Autumn eats
Scary-good menu items for fall
Grogg’s Green Barn’s Curried Pumpkin & Coconut Soup
GREG BOLLINGER
The long, hot summer of 2019 is finally on its way out. That means cooler weather, stylish clothes and pumpkin spice everything, to name just a few. For Tulsa food freaks, it also means relishing the bounty of autumn through fall menus at your favorite local eateries. From Oktoberfest classics to elegant farm-to-table fare, you’ll find that perfect taste of the season at a Tulsa-area restaurant.
To help you get started on the journey to eat and drink your way across the city this fall, we’ve put together a quick-and-dirty guide to some of Tulsa’s most irresistible menu items of the season.
* * *
Curried pumpkin & coconut soup
Grogg’s Green Barn
10105 E. 61st St.
The Reserve at Grogg’s Green Barn hosts seasonal farm-to-table dinners with fresh organic ingredients carefully prepared by chef Andrew Donovan. But no need to reserve a chair for lunch, served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday–Thursday. The hearty curried pumpkin and coconut soup is the perfect primer for chilly weather, featuring shiso (a Japanese herb in the mint family) and a kick of chili oil. Pairs great with a Farmer’s Plate of country ham, white cheddar pimento cheese, deviled egg and garden pickles.
* * *
Basic Becky imperial stout
Prairie Brewpub
223 N. Main St.
Beer will always be the star of the show at Prairie Brewpub, and there are plenty of fall flavors in the tanks—like Basic Becky, a fudgy imperial stout with boat loads of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and coriander. But be sure to ask for a food menu when you saddle up to the bar. Oktoberfest classics like fresh-baked pretzels served with beer cheese and spicy mustard hit the bullseye for snacking essentials, and the maple pear salad is a nod to the season’s harvest with mixed greens, poached pears, toasted pecans, cranberries and fried goat cheese topped with maple vinaigrette.
* * *
Pumpkin Pretzel
QuikTrip
Multiple locations
The Tulsa Voice office isn’t far from QuikTrip on Denver and 15th. This is convenient when our staff needs to gather tallboys for a cheap beer taste test, but it also means we eat more brisket tacos than any human being should. Now, back for the third year, QT’s pumpkin pretzel is a soft doughy delight topped with cinnamon and sugar and stuffed with pumpkin spice filling. Other autumn additions include the pumpkin cheesecake muffin and pumpkin QuikShake. If you can get over the inherent grossness of the word “snackle,” this seasonal gas station delicacy is what’s up.
* * *
The Maple Ridge
Vintage Wine Bar
324 E. 1st St.
Known for its impressive, globe-spanning collection of wines, Vintage Wine Bar is mixing it up this fall with a special cocktail sure to give you serious autumn vibes. The Maple Ridge is the perfect sip of the season with a balanced blend of bourbon, maple syrup, oloroso, chocolate and black walnut bitters. And with its gorgeous, ivy-accented patio in the heart of the Blue Dome District, Vintage Wine Bar is the ideal place to take advantage of the cooler weather while enjoying top-shelf libations.
* * *
S’mores Croissant
Esperance Bakery
610 W. Main St., Jenks
“If you bite into a croissant and you don’t make a mess, something is wrong.” That’s what Hope Alexander, owner and baker at Esperance Bakery, told TTV earlier this year when asked about the appropriate amount of butter for crafting her shop’s irresistibly flaky and crunchy croissant. Now she and her crew at Esperance are kicking things up a notch with gooey goodness of marshmallow and chocolate. Boasting classic campfire flavors, this s’mores croissant will have you ready to pack up your pup tent and light out for your favorite state park.