Drayage Brokersin Oklahoma City, OK

Last Updated on May 2, 2024, 11:51 AM | Published: May 2, 2024

Trying to define Mediterranean cuisine is a bit like trying to decide what parts of the U.S. count as “The South.”

Some are easy to parse—Wisconsin isn’t the South and Nordic foods aren’t considered Mediterranean—but there are plenty that might surprise you.

In Oklahoma, at least, it seems like the term “Mediterranean” is used interchangeably with “Middle Eastern” and “Greek,” despite an ocean of differences.

Yousef Elyassin, who began Zamzam Mediterranean Grill in Warr Acres in 2007, moved from Palestine more than 30 years ago. Now his son Ahmad helps run things.

The menu is a little tighter and more focused than it was in the beginning. Sad as it is to lose some of the more unique offerings, Ahmad said it’s about quality control. If you can’t get the right ingredients reliably, then you risk putting out an inconsistent product, which can drive away customers.

For many of us, our first introduction to Mediterranean cuisine was the gyro, which figures prominently on Zamzam’s roster. The restaurant serves a thinly sliced blend of seasoned beef and lamb in sandwiches, on platters, in salads, and atop bowls of fresh, house-made hummus.

While I think the classic gyro wrap is the way to go, I’m a big fan of Zamzam’s build-your-own bowls. Considering the number of proteins available on the menu, the bowls are a great way for customers to dial in exactly the textures and flavors they want. Start with a base of rice or salad, then layer on gyro or chicken shawarma meat (or falafel, for the vegetarians), and your choice of veggies, toppings, and sauces. Whether you’re after an ultra-filling meal or something light and tasty, the BYO bowls are a good fit.

Two bits of advice: More toppings means more variety. Get the crispy pita chips for a delightful crunch every few bites.

Ahmad said the Gyro Supreme, which is a dollar more than the regular gyro wrap, is one of the most popular items on the menu and it’s easy to see why. A gyro itself is delectable, but with the addition of feta and olives, customers get that salty, briny kick of flavors that play so well against the fatty savoriness of the gyro meat. The creamy feta also adds a nice textural element to the crunch of the lettuce and the crispiness of the freshly shaved meat.

The chicken shawarma wrap at Zamzam (feature photo) is done differently than I’ve seen elsewhere, but I’m a big fan of the simple and effective presentation. Rather than serving it like a gyro, the shawarma is rolled up like a burrito in a thinner flatbread with pickles and garlic and tahini sauce, then grilled flat, almost like a panino.

The crispy crunch of the flatbread gives way to tender and juicy seasoned chicken. The occasional snap of pickles throughout breaks up the richness of the saucy meat with a nice sour balance that gives the entire sandwich a sense of momentum. Every time I tried to put it down, I found myself going in for “one more bite” until the whole thing was devoured.

If you’re a protein fiend, might I suggest the Meat Lover Sampler? Outside of the family feast, it’s the most expensive item on the menu . . . but it’s still an incredible value. $26 buys diners a variety of kabobs—steak, chicken, kufta, and shrimp—a pile of gyro meat, and two sides. It’s more than enough to share, but big eaters can probably finish it off solo if they’ve a mind to. The shrimp are especially good, all tender and plump with a nice char from the grill and a strong, but not overwhelming, amount of seasoning.

If you like a wide variety of flavors, but you’re not a meat eater, the veggie sampler is calling. Customers get fresh hummus, baba ganouj, yogurt salad, and tabouli with crispy falafel and juicy stuffed grape leaves. Yogurt salad is basically tzatziki sauce with chunks of cucumber, which is the ideal compromise for people like me who want to eat tzatziki with a spoon but don’t want people judging you.

Saving room for dessert at Zamzam is a Herculean task, but the reward is worth the effort for those who succeed. The walnut baklava is crispy, chewy, gooey, and crunchy with that gentle honey sweetness that caresses the taste buds rather than shocking them with a blast of sugar. It’s one of the most pleasant desserts to savor slowly, maybe with a cup of Turkish coffee.

