Eating Out: A Taste of Tulsa

My feelings towards these traveling food shows is somewhat bittersweet. This relatively new phenomenon has caught on like STDs on prom night but is it really something new? For many years I've traversed up and down the Northeast Corridor, enjoy many fine eateries (and dumps, ok mainly dumps) from Maryland to Maine. Before I come off sounding too bitter, I am writing to occasionally share my experiences. One of my most recent food journeys found me in Sooner country and I was prepared. Prior to my arrival, I sent over my hit list of must haves and my hosts were more than willing to accommodate. It's also a great feeling to find hidden gems in a city that the locals were unaware of. 

That said, our Tulsa trip begins with lunch at Stutts House of Bar-B-Que (at right). This was an unknown join to over a dozen locals that I spoke with and I am glad I did my homework. The place is small and unassuming, the smell is strong and inviting. Walking into the door at Stutts is an affirmation that you are in store for a great meal.

My main goal when in OK was to not get too bogged down with Brisket, which is easy to do if you are not careful. That said, I ordered a platter that included Ribs, Hot Links, Slaw, Baked Beans, and some buttermilk pie for dessert. Dessert stole the show as the buttermilk pie was the best I've ever had and I can still taste it even though I'm 1500 miles removed from Tulsa. This was all washed down with a carafe of home brewed sweet tea that was perfectly sweetened. Who knew that ordering a sweet tea would result in such a large serving? I surely didn't, nor did I complain.

Next up was a trip to Ty's for some burgers, Tulsa style. Ty's has the requisite style to attract yours truly. Over 3 dozen sold? Maybe every minute. This place is along a main artery in Tulsa and it does its best to clog the arteries of those that dine therein.

What meal shouldn't start like this? Those are some loaded fries w/chili, jalapeños, cheese, etc. etc.That was followed up with some chili cheese fries and a double hickory burger with cheese. If in Tulsa, go here.
    The saga continued with a stop at the famous Elmer's, tag line, "It be bad." The home of the "Badwich" did not disappoint. Food, aroma, service, decor, check check check check. This is a spot that is a must for all out-of-towners and locals alike. I've grown tired of reading complaints from people to have claimed a bad experience here. The staff is so pleasant it's just unfathomable. Now, on to the interior. As you may see in the photo, this is a Blueseum, photos of many blues legends adorn the walls and there's some other cool items on display. But let's be serious, are you going to Elmer's to see pictures and stare at old record players? Not quite so thank goodness there's a badwich waiting for you.

Behold the Badwich. Sides included some smoked green beans that had delicious chunks of smoked ham and fried okra which left a little to be desired. Why the pickle spear didn't make the Badwich party is beyond me. The rib probably was excluded because of the bone but I'm glad the folks threw it on the plate.

The Devils In the Details

The tumultuous saga that is Ilya Kovalchuk's career took a new twist last night. Shortly after we learn that the Russian sniper turned down a 12 year $100+ million deal w/the Thrashers because of their inability to win despite his scoring prowess. Then, the team from the ATL sends him to Jersey for a pretty decent return. Niclas Bergfors, a rather slight Swede that has shown some scoring touch in the minors, Johnny Oduya, another Swede D-man (am I missing something or is Hotlanta a hot-bed for the Swedes?), a prospect that is suspended for the rest of this season and most importantly a first round pick (though this is rumored to be unspecified and I'm not sure how hard it is to get the facts straight.) Naturally the Devils have positioned this as a win now or else move since it's unlikely that Ilya will remain in NJ beyond this year unless the Devs upon up the coffers to retain the Soviet's services since there are rumblings that he is entertaining offers to return to the Motherland.

"The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction, for war is a drug"

Easily the best movie coming out of the Iraq war and one of the best war movies period, The Hurt Locker shook me. Big time. It’s not preachy. It’s not leaning left or right. It, much like the elite Army bomb-disposal unit it focuses on, just delivers.

The script was written by Mark Boal, who spent time embedded in a real-life unit in 2004, and based his script around that assignment and the stories and experiences within. What comes from his writing and Kathryn Bigelow’s excellent, visceral directing is first-rate action thriller, crammed to the bone with suspense. Throughout the 130 minutes, we are constantly on edge while consistent feelings of exhilaration and dread combine to form the perfect adrenaline cocktail.

