You’d be forgiven if you’ve lost track of how many times Mary Eddy’s has gone through a reimagining. It sometimes seemed like she might never hit her stride, such a far cry from her namesake, a dilettante named for the doyenne of the debutantes. But when the new (old) girl debuted last month, it seemed like maybe, just maybe, this is the version deserving of the mantle.
Like most people I talked to, I was happy to learn the name would remain the same even after this latest overhaul. For those familiar with the legacy of the Jones and Hall families and their investment in not just the hotel and restaurant, but the overall revitalization of the entire West Village District, a restaurant by any other name would not be as sweet. And while I wasn’t exactly skeptical of the new concept, it was simply hard to picture exactly what could be so different in this familiar spot.
I knew I stood corrected the moment we were seated — truly, the very moment. As someone who almost always wears all black, it’s not uncommon for me to end up covered in tiny bits of linen from a white napkin. (I once went clubbing after dinner only to realize under the unforgiving blacklight that I looked as though I’d rolled in lint.) So rare is it for local restaurants to even have a black napkin available, I’ve stopped asking for the most part. You can imagine my delight as the host absolutely disappeared the white cloth from my place setting and replaced it with a black cloth napkin. So quick was his movement, it was almost unseen, a sleight of hand. It was the forethought displayed in this gesture — he had to have taken in the homage to Johnny Cash that was my outfit and decided at the host stand to bring the napkin, though I never saw it until it was being placed in my lap. It felt like being seated by Richie at The Bear.
The prestige television comparisons don’t stop there. As I sipped my martini and took in the sumptuous space filled with rich textures in jewel tones as the dim lighting made everyone look better than we should, I could let my imagination take me to the Sicilian coast, White Lotus style. The daydream was enhanced by drinks from head mixologist Nathan Cover, with whom locals were already familiar thanks to his stint leading the cocktail program at the adjacent Pool Bar. If it’s Italian cocktails you’re after, you won’t be disappointed. Though sbagliato in Italian roughly translates to “mistake,” you can’t go wrong with the Strawberry Spagliatto: Italian red bitter, sweet vermouth, Prosecco and strawberry. I also enjoyed the limoncello, but let’s be honest: I never met a limoncello I didn’t like.
Mary Eddy’s is a perfect happy hour joint for locals, a stopover on your way to a Thunder game or work dinner, a pregame ahead of another gala or fundraiser. The “Not-So-Italian” and the “Classic-ish” cocktail menus absolutely run the gamut and provide a preview of a dinner menu that boasts, truly and refreshingly, something for everyone. Wines were presented, and the self-conscious prairie girl in me felt weird sending my glass of Hall Sauvignon Blanc back for being tepid, but they found a colder bottle and brought out a new glass quickly.
We started with the smashed burrata toast, which featured prosciutto de San Daniele, greens and an apricot mostarda atop small toast rounds. Served on a cutting board, the versatile starter was fun to share between the two of us but would also have been good for a group — a perfect amuse-bouche. Resolutions be damned, we also split an order of the sweet corn arancinis, made even more indulgent thanks to a lemon anchovy aioli.
And while the mains have several standouts, it’s worth pointing out you could absolutely put together a champion meal from only the roster of starters. I’m picturing a perfect galentine’s, all my best friends snuggled into a cozy booth, sipping everything on a spectrum that ranges from zero proof to Ubering home. As the drinks start to warm us, we order the poached shrimp, Nonna’s meatballs, and the prime beef filet tartare alongside the signature Mary Eddy’s martini — one of the only items on the menu from the previous iteration. But again, I’ll save ordering only from the starters and cocktail menus for a night out with a big group.
It’s in this scene in the beginning of the second act that we get to fully explore the character that is Chef De Cuisine Damien McCullough, he of the hand-rolled pastas, perfectly grilled steaks, the spicy blue crab campanelle with vodka sauce. It’s clear that this young man soaked up absolutely everything he could from his year as sous chef at Gordon Ramsay’s Oklahoma outpost. Some combination of experience and temperament led McCullough to execute a menu that is simultaneously adventurous yet safe, inventive yet familiar, with something for every palate, food sensitivity and proclivity.
For us, the homemade pasta section of the menu was an exercise in making tough decisions. We waffled, from the rigatoni with veal ragout and ricotta to the aforementioned spicy blue crab campanelle with vodka sauce, garlic and spiced breadcrumbs. We landed on the rock shrimp scampi: housemade spaghetti, Calabrian chili butter, white wine and lemon. For me, this was elevated comfort food. It was somehow both flavorful and understated, something you might have eaten in someone’s home, if that someone made their own pasta and knew to not overcook rock shrimp.
