Dining Out: Tulsa’s got Taste
SCOTT CHERRY World Staff Writer
02/02/2001
Spot, Entertainment

A taste of Taste of Tulsa (from top): Atlantic Sea Grill’s salmon en croute, Bravo’s gambri with tortellini and sun-dried tomato, The Bistro at Brookside’s beef tenderloin tamales.
JAMES GIBBARD / Tulsa World

More than 30 restaurants strutted their stuff recently at A Taste of Tulsa, the annual eating frenzy that benefits Big Brothers & Sisters of Green Country.

From the simple but yummy beef-and-cheese quesadillas with guacamole from Ricardos, to more intricate fare, such as the salmon en croute with shrimp and spinach stuffing and cream dill sauce from the Atlantic Sea Grill, diners stuffed themselves (at least this one did) with a smorgasbord of tempting offerings.

One of the more interesting dishes was tenderloin tamales — spicy beef wrapped in corn husks that were tied at each end. The tamales were being served up by chef Victor Melgoza of the Bistro on Brookside.

Melgoza also is kitchen manager for Bistro owner Bud Barnes’ newest venture, SoBo LoCo Latin Bar & Cafe at 18th Street and Boston Avenue. Melgoza said the new restaurant, which will include a nice variety of tapas, is expected to open this month.

While loading up the embarrassment of riches on my plate, I also ran across JAMES SHRADER, former chef of the now-closed Finales Restaurant.

Those who admire Shrader’s cooking can find him at Bravo Ristorante in the Adam’s Mark Hotel, where he is sous chef and oversees the Bravo menu. At Taste of Tulsa, he was serving tortellini with prosciutto and sun-dried tomato.

Diamonds are a Grill’s best friend

The Polo Grill in Utica Square is the newest Four Diamond kid on the block.

The 19-year-old restaurant, owned by Ouida and Robert Merrifield, recently was awarded the presitgious Four Diamond rating by AAA Oklahoma. It joins the Warren Duck Club in the Doubletree Hotel at Warren Place, which has earned the rating eight consecutive years, and the Grille at the Doubletree Hotel Downtown, which has won seven years in a row.

The only other Oklahoma restaurant to receive four diamonds this year is the Coach House in Oklahoma City.

Chuck Mai, managing director of public affairs for AAA Oklahoma, said 60 AAA inspectors travel the country each year and visit some 90,000 lodgings, restaurants and attractions. Of the 12,400 restaurants inspected, only about 50 earn four diamonds.

Mai said the national AAA office conducts the inspections secretly, and he does not know how many or which Oklahoma restaurants were rated. He said the local club
receives notice of the awards about six weeks before they are announced.

Ready, set, cook!

Some current and former Bodean Seafood Restaurant chefs recently participated in a spirited cookoff based on the “Iron Chef” television show on the Food Network. The chefs were given a range of ingredients to work with and an hour to create three dishes.

Robert Cato of Bodean Seafood scored 132 points to edge R.J. Schafer of T-Squared and Michael Meydag, representing Biga, who each finished with 130. Cato was assisted by Kasim Siftar, Schafer by Brenda Nimmo and Meydag by Sacha Wycoff.

I was on the judging panel and gave 10s for taste to Cato’s seared Ahi tuna salad with wasabi-soy vinaigrette, Schafer’s shrimp and pepper cheese phyllo enchilada with chipotle cream sauce and Meydag’s wilted spinach and red cabbage salad with salmon pinwheel and toasted sesame seed vinaigrette.

The cookoff was a prelude to the annual Street Party, set Feb. 17 at Woodland Hills Mall, to benefit Street School.

Larry Merritt, who has operated Merritt’s Bakery at 3202 E. 15th St. since 1992, is scheduled to open a second bakery, at 71st Street and Garnett Road, within the next few weeks.