Trying Out Diamond Delicacies

Originally Published: Apr 2, 2010 9:31 PM CDT

Bobby Lewis & Joe McCann
Oklahoma Sports Resident Eaters

TULSA, Oklahoma – Let’s talk some food. Specifically, ballpark food.

The Tulsa Drillers open Texas League play on April 8th and have pulled out all the stops. They changed their uniforms. They built a new stadium downtown. They even upped the ante at the buffets.

The team hosted a Suite Menu Tasting Party Thursday night to show off all of this season’s fancy new culinary creations. We attended the event, ready to eat, and came away with satisfied bellies. Call this our dietary diary.

Here is some of the Drillers’ best grub and our critique of each dish, graded on a scale of single (eh, just okay) through homerun (wow! Pass me more).

STARTERS

Appetizers are designed to set the table. They’re like the leadoff hitter in a lineup full of power. The Drillers meal starters jump started the meal nicely. Our favorites:

Bobby – Chili Queso Dip
Wow! Spicy, but delicious. As far as appetizers go, spice isn’t always nice, but I loved this queso dip. It wasn’t much to look at, resembling a million olives floating in a pool of butter. However, the taste certainly made up for that. It melts in your mouth and makes you crave salty chips. For my money, especially if you love cheese and a little zip on your tongue to kick off the evening, you can’t beat the heat.

Grade – Single

Joe – Chicken Wings
I have high standards when it comes to wings, and to compare these to the likes of those at your favorite eating establishment might seem unfair. However, these boys hold their own. The temperature on these wings was just right for the average wing eater. They’re spicy enough to give wing lovers a kick, yet mild enough that wing rookies won’t go running for the nearest cold beverage. Most importantly, the flavor was right. Any resident of Buffalo would certainly approve. These wings appeal to a broad audience, meaning I think they’ll serve their purpose and satisfy almost anyone. And if you’re not a fan of the buffalo sauce, here’s a curveball for you: barbeque wings are another option. Way to please everyone.

Grade – Double

Other top choices: Spinach Artichoke and Nine Layer Tortilla dips

MAIN DISHES

These are supposed to fill you up! If you're looking for the traditional ballpark food like hot dogs and burgers, they've got that. If you want something a little more upscale, they've got that too.

Bobby – KABOBS!
I may be partial to these since my name IS in the title of the dish, but wow-wee these were off the charts good! I like the fact that you had two choices: Chicken or Grilled Steak. If you forced me onto the plank, and forced me to pick between the two lest be tossed to the sharks, I’d go with the steak. That skewer featured pineapple and bell peppers. The chicken skewers boasted mushrooms. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

Grade – Triple

Joe – Barbeque Meal
Having lived in Memphis, Omaha and Kansas City, I like to think I’ve lived in what I prefer to call the Great Barbeque Triangle. So when it comes to brisket and barbeque beef sandwiches, I’m tough to please. The food at ONEOK, however, was well above ballpark standards. Would it impress a tough critic on the Kansas City Plaza? Maybe not (if said critic adds his favorite sauce to it, though, no way is he unhappy).The beef was tender and full of flavor. The ones I tried, though, did not have sauce available. Maybe that’s different on game day. Maybe not. Still, even without the sauce, the meat was high quality and finding something with more flavor in any ballpark would be a challenge.

Grade – Triple

Other top choices: Grilled chicken sandwich and, of course a ballpark staple, the gourmet hot dog.

SIDES

Call these buffers. They fill in the gaps between main dishes and desserts. It's hard to wait to eat dessert, but when you get a look at some of these raging sides, you'll find a way.

Bobby – Shantel’s Macaroni & Cheese
I don’t know who Shantel is, but God bless her. That woman has a way with a crock pot and works her magic with some butter. There’s nothing better than cheddar, and this concoction is chock full of it. By my best guess, it also has at least two other kinds of cheese, making it a tastebud’s delight. The only drawback was the greasiness. It wasn’t overbearing, but just a tad heavy on the grease. Really though, find me a dish with mountains of butter and cheese that isn’t dripping with grease. Overall, amazing.

Grade – Triple

Joe – Potato Skins
Is a potato skin really a side? Okay, if it’s beside your main course, I guess it is, and that’s how I went about it. The skins had a generous portion of cheese and bacon. They really piled it on for this tasting. If they pile on the toppings on game day the same way they did for us, there won’t be many complaints from the fans. They’ll be too busy devouring these skins. Give me some sour cream for dipping and you won’t hear a word out of me.

Grade – Double

Other top choices: Jason’s Baked Potato Casserole and the Fresh Mozzarella Salad

DESSERTS

Finally! The climax of a meal. The dessert choices are tougher than any other decisions throughout the meal. Chocolate, strawberries, coffee cakes and so on. Dig in! You've waited long enough

Bobby – Lemon Creme Cake
It’s a good thing I’m typing this and not trying to verbally explain the greatness of this cake. I’m still salivating over the idea of putting another forkful of citrusy satisfaction in my mouth. This cake was moist and the creamy filling was to die for. My only complaint was the portion size. They only gave you slices of cake instead of entire rooms full of it. If you eat nothing else at the new ONEOK Field, make sure you put some hard-earned cash down for this amazing ballpark wonder.

Grade – Homerun

Joe – Strawberry Cheesecake
I would trade my associate producer for a great slice of cheesecake. That’s not a reflection on him, but a reflection on how much I enjoy cheesecake. Had my AP been with me during this tasting, I probably would have made the deal to take the rest of this cheesecake back to the TV station. He likes baseball anyway. He could help the Drillers. As for this cheesecake, it was an absolute A+. The portion was huge, and the flavor was plentiful. Each bite was smooth as silk and tasted better than the previous one. Forget ballpark standards, this is better than some I’ve gotten at restaurants. I think Bobby and I agree that the folks at ONEOK spare at no expense when it comes to their desserts.

Grade – Homerun, like landing in the parking lot and smashing a wind shield gone.

Other top choices: Chocolate Mocha Cake

OVERALL

Bobby – Overall, I liked the food A LOT. Although I will probably never be able to just sit down and eat at the game, I’d go back just to eat. It makes me a little upset to think that whenever I am at the sparkling new park, I’ll be chained to my camera and microphone. I’d much rather be chained to a ONEOK buffet table, especially when the spread includes gems like the kabobs, mac & cheese and that HEAVENLY lemon creme cake. I give the menu two thumbs way up!

Grade – Triple

Joe – Let’s all shed a tear for Bobby, who’ll be there with his camera and microphone. I’ll be at the station producing his show for him. So, can it, buddy. Shifting back to the topic at hand, I was also very impressed with the quality of food that ONEOK offers. Patrons who are forking over the cash for the suites should definitely be pleased with what the friendly staff at ONEOK brings them. There are plenty of great options that appeal to pretty much everyone. I can’t imagine anyone going to a game in one of these suites and not finding anything they like. The options are plentiful, and everything we tried was a positive experience.

Grade – Triple? with an eye on stealing home

The Tulsa Drillers open the season on Thursday, April 8th at 7 p.m.