Occasionally, my wanderings take me to Oklahoma to visit my boyfriend at college. This past winter break, I went out to visit him and came back with quite a few new food experiences (and some old favorites, too!). Although I must admit I did no baking on this trip, I wanted to share some of the foods I tried and loved.

First, let me preface this by saying my boyfriend’s aunt is a foodie like me, and deserves credit because she was the one who showed me all sorts of new foods this winter. What would I do without her?

To start the list, let’s talk about The Hideaway. This in itself is a good enough reason to buy a ticket to Oklahoma. Their pizza is so good. Normally I’m not a fan of anything but cheese pizza, but when you go to Hideaway, it’s meat lovers, hands down. The crust was perfectly crisp and chewy at the same time, the cheese isn’t overpowering, and they put a lot of the meats under the cheese, so they’re not falling off when you’re eating! Here’s a picture of the “Big Country”, aka the meat lovers pizza. Seriously, their pizza is to die for.

Next on the list is a huge hit in Stillwater, Oklahoma: Eskimo Joe’s. This place has everything you can think of for a fun place to eat. It has great food, great waitstaff, TV’s everywhere for the big games, and fantastic merchandise. They have their own store attached to the restaurant! But before I get into that, I’ll talk about one thing in particular: sweet pepper bacon. I’ll say that again… sweet. pepper. bacon.

They put that heavenly stuff on top of just about anything, including cheese fries, cheeseburgers, and BLT’s. I personally had the BLT, and loved every bite. The bacon is so unexpected to my taste buds, because where I come from, bacon is smoky and salty and that’s it. This bacon is sugary and molasses-y, a little spicy from the pepper, and gave me a completely new perspective on the world of bacon. Who knew?

And you can’t forget about the Joe’s merchandise! With every drink you buy, you get a Joe’s cup to take home with you (a perfect opportunity to order sweet tea, which I tried and now love!). This isn’t an ordinary to-go cup. These cups come in all different colors, some change colors, some are sparkly, and I actually have one that glows in the dark. Joe’s isn’t just a restaurant, it’s an attraction. And it rocks.

Next stop, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. This could be considered an ordinary chocolate shop if it weren’t for the fact that you can sit there and watch them make the chocolate fresh behind the counter for you! They even have chocolate covered wine bottles for weddings. I’m telling you, this place is awesome. I’ve been there a couple of times now, and tried a lot of chocolates, and my favorite is still the M&M bark. Their homemade peanut butter cups are a close second, though. Or their Mint Oreo bark. Or their Chocolate Caramel Pretzel bark. Or really any chocolate.

And finally, a little something that we made on our own! My boyfriend’s aunt took me to Whole Foods (where I tried the salad bar and ate tons of veggies I had never heard of), and a more local grocery store called Sprouts. During our explorations, we came across bison burger patties. We definitely don’t have those in our grocery stores up where I’m from, so we got some and grilled them. They were so incredibly tender and juicy and flavorful! After I had one, though, I was so full I could hardly move!

It’s always so much fun to go to Oklahoma and visit everyone. They’re welcoming and warm, and feel like family. And of course, when your boyfriend’s aunt loves food too, there’s always a few food adventures  together! I can’t wait for my next trip out there, and to see what my next Joe’s cup is!