McHuston Booksellers

Rare, Collectible, & Otherwise

Tag: used (Page 9 of 47)

Tee Off!

November 13, 2014 /

*UPDATE*

News of the night, for those who may have shy of the cold evening: We had a good time here at the shop, Dustin and I. After a slow start, we played host to quite a few folks – many of whom were visiting for the first time. Some of the scheduled activities were called off – the outside musicians, for example. No sense in having their talented fingers snap off in the chilly air!

For the shoppers, there were warm interiors to dash into and I heard from several folks who decided they had overdressed for the weather. I was told by several ladies that they were wearing long-underwear, and I’m not sure that conversation has ever been broached in my presence.

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Since it wasn’t quite so crowded as last year’s event, it was easier to navigate the store and we were able to find some good homes for a good many books. (The cookies seemed to disappear, too!)

Thanks everyone, for coming out!

McHuston

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Earlier Note
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Chilly weather. Maybe chili weather, too. Some might call it downright – cold. Heavy-coat night or not, the Holiday Tee Off will offer specials, prizes, and merchant hospitality in the Rose District!

As for the bookshop, it is warm enough inside to make it a plenty comfortable stop, if you care to venture out. November 13th would normally be a little early for me as a date to have a tree inside the premises, but it is standing up near the front door. It’s a special kind of spruce, a Norwegian Nude. You can click on the image and see that it’s pretty bare, for a fact.

We don’t know how it will turn out, turn-out-wise, whether it will be the open-house mad-house it was a couple of years ago, or something a little less due to the need to park and walk. (Main is blocked to traffic until around 9pm.)

The cookies are out for our open house. We’ll see how long they last this year.

Grab your ski-parka and…

Come visit!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow OK!

Gotcha covered.

November 10, 2014 /

The front door chime at lunchtime didn’t always mean someone entered the shop. Some door-openings were folks checking to see how busy the old man was. Well.

That’s changed.

You regulars already know it, but it occurred to me that I never got around to a website note. So – here it is.

A couple of years ago I had stored away tables and chairs. I realized I could only wait on so many people at once and still provide good service. And taking care of guests is really important to me.

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My son Dustin has mastered the menu items and has taken up the primary kitchen duties. He spent a limited amount of time in the kitchen with me back in the Paddy’s Irish days and has mastered his own specialties that have proven popular. He’s behind the daily chalkboard specials. Some of them, like the Roasted Corn and Pepper Quesadillas, are strictly south-of-the-Irish border. Dustin is a salsa-aficionado and makes his own to accompany the special, along with some of the best guacamole I’ve ever tasted. It’s also found on a soft-crust sourdough bread sandwich with bacon, turkey, and guacamole. You’ll also encounter specials ranging from Pulled Pork BBQ Sliders, Grown-up Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup, to a gluten-free vegetable soup.

Even the bacon is a new thing. Our Tulsa World restaurant review way-back-when mentioned that there was a fear that the books would begin to smell like breakfast if we fried it up in the kitchen. We don’t have that problem cooking it in the oven, which allowed Dustin to add it to his fresh ingredients list.

Together, Dustin and I dragged the tables out of storage and set them up front. Greg, our neighbor at Southern Magnolia (a great shop with everything from antiques to fireplace hearths!), contributed a tabletop that allowed the seating of an additional party of four. And here’s the news for those of you who had been peeking in to see if I was already busy…

Dustin’s wife Rachel is keeping up with the guests in spectacular fashion. As most of you have heard me admit, my days of carrying four and five plates at a time are gone. (I didn’t worry about dropping them in the past. Now, I worry.) She’s fast and efficient, and I don’t have to send parties of six or more away like I did in the past.

The bistro has always been licensed for low-point beer, but I didn’t stock it during the Rose District renovation project. The construction fences and barrel barricades are gone, and we’ve stocked a limited selection of beers, including Killian’s Irish Red, Blue Moon, PBR, Coors & Bud Lite, and Amber Bock – among others. On draft is Boulevard Wheat, a craft beer from Kansas City.

The hours are expanded, too. Lunch is served from 11am to 2pm, including Saturdays.

No need to peek inside the door to check the tables. Come in and let us serve you.

There’s no more old bookman racing like crazy, solo.

Come visit!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow OK!

Halloween in our Santa costumes?

November 2, 2014 /

Have you dragged the tinsel out of the attic yet? Halloween is just in the books and already Amazon and Walmart are offering holiday specials, because “Black Friday is not a day anymore – Black Friday is a season.”

That’s according to Mark LoCastro of DealNews, an online coupon site, as reported by the New York Post. Walmart’s chief merchandising officer, Duncan MacNaughton says we customers put away our costumes and “start prepping for Thanksgiving, buying Christmas trees and shopping for gifts.”

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I remember a time that “prepping for Thanksgiving” had nothing to do with shopping for gifts or trees. It was more about making plans for family get-togethers and who would bring what dish to the big meal. Of course, my son could never attend at Thanksgiving, since he was a part of the Black Friday corporate world. Even before his store started opening on Thanksgiving Day, he had to be at work getting ready for the Friday sales.

Amazon began its online “Black Friday” deals on Saturday – before most of the pumpkins and cobwebs have been removed from the trick-or-treat neighborhoods. The special offers will continue through December 22, almost a full two-month campaign for Christmas business.

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And don’t believe those stories about “Black Friday” being the day that businesses finally turn a profit, moving from the “red ink” in the ledger books to operating in “the black.” I traced the phrase through newspaper archives and found an early 1900s reference to the mad traffic and shopping mayhem associated with the day after Thanksgiving. “Black Friday” has always been a major jam-up and the phrase was used to describe it.

Our Rose District season starts early enough: the Thursday kickoff will feature a lot of special activities – including prizes – on the evening of November 13th.

You can use that evening to come see the changes on Main, if you haven’t yet visited the new Rose District. And – speaking of changes – you’ll be able to check the progress of the Andolini’s building next to In The Raw and Rooftop, as well as the major remodel project at the southeast corner of Dallas and Main.

There is a new look on the northside walk at Main Street Tavern, where an attractive black awning has been added. Those outside diners will appreciate the shade on sunny afternoons and evenings. (All those folks who repeatedly told me that people will not sit outside in Oklahoma, were just incorrect. It’s happening regularly.)

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There were plenty of visitors outside for the Grilles and Grills festival, the Rose District car show and food event. We got to see some fantastic vehicles and a crowd of car-lovers. Dustin and Rachel worked the sidewalk, and – if you haven’t stopped in for lunch lately – are also working daily at lunchtime, making it a lot easier to serve our guests. And now, we’re serving on Saturdays as well!

Come by at lunchtime and let us serve you!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow OK!

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