Mod’s Coffee and Crepes

The Collective — a great little coffeehouse across from TU — closed before I had a chance to review it. I was heartbroken to lose what may have been the best place in town to sit and grade papers over cappuccino.

Much to my delight, I learned this evening that the owners of The Collective have opened a new business downtown called Mod’s Coffee and Crepes.

The restaurant, located at 507 S. Boston Ave., is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Although it doesn’t offer the same Tulsa-themed sandwiches and salads as The Collective, and the vibe is decidedly different, Mod’s offers a to-die-for mushroom soup and the usual assortment of coffee drinks, teas, and Italian sodas made with Torani syrup (including several sugar-free varieties), along with crepes — including a spinach-and-artichoke option for vegetarians and a s’mores crepe stuffed with chocolate chips and marshmallow creme — and a nice selection of gelato.

I’d already finished dinner when I found out about the existence of Mod’s, but I found room for a cup of soup, a passable decaf cappuccino, and a small helping of a lovely Andes-chocolate-mint gelato.

Coffee prices are a bit higher than average, but the other products’ prices are all in line with those of similar products I’ve had at other businesses, the service is good, and the upscale-hipster atmosphere seems well-suited to a neighborhood that includes a growing number of trendy little restaurants and places to see and be seen.

The free Wi-Fi connection is good, too — so good that I managed to post this review from my iPad while I was finishing my coffee.

For more information, call Mod’s at (918) 582-MODS or visit www.modscrepes.com.

Grades:
Product: A-
Service: A
Value: B
Overall: A-

URGENT ACTION NEEDED!

We have a financial emergency here in Tulsa. Within a matter of hours, the Oklahoma Legislature is expected to decide the future of education in this state. If our legislators vote to cut the education budget, up to 286 of my colleagues could lose their jobs, and my students will lose some of their favorite teachers. Please read the following action alert and take a few minutes to write a quick e-mail of support for Oklahoma students.

ACTION ALERT

The Oklahoma Legislature is preparing to vote on possible budget cuts to school districts within the state. If these cuts are imposed, Tulsa Public Schools could lose up to 286 teachers. Oklahoma already ranks 46^th in the nation for per-pupil spending and 48^th for teacher salaries.

Budget cuts during the past year have already forced TPS to make millions of dollars in cuts. If these cuts continue and expand, your favorite teacher’s job could be next.

The Legislature could vote on this issue in a matter of hours, so all of us who care about Oklahoma’s children need to take IMMEDIATE action to let our legislators know where we stand on this issue.

Take a few moments to write a polite e-mail to all Tulsa-area legislators, letting them know where you stand on this issue. Your e-mail should include the following talking points:

* Oklahoma cannot compete with the rest of the nation if our students do not have an adequate education.

* Mention a teacher who has made a significant difference in your life.

* Remind your legislators that they would not be where they are without the efforts of their own teachers.

YOUR MESSAGES NEED TO REACH LEGISLATORS’ INBOXES BEFORE THE END OF THE DAY. (Today is Sunday, May 16, 2010.)

Send your message to all of the following e-mail addresses:

adelson@oksenate.gov; brogdon@oksenate.gov; crain@oksenate.gov;easley@oksenate.gov; easonmcintyre@oksenate.gov;newberry@oksenate.gov; stanislawski@oksenate.gov;chrisbenge@okhouse.gov; eddie.fields@okhouse.gov;luckylamons@okhouse.gov; jeanniemcdaniel@okhouse.gov;ronpeters@okhouse.gov; eric.proctor@okhouse.gov;jabarshumate@okhouse.gov; danielsullivan@okhouse.gov;suetibbs@okhouse.gov; johntrebilcock@okhouse.gov;weldon.watson@okhouse.gov; seneca.scott@okhouse.gov

(You can do this by copying and pasting this list of addresses into the “To” line of your e-mail. If you’re using Outlook, I think the list will send as-is. If you’re using a Mac, you may need to replace the semicolons between addresses with commas, as Mail does not know what to do with semicolons.)

Please forward this message to everyone who might be willing to help. Again: Time is of the essence. Write your e-mail IMMEDIATELY. It does not need to be perfect. It just needs to be clear and polite.

