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Posted by: Matthew
Forbes
Compiled by Forbes Staff
Matthew Kenney OKC voted one of America’s Best New Restaurants!
Next time the economy sinks as low as it did in 2009, remember, that’s a perfect time to open a posh restaurant in one of the highest-rent locations imaginable. As crazy as that sounds, it seems to have worked for the owners of Marea, perhaps the most critically acclaimed eating establishment to open in New York City in the past year.
“Here’s exactly the type of restaurant I didn’t expect to thrive last year: ambitious food, elegant space, buzzy chef, deep wine list, fancy Central Park address,” says Nick Fauchald, New York editor-in-chief of Tasting Table, a daily e-mail publication about eating and drinking culture. “The reason Marea works where other expensive restaurants failed (or were afraid to play): [Chef] Michael White. His food … is simply some of the best in the city right now.”
Great food would also explain the success of Locanda Verde, the much more reasonably priced and casual restaurant by former A Voce chef Andrew Carmellini. At A Voce, he was known for forward-thinking Italian fare such as duck meatballs, while the new spot is more in line with what would land on an Italian grandmother’s kitchen table.
“It’s exactly the kind of restaurant New York needed in a year when everything else was heading in the wrong direction,” says Fauchald. “That is, delicious, smart, consistent food that makes me happy, is easy to share and doesn’t ask too much of my brain or wallet.”
Right now restaurants can’t afford to do anything less. In a look at 32 large restaurant chains in 2007, 20 reported same-store gains for the year. After the books were closed on 2009, 34 of the country’s 35 major chains were in serious decline (though showing signs of a reversal in Q4). Americans spend more than $1.5 billion every day eating out, according to the National Restaurant Association; but in tough times, they’re all the more careful where they spend it.
Though Locanda Verde and Marea are in distinctly different parts of Manhattan (the former is in trendy TriBeCa, the latter on posh Central Park South), and are priced accordingly, what the two have in common, simply, is great food that offers that little extra imaginative or experiential touch.
Expert Opinion
Ask 10 everyday restaurant-goers about their favorite places to eat and you’re bound to get few similar answers. So, too, with the experts.
For our list of the best U.S. restaurants that opened in the past year or so, we asked for the top 10 favorites of master sommelier Richard Betts, cofounder of the Betts & Scholl wines and Sombra Mezcal; and Doug Shafer, president of Napa winery Shafer Vineyards. We sought the expertise of two well-known figures in the wine industry particularly because they spend so much of their time on the road, wining and dining, and seeking the best restaurants in which to have their wines served.
We also sought picks from the aforementioned Nick Fauchald, as well as Top Chef Masters-winning chef Rick Bayless, who hosts the PBS program Mexico–One Plate at a Time. He owns three Mexican-style restaurants in Chicago–Frontera Grill, XOCO and Topolobampo–as well as three quick-serve Mexican restaurants called Frontera Fresco. This week he announced the opening of a Los Angeles restaurant called RED O By Rick Bayless.
The first restaurants to make our list were picked by more than one of our experts–only Marea and Locanda Verde made that cut. In cities where multiple restaurants were selected, but none by more than one expert, we chose the restaurant with the highest rating among diners on OpenTable.com, the online reservations Web site–and the rating had to be higher than four out of five stars. To fill the final few spots on the list, we chose one unique, off-the-radar pick from each expert’s list.
Cool and Casual
Surprisingly, many of the restaurants on the list are relatively casual, yet save their excitement for the plate. This is especially the case for The Publican in Chicago; Olympic Provisions in Portland, Ore.; Happy Noodle in Boulder, Colo.; and Frances in San Francisco.
The Publican, which was opened by the team behind Blackbird and Avec (the bacon-wrapped, chorizo-stuffed dates at Avec are not to be skipped on any visit to Chicago, period), is modeled after a European beer hall. Appropriately there are dozens of brews to choose from, all to be paired with hearty meat dishes that are simple, elegant and filling.
