A Night at The Celebrity Club

One of my old favorite restaurants in Tulsa is The Celebrity Club. I haven't been there much since I've been pursuing a raw diet, however, it still has to be one of the only classic eateries left in this town. When I received an invitation to be "the mystery guest" for my friend Diane's 65th birthday party earlier this week, I was delighted to accept. Diane Simpson is the mother of one of my all time favorite friends, Katie Tuttle, and over the years, I've sort of adopted Diane as my surrogate mother. I even call her mom. Celebrating with Diane and the rest of my favored group of uber eccentric Tulsans has been the highlight of my week. Some of you may be familiar with the work of Charles Faudree and his fabulous sister, Francie. Also in attendance were Bill, Crissy, Brenda, George, Mickey and Martha, the manager of my favorite store in Tulsa, TA Lorton. I can't repeat any of the stories that went around the dinner table that evening, but to say I was entertained would be an understatement.

The menu at the Celebrity Club is not what you'd call raw food friendly, however, they are notoriously famous for their table side preparation of the BEST EVER Caesar Salad. Always the odd ball, my personal favorite is the Syrian Salad, which is what I eagerly ordered. Of course they wouldn't dream of sharing the recipe, but I've come close to recreating this taste sensation on my own. Perhaps you'll try it sometime....

Celebrity Club's Syrian Salad (translated by Penni)

For the Salad
1 head romaine lettuce
1 cucumber, cut in half, seeded and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced finely
2 ripe tomatoes
2 scallions, chopped
1 small red onion
2 tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
a bit of fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup black olives

For the Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of one lemon
1 tbsp. wine vinegar
1 minced garlic clove
1 tbsp. fresh mint
sea salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste

Blend all dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl, toss with the dressing and serve on chilled plates.