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Famous Dave's Barbecue Plans Expansion

IN THE NEWS: Famous Ventures has purchased the right to franchise nine Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que restaurants in Texas and Oklahoma, the Oklahoma City, The Journal Record reports. The markets covered by the agreement include Lawton, Fort Worth, San Antonio and West Texas. The parent company to Famous Ventures, Exceptional Brands LLC, owns and operates 11 Buffalo Wild Wings and Taco Bell restaurants in Texas and Oklahoma. Exceptional Brands, based in Abilene, Texas, was founded in 1973 and has 500 employees. Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que features hickory-smoked St. Louis-style spare ribs, Texas beef brisket and Georgia chopped pork. Minneapolis-based Famous Dave’s of America Inc. owns 41 barbeque restaurants franchises 113 additional units in 35 states including a restaurant at 8247 East 71st St. in Tulsa. journalrecord.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

'NY Times' Focuses On Sherri's Diner

IN THE NEWS: In a story about the shaky state of the U.S. economy, The New York Times features Annie Cox's 1950s-style Sherri's Diner in Oklahoma City -- named after her mother -- who says she's noticed a slight dropoff in spending in recent months. "When they start ordering water instead of tea or Pepsi," Cox is quoted, "that means they're cutting back." nytimes.com ... The Oklahoman notes that The 2007 Edition of Travelocity's "Local Secrets, Big Finds” features several Oklahoma eateries, including Red Cup Coffee House, Oklahoma City, 525-3430; Meers Store and Restaurant, Meers, (580) 429-8051; and Cafe Ole in Tulsa (918) 745-6699. newsok.com ... OKC Talk notes Ethiopian restaurant The Queen of Sheba (2308 N Macarthur Blvd). okctalk.com/food-court

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Dallas Newspaper Spotlights Cattlemen's

IN THE NEWS: The Dallas Morning News' travel section notes historic Cattlemen's Steakhouse in Stockyards City. dallasnews.com ... OKC Talk considers Bricktown Brewery. ... okctalk.com/food-court

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Applewoods Restaurant Shutters Doors

IN THE NEWS: The Journal Record's Ray Carter reports on the closing of Applewoods Restaurant and Banquet Center (4301 SW Third St.) after nearly two decades of business. Owner Dick Stubbs announced that Applewoods would close by Sept. 1 due to the loss of its lease. While he vowed that the closing was temporary, Stubbs said he has not found a new site for the restaurant. journalrecord.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Meers Store a Runner-Up in Burger Awards

Brooklyn's Peter Luger Steak House and New Orleans' Willie Mae's Scotch House were among the winners in Bon Appetit magazine's recent Food Network special. Winning restaurants were selected from each of three semifinalists for the best versions of six quintessential American classics: pizza, steak, tacos, hamburgers, fried chicken, and ribs. The winners were announced on the Good Eats with Alton Brown show on the Food Network.

Here are the winners and runners-up:
PIZZA: Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix (WINNER); DiFara Pizza, Brooklyn, NY; Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles
STEAK: Peter Luger Steak House, Brooklyn (WINNER); Cut, Los Angeles; Doe's Eat Place, Greenville, Miss.
TACOS: Taco Taco Cafe, San Antonio (WINNER); Taqueria del Sol, Atlanta; South Beach Bar & Grill, Ocean Beach, Calif.
Hamburgers: Bobcate Bite, Santa Fe, NM (WINNER); Taylor's Automatic Refresher, St. Helena, Calif; The Meers Store and Restaurant, Lawton, Okla.
FRIED CHICKEN: Willie Mae's Scotch House, New Orleans (WINNER); Price's Chicken Coop, Charlotte, NC; Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tenn.
RIBS: 17th Street Bar & Grill, Murphysboro, Ill (WINNER); Charles Vergos Rendezvous, Memphis; Jaspers, Plano, Texas.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Al Eschbach's, Othello's Shutter Doors

IN THE NEWS: OKCBusiness.com reports, "Two restaurants that recently folded in the Bricktown area were Al Eschbach’s Hall of Fame Sports Bar and Grill and Othello’s Italian Restaurant & Grill. Al Eschbach’s relocated earlier this year from 769 Asp Ave. in Norman to 25 S Oklahoma Ave. in Bricktown. But within months, the eatery found itself on the list of previous failures – Da’ Boat’s and Joey’s Chicago Diner – at the same location and closed its doors. Othello’s, which fared well in both Norman and Edmond, decided to open a Bricktown location at 100 E California in October 2006. But the restaurant struggled there like the many before it, including J. Frank’s Bar and Grill/Daddy Hinkles Steak House, Lotus Steaks Sushi and Seafood and Banana Joe’s. It, too, recently closed up shop and vacated the building."

