A little about a lot in the Oklahoma City dining scene
By Dave Cathey
| Published: February 6, 2013
While today's section focuses on recipes inspired by Sunday's start to the Chinese New Year and Mardi Gras on Tuesday, it's time for me to talk a little about a lot ...
Rick Bayless interview
Oklahoma City native and world-renowned chef Rick Bayless was in town last month for St. Anthony Hospital's Celebrity Chefs Series. He held court for lunch and dinner demonstrations. Between those excellent services, chef Bayless was kind enough to sit down with me in the NewsOK.com studios. Watch the extended interview online at NewsOK.com. See all the videos in the right column of this page
Just in time for
Chinese New Year
Longtime Dot Wo owner Denny Ha recently sold his interests in the original Dot Wo on Portland to purchase a huge space at N May Avenue and call it Dot Wo Garden. The new place is spacious, and the build out is in progress but the dining room is open for business. Enjoy the same great menu that made Dot Wo a major contributor to Oklahoma City's prowess for Asian cuisine in the space first home to a Golden Corral.
‘Top Chef' Update
Speaking of celebrity chefs, Del City's own burgeoning celebrity chef Josh Valentine advanced to the final four on “Top Chef” last week. He's now finished in the top three in four consecutive challenges. He won 365 bottles of wine two episodes ago for his interpretation of fried chicken, which was inspired by his grandfather's recipe.
Valentine, who is currently pastry chef at Dallas' FT-33, continues his quest for $125,000 and other prizes on Bravo at 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Cattlewomen's winners
The Oklahoma CattleWomen held its biennial recipe contest in January. The grand-prize winner was Debra Clifton, of Minco, who took home the $2,000 prize with Papa's Lasagna. The runner-up in the Budget Busting Meals entree category was Aunt Ruby's Rave Review Meatloaf by Lady Branham, of Norman. Clifton's Spicy Drip Beef took second runner-up.
The winner of the Beefed Up Beginnings appetizer category was Moore's Michelle Mitchell Robertson from Moore. Copies of all the finalist recipes can be found online at okcattlewomen.com.
OSU guest chef
The School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration welcomes Nick Badovinus, owner/chef of Neighborhood Services Restaurant in Dallas, Wednesday and Thursday as part of the school's Distinguished Chef Scholarship Benefit Series.
Chef Badovinus opened Neighborhood Services in 2008, following it with Neighborhood Services Tavern, Neighborhood Services Bar & Grill and now Off Site Kitchen. Nick was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's 2012 Restaurateur of the Year Award.
He will conduct a demonstration luncheon for sponsors starting at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, and a reception and reception and dinner at 6 p.m. Thursday
For information on how to sponsor the event, call 744-6713, or go online to humansciences.okstate.edu/hrad and click on the Distinguished Chefs Series tab.
Ins and outs
Chef Christine Dowd has left the Metro Wine Bar and Bistro, and has been replaced by Jonas Favela of The Ranch Steakhouse ... Chef Ryan Parrott has left Local in Norman, with chef Kyle Mills taking over the stove ... The sushi fusion concept Pachinko Parlor has closed ... Custino's Italian Kitchen will soon be called Taste Bud's Diner. Some of the recipes from Custino's will remain, but they will make way for favorites from Johnny's Lunch Box, which closed last year. Former Lunch Box owner Ed Strawn has joined forces with Custino's owner Bud Elder to bring the sorely missed flavors of the longtime downtown lunch spot back into the market. Strawn is already working at Custino's; changes both cosmetic and to the menu are in the works.
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