New Tulsa Bar-B-Que And Blues Restaurant Wants Your Recipes

Rick Wells, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- You may have opened the menu of a bar-b-que restaurant and wished they had your favorite kind of beans or slaw, or something. A new bar-b-que restaurant is opening in downtown Tulsa, and they are giving us a chance to get our favorites on their menu.

"This is it - Back Alley Blues and BBQ - coming soon. You may have to use a little imagination for this one but imagine a big smoker, a place where bands will play and spots for people to eat.

But the guy who's opening it can tell you about it.

"It's a Memphis-style blues place," said Blake Ewing.

Blake Ewing has developed most of this end of a downtown block; he owns Joe Mamma's a couple of doors down. He says downtown needs bar-b-que and blues.

"We feel like the daytime business would love a place to come get a quick bar-b-que lunch," he said.

At night then it would be a blues place.

Tulsa doesn't have enough blues venues, in my opinion," Ewing said.

The entrance will be in the back alley. There'll be rooftop seating up there, with a stage and a bar. So in good weather, the blue dome district will not only smell good but sound good too.

Inside they'll clean-up the walls.

"We're leaving the ceiling like it is so we'll have exposed rafters," Ewing said. "The sky-light stays."

Here's the part for you and me: over the next three months contests to find the best beans, cole slaw and cobbler. He told me there'll be cash prizes, blues bands at each event, a contest and a fundraiser.

11/28/2010 Related Story: Candlelight Vigil Held For Tulsa Runner Who Died In Marathon

"In memory of Marcus Takach we are making a donation at each event - to the American Heart Association."

Takach was the young runner who died during the Route 66 Marathon last month.

Get your recipes together, and keep your fingers crossed. The first of the monthly "Side Searches" is January 22.

They are looking for great beans recipes. You can find what you need on their Facebook page.