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PrintCalling all night owls!
Cherry Street’s White Owl Pub offers a variety of upscale pub-food specialties.
I have Curt Herrmann to thank for giving me my first (and only!) restaurant job. I worked the garde manger (cold food) station at the once-popular, but unfortunately long-shuttered, Montrachet in Brookside, where he was the chef, alongside co-chef Marjorie Alexander.
Now Tulsans have Herrmann to thank for bringing upscale pub grub to Cherry Street. We’re lucky to have him back in town (or even the country!). For chef Herrmann left for Spain almost a decade ago and was cooking there, and in London, before heading back to the U.S. for a gig as a personal chef in Illinois.
Recently, one of his former employees, Jason Hunt, who owns the White Owl with his wife, Kelly Finegan-Hunt, talked him into coming back to Tulsa to the White Owl, a pub Hunt was opening on bustling Cherry Street.
Years ago, I had spent many a meal in the space, which in its former life housed the popular Fifteenth Street Wok.
Now the space is lined with a long wooden bar and shiny metal barstools. Tall pub tables fill the main dining and bar space. There is a second, smaller dining area just up a few stairs and another space in the back of the restaurant with a pair of pool tables and a pinball machine. You can’t miss the restrooms, for the hallway is illuminated by a giant high school football scoreboard hung on the wall.
Working in London exposed Herrmann to the exploding gastropub movement, which is clearly evident in his menu, which features upscale dishes such as spiced Norwegian salmon and a hand-cut rib eye, as well as classic pub favorites done right — fish and chips, nachos and pizza, to name a few.
My husband, Tate, and I popped in on what we thought might be a low-key Tuesday evening, but the place was bustling. Guys at the bar were watching baseball games on the large flat-screen TVs scattered throughout, groups were meeting for drinks after work and local residents stopped in for a hearty weeknight dinner.
We started with fried ricotta and spinach ravioli, which were crisp, piping hot and served with a delicious house-made marinara sauce ($7.95), but I couldn’t keep from eyeballing the giant platter of carne asada nachos ($9.95) that the gentlemen at the next table were devouring — maybe on the next visit! 
Other starters include fried zucchini strips with house-made ranch dressing ($4.95) and fried chicken legs served Buffalo-style with celery and blue cheese dressing ($7.95). My sister Mary claims the chicken legs are worth coming in for.
The menu offers a trio of salads — a classic iceberg wedge ($4.95); spinach with celery seed dressing, apples and blue cheese ($4.95/$8.95); and a hearty chopped salad loaded with chicken and bacon ($9.95). There is also a small selection of panini ($8.95) — salami, veggie and Cuban — and pizza ($9.95-$10.95) — margherita, sausage and pepperoni and pesto. But we moved right on to the main dishes.
My opinion of a pub’s food will always be swayed by the quality of its fish and chips. White Owl serves two large and crispy filets, deliciously paired with tartar sauce and malt vinegar, and your choice of house-made potato chips or fries. Definitely go with the fries, for they soak up the malt vinegar you sprinkle over the fish. A trio of sliders, with onions fried in, is available with either cheddar, blue or Swiss cheese. We chose blue, which proved to be a little salty when paired with the rich, oniony burger. I think mild cheddar would have been a better fit. The burgers came with a pile of house-made potato chips, half of which were delicious, half a bit overdone.
Three seems to be the magic number, for a trio of desserts (all $5.95) round out the menu. Crème brûlée and apple strudel sounded like a safe option, but we were very happy when our choice — beignets — arrived. Three golf-ball-sized fried pastries are surprisingly stuffed with a delicious, not-too-sweet vanilla crème and served with a fudgy chocolate dipping sauce. I was sad there were only three on the plate.
In addition to the regular menu, a chalkboard posted at both doors offers a list of daily specials — tomato-basil soup, smoked salmon pizza with thyme oil and Portobello mushroom and chicken Alfredo pasta on the day we visited.
There are about a dozen beers on tap — including Guinness, a pub necessity — as well as a full bar for mixed drinks and wine by the glass.
Thanks, Curt, for coming back to Tulsa. We hope this time you’ll stay a bit longer.
White Owl
1325 E. 15th St., 933-5050
Cuisine — Gastropub
Setting — Cherry Street district
Chef — Curt Herrmann
Owners — Jason Hunt and Kelly Finegan-Hunt
Prices — Appetizers and salads, $4.95 to $9.95; pizza, sandwiches and entrées, $8.95 to $20.95
Credit cards — All major accepted
Hours — Seven days a week, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.; full menu served 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Dress — Casual
Noise level — High
Handicapped access — Yes
Smoking — No
Parking — Street and behind restaurant
