EAT & DRINK
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Meat Market Refectory co-owner and executive chef Steve Spitz sears off an entree in his restaurant’s kitchen. | Photo Garett Fisbeck
Edible ambitions
An event brings great new dishes to your favorite restaurants for a great cause. By Greg Elwell
One of the biggest hurdles to trying a new restaurant is a fear of the unknown. We are used to having our food a certain way, even if we don’t realize it. And there’s nothing wrong with that. No one wants to head out for the evening only to return home hungry, dissatisfied and with less money to boot. It’s why we tend to eat at the same places, sit at the same tables and order the same entrees week in and week out. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But it’s also kind of boring. Running June 6-12, Oklahoma City Restaurant Week helps shake up that routine in a way that is easy on the wallet and advantageous to the palate. This year’s event expanded Restaurant Week to include dozens more venues and multiple districts across the metro, said Oklahoma Gazette publisher Bill Bleakley. “Oklahoma Gazette a downtown restaurant week for several years with great success,” Bleakley explained. “After hearing from restaurants outside of the downtown area that wanted to be part of a restaurant week, Oklahoma Gazette decided to take the plunge and invest the time and resourc-
Oklahoma City Restaurant Week June 6-12 See our guide in this issue or visit okcrestaurantweek.com.
es to make its restaurant week a citywide culinary event. Thanks to this exciting group of participating restaurants along with support from great sponsors this year, it should be fun and rewarding experience for everyone who enjoys dining out.” Chefs at venues across the city (and into the hinterlands of Edmond and Norman)
have put together prix fixe menus of favorites and some this-week-only new dishes to introduce customers to what they’ve been missing. “We’re looking to make new friends,” said Rococo owner and executive chef Bruce Rinehart. “As attractive as the dishes are on the special menu, especially for firsttimers, I think they’re going to look at the features on top of the Restaurant Week menu and say, ‘I can’t wait to come back and try some more stuff.’” Kitchen manager Josh Partain embraced Rinehart’s concept, creating a shrimp gnocchi lunch entree and a steak tips and pasta dinner entree using housemade spinach fettuccine. “We want something fun, not necessarily easy to execute, but something we can do alongside our usual menu,” Partain said.
Head chef Jovanny Monreal created a daring prix fixe menu for Oklahoma City Restaurant Week at Saints Pub. | Photo Garett Fisbeck
Prix fixe?
Watch out, anti-francophiles, because here’s some French coming at you. Prix fixe translates to “fixed price,” and it’s a popular way for restaurants to give diners the biggest bang for their buck. By creating a set menu with a smaller selection than the norm, chefs can ensure customers a better price on some items by buying in larger quantities, prepping ingredients more efficiently and streamlining the ordering and serving processes. Usually consisting of an appetizer, an entree and a dessert, prix fixe menus are a staple of holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Christmas. For Oklahoma City Restaurant Week, Oklahoma Gazette gathered 46 restaurants to create one or more prix fixe menus, each at a set price. They’ll still serve their regular menus, but those in the know can get special dishes at a special price by asking for the prix fixe menu.
The routine
Restaurant Week is an easy game to play. Check out menus in our guide to Restaurant Week in this issue or visit okcrestaurantweek.com. Look over the delectable options spanning different cuisines, price ranges and comfort levels. Once a few (dozen) places are selected, call and see if reservations are required. Restaurants will get booked fast, so it’s best to ensure there’s a table available. Some don’t take reservations at all, so decide when Rock & Brews executive chef Deallo Frazier is excited to unveil his jalapeño bacon mac & cheese balls during restaurant week. | Photo Garret Fisbeck
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