The movie does not let up, compromise or back down.

When first introduced, Jeremy Renner’s Sgt. Will James seems as reckless and unpredictable as some of the devices he is tasked with disarming. But as the film progresses (more like rockets forward), we learn that he embodies a cold, steely precision in his ability and a confidence that is as heroic as it is disturbingly maniacal. One of the best and most revealing scenes involves the fact that James keeps various components of disarmed explosives in a crate of personal items below his bunk. It is evident that he holds a morbid respect for those who built them while simply explaining, “these are all things that could have killed me.”

Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty star alongside Renner as members of the bomb-disposal squad who must adjust to the gung-ho, suicidal mentality of their new leader which is in direct contrast with that of their previous sergeant (Guy Pearce). Their excellent performances convey the dynamic and conflict that is omnipresent in a job where even the slightest misstep can result in death on a massive scale.

"The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction, for war is a drug."

By the end of this film, you will understand that mentality.

See it now and remember it forever.

Image Courtesy: Summit Entertainment

15 Days...

...'til pitchers and catchers will be reporting to their camps in Florida and Arizona. There are a multitude of free agent P's and C's out there, some with more value than other. Spring is in the air and it can't come soon enough. Another snow storm is getting ready to batter the Northeast and it doesn't really matter because baseball's coming, and fast!

What we can promise is a more in depth analysis of the additions/subtractions on a team by team level, starting with the AL West and working our way back East - no East Coast Bias here! More importantly, with P's and C's around the corner, do not fall for the nonsense that there are some gems to be had on the free agent front when it comes to these positions.

Make an all-star rotation that includes Smoltz and Pedro? Ha! This is not 2003 and expecting big things from pitchers that showed flashes of their former selves on brief occasions in 2009 is folly. Granted, Pedro's 7 inning gem against the Dodgers was a tough luck start but for every 7 inning gem he needs 7 days of rest. Hardly a reliable SP in this day and age. Finding the right fit where he can either be a swingman that does spot-starting and/or long-relieving may add life to his career but it has to be for the right price.

Smoltz had a few good games with the Cards and may be a good addition in the NL, ideally the West in my opinion since the bats are extremely limited out there. The East may also work considering many of the parks are massive and favor pitchers but I do not see him in the ATL again and the Fish don't seem to be a fit either. Nats? Maybe...

Of the rest, who's worth anything? Bedard? See my post from 2+ years ago when the O's traded him to the (sub)Mariners. Wang? Injury history that dates back to 2001. Noah Lowry? Sure he throws with his left hand but he's hardly even done that in the last 4 years. Ditto for Mike Hampton, Odalis Perez, Mark Mulder, and Eric Milton. Jason Schmidt? He was bitten by my fantasy baseball jinx (I'll go in depth on that after the 2010 analysis). Livan? 35? If you even think yes to either of those you should take a drug test. Tomko? Prior? Ponson? Of those three, Prior intrigues because he once threw really hard. I bet he regrets not being drafted by the Yankees and taking the big bucks early on. At least he'd have made the money Joba figures to make before blowing out his arm. Ponson is actually probably the most affordable and biggest bang for the buck option on the list - there's an ideal fit for the NL West.

But what about the C's you ask? If Michael Barrett or Yorvit Torrealba do anything for you, they can be had at a cheaper price than ever before. If a backup is what you need, Jose Molina is ripe for the taking. The no O, all D catcher would be a great fit for any team. Too bad his time was up in the Bronx.

Talk about a Baltimoron

This just in from Ravens' owner Steve Bisciotti: "It certainly doesn't show up in the standings," he said. "If I'm a Yankees fan, I'm upset we're not winning 130 games with the roster that they have and the money that they pay out. I think it's a disgrace they only beat the average team by 10 games in the standings with three times the money. I'd fire that GM. You don't need a GM. All you have to do is buy the last Cy Young Award winner every year."

