Sunday, December 17, 2017

Destinations: Prague, OK (October 2017 Corridor Article)

       Entrepreneurs Alex and DeeAnn Capron took a bit of time out of their busy schedule to sit down with me and tell me about their newest venture, a restaurant that is bringing a joy to the stomachs of people far and wide.  For years the Capron’s have owned and operated ACE Paving and Construction, a company that does commercial concrete and fencing.  In 2015 they expanded into the restaurant business that has been an adventure for the whole family.  When I asked what parts the family play in this business Alex was quick to praise his family and their hard work.  First, he told me about how great his wife DeeAnn is.  She is the full time accountant for their businesses, a homeschool teacher to their school age children, an incredible wife, and that is all before she walks in the restaurant, where, like many restaurant owners, she does whatever needs done.  You might find her making the homemade desserts the restaurant servers, hostessing, bussing tables, or refilling drinks.  They have three daughters who work for them as waitresses or fill ins where needed and one daughter, eight year old Izzy, who rules the roost.  She is always a favorite among the diners and will bring a smile to your face when she walks in with her little apron and big smile.
You may be wondering what the concept is behind the name Destinations.  Alex says his vision is for their restaurant to not only be a place to get great local food on a daily basis but to take you to a destination.  He states “in the future we will have special nights where we will take you on a journey around the world to enjoy the cuisine of other cultures and countries; for example banger and mash from the Great Britain area or traditional spaghetti and meatballs from Italy.” 
Before you walk in the door of Destinations you are greeted with a fun atmosphere, the outdoor seating, a small carousal, and corn hole game make you want to sit and enjoy the goings-on of Main Street Prague.  But don’t stop there, go inside and check out the décor.  I was a little taken back at the busyness of the décor, but while I walked around and looked I fell in love.  First you will find a train mounted along the windows that really works, you’ll see small airplanes hanging from the ceiling along with a canoe, dog sled, and bicycle.  On the walls you will see a buffalo head, old signs and maps among many other things.  The busyness really works!  The eclectic décor takes you on a Destination and conjures up all kinds of fun fantasies and adventures while you wait on your food.  Now that you enjoyed the inside décor, you can go back and sit on that fun patio and watch the traffic along Main Street and enjoy the great fall afternoon in Oklahoma.
Let’s get to the real and most important reason for this article, the food!  The Capron’s try to do as many things from scratch as possible; if you are from the Prague area you will recognize some of the items from the old Fillin’ Station that was owned by Alex’s brother several years ago.  A few of the crowd favorites are the hand breaded chicken fried steak, a delicious cube steak breaded in a seasoned flour and deep fried to golden brown and deliciousness,  the hand cut chunk chicken marinated and cooked to perfection served with homemade ranch, honey, or gravy, and of course the all-time favorite hand pattied burger.  Yes, I said hand pattied burger!  After these burgers are hand pattied they are cooked on a flat grill, which gives them that classic *greasy* burger taste.  Alex said he knows it’s a good burger when it’s dripping down your forearm and that’s the way he serves his burgers. 
            I asked DeeAnn what I needed to have for lunch and after talking through several things on the menu; she finally decided the taco salad with smoked pork is what I should try.  Good choice!  They take a huge flour tortilla and fry it into the shape of a giant taco and load it up with lettuce, tomato, cheese black beans, corn, onions, and of course delicious smoked pork, and top it with salsa, sour cream, and cilantro.  I also had to try the Smokie Okies for an appetizer.  YUMMY!  First, Alex pointed out that their baked potatoes are smoked, which I think adds another dimension of flavor and texture to the potato.  So, the Smokie Okies are a sliced baked potato fried a bit with tons of cheese, real bacon bits, and chives, served with homemade ranch.  I probably could have eaten the whole plate full but since I knew I had a taco salad on the way I refrained and only ate half.  You can also find your favorite 6-point beer on draft or in a bottle, the beers are currently rotated while they are looking for that perfect combination to keep on hand.  Wine is another option that is finding its way on the menu; enjoy a nice glass with one of their great flame grilled steaks.
Aside from the regular menu items they also offer a daily special.  Some specials change depending on the day, some are always served the same day of the week.  Among several favorites is Wednesday and Saturday’s smoked ribs, Thursday’s Rubens and Friday’s Catfish.  Daily homemade desserts are also available.  Alex poked DeeAnn in the ribs and said “for a non-baker she comes up with some pretty good stuff”.  I hear her butterfinger pie is to die for, but by the time I had finished my appetizer and taco salad there was no room for dessert.  Next time I’m in the area I will for sure have to stop and see what she’s came up with to tantalize my sweet tooth. 
The Capron’s also offer catering and host special events and offer lunches delivered to the Prague schools.  They will cater just about whatever you want but their specialties are smoked brisket, pork loin, and grilled chicken along with all the great sides.  They recently hosted the Corvette Club and had sixty diners and a whole parking lot full of beautiful corvettes.  Alex said it was amazing and he would love to have more cruise-ins like this in the future.  For more information on catering and special events or to have Destinations host a cruise-in call the restaurant at 405-567-2525.

You will find Destinations just half a block west of the stoplight in Prague and the summer hours are Monday thru Saturday 11am to 9pm and winter hours will be Monday thru Thursday 11am to 8pm and Friday and Saturday 11am to 9pm, closed every Sunday.    Be sure to keep your eyes open along The Corridor; you never know where the Capron’s aspirations for expanding their Destination will lead.  
***Since the publication of this article in The Corridor, Destinations has announced that they have bought a restaurant in Chandler, OK on Rt 66 and will be opening another location soon! 



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