Hollywood met the High Plains in Oklahoma City as early as 1907. By the 1960s, literally hundreds of film exchanges operated in OKC as distribution points for almost every film studio in the U.S. Films fanned out to 37 cities from Film Row, until changes in movie technology changed the means of distribution. The heart of the current Film Row (www.filmrowokc.com) is the corner of Sheridan and Lee Avenues. Many old buildings remain, complete with ghost paintings of their studio names. The neighborhood has begun to emerge as a center for arts, entertainment, and dining.
A concert venue/dance club is rising behind the 21c Museum Hotel. Meanwhile, there’s plenty to entice, ranging from the main gallery of Individual Artists of Oklahoma (www.iaogallery.org) to the quirky coffee bar/art gallery/potting shed known as The Plant Shoppe (www.plantshoppe.com). Paramount Arts & Entertainment (www.theparamountokc.com) contains the bar and bistro Noir as well as a black-box theater used by contemporary drama companies. Its cinema shows movies on weekends in one of the original Paramount Studios screening rooms.
Only stretching about four blocks on Sheridan Avenue, Film Row is blocked off on the third Friday of the month for an event called Premiere. The main feature is a gathering of food trucks selling everything from barbecued brisket, pulled pork, and giant plates of nachos to bowls of vegan mac and cheese (made with cashew cheese) and green chile pork tacos. One truck serves only variations of s’mores and shaved ice with fresh fruit. No matter how enticing, save room for dessert from That Pie Truck (@thatpieplaceOK), the mobile variant of the brick-and-mortar bakery That Pie Place. We were so taken with the tequila key lime pie that we figured out how to make it at home.
TEQUILA LIME PIE
This variant of the time-honored condensed milk key lime pie comes out higher and a little lighter, thanks to the incorporation of some meringue into the custard. And because it is fully set by baking, it’s less likely than the original to weep or make the crust soggy. If you’re not a tequila drinker, you don’t have to buy a whole bottle to make the recipe. A standard nip provides just the right amount.
Ingredients
14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
zest of 2 limes
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup (50ml) gold tequila
2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon sugar
1 prepared graham cracker crust
sweetened whipped cream
Directions
Set oven at 325°F.
Place condensed milk in large bowl. Stir in egg yolks, lime zest, lime juice, and tequila.
In separate bowl, place egg whites and sugar. Whip with egg beater or electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Stir about a quarter of the meringue into the milk-egg-lime mix. Then fold in remaining meringue.
Pour mixture into prepared graham cracker crust. Place pie into preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. When jostled, it should seem mostly set but jiggle a little in the middle. Top will be slightly dry and perhaps just beginning to brown.
Cool on rack, then chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.