Blue Rose Cafe

I wish that we had nice enough weather year round to warrant large patios and outside seating areas at restaurants. There is just something about them that seems to make time stand still. However, for the few perfect patio weather days we get here, it's not really worth it I guess. But thank goodness, that's not the case everywhere. Blue Rose Cafe in Tulsa overlooks the Arkansas River and has a huge patio and outside bar. It has a super laid back and rocker chic feel to it. The menu is fun American food, but their specialty are the burgers. I opted for the veggie burger, which was made of rice, black beans, and cheese with some other secret ingredients and was topped with lettuce and onions. The patty was well seasoned, which was nice because sometimes they can be pretty bland. The unique thing about this was the bun. Yes, it looks like a normal bun, but it is almost like a Hawaiian sweet roll... which I wasn't expecting at all. It was good but overwhelmed the more delicate flavors of the veggie burger, so I took half of it off. This way I could really taste the burger and not just the sweet bread. The bun could definitely stand up to the more robust flavors of a normal burger though. The fries were also pretty delicious. They were a bit thicker cut than fast food fries, but not like steak cut fries and had some skin still on. They had sea salt flakes on them, which gives a hint of saltiness without oversalting them. Though it wasn't the best food I have ever had, the view makes up for it. It was a perfect way to spend a lovely fall afternoon, looking at the river and enjoying the breezy, cooler weather while enjoying a good old burger.

Wolfgang Puck Bistro

While driving around Tulsa, I was very surprised to see a Wolfgang Puck Bistro. One doesn't usually associate Tulsa as a culinary destination, however, they do have quite the restaurant array. The inside it super modern and chic, done in dark wood, black, and chrome lighting. It gives off the vibe that it is the place to be and the place to be seen. The restaurant focuses on organic and local ingredients and had a fresh farmer's market tart that sounded delicious. Their soup of the day was a french onion soup, and boy was it delicious! The cheese was perfectly golden brown and the broth was rich, but not too salty with a few bread cubes in the bottom. The caramelized onions were the shining star in the soup and there were enough to make the soup very filling. I also ordered half a sandwich, so next came my pesto chicken salad sandwich.

It was served on homemade ciabatta bread that was so light and airy. Though from the picture it looks like there was a lot of bread, there really wasn't because it was so airy. The sandwich was served with housemade potato chips, which I have to admit are so much better than store bought ones. They had just a touch of salt, so they were the perfect compliment to the sandwich. The chicken salad was chunks of real chicken breast and lettuce that was lightly dressed with a pesto. The sauce was barely there, allowing the ingredients to come together on their own. This was a very filling lunch and even though it didn't sound like a lot of food, I promise you it's enough. I did not leave hungry.


The best part about going out to eat with someone else is that you can share and try more of the menu. Luckily for me, my lunch buddy was willing to share with me. He got a roasted turkey club sandwich with sweet potato fries. His was also served on a ciabatta roll and it had turkey, melted cheese, caramelized onions, and arugula with a horseradish cream sauce on the side. This was perfectly toasted and everything blended together that it was almost like eating a barbeque turkey sandwich. The sweet potato fries had a tender inside and an outside with the right amount of crunch. They had a bit of sea salt on them, keeping the integrity of the ingredients. I have never eaten at a Wolfgang Puck restaurant, but I will definitely try another one or maybe just go back to this one! Stop by if you are in the Tulsa area.

Fat Guy's Burger Bar

 When you go someone where new, it's hard to imagine what it will be like and for me, the 'what kind of food do they have?' thought always pops into my head. This weekend I was lucky enough to visit the great city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. I know, I know.  Not really the normal tourist destination, but honestly it was a fairly nice city. They have tons of outdoor trails and bike paths along the river and they have their fair share of cute little hot spots. They also have a pretty downtown with their baseball park of right in the center of it. Bordering the edge of the baseball park is this burger joint called Fat Guy's Burger Bar. Okay, so let me just say that it was not a super healthy place, but it sure was delicious! The interesting thing about this place was all the sauces they had for their french fries. Some of the choices were chipotle ketchup, strawberry ketchup, and parmesan peppercorn. They had a ton of toppings to choose from and a great selection of local craft beer.

I opted for a cheeseburger with lettuce, pickles, caramelized onions, and grilled mushrooms. I was pleasantly surprised to find that instead of one giant patty, there were two very thin patties with the toppings in between the patties. It made a better burger because there was a more even burger to topping to bun ration. The best part was how melted the cheese was so everything melded together very nicely. The fries had a bit of seasoning on them and there were other flavors beside just salt. For my fry sauce, I chose a roasted garlic aioli. It had a great garlic flavor, but the garlic wasn't so overwhelming that you could taste it for hours afterwards. This was definitely was great burger place and it's probably better that it's not close to me as I would probably be there too often. However, if you are in the area, you should definitely check it out!

Celebrate the Fry!

Today not only is Friday, but it National French Fry Day! It's a must that you find some type french fry to have in celebration of this very special day. I have to admit that I can't really turn down any kind of fry, but usually I try to limit myself. However, I decided that I would be bad and celebrate. I recently got a coupon in the mail from Jerry Built to try their chicken sandwich, so I figured this would be the perfect accompaniment to the fries. If you haven''t stopped by Jerry Built yet, you definitely need to. It is a custom burger place that uses fresh, local ingredients and you can really taste the difference. Plus, they have integrated some really fun technology into their restaurant and always have seasonal specials. Currently, they have grilled sweet corn and summer shakes.

But... that's not what today is about. It is about the crunchy, tender goodness that are fries. I am a fan of sweet potato fries because they have a bit of sweetness and they do say that sweet potatoes are better for you. The Jerry Built fries are crinkle cut, which makes them taste even yummier and they are fun to play with. They are cut fresh daily and are only seasoned with salt. They are simple, yet delicious, and are a perfect way to celebrate french fry day. The chicken sandwich was seasoned well and situated in between a toasted bun, topped with lettuce, pickles, and onions. I would say that it was a successful french fry day meal. Let me know where you go to celebrate. Happy National French Fry Day everyone!