So, how do you define “Mediterranean” when it comes to food? I’m still not totally sure. But at Zamzam, I know that the Mediterranean is synonymous with delicious, which is why so many people keep coming back.

Zamzam Mediterranean Grill

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By Joe Fallin

Special to OKC FRIDAY

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Awards is nearly as big as and is much friendlier than the Academy Awards in Los Angeles. No fighting allowed here!

Attendees come from all over the United States and the world who love the western culture. As the museum’s printed quarterly magazine states: "FIND YOUR WEST.” The friendliness of Oklahomans makes this event become an early sell-out every year. That friendliness is the "Code of the West!!!”

This year, 2024, was no exception. The first night’s event was the kickoff for the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Award’s two day event. The first night’s dress was western casual and Pendleton Whisky was the popular cowboy drink of the evening.

The Kyle Dillingham band and his famous fiddle kicked off the music while one of Oklahoma’s favorite singers and actors, Reba McEntire started greeting people with that Oklahoma friendliness, shaking hands and signing autographs while her sister helped organize photos for her beloved fans. The line wound around the Great Sam Noble Hall of the museum and out the door and lasted nearly two hours.

For the second evening’s event, creative western black tie was the dress and there was a reception throughout the massive halls followed by a seated dinner and the award presentations in the Great Hall.

After dinner, the award presentations started with famous western entertainers announcing the winners such as musicians, Red Steagall, and Michael Martin Murphey along with actors Bruce Boxleitner (Tron, Babylon 5:The Road Home), Mo Brings Plenty (Yellowstone TV series), Barry Corbin (Northern Exposure, Lonesome Dove, The Ranch), Patrick Wayne (11 films with his father including, True Grit, The Alamo, The Searchers, The Quiet Man, Rio Grande) and Anita LaCava Swift (The Alamo), the son and granddaughter of the famous actor John Wayne (THE DUKE). John Wayne came to Oklahoma City for the grand opening of the Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center in 1965 and his family has returned many times to honor other artists in the entertainment business like this year’s honorees, Reba McEntire and Keith Carradine.

Reba McEntire was born and raised in McAlester, Oklahoma on an 8,000-acre cattle ranch before she became a famous singer and actor. Her father was a champion calf roper and her mother was a well-known singer and a strong influence on Reba’s life and future career. At the awards dinner on the second night Reba received the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award in front of 500-600 dinner guests and cheering fans. She is currently starring on the TV show, The Voice, along with Keith Urban on NBC.

Keith Carradine, one of the Carradine brothers and an actor of stage and film, was inducted into to the Hall of Great Western Performers, which was presented to him by his brother Bobby Carradine, also an actor. Their father John Carradine was in over 200 films during his career. Keith was known for his role in the Western movies such as, Long Riders, Last Stand at Saber River, Monte Walsh, Deadwood, All Hat and Wild Bill. He won an Oscar for writing and performing the song in the film, Nashville.

See you next year at the Oklahoma Oscars or rather the Oklahoma Wrangler Awards!!!

By Joe Fallin

Special to OKC FRIDAY

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Awards is nearly as big as and is much friendlier than the Academy Awards in Los Angeles. No fighting allowed here!

Attendees come from all over the United States and the world who love the western culture. As the museum’s printed quarterly magazine states: "FIND YOUR WEST.” The friendliness of Oklahomans makes this event become an early sell-out every year. That friendliness is the "Code of the West!!!”

This year, 2024, was no exception. The first night’s event was the kickoff for the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Award’s two day event. The first night’s dress was western casual and Pendleton Whisky was the popular cowboy drink of the evening.

The Kyle Dillingham band and his famous fiddle kicked off the music while one of Oklahoma’s favorite singers and actors, Reba McEntire started greeting people with that Oklahoma friendliness, shaking hands and signing autographs while her sister helped organize photos for her beloved fans. The line wound around the Great Sam Noble Hall of the museum and out the door and lasted nearly two hours.

For the second evening’s event, creative western black tie was the dress and there was a reception throughout the massive halls followed by a seated dinner and the award presentations in the Great Hall.

