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Ambassador Rooftop Bar
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Blue Zoo
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Brandon Smith
Bradford House
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Classen Inn Patio
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Factory Obscura
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Factory Obscura
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Danielle Gregory
Goro + Izakaya chef
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Gray Sweater
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Lake Hefner
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Liichokoshkomo’
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Choate House
Nonesuch
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Choate House
Nonesuch
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Tony Stizza
OKC National Memorial Museum
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OKC Skyline & Scissortail Park
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Oklahoma Contemporary "Bright Golden Haze"
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Scott McDonald
Oklahoma Contemporary
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Orr Family Farm Tepee
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Scissortail Park
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Wheeler District Ferris Wheel
One night, we dined on duck breast with curried honey and seared confit rice cake, 49 flights up, the city’s skyline shimmering around us. The next day, we marveled at the artwork of Renoir and nibbled on a wagyu bavette, sopping up every drop of its bone marrow butter with freshly made drop biscuits. On the final night of our visit, we rode a gigantic Ferris wheel, made new friends at an izakaya over plates of eggplant wontons and koji-marinated catfish, and, finally, sipped on craft beers made inches from where we were sitting.
This, we had to keep reminding ourselves, is Oklahoma City — a city best known for its Stockyards, a horrific bombing, Route 66, and the Flaming Lips.
It was the latter that took my wife and I to OKC a decade ago to see the trippy rock troupe perform on New Year’s Eve. At the time, OKC was still what many imagine it would be like today: quiet, desolate after sundown, a town your granddad might dig.
Over the past few years, a friend and former Okie kept telling me, OKC has gone through a metamorphosis. There are now, he claimed, cool restaurants, hip bars, great museums, and fantastic parks. Intrigued, my wife and I set out to investigate.
Much to our surprise, we found a town revitalized, made over with adventurous food, innovative art, outdoor activities, and much more. I texted my pal three words: “You were right.”
“We get that a lot,” says Lindsay Vidrine, vice president of Destination Marketing for the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau. “For those who may not know how the city has changed over the past several years, it can be a little surprising.”
The city’s redevelopment boom was born out of a greater improvement plan that was voted on by the community nearly three decades ago. Residents itching for a citywide revamp imposed a 1-cent sales tax initiative upon themselves, which to date has translated to more than $1 billion of community improvement projects.
We’re not the only ones who’ve noticed OKC’s makeover. Last year, Travel + Leisure magazine named the city one of the top 50 places to visit — in the world. And the year before, Bon Appétit magazine bequeathed OKC’s Nonesuch with the restaurant of the year award — the food world’s Oscar.
Over the course of two weekends, my wife and I soaked up the sounds, suds, and scenes of this new OKC. Here’s what we found:
WHERE TO CAFFEINATE
The city is divided into 14 retail, cultural, and entertainment districts. To hit them all, you’re going to need a couple cups of Joe. Two of the city’s best coffee shops are Leaf + Bean (321 N. Oklahoma Ave.), a haven for both casual coffee drinkers and total coffee nerds, and Clarity Coffee (431 W. Main St.), which takes great pride in its single-origin coffees made from roasters around the world.
WHERE TO EAT
Over the past several years, Oklahoma City’s restaurant scene has grown immensely. There are hip and cool restaurants in the trendy areas of town and plenty of local icons.
“When I moved here, the city was known for chicken-fried steak, fried-onion burgers, and free queso at Mexican cafes,” says David Cathey, the food editor at The Daily Oklahoman, the city’s newspaper. “Today, I can point an Oklahoma City visitor toward cuisine from anywhere in the world.”
The city’s culinary pride and joy is Nonesuch (803 N. Hudson Ave.), named best new restaurant of 2018 by Bon Appétit. Located in the buzzy Midtown area, it’s a wildly unique experience: Diners sit at a 22-seat U-shaped counter that surrounds the kitchen, giving them a ringside view of the chefs in action. Throughout the progressive, 10-course meal, dishes from the around the globe are made, on the fly, with hyperlocal, often foraged ingredients. The menu changes daily and dietary restrictions — as well as likes and dislikes — are taken into consideration for each guest. Fair warning: Reservations must be made weeks in advance.
Another top restaurant is Ludivine (320 NW 10th St.), which serves farm-to-table cuisine in a posh yet upbeat setting. Housed in a cool midcentury building that oozes personality and warmth, the restaurant specializes in a mix of French-inspired and New American cuisine. My wife said their wagyu bavette was the best thing she’d ever eaten. Joined at the hip is a happening speakeasy decorated with antiques.
Oklahoma City may be the last place you’d expect to see a Japanese izakaya, but hidden among the art-filled shops of the Paseo Arts District, you’ll find the wonderful Goro Ramen & Izakaya (3000 Paseo St.). Sip on a Suntory Toki, a Japanese whisky served on tap, and dig into deliciously complex bowls of ramen from acclaimed chef Jeff Chanchaleune.
The local Asian district, seeded by Vietnamese refugees after the fall of Saigon, is home to some of the city’s best restaurants, Cathey says. He recommended to us the recently opened Szechuan Story (2800 N. Classen Blvd.), and we found much to savor, including twice-cooked pork belly on a bed of fresh veggies.