Piatto Cucina Italiana

Linguine pesto = heaven on a plate.

Piatto Cucina Italiana opened March 1 at the Tulsa Hills shopping center.

Having made a New Year’s resolution to go vegetarian again, I was delighted to find a menu that included a fairly extensive assortment of veg-friendly dishes. In addition to a sublime gorgonzola-topped linguine pesto (pictured above), Piatto offers three kinds of bruschetta; fried zucchini; eggplant panini; sauteed homemade cheese; several kinds of salad (including a lovely combination of fresh mozzarella and Roma tomato slices arranged on a bed of mixed baby lettuce and drizzled with balsamic dressing); at least two eggplant-and-pasta dishes; tomato and goat cheese ravioli; veggie risotto; sauteed spinach with lemon and caramelized shallots; grilled asparagus; sauteed mushrooms; rosemary roasted potatoes; at least four kinds of meat-free pizza with various gourmet toppings; cheese stromboli; and probably several other dishes I’ve overlooked or forgotten to mention.

Assorted bruschetta. There were actually six pieces on the plate, but Ron ate one before I could take the picture. It's hard to remember to stop and photograph the food when it tastes this good.

Carnivores needn’t feel left out: The menu also includes short ribs; carbonara; chicken marsala; saltimbocca (tenderized chicken breast with prosciutto, white wine, and sage); steak; veal; seafood; and several meat toppings for the pizza.

Piatto offers a gracefully garnished version of the standard tiramisu.

For dessert, in addition to the usual tiramisu, Piatto offers a chocolate-espresso torta accompanied by homemade hazelnut gelato and an apple crostata accompanied by caramel gelato.

The crostata is a sort of cross between apple dumpling and apple pie. The pastry itself is fine, but the caramel gelato is the real star of this dessert.

Prices are moderate (slightly higher than the average sports bar or steakhouse), service is excellent, and portion sizes are respectable but not obnoxious. The atmosphere is quiet and pleasant — a welcome change from the chaotic environment that too often accompanies restaurants in this price point.

Piatto also offers a full bar.

Piatto is located at 7153 S. Olympia, just north of Lowe’s in the Tulsa Hills Shopping Center at 71st Street and Highway 75. For more information, call (918) 770-0719.

Grades:
Product: A+
Service: A
Value: B+
Overall: A

Gateway Market

Saint candles line an expanse of shelving at Gateway Market.

Gateway Market, 1601 N. Peoria Ave., is not the Coolest Grocery Store in the Universe. That honor belongs to Lowe’s Market in Tucumcari, N.M., which actually received the “Coolest Grocery Store in the Universe” award from the New Mexico Route 66 Association in 2003.

Gateway is, however, one the closest contenders I’ve ever seen.

North Tulsa hadn’t had a grocery store since Albertson’s went broke in 2007 — a situation that was creating a real hardship for the folks who lived in the area, especially as gas prices soared and the economy crashed.

Last November, Antonio Perez — owner of another Indie Tulsa favorite, Las Americas Super Mercado and Restaurant — stepped up to the plate with a plan to open a grocery store in the old Albertson’s space.

The store opened about a week ago. We stopped by this morning to pick up a few odds and ends.

In addition to the usual staples you’d expect to find at any grocery store, Gateway carries a vast assortment of items that reflect the rich diversity of the neighborhood that surrounds it.

How diverse are the choices? Well, let’s just say this is the only store I’ve ever seen that carried all the necessary ingredients for both menudo and gumbo, plus everything a Southern grandma could need to put on a proper Sunday dinner — including hog maws and three different kinds of greens.

Prices are competitive, too: I found a display of mac and cheese on sale for 35 cents a box, and I picked up a can of blackeyed peas for 59 cents and some of the prettiest collards I’ve ever seen for 89 cents. A couple of $1 aisles carry household items such as laundry baskets, drill bits, and T-shirts.

The store was clean, spacious, and well-lit, and the service was quick and friendly.

Highly recommended.

Grades:
Product: A+
Service: A
Value: A
Overall: A

Whenever you click an ad in an online newspaper, you help to ensure that publication’s survival — so if you’re looking for more great indie businesses to support, check out the Tulsa World Marketplace.