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Lawton's Meers Store Makes National Finals

Bon Appetit magazine's September 2007 Restaurant issue features three finalists in a list of quintessential versions of six American classics: pizza, steak, tacos, hamburgers, fried chicken, and ribs. Winner will be announced on the Food Network on Aug. 18 (Good Eats with Alton Brown, 6 and 10 pm CDT). The finalists:

PIZZA: Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix; DiFara Pizza, Brooklyn, NY; Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles
STEAK: Peter Luger Steak House, Brooklyn; Cut, Los Angeles; Doe's Eat Place, Greenville, Miss.
TACOS: Taco Taco Cafe, San Antonio; Taqueria del Sol, Atlanta; South Beach Bar & Grill, Ocean Beach, Calif.
HAMBURGERS: Bobcat Bite, Santa Fe, NM; Taylor's Automatic Refresher, St. Helena, Calif; The Meers Store and Restaurant, Lawton, Okla.
FRIED CHICKEN: Willie Mae's Scotch House, New Orleans; Price's Chicken Coop, Charlotte, NC; Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tenn.
RIBS: Charles Vergos Rendezvous, Memphis; 17th Street Bar & Grill, Murphysboro, Ill; Jaspers, Plano, Texas.

The magazine also features favorite restaurant recipes, including: Lucia's in Minneapolis-St. Paul; Eve in Ann Arbor, Mich.; Dali Restaurant & Tapas Bar in Somerville, Mass.; Binkley's Restaurant in Cave Creek, Ariz.; Kelly Liken Restaurant in Vail, Colo; Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles; and Park Kitchen in Portland, Ore. ... And the mag also features 12 small restaurants and their recipes, including: The Little Owl, New York City; The Good Fork, Brooklyn; La Laiterie at Farmstead, Providence, RI; Cremant, Seattle; Bonne Soiree, Chapel Hill, N.C.; Hatfield's, Los Angeles; Canteen, San Francisco; Revolver, Findlay, Ohio; Le Pigeon, Portland, Ore; and Komi, Washington, DC. epicurious.com/bonappetit

IN THE NEWS: Oklahoma City-based City Bites Inc. has partnered with restaurant company Burke and Grow LLC to begin franchising nationwide this fall, The Oklahoman reports. The two companies recently formed C.B. Franchise Systems LLC and will begin the first expansion phase by focusing on neighborhood regional markets, spokesman Whitney VinZant said. Local entrepreneurs and brothers Mark, Eric, Brad and Gary Blevins developed the quick-casual sandwich concept and opened their first City Bites in Oklahoma City in 1986. They now have more than 19 locations in the greater Oklahoma City area. newsok.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

BJ's Opens Quail Springs Mall Location

IN THE NEWS: Huntington Beach, Calif.-based BJ's Restaurants Inc. announced the opening of its 61st restaurant in Oklahoma City, ddimagazine.com reports. The new restaurant is located at 2425 W. Memorial Rd., in the Quail Springs Mall. ... OKCBusiness.com reports that starting Aug. 1, The Bricktown Parking Investors’ lot located north of Main Street entered into an agreement with a majority of the restaurants in the district to provide free parking from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Patrons will pay upfront for parking, then have their ticket validated in the participating restaurant to receive reimbursement upon leaving.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Unlucky 13, Rose Garden Tea Room Closes

IN THE NEWS: After about 13 years in business, the well-regarded The Rose Garden Tea Room (4413 N. Meridian Ave.) has closed as of its going-out-of-business sale July 28, Where the Locals Eat reports.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Food Network Sets New 'Iron Chef' Finalists

The Food Network has announced its eight finalists to compete in The Next Iron Chef, which premieres Oct. 7 (7 pm CT). The eight: John Besh (New Orleans), executive chef, Restaurant August, Besh Steak, Lüke, La Provence; Chris Cosentino (San Francisco), executive chef, Incanto; Jill Davie (Santa Monica, Calif.), executive chef, Josie; Traci Des Jardins (San Francisco), executive chef and co-owner, Jardinière, Mijita, Acme Chophouse; Gavin Kaysen (San Diego), chef de cuisine, El Bizcocho at the Rancho Bernardo Inn; Morou Ouattara (Washington, D.C.), executive chef and owner, Farrah Olivia; Aarón Sánchez (New York City), executive chef and owner, Centrico, Paladar; Michael Symon (Cleveland), executive chef and owner, Lola, Lolita.

