TulsaPeople / August 2009 / Food lover's guide - Reader's Choice

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Food lover's guide - Reader's Choice

Your guide to happy eating in Tulsa.  

If there’s one thing Tulsans love, it’s eating. And it’s no wonder. Tulsa features a diversity of restaurants and dishes to rival any city in the country. From fine dining to greasy spoons, enticing bakeries to ethnic fare, Tulsa has it all. And now, we know which local eateries you, our readers, enjoy most of all. The votes have been tallied, and we now present the 2009 Readers’ Choice dining selections. To sweeten the pot, we’ve added picks from our staff, as well as choices from our Food Editor, Judy Allen. And continue reading to see even more of Allen’s dining picks, as well as some prime drink selections from wine columnist Randa Warren. Happy eating!

EP: Editor's Pick
SF: Staff Favorite 

Asian Fusion

1. (Tie) In the Raw, Pei Wei
2. Te Kei’s Chinese/Asian Kitchen
3. (Tie) Keo, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro

EP: Keo
SF: Keo

Bakery

1. Merritt’s Bakery (left)
2. Ann’s Bakery
3. Panera Bread

EP: Blue Moon Bakery and Café
SF: Queenie’s

Bar Food

1. James E. McNellie’s Public House
2. The Brook
3. Leon’s on the Restless Ribbon

EP: Sonoma Bistro and Wine Bar
SF: White Owl Pub

Barbecue

1. Elmer’s Barbeque
2. Rib Crib Barbecue and Grill
3. Albert G’s

EP: Elmer’s Barbeque
SF: Billy Simms Barbecue

Bartenders

1. Mike Wozniak and Josh Gifford, Soundpony

Breakfast

1. Brookside By Day (BBD)
2. Blue Dome Diner
3. (Tie) First Watch, IHOP

EP: The Savoy, Wild Fork
SF: Tally’s Good Food Café

Burgers

1. Ron’s Hamburgers and Chili
2. Goldie’s Patio Grill
3. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers

EP: Freddie’s Hamburgers
SF: Claud’s Hamburgers

Caterer

1. (Tie) Catering by Orr, Ludger’s Cakes and Catering
2. (Tie) Eloté Café and Catering, Lambrusco’z To Go
3. Timothy Sean Fitzgerald Catering

EP: Timothy Sean Fitzgerald Catering
SF: Pare

Chef

1. Michael Fusco, Michael Fusco’s Riverside Grill
2. Justin Thompson, Sonoma Bistro and Wine Bar and The Brasserie
3. James Shrader, Palace Café

EP: James Shrader

Chinese

1. Pei Wei
2. P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
3. Te Kei’s Chinese/Asian Kitchen

EP: Guangzhou Dim Sum
SF: Fortune Chef

 Coffee Shop

1. Starbucks Coffee Company
2. Shades of Brown Coffee and Art
3. Coffee House on Cherry Street

EP: Café Cubana
SF: Topéca Coffee

Desserts

1. KoKoa Chocolatier
2. The Cheesecake Factory
3. Merritt’s Bakery

EP: KoKoa
SF: Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Stores

Downtown Restaurant

1. El Guapo’s Cantina
   James E. McNellie’s Public House
2. Eloté Café and Catering
3. The Chalkboard

EP: Eloté
SF: Joe Momma’s

 Fine Dining

1. Mahogany Prime Steakhouse
2. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
3. Polo Grill

EP: The Brasserie Restaurant and Bar
SF: Stonehorse Café 

 Gourmet Deli

1. Lambrusco’z To Go
2. Dilly Deli
3. Jason’s Deli

EP: Dilly Deli
SF: Lambrusco’z To Go

Greek

1. Jim’s Coney Island
2. Helen of Troy Mediterranean Cuisine
3. It’s Greek to Me

EP: Helen of Troy
SF: Shawkat’s Pita Bread Bakery

Happy Hour

1. McNellie’s
2. The Brook
3. White Owl Pub

EP: Full Moon Café
SF: Vintage 1740

Healthy Dining

1. Big Al’s Healthy Foods
2. D’Novo Lean Gourmet
3. Eloté Café and Catering

EP: D’Novo Lean Gourmet
SF: Whole Foods

Hotel Dining

1. The Chalkboard, Hotel Ambassador
2. Warren Duck Club, the Doubletree Hotel at Warren Place
3. Daily Grill, Crowne Plaza Hotel

EP: Warren Duck Club
SF: The Chalkboard

Indian

1. India Palace
2. Desi Wok
3. Kolam

EP: India Palace
SF: India Palace

Irish

1. Kilkenny’s Irish Pub and Eatery
2. James E. McNellie’s Public House
3. Paddy’s Restaurant and Pub

EP: Kilkenny’s Irish Pub and Eatery
SF: Kilkenny’s Irish Pub and Eatery

Italian

1. Ti Amo Italian Ristorante
2. Mary’s Italian Trattoria
3. Tucci’s
   Zio’s Italian Kitchen

EP: Biga Vino e Cucina
SF: Garlic Rose

Kid-friendly Dining

1. Incredible Pizza Company
2. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers
3. Chick-Fil-A

EP: Pei Wei
SF: Charleston’s

Late-Night Dining

1. The Brook
2. IHOP
3. James E. McNellie’s Public House

EP: Lucky’s
SF: Joe Momma’s

Local Restaurant

1. Eloté Café and Catering
2. Local Table
3. Wild Fork

EP: Wild Fork
SF: Lucky’s

Mexican

1. Senor Tequila
2. Los Cabos
3. El Guapo’s Cantina
   El Rio Verde

EP: Tacos San Pedro
SF: Andale’s Tex-Mex Grill and Cantina

New Restaurant

1. Eloté Café and Catering
2. Dilly Deli
3. Joe Momma’s

EP: LXi
SF: White Owl Pub

Outdoor Dining

1. Los Cabos Mexican Grill
2. El Guapo’s Cantina
3. Wild Fork

EP: Café Ole
SF: Tucci’s

Pizza

1. Hideaway
2. Joe Momma’s
3. Mazzio’s
   Umberto’s

EP: Savastano’s
SF: Mario’s N.Y. Style Pizzeria

Sandwich Shop

1. Bill and Ruth’s
2. Camille’s Sidewalk Café
3. Lambrusco’z To Go
   Panera Bread
   Queenie’s

EP: Queenie’s
SF: Dilly Deli

Seafood

1. Bodean Seafood Restaurant
2. White River Fish Market and Seafood Restaurant
3. Red Lobster

EP: Tie between Bodean’s (fine dining) and White River Fish Market (casual)
SF: Bodean’s

Sports Bar

1. Leon’s on the Restless Ribbon
2. The Brook
3. Fox & The Hound Pub and Grille

EP: Clubhouse Bar and Grille
SF: Leon’s

Steakhouse

1. Mahogany Prime Steakhouse
2. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
3. McGill’s

EP: Mahogany Prime Steakhouse
SF: Fleming’s

Sunday Brunch

1. Brookside By Day (BBD)
2. The Green Onion
3. The Chalkboard

EP: Warren Duck Club
SF: Blue Dome Diner

Sushi

1. In the Raw
2. Fuji
3. Sushi Train

EP: In the Raw
SF: Memories of Japan

Vegetarian

1. Big Al’s
2. Be Le Vegetarian
3. Whole Foods

EP: Ri Le’s
SF: Big Al’s Healthy Foods

Waiter

1. Jeb Perry, Brookside by Day (BBD)

Editor’s note: The Readers’ Choice dining selections were made via the results of an online survey. The survey included 37 open-ended questions requesting reader favorites.