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Reba McEntire opened a new restaurant and entertainment venue in Atoka, Okla. Jedi Chef Stryker -
One of the appetizers was an Oklahoma-shaped charcuterie board with tasty meats and dips. Jedi Chef Stryker
Who is a three-time Grammy Award winner, with multiple awards from the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association, and has won at least one award every year from 1984 to present, totaling 85 awards in all? Reba McEntire has a hefty list of accolades under her belt.
Now, Reba McEntire has entered a whole new venture. She has joined the likes of Blake Shelton with his place Ole Red, and Toby Keith’s I Love this Bar and Grill. Tucked away in downtown Atoka, Okla. - between Tulsa and Dallas - is a new restaurant, Reba’s Place.
Reba brought in culinary visionary and Executive Chef, Kurtess Mortensen to create a place with not only great food but great atmosphere. A place where every guest feels that they are a member of the family. Well done Chef Mortenson, you have succeeded.
I took a tour of the facility. It has a full state-of-the-art kitchen and equipment, an elegant bar, custom built tables for the private dinning rooms, and a front row seat to live entertainment. After touring the gift shop and the rows of gold and platinum albums and concert posters, I made my way to the bar to try a signature drink, the Red Headed Rita, solely named after its namesake.
To start the culinary experience, Chef Mortenson gave his guests a small sample of his menu with a special taste, starting with fresh breads and spreads. The meal began with smoked cinnamon bread, green chili corn muffins, and cranberry muffins with bourbon caramel butter, and lemon vanilla cream cheese. For an appetizer, we shared a southern charcuterie board and a plate of very tasty fried green tomatoes with chow-chow remoulade and pimento cheese.
The entrée consisted of a trio of delicacies; Choctaw beef filet mignon, topped with rustler butter and an in-house steak sauce. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare and melted with every bite. The Nashville hot chicken was served on white bread with dill pickles, with the ideal blend of heat and savory.
The final delicacy with the main entrée was a NOLA BBQ Shrimp, swimming in a sauce that makes you want to lick the bowl when done. The entrees were served with family style sides of brown butter mashed potatoes and gravy, blue corn grits, and bacon rind braised greens. After serving guests such great menu options, the kitchen hit a home run with their dessert selection.
Dessert was a hot berry cobbler with a flaky crust and berries that made you feel that you picked them from the bush yourself. It transported you back to a time when your grandmother always had a fresh baked berry cobbler waiting for you while you visited.
There was also a banana pudding jar, and a strawberry shortcake with a Chantilly cream in which the cream could sit on a plate as a stand-alone dessert. I was in a sensory overload from all the fabulous food.
I had a moment to sit and visit Chef Mortenson and enquire about his vision for the future. He said he wants his menu to tell a story not unlike Reba’s songs. He also wants to continue to serve farm-to-table fresh ingredients and support local farms and ranches, with his seasonal menu items. This will include his Memphis-style bologna sandwiches with a slow smoked bologna.