Need suggestions for a romantic weekend in Tulsa
January 29, 2010 10:53 AM
My wife and I will be spending a weekend at the Hard Rock Hotel in Tulsa for my 30th birthday. Need some ideas on restaurants and things to do...
I asked here at MF a few months ago about a trip to Dallas and got such good advice I figured I'd try it again.
Anyway, we'll be travelling from OKC to Tulsa next month and I'd like to have a nice list of possible things to do before we head up there. Being that it's a weekend away from the kids, we'd like to spice it up a bit. For example, we'd like to find some restaurants where we aren't the youngest people by 20 years and my wife can wear a sexy "little black dress" and not feel like she sticks out like a sore thumb (if you're not from the midwest, that may not make much sense...).
Do such places exist? Lord knows they don't in OKC. Are we going to be stuck at the Hard Rock the whole weekend? :-)
As far as things to do, I'm thinking we'll check out The Center Of the Universe. Perhaps a museum or two and some shopping (suggestions welcome).
Anyone familiar with Tulsa willing to throw out some ideas?
Thanks!
I asked here at MF a few months ago about a trip to Dallas and got such good advice I figured I'd try it again.
Anyway, we'll be travelling from OKC to Tulsa next month and I'd like to have a nice list of possible things to do before we head up there. Being that it's a weekend away from the kids, we'd like to spice it up a bit. For example, we'd like to find some restaurants where we aren't the youngest people by 20 years and my wife can wear a sexy "little black dress" and not feel like she sticks out like a sore thumb (if you're not from the midwest, that may not make much sense...).
Do such places exist? Lord knows they don't in OKC. Are we going to be stuck at the Hard Rock the whole weekend? :-)
As far as things to do, I'm thinking we'll check out The Center Of the Universe. Perhaps a museum or two and some shopping (suggestions welcome).
Anyone familiar with Tulsa willing to throw out some ideas?
Thanks!
I thought of a couple more.
The Chalkboard is an upscale restaurant in a boutique hotel (owned by the same people as the Colcord in OKC) on the edge of downtown. It's fancy but also caters to a young-ish crowd. It would be a good "romantic" spot and the food is quite good. Another romantic spot is India Palace, God's gift to food and the greatest Indian restaurant on the earth. Cosmo Café on Brookside is another good place to get a drink or dinner. It's upscale for what it is, but maybe not quite nice enough for your purposes. It might be a nice lunch spot for you, after you check out Philbrook.
You could also go to the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks, although that's sort of on the other side of town from where you'll be staying. The advantage to going out there would be that Jenks is full of antique stores, if you're into that sort of shopping.
posted by hilaritas at 11:35 AM on January 29, 2010
The Chalkboard is an upscale restaurant in a boutique hotel (owned by the same people as the Colcord in OKC) on the edge of downtown. It's fancy but also caters to a young-ish crowd. It would be a good "romantic" spot and the food is quite good. Another romantic spot is India Palace, God's gift to food and the greatest Indian restaurant on the earth. Cosmo Café on Brookside is another good place to get a drink or dinner. It's upscale for what it is, but maybe not quite nice enough for your purposes. It might be a nice lunch spot for you, after you check out Philbrook.
You could also go to the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks, although that's sort of on the other side of town from where you'll be staying. The advantage to going out there would be that Jenks is full of antique stores, if you're into that sort of shopping.
posted by hilaritas at 11:35 AM on January 29, 2010
I dont know if you like cheesefries but if you do like cheesefries I highly recommend The Brook. The cheesefries there are the best and they will easily feed four people. Maybe six. I am not sure what you would like to shop for but there is a great fireworks warehouse out near the Broken Arrow part of town. I think its called Fireworks Universe #1. If you want to take in the local culture, your weekend must include cheesefries and fireworks.
posted by asqueroso at 11:55 AM on January 29, 2010
posted by asqueroso at 11:55 AM on January 29, 2010
Oh god, I can't stop myself.
The Local Table is an upscale restaurant that tries to use local produce and meats in all of their dishes. Disclaimer: our friends own it. They also own Biga, another nice Italian place. The two restaurants are right next to each other.
If you want seafood in a fancypants environment, try Bodean's. Go get breakfast at the Blue Moon Bakery, which just moved to new digs on Brookside and is staffed by incredibly friendly people. (They just gave me free breakfast today when I forgot my wallet.)
I am a one-man Tulsa booster club.
posted by hilaritas at 11:58 AM on January 29, 2010
The Local Table is an upscale restaurant that tries to use local produce and meats in all of their dishes. Disclaimer: our friends own it. They also own Biga, another nice Italian place. The two restaurants are right next to each other.
If you want seafood in a fancypants environment, try Bodean's. Go get breakfast at the Blue Moon Bakery, which just moved to new digs on Brookside and is staffed by incredibly friendly people. (They just gave me free breakfast today when I forgot my wallet.)
I am a one-man Tulsa booster club.
posted by hilaritas at 11:58 AM on January 29, 2010
I (much to my great sorrow) left Tulsa a couple of years ago, and was broke with young kids for a few years before we left, so I can't help you much with the hot trendy places, but there are definitely places for a nice romantic dinner where a 30 year old and a little black dress would feel at home.