IN THE NEWS: Okctalk.com/food-court reviews Bricktown Brewery and weighs in on the new Panda Express on NW Highway.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Starbucks Launches Lunch, Snack Items

Starbucks Corp. wants its customers to pull out forks when ordering their java. The powerhouse coffeehouse chain is going hard at salad sales, with greens being a big part of the lunch and snack item line launched recently, the Associated Press reports. Nationally, it will offer two lunch dishes -- one of mozzarella and grape tomatoes and another with grilled chicken topping a roasted corn and black bean salad -- while menus will also include six regional options in 22 markets. "They're selecting what appeals to that regional flavor profile," said communications manager Tricia Moriarty. In Chicago, patrons can opt for pasta with chicken and salami; chicken curry with couscous; Albacore tuna penne, and a veggie and dip snack plate. The company provides drink recommendations for pairings. "Coffee is our core. We want to bring something to our customers that complements that experience," Moriarty said. The move is being made in about 70 percent of the company-owned U.S. stores -- about 4,400 spots.

N THE NEWS: OKCTalk.com weighs in on the upcoming move of Beverly's Pancake Corner, as well as reviews of Irma's Burger Shack (Plaza Court location).

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Beverly's Pancake Corner Closing, to Move

IN THE NEWS: The Oklahoma Gazette reports, "For those who heard rumors, it is true: the much-loved Beverly's Pancake Corner, 2115 Northwest Expressway, is closing, and the area will be rebuilt, possibly as a clothing district. Customers have to the end of the year to eat at the location, but then Beverly's will move and reopen at a new, as-yet-undisclosed location on Northwest Expressway. Beverly and Rubye Osborne originally opened the Beverly's concept as Chicken in the Rough decades ago (in 1921)." okgazette.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

'SI' Features Billy Sims Barbecue

Sports Illustrated's sicom July 2 double issue spotlights former sports stars who now run restaurants, in particular barbecue joints. Featured athletes and their eateries include: Robert Porcher (Detroit Lions) Seldom Blues jazz and supper club, Detroit Breakfast House & Grill, and Grand City Grille, Detroit; Nate Thurmond (NBA Hall of Fame center), Big Nate's Barbecue, San Francisco; Randy Jones (San Diego Padres pitcher), Randy Jones' BBQ, Petco Park, San Diego; Sammy Walker (Olympic weightlifter), Sammy Walker's Bar-b-que, Rowlett and Forney, Texas; Billy Sims (Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winning running back), Billy Sims Barbecue, Tulsa, Edmond and Broken Bow, Okla; Larry Shreve (pro wrestler), Abdulla the Butcher's House of Ribs & Chinese Food, Atlanta; Lee Roy Selmon (Tampa Bay Bucs star), Lee Roy Selmon's, seven locations in the Tampa area; Al "Bubba" Baker (pro football player), Bubba's Q, Avon, Ohio; Greg "The Bull" Luzinski (Phillies slugger), Bull's Barbecue, Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia; and Boog Powell (Orioles slugger), Boog's BBQ, Camden Yards, Baltimore.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Rising Cheese Prices Bump Cost of Pizzas

The Associated Press reports that block cheddar cheese - the benchmark for mozzarella and other cheeses -- reached $2.08 a pound recently on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, up 78 percent from $1.17 a pound a year ago. Industry observers attribute the price surge to strong demand and higher production prices -- from the cost of milk to the cost for dairy farmers to feed their herds. Some big pizza chains, which use mountains of cheese, already have responded. Both Pizza Hut and Papa John's International Inc. have raised the price of their cheese-only pizzas to the same amount as one-topping pizzas at company-owned stores. The higher cheese prices have exacerbated pressure companies already face from higher wages and fuel costs, said Chris Sternberg, spokesman for Louisville-based Papa John's. Papa John's uses about 100 million pounds of cheese each year, and the cheese typically makes up 35 percent to 40 percent of the food cost in making a pizza, he said.

