Of course, locals eat food there. I know because I saw them do it and even broke bread with them on a recent food tour of some of the most beloved restaurants and dishes in Oklahoma City, their subdued capital.

So what’s the food like in the land of tornadoes, cowboys and indians, and lots of oil? I’ll tell you. It exceeds expectations–sometimes fantastically so.

This is my report.

Setting the table

There is a surreal, serene, and calming beauty with the flatness of Oklahoma. I flew in from the Mountain West at sunset, which accentuated the already dramatic landscape. Like one giant table waiting to be set. I was hungry.

“First off, y’all are safe from tornadoes,” a local publicist told me after being seated at our first actual dinner table. Although that was the last thing on my mind, it’s obvious travel officials get asked that a lot.

It’s also obvious how personable, respectful, and — while working — professional Oklahomans are. My wife and I immediately liked them. Their capital has the manners of a small town in big city clothing. Out of the dozens of friendly faces who served us, only one seemed disinterested. The service was superb without ever being pretentious or overly formal.

As for the food, you won’t encounter nearly as many veggies or inventiveness in Oklahoma as you would in California or New York. But you’ll definitely encounter more than you would in the Deep South or Midwest. And unlike the surrounding plains, the food is anything but flat.

Worth writing home about

Our first stop was one of the best. Dinner in the great hall of Jones Assembly, where we devoured wood-fired and perfectly proofed dough that was as crisp as it was chewy. When dipped in the accompanying hummus, tzatziki, or pimento cheese, my wife and I knew we were in for a feast.

And feast we did. Scratch biscuits with cardamom marmalade. Oxtail stew. Margherita and elote pizzas. Ten ingredient Buddha bowls. Cacio e pepe as good as any I’ve eaten in Italy (really). Lemon mascarpone ice cream that was a legitimate revelation.

Not to mention insane affordability for a city that regularly ranks among the top five most affordable in America. With one exception (more on that later), the food quality over the next several days was always and excitingly affordable.

That was the case at contemporary Frida Southwest, upscale Cheever’s Cafe, and the fine dining of 39 Restaurant. Even more so at the iconic, adorable, and must-visit fast food burgers and sundaes of Braum’s, a longtime and delectable Oklahoma staple.

It’s all very comforting without fully succumbing to the sometimes derogatory label of comfort food. Thankfully for you and I, Oklahoma City does both.

One of the best in the nation?

Confession: I wouldn’t have visited “OKC” had I not read a list that ranked The National, a truly remarkable hotel that was once an opulent bank, as having one of the best afternoon teas in America. You see, I’m a sucker for afternoon tea. Because I like feeling like royalty while sipping from tiny teacups (pinkies up!) and eating fancy finger foods lavishly stacked on three tiered trays.

So does Oklahoma City’s The National serve one of the best afternoon teas in America, on par with The Plaza in New York, The Peninsula in Chicago, or perhaps Royal Albert Hall in London maybe?

No, it doesn’t. That said, the tea is definitely served in one of the most impressive hotel lobbies I’ve ever seen and comes closer than I would have expected. But for $72 per person with tax and auto gratuity, it was the only questionable value meal we ate in the city. Overall, the execution fell short, such as serving jam from everyday Bonne Maman jars (and without clotted cream — the horror!) to stingy scone portions and nary a cucumber sandwich in sight. It was good, not great … in a fantastically rich setting.

But like greater Oklahoma, there is immense potential here. An unassuming place that’s quietly expanding towards more sophistication and consideration than any of us expect.

And I’m hungry for more.

Blake Snow contributes to fancy publications and Fortune 500 companies as a bodacious writer-for-hire and seasoned travel journalist to all seven continents. He lives in Provo, Utah with his wife, five children, and one ferocious chihuahua.