Someplace Else

The old adage is that familiarity breeds contempt. I argue that familiarity more frequently breeds comfort. Recent restaurant openings across our metro boast new experiences and hip spaces, and I love seeking those out. But sometimes, nothing can compete with a familiar old space. It’s like going to my grandma’s house: the wallpaper, the knick-knacks and tchotkes, the grumpy old cat sitting in the window. New it is not, but new it doesn’t always have to be.

Probably a hundred restaurants have come and gone in Uptown Oklahoma City over the forty-one years that Someplace Else has been open on 23rd and Western. And just like my grandma’s house, this special deli feels like the same warm and inviting place every visit. Tables draped in red and white cloths hug the walls. The squat oaken stools are reminiscent of someplace else indeed, like something from a hobbit’s house.

Peggy and Dave Carty opened Someplace Else back in 1976 when they were both recent Oklahoma City University grads. Dave, originally from New Jersey, had noticed that OKC was short on the style of deli so abundant on the east coast.

With no experience but with the drive to provide excellent sandwiches to a city in need of sustenance, the Carty’s worked endlessly to perfect their craft. All of their bread is baked fresh inhouse daily, which, for the frugal shopper, leaves a bounty of still tasty but reduced price loaves available for purchase the next day. When they opened, the Carty’s hired a gentleman whose grandfather had owned a bakery outside of Tulsa his whole life, and he is the one who developed the base recipes for today’s breads.

That bread is the single most important component that separates Someplace Else from all the other sandwich shops. “We make everything from scratch, all the bread and cookies. That makes a big difference, when the bread is real, real fresh,” Peggy emphasizes.

The freshness comes through in the flavor and texture of their loaves. Even though rye bread can often be very dense, tough, and bitter, the version at Someplace Else is actually pillowy soft and slightly sweet. Try it once with their Reuben, and it’s hard to choose anything else.

Just like their breads, the cookies at Someplace Else are exceptional. It takes a strong constitution to walk into their deli and be faced with the glowing glass case at the counter, full of sweets, and not pick out a few. It’s about the only place left in the country where you can find something for less than a dollar, which makes them an even easier impulse buy. The sugar cookies were Peggy’s mother’s own recipe, and I recommend that you follow your impulse to buy several of those.

The Carty’s have borne witness to a lot of change over the years while still maintaining the consistency and care for which they are known. “We know generations of families that have been coming in. After fortyone years, we’re on the third or fourth generation for some families,” Peggy beams proudly.

I feel certain that Someplace Else will be around for a long time to come. There’s certainly no need to look any place else when you’re in search of a special sandwich. Enjoy!
> Someplace Else, 2310 North Western Avenue, Oklahoma City