IN THE NEWS: The Oklahoma Gazette okgazette.com notes the new Winston McDoogal's Deli and Bakery (12301 N. May).

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Takeout Services on the Rise

Time-pressed Americans' push for more food to go is reshaping the way restaurants do business, USA Today's Bruce Horovitz usatoday.com reports. Well over half of the meals purchased at the nation's estimated 935,000 restaurants are eaten at home, back at the office or in the car. Twenty five years ago, far more people ate restaurant food in eatries than took it out. By 2006, the typical American ate 81 meals inside restaurants but ordered 127 to go, reports researcher NPD group. The paper cites increased takeout services at a number of national chains, including Cheesecake Factory, Outback Steakhouse and P.F. Chang's, as well as Washington, D.C.'s historic Old Ebbitt Grill.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Original Varsity Sports Grill Shutters Doors

IN THE NEWS: The Original Varsity Sports Grill, in operation since 1988, closed its doors for the final time on June 2, according to its website, www.orginalvarsity.com. Many thanks to Yale Hollander, a WhereTheLocalsEat.com reader, for alerting us to the news. ... A survey of more than 4,000 diners finds that a substantial majority believes restaurant portions are too big. Fifty-seven percent said portions were too large; 20 percent said they were too small; and the 23 percent who had no opinion apparently thought they were just right. The results, reported in Nation's Restaurant News, an industry trade journal, were heavily skewed by gender and income. Sixty-seven percent of women believed portions were too large, while only forty-seven percent of men reached the same conclusion. Meanwhile, sixty percent of respondents making between $100,000 and $150,000 said portions were oversized. And that figure rose to seventy percent among those making more than $150,000. In contrast, and perhaps not surprisingly, only twenty-seven percent of those with incomes under $25,000 thought portions were too large.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Grocery To Feature Local Produce, Meat

IN THE NEWS: The Oklahoman Business Writer Trisha Evans reports, "The quest to buy healthy, tasty and more environmentally friendly food is on the rise, and a couple of grocers are taking note. Norman residents Sara Kaplan and Matt Runkle plan to operate their new grocery store more like a farmer's market. From produce to meat, Native Roots Market in downtown Norman will specialize in Oklahoma-produced food, most of which is hormone- and pesticide free.". ... From Food Editor Sharon Dowell, "For some Oklahomans, our first taste of hummus tahini was likely experienced at an Eddy's Steakhouse or a Jamil's Steakhouse in Tulsa or Oklahoma City, where hummus tahini and other Lebanese hors d'oeuvres have been on the menu since the restaurants opened decades ago. ..." newsok.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Starbucks Launching McCartney's Latest

IN THE NEWS: If you can't stand Paul McCartney music, you don't want to go into any Oklahoma City area Starbucks on June 5. That's the day the Seattle coffee giant will launch McCartney's first album recorded on Starbucks' Hear Music label, called "Memory Almost Full," the Pugent Sound Business Journal reports. The album will be played in all Starbucks stores, all day, all over the world, Starbucks officials said. "Customers from Taipei to Topeka have the opportunity to experience this extraordinary album all within a span of 24 hours," said Ken Lombard, who is president of Starbucks Entertainment and runs Hear Music, in a statement. In March, Starbucks Corp. announced that former Beatle McCartney would be the first musician signed for Los Angeles-based Hear Music. ... The Oklahoman reports Oklahoma City chef-owner Joseph Royer (Saturn Grill in Nichols Hills Plaza) has repeated a 2004 win in the recent National Taste of Elegance competition in San Diego with his recipe for Modern Noodle Bowl With Shoulder, Ribs and Belly. Royer plans to bring Saturn Grill No. 2 to the vicinity of Memorial and Meridian, near Gaillardia, in February. newsok.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

The Library Makes Esquire Best Bars List

Esquire magazine's second annual Best Bars of America list is out in the June 2007 issue. They include:

