Help Wanted: Food Feedback
My term as friendly Oklahoma Food Dude is a little more than a year old. What fun it’s been. I’ve been with The Oklahoman since Dec. of 1990, working in Sports, Metro, City and State. I even did a stint as television columnist. In the nearly 19 years, I’ve never worked harder than I have the past year. At times, I’ve felt a little overwhelmed — so many story ideas, so little time.
But I’ve never been happier. It took almost two decades, my snoot a-spark from the grindstone, but I’m working to my passion.
In the past year, 105degrees has brought raw food to the city thanks to 105degrees, Ryan Parrott has grown from chef to restaurateur to social media entrepreneur, Chris Lower brought us Cool Greens and Big Truck Tacos — which has spawned copycats on the north side who might not be award that BTT is an inspired a copycat of what’s been going on down South for years – longtime Coach House owner Kurt ”The Big Kahuna” Fleischfresser partnered with Carl Milam and Western Concepts, OKC native Rick Bayless become the first Top Chef Master, “Food Inc.” changed the way people look at food, the Deep Fork Group gambled and won with Ian McDermid’s inspired Drunken Fry concept, the Rock Cafe reopened a year after a devastating fire thanks to the sheer will of owner Dawn Welch, La Baguette opened a second location, Peruvian food was introduced to the metro, Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond took the nation by storm, and I had the sincere privilege to make the acquaintance of been introduced by the inspirational Kamala Gamble and a host of local producers around the state.