Simply Sushi

This post (submitted Sept. 2, but I am just now getting it online — oops) comes to you courtesy of Cycledog, who is becoming a regular contributor here at Indie Tulsa:

I had lunch today at Simply Sushi, an new sushi bar located on 86th Street in Owasso, just south of the Eighth Grade Center. My family is more the meat-and-potatoes type, so I’m the only one who engages in eating “adventures.” Sushi is turning into one of my favorites.

Today, I had edamame for the first time. These are young soybeans still in the pod. They’re cooked in salt water, spiced, and served hot. It’s much like eating boiled peanuts, and just like peanuts, they can be addictive, it seems. They make a wonderful and nutritious snack or appetizer.

Also, I had the Cowboy Roll today. This is hoisin beef, carrots, and sprouts wrapped in rice.

I’ll be honest: This is not a lot of food, but it’s probably the amount I should be eating at lunch rather than the amount I want to eat. Having the edamame alongside kept my fingers busy with munching.

All of that went well with a cold, sweet iced tea, the chardonnay of the South.

If you’re out and about on your bike somewhere north of Tulsa, and you’re in the mood for sushi, stop in at Simply Sushi.

13720 E. 86th Street North
Owasso, OK
Dine-in and takeout available
609-6805

OK Country Donut Shoppe

I think the term “donut” is a crime against humanity. I hate it. I hate it almost as much as I hate hearing someone use the non-words “warsh” and “sherbert.” In fact, I hate it so much that I promised myself I would never, ever post an Indie Tulsa review of any “donut” shop. Doughnut shops? Sure. But “donut” shops? Not on your life.

I’m making an exception to that rule this evening.

I can’t say that OK Country Donut Shoppe serves the best doughnuts I’ve ever eaten (the late, great Chandler Bakery’s decadent French-silk bismarks hold that distinction), but its creations are easily the cutest doughnuts I’ve ever eaten:

The bakery at 81st and Yale is popular with kids, for obvious reasons. We lucked out and got there during a lull last Saturday morning; by the time we’d gotten our doughnuts and sausage rolls and staked out a spot in the corner, the line of young patrons and their parents stretched all the way from the cash register to the front door. The servers (I counted three) handled the crowd deftly, keeping the line moving despite the presence of several children who were a little overwhelmed by the vast number of options.

Meanwhile, hundreds of little faces — most stuffed with colorfully frosted doughnuts — smiled down at us from a collection of snapshots of young customers that covered an entire wall of the dining area.

I couldn’t resist taking a snapshot of my own when I saw this well-dressed young fellow picking out his breakfast:

In the interest of giving a relatively comprehensive review, we saved some room for a raspberry jelly doughnut (not pictured), a regular sausage roll, and a Polish sausage roll.

They were as good as anything you’ll find south of Admiral, but it’s the ornately frosted baseballs, caterpillars, and piglets that really set OK Country apart and make it worth the trip over from Red Fork.

OK Country Donut Shoppe, located in a strip mall at the northwest corner of 81st and Yale, is open 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday. They take special orders if arrangements are made 24 hours ahead of time; call 493-6455 to arrange a personalized breakfast for your daughter’s slumber party or a peace offering for disgruntled staffers at an early morning meeting.

Grades:
Product: A+
Service: A
Value: A
Overall: A

D’s Sweet Designs

EDITOR’S NOTE: Today’s review is the first of what I hope will be many reader submissions here on Indie Tulsa. This piece comes to you courtesy of Cycledog, who notes: “In the interest of full disclosure, I have to say that my daughter is a part-time employee of D’s Sweet Designs. The interview this piece is based on was conducted several weeks before she was hired.” If you are interested in submitting an article to Indie Tulsa, please e-mail sundayjohn66 (at) mac (dot) com.

D’s Sweet Designs
A custom cake and dessert boutique

Armies are said to travel on their stomachs, and that’s no less true of cyclists. We ride to eat. So it’s always a pleasure to find a new destination that sells good food.

Deanna Hernandez is the owner of D’s Sweet Designs in Owasso.  This custom bakery opened at the beginning of the year, offering cakes, cookies, and cheesecake.

