Bartlesville - That town to the north.

[erfalf]

That is sooo sad!!   It was also such a cool looking building!!

So apparently the people at Yocham's don't mess around. That fire totally gutted the building and they are now looking at an estimated re-opening in July...of 2018.

[erfalf]

Apparently we made USA Today's bucket list for Oklahoma.

https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/travel/experience/america/fifty-states/2017/06/20/50-state-bucket-list-destinations/103046002/

and one of my new favorite shots of Bartlesville was on the cover of the local monthly...

[heironymouspasparagus]

Apparently we made USA Today's bucket list for Oklahoma.

https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/travel/experience/america/fifty-states/2017/06/20/50-state-bucket-list-destinations/103046002/

and one of my new favorite shots of Bartlesville was on the cover of the local monthly...

Whew!  Woolaroc has kicked up the price a lot in last couple years!!   Wonder why they didn't mention the Tallgrass Prairie while they were at it?  It's only a few more miles and get to see a lot more bison!!


Have been to several of those - all good stuff!!

[erfalf]

So, been a while (got the nice little warning above, haha).

Figured some updates were due:

So I previously mentioned the Jewel Box Hotel Apartments. Apparently you too can stay in these studio apartments via AirBnB. They go for about $140 a night. I know that's more than the hotels in the area, but obviously you would be paying for the ambiance. It's also right above some of the more active restaurants in the evening in town.

Tower Center at Unity Square

Apparently this is the name we are going with. I appreciate the thought but it sure is a mouthful. Ground breaking was a week or so ago. Again, I really REALLY hope they are somehow able to define the area well and it doesn't just turn from a street that barely gets driven on to a park that barely gets used. Architect will be Ambler Architects (http://www.amblerarchitects.com) so at least I am extremely confident it will look good. This firm is also responsible for the Arvest Bank Tower and BancFirst rehab projects that are amazing. More recently they designed the Phillips 66 plaza (just south of the Plaza Building).



Tinker's GlassHouse

Looks like I first mentioned this in late 2017. It opened in late 2018. It was well financed and progressed rather quickly considering the dilapidated nature of the building. Today it is quite impressive looking. There are a ton of pictures on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/tinkersglasshouse/) showing the transformation.

Unfortunately...... I've heard the experiences to be rather disappointing. I almost went right before Christmas with my work team, however we changed at the last minute and took a trip to Pawhuska.







Other Rehab Projects:

* Phillips Hotel - complete rehab of interior and updating of entire building.

* Former Sweet P's & Annex - I'm honestly not sure if this is one project or two, but at minimum a private residence is going in the 2nd floor and rear 1st floor of one building, with commercial space along Frank Phillips.

* All the buildings between the County Courthouse and the Annex (3rd & Johnstone) have been taken down for what I presume to be parking (ugh). Most of the businesses closed, but apparently the Rolling Pin (which I love) is staying downtown and moving to a dramatically larger space on 2nd Street (215 E. 2nd).
* Just south of my office it looks like they are slowly renovating some office buildings. Just one done so far where they have removed the thatched roof that went all the way to the ground. It's not as if there was anything historical underneath, they were just ugly (see the photo below where one is done on the right, but untouched on the left).


I'm sure I have missed something.

[heironymouspasparagus]

So, been a while (got the nice little warning above, haha).

Figured some updates were due:



Unfortunately...... I've heard the experiences to be rather disappointing. I almost went right before Christmas with my work team, however we changed at the last minute and took a trip to Pawhuska.



I'm sure I have missed something.

Time for a road trip to see what's going on up there - looks like good things!

Pawhuska....did you go to the Mercantile restaurant by any chance?   Were you able to get in...?

And if yes to those, how was the food??   We have tried 4 times to go and the wait was over 2 hours.  So we went to one of the Mexican places...well, have been to 2 of them...both pretty good.

[erfalf]

Time for a road trip to see what's going on up there - looks like good things!

Pawhuska....did you go to the Mercantile restaurant by any chance?   Were you able to get in...?

And if yes to those, how was the food??   We have tried 4 times to go and the wait was over 2 hours.  So we went to one of the Mexican places...well, have been to 2 of them...both pretty good.

We did go to the Mercantile. It was early in the week a week or so before Christmas, however one of my direct reports was related to someone working there and kind of got us hooked up with a table.

This was my second visit. The food is fantastic. HUGE portions. People travel from all over the country to go. I don't think it is that good. I live close by, so I'll venture over there. They are still somehow able to maintain decent service. I have to figure it is difficult hiring that many people in a town that size. And cooks.

[heironymouspasparagus]

We did go to the Mercantile. It was early in the week a week or so before Christmas, however one of my direct reports was related to someone working there and kind of got us hooked up with a table.

This was my second visit. The food is fantastic. HUGE portions. People travel from all over the country to go. I don't think it is that good. I live close by, so I'll venture over there. They are still somehow able to maintain decent service. I have to figure it is difficult hiring that many people in a town that size. And cooks.

Not good enough to come from far, far away?   Road trip!!  Don't take much of an excuse...!  Plus, can go see the bison just 15 minutes away...!

Have only heard from one other that I know who has made it in and they said it was pretty good.  The times we went were 2 1/2 hour waits.  Too long for us.  Maybe it has slowed down some now.  Plus, can go during the week now!

