Every year about four days before Thanksgiving a local diner owner starts to cook an enormous feast for 1500 customers and he does not charge them a dime.
“I learned about Thanksgiving meal as a traditional meal; this is my favorite time of the year,” said owner, Tally Alame.
He came to Tulsa from Lebanon in the late seventies.
“When I came here in 1979 I had 17 dollars in my pocket. Now I am blessed.”
A family from Inola invited him over for Thanksgiving. He did not understand what the meal was about but he learned to understand and love it.
“I always thought if I ever have a business, and was successful I want to show my gratitude by giving a free Thanksgiving meal. “
He started taking 22 pound Turkey’s out of the oven on Monday and will keep taking them out until Wednesday night.
“I get great pleasure out of doing this; it’s my favorite time of year. Just the idea of feeding people, everybody coming in, the music is on, every one is happy.
He squeezed out each drop of Turkey fat into a long bin to use later for gravy and dressing.
“You wouldn’t believe the people who talk to you! They say ‘If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have a Thanksgiving meal,’ ‘My husband died,’ ‘I live by myself I cannot afford to cook,’ so we open for everyone ho wants to come in, you don’t have to be homeless, a student who does have their family here can come, whoever wants to.”
On Wednesday Alame woke up at 4:30 a.m. and did not stop cooking until almost midnight. He says, everything has to be just right on Thursday morning.
You can eat at Tally’s Café for a free Thanksgiving mean from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
