Spending Time in BA and Some New Tulsa Treats

March 25, 2024

Tara Rittler,

I‘ve been having to deal with car repairs for the past week, making spring break a little less fun than it could have been. Not only did I have to do major repairs to the timing belt, but I was rushing to pick Joss up from camp (not speeding, just stressed) – and something went wrong with what I thought was my muffler! Suddenly, my car was making a horrific noise. So I took it to B&S Muffler ASAP, where they said it wasn’t the muffler, but the flex pipe. While there, they pointed out that my rear strut seemed to be leaking….so it’s back to the mechanic I go this week. On top of everything, I locked my keys in the car Thursday morning. Why?!

Anyway, all this left me feeling a bit “blah” about spring break. We were staying in town, but I wanted to do something new and fun! We ended up meeting a friend at Gathering Place Friday afternoon for their spring break activities. This included a magic show and lawn games – like a giant parachute! This was a big hit and helped me feel better about making sure Joss and I did some fun things together.

Broken Arrow Eats

But on Saturday, we ended up spending the afternoon in Broken Arrow, thanks to a Pokémon Go raid day. Because of Pokémon, I’ve been spending a little more time in BA lately, but there is so much more to do there! And when I say “more to do” – I realize that I mainly mean places to eat.

We were supposed to meet friends at Pho 71, which I’ve heard nothing but good things about. However, they’re closed on Saturdays! So we ended up at Lima Peruvian Cuisine, which is next door to Pho 71. They don’t have a huge menu, but it was really good! I got an appetizer that sounded interesting (and looked beautiful). The Casa Limeña is “mashed potatoes with Peruvian yellow pepper and lime juice, stuffed with shredded chicken, avocado and mayo.”

Joss opted for beef stew with beans and rice.

I didn’t get a picture, but I tried their Chicha Morada drink, which is made with purple corn, cinnamon, pineapple and lime. I’d definitely order that again!

Next to the restaurant was another BA establishment I’d been wanting to try for months: DBK Desserts by Kou See. They specialize in Asian sponge cakes and desserts. I tried an ube crepe cake and Oreo Korean bbang (cake taco). Joss chose a strawberry short cake, which was very delicious but a little creamy for his taste. They offer some drinks as well, if you’re feeling thirsty. And although we didn’t hang out, the atmosphere is very pink and fun.

Broken Arrow Library and Downtown

Broken Arrow has two libraries. The one closest to downtown was an easy drive from the restaurant, just a few minutes away. Plus, it has three Pokémon Go gyms so is a popular destination on Raid Days (as is downtown BA in general). I hadn’t been inside the Broken Arrow library before, so made sure to remedy that while there. They had a really cute “fort” leading to their children’s section, as well as a puzzle and LEGO table, etc. It was very bright with lots of nice windows.

From the library, we walked over to the main part of the BA Rose District. It’s a really beautiful place to walk around, with lots of interesting restaurants, statues, murals, etc. Next time, I hope to visit Laurannae and Rocket Fizz because Joss would enjoy that, I’m sure. And Rainbow Bowls looks like a healthier, tasty option.

Back in Tulsa – Crave and Coffee @ Heirloom

Saturday evening, I remembered I had one last thing I wanted to do that day: Get a free cookie at the new Crave cookies on Cherry Street! Crave is a national chain much in the style of Crumbl (there’s been a lawsuit – dropped), with over-the-top flavors of the week. Crave also serves specially flavored sodas, so we bought a couple drinks in addition to grabbing our free cookies. All very tasty!

Crave is located at 1441 S. Quaker Ave. I used to work here way back when it was Topeca’s Heirloom Bakery – up until Joss was born. Since then, it’s been Cherry Street Kitchen and Zoe’s Cakes Unlimited, so it’s seen some changes over the years.

There are a few new coffee places I want to try around town. So on Sunday morning, I drove over to Heirloom Rustic Ales to grab a couple lattes. Yes, they serve coffee now! Coffee @ Heirloom is their new-ish? coffee concept, serving classic drinks using Prodigal Coffee and a special brand of oatmilk. They don’t offer regular milk, but their oatmilk lattes were so good. The berry-fruitiness of the coffee really shone through, which I love, personally.