Forward Foods

One of the best little organic shops in the city and they just might have the most tasty sandwich in the city. (Turkey club with apple slices, carrots, and raisins.) It’s quaint with a hodgepodge of items, ranging from fruits and veggies to cheeses and candies. They can get on the pricey side, with regards to their cheeses. However, I think that the prices for the rest of their items are comparable to that of Sprouts or Whole Foods. In fact, I’d shop at FF before I stepped foot in a Whole Foods, because FF seems to support the small, local farmers in Oklahoma and from around the country moreso than Whole Foods.
I have frequented FF and will continue to frequent this lovely little shop!

Very unique grocery store/​café. I have driven past numerous times and never noticed the sign. They have pre-​made sandwiches — which makes ordering and getting your food great, but difficult to customize. I had the italian sandwich. Super fresh abd quite delicious. I felt like they could have had bigger sandwiches though. I was still hungry so I got a side of the cup of soup which was also pretty good.
The place was really empty. I think the majority of people go to Whole foods instead since it is down the street, but if you want a quiet, peaceful spot to grab lunch — this would be the place to go.
Walked around the store — they have a fairly random selection of food (they had frozen samosas and naan in the freezer?) but the cheese and the deli meats looked pretty good. Would definitely go again — their food is unique and fresh.

I love that Forward Foods has organic food, sources sustainably and sources from Oklahoma.
The store is fresh and new with a good selection of dry goods and meats. I picked up some lamb shanks that were excellent. There was also plenty of groceries — I picked up some homemade peach vanilla jelly that is now gone just 3 days later. The peanut butter will likely follow that road in the next day or so. I also bought a loaf of bread that was really, really good — there was no assembly line, mass produced feel at all. Finally, there was a beautiful cured cheese that we enjoyed immensely.
The chocolate selection and olive bar was a nice surprise.
Give Forward Foods a visit — for you, for the family farmers and for Oklahoma.

lovelovelovelovelove
Cons: expensive, terrible parking
Pros: literally everything else. Tons of quality imports and local products, small but great chocolate section, large and great cheese section, local produce (though regrettably, quite a small section), best milk I’ve ever had (heart you Lomah!!!), small but good meat selection, and OH THE CONDIMENTS. I would like all the jams and nut butters and mustards and sauces, please!!! Every time I come here, I drop mad cash, because they have so much awesome I want. It is amazing that all this awesome is jammed into such a small space– and yet, the space is used well, and you never feel cramped. Plus, it’s brightly lit and pretty and just, delightful.

Best turkey sandwich I’ve ever had! Panini with carrot slices, dried currants, apple slices and awesome bread, gruyère cheese. AMAZING. Excellent organic grocery selection at a good price. They also have cheese, wine and beer tastings!

If you’re a cheesemonger, you’ve really gotta check this place out. They even have Harney & Sons teas, which I’ve had to order online until now. I love their lunches too. Their vegan sandwiches are really good, and their greens are really fresh.

Great service, fantastic cheese. I wish they had a better produce section — if they would team up with the OSU farmers market I would shop solely here. I also wish the coffee bar opened earlier so that I could grab a latte on my way to work.

This place has a wide variety of food including many cheeses. Also is one of the only places in OK that I can find Orangina. They will order it for you by the case as it is usually sold out being bought by other Orangina fans.

This review is for the wine and cheese paring class. This was my second one to attend, so I feel I have a good feel for how they go. Bailey, cheesemonger at FF teaches the class in OKC (not sure about the one in Norman).
Love:
The wines are all in the $ 10-​$ 12 per bottle range. While you learn what parings you’re into, you know it won’t be too expensive to replicate for a party.
Bailey is great– it goes without saying that she is extremely knowledgable about cheeses and her talks are really informative. But she also has a really unassuming way of speaking about the cheese that somehow keeps it from feeling Frasier-​y.
I like the cheeses for the most part. I’m not a huge fan of really creamy cheeses, and not into the stinky cheeses, but I usually like what they provide and the pairings.
The rating system, handouts on both the wine and the cheeses, and the commentary and make you actually feel like you’ve learned something while you were having fun eating and drinking.
In short, I totally recommend, and it is a great gift FF has given us in the cheese they provide and the education to appreciate the good word of the curd.
Here is the thing I would change:
There’s a lot of introductory information involved. They explain the rating system, how to get the most out of the cheese tasting, involving all the senses, why things are done the way they are done, and so on. But I feel like you could start the tasting with the first wine and cheese while you do all that exposition stuff. When the tasting starts in earnest, after all the explanations, you kind of have to slam the wine — they move you through pretty quickly after that.
I think they could give some basic info and then let you start, take the time explaining the rest, and move you through. When you first get started, you’re ready for that glorious first taste of wine and cheese. By the time we get through all the basics, I’ve checked out anyway. If it felt socially acceptable to go ahead and start, I think you could savor everything more and not race so much through cheese + wine 2, 3, 4, 5.
The only other thing that leaves my cheese out in the wind are the people who talk (loudly) through the whole thing. It is a class. There is a teacher. She is our wine and cheese spirit guide. So do us all a favor and don’t talk loudly through the whole thing. It’s rude, you’re annoying, and it is everything in me not to shush you. If you don’t want the class part, there are lots of restaurants that serve wine and cheese, and you can talk as loudly as you like. Here’s looking at you, Flips!

