http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=371&articleid=20110714_371_0_Fishnc5325
Charlie Mitchell, former Tulsa Roughnecks soccer star and popular restaurateur in the 1980s and '90s, is returning to the Tulsa restaurant scene with a new eatery that will bear his name.
Mitchell is partnering with Greg McGill and Hal Walker, owners of the two McGill's locations, to open Charlie Mitchell's Modern Pub at 4848 S. Yale Ave. in space that formerly held a Carrabba's Italian Grill.
"Hal and I went to the lake to have dinner with Charlie and his wife a while back, and Hal said, 'Why don't the three of us bring back Charlie's,'?" McGill said Thursday.
"We still will have the favorites, like the fish 'n' chips and cheese toast, but the menu is going to feature healthier and lighter portions than the old Charlie Mitchell's did.
"Charlie mentioned that on his visits to Scotland he noticed a lot of the fish 'n' chip places turned into pizza places at night, so we are going to have pizza, too."
Mitchell, who opened his first Charlie Mitchell's Restaurant and Pub at 81st Street and Harvard Avenue in 1981, once operated five restaurants bearing his name, plus Winning Colors at Fair Meadows Race Track and Outback Sports Café.
The influx of national restaurant chains near his stores in the 1990s were crippling, he said at the time, and he started selling off his restaurants in late 1993.
He closed his last restaurant at 2705 E. 21st St., where McGill was a former manager and partner, in August 1995.
McGill said the new restaurant is in early stages of remodeling.
"We are shooting to open in early fall," McGill said.
Monte Cristo
Hal and Greg are looking towards the exit.
MEH....glop.
Meh
Quote from: Teatownclown on July 14, 2011, 01:41:30 PM
Hal and Greg are looking towards the exit.
MEH....glop.
Let's hope Charlie doesn't piss this opportunity away by diddling the help. Or at least doesn't get caught this time. ::)
Quote from: Conan71 on July 14, 2011, 01:45:45 PM
Let's hope Charlie doesn't piss this opportunity away by diddling the help. Or at least doesn't get caught this time. ::)
Looks like he can still get it up.... :-\ (maybe)
I was only in 5th grade when Charlie Mitchell's closed, but I have very fond memories of the restaurant. We didn't eat out much so it was always a treat and I look forward to giving the new restaurant a try.
Quote from: OSU on July 14, 2011, 01:49:09 PM
I was only in 5th grade when Charlie Mitchell's closed, but I have very fond memories of the restaurant. We didn't eat out much so it was always a treat and I look forward to giving the new restaurant a try.
Back when Charlie became the king of drink on the wink?
Quote from: Conan71 on July 14, 2011, 01:45:45 PM
Let's hope Charlie doesn't piss this opportunity away by diddling the help. Or at least doesn't get caught this time. ::)
Is he currently married?
Quote from: swake on July 14, 2011, 01:52:43 PM
Is he currently married?
"Hal and I went to the lake to have dinner with Charlie and his wife..."
Apparently.
Quote from: Teatownclown on July 14, 2011, 01:55:05 PM
"Hal and I went to the lake to have dinner with Charlie and his wife..."
Apparently.
Ah, well, that could be problematic...
Bring back the big red Phone Booth outside.
Anyone know if Ma is still alive? She was a great hostess.
FWIW, I worked at the first location when it opened where Hideaway is now at 81st & Harvard. Pretty novel menu for Tulsa at the time and he enjoyed great popularity as a local celebrity due to the Roughnecks. Just curious how many people under 35 have the slightest clue who he is/was or even care.
Seems like Hal and Greg could have done any concept they wanted with that location, why they picked a re-hash of Charlie's is beyond me.
I know who he was...He was "the turtle!"
I have no idea who this person is..
I arrived in Tulsa after the last one closed. However, I've heard coworkers go on & on about how much they loved it.
Quote from: rdj on July 14, 2011, 02:27:05 PM
I arrived in Tulsa after the last one closed. However, I've heard coworkers go on & on about how much they loved it.
Novel menu before places like Chili's, Applebee's and their national chain bretheren came to town.
Quote from: Conan71 on July 14, 2011, 02:13:54 PM
Anyone know if Ma is still alive? She was a great hostess.
FWIW, I worked at the first location when it opened where Hideaway is now at 81st & Harvard. Pretty novel menu for Tulsa at the time and he enjoyed great popularity as a local celebrity due to the Roughnecks. Just curious how many people under 35 have the slightest clue who he is/was or even care.
Seems like Hal and Greg could have done any concept they wanted with that location, why they picked a re-hash of Charlie's is beyond me.
I used to live across the street from Charlie and wife 1.0. His mom, Anna, was great! She was the glue that kept his restaurants together. Perhaps he has mellowed a bit and absorbed more of her management style!
When did he quit coaching at NSU? And why?
Section F at Skelly had nicknames for each Roughneck. We called Charlie the Turtle because of his slowness....Iraj was Waterbug....
