Oklahoma Food Tours: A Delicious Adventure
Are you craving a new adventure here in the OKC Metro? Hanging out with friends and going on dates sometimes take a routine pattern: dinner and a movie, pizza and beer at the house, cookout on the patio. There is absolutely nothing wrong with those options, but sometimes you need to liven things up and go on an adventure. Besides, new adventures create fun new memories to laugh at later around a fire and some drinks.
Oklahoma Food Tours is less than one year old, and they have already successfully planned food tours for several Oklahoma City Metro districts, giving tourists and locals a deliciously unforgettable experience. After months of seeing pictures and reels on Instagram and Facebook, my boyfriend and I decided to take a chance! We checked out calendars, invited some friends, and booked our reservation for the Downtown Edmond Food Tour.
Warning: What you are about to read may cause you to feel extremely hungry while causing you to re-think your life. You may be tempted to have some fun and break out of your safety net. There are people who can assist you with your next steps to living a zestier life. It's okay. You are not alone.
The night of our food tour was one of the nicest that central Oklahoma has seen in months. A clear blue sky greeted us as we traveled the 20 minutes to downtown Edmond from our house. As luck would have it, we found a great parking spot within a minute walk to our meeting point, The Edmond Railyard. Anxiously, I checked my hair and makeup because you know all these moments were going to be captured on camera. I had to look my Instabest. Ryan, our head tour guide, was patiently waiting for our group to assemble in front of 1884, the wine, spirits, and cigar lounge. We introduced ourselves to the hungry tourists and hugged our friends that joined us. Before we could begin our walking food tour, we needed to sign a fun waiver. You know the one that says “Yes, I agree that if I get too drunk and fall in the street and hurt myself, I can’t sue you.” I mean, who has gotten so drunk that they fell in the street? Haha!!! I can honestly say, not me. It was the sidewalk, in college but that’s another blog for another day.
Once our waivers were signed, we were off to trot. As Ryan led the way, he told us fun facts and historical notes about different settings we passed in Downtown Edmond. From statues to wall murals, the art history is rich and inspiring. Because we were doing the tour between the hours of 4:30 & 7pm, the traffic was light, allowing us to goof around, take selfies with the statues, and ask random questions that only a local fan would know.
After a nice walk, we made it to our first stop on the food tour, Ellis Island. Ellis Island is a coffee and wine lounge with tempting pastries and light snacks. This location had a sophisticated fun feel to it, sparking up creativity and ideas for my next projects. There are many cozy corners, comfy tables, and hot spots for conversation. They have charging stations, Wi-Fi, and a printer too, which makes this a great place to come and do some work or have a meeting. Tonight though, we were there for the Iced White Blossom Peach Tea. Since we had a nice little jaunt from the Edmond Railyard to this lounge, our whistles needed to be wet. Ryan passed out our pre-made teas, and we eagerly popped our straws in for a drink. This tea is one of my favorites I have ever had. It was crisp and refreshing. The peach was prominent, yet it was not sweet. Everyone in our group seemed quite impressed as well. After taking some selfies and relaxing for a bit, we were on to the next delicious spot.
From Ellis Island, we meandered through some alleyways, spying hidden art and murals, to the relaxed sidewalks of Broadway. As we passed by the restaurants, boutiques, and shops, relaxed patrons smiled, sipped, and nibbled, blanketed by the late afternoon sun.
We made our way back to the Edmond Railyard to consume our first yums of the night. Walking in, Nabeel, our other awesome tour guide, had our table put together with plates and waters all assembled. We all felt like V.I.P. On the table were pizza boxes and some clear mystery containers and sauces! As we got settled in our seats, Nabeel introduced himself and happily took us through what we would be nibbling on the first course. From Oak City Pizza, we would be sampling their signature pizza, the White Oak Pie. From Hott Wings, we would be tasting their signature wings, the Pickled Wings. Hungrily, we grabbed at the pizza and passed around the wings, making sure we all got enough sauce to lubricate our mouths. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I got a whiff of the dill from the Pickled Wings. Immediately, my mouth began to salivate like a starving dog. I picked up my wing and took a cautious bite. From the moment my teeth pierced the crisp skin of the wing, I could feel the warm juices of the tender meat fill my mouth with a satisfying flavor. The Pickled Wings are marinated in pickle brine prior to cooking. One might think their wing would taste like a dill pickle, but they would be wrong. The pickle brine actually gave the wing a subtle dill flavor, but not overpowering. There was a salty crisp to the skin and the chicken was succulent and juicy. Probably one of the best flavor combinations for a wing that I have had outside of Korean fried chicken.
