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

True to You Bra Salon

I’m the kind of girl who drives a stick shift, wields a mean faucet wrench, and buys all her hair-care products in the tack aisle at the feed store — so you’d be correct in assuming that I am not the kind of girl who spends a lot of time hanging out in froufrou shops full of lacy pink undergarments.

I am, however, a practical woman who values comfort above fashion, and there is nothing comfortable about doing yard work in an ill-fitting bra with worn-out straps that slide off your shoulder every time you pull the starter cord on the chainsaw … so when Carson Kressley (who is quite possibly the funniest man alive) announced that 85 percent of all women are wearing the wrong size bra, I decided maybe it was time to suck it up, quit buying underwear on the basis of the infinite monkey theorem, and drag my practical, comfort-loving self into a boutique.

When I wandered into True To You Bra Salon this afternoon, I wasn’t convinced that a nice lady with a tape measure could magically perfect my posture and knock 20 pounds off my waist, the way Kressley’s “Bra Whisperer” does for his guests, but I figured it would be money well spent if I could just find something that fit well enough to keep the girls out of the way while I’m splitting firewood or digging postholes for the tomatoes.

As it turned out, the lady who waited on me was very helpful, very knowledgeable, and very efficient. It took her less than 30 seconds to figure out that I was wearing a bra that was at least two sizes too big in one direction and at least one size too small in the other, and within a half-hour, she’d found me something that fit perfectly, didn’t annoy me, and — would you believe it? — straightened up my posture and appeared to have knocked 20 pounds off my waist and hips in the process. (If this bra turns out to be as durable as my ‘66 GMC pickup, True to You will have a customer for life.)

If you’re used to buying bras at the dollar store, you may be in for a little sticker shock — most of the bras I saw today were in the $55 to $65 range — but the prices are fairly consistent with those at other upscale lingerie shops (e.g., Victoria’s Secret), and True to You comes with the added advantage of convenient parking and tasteful decor: no cheesy promotions or sleazy posters of anorexic models leering in fake angel wings.

True to You is located at 5952 S. Lewis Ave., in the South London shopping center just north of 61st and Lewis. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call True to You Bra Salon at 742-4548 or visit www.truetoyoubrasalon.com.

Grades:
Product: A
Service: A+
Convenience: A
Value: TBD (I think this will be an A, but I’m waiting to see how well the product holds up)
Overall: A

Evelyn’s Restaurant

It is 17 miles from my office in south Tulsa to Evelyn’s Restaurant, located at 3014 N. 74th East Ave. near the Tulsa International Airport.

Because Evelyn’s is strictly a Monday-through-Friday, breakfast-and-lunch kind of place, eating there means working late to compensate for the extra transit time involved in driving up there for lunch.

It would be worth putting in a couple of extra hours just to get a glass of Evelyn’s sweet tea or a bowl of greens … but it’s the fried chicken and pork chops that drive me to make the extra effort at least a couple of times a month.

The fried chicken (pictured above) — which somehow manages to avoid being greasy — comes with a delicate, crispy, gently spiced coating that tastes like something somebody’s mama would fix for Sunday dinner, and the pork chops are so good they simply defy description, except to note that they are huge and delicious.

Evelyn’s doesn’t skimp on the sides, either; the beans, greens, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cornbread are all superlative, as is the service, which is friendly and prompt.

I particularly appreciate the fact that the servers at Evelyn’s know what hot sauce is. Too many restaurants bring a dish of salsa or a bottle of spicy barbecue sauce when I ask for hot sauce. Request hot sauce at Evelyn’s, and the server will ask whether you’d like Louisiana hot sauce or Tabasco pepper vinegar. (I recommend the former for beans and the latter for greens).

Better soul food may exist in this world, but if it does, I certainly can’t drive from Tulsa to Mississippi on my lunch hour to get it.

To get to Evelyn’s, take North Sheridan to East Port Road, turn right, and make another right onto North 74th East Avenue.

For more information, call 835-1212.

Grades:
Product: A+
Service: A+
Value: A+
Convenience: C (the limited hours and out-of-the-way location make it hard to get up there as often as I’d like)
Overall: A

Best Hardware

Tulsa is well-blessed with indie hardware stores, each with its own specialty. Best Electric and Hardware, located at 3647 S. Peoria Ave., in the heart of Brookside, has a little bit of just about everything you could want, but — as its name suggests — its specialty is electrical supplies.

Like any good indie hardware store, Best offers a diverse array of good quality products (everything from sling blades to compact fluorescent lightbulbs) at fair prices, but its greatest strength is its customer service.

During the recent ice storms in Tulsa, Best Hardware — like most of the rest of northeastern Oklahoma — was without power for several days. That didn’t stop the staff from opening for business. They just fired up a generator, turned on one light, and ratcheted up their already stellar service by escorting customers around the store with flashlights. (The Tulsa World actually ran a picture of one of the guys waiting on a customer during the power outage.)

I wasn’t surprised. We’ve been shopping at Best for a couple of years, and we’ve always been impressed by the employees, who know what they’re doing and are always willing to answer questions and help customers promptly.

Best is probably the most convenient of Tulsa’s independent hardware stores, as it is open seven days a week.

Highly, highly recommended.

Best is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. the rest of the week. For more information, call 743-3763 or visit the store’s Web site.

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