“It’s all about pork in all of its guises and artisan beer to wash it all down,” says Betts. “[It's a] really fun, beer-hall type of addition to Chicago’s already young and fun scene.”
Similarly, Olympic Provisions, located in a large, renovated commercial building in an industrial section of Portland, serves house-cured meats and other simple, flavorful vegetable side dishes. The space is small, packed, and only open on weekdays, catering to a crowd that cares solely about the quality of the food–not a valet or a white tablecloth.
Mesmerizing, Memorable, Delightful
Of course, there are always creative standouts each year, which tend either to evoke a cult following or a collective scratch of the head. Two that appear to be more of the former are picks by Bayless: The Bazaar by Jose Andres in Los Angeles and Matthew Kenney OKC in Oklahoma City, Okla. Both restaurants go completely against the grain of the cities they call home, and have done so with immediate success.
The Bazaar is basically LA’s version of Spain’s El Bulli, believed by many critics to be the best restaurant in the world (not only for what it serves, but for the dining trends it inspires globally). Part Spanish tapas, part molecular gastronomy (one particular single-bite dish causes smoke to shoot out the diner’s nostrils), part carnival, The Bazaar has been one of the most acclaimed restaurants to open this year. It’s unlike any other place to eat in LA, but isn’t simply weird for the sake of weird; it’s about great-tasting food.
Certainly the same could be said of Bayless’ other pick, Matthew Kenney OKC, which is a stone’s throw from a stockyard, yet serves no meat whatsoever. In fact, all the food is served raw (105 is the optimal temperature to which foods are “cooked” and served here), yet by employing creative techniques such as dehydration, diners are pleasantly surprised with creative presentations and explosive flavors.
Fauchald says it’s perfectly normal to see this kind of inventiveness–and success–in a sluggish economy.
“Tough times are always good times for taking a chance and hitting uncharted restaurant territories,” he says. “I’m seeing plenty of wacky, one-off ideas fail–and fail quickly. But some are thriving.”
http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/11/best-new-restaurants-lifestyle-wine-dining_slide_12.html
Posted by: Matthew
NewsOK
By Ron Stahl
Not long ago, a friend told me, “I was talking to a friend of mine in New York City, who told me she was coming to Oklahoma City to a cooking school at 105degrees. What’s that all about?”
What her New York friend was talking about is the 105degrees Academy at 105degrees, the vegan restaurant devoted to the concept of living cuisine.
Dara Prentice is co-owner and director of business and external affairs for the restaurant and academy.
“Raw cuisine or living cuisine is actually vegan cuisine, and that means that we don’t use any animal products at all,” she said. “So there’s no dairy or eggs or meat. We certainly make lots of different entrees and desserts and things that you would typically associate with incorporating dairy and butter and things like that, but all of our cheeses, ice creams, everything is made from a nut base. So our entire cuisine is comprised simply of fruits, vegetables, seeds, sprouted grains and legumes, and we put them together in very creative ways.”
While the concept may sound foreign, the tastes that emerge are quite exciting. The pasta dishes are flavorful and will challenge your ideas about gluten-free foods. The pasta noodles are actually thinly sliced vegetables, and the ricotta cheese is made from nuts and is quite delicious. No one should leave the restaurant without trying one of the fabulous desserts or a selection from the juice bar.
The concept comes from chef Matthew Kenney, co-owner and director of culinary arts and operations. Kenney was named one of Food and Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs and pioneered the technique of preparing fresh foods at temperatures no higher than 105 degrees.
His cookbooks are for sale in the restaurant’s gift shop, but it is the 105degrees Academy program and the opportunity to study his techniques that bring people from across America to study in Oklahoma City. Courses are geared toward chef certification in raw cuisine, but there also is a short course for people who want to learn how to prepare the foods in their own kitchen. The fundamentals course is four weeks and prepares students for the intensive 12-week certification program. 105degrees Academy is the first state-licensed raw food academy in America. The restaurant also was featured by Forbes as one of America’s best new restaurants.