Ardent fan of Forward Foods!
LOVE the olive bar and cheese section, and am wild about the coffee selection, too. Great breads, including (Tulsa baked) Farrell Bread.
Not crazy about a lot of parking — it’s a little awkward, at best.
Otherwise, am nuts about this store.

I am a huge fan of Forward Foods in Norman, but now that I spend time up in OKC for work and fun, I finally made my way up to the OKC location. It is beautiful! A great market atmosphere with lots of space. Just like in Norman, it is reminiscent of the little shops you find in big cities like Paris, LA or NYC.
They had an impressive produce section with an excellent bar of olives & other relish tray cousins. When I went there, they weren’t making fresh lunches like they do at the Norman location — yet! — but they do have coffee, sodas, etc. along with pre-​packed sandwiches that are still delicious and great for on-​the-​go. They have one of the best cappuccinos around so I recommend those if you like yours foamy and delicious.
They hold monthly cheese, cheese & beer and cheese & wine classes at this location that I have yet to attend but plan on it. The owners are said to be nothing short of fantastic people with an excellent variety of cheeses that they are passionate about.
I recommend exploring the space and finding new gourmet & international treats to try at home before settling down with your cappuccino and enjoying the ambience.

This review is for Forward Foods «Cheese 101» classes
Side Story: So, I was having a late lunch Thursday afternoon at Café 501 in Classen Curve, and though I like to pretend at age 29 I know how to properly walk in heels, apparently I do not. Walking back to the car, I tried to maneuver around a Mercedes by stepping into some freshly laid dirt, caught my heel, and ended up on all fours on the pavement, my knee skinned in about ten places. That’s the truth. I wish it were a cooler story like I was riding my bike or just joined the new roller-​derby league (my roller name would be Kim-​ikaze), but it’s not the case. I’m just a girl who can’t walk properly in vintage (I’m adding the distinction «vintage» to make myself feel better) heels. This is the kind of thing you might think would ruin my day, but you would be wrong. When bad things happen, they’re usually balanced by a positive experience for me. I’m «Even-​Steven» or «Jerry» from Seinfeld in that way. As I was bandaging my knee and throwing away my mangled black tights, a friend called to ask me to Cheese 101 at Forward Foods.
«Apparently they teach a class on cheese where you can taste different kinds and figure out what you like,» she told me.
No explanation really needed, you had me at «cheese.»
The Skinny: I’m an infrequent but enthusiastic shopper at Forward Foods. I’ve purchased many things there, especially since they opened the location on Western, but I have to admit I’ve found the cheese counter a little intimidating, so I was excited to learn a little more about cheese. I wasn’t sure what kind of crowd to expect, but the eclectic mix of people made me feel more a ease. In the store’s dining area we found an inviting assortment of cheeses laid out on a slate plate for each person, along with cheese complements like wine, bread, dried apricots and almonds.
Our class instructor Bailey immediately put me at ease by explaining that the class is perfect for people intimated by cheese counters but who are cheese lovers. Bailey really loves cheese. If she was wearing a shirt that explained a little about her personality it would read something like «nerd for cheese» or maybe just feature a block of Brie with a heart around it. Nothing about her says cheese snob and she has a really charming demeanor with wonderful revelations like that honey is good with almost every cheese. (and it really is!)

I gave this new gourmet food gallery an extra star just because it is unique. It is not a Mini Me Whole Foods, but it is quality throughout for what they do have. In the former location of CoCo Flow, this business started in Norman and has expanded to OKC. If you want great cheese, a fantastic olive bar, low sodium options, as well as organic foods packaged to heat, this is a wonderful place. One grouping I found unique to anywhere is in spices. Forward foods not only has a salt group that is like having a Can Sav one day and a Syrah the next, they also have small containers of fresh spices for a one off meal, so you don’t have to buy a large container. A deli is coming as well as cheese classes that work with beer and wine pairings. Many other great items are there so go by and check it out. Oklahoma City patrons please frequent the risk takers who open businesses that enhance our lifestyle.