Flying food
Will Rogers World Airport visitors will be able to get a taste of Oklahoma City cuisine as two local favorite eateries open new locations inside the regional hub.Tucker’s Onion Burgers and Coolgreens are working with food management company Delaware North to open airport restaurants early this year. Cinnabon will also open its first full-size store in Oklahoma City at Will Rogers.
It will be the fifth metro location for Tucker’s, a Good Egg Dining Group restaurant specializing in onion burgers, fries and milkshakes, and the seventh for salad and sandwich-focused Coolgreens. Both venues also recently opened locations in Norman.
Tucker’s and Cinnabon plan to open in the food in April and March, respectively. Coolgreens will be located in the airport’s west concourse near Gate 8 with an opening planned for early March.
Both Coolgreens and Tucker’s menus will include breakfast items in addition to the usual lunch and dinner fare. All three will open at 5 a.m. to serve early-morning travelers.
Savory sellout
Oklahoma City must taste good because Taste of OKC sold out once again.Organizers of the event to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma released 50 standing-room-only tickets Jan. 16 and quickly sold out again.
Area director Jacquelyn Edwards said money raised from the tasting event and auction is used to recruit and match “Bigs” with “Littles,” which can have a huge impact on the children’s lives. Each match costs about $2,000.
The Feb. 4 tasting event includes a deep bench of 33 great Oklahoma City area restaurants, including newcomers Texas de Brazil, Yokozuna and En Croute. My So Called Band will perform.
Though tickets are gone, the opportunity to help Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma is not. Donations can be made at bbbsok.org. Edwards said volunteers, especially Big Brothers, are always needed.
Lettuce eat
Houston-based salad eatery Salata broke ground on its first Oklahoma location Jan. 16. Started in 2005 by Berge Simonian, the salad bar restaurant includes five types of lettuce with more than 50 toppings and 10 housemade dressings, available as salads and wraps.The Oklahoma City venue at 12220 N. MacArthur Ave. is a franchise owned by Kevin Hogan, who is also opening two Texas locations in Lubbock and Amarillo.
Salata’s Oklahoma City location will be 61st in the nation with an opening set for March.
Lebanese libations
Lebanon might not be the first place one thinks of when talking about wine, but the chefs at Vast hope to change that with the its February wine dinner 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at 333 W. Sheridan Ave.The event will feature four wines from IXSIR winery in the Batroun mountains of Lebanon served with a five-course dinner.
IXSIR’s Altitudes Rosé, Grande Réserve White, Altitudes Red blend and Grande Réserve Red will be paired with the meal designed by chefs at Vast.
Tickets for the meal are $110. Call 405-702-7262 or visit vastokc.com.