Lou's Pub & Package, Birmingham, Ala.; J Lounge, Golden Gopher, The Edison, The Broadway Bar, La Cita, Bordello, Redwood, and Bar 107, Los Angeles; Musso & Frank Grill, Hollywood, Calif.; The Polo Lounge, Beverly Hills; Beach Ball, Newport Beach, Calif.; Brennan's Pub, Marina Del Ray, Calif.; Bourbon & Branch, The Owl Tree, Vesuvio, and Zeitgeist, San Francisco; The Sportsman, Sonora, Calif.; Cruise Room, and El Chapultepec, Denver; Jimbo's, and Churchill's Pub, Miami; The Clermont Lounge, Atlanta; Lewers Lounge at the Halekulani Hotel, and La Mariana Sailing Club, Honolulu; The California Clipper, The Red Lion Pub, Bungalow, The Matchbox, Hideout, and Chipp Inn, Chicago; The Red Key, and Nicky Blaine's, Indianapolis; The Old Seelbach Bar, Louisville; The Chart Room, The Bar at Tujague's, Fritzel's European Jazz Pub, and Napoleon House, New Orleans; The Brewer's Art, and Shamrock Inn, Baltimore; B-Side Lounge, Cambridge, Mass.; No. 9 Park, Boston; Doyle's Cafe, Jamaica Plain, Mass.; The Bar at Seldom Blues, Detroit; Miller's Bar, Dearborn, Mich.; Bulldog NE, and Nye's Polonaise Room, Minneapolis; Half Time Rec, St. Paul; John D. McGurk's, St. Louis; Any bar on the Strip, Double Down Saloon, and Petrossian Bar, Las Vegas; Bemelmans Bar in the Carlyle Hotel, Little Branch, The Bar at Keens Steakhouse, Minetta Tavern, Jimmy's Corner, The Angel's Share, The Brooklyn Inn, The Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel, Flatiron Lounge, The Saloon, San Domenico Restaurant, Spuyten Duyvil, 21 Club, Grassroots Tavern, Bill's Gay 90s, Julius', and Pegu Club, New York City; Freddy's Bar & Backroom, Brooklyn; Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden, Queens; Thomas Street Tavern, Charlotte, NC; Andyman's Treehouse, Columbus, Ohio; The Library Bar & Grill, Norman, Okla.; Friendly Lounge, The Grey Lodge, and Southwark, Philadelphia; Dee's Cafe, Pittsburgh; Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, and Robert's Western World, Nashville; La Tuna, San Antonio; Donn's Depot, Austin; The Inwood Lounge, Dallas; Shooting Star Saloon, Huntsville, Utah; Sambar, Zig Zag Cafe, and Fu Kun Wu, Seattle; Hawk 'n' Dove, and The Tune Inn, Washington, DC; Holler House, Milwaukee.

IN THE NEWS: From OKGazette.com's Carol Smaglinski, "At many restaurants, portions today are double — and at times triple — what they used to be. However, a few eateries in the metro area are emphasizing the importance of portion control by offering smaller servings. At Boca Boca (9610 N. May), owner Sean Cummings said that he has had to pull way back on portions to hold onto his loyal and well-heeled clientele. “Our clientele is not overweight,” Cummings said. “They have to take care of themselves because many are under contract with companies. If they are going to be the image of what they want their company to be, they’ve got to take care of themselves. They want quality, rather than quantity — the best of the best.” At the recently opened Copia on the Corridor, 326 E. Main in downtown Norman, co-owner Gil Gentry (with Derek Kordeliski) has come to realize that good value, rather than large portions, is where it’s at. “In our wine dinners with several courses that we do at Copia, we have tiny servings full of flavor,” Gentry said. “And each dish is designed to highlight the flavor — not only complementing each other, but complementing the wine being served, as well.”

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

America's Best Restaurant Cities

"Today ... most major cities in the U.S. have the kind of gastronomic diversity and regionality that is rich in every department, and even if you’ve visited recently, you can be sure that next time you go, there’ll be more new and enticing restaurants than you could possibly visit," writes Donald Burnam in a recent ForbesTraveler.com piece, "America's Best Restaurant Cities." "It’s getting hard not to have a great meal anywhere in the U.S.." Burnam continues.

Forbes' Top 10 Restaurant Cities:
1. New York City
2. Chicago
3. San Francisco
4. Los Angeles
5. New Orleans
6. Houston
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Atlanta
9. Boston
10. Las Vegas

Rankings were based on: Overall number of restaurants above the fast food level; Number of fine dining restaurants with national and international standing; Solid representation of regional American food; A wide segment of second-tier restaurants that would include seafood, steakhouses, and independently chef-owned restaurants; Breadth and depth of ethnic restaurants, especially if the city has neighborhood such as a Chinatown; A significant number of neigborhood restaurants where the locals tend to eat out regularly; A well-traveled clientele that regards eating out in that city one of the real pleasures of going there.

