Eat here // Dilly Deli

Hi friends, Danielle here!

This weekend, we had a grand time - Sesame Street Live, first soccer game, and a nice little breakfast at one of my fave local spots: Dilly Deli!

The soccer game was terribly cute, and I'm happy to report that it *did* go a bit more smoothly for us than the first soccer practice last Tuesday. 

You see, the soccer practice consisted of approximately 75% temper-tantrum-throwing, but the game only had a minute or two of 'NO!' and stomping, but no full-on temper tantrum! #winning

I think Jett played for about five minutes total, and spent the rest of the time running up and down the sideline / flirting with the older girls. At this age, it's all about fun and the "experience", so we all had a good time (and some laughs, too!). (Go Tigers!)

After the game, we decided to celebrate with a fun breakfast, so immediately I suggested the a downtown spot that I love, since we hadn't been there in a while. I had recently suggested Dilly Deli to a friend in town for vacay, and she and her hubby loved it. I had been craving the Green Eggs & Ham since she posted a pic on Insta a couple weeks ago.

I'm pretty sure Ryan and I both get the same thing every. single. time. For him, it's the eggs / hash browns / biscuits & gravy / Fassler Hall sausage. For me it's the Green Eggs and Ham (see below)! The combination of eggs over medium, prosciutto, has browns, pesto, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes can't be beat, IMO!

A couple things to note about Dilly Deli:

The have a kids eat free night, every Thursday from 4-8pm! We've never been for dinner, but are excited to check it out on an upcoming Thursday.

Also, McNellie's-Group-owned Dilly Deli is undergoing some exciting changes this Spring, changing into more of a diner, offering some diner-style dinner options as well as a late-night menu. Sounds fun! Read more about the upcoming changes here.

Enjoy! XO

Eat Here! // Elote

Hey y'all! Danielle here!

On Friday night (Well, it was technically the afternoon, 4:30pm-ish - We were excited it was the weekend!) we journeyed down to Tulsa's Deco District for puffy tacos at Elote!

Jett and I had only been once before, and Ryan had never been, so we looked at it as a mini-adventure.

First of all, the Deco District is pretty neat - lots of big buildings and cool architectural details to look at. There are some fun little restaurants nestled in the area, too (Hello, Atlas Grill! Love that place.).

This place hits my top three criteria for being a fave: 1) It's good (Gotta be good!), 2) It's local, 3) It's kid friendly without being, well, Chick-fil-A (Disclaimer: We love Chick-fil-A, obvi, but you know what I mean). The cherry-on-the-top is that the prices are very reasonable. They're also very proud of their locally-sourced produce and meats (which they should be!), so that's another thing to love about the place!

The marg was super good! Fresh and tart, just a marg should be; Plus they make it from scratch - no too-sweet mixes here, folks!

Last time, I had the chicken puffy tacos with beans and rice, so on a whim, I asked our server how the salmon tacos were. She raved about them, so I was sold. And I was very happy with my choice! OH! And a friend had told me how good the sweet potatoes were, so I was sure to get them as a side - so delish!

Ryan also enjoyed his beef tacos, and Jett, well... Jett like the bite of his cheese quesadilla (I think?). The struggle is real, y'all.

We finished our evening with a little one-man wrestling match, because, really, what Friday evening is complete without one. They have live hipster wrestling here every now and then - check their website for deets.

So, do yourself a favor, and enjoy a puffy taco at Elote this week. You'll also see them at the Cherry St. Farmer's Market, peddling their breakfast tacos! So good.

XO

Day trip // Juniper // Fassler Hall

Hey, y'all! Danielle here.

On Saturday, I experienced not one, but THREE new Tulsa-area spots! It was my sister's 30th birthday extravaganza, and an extravaganza it was!

Our first stop of the day was The Canebrake, which is a resort / restaurant / spa that's less than an hour drive from Tulsa.

Sound random? Well, it might be, but after my sister mentioned it, I noticed a rave review in Edible Tulsa, and the people over there seem to know there stuff! Also, it's nice to feel like you're "out of the city" even if it's just a teeny-tiny road trip.

The restaurant was great, and even better was that not only are the adults pampered (I'm talking champagne cocktails while tranquil spa-like tunes fill your ears), but the kids also are, with a special kids' menu.

I had the chicken club, and while it was good, I just kept thinking, "But where's the BACON?!". You don't forget the bacon, people.

If I could turn back time, I think I'd order what my sister's boyfriend enjoyed - the corned beef sandwich on soda bread, which was the special. We all enjoyed what we ordered, but he was especially thrilled.

