Yesterday I traveled to Okmulgee for the monthly Chapter 13 docket of Judge Tom R. Cornish. Judge Cornish presides over his court docket in the morning and then Standing Chapter 13 Trustee Mark Bonney conducts the Chapter 13 First Meetings of Creditors in the afternoon.
One of the reasons I enjoy practicing bankruptcy law in the Eastern District of Oklahoma is that the bankruptcy bar is fairly small and very collegial. Working with Mr. Bonney and his staff is normally a pleasant process and Judge Cornish and his court staff operate in a professional yet easy-going manner.
But something that really sets the Eastern District of Oklahoma apart from most other bankruptcy districts is the monthly luncheon that we enjoy together. From talking with my fellow debtor attorneys across the nation, I believe this is a fairly rare practice.
Most attorneys and the trustee travel a good distance to Okmulgee or McAlester (the hearings rotate monthly between these two cities) for the day of morning court hearings and afternoon meetings of creditors.
So what to do for lunch? Well we all go out together and have a great time sharing food and conversation. It’s an easy way to get to know one another on a more personal level and establish real friendships. And this helps promote harmony and civility which make the practice of law less cut-throat and more professional.
Yesterday our lunch group tried out someplace we had never been before – a restaurant located on the campus of the OSU Institute of Technology in Okmulgee and operated by the school’s Culinary Arts program. The culinary school’s faculty and students manage the restaurant and provide a delicious lunch buffet in a refined white-table cloth atmosphere. And when it comes to the food, you’ll have choices that you won’t generally find at your normal buffet restaurant – beginning with the fancy, hand-crafted appetizers that look too pretty to eat and ending with a dessert such as Bananas Foster.
So next time you’re in Okmulgee at lunchtime, check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
Here’s a short video about the OSU Culinary Arts program and the school’s restaurant:
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What a great post. Nice to hear good news in the BK world. So what did you have to eat?
I had a little of just about everything including various appetizers, several soups, multiple salads (green, seafood, chicken. potato, fruit, carrot-raisin, etc.), potatoes, veggies, meats, and cake & bananas foster for dessert. All delicious!
I second Dan’s recommendation of the OSU Culinary Arts kitchen. Top notch food in a surprisingly genteel setting. (Doesn’t remind me of my college dorm food, lemme tell ya.)
This place is one of my favorites when visiting Okmulgee.
Never been invited to the Eastern District luncheon, however. ;^)