Deanna says, “If you’re going to blow your diet, do it here. Eat that whole piece of cheesecake and enjoy it, but then cut out the French fries or eat a salad for lunch.”

Keep the cheesecake in mind, because we’ll return to it in a moment.

All cyclists understand the concept of balance, whether that applies to riding a bike or eating a balanced diet. But one area that Deanna talked about was definitely too intense, too immoderate to have any semblance of balance. That was passion — a passion for making good food that people like immensely.

“Everyone needs to be passionate about something. If you do what you’re passionate about, don’t worry about the money, because the money will follow. People will get excited about what you’re excited about. Success will follow. That’s part of the charm of it. I’m the little train that could. Mom-and-pop businesses feel like they’re more invested in the business, customer service, and doing a great job. I want people to feel like it’s OK to come  in and visit with us. When work feels like a hobby, it’s fun. I don’t ever want to dread coming in here to work. The ego side of me wants people to see my work and say, ‘Oh, I can see you got that from D’s Sweet Designs.’”

I freely admit that I like mom-and-pop businesses because they’re often much more relaxed than the big franchises or chains. Business is conducted at a slower pace — a pace that makes customers feel like a valued family member, rather than a stranger who must be relieved of his money as quickly as possible and then shown the door.

Deanna was working for a gas and oil company in Houston when she started her first bakery in 2002.

“I brought cheesecake to our Christmas party. People wanted to know where I got it, and I had to tell them it was my own recipe,” she says.

She started in a small shop. No one wanted to lend her money because she had no real bakery experience — just what she’d learned at home.

“It’s a whole different animal when you’re doing it with a big oven, big mixers and all that,” she says.

She simply couldn’t raise enough money. The frustration had reduced her to tears at her desk one day. The company hedge fund manager wanted to know why she was crying. She poured her heart out, telling him that this was her dream and the lack of funds stood in the way. He asked to try a piece of her cheesecake, and after eating it, he wrote her a check to cover the balance.

That’s some very persuasive cheesecake!

Like many small business owners, she found that the store became her life.  It was successful, but the long hours took their toll.

“Working 60 to 70 hours a week is no way to live,” she says. “The original store had a long menu. I’d get there at 6 in the morning and stay until 8 at night. Fridays started at 6:30, and I worked until 2 a.m., returning at 7 a.m. on Saturday and closing at 5. I was burning out really, really fast. My family won’t let me do that again. The new shop is the only custom cake shop between Tulsa and Caney, Kansas. It’s a labor of love, nothing that I’ll ever make millions on, but it’s the sheer joy to see someone take a bite of a chocolate truffle and watch their face just melt.”

I have a weakness for bakeries. My waistline proves it. But I can apply that concept of “balance” to my diet as well as my riding and enjoy those tasty things in life (cheesecake) in a moderate way (truffles) knowing full well that a good life (brownies) consists of yielding to temptation (chocolate-covered strawberries) now and then. Not that I think about food all the time, of course.

If you’re looking for a destination for one of your rides, consider a stop at D’s Sweet Designs. Sure, you’ll load up on calories, but you’ll do the miles to make up for them, right?

D’s Sweet Designs is located at 9100 N Garnett Road, Suite G, in Owasso. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call (918) 272-3103, visit www.dssweetdesigns.com or send an e-mail to: info (at) dssweetdesigns (dot) com.

Changes

In the wake of the demise of the Tulsa World’s Community section — which gave a lot of good coverage to locally owned businesses — I have decided to expand Indie Tulsa beyond its original mission.

When I set up this site, it was meant to turn a spotlight on mom-and-pop businesses in Tulsa. I deliberately chose not to include businesses outside Tulsa, not because they aren’t worthy, but because I simply didn’t have the time or resources to give those businesses the attention they deserved.

I still don’t have the necessary time or resources, but I am willing to post articles and reviews written by other people about mom-and-pop businesses that fall within the Community World’s coverage areas.

Although I am no longer with the Tulsa World, I am still working full-time, and my schedule is busy (and getting busier as we approach the time of year when I have to put together the Oklahoma Route 66 Association’s annual Trip Guide, which is the biggest volunteer project I do all year). With that in mind, please realize that I will not have time to do a lot of reviews in communities outside Tulsa — so if you live in one of these communities and want to see your favorite business featured on Indie Tulsa, you will probably have to write something about it yourself.

