Will your business be downtown? There are three hotels downtown - The Westin, Renaissance and Courtyard Marriott. Courtyard Marriott may not be open yet, if not it is opening soon. You can easily walk to bricktown from these hotels and they are very close together. OKC is not much of a walking city so if your business is anywhere but downtown you'd probably rent a car. Bricktown has several restaurants to choose from depending type of cusine you are looking for.

P.S. I've always enjoyed your Colorado tips as that is our favorite summer vacation spot. Seems as I've gotten older I want the beach during ski season!

Thanks Paige, now don't go telling people how great Colorado is in Summer. It is our little locals secret

I will have a car as I will be going bewteen Tulsa and OK City, may end up one night in Tulsa as well. I like to be able to walk to dinner after spending most of my day in the car.

Hi, Coskier,
I live in Tulsa. You're lucky that Bricktown is so nice now--when I was in med school 20 years ago in OKC, this was a terribly dangerous, rundown area that no one in their right mind would enter. I would occasionally drive through as a short-cut to downtown, and my husband would have a fit. Renaissance and Westin are good hotel choices.
In Tulsa, the Doubletree Warren Place (not downtown Doubletree) is the best hotel choice. Very nice and safe neighborhood and LaFortune park is right across the street for walking/jogging. McGill's Restaurant is just down the street--very good--even has low carb menu. The Duck Club is the hotel restaurant and has had its ups and downs but still is very elegant. Camille's (in same area as McGill's) is a great place for casual eating with salads, wraps, etc.

Thanks Rachel, the Doubletree sounds just right for me if I end up in Tulsa for the night. I do like to run so having a safe park is a bonus on a work trip.

Paige made my reservation for the Courtyard they open in a few days so get to stay in a new hotel. Thanks very much for the tip!

Besides the Bricktown area, the restaurant area on the east side of Lake Hefner is very nice. Take 240 north from the Bricktown area--this turns into the Lake Hefner Expressway north of Northwest Expressway (highway 3) Take the Britton Road exit and turn back to the west (going over expressway) to get to restaurant area. Bahama Breeze (caribbean), Red Rock (steaks, chops) and Pearl's Lakeside (seafood) are there. There is also a nice walking path/ bike trail here. Even if you don't eat here, the patios of these restaurants are lovely places to have a drink and watch the sun go down.

Oops, I was a bit misleading. From Bricktown, take I-40 west and exit north on I-240--then proceed north to Lake Hefner.

Coskier,
I've only skimmed this thread, so I don't know if it's already been mentioned, but if you have a few hours to burn during the day, I recommend taking a stroll through the Myriad Gardens. It's an indoor botanical garden building that resembles a large glass cylinder, located in downtown. When I lived in OKC a few years ago, I always enjoyed going there. Also, if you want to ditch your responsibilities, take a drive south on 35 for about 60-90 minutes until you reach the Arbuckle mountains. They're not mountains anymore, but rather, the hilly stub remnants of a tall range from millions of years ago. In particular, check out Turner Falls, if it's not too cold. Winter on the plains of Oklahoma and West TX can be a lot harsher than the rest of country likes to imagine.
As for restaurants in Bricktown ... if it's still there, you MUST check out Chelino's. Probably the only really good Mexican food I had while living there. They have fresh Pan Dulce, every day and mole poblano to make my grandmother blush!
I hope that helps.

Coskier, your best bet for hotels and close-by dinner is downtown and the I-40 Meridian, a commercial strip just north of the airport. I would go for the former, however, to better soak up OKC.

The Courtyard by Marriott may indeed be open by the time you come, but my choice is the Renaissance, with its gorgeous foliage and babbling brook. A spa, fitness center/pool, and gift shop complement its coffeeshop, bar, and restaurant. Still, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the three; rates are relatively affordable.

As far as restaurants and nightlife go, just let your taste lead you! The elegant Mantel is Bricktown's best kept secret with its American/Southwestern cuisine. Mickey Mantle's Steakhouse is classy. For Italian, I would go for Zio's, for cajun/creole, Bourbon Street Cafe, and finally Lotus for sushi.

