Editors’ Choice
This is one aspect of life in the metro that just seems to keep getting richer as time goes by – every year sees exciting new treats to try alongside familiar classics, and while we sometimes lose an old favorite or two, there’s plenty to go around to satisfy every kind of palate.
Best Portable Sweet Treat
Uptown Candy’s Hand-Dipped Caramel Apple
Filling the void left in our hearts (and stomachs) by Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory’s exit from the metro is the delicious new emporium Uptown Candy in Classen Curve. Stop in here first and leave your order for a chocolate dipped or caramel dipped apple, rolled in your choice of delicious toppings, for a taste suited to your exact craving. If you say “pretty please with sugar on top,” they might even dip your apple in both caramel AND chocolate … divine! A knife and fork wouldn’t be remiss in enjoying this sweet delight, but this is a portable treat if you don’t mind being a little messy. The custom confections have to take a trip to the cooler to set up before you can take them with you, so place your order first thing and come back to pick it at the end of your shopping trip. It will be worth the wait!
Best Hidden Gem
Rocky Mountain Grill
Once we found it, we immediately became big fans of this little diner near 2nd and Coltrane in Edmond. From his cheerful greeting and propensity to check in and chat with patrons to the more-than-ample portion sizes of handcrafted burgers, breakfasts and more he dishes up, many of which are laced with potent green chilies, the owner-slash-chef clearly loves his work. And green chilies. You won’t pay much and you won’t leave hungry; that’s a treasure worth tracking down.
Empire Slice House
Editors' Choice
The Plaza District is having a good year in general, and this pizzeria is a big part of why it’s getting harder and harder to find parking on NW 16th Street. Unmistakable pop aesthetic – album covers, band posters and comic book pages plaster the walls – pairs with a solid beer selection and addictively good New York-style slices or massive whole pies; simple pepperoni or more delectably complex Rocksteady (bacon, gorgonzola cheese and red onion drizzled with a tangy balsamic reduction), try it once and you’ll probably be back for more.
Best Coffee Shop
Starbucks
Locations nationwide
starbucks.com
Best Breakfast
Jimmy’s Egg
15 locations in the metro
jimmysegg.com
Best Weekend Brunch
Seven47
747 Asp Ave, Norman, OK 73069
405.701.8622
seven47.com
Best Place for Appetizers
Texadelphia
200 S Oklahoma Ave, Ste 110, Oklahoma City, OK 73104
405.208.4000
texadelphia.com
Best Cocktails
Seven47
747 Asp Ave, Norman, OK 73069
405.701.8622
seven47.com
Best Dive Bar
Edna’s
5137 N Classen Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73118
405.840.3339
ednasokc.com
Best Hole-in-the-Wall
Nic’s Grill
1201 N Pennsylvania Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73107
405.524.0999
Best Workday Lunch Spot
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop
2 locations in the metro
fuzzystacoshop.com
Best Casual Dining
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop
2 locations in the metro
fuzzystacoshop.com
Best Fine Dining
Benvenuti’s Ristorante
105 W Main St, Norman, OK 73069
405.310.5271
benvenutisristorante.com
Best Burger
S&B’s Burger Joint
5 locations in the metro
sandbburgers.com
Best BBQ
Earl’s Rib Palace
6 locations in the metro
earlsribpalace.com
Best Pizza
Hideaway Pizza
6 locations in the metro
hideawaypizza.com
Best Seafood
Pearl’s Restaurant Group
4 locations in the metro
funfresh.com
Best Ethnic Restaurant
Café Icon Sushi and Grill
311 S Blackwelder Ave, Edmond, OK 73034
405.340.8956
thecafeicon.com
Best Vegetarian
Coolgreens
5 locations in the metro
coolgreens.com
Best Dessert
La Baguette Bakery & Café
3 locations in the metro
labaguette.com
Best Food Truck
Big Truck Tacos
530 NW 23rd St, Oklahoma City, OK 73103
405.525.8226
Best Out-of-Business Restaurant
Mr. Goodcents
Goodcentssubs.com
Editors’ Choice
They inspire us with their talent, humble us with their dedicated service or just make us laugh with their antics. Life here in the Sooner State wouldn’t be the same without the ongoing influence of these local legends, and that’s a sincere compliment.