Prentice said the term “raw food” may lead some to believe that the food is not cooked, but that is not quite the case. “When food is prepared at high heat, it begins losing nutrients and enzymes, and it’s just not as healthful to your body. And so, 105 degrees represents, for us, our optimal cooking temperature. We do heat things, so the word raw cuisine is kind of misleading. It’s not really raw, but it’s just not heated to piping hot levels, and it really allows the food to be much more full-flavored as well.”
As much as possible, the restaurant uses produce from local organic growers, and many of the sprouts are grown on the property. The food is prepared fresh daily, and the open kitchen allows the diner to watch the process.
The menu changes with the seasons. What you find on the summer menu may not be the same as the autumn menu, so Prentice says the menu is also a living product. The menu also reflects several influences. Asian elements share menu space with Italian and American cuisine. Other world cuisines also are represented.
Many who seek out 105degrees are either curious about the concept or in search of healthier alternatives. Some are “foodies” looking for a new culinary experience. Whatever the reason, Prentice said the restaurant is winning over skeptics.
“They are amazed by the flavor and the experience of the food. And, without fail, those who come a little skeptical about vegan cuisine or raw cuisine are always surprised at how full they are when they leave because I think they think, you know, if they don’t get to have that steak or burger that they are somehow going to be hungry. But when our meal is not centered around something of that nature and instead just really designed from the ground up as it is, then it is quite a filling and satisfying experience.”
105degrees is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week and also includes a juice and wine bar. The restaurant and academy are in the Classen Curve development at 5820 N Classen Blvd.
http://newsok.com/article/3482986
Posted by: Matthew
AmericanWay
By Neal Webster Turnage
WHAT TO ORDER — heirloom-tomato lasagna with pistachio pesto or the blue-corn tostada with baby zucchini? Tough decision.
Time to consider the deal breaker: Which one will taste better raw?
That’s right, raw. As in uncooked. Or at least not heated above 105 degrees. It’s the principle behind the cuisine at Oklahoma City’s Matthew Kenney OKC, which is a part of the Matthew Kenney Academy. Here you can dine, take classes, or enroll in an (un)cooking school to get an education and/or begin a career in raw food, or “living cuisine.”
Matthew Kenney Academy is the first state-licensed living-cuisine academy in the country — and Oklahoma, despite its steak-and-potatoes rep, has proved to be an ideal locale. “People here are willing to try something new,” says Matthew Kenney, director of culinary arts and operations and twice a James Beard Rising Chef Award nominee. “It’s a city where everything is accessible — and evolving.”
Kenney likes to approach the academy, the café, and the retail shop where prepackaged food is sold with a similar sensibility. “We’re always true to the source of the dish, so it’s easy for people to feel comfortable,” he explains. “Matthew Kenney OKC utilizes a number of menu descriptions, and even presentations common to traditional cuisine, [but] the end result is highly unique. Our ultimate goal with living cuisine is to develop an entirely new lexicon for all living-food dishes. Thus, living food will become a verifiable cuisine with dishes that reflect its individuality.” Not to mention, Kenney hopes, firmly establish Matthew Kenney OKC, both the food and the Oklahoma landmark it evokes, as a culinary presence in mainstream culture.
LOOK TO THE STARS How many times did your mother say, “If your best friend jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?” Well, we’re not advocating that, but you must admit the following celebs look pretty darn good, and we’re betting it has a lot to do with their raw-food lifestyle.
DEMI MOORE / WOODY HARRELSON / ALICIA SILVERSTONE / DAVID BOWIE / FAMKE JANSSEN / UMA THURMAN / STELLA McCARTNEY / PAUL McCARTNEY / NATALIE PORTMAN / EVA MENDES / MICHAEL FRANTI / GISELE BÜNDCHEN / OWEN WILSON
http://www.americanwaymag.com/food-matthew-kenney-oklahoma-first-state-licensed-living-cuisine-academy
Posted by: Matthew
NewsOK
By George Lang
With Valentine’s Day falling on a Sunday, my wife Laura and I observed the greeting-card holiday with a Friday evening officially dedicated to dinner and “whatever.” But what we experienced was a kind of living, breathing love letter to our amazing, evolving city.