After dinner, the award presentations started with famous western entertainers announcing the winners such as musicians, Red Steagall, and Michael Martin Murphey along with actors Bruce Boxleitner (Tron, Babylon 5:The Road Home), Mo Brings Plenty (Yellowstone TV series), Barry Corbin (Northern Exposure, Lonesome Dove, The Ranch), Patrick Wayne (11 films with his father including, True Grit, The Alamo, The Searchers, The Quiet Man, Rio Grande) and Anita LaCava Swift (The Alamo), the son and granddaughter of the famous actor John Wayne (THE DUKE). John Wayne came to Oklahoma City for the grand opening of the Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center in 1965 and his family has returned many times to honor other artists in the entertainment business like this year’s honorees, Reba McEntire and Keith Carradine.

Reba McEntire was born and raised in McAlester, Oklahoma on an 8,000-acre cattle ranch before she became a famous singer and actor. Her father was a champion calf roper and her mother was a well-known singer and a strong influence on Reba’s life and future career. At the awards dinner on the second night Reba received the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award in front of 500-600 dinner guests and cheering fans. She is currently starring on the TV show, The Voice, along with Keith Urban on NBC.

Keith Carradine, one of the Carradine brothers and an actor of stage and film, was inducted into to the Hall of Great Western Performers, which was presented to him by his brother Bobby Carradine, also an actor. Their father John Carradine was in over 200 films during his career. Keith was known for his role in the Western movies such as, Long Riders, Last Stand at Saber River, Monte Walsh, Deadwood, All Hat and Wild Bill. He won an Oscar for writing and performing the song in the film, Nashville.

See you next year at the Oklahoma Oscars or rather the Oklahoma Wrangler Awards!!!

Ladies, we've been the talk of the internet for the last few days. The "bear or man" debate, Tik Tok's "dance or get back with baby daddy" trend, Mother's Day next week - the list isn't stopping now. In fact, here's one more way you can celebrate the ladies in Oklahoma this May.

On May 25, 2024, event coordinator Nikki Jackson, along with nine female artists, are strutting their stuff at the 2nd annual "Don't Text Your Ex" showcase in Blair, Oklahoma. Jackson's decision to have only female artists was "just a happy accident." She told us, "I had reached out to a couple of guys, but the first two artists I actually booked for the event were women and it felt like a sign."

The event blossomed from a college project for Jackson's capstone class at ACM @ UCO, an idea turned reality. Recalling her years of experience as a performer, herself, she realized just how important this opportunity could be - for her and other women in the business.

"In my personal experience, it can be really challenging for women in this business to connect with each other," she said.

"I can't count the number of times I've been the sole woman in a room full of musicians.

So in the planning process, I realized this wasn't just an opportunity for these artists to showcase their music, it was also a really special moment for me, just being a woman in this industry, to be surrounded by my peers and know that there are other artists nearby who can relate to my experience in a way men in this business maybe wouldn't understand as much."

-Nikki Jackson

After seeing the success from the first year, Jackson knew she had to bring the party back to Oklahoma for a second go-round. "My goal this year was to sort of recreate that opportunity for camaraderie between the artists while also shining a light on some of the talented women from our state," she said.

And the support just keeps growing, especially when you speak to some of the artists for the event. Fellow artist Abbigale Dawn is just as excited about the opportunity, "It’ll be great to see some old friends and meet some new ones. There are some kickass songwriters on this bill!"

Fellow performer Jo James told us how happy she was to be part of an all-female line-up. "It’s all about lifting each other up," she said, "and having a platform for our music! All the ladies involved are so talented and can’t wait to share the stage with them! Giving women a voice in the Oklahoma music scene, one event at a time."

The showcase is happening at The Orient Drug Store in Blair, Oklahoma and is open to anyone and everyone.

When the U.S. Senate took up a reauthorization bill for the Federal Aviation Administration, Oklahoma Senator James Lankford made his sales pitch on the importance of the FAA’s Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City.