IN THE NEWS: The blog OKCtalk.com is asking readers for their choices for the most missed restaurant in Oklahoma City. The early leader is Molly Murphy's, with Tony's Italian Specialties among the other top vote-getters.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

James Beard Awards Announced

Chicago's Frontera Grill won Outstanding Restaurant of the Year and Michel Richard of Michel Richard Citronelle in Washington, D.C. was named Outstanding Chef at the 2007 James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony. Hosted by CBS Early Show anchor Hannah Storm, the Beard Awards were held May 7 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York's Lincoln Center. More than 60 awards were presented by the country's pre-eminent nonprofit culinary organization, in its 20th anniversary celebration, and more than 1,600 industry leaders attended the ceremony. Other top awards went to: New York's L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, named Best New Restaurant; Thomas Keller (The French Laundry, Yountville, Ca.) received the award for Outstanding Restaurateur; and David Chang (Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York) received the Rising Star Chef of the Year award. Celebrity and culinary superstar attendees included Stephanie March, Ted Allen, Katie Lee Joel, Martha Stewart, Wolfgang Puck, Bobby Flay, Thomas Keller, Jose Andres, Tom Colicchio, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Padma Lakshmi, and Marcus Samuelsson. The Foundation's Media Awards took place at a separate event at the Hudson Theatre at Millennium Broadway Hotel on May 6. All Award winners received a bronze medallion etched with the image of the late James Beard, the esteemed chef, cookbook author, and food journalist. There are no cash awards. Established in 1990, the James Beard Foundation Awards recognizes outstanding achievement within the fine food and beverage industry in North America. For full awards results, please visit http://www.jamesbeard.org.

Beard Award highlights are:

AMERICA'S CLASSICS: Primanti Brothers, Demetrios Patrinos, Pittsburgh, Pa.; The Pickwick, Christopher Wisocki, Duluth, Minn.; Doe's Eat Place, The Signa Family, Greenville, Miss.; Aunt Carrie's, Elsie Foy, Narragansett, R.I.; I

Brookville Hotel, Mark and Connie Martin, Abilene, Kan.; Weaver D's, Dexter Weaver, Athens, Ga.

BEST CHEF, GREAT LAKES: Grant Achatz, Alinea, Chicago

BEST CHEF, MID-ATLANTIC: R.J. Cooper, III, Vidalia, Washington, DC

BEST CHEF, MIDWEST: Celina Tio, The American Restaurant, Kansas City, Mo.

BEST CHEF, NEW YORK CITY: David Waltuck, Chanterelle, New York, NY

BEST CHEF, NORTHEAST: Frank McClelland, L'Espalier, Boston

BEST CHEF, NORTHWEST: John Sundstrom, Lark, Seattle

BEST CHEF, PACIFIC: Traci Des Jardins, Jardinière, San Francisco

BEST CHEF, SOUTH: Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans

BEST CHEF, SOUTHEAST: Scott Peacock, Watershed, Decatur, Ga.

BEST CHEF, SOUTHWEST: Nobuo Fukuda, Sea Saw, Scottsdale, Ariz.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT: L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Chef-Owner: Joël Robuchon, New York, NY

OUTSTANDING CHEF: Michel Richard, Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington, DC

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF: Michael Laskonis, Le Bernardin, New York, NY

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT: Frontera Grill, chef-owner: Rick and Deann Bayless, Chicago

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR: Thomas Keller, The French Laundry, Yountville, Calif.

OUTSTANDING SERVICE: Rick Tramonto, Gale Gand, and Richard Melman, Tru, Chicago

OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL: Paul Draper, Ridge Vineyards, Cupertino, Calif.

