Tasha Does Tulsa.

A question I get a lot here at TashaDoesTulsa.com is where in Tulsa to find the best views. A few spots immediately spring to mind.

• The view of downtown from Chandler Park;

• The view of the Arkansas River from The Summit restaurant, on the top floor of the Bank of America building at 6th and Main;
• The view of the Arkansas from the roof and from the Crystal Ballroom of The Mayo Hotel;
• The view of the Osage Hills from the 15th floor of the MidContinent Tower (thanks for that, friends at Rex PR);
• The view of ONEOK Field and the BOK Center from my dad’s office on the 50th floor of the BOK Tower (thanks to you, too, Dad);
• The view of downtown from the Osage Hills;

• The view of downtown from the roof of Utica Place.

I’m sure you have your favorite spots to visit when you’re looking for a view, too (and if you’re not secretive about it, be sure to leave it in the comments).

But until recently, I’ve been neglecting a most choice view of Tulsa’s famous skyline.

It’s the patio of In the Raw on the Hill, at 61st Street and Sheridan Road.

Confession time: I’d never visited In the Raw on the Hill until my friend and TDT columnist Erin Conrad invited me.

She’s the reason I’m not calling it In the Raw South, by the way. Because she’d give me a knuckle sandwich if I called it In the Raw South. It’s In the Raw on the Hill, okay? Okay.

Because Erin Conrad said so. And what Erin says, goes.

I have to say, In the Raw isn’t my favorite sushi place. But, given the astronomic events that took place Thursday night and our family’s rabid interest in all things celestial, I was willing to pay for atmosphere and experience in exchange for this incredible view to which Erin had introduced me.

Once I told my family that we’d be able to see the alignment-of-the-moon-and-three-planets-that-will-be-visible-to-the-naked-eye portion of the evening from the patio, our reservations practically booked themselves.

A few of our friends decided to come along.

That’s the blogger behind Have Spork, Will Travel and her husband.

That’s Sindy of Sindy in Tulsa. She has freckles and a sexy German accent.

It’s easy to be jealous of both. At least, it is for me.

And we all know who these guys are, right?

The men who need no introduction. At least, that’s what the people at the grocery store and the farmers’ market and the bank and the other places we’re spotted tell us.

This is what I like about being the one behind the camera.

The first show of the evening was this sunset, which threatened to set the sky ablaze all Mel Gibson-style.

After we roasted for a bit and became a couple of those parents (you know the ones – the ones who let their kids play with iPhones when they’re out at dinner, a behavior I’d normally find appalling if my face wasn’t melting off my head), we could finally see the planets as took their positions.

Can you see it?

On the bottom there is, surprise, our moon. The bright object above and to the left of that is Venus. Not visible in this photo because I’m still learning my camera and because of the blanket of humidity that hangs over Oklahoma like a wet, hazy blanket at this time of year are Saturn and Mars. We saw them, though.

And it ruled.

See? You can tell by the looks on these faces.

After a few bites of strawberry cheesecake (which was out-of-this-world good, if you can forgive the pun) and a glass of the house wine, a Sauvignon Blanc blended under the purview of Chris Girouard of Girouard Vines here in Tulsa, we headed to my mom’s house, west of the light pollution of the city, to check out the Perseid meteor shower.

Which you know, if you saw any part of it, also ruled.

Next time you’re wracking your brain for a perching place to see a killer sunset, a gentle rain, as much blue Oklahoma sky as possible or downtown glittering in the darkness, make sure In the Raw on the Hill is on your list of spots to consider.

You won’t be sorry.

In the Raw on the Hill
Where: 6151 S. Sheridan Road
When: Monday-Friday, 11am-2:30pm; Monday-Thursday, 5-10pm; Friday and Saturday, 5-11pm
Call: (918) 524-0063
Web: intherawsushi.com

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