Flurry of flavors
Metro area is teeming with new dining options in 2019
Happy Dine United week, everyone. The push to support United Way and its services by local restaurants is halfway over. As you dine out this week, consider participating restaurants.
Those restaurants include: Aurora, Cafe do Brasil, Charleston’s, Crabtown, Flint, Gogi Go, Iguana Mexican Grill, Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler, Kaiser’s Grateful Bean Cafe, Mary Eddy’s, NASHBIRD, Park Avenue Grill, Patrono, Pearl’s Oyster Bar, Pepperoni Grill, Poblano Grill, Rococo, Soup Soup, Stella Modern Italian, The Kitchen at Commonplace and Trapper’s.
Meanwhile, the city is teeming with new dining options, and 2019 promises plenty more. As they open, my goal is to get to them quickly as possible and share early impressions.
Once the snow melted last week, I made it over to Social
Deck and Dining, 1922 NW 23. A Good Egg Dining veterans Jordan and Jamie Winteroth’s first foray into ownership takes up place at the former Chae Modern Korean space near Oklahoma City University. Communal tables handcrafted out of local sycamore by chef consultant and craftsman Robert Black take center stage in the dining room that also includes plenty of bar seating and intimate spaces.
Among the items we tried were the frites and gravy, a play on classic poutine with deep-friend cheese curds, avocado toast and Cowboy Cassoulet.
The cassoulet is rich and flavorful like the best portions of Sunday supper all neatly packed into a hot dish and served with toast.
Social’s spin on classic chilaquiles includes sunny-side eggs and black beans served over sauce-softened tortilla chips and sliced avocado.
The simple egg and cheese biscuit is a tasty treat ideal for folks on the run.
Once spring arrives, look for Social to open both its front and back patio to serve brunch seven days a week, along with a dinner menu with local and global influences and an exciting bar program. The Winteroths have put together a welcoming dining space with a broad variety of flavors to keep you in your seat.
Looking forward to checking out the dinner menu soon. Social is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Also got a chance to check out the new Hummus Mediterranean
Cafe in the Shoppes at Quail Springs, 3000 W Memorial Road.
This is the second location for Hummus, which opened its first in the summer of 2012 at 811 SW 19 in Moore. The specialty of the house is the dish it’s named for. You’ll find eight varieties of the classic bean dip derived from garbanzos and tahini.
We tried the jalapeno variety, a spicy expression of the Mediterranean standard. The hummus is creamy, dense and addictive. You’ll want extra pita bread. The falafel and Shish Tawook (grilled chicken) pita sandwiches were good enough to inspire conversation about a return visit, but the real find was the vermicelli rice. The buttery blend of pasta and grain was a reminder of why Rice-a-Roni ever became a thing.
Looking forward to return for some pita pies and a host of pita-friendly dips like BabaGhannouj, Muhammara and Labaneh. There’s also some Turkish coffee to check out.
Hummus Cafe is open daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with later hours on Friday and Saturday night.
Looking forward to checking out a couple of other
locally owned spots in the Shoppes at Quail Springs. Wagyu Japanese Barbecue opened about a year ago, and Chigama Asian Mexican opened in November by Steven Ha (Dot Wo) and chef Jeffrey Khowong (Western Concepts). Chigama is a fastcasual concept fusing Asian and Mexican cuisine.
Quick bites
The Drum Room and The Wedge Pizzeria, stalwarts from the Deep Fork Group, have gone and gotten hitched. Owner Dave Attalla unveiled the new combined concept, called Drum Room Wedge, at 2320 S Air Depot Blvd. in Midwest City. The family-friendly spot offers whole and half chickens, wings, burgers, Wedge wood-oven pizzas, as well as New York-style pizza, salads and pasta dishes. Look for photos and impressions of my first visit next week. If you can’t wait until Wednesday, keep an eye on the Food Dude blog for first access.
The other Wedge and Drum Room locations continue to operate, and the new spot is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays . ...
This time last year, I mentioned you might want to be on the lookout for a new Italian concept from Holloway Restaurant Group. Look no more. HRG recently announced the coming arrival of Sparrow Modern Italian, which will take over the space long occupied by The Martini Lounge at 507 S Boulevard in Edmond, next door to Boulevard Steakhouse. The Martini Lounge closed last week. HRG promises modern takes on Italian classics in early spring . ...
Gabriella’s Italian Grill & Pizzeria, 1226 NE 63, started brunch service last Sunday. You can expect a repeat Sundays henceforth from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m . ...
Ludivine’s move around the corner will not happen until February. Chef Russ Johnson and crew will fill out the unoccupied space next to R&J Lounge and Supper Club, 320 NW 10, with a brand-new bar. As for the remaining space, look for a retail boutique and tapas bar to divvy it up for operation . ...
Revolucion took a breather during the holidays but will reopen Thursday. The 84 Hospitality concept quietly closed to make adjustments to the menu and its aesthetics. Check the Food Dude blog for details as they come available, including photos . ...
Circle Jan. 18 on your calendar’s for the longawaited unveiling of chef Andrew Black’s threepronged concept for Deep Deuce’s Maywood II Apartments. The founding chef at Vast and Flint partnered with La Baguette co-founder Rudy Khouri back in 2015 on an ambitious plan for the downtown property. Among the plans was a concept called The Meatball House, which opened a spot that year in downtown Norman. That concept didn’t make it through 2017 and is no longer in the plans for Deep Deuce. Black will open a La Baguette Express, a casual concept called The Black Walnut, and a dinneronly tasting menu concept called The Grey Sweater. ...
IHOP better quit worrying about clever marketing and pay attention to Jimmy’s Egg. The local breakfast dynamo opened its 61st location on Monday, this time in McAllen, Texas.