Triple-D in Triple-A: More Than OK in Oklahoma
Steve Klauke, voice of the Salt Lake Bees, spends all 144 games of the Bees season with the team, home and away. Needless to say he's not getting home cooking for 72 of those games. Steve's always looking for a good spot to eat in the 15 cities throughout the league and here, he'll chronicle those visits to his favorites, which also happen to be featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
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In past visits to Oklahoma City, the Bees were put up at a hotel within walking distance of the ballpark, which meant I did not get a rental car. This season, the team was housed in a hotel near the airport, which allowed me to get a rental and check out more of the Oklahoma City area and, more importantly, more of the restaurants that had been featured by host Guy Fieri on the Food Network program "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives".
My first stop was Ingrid's German Delicatessen. One of best things about Ingrid's is the bread they bake. They bake, in house, nearly 30 different kinds of bread, so any sandwich is as fresh as can be. Ingrid's features all kinds of sandwiches, including a Reuben that was featured on the show. Now, I am not a fan of Reubens, so I went with the next closest thing, a corned beef sandwich on rye.
The corned beef was sliced thin and tender, but the highlight was the bread. Rye can be a tough chew, but this was easily the softest, freshest and tastiest rye I have ever eaten. The only down side was that I noticed, too late, that all of their sandwiches come with mayonnaise on them. I don't like mayo and I don't see any connection between mayo and corned beef. Mustard yes, mayo no. I ordered a side of German Potato salad, which was very good.
The next day, I drove 20 minutes to Norman, the home of the University of Oklahoma Sooners. After walking around campus and checking out the football facility, I stopped by The Diner, a restaurant in downtown Norman that has been open for over 100 years and appeared on one of the early episodes of Triple-D. Their specialty is chili, which not something I would usually eat in 90+ degree weather, but it is made with a recipe that has won multiple State Championships in Oklahoma. It is a Texas style chili, which means there are no beans in it.
You get a good sized bowl with your order and the chili itself was definitely "State Championship" quality. It definitely had a kick to it and I topped it with freshly chopped onions. I would rate it a two glass of water bowl of chili and while my spicy food loving brother would call it "mild", I would say it wasn't the hottest bowl that I've ever eaten, but it was right near the top.
The most disappointing part of the visit was that the colorful owner of The Diner, Mark Amspacher, who was featured on the show, had passed away a few years earlier. The staff still pays homage to him by wearing tie dyed t-shirts like he wore on a daily basis.
My final stop was Mama E's Wings and Waffles, a soul food emporium. They offer a Southern style lunch, where you get a choice of 1, 2, or 3 meats and a like number of sides with everything from collard greens to pig's feet. I went for what was featured on the show and in the name of the place, chicken wings and waffles.
I am not a big fan of wings, because I feel they are mostly skin, bones and fat. That was not the case here. I don't know where Mama E's finds them, but they served up three of the biggest meatiest wings that I have ever seen. They were served hot, delicious and on top of a waffle that may not have been the fluffiest I ever eaten, but the whole meal came together pretty well, although I am not sure of the fascination with chicken and waffles.
The second half of the road trip was to Colorado Springs, which doesn't have a Triple-D spot, but on the way back to Denver International Airport to head home after a day game, I stopped at Prohibition. Located just east of downtown Denver, Prohibition is a bar that has a full food menu. The featured item is called a Short Rib burger. There is nothing "burger" about it, though. They take braised short ribs, remove the bone and serve it "burger" style, which means on a bun with lettuce and tomato with a side of skinny fries. A topping of any kind of sauce was not necessary, as the short ribs were melt-in-your-mouth moist and delicious. I know that I have never had short ribs served this way, but I would make a habit of it if I lived in the Mile High City.
The sad part now is that with two months left in the season, I have no new "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" to visit. We travel to three cities; Fresno, El Paso and Des Moines, that Guy has not visited and I have already hit all of the restaurants featured on the show in Las Vegas and Omaha. Don't worry, though. I am sure that I will hit a few new spots during the off season and add to my total number of Triple-D places, which currently stands at 117.