[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: A Brooklyn Center First

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
A Brooklyn Center First
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1206928318.shtml


   The T.G.I. Fridays in Brooklyn Center closed last year. We used to go
   there from time to time, until they dumbed down the menu and turned up
   the music too loud. A new "Oak CIty" restaurant has taken its place.
   It looked like a franchise, but read their press release:

     March 5, 2008 (FPRC) -- Oak City Restaurant, a new restaurant
     concept, opened its first location on March 3, 2008, at 2590
     Freeway Boulevard in Brooklyn Center in a renovated site that was
     formerly occupied by T.G.I. Fridays.
     Oak City is committed to local dining and music. âOak City will
     offer diners a locally owned restaurant featuring great food made
     from fresh ingredients,â stated owner Mike Tupa. âOur expansive
     menu features a variety of items, from unique appetizers and
     flatbread pizzas, to healthy organic salads, Certified Angus Beef
     burgers, and outstanding entree selections. Our goal is to provide
     our customers with a special dining experience along with a fun
     nightlife atmosphere,â he added. âWeâll feature a great mix of
     music played nightly as well as high-quality and diverse wines and
     creative cocktails.â
     Oak City will present great-tasting food while providing superior
     service in a nostalgic, warm atmosphere. Customers will be able to
     reminisce and join in the fun by reading the many famous quotes,
     sayings and music lyrics that are incorporated into the interior
     design of the restaurant, completely renovated and redecorated by
     interior design firm Jeff Schreier & Associates.
     We will strive to make dining out special for our customers,
     whether theyâre celebrating a special occasion or simply enjoying a
     meal,â Tupa said. âWeâll provide tasty food, good music and
     nightlife, and a special atmosphere that will allow our guests to
     slow down, relax and reconnect.â
     Tupa, an accomplished restaurant owner/operator with 20 years of
     industry experience, has overseen every aspect of the planning for
     Oak City, including the building renovation, menu selection,
     staffing and communications.
     Founded in 2008, Oak City Restaurant is a casual restaurant
     offering great food made from fresh ingredients. A second Oak City
     location will open in Bloomington, Minn., in the spring of 2008.

   Yes, it's a local operation, and this is the first one.
   We had dinner there tonight and I was very impressed. The decor is
   darker and all that TGIF crap along the walls is gone, just some nice
   brass plates with some memorable quotes. There are big screen TV's all
   over, but tastefully integrated into the decor. And - the music is at
   just the right volume, enough to enjoy, but not such that you have to
   shout across the table to be heard.
   I had their Tenderloin Peppercorn Salad. When I saw it coming, I
   assumed I would be boxing half as I often do as a dutiful Weight
   Watcher. This proved neither necessary nor desirable. It was perfect
   for me, especially as it was lightly dressed. The meat was perfectly
   cooked, tender and flavorful, and not over-peppered as some pepper
   steak is. It was a nice collection of fresh greens, too. I would have
   been a shame to box them to have them wilt later. Service was prompt
   and attentive and not scripted, dare I say professional.
   We will be back and soon. I'm thinking this would be a swell place to
   watch football and NASCAR, too, assuming they'll turn on the audio.