Road Pickle: Oklahoma

Showing posts with label Oklahoma. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Tulsa, OK: Style Abounds in the Midwest

Deep in the heart of the Midwest is not where one would look to find fashion edge and high glamour. There are no "Street Style" photographers lurking downtown, waiting for starlets to pop out of limos on their way into the clubs. References to Middle America evoke thoughts of modesty, conformity and so-last-season fashions. These ideas couldn't be any further from the truth in the town of Tulsa.

Trends mark the time of fashion, but fashion does not define style and style is what these ladies of Tulsa have! Cowboy boots abound beneath edgy, frilly skirts and graphic tees, bringing that certain sex appeal to the girl-next-door. Toothy smiles and shy grins are the perfect accessory for a ruffled blouse with bare shoulders and snug, straight jeans atop a pair of chunky heels, all wrapped around a comfortable-with-myself, happy girl. All the New York edge and Paris couture cannot hold a candle to the allure of a woman who loves herself in jeans, a t-shirt, and beat up cowboy boots.

At The Refinery I found a treasure trove of Tulsa Style in an nontraditional setting. A clothing store, lounge and bookstore all in one, The Refinery is an amazing destination. Lie back on the couches and wander the web with their free Wi-Fi, play a game of pool with friends or the staff, or peruse the hottest brands of sexy/comfy clothing in this casual living room setting. I can think of no place chicks would rather spend an afternoon with friends than surrounded by stylish clothing, contemporary music, and world-changing, one-for-one Toms Shoes. The Refinery is proof positive that modesty and style can go hand in hand.

In Downtown Tulsa the ladies strut their stuff wearing an unusual mix of Dallas sleek, urban edge and hometown casual, without being over the top. The Tulsans dine on tacos, barbeque ribs and chicken, and sweet potato tots, while still managing taut figures under their eclectic mix of clothing. Elote Cafe is a hot spot for steaming chicks wanting a cold beer, caliente wrestling and their signature puffy tacos. Woodys Corner Bar in the Blue Dome District, while being a tourist destination with screeching cover bands, was crawling with young locals looking for fun.

The bohemians linger down on Cherry Street and 15th, haunting the coffee shops and Irish pubs. Our favorite spot, The Coffee House on Cherry Street, is filled with local color, beautiful girls, delicious treats, tantalizing drinks and free WiFi. Spending 6 hours on our laptops, we indulged in Pecan Pie, cold Chai Lattes, and refreshing Raspberry tea. As comfortable as my own living room and as welcoming as Grandma's house, The Coffee House seems like home to many a Tulsans. Relaxed local beauties lounged on couches, some cuddling with their fellas, others peering at laptops over their glasses through long hair, working as we did.

At night Cherry Street lights up with nightlife and music. But in South Tulsa Baker Street Pub rocks with live music and wild ladies looking to party. With a beer selection pretty much what one would expect to find in an English pub, along with craft beers and local brews, this well-decorated night spot is filled with the treasures of Great Britain. The patio is filled with lounging locals until late in the warm evenings and the bar is crowded until the wee hours. With secret rooms behind loaded bookcases and booming music, Baker Street Pub was one of the best night spots we found in Tulsa.

Stylish ladies, great nightlife, comfortable coffeehouses and delicious foods are all to be had here in the heartland of middle America.

Steamy Days Call for Short Shorts

Signature Puffy Tacos at Elote Cafe

Chugging a Brew at Elote's Bar Amid Mexican Wrestlers

Tulsa Chicks Have Edge

Lounging at The Refinery

Cozy Couple at The Coffee House on Cherry Street

Live Music Lights Up Baker Street Pub

Tulsa Ladies with Down Home Style

Tulsa, OK: The Blue Dome District

The Blue Dome District may be to Tulsa, OK what the Gas Lamp District is to San Diego, CA. A neighborhood of shopping, dining, and entertainment, all jam packed into a square of 12 city blocks, it seems to be where the downtown tourism tends to gravitate towards.

Named for an ancient gas station with an iconic blue dome that once served travelers on the old Mother Road, the Blue Dome District is where you find the night life, the live music, and a broad mix of people from golf-shirt dads, to mother-of-pearl cowboys, to black leather bikers, to nostril-pierced hippies. It's all there.

In my insatiable quest to find cool looking bars that serve the most eclectic beer, the Blue Dome District seems to offer the best choices. McNellie's Public House anchors down the district's influx of visitors with over 250 brands of beer on tap and in bottles. Sash couldn't resist the Shepherd's Pie, while I settled for the tried-and-true fish and chips.

But just caddy-corner away is Back Alley Blues BBQ, said to have some of Tulsa's best BBQ around. Even though I already had eaten a few hours earlier at McNellie's, I just had to indulge in the "Beer Can Chicken", which is a whole chicken roasted over a fire with a full can of beer stuck up its hind side. As the beer boils, the chicken's muscles are infused with malt and hops, intensifying the flavor and moistening the meat. And it indeed was very moist, and smoky too. But I assume they used Coors Light cause I couldn't detect much malt and hops.

Hunt Club Pub & Grill was another place we hung out at for a bit. I sucked down a beer while Sash took in a couple glasses of ginger ale. But not much was happening here aside from the lesbian bartender and her butch friend, looking all of 18 years old.

But there was a lot quality time spent at the Woody Guthrie Center. It's a museum dedicated to the late great folk singer, telling his story in music, photos, and film. Sash seemed pretty touched, making some kind of spiritual connection to her grandmother due to the Dust Bowl experiences that Guthrie sung about. Guthrie never hailed from Tulsa, but he did hail about 65 miles south in Okemah. I suppose they put the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa because one would see it in Okemah.

Joebot's Coffee Bar is probably the most off-beat coffee house I've seen yet. All decked out in toy-robot decor, it celebrates the bicycling community with splashes of Woody Guthrie and The Flaming Lips. Be sure to order a slice of "Candied Bacon Cheddar Corn Bread" while you're there.

Sash was also quite intrigued with graffiti-style paintings canvassed across many of the old brick buildings, giving the Blue Dome District a more youthful, urban feel. You'd never know you were deep in the heart of redneck country.

But it's clear that the Blue Dome District is still decades away from reaching its full potential. There's still a lot of abandoned buildings and empty space. It still has a friendly appeal and everything you need to hang out over good food, beer, and entertainment.