Now for nightlife. My favorite spot was Lit, an art gallery/lounge. It is one of OKC's most electric scenes, as it was designed by one of OKC's best architects. If you like jazz, there's Maker's,an intimate cigar lounge, or its sister establishment, Maker's Straight Up, a live jazz club. Those three would be my picks. There are also salsa, blues, country, and live rock/folk clubs as well. And, if you can't make up your mind, there's CityWalk, Bricktown's club complex with 9 clubs for an $8 cover.

If you do have some free time, I strongly recommend sampling OKC's Little Saigon neighborhood on NW 23rd and Classen. Grand House Restaurant is the dean of dim sum and practically an institution. As is the Cao Nguyen Supermarket, an OKC fixture for decades but relocated to a sprawling new building.

I second MzPossum's Lake Hefner recommendations. If you want to catch a glimpse of OKC's buzzing after-work crowd, though, I'd go for the Red Rock Canyon Grill.

Finally, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art is showing a terrific exhibit, a collection of George Washington-inspired works accompanying the sincere and storied Gilbert Stuart portrait of Washington standing. Only eight museums were chosen for its tour before it resides permanently at the National Portrait Gallery. It will be in display at OCMA until April.

If you have any other questions, let us know, and have a good time!!

Wow, I had no idea that thee would be do much to see and do in OKC. I will print this out and take it with me.

The Marriott Courtyard will be open by time I get there, last week of the month. Would love to have stayed at the Renaissance but my companies travel policy is pretty restrictive.

Will have to get by Lake Hefner. Sounds right up my alley.

Again thanks all for taking the time to make what I thought was going to be a boring trip into something that I am now looking forward to.

designmr, is the Lido still in the Little Saigon area? We loved the rice vermicelli dishes and haven't found any as good anywhere else.
Yes, the Myriad Gardens are beautiful places for a walk.
We're coming home the end of January and haven't been to all the new Bricktown places--can't wait to go!

MzPossum, I last ate at Lido's about two years ago. When I passed through Little Saigon this past holiday season, the sign was still there, so I saw no indication of any closing. BTW, I first saw the new Cao Nguyen during the same visit; it's as large as a typical surpermarket with the look of a themed restaurant. Also, what was the golden dome Citizens Bank will be converted to an Asian cultural center. Things are pumping up for Little Saigon!!

Hi all back from Oklahoma. Thanks for all your help. I did stay at the new Courtyard Marriott, which has to be the nicest Courtyard they have. Very nicely furnished, better than many Mariotts I have stayed in. They have a full bar, manned by the ever smiling Dusty and a full service restaurant. The weather was Cold, Cold, Cold. I was surprised, had to buy a hat and gloves! I was there for business so not much free time. I did have drinks at Mickey Mantels, the bartender Danny made me feel right at home. People in OKC sure are nice. Had sushi across the way, do not remember the name. I did get a history on Mongolia from the sushi chef, who again made me feel welcome. Drove by Lake Hefner but due to the cold and lack of time, did not stop. Will do that on my next trip though, I had no idea it was even there.

I did stop be the Oklahoma City Memorial. I had been in OKC after the bombing. At that time the chain link fence was up with all the notes, flowers photos, and stuffed animals... I walked in the bitter cold down the steps. It is a dignified, moving place. I am glad I happened to stop by. I was moved to tears, I suspect most are.


Again thanks for taking the time to help. It looks like I will be going to OK once a month for the next few months, your tips made my trip much more enjoyable.

Great to hear Coskier, glad you had a good time. You hit a couple of great places -- Mickey Mantle's and Lotus (the sushi place). The bar at MM's, especially when jazz is playing, is one of my favorite spots in the city.

Yes, I heard from friends back there that a cold front swept through for a few days. And, if you do go back to Lake Hefner, I recommend Red Rock Canyon Grill - its neighbor, Bahama Breeze, is a chain from Darden Restaurants. But Red Rock is local and popular with the after-work crowd.