“I would safely say to everybody that if you’ve been on a flight lately and it took off and landed safely, you can thank the folks in Oklahoma City for that, because Oklahoma City, that operation, the Mike Moroney Aeronautical Center, that center that’s functioned for 70 years, has provided a lot of the vital services for the FAA for all seven of those decades,” he began in his comments on the floor of the Senate.

He went on to cite the importance of the center’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute which handles medical certification, research and education for the FAA.

The Senator stressed the importance of the FAA Academy where air traffic controllers are trained—about 20,000 students every hear.

“So basically, when you take off and land in either communication with air traffic control anywhere in the country, it’s very likely those folks were initially trained in Oklahoma City,” added Lankford.

Transcript

Mr. President, this week the Senate began consideration of the FAA reauthorization bill. It’s an incredibly important piece of legislation that this body takes up every few years to be able to evaluate where we are on safety of our national airspace. There’s a lot of aspects that are in it. What some people may not know in this body is how incredibly important this is, not only to our national airspace and our safety, but it’s also something that’s talked about often in my state of Oklahoma. Oklahomans are passionate about our national airspace for many reasons.

One is we obviously love to fly and have a long heritage of flying in our state. But it’s also the unique relationship that FAA has with the state of Oklahoma. There are only two FAA centers outside of Washington, DC. One of those is actually in Oklahoma City, the Mike Moroney Aeronautical Center. I would safely say to everybody that if you’ve been on a flight lately and it took off and landed safely, you can thank the folks in Oklahoma City for that, because Oklahoma City, that operation, the Mike Moroney Aeronautical Center, that center that’s functioned for 70 years, has provided a lot of the vital services for the FAA for all seven of those decades. There were established in 1958. [It] is home to thousands of great federal employees there that serve our nation every single day to keep our airspace safe. But they do it in ways that sometimes people don’t see.

Let me give you an example of that. The center houses a lot of the different components and a lot of back office things for a lot of different agencies. They’re on 1,100 acres of land in Oklahoma City, with 133 buildings. And as you go through the complex, you think there’s a lot going on here. Let me give you just a few examples of those things. The Civil Aerospace Medical Institute is housed in Oklahoma City. The Civil Air Space Medical Institute takes care of the medical certification, the research, education, the occupational health wing for the FAA. They conduct all the research and the studies on the human element of flight there. That’s safety for pilots, flight attendants, passengers, how to be able to handle the pressurization, all those things. They do that in Oklahoma City every single day.

The Mike Maroney Center is also home to the only FAA Academy. They handle the first 60 days or so of the developmental air traffic control training before a student is actually placed in the field. So basically, when you take off and land in either communication with air traffic control anywhere in the country, it’s very likely those folks were initially trained in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City Air Traffic Control training has geared up to be able to take on as many people as the nation needs for air traffic control. In fact, this particular bill encourages maximizing as many people as possible, actually getting through air traffic control training and the Academy in Oklahoma City is well prepared to be able to step up to the challenge of that. They have space. They have great trainers that come in from all over the country to be able to do the training there. They’re fully capable and they’ve had a great curriculum that they’ve been able to train folks that have now served our nation every single day. FAA reauthorization bill expands that capacity in Oklahoma City, rightfully so. And they’re fully ready to be able to do it.

They’re also set a new minimum hiring target for air traffic controllers. So the maximum number of individuals can actually go through the Academy. It is very important that we train as many people as possible to be able to make them ready. Advanced air mobility is another element that’s actually there at the Mike Maroney Aeronautical Center. The focus there is the next generation of what’s going to happen in unmanned flight. While a lot of folks talk about that in the future, that research is actually happening on the ground in Oklahoma City every single day.

There are a lot of aspects of this bill that prepares us for the future of aviation and continues to be able to make our airspace the safest airspace in the world. Let’s keep it that way. Let’s continue to be able to learn what we can, and to be able to continue to advance the future of aviation in the United States. So look forward to the debate that will begin officially later on today, and we’ll continue all through next week, or quite frankly, until whenever the Senate is finished in the debate on this bill, because it’s important we actually get the FAA bill done in the days ahead. With that, I yield the floor.