Rehearsal Dinner

My friend Jenezuela got married this week, and her rehearsal dinner was at a popular place in Shawnee, OK (where she & I attended college and met for the first time). Benedict Street Marketplace is tucked away outside of downtown, but it appears to always be packed.

We started first with a salad of mixed greens and pecans, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, goat cheese, and blackberry vinaigrette. The dressing was delicious, and the vegetables were super-fresh, but I wish I had thought to get it on the side like Laura did...by the end, most of my greens were swimming above a pool of sweet dressing, so I only ate half my salad. All the more room for dessert later, right? ;)

Our dinner that night was a choice of brisket made from grass-fed Oklahoma cows, or chicken. Um, yeah. Brisket. Exactly! It was delicious. I heard someone say it was a little fatty and I said "I know! Isn't that the best??" Not so fatty that it made me gag (because too much visible fat does still freak me out), but just enough to make it melty and flavorful. YUM.

The sides were a twice-baked potato and asparagus spears with Hollandaise sauce. These were great! The potatoes were amazing, with a hefty dose of cracked black pepper, and the asparagus spears still had crunch to them. I even enjoyed the buttery sauce that went with them, making sure to clean my plate.

Sadly, I had to leave before dessert to pick up ABF, who was arriving that night from NYC. They were kind enough, however, to pack up an entire dinner for him, since I knew he'd be hungry when I saw him. The choices for dessert were either cheesecake or carrot cake. I heard rave reviews for both. I also had lunch at this spot earlier that day, so that post will be coming as soon as one of my lunch companions mails me her photos!

Benedict Street Marketplace
613 N Pottenger Ave
Shawnee, OK 74801
(405) 273-2001 (Phone)