One of the adventures of spending the summer in a totally different place is the opportunity to try the local eating establishments. While I could probably eat at the “national chain” restaurants and still eat at a different one every day here in Stillwater, I enjoy trying the places that are not available anywhere else…or at least in the area to which I will be returning in three weeks. So far I have had Greek, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Japanese, Southern, and Indian cuisine (the subcontinent, not the Native American).
Today I opted for the Native American…bison! There is a diner here called Curly’s that serves burgers (beef) fixed anyway you like them. And they have real onion rings – the first real ones I’ve seen since Bob Petty’s Oakwood Drive-In on High Point Road in Greensboro closed thirty odd years ago. On my first visit to Curly’s, I had a hamburger with chili and cheese and it was soooo good that I had to go back and try the buffalo burger, which comes with smokey barbeque sauce, pickles, and onions. It was huge! and just as good as the regular hamburger. And of course, more onion rings.
If you’ve ever traveled outside of your birth village, you’ve encountered the locals who tell you that you really must eat at ___________ (fill in the blank). As there are in every town across the country, there are places in Stillwater that these folks say must be included when it comes to dining. Some I’ve been impressed by and some we must have encountered on a bad day. I believe I mentioned Mom’s previously…that was a good choice…and I’ll probably take Rachel to Curly’s when she comes in. And while Eskimo Joe’s was pretty good, I wasn’t that happy with Joseppi’s (an Italian themed spinoff of Eskimo Joe’s). The House of Greek was okay, but the pizza at Mazzio’s is just plain addictive…the former being locally owned while the latter is actually part of a chain in the Midwest. And for dessert, this place is crawling with frozen yogurt shoppes! But you better eat it fast ’cause it melts in this heat!
I haven’t gotten up the nerve to try the barbeque restaurants here…I doubt that they’re even cooking pork, much less doing it right. And there are some pricey steakhouses that I’m not terribly interested in. I probably should stop in at the original Sonic Drive-in while I’m in Stillwater…yep, this is where it started (so they say).
All in all, it’s been fun trying out new foods and getting a real “taste” of the area, but I look forward to returning to the land of the Waffle House, Biscuitville, and the Blue Mist Barbecue.