He obviously knows little-to-nothing about what it takes to run a baseball team. Using his moronic analogy, why doesn't he go out and sign the reigning offensive and defensive MVP from year to year? Regardless of what restraints the cap may put on NFL teams there are certainly ways to circumvent it - perhaps he neglects the fact that he gives out rampant signing bonuses to star players to buck the cap. Hmmm, curious. Further, if his NYY analysis really held any weight, wouldn't the Spend-First-Ask-Questions-Later Daniel Snyder's Redskins have won something, like even a playoff game or two, in the last decade? 

Is This Some Sort of Jokinen?

With each passing week, the New York Rangers continue to resemble the group of pre-lockout mercenaries that came to identify the team and franchise during the first leg of Glen Sather’s New York Insanity Tour more and more. The only thing that was lacking thus far this season was the head-scratching desperation move that resulted in an unwanted, past-his-prime stiff falling into our laps. Well, as Sam Rosen would say, “The waiting is over!” The cherry was put on the sundae of misery last night with the acquisition of classic underachiever Olli Jokinen. The Blueshirts sent resident whiner and non-entity Ales Kotalik and snake bitten Chris Higgins to the Calgary Flames for Jokinen and pugilist Brandon Prust. The bright side of the deal for the Rangers is a combination platter of clearing some salary in Kotalik while obtaining (thankfully) a rental in Jokinen (UFA at season’s end).

The funniest side note of this trade involves Kotalik and his no trade clause. Yes, you read correctly. Glen Sather gave ALES KOTALIK a partial no trade. Anyway, Kotalik’s list of “can’t trade to” teams is only three deep but one of them includes Calgary. Not sure if this was plain old forgetfulness or a senior moment, but how can Glen Sather try to trade a guy to one of the only teams on his no trade list when he helped engineer the clause and include it in the contract to begin with? He signed the g-ddamn guy seven months ago! It baffles me and the irony/hilarity/horror of this side story is really flying under the radar. The deal was held up for a day due to this little caveat until Kotalik relented and figured that February in Western Canada was a lot warmer than the conditions in John “Fonzie” Tortorella’s dog house.

The guy I am really excited about in this deal is Prust. Seriously. He makes only $500K a year and ranks second in the NHL in fighting majors. This team needs some jam and some energy infused via barbarism and this will provide it. It might come at the expense of Aaron Voros, but really who cares? It’s too bad he is not a center, because then we could euthanize, I mean bench, Brian Boyle instead.

As for the big piece of the trade, Jokinen, the Rangers have done what we have come to expect: obtain an underachieving locker-room cancer whose reputation around the league is akin to that of…damn…I was going to say Sean Avery. Anyway, nobody likes to or wants to play with this guy. Sather landed him, presumably, to play with Marian Gaborik, but the question is why? Jokinen is a selfish, shooting center who is at the top of his game when he is battling and getting pucks at the net. He shoots. Gaborik shoots. Neither is a playmaker. So what am I missing?

Going by the scouting reports, his current MO is that he half-asses it and plays softer than vanilla ice-cream melting on a sidewalk in the middle of July. If it’s a game against a physical rival, forget about it. Man down. Where’s Olli? Can’t wait for the next Flyers game can you? IF, on the other hand, he performs at the level that makes him successful, we will have two pure shooters on one line. He will not pass. He will not set up Gaborik. He will not be a fit. Even if he is working hard. He had little under a year to form some sort of chemistry with one of the best goal-scorers of the last decade in Jarome Iginla, and that experiment looked a little like this: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2217/2417429760_c824644ff6.jpg

So why will it work with Gaborik? It won’t. Classic Ranger move that I and a lot of other fans have become far too used to over the past decade plus. Thankfully the Olympics are the only speed bump in getting this season over with. A two week break and then the ship continues to hurtle towards Earth, destined for fiery, cataclysmic destruction. With Olli Jokinen riding shotgun.


Want your voice to be heard? Want management to clean house and build this franchise back to a level of honor and respectability? Then attend the “Fire Sather Rally” prior to the Sunday March 7th game against Buffalo at the Garden. Click the link for more details: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=272851463916&ref=ts

Image Courtesy: Carlson/AP