A few weeks back, my TLO editor Patrick told me about Pelican’s, 291 N. Air Depot Blvd. in Midwest City.
Opening in 1980, and apparently not changing a lot since, he wistfully recalled a 20th-century style seafood spot stuck in a bygone era, a place where wood, wood, and more wood adorned the interior, and a Steak and Ale inspired salad bar took center stage; a place that survived while its cohorts like Garfield’s, Harry Bears, and Der Dutchman went overboard.
I honestly had no clue what Patrick was talking about.
I had heard the name Pelican’s, but it was the type of place my father and mother only went to for special “mommy-daddy” date nights, convincing me that it was for grown-ups only. Meanwhile, I got a Totino’s pizza and a generic Vess cola from Mayfair Market.
But, in the mood to check out a time machine, I took Patrick’s hint and – with my button-up shirt, my cuffs creased, and my hair slicked back – decided to try Pelican’s for a quick lunch with the missus.
He wasn’t lying about the wood: