Outlaws' Chophouse, Bartlesville, Okla.

Tuesday before flying back to D.C., we went to lunch with some family friends who were driving me to the airport in Tulsa. They chose a new place in town that was opened by some friends of their children. It's called Outlaws' Chophouse, and it's sort of a country-cooking casual restaurant. The food was very good, though I wasn't overwhelmed. It's new, so it might just be a matter of them getting into their routine.

The ladies both got the catfish special for the day, one with french fries and the other with a baked potato. They came with hushpuppies and cole slaw.




We guys had more substantial fare. Our friend had the chicken fried chicken with a baked sweet potato and green beans. I had the chicken fried steak with french fries and an extra side of gravy.




With my meal, I also had a side salad with freshly made buttermilk-herb dressing (a/k/a ranch) and a delicious piece of coconut meringue pie.

Montana Mike's Steakhouse, Bartlesville, Okla.

Saturday night, my mother and I went to dinner at Montana Mike's Steakhouse. Montana Mike's is the "upscale" brand of the company that owns Sirloin Stockade and Coyote Canyon, and they use the Montana hunting/fishing lodge theme for their decor. I usually don't like franchises, but in Bartlesville, there aren't a whole lot of other options.

We started with salads, my mother getting the Caesar salad and me getting the garden salad.



The main courses were very hearty. My mother got the "Mountain Momma Ribeye," the smaller ribeye cut, with roasted sweet potatoes.



I had a full rack of baby back ribs with french fries. The ribs were okay, but I like them better at the specifically-barbecue restaurants, since these had the "helped" tender feel common with meats at franchise restaurants.

Midway Cafe, Bartlesville, Okla.

Over Labor Day weekend, I flew back to Oklahoma and my friend Tony was kind enough to pick me up at the airport and drive me all the way up to Bartlesville. Once we got there, we stopped in at Midway Cafe for some traditional Oklahoma breakfast food.

Tony ordered the pork chop breakfast with fried eggs, fried potatoes, and biscuits and gravy. I had the "Grand Breakfast," a combination platter with eggs, bacon, sausage, fried potatoes, biscuits and gravy, and a pancake. And people wonder why obesity is a problem in the South.