Once again, glad you enjoyed it!!

hey Coskier,

I'm glad you enjoyed OKC. My experience is that most people who think there is nothing to do here find that's not the case. Things have changed a lot in the last 10 years.

Since you'll be coming back, I wanted to give you some more tips. The OKC Museum of Art is great as someone said. Also the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is really interesting and has a lot of beautiful western art. If it's warmer when you come, you might want to check out the OKC Zoo. It's considered one of the top 10 in the nation and is celebrating it's 100 year anniversary this year. If you like performing arts, there are lot's of options. Ballet Oklahoma, Lyric Theatre (musicals), The Oklahoma City Philharmonic, OKC Rep Theatre, OKC Theatre Company, and the Caterbury Choral Society perform at the Civic Center Music Hall downtown, and Broadway tours come through all the time. Miss Saigon is playing there next month. If that's something you're interested in, you can visit the website (okcciviccenter.com) to see what's playing. There are also several other theatres in the OKC area. Some places in Bricktown I recommend include Abuelos (great mexican), Chelino's, Zio's, and Bourbon Street. There are many choices though, as I'm sure you noticed. I hope you enjoy your future visits.

Just got back from OKC after visiting family--Coskier, we did go for a short walk at Lake Hefner and DID freeze our you know what's off. (There was a guy out there jogging, too!)
I wanted to add some plugs for a couple of our favorite cheap eats places. We always go to City Bites Cafe--still the best sub sandwiches I've ever had anywhere--good loaded baked potatoes, too. Also, for a good, sloppy, soda shop type hamburger and ice cream, go to Braum's. Both of these restaurants have locations all over the Metro area. Went to Greg Burns Art Gallery at N. Pennsylvania and Britton Road--worth a visit.

MzPossum, did you see Greg Burns there? If you didn't, you'd probably not guess he's a paraplegic (not that it would effect his talent). You'll see his works of OKC places in dozens of offices in the city. Only the photographer Tom Lee in the Paseo District seems to have developed OKC's sense of place as much with his works.

A second about your local recommendations. If you would have made it to Sonic, you'd have hit the OKC fast food trifecta!!

Hi designmr! I'm an OKC native, born and bred--moved to south Louisiana about 5 years ago. I like reading your posts--they make me a bit homesick, tho!
Oh, yes, I know all about Greg Burns--have seen him several times at the Festival of the Arts. In fact, he has a new print of the Festival that I bought. I got 3--Owen Field, the Arts Festival and an old barn that belonged to a dear friend of the family (not the round one, however. Going into his gallery was like a blast from the past--every OKC landmark. I got his Milk Bottle several years ago and still haven't framed it. I was getting my new ones framed today--felt a little funny having the OU one done while people kept coming in the shop (in Baton Rouge!) having their LSU national champ posters framed.
Fortunatly, we have Sonic's in Baton Rouge--how can it be summer without a cherry limeade?! (still haven't found a peppermint ice cream better than Braums!)
However, I think I would replace Sonic with Charcoal Oven for the fast food trifecta--what do you think?

MzPossum, I can't blame you one bit if you'd want to substitute Charcoal Oven. Wow, didn't know you were such a Greg Burns devotee. I recall all of those images (except for the barn), and now you're making me homesick!! Also, for your safety's sake, it's a good thing LSU did win. Not really.

Dear designmr--you're more right than you think about my being safer since LSU won! As part of losing a bet to a co-worker, I had to wear an LSU shirt to work everyday for a week. Had OU won, I think I would not have been quite so welcome at the office! Was really nice to be among my own kind last week Oh, by the way, have you been to the Buy For Less grocery on NW Expressway near Council--loads of ethnic food! Have a wonderful evening!

No, haven't been that store. Thanks for telling me that, I'll have to check next time I'm in town! What kinds of ethnic foods are there? You know, I read a recent article in Time or Newsweek that profiled the seven states of the February 3rd primary. Oklahoma was the most diverse in terms of healthy representation of the all the minority groups -- Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans. That's why I'm not surprised about that.