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE: Mark Slater, Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington, DC

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR: David Chang, Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York, NY

IN THE NEWS: Orlando-based Darden Restaurants shut down more than 50 of its Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill locations across the country on May 5 and said it will sell the remaining 73, The Orlando Sentinel reports. The closings include a store at 2521 W. Memorial Road in Oklahoma City ... The OK Gazette reports that Oklahoma City has been one of America’s top 10 cities in fast-food consumption in four of the last eight years, according to Sandelman & Associates, a California-based research foundation. The list shows what percentage of residents in a city eat fast food more than 12 times a month. Oklahoma City residents made this list in 1999, 2003, 2006 and now 2007. While the national average is 42 percent, Oklahoma City gobbles in with an average 55 percent of fast-food users.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

James Beard Awards Await

Roughly the dining out equivalent of The Academy Awards, The James Beard Foundation annual awards ceremony takes place Monday, May 7, at the Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. Go to www.jamesbeard.org for the complete list, but here's a partial list of national nominees:

-- Outstanding Restaurant: Boulevard, San Francisco; Frontera Grill, Chicago; Magnolia Grill, Durham, N.C., Picholine, New York; Spiaggia, Chicago.
-- Best New Restaurant: A Voce, New York City; Chochon, New Orleans; Cut, Beverly Hill, Calif; L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, New York City; Momofuku Ssam Bar, New York City; Restaurant Guy Savoy, Las Vegas.
-- Outstanding Restaurateur: Thomas Keller, The French Laundry, Yountville, Calif; Keith McNally, Balthazar, New York City; Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (R.J. Grunts, Wildfire, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!), Chicago; Drew Nieporent, Myriad Restaurant Group (Tribeca Grill, Nobu, Rubicon), New York City; Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Jean Georges restaurant, New York City.
-- Outstanding Chef: Tom Colicchio, Craft, New York City; Lee Hefter, Spago, Beverly Hills, Calif.; Jean Joho, Everest, Chicago; Paul Kahan, Blackbird, Chicago; Michel Richard, Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington, D.C.
-- Rising Star Chef: Nate Appleman, A16, San Francisco; Graham Elliot Bowles, Avenues at The Peninsula Hotel, Philadelphia; David Chang, Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York; Patrick Connelly, Radius, Boston; Daniel Humm, Eleven Madison Park, New York City.

Restaurant magazine just released its list of the world's top 100 restaurants. (http://www.theworlds50best.com/2007_list.html) Here are the U.S. entries:

The French Laundry, Yountville, Ca. (No. 4)
Per Se, New York City (No. 9)
Jean Georges, New York City (No. 18)
Le Bernardin, New York City (No. 26)
Charlie Trotter's, Chicago (No. 30)
Daniel, New York City (No. 32)
Alinea, Chicago (No. 36)
Chez Panisse, Berkeley, Ca. (No. 40)
Masa, New York City (No. 56)
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the Four Seasons, New York City (No. 64)
Peter Lugar, Brooklyn, NY (No. 69)
Nobu New York, New York City (No. 89)
Gramercy Tavern, New York city (No. 90)
WD-50, New York City (No. 91)
Zuni Café, San Francisco (No. 98)
Alex at Wynn, Las Vegas (No. 100)

IN THE NEWS: Southern Living's May 2007 issue munches on the signature hot dogs from five different major league baseball parks that are offered at the Oklahoma RedHawks minor league stadium, known as The Dog Pound at Bricktown Ballpark. Among them: Chicago Red Hot, Dodger Dog, Milwaukee Brat, and the Cincinnati Cheese Coney, the latter of which gets the vote of writer Karen Lingo. www.southernliving.com

From The Oklahoman's newsroom blog blogs.newsok.com: "Oklahoma City's premier Cinco de Mayo celebration has a new venue and a new date this year. "Festival Cinco de Mayo '07" will be held on Seis de Mayo (May 6). And after years at Chelino's restaurant in Bricktown, the party is moving to Plaza San Miguel at NW 10 and Pennsylvania. The sponsors, Chelino's and KZUE-AM (La Tremenda), say they moved the date because more people can come on a Sunday than a Saturday. And they moved the venue because the popular festival had outgrown the Bricktown site. The celebration begins at noon Sunday, May 6, and runs through 10 p.m., with Mexican entertainers, mariachis, folkloric dancers, information booths, food vendors and more. Admission is free." --Judy Gibbs Robinson, staff writer .. The Oklahoman's business section features Red Moon Cafe & Bakery, 13425 N. MacArthur Blvd. in Oklahoma City, which opened in February inside Legacy Bank. www.newsok.com ... Chelino's, 4221 S. Robinson Ave., is among the restaurants mentioned for favorite area hole-in-the-walls on the dining blog okctalk.com/food-court.