Thanksgiving inspires recipe roundup at The R&J
While the majority of folks planning to celebrate Thanksgiving are making plants to either host or attend a feast in the home, many will get their turkey and dressing from a restaurant.
Many restaurants like La Baguette, Off the Hook, and Pearl's offer feasts for pickup the evening before as does practically every catering operation.
Those that intend to dine out on Thanksgiving will have limited options, though many restaurants and bars open for the evening on Turkey Day.
The R&J Lounge and Supper Club will once again be open, but this year also will take the opportunity to connect with diners to inspire its menu.
On Thanksgiving, the retro bar and eatery will feature a traditional Thanksgiving menu inspired by the staff’s family recipes. That holiday feast will available with the regular menu the remainder of Thanksgiving weekend.
Starting Dec. 1, the R&J each weekend will feature recipes inspired by community submissions. Anyone can submit their favorite family dish and multiple recipes can be submitted. Would love to see the R&J tangle with my grandmother's chicken and dumplings or my mother's Anglicized chicken curry.
No word on whether Chef Boyardee spaghetti or Chung King pepper steak qualify as a recipe.
One restaurant new to the Thanksgiving game is Nic's Place Diner & Lounge, 1116 N Robinson Ave. Owner Justin "Nic" Nicholas plans to offer
traditional holiday fare at his new place. Nic will discuss the details of his restaurant's Thanksgiving plans plus some other news coming out of Nic's world this afternoon. Look for that video on NewsOK.com
Open for Thanksgiving
With the help of the Oklahoma Restaurant Association, I’ve cast a wide net to ascertain which restaurants will be open for Thanksgiving. The list below is not comprehensive and will grow as I hear from my restaurateurs. Meanwhile, here’s a list of the restaurants that have confirmed they will be open on Nov. 23:
Bellini’s Underground, 6305 Waterford Blvd No. 100, Thanksgiving prixe fixe, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., reservations required, call 848-1065.
Chequers, 1009 S Air Depot, Midwest City; 10:30 to 3 p.m., serving regular menu plus traditional Thanksgiving feast of turkey, ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pumpkin pie; 736-6944.
Flint, 15 N Robinson Ave. (Colcord Hotel), open regular hours with regular a la carte menu plus a special turkey dinner with choice of two sides, served family-style, 605-0657.
Grand House, 2701 N Classen Blvd., special Dim Sum service, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 524-7333.
Ingrid’s Kitchen, 3701 N Youngs Blvd.; Thanksgiving buffet seatings at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.; 946-8444.
Legend’s Restaurant, 1313 W Lindsey, Norman; seatings at 11 a.m., 1, 3 and 5 p.m.; 329-8888.
Mary Eddy’s Kitchen and Lounge in 21c, 900 W Main St., Noon to 7 p.m., special three-course Thanksgiving menu from chef Jason Campbell centered around Nashville Hot Turkey, 982-6960.
Nic’s Place Diner & Lounge, 1116 N Robinson Ave., special Thanksgiving menu, 601-9234.
R&J Supper Club, 320 NW 10, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., Thanksgiving favorites from staff’s family recipes, 602-5066.
O’Connell’s, 769 Asp Ave., Norman; 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., full menu.
The Pump Bar, 2425 N Walker Ave., 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., serving full turkey dinner and two tailored craft cocktails, 702-8898. (Northpark location only), 12252 Northpark Mall, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., 212-4577.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, 8339 Riverside Pkwy., in Tulsa; noon to 8 p.m., regular menu plus Thanksgiving fare: turkey, sausage stuffing, cranberry relish, gravy, and a choice of sides.
Saltgrass Steakhouse, locations in Norman and Oklahoma City, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Skirvin Hilton Hotel Park Avenue Grill,
1 Park Ave.; breakfast buffet 6:30 to 10:30 a.m.; 11 to 2 p.m. prix fixe menu; 5 to 9 p.m., complete meal at a fixed price and regular menu. Grand Ballroom: buffet, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 702-8444.
Sooner Bowling Center, 550 24th Ave. NW, Norman; 6 p.m. to midnight, burgers, pizza and regular snack bar menu. Bowling reservations recommended.
Szechuan Bistro, 1010 W Memorial Road, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., dinner menu all day, 752-8889.
Vast, 333 W Sheridan Ave. (Devon Tower); 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Thanksgiving buffet, 702-7262.
Viceroy Grille, 1200 N Walker Ave. (Ambassador Hotel); multicourse dinner with entree options, 600-6200.
Western Sizzlin’/Mackie’s Steakhouse, locations in Oklahoma City, Moore and Chickasha; 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Serving regular menu plus traditional Thanksgiving fare: turkey, dressing, ham, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, deviled eggs, cranberry salad, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie.
Whiskey Barrel Saloon, 4120 Newcastle Rd., 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Will serve regular menu plus Thanksgiving buffet of turkey, ham, yams, rolls, okra, gravy, pumpkin pie and more.
Chelino's move clarification
Last week, I reported Marcelino Garcia would move his North May Avenue location to Nichols Hills on or around Dec. 1, which is true.
Problem is, Garcia hastwolocations on N May Avenue. The location at 5900 N May is the one Garcia will shutter and move to 6728 Olie Ave. in the coming weeks. The location at 10904 N May in the Quail Plaza Shopping Center is unaffected by the move and will continue to churn out Don Rogelio Specials and Avocado Salsa for the foreseeable future.
Sussy's open
More than a year after he closed The Nomad restaurant on May Avenue, Rick Bailey has resuscitated the legend of Jack "Sussy" Sussman in Bricktown with Sussy's Eatery and Spirits.
The new restaurant opened Monday at 200 S Oklahoma Suite 140, which was previously occupied by Bolero. Brad Hogan is partnering with Bailey.
Cookie's Thanksgiving seeking donations
Planning is underway for the 18th Annual Cookie's Thanksgiving, which is coordinated by Other Options and serves 1,000 holiday dinners to families in need with the help of Sunnyside Diner.
I recently spoke with Sunnyside's Aly Branstetter, who said what's most needed to support the effort is money.
"We have plenty of volunteers lined up to put the dinners together and deliver," she explained. "A donation of just $6.67 feeds one person."
Cookie's Thanksgiving is named for Other Options founder Cookie Arbuckle, founder of Other Options. What started with less than 40 meals has grown to nearly 1100.
Cookie passed away in 2010, leading her daughter Mary to become executive director of Other Options. Now Mary Arbuckle with the help of Sunnyside Diner will provide nourishment to more than 1000 people living below the poverty level and with at least one AIDS patient in the household.
To make a donation, find Cookie's Thanksgiving on Facebook and click on the Donate button.
Vive la France
EDMOND — New French restaurant Fait Maison is aiming for a Nov. 16 opening.
The upscale French restaurant, 152 E 5 St. in Edmond, is owned by Susan Wedel and Olivier Bouzerand, who also is the executive chef. Bouzerand comes to Edmond by way of Cannes, France. He is joined by chef Derek Courtney, a native of Alvin, Texas, who worked for Bouzerand in Cannes.
Fait Maison, which means homemade in French, boasts a decadent menu, featuring foie gras, turbot, rack of lamb, lobster, duck and filet mignon and an impressive selection of desserts.
Those interested in making a reservations can email reservations@fait-maison-ok.com.