Once I gobbled down my chicken wing, I cleansed my palate with ice water and prepared myself for the pizza. White Oak Pizza is fired in a pizza oven giving it a distinct crisp, slightly charred finish. The crust is coated in a savory alfredo sauce and topped with chicken, bacon, cherry tomato, and spinach. The crust was crisp, tender, and chewy; the perfect vessel for the toppings it carried. The creaminess of the alfredo perfectly balanced the bacon and chicken. The sweet pop of the tomato and spinach added a touch of acidity. This would have paired perfectly with a crisp chardonnay, but I was too busy grabbing my second slice to order a glass. Conversations had turned to the chatter of chews, swallows, and soft hums of food ecstasy. Slowly, our other tour mates began to verbalize their opinions of the vittles, and we began bonding over flavor profiles and comparisons.
Once the last wing and pizza slices were cleared from their containers, Nabeel and Ryan gathered up the boxes and the servers refilled our waters. Suddenly, Nabeel delivered our next savory course, The Blue J burger from Blue J’s Rockin’ Grill. This burger was perfectly portioned for our group, quartered into several servings for us to grab at. I did not need any room on my plate for this tasty bite as I devoured this magical burger mini in a few bites. I wish I had never tasted this burger. It was the best taste of food sin I have ever indulged in. The glossy brioche bun cradled the blue-cheese stuffed burger meat patty, topped with grilled onions, bacon, and voodoo sauce. The meat was firm yet juicy, perfectly encompassing the blue cheese crumbles. The blue cheese was the perfect balance for the fattiness of the patty. Grilled onions, bacon, and voodoo sauce turn any burger into a work of art. This burger was one of the best I have ever had. I have been dreaming of it since first taste, triggering phantom calorie increase, thus causing me to gain weight days after consumption.
Once we had devoured the last of the burger minis, we wiped our faces and messy hands, and headed for the next location. It’s a good thing we left when we did, otherwise I may have gone to hunt down another Blue J burger. Instead, we travelled across the street to check out the Car Show at the farmer’s market. This was a great intermission for the tour as we needed to walk off all the sexy food we just ravaged. By this time, golden hour was beginning. The setting sun caused the custom cars to shimmer and glow. Families and car enthusiasts gathered and cheered as features were displayed. The Edmond Farmer’s Market area houses many festivals and shows throughout the year, and this one was full of unique cars, people, and activities. Food and drink trucks were parked, music was blasting, and some people in our group were nerding out on at the display of specialty cars. After about 15 minutes of ogling and trying not to break the merchandise, we began the journey across the railroad tracks to the Icehouse Project.
The Edmond Icehouse Project is a family-friendly restaurant, retail, and nightlife spot. Today we were there for the food. We strolled through the front gates, with our appetites, ready to conquer our next food adventure. Confidently, we separated the sea of families and made a bee line to Woodward Pizza. While we were gawking at the custom cars, Nabeel had made his way there to set up our bar-side spot and assembled our foods. Like VIP guests at an exclusive event, we hungrily passed the waiting patrons and found our special seats. Today we were trying the Detroiter Pepperoni pizza. This pizza is a standard Detroit-style pizza. Thick pan style, with a golden crust. The cheese and meat lay on the crust while the sauce is generously poured over the top. The sharp scent of baked cheese and sauce were causing my mouth to water and my fingers to tremble with food lust. We each cut a thick, gooey slice out and placed it on our plate. Now, I know I could have just shoved it in my mouth and ate it, but I was trying to eat like a civilized lady with table manners. Carefully, I used my fork and knife to cut the perfect bite. The thick buttery crust caved in my mouth, exposing the soft slithering cheese, punch of pepperoni, and sweet savory sauce. Pure heaven. I needed a minute to compose myself and not gulp too loud. This bite made me want to forget I was watching my macros and trying to slim down for the summer. The cheese snickered at me, reminding me I forgot to take my Lactaid before coming. Selfishly, I accepted my fate and slowly devoured the rest of my thick slice.