Ti Amo, The Wild Fork, and Mary's Italian Trattoria would all fit the bill. The Wild Fork is at Utica Square which is a great place for shopping if the weather is decent. Mary's is a hole in the wall place on Cherry Street, which has some interesting shopping, galleries and bars, and can be a lovely place to walk, but tends to be a little more casual. Brookside is another good spot for fine dining/black dress places, and there are plenty of other things to do there, but places there tend to be more about being seen than romantic experiences for two. Fuji Japanese Restaurant, India Palace, and The Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse are some more of my favorite, very nice, restaurants, but I wouldn't put them in the Big Romantic Evening category, despite having gone to The Gaucho for two anniversary dinners. I have been bothered by other people's obnoxious kids at all three - probably not what you're looking for in a grown-ups only weekend.
Philbrook and Gilcrease are both excellent museums. Woodward Park, Swan Lake and RiverParks are all nice romantic places to hang out in good weather. Downtown has changed pretty dramatically in the last few years, so I have no idea what to recommend there, but I'm sure there are places worth checking out. You can check the PAC or the BOK center for any big shows going on that weekend.
Here, here, and here are some previous What-to-do-in-Tulsa askmes
posted by Dojie at 12:12 PM on January 29, 2010
Ti Amo, The Wild Fork, and Mary's Italian Trattoria would all fit the bill. The Wild Fork is at Utica Square which is a great place for shopping if the weather is decent. Mary's is a hole in the wall place on Cherry Street, which has some interesting shopping, galleries and bars, and can be a lovely place to walk, but tends to be a little more casual. Brookside is another good spot for fine dining/black dress places, and there are plenty of other things to do there, but places there tend to be more about being seen than romantic experiences for two. Fuji Japanese Restaurant, India Palace, and The Gaucho Brazilian Steakhouse are some more of my favorite, very nice, restaurants, but I wouldn't put them in the Big Romantic Evening category, despite having gone to The Gaucho for two anniversary dinners. I have been bothered by other people's obnoxious kids at all three - probably not what you're looking for in a grown-ups only weekend.
Philbrook and Gilcrease are both excellent museums. Woodward Park, Swan Lake and RiverParks are all nice romantic places to hang out in good weather. Downtown has changed pretty dramatically in the last few years, so I have no idea what to recommend there, but I'm sure there are places worth checking out. You can check the PAC or the BOK center for any big shows going on that weekend.
Here, here, and here are some previous What-to-do-in-Tulsa askmes
posted by Dojie at 12:12 PM on January 29, 2010
Great stuff! Thanks guys!
@hilaritas: Can I just hire you as our guide for the weekend? lol!
posted by jluce50 at 12:53 PM on January 29, 2010
@hilaritas: Can I just hire you as our guide for the weekend? lol!
posted by jluce50 at 12:53 PM on January 29, 2010
Seconding the Local Table. I live right around the corner from there and eat there often. Blue Moon is amazing as well, especially in their new location. The quiche is to die for. Keo's is a great asian place down the road about a block from those two.
On the plus side, getting there from HR is easy as can be. Head west on the highway till Riverside and get off, going north 1 mile. Turn right (east) on 41st and you're in Brookside. Everything is right there. If you like hole-in-the-wall style places, Hacienda is there as well and it's a terrific little mexican place. Shades of Brown is the best coffee place around, even if it is over-run by the hipster dufus crowd.
Also, if you want some really good food and are willing to pay for it, go either to Polo Grill or Stone Horse Cafe and either one would be a great fit for her outfit. If you want to stick near Brookside and the highway and go somewhere really nice, you cannot top the Brassierre. It's on Brookside near all these others and is terrific fine dining experience. An old friend of ours is the manager there and we've never, ever failed to love every bite in our mouth or the service.
posted by damiano99 at 7:33 PM on January 29, 2010
On the plus side, getting there from HR is easy as can be. Head west on the highway till Riverside and get off, going north 1 mile. Turn right (east) on 41st and you're in Brookside. Everything is right there. If you like hole-in-the-wall style places, Hacienda is there as well and it's a terrific little mexican place. Shades of Brown is the best coffee place around, even if it is over-run by the hipster dufus crowd.
Also, if you want some really good food and are willing to pay for it, go either to Polo Grill or Stone Horse Cafe and either one would be a great fit for her outfit. If you want to stick near Brookside and the highway and go somewhere really nice, you cannot top the Brassierre. It's on Brookside near all these others and is terrific fine dining experience. An old friend of ours is the manager there and we've never, ever failed to love every bite in our mouth or the service.
posted by damiano99 at 7:33 PM on January 29, 2010
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There's a new bar downtown called Enso's that might be nice for a drink. If you can time it for Soul Night there, you're in for a treat. All of the hipster bars are on North Main just north of downtown, near Cain's Ballroom. That would include the Soundpony and the Crystal Pistol. I'm 30 and those are the places I hang out. Other people our age of a more yuppie persuasion might prefer the White Owl on Cherry Street.
As for shopping, I'm no expert on that, but I would suggest Brookside again and maybe Utica Square.
You should definitely hit Philbrook Museum, which is an awesome museum in an old oil baron's mansion. Gilcrease is nice too. Its collection centers on Western and Native American art. If you like modern art, Living Arts is a gallery downtown that usually has interesting exhibits.
Unfortunately, the Hard Rock is out of town a bit, so any of these places will be a hike from your hotel.
posted by hilaritas at 11:19 AM on January 29, 2010