Our first stop was dinner at Matthew Kenney OKC, the first tenant at Classen Curve. If anything is emblematic of the change in Oklahoma City, it is the emergence of Classen Curve in a city segment that previously felt like an ellipsis between Belle Isle and Nichols Hills. This high-end retail area is so markedly different from any other in the city that it is likely to shift the traffic flow, particularly for people looking for the kind of experience that used to mean three hours of driving.
But while the clean lines of Classen Curve’s architecture set the tone for a new experience, Matthew Kenney OKC was the payoff, with its extraordinary raw food cuisine. As a vegetarian with pescatarian privileges, the unbelievable pho and coconut curry at Matthew Kenney OKC made me think that I could go all the way as a vegan if only I could prepare food as amazing as the chefs in that raw-food laboratory. Add to that the modern elegance of the surroundings and the superb service, and we could not have asked for a more excellent and head-turning experience.
Then we juxtaposed our new, modern dinner date with Love on the Plaza in the Plaza District, an area that represents all that can be done with the right dedication and perseverance by talented people. When Laura and I moved to the city from Norman in 1995, we lived on Carey Place in a duplex just below Michael Ivins of the Flaming Lips. Back then, you didn’t walk the two blocks down to 16th street unless you were looking for violence.
But Lyric Theatre led the way with their space, and I was astounded by all that was there, including the grand opening of Warpaint Clothing Company, the new store and clothing line started by Derek Knowlton of the Pretty Black Chains. Then we went to Keith Rinearson‘s beautiful PhotoArt Studios. There were tons of people at the Plaza that night, and it was amazing to see the transformation of this area into a destination for the creative class.
It was a great night to be out on the town and to be in love with each other, and with our city. Right now, we’re just feeling a little smitten with the place.
http://www.newsok.com/article/3440226?custom_click=columnist
Posted by: Matthew
NewsOK
By Mi-Ling Stone Poole
Those of you who have a passion for design will understand exactly where I’m coming from when I say that everywhere I go — from my doctor’s office to a theater or a restaurant — I’m constantly looking for new ideas, beautiful spaces, and creative designs.
I believe that function is the most important element in a room. A well-designed space provides the occupant with style and comfort while meeting the needs of the space.
On a recent outing, I visited chef Matthew Kenney’s restaurant, Matthew Kenney OKC.
This innovative “raw foods” restaurant in the Classen Curve in Oklahoma City needed a special design to bring all of the components of the space together to function properly.
The result is a space perfectly designed to house the restaurant’s seating area, bar and chef’s station in one open plan.
Appearing to be in the space, but separated by a glass wall, is a sustainable living boutique.
There you’ll find the chef’s cookbooks and other products that promote his passion for healthy eating and environmental concerns directed through a style of living and eating.
Just to the right of the restaurant is the cooking area for his Matthew Kenney Academy and cooking classes.
From the outside it almost seems as if you’re peering into the lens of a camera positioned in the dining room. You can almost hear the conversations of the chefs or the intimate tabletop discussions of the guests as the space calls you to join in on the fun.
The choice of bamboo utilized on the 14-foot ceiling and tabletops paired with deep purple warm up the design while keeping the feel clean and modern.
The pristine detail of the open chef’s station provides entertainment and offers a glimpse of the colorful food.
It was hard not to notice the details that went into presenting this restaurant to the public. From the glass straws to the natural stones that held the orders in place, you were urged to be conscious of your environment and the choices you can make.
Now go out and create your own unique comfort zone!
http://newsok.com/eaterys-fresh-design-gives-view-of-innovation/article/3438888
