler Hall, Leon’s on the Restless Ribbon

FINALISTS:
Laffa, Whole Foods Market

FINALISTS:
Ando Truck – Andolini’s Pizzeria, Mr. Nice Guys

FINALISTS:
Elote Cafe & Catering, Juniper

FINALISTS:
Ann’s Bakery, Antoinette Baking Co.

FINALISTS:
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Prhyme Downtown Steakhouse

FINALISTS:
Bodean Seafood Restaurant, Bonefish Grill

FINALISTS:
Pho Da Cao, Pho Nhi

FINALISTS:
Theatre Tulsa, Tulsa Symphony

FINALISTS:
Comedy Parlor, Soundpony

FINALISTS:
Linde Oktoberfest, Tulsa Tough

FINALISTS:
Osage Casino, River Spirit