The manager came out and introduced himself. They were starting to get slammed as the Saturday night dinner and party crowd were beginning to show up. It was interesting hearing the story of the restaurant and how it came to be. Not many places in Oklahoma can make an authentic Detroit-style pizza so them bringing this gem here is exciting.
Just when we thought we were about to leave, more food was put in front of our faces! Before us sat a big, beautiful bowl of Mango Guacamole from The Fried Taco. Guacamole is like dessert: there is always room. This guacamole was seasoned to perfection – salty, thick, and the chunks of mango added a texture and sweetness that I had never experienced before. I have had mango salsa many times, but never mango guacamole. The chips were thick, hearty, and crunchy just the way a serious chip should be. Wimpy chips would not be able to handle this substantial concoction. Unsure if there was another food stop, I halted myself from finishing off the bowl, and allowed one of our other dining companions to do the honors.
Finally, it was time to make our way to the last stop—dessert. Thankfully, I wore my loose jeans so I would have room to expand. Since we were headed back to the Edmond Railyard, we would get to walk off more of those naughty calories. The sun was setting, and the temperature was falling. My tour mates were satisfied with their evening of feasting, and I was looking forward to going home and putting on my yoga pants to further expand. But first, we needed to order our ice cream from Capital’s Ice Cream. Capital’s has many delicious ice cream options! They have dairy-free ice cream, the ability to customize your order, and you can even pour coffee over your ice cream treat! I elected to get the Great Salt Plains. This delicious combo had caramel, pretzels, and pecans. All the good stuff. I got a mini cup and it was more than enough for me. Even though mine was exquisite, I was envying others who ordered theirs as a shake. The ice cream was so smooth and creamy. I loved the sneaky crunch from the pretzel and the nutty texture from the pecans. By the time I finished my cup, I was past full. Within an hour, I knew I was going to need some peppermint tea, a hot bath, and some Netflix. Nothing productive was getting done that night.
One by one, members of our group said their good-byes, noting their favorite moments of the night. We had met a few good food souls this evening, and we hoped we would see them again on another food adventure. My friends and I were marveling in all the different flavors we sampled, the history we learned, and the fun we had.
Oklahoma Food Tours is a great way to get out of your comfort zone and try some of the best bites the Metro OKC has to offer. What I loved about this tour is that I didn’t have to worry about what I was going to choose for dinner or where we were eating. Plans were already taken care of for us. They plan for the audience, consider food allergies or sensitivities, and change things up depending on the night. You will probably not have the same experience taking the same tour more than once. Ryan and Nabeel have done the research, learned the history, and have developed a good relationship with the restaurants and districts you tour to bring you the best of each place and an unforgettable time. Their passion for food, history, and the OKC metro area is evident when you take a tour with them. Get your special someone, some friends, family, or coworkers together for one of the many tours they offer. You can book tickets for a regularly scheduled event or you can book a private tour, which is more customizable.
Oklahoma Food Tours do more than just book reservations at a restaurant. They plan an entire experience, from food, history, local information, and fun. They take the hard work out for you. You are a VIP for the night, and you simply show up and enjoy the evening. If that sounds like something you need in your life, visit their website and book your own food tour in one of our many tasty districts. If what I described sounds like a terrible time, then you are allergic to fun and need to seek help.
Have you been to an Oklahoma Food Tour? If so, which one did you go on? Which one do you want to try? I want to hear all about it.
Until next time, keep life zesty!
Danna