Regain your Refund
Tax season is an annual economic stressor for many in the 405, especially for low and medium-income families. As W-2 forms make their way into mailboxes across the state, a number of Oklahomans face a choice they may be…
405 OKC Now
Round About Way
Sitting in Reata, downtown Fort Worth’s popular destination for Southwest cuisine, I thought a cultural singularity was imminent when I heard George Strait’s voice on the playlist. Had it been “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind,” the singularity…
One Room at a Time
What started as a home furnishing and design dream became a local staple in Norman spanning over 60 years. Bob and Sara Jean Calonkey opened Mister Robert Fine Furniture & Design on Oct. 1, 1958. The single storefront…
Comfort is Cool
Fashion in the 405 is similar to Oklahoma weather – it's only consistency is its lack of a constant. This ever-evolving, never stagnant landscape is hard to navigate, so we asked Brook Balentine-Reust, senior buyer for Cayman’s in Norman…
Still Here
“Still Here: The Cosmology of Black Resistance,” a major art installation at Myriad Botanical Gardens, will be available to the viewing public both in person and virtually beginning this month. The work is an interdisciplinary installation and performances…
Life Without Music
Days before New Year’s Eve 2020, President Donald Trump signed a $900 billion stimulus package, providing temporary economic relief for millions of Americans. Within the bill is the Save Our Stages Act – a $15 billion relief package to…
Winter Warmers
The Oklahoma craft brewing industry had a major win in 2020, given that all things were relative in 2020. “Everyone is still open at the beginning of 2021,” Patrick Lively said. Lively is the president of the Craft…
Restaurants on the Radar for 2021
A new year hopefully means new, good things happening in the hospitality industry. Since no one is in a tempting fate mood, we’ll leave it at that; however, we’re starting the year with good news for downtown with the…
Past Among the Pages
In 2018, Emma Smreker – a French teacher at Harding Charter Preparatory High School in Oklahoma City – was given a French-language book as a birthday gift from her husband. Among the pages was a receipt from a Montreal…
Do New Year’s Resolutions Work?
How long have you practiced psychiatry in Oklahoma? I’ve been practicing psychiatry at Mercy since 2017 and completed my training that year. What are your thoughts on the standard New Year’s resolutions? I think New Year's resolutions have…
Fresh, Fine Dining
Jamel Taggart assumed his duties as the food and beverage director for Oklahoma City’s Omni Hotel in November 2020. This position includes oversight of the property’s seven restaurant and bar concepts, as well as the hotel’s room service and…
Santa’s New Sweets
How long have you professionally baked sugar cookies? I am heading into my sixth year in February as a home bakery making sugar cookies. Six years ago, I took a nine-month maternity leave from my job as an…
Festive Flicks
Family-Friendly “The Santa Clause” (1994): Some are born great, others accidentally make Santa Claus fall off their roof and have greatness thrust upon them. Join Scott Calvin – played by Tim Allen – as he comes to terms with…
Never Forgotten
The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is typically a period of family, fun, and anticipation; however, this year, COVID is exacting a terrible price all over the country. Each loss affects a family, and in some cases, an entire community…
Ode to Steven Adams
An era came to an end in Oklahoma City on Nov. 24, a cliché used too often to describe the departure of so much talent from the Oklahoma City Thunder. We’ve witnessed the big three leaving – Harden, Durant,…
Wrapping Winter Tidings
Holiday gifts come in a variety of shapes, sizes and designs, yet all are made to bring joy to both the giver and the receiver; a notion all too familiar to Curbside Chronicle vendors. Since 2013, the Curbside Chronicle…
Dashing Through the Snow
Oklahoma has a diverse landscape equipped for almost any outdoor activity, with the exception of more winter-centric hobbies like alpine skiing and snowboarding. This seasonal exclusion is set to change in Spring 2021 with Riversport Adventure Park’s latest indoor…
Midwestern Musings
Capturing the spirit of the American Midwest isn’t as simple as snapping a photo of an orange-hued sunset cascading across the plains. Portraying the relationship between humans and nature with western flair can be a daunting task, though visitors…
Winter Cocktails in the 405
While you're getting ready to celebrate the holidays, bars and restaurants are getting their winter menus together. The winter cocktails -- not really holiday cocktails -- usually feature darker liquors, baking spices, winter seasonal ingredients, and even the occasional…
Botanical Bliss
It’s rare that a product changes the way we think about a category of food or drink, but Japanese gin is doing just that. Gin lovers will find that the products arriving this year are not only exceptional in a…
Deck the Halls: Designing a Different Christmas
Christmas is truly a wonderful time of year, and one that most of us look forward to with great anticipation. In 2020, the Christmas season is particularly special as those who have been confined to their homes more than…
The Gift of Giving
The holiday season is the idyllic time to provide for the local community. Here are ways to make a difference during the final days of 2020. Sharing Tree Since 1981, the Sharing Tree in Oklahoma City has served economically…
New Restaurants for 2020’s finale
Three new restaurants opened in the final quarter of 2020, a bold move in a year with plenty of negative restaurant news. Yo! Pablo, a taqueria from Jeff Rogers Concepts (Pink Parrot, Pig & Butcher, etc.) occupies the…
Eye of the Beholder
Combining visual art with eyewear seemed a natural extension of his business for Dr. J. Carter Johnston, a optometrist with 21 years of practice in the metro. “From an eyewear standpoint, some of these unique, handcrafted models are…
