Chowing down in T-Town
Stories from Tulsa’s thriving food scene
“Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It's inseparable from those from the get-go.” —Anthony Bourdain
Like the dearly-departed Anthony Bourdain, we at The Tulsa Voice believe that food is one of the most enduring and effective methods of storytelling. At its best, our cuisine tells us something about our past, present, and future: where we’ve come from, where we are—and, perhaps most importantly, where we’re headed. This food issue was built with that in mind.
In the following articles, you’ll find great stories about food in Tulsa—from cinnamon rolls to fish markets to food pantries—which are, in effect, stories about ourselves. Our hope is that, when you learn something about the hardworking people putting food on your plate—like the skateboarding GM behind Gathering Place’s culinary operations, or the non-profiteers working to make the Mother Road Market a destination food business incubator and dining hall—then the story of Tulsa itself will be drawn into sharper, more delicious relief.
It’s also our hope that you’ll put this issue down hungry, ready to explore the great food our city has to offer. Bon appétit!
Cinn city
Blayklee Buchanan gives the rundown on cinnamon rolls from Tally’s Good Food Café, Dilly Diner, Savoy, Jane’s Delicatessen, and Phill’s Diner
Turning the page
Chef Justin Thompson—owner of Juniper, Prhyme, and other local concepts—publishes his first cookbook
By Greg Horton
Gather ‘round the table
An interview with Vuong Nguyen, general manager of culinary services for Gathering Place
By Greg Horton
Get your fix
Mother Road Market will add a community outreach aspect to the food hall model found in many major cities around the world
Brady Whisenhunt
Face to face
Adam Murphy’s “Faces of Iron Gate” portraits reveal the human dimension of the soup kitchen and grocery pantry’s mission to feed the hungy
By Alicia Chesser
Empty backpacks, empty bellies
#food4thoughtok campaign combats food insecurity for Oklahoma students
By Blayklee Buchanan
Tulsa’s fresh fish tip the scales
Bodean and White River Fish Market bring coastal fare to landlocked Tulsa
By Eric Howerton
The Wright stuff
Winner of the inaugural “The Wright Chef” competition Jimmy Sanabria is culinary artist-in-residence at Bartlesville’s Price Tower
By Becky Carman