I bet she can train chefs.  At least in her way of cooking.  That would have to be a pretty major employer in the area now.  Oil is probably bigger overall, but any one small oil company probably doesn't hire that many total.

[erfalf]

Even before the restaurant/mercantile opened, the Drummonds hired a small army to run the ranch.

I would dare say they employ at least 50 or 60 people to run the Merc. Depends on how many are full time. I know a lot "commute" to Pawhuska for work. So the money must be halfway decent or the commute wouldn't be worth it. I would hate to drive that five days a week. Worst stretch of white knuckle road in the northeast part of the state.

I'm not saying it ain't good, it just ain't the greatest. I'm just saying there are probably dozens of restaurants in Tulsa alone that are better. Maybe not with the whole picture type of thing (celebrity/beautiful space/nostalgia/etc), but food wise there are plenty of superior shops in Tulsa.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Even before the restaurant/mercantile opened, the Drummonds hired a small army to run the ranch.

I would dare say they employ at least 50 or 60 people to run the Merc. Depends on how many are full time. I know a lot "commute" to Pawhuska for work. So the money must be halfway decent or the commute wouldn't be worth it. I would hate to drive that five days a week. Worst stretch of white knuckle road in the northeast part of the state.

I'm not saying it ain't good, it just ain't the greatest. I'm just saying there are probably dozens of restaurants in Tulsa alone that are better. Maybe not with the whole picture type of thing (celebrity/beautiful space/nostalgia/etc), but food wise there are plenty of superior shops in Tulsa.

It's a BIG ranch! 

We drive up from Skiatook, and that is small, twisty turny road, but nice as a scenic drive.  Would not commute it at all, though.

Will probably try it next chance we get.  Time to go see the bison again, anyway!

Can't be any worse - well, I hope not anyway - than a place we saw on Discover Oklahoma TV show (channel 6, Tulsa).  Mugsy's Grubhouse in Yale, OK.  I knew pretty much what to expect, but we do "road trips" a lot and were kinda bored with the usual destinations, so gave it a try.   It was very bad!  My wife got about half-way sick later that day. The green beans and corn were ok, but all they had to do was open the can and heat...    It's another "El Charro" moment...

The trip to Yale and back was nice - we wandered around on some smaller roads and got to drive through a wildfire event east of Terlton on E5700 Road.

I would strongly recommend that Discover Oklahoma do an incognito fact finding trip before going through all the effort to put somewhere they visit on the show.  They could at least keep from embarrassing themselves by getting trapped into feeling obligated to show the place and provide a recommendation!!   (They can contact me if they would like some help with that - we would do the "secret shopper" thing for them to 'vet' these places, if they need unknown faces.)

[TylerBGoode]

Tinker's Glasshouse looks fabulous but the food is more miss than hit and the service is pretty spotty too.

[erfalf]

New Sign!!!

[erfalf]

I guess another update is due....

Crossing 2nd - One of the more popular lunch establishments downtown was displaced when the county tore down a row of rather old commercial buildings between the courthouse and the Annex on Johnstone. Rolling Pin Bakery has been closed for some time now but has plans to open up a much larger, more diverse location on 2nd Street. It looks like they have purchased the old auto shop and are converting into what they call "Two businesses in one building - Rolling pin by day, Crossing 2nd by night. A downtown nexus, where people meet for fun, food and drink!" Whatever that amounts to it sounds rather ambitious for a little bakery. I am excited to have Rolling Pin back though. Miss their soups and stuffed sandwiches.



Cooper & Mill Brewing Company - Excited to see the first true brew pub moving in. Expecting an open date in April. Making progress it seems.

This and Crossing 2nd will help provide a second night time node in downtown. Where Frank Phillips @ Johnstone has a few establishments right next to each other, 2nd & Dewey will now have Frank & Lola's, this new brewery and Crossing 2nd within steps of each other. This is such a monumental change from when I first moved here it's honestly hard to believe something like this has actually happened to a sleepy town like this. I wish them all the best of luck.




The Local Juise Co. - I don't know if this is a thing everywhere, but we are getting these health/juice bar type places opening up everywhere. This isn't even the first downtown.


Platinum Cigar Company - This has actually been open for a while, but I can't recall mentioning it. Looks nice, I'm just not into smoking.


Not sure who snapped this one, but it is quite a good shot of Bartlesville. Thought it was good enough to share...



All for now. Surely I have forgotten something.

[TylerBGoode]

Know anything about "Medusa's Tavern" opening up where Goldie's used to be? A Google search brings up a whole lot of nothing.

[erfalf]

Know anything about "Medusa's Tavern" opening up where Goldie's used to be? A Google search brings up a whole lot of nothing.

Never heard of it. But I did see that Ocean China closed down. The family that ran it felt it was time to retire. This is kind of how things go in Bartlesville.

[TylerBGoode]

Never heard of it. But I did see that Ocean China closed down. The family that ran it felt it was time to retire. This is kind of how things go in Bartlesville.

I ordered takeout at Ocean China regularly. I absolutely hated to see it go.

You might want to check out Platinum. It's not overly smokey in there. It definitely has the feel of a downtown Tulsa bar which is something I think Bartlesville needed.