We just returned this weekend from the arts/craps show, Affairs of the Heart . . . more a/c than you've ever seen in your life!

We took MzPossum and designmr's advice and ate at the Red Rock Grill at Lake Hefner . . . outstanding! Even though it was cold and we couldn't sit outside, the views from inside were still wonderful and the food and service were excellent . . . we were surprised at how reasonable this place was . . . most expensive steak on the menu was only $22.95 and their rotisserie chicken ($12.95) was out of this world.

We also tried MzPossum's suggestion of City Bites for a quick lunch . . . great Philly steak sub sandwiches and again, very inexpensive (around $4 for a 6").

I love Fodor's, you folks never let me down with your advice.

I've copied some of these other places down so we can try them on our next trip up there.

Thanks again,
Sandy (in Denton)

Glad you enjoyed it, Sandy. If you're a fan of antiques, check out Antiques Roadshow's website. They toured in OKC and will be showing the taped broadcast in the next few weeks (I think). I believe they'll be returning to OKC later for upcoming seasons.

Hi, Sandy. As designmr said, glad you had a good time! The Affair of the Heart is great--it occurs 2x per year--this time, around Valentine's, and also in the fall. (I got a laugh out of your typo--arts and craps--my husband would agree with that. Fortunatly, most of the stuff is quite good)
You know, Red Rock was opened after I moved away and we still haven't tried it! Have been to Pearl's Lakeside, however. Another great festival is the outdoor Festival of the Arts (has been mentioned on this board before) It's at the Crystal Bridge area downtown and is usually the 3rd week of April.

To MzPossum . . . not a typo!!!

Thanks for the info about the April happening . . . will have to check it out.

Thanks!
Sandy (in Denton)

I second MzPossum's advice about the Festival of the Arts; ethnic food, artists from around the world, music ranging from the easy stylings of Edgar Cruz to the ska of Banana Seat to German polka. All at a time when the flora of the Myriad Botanical Gardens are coming out in full force. If the timing is right, you can catch a Redhawks game across Sheridan at the retro-styled Bricktown Ballpark.

"..not a typo..." Sandy, now that's funny!

Hi again. Heading to Tulsa on Mon the 23rd. Staying a the Embassy Suites on 79th. Will stop at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum if timing works, I think I drive by it from OKC? Have a late meeting in OKC then to Tulsa for 2 nights. Hopefull it won't be so darn cold and I can get a run in at LaFortune park. Any other ideas for me? Thanks.

Coskier, if your time in OKC is limited, I would stick to The National Cowboy Museum and dine at The County Line barbeque restaurant.

If you have over a half day, I would take I-44 West and the downtown exit to the State Capitol and enjoy some Oklahoma portraiture and history. The Capitol was recently domed and refurbished and has a tourism center at the basement level. Look out at the oil derrick to the south and the construction of the state's History Center to the east. If you can lunch in the capitol area, try the Faculty Lounge on Lincoln, just north of the OU Medical Center campus. It's where some of the city's movers and shakers do lunch.

But I must give Tulsa its due. If you have time, check out the Philbrook Museum of Art, arguably the finest art museum in Oklahoma. It is housed in the old Phillips family estate. If you have more time, cruise on Riverside Drive. For dining, go to the Brookside district. Cherry Street is also cool, and my recommendation is the Full Moon Cafe's Tortilla Soup. Finally, for some great shopping (Saks, Brooks Brothers, etc) go to Utica Square on 21st St.

Enjoy the return, and stay warm! Hopefully, the temps will be better for you!!

Thanks, my time is limited in OKC. I hope that The National Cowboy Museum will be open at tleast till 6:00 on Monday if not I may have time on my return from Tulsa. I have heard many good things about it and love history. Thanks again for all your help. As I said I will be visitng Oklahoma a few more times so hopefully will get everything in, even if it is one place at a time.

Coskier - the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum closes at 5:00. Just saw your post and wanted to let you know.