Best Local Fake Twitter Account
Remember the firestorm ignited over the Satanic Temple’s petition to place a statue of Satan at the State Capitol? While the constitutionality of religious monuments on Capitol grounds is still being debated through legal channels (and currently lined up for chances at Capitol real estate are at least four other groups, including the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster), the Dark One has taken his public relations campaign to social media with a hilarious faux profile, describing himself as “Just a kindly demon lord looking for equality and a home in the Oklahoma State Capitol Building. Don’t stare at my hooves, I’m insecure about them.” Certainly not for the easily offended, this irreverent Twitter feed delivers a decidedly fiery flavor with a clever stream of sarcastic commentary that takes itself none-too-seriously.
Best Local Know-it-All
Tie between Steve Lackmeyer and Leslie Spears
You know how you might see a news chopper circling overhead and wonder what’s up, or drive by a construction site and try to remember if you know what is being built there? Head right over to Facebook and Twitter to find the answer – you probably have a few people in your circle who are “go-to” know-it-alls, and seem to be in the loop about all the current events (even the ones unfolding this very minute!)
Best Celeb Neighbor
Kevin Durant
Thirdly, if you were KD’s neighborhood buddy you’d probably run into other awesome celebrities, like Beyonce or his mom Wanda. Secondly, sharing a street with him would mean you’d call The Hill at Bricktown home, and living downtown is certainly not without its charms. Most of all, though, he just seems … well, neat. Most people with his level of fame take pains to isolate themselves from the hoi polloi; KD strikes us as the kind of guy who’d greet his fellow humans and invite us over to watch “Game of Thrones.”
Best Elected Official
Mick Cornett
Best Humanitarian
David Boren
Best Local Band
Horseshoe Road
Best Meteorologist
David Payne
Best News Anchor
Erielle Reshef
Best Non-Politician You’d Like to See Voted Into Office
Barry Switzer
Kyle Dillingham
Readers Choice
Best Power Couple
Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood
Best Radio DJ
Ferris O’Brien
Best Radio Team
Jack & Ron
Best Sportscaster
Bob Barry, Jr.
Best Visual Artist
Jack Fowler
Best Ambassador/Celebrity Who Makes You Proud to Be An Oklahoman
Kevin Durant
Editors Choice
A strong economy and an affordable housing market are great assets for
a city, but it’s a vibrant cultural identity that makes that it a rewarding place to live in – and experiencing some of its outstanding things
to see and do doesn’t cost a dime.
Best Place to While Away an Afternoon
OKC Zoo
It can get a trifle warm in the Oklahoma summer, but that’s what the mist fountains, shady benches and snack bar are for. And with practically the whole of the animal kingdom to prowl through, a full day can go by in what seems like the flick of a giraffe’s tail. Being a landing strip for butterflies, watching red pandas push each other out of trees … the zoo is filled with experiences to treasure, and when you’re leaning against a fence to watch a distant tiger sun itself and another emerges silently from the bushes three feet from you … it’s memorable.
Best People-Watching Spot
Penn Square Mall
If you want to people-watch, you have to go where the people are; and with its 140-plus stores ranging from the immense two-story Dillard’s complex to the kiosk where a lone guy hawks RC helicopters, Penn Square exerts a considerable gravitational effect on the populace. All sections of the populace, too: old and young, suited up and dressed way, way down, citizens of every stripe roam through these air-conditioned acres. Grab a beverage or snack from the food court, sit back and revel in the never-ending (until 9 p.m.) spectacle of humanity on parade.
Best Public Art
SkyDance Bridge
One thing’s certain: you can’t miss this massive structure overlooking I-40. Not only is it big (197 feet tall) and iconically unmistakable, the soaring addition to the city skyline has a functional component (the bridge at its base will carry pedestrians into a downtown park) and was inspired by our state bird, the scissortail flycatcher. It was even named one of 2012’s 50 best art projects nationwide by the nonprofit Americans for the Arts. Plus, whatever shade admitting this might cast on our maturity and judgment: it’s pretty cool that it lights up.