I would just ask that business owners refrain from reviewing their own businesses. If you have a new business, or if your business is expanding or celebrating a grand opening or similar event, feel free to send me a press release, and I’ll try to post a news item about your event. Please note: Franchises are NOT eligible for inclusion on Indie Tulsa. Other avenues exist to ensure that franchise operations are marketed to potential customers. Indie Tulsa is for those businesses that lack the benefits of corporate branding, professional market research, and the other advantages afforded by the franchising system.

Reviews, press releases, and other submissions may be mailed to sundayjohn66 at mac dot com.

Emily

Ann’s Bakery

We were thrilled to learn that Ann’s Bakery, a stone’s throw from the Admiral Place alignment of Route 66 at 7 N. Harvard, had recently reopened after a devastating fire last year.

The bakery had been closed for more than a year after a blaze in January 2007 caused $100,000 worth of damage. That was a blow to Tulsa’s confection-loving community, who had counted on Ann’s for custom-made cakes, pasteries and other goodies since it opened in 1938.

Ann’s claims to be “Tulsa’s oldest scratch bakery.” Here’s an old photo of Ann’s, in 1944. More history can be found here.

We went to Ann’s for breakfast on Saturday morning. I had a cream-filled bismark, a cinnamon roll and a cream horn. Emily had a glazed doughnut and a cream horn. They tasted heavenly.

Ann’s offered much more than that, as these photos of the display cases illustrate. It was difficult to choose what to eat.

Fresh coffee is available near one of the display cases. So is a refrigerated cooler loaded with milk or soda.

There’s no place to sit down to eat the doughnuts or pastries, but the staff bags everything up for you. Ann’s is clean and bright, and the staff is quick to get you what you need.

Here are some of the cake’s Ann’s makes on display. That’s a bunch of cupcakes on the left.

Ann’s Web site contains a gallery of wedding cakes and other special occasion cakes it offers.

Ann’s is just north of the Interstate 244 interchange at Harvard. There’s plenty of parking on the side of the building. Its hours are from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Its phone number is (918) 834-2345.

Product: A+
Service: A+
Convenience: A+
Value: A
Overall: A+

Harden’s

Harden’s at 432 S. Sheridan is yet another of Tulsa’s cool, old hamburger joints.

According to Harden’s Web site, John Harden started his restaurant in 1939 as Johney’s Jip Joint as a burger and chili place. Rick and Sharon West have owned Harden’s since 1988.

According to the site:

Preparation is the rule when it comes to Harden’s hamburgers. It starts with cutting the onions with a razor blade and we keep the buns a little greasy. Everything is fresh and homemade, from the cole slaw to the cobbler.

An encouraging sign (no pun intended) is near the ordering area. On a prominent red sign is this message: “We cook ‘em with a light pink center (unless otherwise ordered).” That’s a restaurant that’s dedicated to not overcooking the meat.

You make the order, and the Harden’s staff gives you an oversized playing card. Ours was the six of clubs. When your order is ready, they call out the card value. It’s an unusual system, but it’s hard for customers to get confused.

While you’re waiting for your food, you can gaze at Harden’s huge collection of memorabilia, with dozens of vintage metal signs.

Harden’s also has a bunch of diecast toys behind glass, near the pickup window.

Harden’s burgers range from a quarter-pound to a BOB, or big ol’ burger, which is four quarter-pound patties, like this one below. It’s comparable in size to Hank’s Hamburgers’ Big Okie. And no, the knife and fork weren’t there for show; they were needed.

The fries are fresh-cut. Harden’s menu is found online here.

We found Harden’s burgers to be just a notch below Tulsa’s best burger places, such as Hank’s, Claud’s and perhaps Brownie’s. But T-Town is an embarrassment of riches with hamburger restaurants, so this is hardly damning Harden’s with faint praise.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Harden’s also has a location at 11501 N. Garnett in Owasso. The Harden’s in Tulsa is less than a mile south of Interstate 244 and not far from I-44, so the location is fairly convenient.

Grades:
Product: A-
Service: A
Convenience: A
Value: A-
Overall: A