At Vast, found on the 49th floor of downtown’s Devon Tower (333 W. Sheridan Ave.), you can dine on upscale American food or nightcap on craft cocktails while taking in breathtaking views of the city.
For breakfast, hit up the superb Guatemalan hotspot Cafe Antigua (1903 N. Classen Blvd.) for huevos motuleno and a big bowl of mosh (Guatemalan oatmeal made with three different milks); the super popular Waffle Champion (1212 N. Walker Ave.) for fried chicken with Tabasco honey and fried leeks, wrapped in a housemade waffle; and the stylish Kitchen 324 (324 N. Robinson Ave.) for elevated comfort food, including a dynamite egg sandwich with double-smoked pastrami.
WHERE TO DRINK
Craft breweries, cocktail bars, and fun dives can be found all over the city. R&J’s Supper Club (320-B NW 10th St.) was one of our favorite stops. Bathed in red and gold lights, the bar has the cool-cat vibe of “Swingers” and a menu that harks back to the ’50s, with old-school cocktails like 7&7s and mint juleps. Great food, too. Recently opened next door to the hip 21c hotel, Jones Assembly (901 W. Sheridan Ave.) doubles as a restaurant and live music venue. But in the upstairs speakeasy, you’ll find creative — and affordable — craft cocktails, including a Moscow Mule on tap. Try the red rye sour at local craft brewery Stonecloud Brewing (1012 NW First St.), which recently opened in a cool old laundry building (complete with a neon sign), and you’ll buy us one later.
WHERE TO STAY
Part museum, part hotel, part restaurant, 21c (900 W. Main St.) is unlike any other luxury hotel in the state. Chiseled out of what was originally a Model T factory, the rooms are elegantly spacious, with mile-high ceilings and an industrial-chic feel. You can spend hours in the lobby museum, which displays cutting-edge, conversation-starting works of modern art. Mary Eddy’s, the hotel’s upscale American restaurant, is a great option for dinner and drinks.
Part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, the luxurious Ambassador boutique hotel (1200 N. Walker Ave.) occupies the beautifully restored Osler building, erected in 1928. The hotel’s restaurant, Café Cuvée, serves excellent French cuisine, and nab a seat at the rooftop O Bar for Insta-worthy views of downtown.
Built in the early 1900s, The Bradford House (1235 NW 38th St.) was originally a luxury residence before it was converted into a colorful boutique hotel. An on-site restaurant serves excellent pastries and coffee drinks, which you can enjoy on the inn’s wraparound patio.
Close to the historic Route 66 is a property that would have felt right at home on it. The Classen Inn (820 N. Classen Blvd.) is a recently restored roadside motel — think the Austin Motel or the Belmont in Dallas — whose Googie architecture dates to 1963. Rooms are outfitted in brightly colored bedding and carpeting for a totally mod feel. With rooms going for $100 a night or less, it’s one of the city’s best bargains.
Opening in early 2021 will be an Omni hotel (100 W. Oklahoma City Blvd.), with luxurious rooms that will offer dramatic views of the downtown skyline.
WHERE TO MUSEUM
Like Fort Worth, Oklahoma City’s museums pay homage to the past while rolling full steam ahead. Opened earlier this year, the Oklahoma Contemporary (11 NW 11th St.) is the city’s newest art museum. Here you’ll find mesmerizing works from local, regional, and international artists, as well as kid-approved interactive exhibits. Nearby, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (415 Couch Drive) continues to garner a reputation among museum enthusiasts for its impressive permanent collection, including a piece from President Barack Obama’s portraitist Kehinde Wiley, as well as its impressive traveling shows.
For history buffs, there are the Oklahoma Railway Museum (3400 NE Grand Blvd.), American Banjo Museum (9 E. Sheridan Ave.), and the World War II 45th Infantry Museum (2145 NE 36th St.). Through films and artifacts, the not-to-miss Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum (620 N. Harvey Ave.) takes an emotionally moving look at the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995.
WHERE TO PLAY
Oklahoma City’s new Scissortail Park (300 SW Seventh St.) is a must. The 70-acre park, whose iconic city sculpture of a scissor-tailed flycatcher (the state bird) can be seen from miles away, features pedal boats, kayak, and canoe rentals; a night market with art and food vendors; pop-up classes; a seasonal farmers market; a stage for live entertainment; a skating rink; children’s activities; and more.
Another new playground is the home of Factory Obscura (25 NW Ninth St.), an art collective made up of artists based in and around the OKC area. The group recently opened an exhilarating new exhibition called Mix Tape, a 6,000-square-foot immersive art experience based on the emotions we go through while making mixtapes for friends or loved ones. Spring the extra buck or two for the 3D glasses; it’ll make for a more far-out experience.
A trip to OKC isn’t complete without a spin on the Wheeler Ferris Wheel (1701 S. Western Ave.). Purchased off eBay, the historic wheel was originally the Santa Monica Pier Ferris Wheel. Now refurbished, it stands above the south bank of the Oklahoma River, lifting guests 100 feet off the ground, against the backdrop of this exciting, ever-growing city.
