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

Get your kicks! // A Route 66 diner experience

Hi friends! Danielle here.


I hope you guys had a fabulous weekend. Springing forward can be rough (6am came extra early on Sunday!), but let's just focus on the longer / sunnier days ahead, shall we?

We had a rad weekend - we took a minute to check out a diner on Route 66, and enjoyed another First Friday Art Crawl in the Brady District.

First, the diner.

And I'll be completely honest about how I found out about this place.

Do you know who Taylor Hanson is? Right, right... I knew you would.

Well, he's one of our local celebrities here in T-town. So of course I follow him on Insta. Every now and then, he'll post a pic from a local restaurant, etc., and last week he posted a pic from Tally's Good Food Cafe . After checking out the review of Tally's on Yelp, I figured it was worth checking out.

*** Side note: If this was some other celeb, like Ryan Adams, I know this would all seem a little stalker-like. But I swear, I'm not a Taylor Hanson stalker - I just want to find more 'where the locals eat' kind of places. Haha.

And, thank you, Taylor Hanson. We enjoyed it.

Here are some pics from the fun little diner on Route 66:

Regulars or just passin' through on Route 66? 

Here's a fun thing about Tally's: You can get breakfast all day (score)! So I enjoyed a veggie omelet. And I figured I was being healthy-ish, until I realized it came with a choice of potatoes AND pancakes or biscuits and gravy (All for $7.95, no less!). And covered with cheese. Oops! #sorrynotsorry

Jett didn't appreciate waiting for me to take pics for this post... (He had the kids' pancakes.)

And a few pics from the First Friday Art Crawl: From top to bottom - Philbrook Downtown, 108 Contemporary and the Woody Guthrie Center (which we didn't make it to last time, but I'm glad we did on Friday - way cool!)

XO

Hi, friends!

I'm Danielle. 

Here's the thing:

I moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma from Nashville, Tennessee a couple years ago with my husband, one-year-old son, dog and cat. Yep, that's right - we loaded up a (extra large) U-Haul and drove some 500 odd miles west to this place we now call home.

And home it is. You see, I'm a big believer that home is where your people are. Where your heart is, so to speak. 

After moving to Tulsa, I quickly learned that I would definitely be able to find my places. Within the first week alone, I made a few quick discoveries: the River Parks Trail (I was training for the Nashville Rock & Roll Half Marathon, needed a place to train - STAT - and was pleasantly surprised when I found the wonderful trail system that continuously motivates me); Coffee House on Cherry Street (CHOCS, I later learned, is what the locals call it); and The Yoga Room (I was first introduced to the live music Wednesday sessions by my husband's aunt, which was so needed and welcomed at that time in my life). 

After discovering those first few things, I was ready to learn more. I wanted to find my places... My people. 

Well, easier said than done. 

Here in the mid 2010s, we are so accustomed to Googling any- and everything, so naturally I searched for a blog similar to one that I checked out at least weekly in Nashville (eat-drink-smile.com). I believe I actually started searching for said blog before we moved to Tulsa - that's just how much I had come to rely on my Nashville blogs to find new restaurants, the latest happenings around town, etc.

Well, friends, I couldn't find a blog like the one I was looking for.

So, I posted something about it on Facebook. And then my cousin-in-law Christina mentioned her interest in a similar blog, and here we are!

Our plan is to post on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and here's what you can expect from us:

A little of this:

(What we cook. We are both passionate about food, and not only do we love to cook, but we also have a myriad of appetites to cater to (we are both mommas to toddlers!) 

And of course, a little of this:

(We love Tulsa, and we love fun events! The above was taken at the most recent First Friday Art Crawl in the Brady District.)

Definitely, some of this:

Not only is Christina's husband a chef at a popular Tulsa restaurant, we both love to explore fun / delicious places around town! (The above was taken last week at Moriscos El Centenario - OMYum!)

And probably a little of this, too:

We both love projects, whether it be homemade Valentines (like the above) or DIY projects around the house.

So, that's basically it. Please join us, friends, and let's create a nice community where we can all share and inspire! 

XO