Quote from: Teatownclown on July 14, 2011, 03:00:47 PM
Section F at Skelly had nicknames for each Roughneck. We called Charlie the Turtle because of his slowness....Iraj was Waterbug....
What was Victor Moreland's nickname?
He is my son's coach now.
Quote from: RecycleMichael on July 14, 2011, 03:15:49 PM
What was Victor Moreland's nickname?
He is my son's coach now.
That's cool. Iraj I heard is living in Dallas now. I wonder how many of the old team are still here in Tulsa ?
Quote from: DolfanBob on July 14, 2011, 03:19:40 PM
That's cool. Iraj I heard is living in Dallas now. I wonder how many of the old team are still here in Tulsa ?
I wish JeffM would chime in, I bet he would have a better idea of where everyone is these days.
Steve Earl is here.....
Quote from: swake on July 14, 2011, 01:40:57 PM
Monte Cristo
Oh, god, those were good.
And I forgot about the red phone booth.
The location on 21st is now some dreary insurance or abstract business,
which got me to thinking wouldnt the former Borders across the street be a cool location for an eatery?
I was a regular at the mid-town location in the mid 90's. The food was pretty good and I loved the Monte Cristo's. For those that remember, that was the location tha Laurie Sanders and Micheal Houghton worked and met before their tragic murders.
I've been hearing about this for a while. I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I loved the 21st location when I lived in Tulsa in the late 1980s. On the other, reviving old classics often fails because they don't change enough for the times or aren't the same as we remember - its a tough balancing act.
On another note, this area is really changing rapidly with the construction of the new hotel, the Jack In the Box, the Chinese restaurant in the old Steak & Ale, the new Thai joint and now Charlie Mitchells. By the time all the I44 expansion work is done this area will have come a long way in the past year.
Speaking of the 51st & Yale area, is The Green Onion still open? I remember reading that is was under new ownership and a lot of the reviews were not that favorable.
Quote from: dbacks fan on July 17, 2011, 11:57:11 PM
Speaking of the 51st & Yale area, is The Green Onion still open? I remember reading that is was under new ownership and a lot of the reviews were not that favorable.
The Chalkboard folks are running the Green Onion: it is still open.
I think it's funny that this is opening next to a Jack-in-the box. Maybe not the same caliber draw anymore.
Quote from: carltonplace on July 18, 2011, 07:15:47 AM
The Chalkboard folks are running the Green Onion: it is still open.
It is quite good too!
I used to love the Green Onion until the quality went into the crapper. The "New Green Onion" is fantastic! All of the same old menu items plus a ton of new stuff that is out of this world!
Quote from: swake on July 14, 2011, 02:40:09 PM
When did he quit coaching at NSU? And why?
I can guess, and I would probably be correct.
Charlie Michell's sure brings back some memories. I remember going as a kid. My dad banned the family from going there after he checked out the kitchen one day and found it to be unkempt.
But I will be happy to return, just for the memories..
Threads like these make me a bit envious of many in here since I wasn't around during those times.
Charlie and Anna were the kind of restaurant owners you liked. They were constantly walking around the floor talking to customers and making sure people were happy with their food. Anna must have worked an 80 hour week. She was always there.
One thing I really liked was the fact that the food was pretty consistent at all locations. The prices were reasonable to. Just an all around good place.
There were many times I went just to sit at the bar and have horse doovers :D
Great Reuben too!
Their HH buffet was pretty good. I remember when they put the aquarium in the middle of the bar at mid-town and I jokingly asked 'Do you supply the rod and reel for the sushi tank?'
Well, I was young but I always remember craving the Nacho's plate.
I went Saturday late afternoon before the concert and was not impressed with this new restaurant.
It looks and feels nothing like the old Charlie Mitchell's pub. It is kind of dark and hard to read the menu and the choices are very limited on the dinner side of the menu.
I had a steak with mashed patatoes and veggies and the Mrs had breaded shrimp with mashed patatoes and veggies. My portion was a bit small for me and I finished some of hers and it was just under Forty Dollars with no adult beverages. There is to much better competition for my dining dollars out there.
Something would have to change to get me back and I'm not sure what they could do to help stay in business for the long haul.
Quote from: DolfanBob on May 07, 2012, 03:42:02 PM
I went Saturday late afternoon before the concert and was not impressed with this new restaurant.
It looks and feels nothing like the old Charlie Mitchell's pub. It is kind of dark and hard to read the menu and the choices are very limited on the dinner side of the menu.
I had a steak with mashed patatoes and veggies and the Mrs had breaded shrimp with mashed patatoes and veggies. My portion was a bit small for me and I finished some of hers and it was just under Forty Dollars with no adult beverages. There is to much better competition for my dining dollars out there.
Something would have to change to get me back and I'm not sure what they could do to help stay in business for the long haul.
They need to ditch that damned drop ceiling.