Happy New Year! Y'all hungry?
Calendar flip calls for looks forward and back
The holidays are over and so is the one week of vacation the Food Dood Feed took in 2023. I’m rested if overfed, still shaking off the pixie dust from a magical last week of the year. Hope yours delivered the rest, respite and dim sum needed to prepare for the year ahead.
Expect a busy week of dispatches, including my December’s Top Ten and a Top Ten for 2023. That’s, of course, because 2023 is officially in the books. I couldn’t turn over a Top Ten for 2023 today because I was dining right up until midnight.
Today, however, we can reflect on the state of the 405 diningscape and the storylines that sprang from it last year with a peek into 2024.
A year ago, I was out of a job for the first time in 32 years and deciding which direction to take moving forward. The Food Dood Feed was founded in February of 2023 and it’s grown to a readership of more than 2,200 subscribers. Let’s start 2024 by counting down the top 5 stories from the 405 diningscape last year.
1. Andrew Black keeps the Beard Awards rolling down the plain
A year after Florence’s Restaurant took home an American Classics award from the James Beard Foundation, chef Andrew Black of Grey Sweater and The Black Walnut took home the first Best Chef award from the foundation. He hasn’t slowed down since, which will be reflected when we get to that peek into 2024.
2. Sedalia’s keeps national attention on the 405 diningscape
In September, chef Zack Walters and his wife and business partner Silvana got the news that Bon Appetit had listed their Sedalia’s Oyster and Seafood among the country’s top 24 new restaurants of the year. The tiny seafood emporium that shares space with the family’s school playground equipment business has made a huge impact on the 405 diningscape with an amazing seafood program far from any coastline with a natural wine selection second to none. The news alone would be big enough news, but it also doubled down on Oklahoma City’s campaign demanding recognition as a culinary safe zone. In 2022, chef Jeff Chanchaleune’s Ma Der Lao Kitchen garnered mention on the same list plus one other.
3. The Big Kahuna leaves the Big Building
Chef Kurt Fleischfresser announced in February that he was leaving the loftiest perch in the 405 diningscape. After almost nine years at Vast in the Devon Tower as vice president of culinary operation, Fleischfresser left the kitchen in the capable hands of longtime protege and Vast excutive chef Paul Langher. Since then, Oklahoma’s culinary Big Kahuna been holding court at The Tasting Room with wine dinners, cooking classes and special events.
4. The end of the road
Year-end closings are equal parts unwelcomed and unsurprising each year in the 405 diningscape, but this year cut close to the quick. Among dozens of late-year closings we lost Ludivine, which finished with a spectacular bar farewell, and Ned’s Starlight Lounge. Birdie’s Fried Chicken and Osteria announced plans to evolve in 2024. Lost in the late flurry of closings was the city’s only true Brazilian restaurant, Café do Brasil, saying farewell in August.
5. Orange you glad …
While we did lose some beloved restaurants, The Classen Grill returned before 2024 began and Leo’s BBQ returned to its home on Kelley. And new restaurants arrived as always. Fox MasterChef viewers were thrilled by the arrival of Ramsay’s Kitchen to Chisholm Creek, but the best thing that happened to Chisholm Creek in 2023 was the spring arrival of Riserva. Hell, that’s probably the best thing that’s ever happened to Chisholm Creek, including Top Golf!
As the crystal ball takes aim on 2024, here are a few story lines to follow as the year takes shape.
Kevin Lee Takes on the World: As mentioned previously, Birdie’s Fried Chicken closed for good on Dec. 23, but the dining room won’t remain dark for long. Not only will Birdie’s by Chef Kevin Lee open next week, but Kevin’s star will go supernova starting in March. Stay tuned.
Andrew Black Takes on Wolfe: As if winning the state’s first individual JBF Award wasn’t enough, chef Andrew Black has decided to test Thomas Wolfe’s theory about whether or not one can go home again. Last summer, he announced plans to return to the Skirvin Hilton Hotel with a new concept called Perle Mesta. Wrote an update for Edible OKC’s current January/February issue. Black will be busy in 2024. Besides Perle Mesta, he intends to open The Phantom Door downtown.
Rising Chefs Fest interest moves it to fall: Chefs Fest 2023 at Super Cao Nguyen was a resounding success despite enduring record heat for the August event that coincided with the Asian Night Market Festival. Watch for Chefs Fest to move to fall in 2024. Likely October, but it could be September. There will be some other exciting changes coming to the event this year, including ticketed options.
Finally, here are four burning questions I’ve got for the 405 diningscape:
Will Tiger Style prevail in the Year of the Dragon?
Can pizza, fried chicken and music topple fried-onion burgers as El Reno’s No. 1 draw?
Tarahumara has toyed with opening a second location in south Oklahoma City in 2023. Will they pull the trigger?
Finally, are Food Dood Feeders ready for a broader look around the state of Oklahoma?
Final details are falling into place to trigger trips across the state in 2024. If my fingers can continue to manage forks, chopsticks and a keyboard, the perspective of this newsletter will go statewide alongside an amazing project this year.
Hope to share full details on the new project and how it will impact the Food Dood Feed in the next week or so, but I promise it is exciting. To help this growth, I will need all the support I can get in 2024. If you’re not a paid subscriber, now is the time to become one. Not only will paid subscribers get access to exclusive content and first dibs to ticketed events, but they will make up the guest list of a few parties planned for 2024.
Happy New Year!