By SCOTT CHERRY Restaurant Critic on Sep 26, 2011, at 2:17 PM Updated on 10/05 at 3:06 PM
TABLE TALK
Canebrake resort, located four miles east of Wagoner off Oklahoma 51, has scheduled a crab boil and wine tasting 6-9 p.m. ...
Chef-proprietor Justin Thompson has scheduled a benefit opening 6-10 p.m. Thursday for his new Tavolo Italian Bistro, 427 ...
Hope Egan, owner of Hope’s Table catering, said Thursday she plans to open a new restaurant called Tallgrass in downtown ...
CONTACT THE BLOGGER
918-581-8463
Email
For many years Bryan Taylor made the onion rings for Coleman's Drive-In, located on Wood Drive (U.S. 75) in Okmulgee, and later, after the drive-in was sold, when the business was reborn as Coleman's Bakery in downtown Okmulgee.
Taylor's onion rings were magnificent, thin, stringy and crispy, reminiscent of the onion rings at the old Pennington's Drive-In.
A couple of years ago, Taylor died from complications from a wound to his leg from a high-powered pellet gun, according to Coleman's co-owner Alice Holleman, granddaughter of the founder.
"For about a year we just bought the best onion rings we could, but I never liked any of them," Holleman said.
Holleman said son Ben was working at Grace Fellowship in Tulsa at the time.
"He called to say he was going to come back and work out the recipe for us," Holleman said. "Bryan always told our boys they should video him making onion rings. They didn't do that, but I guess Ben was paying attention."
Not only did Ben revive the onion ring recipe, he also returned to the restaurant full time to cook onion rings and man the fryer, working alonside his mother Alice, dad Randy, sister Katy and brother Joey. Ben's wife, Amber, also helps out at Coleman's.
"I think our onion rings are as good today, maybe even better, than the ones Bryan used to make," Alice Holleman said.
For a full look at Coleman's Bakery, check out my review in this Thursday's Weekend section.
Only active print or digital subscribers of the Tulsa World are allowed to post comments on stories posted to Tulsaworld.com. After you fill out the form below and click submit, your comment will be published instantly online along with your screen name.
By clicking "Submit" you are agreeing to our terms and conditions.