After lunch, we had planned to enjoy the lovely outdoor area at Canebrake, as there are many trails and other activities that would've been fun, had it not been rainy. Instead, we enjoyed the comfy lounge area while my sister had her massage (which she said was also great!).

Later that evening, we met up with Linny and her friends at Juniper, which is a cozy little restaurant in the Blue Dome District in downtown Tulsa. I had heard wonderful things about Juniper, so I was quite excited to go!

And let me tell you folks, it did not disappoint. Atmosphere, food, service - All were A+. And the first-rate experience actually began with the reservation, as Linny said they were extra accommodating, asking if we'd need a high chair, or if there would be a birthday cake, and if we'd like them to help with cutting and serving of said cake!

Ryan and I split the pork belly for our first course, and it was obviously so good that I forgot to take a photo until we had already devoured half. This was truly one of those dishes were it's all chewing-"Mmmmmm"-ing-chewing-"Oooohhhh"-ing.

For my main, I enjoyed the gnocchi and Ryan the short ribs. Were were both extremely happy with our selections. The perfectly pillowy-yet-firm gnocchi was nestled in some yummy veggies that reminded me of spring (even though this was from the winter menu). And if that sounds too healthy, don't worry... The buttery sauce delivered just the right amount of decadence.

Oh! And I can't forget to mention that it was Pi Day! So they were serving complementary chocolate pie, which was just divine.

After dinner, we went next door to Fassler Hall, which was another place I had been wanting to check out. Fassler has a lot of cool going on... Part of it feels like a rustic beer hall in Austria, but then you hear "Uptown Funk" three times in a row and think, "Wait, we're not in Austria!"

All in all, it was a great evening! All three were great experiences and I think my sister had a most excellent birthday extravaganza!

XO

Eat here: KEO

There are definitely a couple things I'd like to share before diving into this post:

1) When Ryan, Jett and I moved here in April 2013, a friend gave us this completely wonderful list of local places she knew we'd enjoy (which deserves a post of its own since it was such a nice thing to receive after moving to a new city!). This was one of those places on her list!

2) I'm all about not trying to have too high of expectations. You see, when you've lived in a certain city (like Nashville, where we moved from) for quite some time, you tend to develop your favorite spots in that city. So, when you move, naturally you'll try to fill the hole left behind by those spots with restaurants in your new city. This ain't happening, people. I've tried it, and it just leaves me sad. So, instead of comparing, I've learned to look at things from a fresh perspective. And yes, the first time we tried KEO, I was trying to fill a void, and left not completely satisfied. But I've been back twice since, and have developed a love for the place all of its own.

KEO is a local Tulsa restaurant that opened around 2007 and now has two locations in the city. And judging by the activity on Friday night, it's well-loved around these parts. And for good reason.

One of the things I truly enjoy about the place is that it's a little upscale, a little laid-back. It's the kind of place that you can go to enjoy the dim lights and a nice glass of wine but also bring your young child and not feel out of place (they have a kids' menu as well as a supply of high chairs). As a parent of a toddler, I have come to absolutely love places like this, as my child is (mostly) well-behaved, and we love to bring him with us when we dine.

Another cool thing about the place? Free edamame. KEO looks at edamame like Mexican joints look at chips and salsa - everyone should have a little when then sit down. The first time we went, I told the server, "Oh, we haven't ordered edamame yet" as he placed the overflowing bowl between Ryan and me. He just smiled and told me it's complementary. I bet they get that a lot. But don't be like me, folks. Just gracefully accept the edamame!

The last thing I'll mention before showing you what we had is that right now, there's a Groupon for the place (the south Tulsa location) - be sure to grab one while they're available!

Here's what we had on a fine chilly evening...

Of course, the complementary edamame...

And then some yummy calamari, which Jett was SO weirded out by (texture!)... The spicy dipping sauce was devine though.

I have a hard time deciding what to order for Jett at Asian restaurants, as he doesn't tend to like rice, and only sometimes likes noodle dishes. This time, I opted to order veggie spring rolls (which Ryan and I ended up eating. Jett had a cereal bar. He still doesn't like "weird" things.)

I had the pho, which was wonderful. I just love adding in all the options and making it super spicy!

Ryan had the short ribs, which he found to be delicious, he said, but mentioned that he could've eaten twice the amount.

And that's it! We had a lovely time at KEO and can't wait to go back, as always. Oh, and I have also had the ahi tuna burger during a previous visit, which I also recommend! 

Enjoy! XO