et al. — Restaurant in Tulsa

Et Al. is a collective of chefs working to build an equitable service operational model while serving delicious global cuisine. There are currently six concepts: Bischix, Butter Bar, Compaignon, Dumpling Night, Japanese Breakfast, and Pickles at the Barbecue. Et Al. was a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant 2023 by the James Beard Foundation.

Et Al. operates from Foolish Things Coffee in downtown Tulsa’s Cathedral District and located at the start of the historic Route 66. After a long walk along the Tulsa portion of Route 66, I stopped in for Dumpling Night, a weekly Wednesday evening pop-up led by chef Colin Sato featuring Japanese food and beverages.

Foolish Things Coffee is a welcoming coffee house featuring clean lines, cool artwork, and a fair amount of natural light. There is a patio area to the side of the shop and front of shop seating. Customer service was exceptional. Despite a continual line, the staff was warm, welcoming, and fielded questions regarding the menu. Food came out at an appropriate pace especially given the volume.

I had the Pork Dumplings, Udon, Ginger Sake, and Pot de Cremé. I did not have a bad bite all night! The ginger sake was great. The ginger flavor was very present. The Udon had a broth with great umami flavor. The individual components (shrimp, noodles) were well prepared. My only notes were to add more shrimp.

The dumplings had a nice char on the bottom. While the filling was good, it wasn’t as flavorful as I would have liked. I loved the rice vinegar addition to the chili sauce. I am still thinking about the Pot de Cremé. I loved the black salt paired with the maple syrup on top. And the cremé was super luscious.

I left Dumpling Night inspired and full. I love the values of Et Al. and wish I was in town long enough to experience the other available concepts. As for the Dumpling Night, I would want to try the Sticky Rice and the...

Approximately a year ago, I discovered Et Al. in Tulsa's culinary scene, renowned for its collaborative approach to diverse tasting menus and pop-up concepts like Butter Bar and "Sufra." Led by Chef Chloe Butler, known for her national acclaim, Et Al. prioritizes workplace equality and a team-driven culinary vision. Butter Bar, housed within "Foolish Things Coffee" in downtown Tulsa, offers an urban industrial ambiance with exposed ductwork, brick walls, and dim lighting. Service, led by Chef Butler, embodies teamwork and excellence, with each member contributing to menu conceptualization. The tasting menu at Butter Bar unfolds with courses like a delectable cheese plate, roasted affogato, hot honey passion fruit tart, grilled pineapple tarte tatin, Kakigori, Wok Berries, S'mores, and Cloche. Each dish showcases creativity and flavor complexity, though some, like the roasted affogato, could benefit from better flavor balance. Despite minor flaws, the overall experience at Butter Bar is exceptional, with an atmosphere rating of 18/20, service rating of 20/20, and food rating of 52/60, resulting in an impressive overall...

I went on dumpling night. I want to make it clear that the food was delicious and the ambiance was impeccable!

HOWEVER, there is an automatic 18% tip/service charge. So all prices are actually. I got 10 dumplings ($14), pickled cucumber ($3), miso soup ($3), and a sake ($5). Which is actually $16.52, $3.54, $3.54 and $5.90.

Which does, in my opinion, push it firmly to the edge of "good for the price".

My two main problems with the service charge are (1) that it is served street-style, you order at the counter and pick up at the counter and (2) so are you not paying a fair wage to the people hired to help make this night happen?! Or is the "owner" pocketing the service charge?! Because tipping is about making up the difference between service-wage and minimum wage, but no one there SHOULD be on service wage.

Going to check to see if it is the same at the other nights, but won't be returning to this one (or possibly any) until this...