Bringing Chicago Flavor to Tulsa

Located in Tulsa and open Tuesday through Sunday, Chi Town Eats serves up a menu of Chicago favorites—tavern-style thin crust pizza, deep dish pizza, hot dogs, pizza puffs and cheesy bread. Blackstone says it’s just the beginning.

“It was a bumpy road, but every day we are improving,” he said. “We started with a good foundation but have adjusted some things along the way. We’ll continue to add to our menu as the restaurant continues to gain a steady business.”

Blackstone didn’t begin his journey with years of culinary training. In fact, his interest in cooking started out of practicality.

“I had no culinary experience whatsoever,” he said. “My journey into cooking started because I wanted to do meal preps to save some money, but then I realized it was pretty tasty and that I enjoyed doing it. I started preparing meals for some friends and family and they thought it was really good too.”

At the time, Blackstone was working as an assistant store manager but felt stuck. “I felt like there was nowhere to go from there, so I decided it was time to make a change,” he said. That decision led him to Tulsa Tech.

“I looked around at schools and felt like Tulsa Tech was the best fit for me, and as far as preparedness, it was fantastic,” he said. “My chef, Chef Domke, was amazing. I couldn’t believe I found my favorite teacher in my 30s. She is no nonsense, but very informative. I could tell early on that if you treated her with respect, she treated you with respect. She gave me a great foundation.”

Blackstone said Chef Domke’s lessons went beyond recipes. “She taught me little tricks about everything when it comes to cooking, things that are obvious now, but when I was just getting started, I had no idea about. She even brought in food that we hadn’t heard of and let us try it. She always gave honest responses and great pointers to help make everyone better.”

While attending Tulsa Tech, Blackstone worked as a line cook and quickly became known as the “pizza guy.” Anytime a pizza order came in, it was his responsibility. “I love pizza so much,” he said with a grin.

That love for pizza shines through at Chi Town Eats, where every pie is made from scratch. “My main goal is to make everything from scratch,” he said. “I don’t want to just reheat food from a company. To add to our menu, we’ll need to expand the kitchen first. Once we generate enough sales, we can do that and grow from there.”

Blackstone runs the restaurant alongside his mother, Kim, who serves as his business partner. “She’s been so supportive,” he said. “It took me a while to convince her to do this, as our original plan was a food truck. I’ve also got a really good right-hand man, Travis Davis. I wouldn’t be where I am now without the support of these two people.”

Family has always been at the heart of Blackstone’s story. He moved to Tulsa to help his mother care for his grandparents. After they passed, he began searching for purpose and direction. That search eventually led him to Tulsa Tech, and to a career he loves.

“Most of my family has been in the medical field, but my grandpa owned a dry-cleaning business in Chicago, so I guess that’s where my love of business came from,” he said. “My sister says I cooked all the time as a kid, but that was mainly eggs or food from a box.”

Now, Blackstone encourages others to pursue their culinary passions through Tulsa Tech. “My advice would be to stick with it,” he said. “Going to school isn’t easy, but if you keep going, you’ll have a good basis for what you’ll need to know in the real world. Also, don’t be afraid to try new foods, it helps you broaden your horizons.”

Reflecting on his journey from meal preps to restaurant ownership, Blackstone says Tulsa Tech gave him the tools and confidence to turn a personal hobby into a thriving business.

“Tulsa Tech helped prepare me for working in a restaurant and even opening my own,” he said. “Now, every day, I get to do what I love.”