A biography of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin by Polish-American historian titled “Stalin: The Man And His Era,” details how the Bolshevik revolutionary had been on more than one occasion exiled to Siberia by the czarist government that he would later assist in overthrowing, but that punishment was much less severe than the one he would put in place after he assumed power there. Under his czarist predecessors, exile to that cold region usually consisted in having to live in small villages there but did not include being imprisoned and forced to work in inhumane conditions in the manner that Alexander Solzhenitsyn would document in his now classic work of nonfiction, “The Gulag Archipelago.” it was a lonely and boring life there for those pre-revolution exiles, who pined for cities such as Moscow and St Petersburg, but as noted by Ulam, those locations would be enlivened several times a year a train when a train arrived from Moscow that contained generous supplies of vodka, and that event resulted in a day long celebration that included a procession led by the local Russian Orthodox priest in which local residents carried the crates of vodka into town from the railway station. And while the recent restoration of the liquor license at the Granny’s Kitchen location on Memorial Avenue in North Oklahoma City did not apparently warrant any similar events, many regular patrons were observed sipping mimosas composed of champagne and orange juice that was obtained from a device that crushed orange and other citrus fruits in joyous manner on a Saturday shortly after the license was obtained, and a bevy of servers were seen lining up at the bar to carry glasses of mimosas, bloody Mary’s with celery stick protruding from them, and other alcoholic beverages to thirsty patrons who were washing down crepes, omelets, salads, and other brunch items that that establishment is historically known for with those concoctions in a joyous manner. There were some recent additions to the menu that included lunch specials consisting of soup and half a turkey or ham sandwich that were being offered to patrons. Ulam also detailed how in Stalin’s final years of his bloody reign he grew increasingly paranoid about his personal safety, and Nikita Khrushchev, who would ultimately succeed Stalin, told of the dictator would often make his way into the kitchen where staffers were food for him and his associate to ensure that they were not poisoning him. Proprietor Mohammad Mahmoud is usually a smiling presence at the Northside Granny’s on Saturdays, where he is seen greeting patrons and asking them if they enjoyed their food. But it was explained that he was spending most of the morning in the kitchen not for the reason that brought Stalin into the Kremlin’s kitchen but for the purpose of ensuring that the food ordered was being properly prepared. There was also a palpable air of excitement over the impending opening of the new Granny’s Kitchen on the Northwest Expressway that has been eagerly awaiting by patrons who reside in that area. It was explained that that place will be under the enlightened supervision of Rami Abu Hejleh, a long time fixture at the Memorial Avenue location, and he is in the process of putting the finishing touches on it and is assembling a staff of experienced employees as well. First time customers at Granny’s are gifted with a large cinnamon roll, and since all of the patrons who make their way to that new location will be first time customers it is said that they are preparing a large cache of cinnamon rolls as a result.
Against the Grain 