Parker County Today February 2018 | Page 103

our taste: RESTAURANT REVIEW What’s Drake’s Yoke? Definition: Trendy Eatery Serving Solidly Scrumptious, Hearty Fare S Yard Bird — fried chicken that comes with a cornbread donut, red chili hot sauce and smashed fried okra. My companion does not like spicy food and ordered the chili hot sauce on side which is how it was served. I chose the blackened redfish with grilled corn salsa, lemon butter sauce, mashed sweet potatoes and a quarter- pound of barbequed sausage just to be as comprehensive as possible about the menu. Smashed fried okra, something new to me, is just what is says. It is not sliced, but a full sized piece of okra smashed and deep fried, it was positively delightful. I normally do not like mashed sweet potatoes but this was different. It tasted so good I gladly devoured it all and asked for the recipe. After eating a massive amount of food, I felt it was my duty to try a dessert (always willing to go that extra mile for my readers). The almond praline pie was “to die for,” delicious. One piece was large enough for both of us and we had enough to take a bit of it home to enjoy later. Service almost always seems to be a challenge for Parker County restaurants and, well, for restaurants anywhere, actually. Our service was excellent. For this review I paid extra close attention to not only our table but the table close to me. I can say that our service was excellent. Our server was courteous, efficient and personable but never tried to become part of our conversation and never hovered. Our food was steamy hot. Our drinks were never empty. The same can be said for the neighboring tables. In conclusion, I will be coming to Drake’s Yoke again and again to enjoy the good food and good vibes it has to offer. I strongly encourage you to try it soon. Weatherford Foodie can be found at weatherfordfoodie.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Yelp, Urbanspoon, Foursquare and Pinterest. Drake’s Yoke Wood & Wine is located in the Shops at Willow Park at 225 Shops Blvd. #101, Willow Park 76087. They are open seven days per week. Monday thru Thursday 11:00am until 10:00pm. Friday 11:00am until 11:00pm, Saturday 10:00am until 11:00pm and Sunday 10:00am until 10:00pm. Call them at 817-598-0844 or find them at www. Drakesyoke.com or on Facebook atDrakes Yoke. BY THE WEATHERFORD FOODIE o many people had asked me about the new restaurant in Willow Park, that I felt duty-bound to investigate. Located in The Shops at Willow Park, Drake’s Yoke Wood & Wine occupies the entire Eastern end of the retail center and provides ample vehicle parking for the large eating area inside. When we went, it was their Grand Opening but, they had been open for a couple of weeks prior in order to work out the kinks that accompany the opening of any new restaurant. The burning question is, “What is Drake’s Yoke?” In the early 1800s Edwin Drake invented a way to get oil from the ground for kerosene lamps. A derrick was raised into position and named by workers as “Drake’s Yoke.” This design was later used for the first oil wells. Once inside the eatery we approached the hostess desk and were seated promptly. Crossing the concrete floors, one of the first things I noticed was the décor is industrial vintage, lots of iron, antiques and all the lights are Edison bulbs that have a longer filament for nice mood lighting. Wine is kept in the kind of rack you might see at vintage hardware stores holding the different sized nuts, bolts and washers. I haven’t seen anything like them since Carter/ Ivy Hardware Store on North Main Street in Weatherford closed. It’s an intriguing touch. The kitchen is very open to all, very clean and even has seating overlooking it. It provides something of a show to accompany dinner. I was impressed with the set-up, atmosphere, and efficiency of the kitchen as well as some of the unique equipment like the open flame wood grill. My companion and I began our order with fried shrimp and burnt ends: fried shrimp, brisket burnt ends, fried green tomato, arugula, goat cheese, caramelized onion and balsamic reduction. Served on a wooden platter it looked fantastic and tasted the same. In addition, we ordered a cup of smoked French onion soup which was also very tasty. My companion also ordered a blue cheese wedge salad. We shared most items and were very pleased with our selections. For the main course my companion chose the Crispy 101