Surely our Okie palettes have developed beyond the need for sugar and salad dressing with every meal, right? I jest, of course.
In reality, Oklahoma City food culture has come a long, long way in the past 15 to 20 years, and so have our tastes. The recent news of several OKC restaurants closing is simultaneously surprising and somewhat expected for such a burgeoning scene.
I can remember a time when the Spaghetti Warehouse was just about the only place to go in Bricktown. At that time, Midtown — where many establishments have since opened and now, regrettably, have closed — was a complete non-factor. I’m sure there are readers who can remember further back than that, but I don’t think there was ever a time other than now when we could enjoy so many great dining options in the metro area.
While there are many different reasons for the recent closures — owner retirements, rent and other economic factors among them — it’s important to keep perspective about how far we’ve come, and what the future could look like. Things like this are going to happen in a healthy food scene, and it sucks when it happens to come bunched together in a short span for our city. The good news is there are many restaurants coming online soon, so I’d say OKC’s future looks tasty.
Past Sundaze comics
Personal fowl: Switzer blitzes Stitt on rooster rumbles
Sen. Markwayne Mullin takes his fight and bite national
Stitt antes up for February fight on sports betting
Bad luck Halloween: The rainy trick spoiling your treats
New OKC Thunder arena election may not be a layup
The water meter spins at the Edmond aquatic center
Ryan Walters explores new math with budget request
Endless consumption: Pac-Man popular in Oklahoma
Cheers to 8 years of (sometimes political) cartoons
What to do when there’s no room at the Edmond inn?
Behold, OU students: Lindsey Street tailgating returns
PAC 12 implosion continues conference realignment
The Earth must be quite a pothole for UFOs
American Heartland Theme Park raises some eyebrows
Sick of Stitt hammering the machine, Drummond seeks a spin
Introducing a Razr-thin margin of plausible deniability
Bright future: OKC Thunder rookies ready to get to work
Blockbuster: Oklahoma weather presents DVD-size hail
Uncommon ground in Edmond: No art of compromise?
Stitt knows how to get, how to get to Override Street
Former Justice Steven Taylor broke open a tie ballgame
Welcome to the whirlwind of graduation season
All aboard? Coordinating an Edmond, Norman, OKC commuter rail vote
Dunkin’ on each other for ‘Donuts with the Governor’
Oklahoma’s turnpike expansion plan faces road blocks
Easter Sundaze: Trying to save a dime in the egg aisle
Preserving Hafer Park memories: Welcome to paradise
Oklahoma’s Broadband Office and the mystery of missing meeting minutes
March Madness 2023: So your bracket is in shambles
Will the Oklahoma House lock in Daylight Saving Time?
SQ 820: We’ve got another election on our hands
Cockfighting fight turns back time at Oklahoma Capitol
Valentine voting: For the love of democracy
Last week on This Old Attorney General’s Office
Budget hearing previews the last ride of Mark McBride
Plenty of cooks in the Oklahoma education kitchen
Here’s looking at you, me: The two jobs of Ryan Walters
Compared to recent years, 2022 seemed tolerable
‘This is a BFD’: The romance of nuclear fusion heats up
Weird local rules mean extra Edmond elections
2022 World Cup draws cause cultural comparisons
Straight party voting throws quite a rager in Oklahoma
An ‘I voted’ sticker is the prize for enduring all these ads
Halloween can be a tough time to mind your diet
Answer the question? The art of political dodgeball
How hideous can the Ugly Season get before it’s over?
Down goes Dumpty: OKC Egg Church has a great fall
Many options for brand synergy in the OKC film industry
This season includes new adventures in OU tailgating