However, all of these delightful starters and pasta dishes were just supporting characters to the showstopper: the filet. Eight ounces of melt-in-your-mouth prime beef would already be delicious, but after they place it on your table, they dramatically top the steak with a red wine au jus. Every single bite was perfect — think The Metro Wine Bar & Bistro — and you can be sure I ate every last morsel. The enhancements (fancy for sides) we ordered were also excellent: crispy Brussels sprouts tossed in agave, balsamic vinaigrette and chives, grilled zucchini with another hit of that drug we call burrata, white balsamic and macadamia nuts. Again, this joint really begs for a big group so you can try a little more of everything. I wanted to try the Parmesan frites and the grilled broccolini, but I know I’ll go back very soon and try many of the things I missed in my first pass.
For dessert, we had the tiramisu parfait, which exchanges a Biscoff cookie for the standard ladyfinger, an especially welcome change for those who find the texture of espresso-soaked cookies off-putting. I’ve never had an issue with ladyfingers, but I have to admit, the Biscoff was a nice touch. We also had the carrot cake ice cream sandwich — you had me at cream cheese Semifreddo. You’ll be shocked to learn I found myself wishing for a bigger group, because I also thought the chocolate cake, made with strawberry jam and a toasted meringue, sounded amazing.
Success story
McCollough’s success story represents one of my favorite things about the hospitality industry: If you’re willing to work hard and not give up, you could one day find yourself at the helm of an absolute gem of a restaurant, helping an entire city tell its story to travelers and locals alike. McCollough is also committed to helping the next generation of chefs find their footing. File under you love to see it.
Mary Eddy’s also seems uniquely poised to work, as it operates alongside the wildly different concept that is Pool Bar and Bodega. The moodily sexy interiors of Mary Eddy’s are somehow both opposite and equal to the absolute vibe that is Pool Bar and Bodega, all light wood and protein bowls, poblano hummus and ceviche. Pool Bar sees Mary Eddy’s Wagyu Tomahawk Ribeye and signature martini and raises a Turkey Sando and fruit-forward craft cocktails. The juxtaposition means guests and locals alike will be able to find a suitable menu and comparable environs, no matter the mood of the day or the mission of the meeting. Together, the whole thing just feels right in a way previous equations simply did not. It’s all a big mood; you just have to decide what mood you’re in.
In addition to McCollough’s story, there’s another cool storyline at play here. Just as Mary Eddy was the matriarch of her influential family, so is Melanie Briley to the Fordson Hotel. Briley is the hotel’s general manager well-known to local hospitality folks for her particular brand of servant leadership. As she worked her way up, she had a front-row seat to the changing landscape that was downtown Oklahoma City over the last decade. When 21C opened in 2016, Melanie Briley served first as catering sales manager and was quickly promoted to director of sales and marketing, charming guests and staff alike. Briley was with the boutique hotel through its initial heyday and stayed with the concept even as COVID-19 wreaked havoc on every aspect of the travel industry. She was promoted to oversee operations before being named general manager of 21C in December 2022 and kept her title through the transition of the property from the 21C brand to Fordson Hotel.
That transition is a story in itself: The hotel did not close for even one day during the rebrand. They changed concepts one floor at a time until the day they flipped the switch to officially become part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt. As we talked ahead of the restaurant’s re-opening, Briley told me some of the war stories.
“That day would have already been a lot to handle, with the changeover. But the real drama came when our internet went down for most of our first day as a Hyatt,” she laughingly recalled. “We were hand-writing tickets and taking down guests’ credit card numbers. I knew if we could get through that first day, we’d be able to handle anything that came next.”
Unflappable, indefatigable — words often attributed to Mary Eddy are also befitting of Melanie Briley. She recently revealed to me there was a period of time when she was the only female GM of any hotel within the Avion system. She’s quick to point out it wasn’t a long time. Rather than dwell on that fact and pontificate on larger meanings, she is quick to give credit to her team.
“We are so fortunate to have such an incredible team here. Every single person is focused on providing an unprecedented level of service. They show visitors what Oklahoma hospitality is all about.”
It’s not surprising to learn Briley has been an important part of development in the area, serving as a board member on the West Village board in partnership with Downtown OKC, Inc.
Although Mary Eddy Jones passed away in 2000, it is easy to imagine the two women would have regarded each other with mutual respect and admiration. The commitment to warm hospitality, to making everyone feel welcome, comfortable and generally well-cared for transcends the knowledge that the two never had the opportunity to know each other. In this new incarnation, it seems the past and present have combined beautifully to give Mary Eddy’s a bright future.
Visit maryeddysokc.com.
This article appears in The OG Food Issue 2025.