What’s cooking for 2019?
Oklahoma City's dining-sphere is coming off a year unlike any other in its history, but what does it do for an encore?
As mentioned last week, national cable networks have found the 405 to be fertile ground for cooking talent and plan to display it more than ever in 2019.
Look for The Pritchard to open much earlier starting this month. Until now, The Pritchard, 1749 NW 6, has been a dinner-only destination. Sources tell me the recent (and unfortunate) closing of District House has inspired chef Shelby Sieg and staff to open in the morning to serve coffee and quick breakfast (please let there be doughnuts!!), then keep the party going through lunch service.
Look for downtown fastcasual favorites Nashbird and Gogi Go to join neighbor
Tamashii in introducing themselves to Edmond.
Look for food halls to thin the herd of food trucks on the road. 8th Street Market already has opened with the Prairie Artisan Ales and the Vietnamese eatery Magasin
Table. The Collective is looking at an early spring opening with Hudson Street Market and
Parlor OKC not far behind. And then there's those persistent rumors that Edmond will get into the act by year's end.
This is far from the end of food trucks. Instead, food halls offer an affordable avenue for food entrepreneurs before investing in a mobile kitchen and becoming a shade-tree mechanic by fire.
Speaking of The Collective, perhaps its highest profile tenant will be chef Vuong Nguyen. The talented Coach House Apprenticeship will open Cafe de L'Asie when the property is ready to open. He returns to Oklahoma City after a stint as general manager of culinary operations for The Gathering Place in Tulsa. While waiting for construction on The Collective to finish, Nguyen took a consulting gig with Coolgreens, which is looking to make 2019 its coming-out party.
Coolgreens turns 10 in 2019 and as a gift to itself will try to open at least 10
10 new franchises across the country, starting with Tulsa. That opening was first announced almost a year ago, but look for it to happen as soon as this month. In October, Coolgreens hired veteran franchising ace Mark Ramage to oversee the spread of the fastcasual, healthy-dining franchise. Nguyen was hired recently to oversee installment of a new menu. Anyone who’s ever dined with chef Vuong knows this can only be a good thing. Nguyen isn’t the only Coach House Apprenticeship grad to embrace consulting. Among the late 2018 additions to the restaurant-hood is Social: Deck and Dining, 1933 NW 23. Long-time A Good Egg Dining veterans Jordan and Jamie Winteroth have opened their new concept in the former Chae Modern Korean space. Robert Black, whom they worked for at AGE, was the
natural consultant. But Black’s resume was about more than kitchen skills. Black also brings operations experience to the table. And, oh by the way, he can even build you a better version of that table. Part of the decor at Social are communal tables Black built in his workshop. What workshop? The one he uses to operate a full-time wood-working business. In fact, he told he just hired his first full-time employee to keep up with demand. I don’t know if 2019 has enough hours in it for Black to accomplish all that he would like, but it doesn’t take long to understand it won’t be for lack of planning. Robert began a new job this week with Meriwether Cos. of Boulder, Colorado, to oversee culinary operations for its food halls, which includes Parlor OKC. The food hall and entertainment concept was announced in November and emulates a concept already operating in Kansas City. Black will spend time running that iteration before turning his attention to the one moving into the old Pioneer
Telephone garage on NE 6 by summer, if plans hold. I could write an encyclopediasize volume on the rumors, hopes and dreams about potential restaurants and bars for 2019, but fate is as fickle as it is choosey. Until we figure out how to tame fate, we’re left to watch it all unfold.