Tallgrass Prairie Table: Elegant and Rustic Farm to Table Deliciousness

I visited Tallgrass Prairie Table when they first opened, and then this week alone, I've been TWICE!  My most recent visit was wicked cool...





...and I felt like a groupie at a rock concert who got to meet the the lead singer, but in this case, it was Executive Chef Michelle Donaldson...she brought us our main course! Slightly embarrassed by my "groupie" like reaction to her, I still think it's so important to let the most learned and talented chefs know their food rocks your world. Every chef I've met as a food blogger have been an honor to meet and tonight, was equally phenomenal. 

     I've seen some "diner" reviews on this place and the ones that claim the food to be "flavorless" are obviously chain diners. They don't know what REAL good food is and are used to the sodium salty chain food.  That or they smoke...in which case your taste buds aren't able to fully take in the flavors.  Okay, off my soapbox and on to my review of Tallgrass Prairie Table's elegant, rustic, delicious food! :-)

     So my first visit this week was with my little sister Alex. She ordered the Smoked Brisket Burger...see it pictured above AND again below.  I ordered the small plate of Belly and Scallops.  You can't imagine the flavors. Farm to table, fresh, local. You can taste each ingredient to it's fullest, bold, ripe and amazing, again, without being overly seasoned. 

 Short Brisket Burger--House Grind, Brazzo’s Cheddar, Carmelized Onion, & Homemade Everything. $14 

Add Fried Farm Egg $2Add House-cured, Smoked, Thick-cut Bacon for $2

Belly and Scallops--Smoked Carrot Puree, Sweet Hot Tomato Jam, Fresh Herbs $16

     Last night, my second visit in two days, I was with my friend and fellow foodie Kirk Williams, (He and his team won last year's Oklahoma Steak Championship Cook-Off) he knows good food.  He really enjoyed it all. He had the meatloaf and I, I had the Spicy Hot Fried Chicken.  Oh, it sounds basic...doesn't it? But if you've ever eaten at Tallgrass, you know it wasn't!!!

     First, they brought us a small plate of Ham and Farm Eggs...amazing. UH-MAAAY-zing! It came with house-made Tasso ham, cast iron skillet padrons, and shirred farm eggs with white cheddar, oh and fire-grilled jalapenos on the side.  Are you getting a picture here? It was like a soup of white creamy cheddar and then a surprise of two whole shirred eggs. So the eggs are slowly warmed by the hot cheddar...it was wicked tasty.  And of course, I didn't get a picture of that luscious bowl of cheddar-egg goodness :-(

     I had a bite of Kirk's meatloaf, and it was nothing short of savory and meaty goodness.  Unfortunately, I didn't have my "good" Canon camera with me, I only had my smartphone camera so his pic didn't turn out.  Okay, the fried chicken, not your grandma's chicken for sure.  The crust was spicy but not too much, it sneaks up on you, which is why I loved it so much. You get the full flavor of the delectable, fresh chicken and then the taste of the perfectly spicy and crisp coating follows. Not greasy or soggy, just perfect.  It came with roasted fingerling potatoes and the gravy, oh that creamy flavorful panang curried gravy. Yes, I said panang curried gravy.  The fusion of country-style food with a hint of Mediterranean flair made this dish so unique. Then there's the lime-leaf slaw that balanced the richness of the gravy and hearty savoriness of the fried chicken beautifully.

Spicy Hot Fried Chicken--Panang Curry Gravy and Lime-leaf Slaw  $19

     Service was great, the bartender took great care of us as did the bar manager, Johnna Hayes.  The entire staff is knowledgeable as they are hard working. It's like their ultimate goal is ensure you not only have smooth service, but that your experience is a memorable one. You know you wanna go now have some of that fried chicken...Cheers!