Back in January we made a list of some of our favorite restaurants in our first ever OKC Dining Guide. We still love all of those restaurants, but now that Spring has finally arrived it’s time to delve into all the places we’re excited to eat at this season. Let’s do it!
OKC MOA Museum Cafe
The Museum Cafe at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art recently underwent a facelift with the help of local restaurant group, A Good Egg. Along with brightening up the interior of the restaurant, the food and drinks also got a refresh. They did a nice job of giving everything a more modern look and feel, from the decor to the drinks and the plating.
What to Order
The addition of the “Newer Works of Art” section to the cocktail menu is fantastic. These are some of the prettiest cocktails in OKC, with the Mona Lisa’s Smile and Persistence of Memory being a couple of our favorites. For food we recommend starting with the cacio e pepe naan, which is the creamiest and most addictive thing we’ve had in a while. The baked brie with crispy artichokes appetizer is also a home run.
For entrees, the spicy shrimp risotto comes with a yellow molé that is packed with a ton of complex flavor. One last must-order is mac and cheese pave, which is served with vertical noodles that have been crisped on the top and bottom and covered in a glorious cheese sauce. Get this right now.
Pizzeria Gusto
Located just off of Uptown 23rd, Pizzeria Gusto is known for being OKC’s first Neapolitan pizza restaurant. They have the hand-built pizza oven that was made and shipped over from Naples to back up this claim as well. But it’s not just wood-fired pizza that keeps us coming back to Gusto, it’s the excellent bar and variety of tasty small plates.
We love having the option to choose between a great selection of beer, wine or fun seasonal cocktails at their bar. Plus, if we’re not in the mood for pizza we can go for some arancini, burrata, lamb chops, or a potato gnocchi with braised short rib.
What to Order
All of the pizzas we’ve had at Gusto have been great and many times their daily special is exceptional also. Our favorite item on the menu, however, are the Gusto Hot Wings. The chicken wings are covered in their Gusto hot sauce and come with a gorgonzola dressing. They always come out smelling amazing just waiting for that first crispy bite. These just might be our favorite wings in all of OKC.
Off the Hook
As part of our ongoing Truck to Table series with Visit OKC we were able to meet and interview the team behind Off the Hook. Chef Cory “Slawta” blew us away with his cajun-styled seafood dishes that are all cooked to order. It was easy to see why he was able to come away with the win on The Food Network’s new shows Family Food Showdown and Bite Club. In addition to bragging rights, the Off the Hook family walked away with a cool $10,000 prize.
What to Order
You can’t go wrong with the melted lobster sandwich. This beauty is cajun-spiced lobster cooked with a mix of poblano pepper and onion before it’s topped off with a heap of Monterrey Jack cheese. The shrimp and grits is another must order with jumbo shrimp seasoned with blackened seasoned and smothered in a spinach lobster cream sauce.
Not a fan of seafood? No problem, the fried chicken and pancakes is the guilty pleasure you didn’t know you needed.
Black Walnut
Chef Andrew Black’s ambitious three restaurant concept in Deep Deuce is off to a great start. Black Walnut, along with the more casual La Baguette cafe, are bringing great eats to a previously underserved area of the city. Black Walnut is serving up high-end, delicious food (like these elevated fried green tomatoes with burrata and candied bacon) while still managing to keep a welcoming and unpretentious vibe. The hype for the third and final concept, Grey Sweater, is only growing as the opening draws closer.
What to Order
The spinach pappardelle is easily one of the best pasta dishes we’ve had in Oklahoma City, which is crazy considering it uses vegetable noodles! This dish was just so comforting and satisfying that we were scraping the bottom of the bowl to not leave any last bite behind.
The branzino and honey roasted lavender chicken are also superb choices. The perfectly cooked fish is accompanied by a saffron raisin couscous and a lobster broth that brings everything together. The chicken is delicious roasted and covered in unique touches of honey and lavender.
Rococo
We are all about the excitement and energy surrounding the evolving food scene in OKC and all the new restaurant openings that come with it. But Rococo is an excellent reminder that incredible food isn’t a new concept in our fair city.
Chef Bruce Rinehart moved from Boston to Oklahoma City back in 2003 and brought his East Coast flavors and cooking style with him. Over 15 years in the industry and they’re not slowing down.
What to Order
It’s hard to make a bad choice at Rococo, but one of the dishes that stands out are the jumbo lump crab cakes, made with all fresh crab meat and no filler. The Rococo Cookies (pictured above) are small crostinis that can come topped with either smoked salmon, Italian sausage, or toasted bleu cheese. Chef Bruce makes the best risotto in OKC (I said it) and really delivers on all of his pasta dishes, the beef and pork meatballs with linguini are no exception.
Whiskey Cake
Don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s a chain restaurant in a mall parking lot. Whiskey Cake is a true farm-to-table powerhouse serving up stellar food and drink.
They source all of their ingredients locally and know how to put them to good use. Pair this with a stellar cocktail program (Wabbit Smash pictured) and a wide selection of whiskey (duh) and you have something that we’ll gladly leave downtown for.
What to Order
They have great deviled eggs, with new changing daily special that include items like goat cheese or candied bacon. Anything off of the wood-fired mesquite grill is also going to be a good choice such as the pork brisket or the whiskey braised short rib. But let’s be honest, its all about the namesake dessert, the whiskey cake. This toffee torte with bourbon anglaise and spiced pecans is a show stopper. I dare you to go and not order it.
The Press
Located in the Plaza district, The Press is all about comfort food. Not many restaurants have a full menu where pretty much everything sounds like its going to be delicious, but The Press pulls this off. They have nachos, smothered tots, waffle fries, Indian tacos, fried chicken and everything else you need to eat your way to comfort, or a food coma. And for a fun twist, they’re also incredibly vegan friendly.
What to Order
The chicken fried ribeye is superb. Rarely does a chicken fried steak use such a high quality cut of meat and it’s easy to taste the difference. Another must-order is the buffalo chicken mac. The creamy pasta is topped with buffalo chicken strips, bleu cheese and a ranch drizzle for good measure. It’s hard to get more comforting then this spicy, cheesy, crispy bowl of goodness.
Where are you eating this spring?
Obviously these are just a handful of the amazing restaurants our OKC has to offer. Stay tuned each quarter as we explore more of the local dining scene!
Be sure to check out the rest of our OKC Dining Guides:
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