Best Art Gallery
IAO Gallery
706 W Sheridan Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
405.232.6060
iaogallery.org
Best Casino
Riverwind
1544 State Highway 9, Norman, OK 73072
405.322.6000
riverwind.com
Best Charity Event
Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund’s Red Tie Night
okaidscarefund.com
Best Cultural Event
Festival of the Arts
April 22-27, 2014
Downtown Oklahoma City
405.270.4848
artscouncilokc.com
Best In-Town Hotel
Skirvin Hilton
1 Park Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
405.272.3040
skirvinhilton.com
Best Live Music Venue
Chesapeake Energy Arena
100 W Reno Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
405.602.8700
chesapeakearena.com
Best Museum
Oklahoma City Museum of Art
415 Couch Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
405.236.3100
okcmoa.com
Best Public Festival
Festival of the Arts
Downtown Oklahoma City
405.270.4848
artscouncilokc.com
Best Excursion for Adults
OKC Bricktown / River Cruise / Canal
405.236.4143
bricktownokc.com
Best Excursion for Kids
Oklahoma City Zoo
2101 NE 50th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73111
405.424.3344
okczoo.com
Best Place for Lazy Saturday
Lake Hefner
okc.gov/lakes/hefner.html
Best in-State Weekend Getaway
Beaver’s Bend
580.494.6116
beaversbendgetaways.com
OKC Thunder
Editors' Choice
A playoff run with considerable promise was cut short when Russell Westbrook went down with a knee injury. We’ll get ’em next year, we said. Kevin Martin went to the T-Wolves? Just wait, we said. And then Westbrook had another knee surgery and missed 30 games – and we still rolled up the league’s best record by the All-Star break. Even if we don’t bring home the title this year, even if KD doesn’t win the MVP, there’s no denying this season has been an utter blast to watch so far.
Editors’ Choice
Online commerce might be awesomely convenient, but even if you could have the whole world delivered to your doorstep, you wouldn’t
want to if you had access to shopping options like these.
Here’s where to go when you want to get down to business.
Best Place to Find Stuff You Didn’t Know You Couldn’t Live Without
McNeil Liquidations Estate Sales
Most Saturday mornings will find the masses awaiting entry to the best locations, a la Best Buy’s Black Friday sale, as estate sales go mainstream. Every sale is different, meaning the inventory is constantly fresh and you never know what you are going to find, but you will rarely walk away empty-handed. Much of the macabre mystique has dissipated with the recognition that used items are an environmentally conscious way to reduce the amount of “stuff” going to landfills, plus the sales are actually helpful to families and they are a way to find really interesting and unique items with a treasure-hunt twist.
Best Movie Theater
Moore Warren Theater
An art deco cinema palace with top-tier equipment and plenty of style, the Warren excels at offering options: a concession stand, diner and bar outside the theaters; films in 2D, 3D or IMAX; the choice between stadium seating, a cry room for parents with infants, a plush balcony with reserved seats and menu service, even a lavishly appointed, full-service, private Director’s Suite. If sitting in complete comfort, eating cheese fries and drinking a giant beer while watching a movie is wrong,
we don’t want to be right.
Best Antique Store
Mockingbird Manor Antiques
4417 N Western Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73118
405.521.1212
Best Auto Dealer
Bob Moore Auto Group
16 locations in the metro
bobmoore.com
Best Bike Shop
Schlegel Bicycles
900 N Broadway, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
405.232.4040
schlegelbicycles.com
Best Fitness Center
The Health Club
3720 W Robinson St, #124, Norman, OK 73072
405.329.5050
thehealthclubnorman.com
Best Furniture Store
Mister Robert Fine Furniture & Design
109 E Main St, Norman, OK 73069
405.321.1818
misterrobert.com
Best Jeweler/Jewelry Store
B.C. Clark Jewelers
3 locations in the metro
bcclark.com
Best Kid’s Clothing Store
Uptown Kids
5848 N Classen Blvd, #3, Oklahoma City, OK 73118
405.418.8881
uptownkidsstyle.com
Best Women’s Clothing Store
Cayman’s
2001 W Main St, Norman, OK 73069
405.360.3969
caymanscollection.com
Best Men’s Clothing Store
Steven Giles
5850 N Classen Blvd #1, Oklahoma City, OK 73118
405.607.4633
stevengilesclothing.com
Readers' Choice
Full Circle Bookstore
50 Penn Place
1900 NW Expressway,
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
405.842.2900
fullcirclebooks.com
Best Cosmetic Dentist
Dr. J. Ashley Hancock,
Classen Dental
4900 N Classen Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73118
classendental.com
Best Cosmetic Surgeon
Dr. Tim R. Love
11101 Hefner Pointe Dr, #104, Oklahoma City, OK 73120
405.563.9948
drtimlove.com
Best Florist
New Leaf Florist
2500 N May Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73107
405.842.2444
newleafflorist.net
Best Hair Stylist
Chad Taber, Salon W
7304 N Western Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73116
405.608.0692
salonwokc.com
Best Hair Salon
Revel Eight Salon
201 NW 10th St, #125, Oklahoma City, OK 73103
405.702.1688
Best Pet Services
Lucky Dog Lodge
420 NW 70th St, #A, Oklahoma City, OK 73116
405.848.5733
luckydoglodge.biz
Best Shoe Store
The Webb
2001 W Main St, #103, Norman, OK 73069
405.321.8289
shopthewebb.com
Best Spa
