Nonesuch gains national notice
Nonesuch, 803 N Hudson Ave., has drawn national attention in its first year thanks to the inspired work of chef Colin Stringer and his cooking brigade.
The avant-garde dining boutique offering a distinctive seasonal menuwas recently listed on Bon Appétit magazine's list of top 50 new restaurants in America. Nonesuch finds out Tuesday whether they've made the top 10 when the list is announced on ABC's "Good Morning America."
Based on the dinner I had there two weeks ago and another last winter, it's no surprise.
This is a dining experience unlike any the city has ever offered. In fact, it's a rarity anywhere across the country. The menu is not only seasonal, but very often derived from goods farmed by the chefs themselves. Dinner is served in a 10-course tasting menu with chefs placing the food before you and answering any questions on the spot.
It's a leisurely adventure best taken with wine pairings and fellow foodies brought together by a distinctive dining space created by Larry Dean Pickering.
The concept is part of Todd Woodruff's Day One Concepts group, which
also includes Waffle Champion, Buttermilk and Maples Barbecue.
If you haven't been yet, be sure to book a reservation before chef Paul Wang returns to California. The young chef joined the founding staff, inspired by the concept. His time at the restaurant comes to an end next month. Chef Wang has a bright future ahead, be sure to drop by to say hi—
or just buy him a Smirnoff Ice if you see him at the bar. To book your experience, go online to nonesuchokc.com.
Speaking of ...
As mentioned above, the dining space at Nonesuch was created by Larry Dean Pickering, one of the most curious and fascinating characters I’ve come across in 10 years writing in this column space.
Pickering is responsible for many of the extraordinary restaurant dining rooms and kitchens in Oklahoma City as a designer and contractor. (Don’t call him an architect unless you want a steady stream of fingerwagging from the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects.)
But architecture and design are only a couple of the mediums through which he operates without papers. Turns out Pickering is an accomplished kitchen hand. He’s hosted guest-chef gigs at the Metro Wine Bar and Bistro in the past and wowed guests in what he calls his Tiny-Ass Kitchen for years.
On Friday, Pickering signed a lease to take over a space at 611 N. Broadway where he’ll open his own restaurant called Canvas.
Canvas will include a full bar at the front of the space, an open kitchen and tables that easily convert into a single communal table. But before any of that is accomplished, Pickering will participate in Thirst for a Cause. (See story, page 3D.)
Once the restaurant and bar open later this year, Pickering promises a place that serves proper iterations of classic cocktails without calling it craft and a simple, seasonal menu to support an inclusive, creative environment.
“The only story you ever truly get to author is your own,” Pickering said. “It’s really just about a story. I’ve done so many of these restaurants for other people, it’s time, man.”
When asked when Canvas might be open, the veteran of many restaurant projects refused to get caught in the trap of predicting how quickly things will come together.
“We hope to be open very soon,” he said through a wry chuckle.
Among Pickering’s other projects from the past was the colossal smoker Woodruff’s Maples Barbecue uses. That concept is currently in a holding pattern in its move from downtown to the Plaza District while its new home at 1800 NW 16 St. is renovated. Woodruff has targeted Nov. 1 to reopen, but as with all restaurant plans it comes with a two-week variance in both directions.
When it does reopen, it will be next-door to the brand-new Empire Slice House building. While Day One Concepts has drawn national notice with Nonesuch, the new neighbors at 84 Hospitality were just feted with a national prize for its groundbreaking pizza place.
Empire was recently designated as the Independent Pizzeria of the Year by the trade publication Pizza Today. Empire was the seed from which the burgeoning 84 Hospitality empire sprouted into Easy E, Goro Ramen + Izakaya, Revolucion, and Ponyboy. The group recently closed on a property on the north edge of the Paseo District, which will allow Cope and Woodruff to be neighbors in another district.
Correction
Last week I listed the wrong date for the special guest chef dinner with Loretta Barrett Oden at Stella Modern Italian, 1201 N Walker Ave. The date of that dinner is Sept. 10. Don’t miss it, I know I won’t. For reservations, call235-2200.