Walking into Tallgrass Prairie Table — with its tall, exposed wood ceilings, open floor plan, chandeliers and artfully chosen mismatched plates — one can tell that a lot of love, handiwork and attention have already gone into this place. Tallgrass opened a year ago in December, led by its owner Hope Egan and Executive Chef Michelle Donaldson. The restaurant sits in the center of Tulsa’s Blue Dome District and, at less then a year old, has already become a favorite spot for many area Tulsans.
Donaldson and I had brunch at her restaurant one busy Sunday morning and talked about her experiences in food over the years as we dined, family style, with friends. The table included beignets, breakfast tacos, and piggy and eggs with pork belly “eggs served up,” as Donaldson would say. Also: fried chicken, huevos rancheros, thick-cut bacon and biscuits and gravy. Everything was even (dare I say it) better then my beloved, but now defunct, Divine Swine. Tallgrass easily carries the torch as my favorite brunch spot in Oklahoma right now.
Items that at first seem very traditionally Oklahoman are constantly turned on their head. For instance, the spicy fried chicken is served with a classic crispy crust and a savory panang curry gravy; it is a melding of flavors so perfect that, once they’re tasted together, seem like an obvious combination. The dish is served with a lime leaf slaw that gives just the right combination of “Far East meets Southwest.” You can see the influences of Donaldson’s culinary journey, mixed with a heavy dose of Oklahoma, in her food. Her takes on lamb and curries have their roots in the years she spent in New Zealand with her dad after high school.
Photo: Lacey Elaine Tackett
She came back to Oklahoma and started working at Wild Oats Market, where she moved quickly from the deli to the cheese department.
“I ate my way through the cheese department and just taught myself about cheese and just fell in love with it,” Donaldson said. “All these chefs would come in and I would talk to them about cheese. I even put together a tasting program.”
One day, one of the chefs said, “Michelle, you need to go to school. What are you doing? Are you just going to stay in the cheese department forever?” So Donaldson started looking at Culinary Schools and came across Le Cordon Bleu in Las Vegas, a school synonymous with five-star restaurants and renowned chefs. Soon after, Donaldson was cooking in Vegas restaurants such as Andre’s Kitchen, where she cooked “Traditional Classic French, pouring soup from polished pots and cooking lobster thermidor.” There she trained under Eric Patterson and Jennifer Blakesee, who went on to open The Cooks’ House in Traverse City, a critically acclaimed restaurant and one of Mario Batali’s favorite places to eat. Donaldson also worked at The Wynn, where she cooked more modern American cuisine.
