Oklahoma City is no stranger to restaurant closures lately. The past few years have proved a rocky landscape for the local restaurant scene, and food lovers across the metro have said goodbye to many of their favorite concepts. But not every closure is an ending.
Midtown regulars and French food afficionados may have noticed the closing of former Midtown staple Café Cuvée. But the closure isn’t an end to quality food served at the Ambassador hotel. It’s simply an opportunity for something new. The Chalkboard Kitchen + Bar is a beacon to hungry guests at the Ambassador Hotel and Midtown visitors and residents alike. Managed by the same Coury Hospitality company behind Café Cuvée, The Chalkboard is a concept that has been thriving in Tulsa for decades.
“The Chalkboard exists in the ground floor of the Tulsa Ambassador Hotel also,” said Chalkboard OKC general manager Jason Clark. “It has a tremendous following, a tremendous loyalty. It’s been open, I believe, since 1976.”
While fans of the Tulsa Chalkboard location will recognize several menu items, the OKC location has a distinctly Midtown flare. The atmosphere inside is unique. Upscale cozy is a phrase that could describe the way the blue booths line the outer walls of the dining area, making the central bar the focal point of the restaurant.
Chill vibes
Assistant bar and restaurant manager Brittany Hernandez loves how the new bar in the center of the restaurant has changed the atmosphere.
“The overall design and ambiance of the bar too is really aesthetically pleasing,” she said. “I think it’s one of those ‘You eat with your eyes’ situations with our bar that makes it really attractive because it’s in the middle of such an intimate dining room.”
The bar’s offerings underscore this point. Hernandez recommends the Cucumber Club ($12) and the Strawberry Rhubarb 75 ($13) cocktails, both featured on the seasonal cocktail menu.
“We’re going to have some special beverage options during the Christmas season,” Hernandez said, hinting at all the good menu offerings yet to come.
The Chalkboard would be a great place for a girls’ night or date or for a solo diner or traveler to grab a spot at the bar and watch a game on one of the flatscreen TVs. It’s important to note that even though the menu and the décor of The Chalkboard may seem fancy, it’s never pretentious. The atmosphere is best described as chill, like a neighborhood bar where casual customers can grab a quality drink and a meal. And like a true neighborhood bar, The Chalkboard is a place where customers can feel comfortable settling in to relax and enjoy what the bar has to offer.
“We wanted to create a place that was more accessible to our elite hotel travelers, more accessible to our neighbors that live in the surrounding apartments or the, the law offices or whatever else is in the Midtown neighborhood,” Clark said.
Accessible menu
The Chalkboard menu is exciting and different. While the items listed boast the same high quality that people came to expect from Café Cuvée, there’s an accessibility to the menu that wasn’t there before.
“Cafe Cuvée had been open for five years, and it had really attracted a great following of loyal French food followers,” Clark said. “But we internally always had the joke that not many people get up in the morning and say, ‘Gosh, I’m really craving some French food right now.’”
The Chalkboard menu still maintains the quality customers came to know and love from Café Cuvée while assuaging any fears guests may have had regarding pronouncing menu items when ordering. And while the menu may be accessible, it’s anything but basic. From sushi to oysters to burgers, there is something for everyone in your party.For fans of more traditional fare, The Chalkboard has two Beef Wellington options. The Chalkboard Wellington ($50) has bacon jam, mushroom duxelles, house gremolata and demiglace, whereas the Mushroom Wellington ($26) has lemon ricotta, pistachio herb mint crust and house-made tomato sauce. Both are served with creamy orzo and grilled asparagus. But if a whole Beef Wellington isn’t what you’re looking for, the dinner shareables menu features Beef Wellington Bites with creamy peppercorn sauce ($22).
And for those with a sweet tooth, the dessert menu doesn’t disappoint. The Chalkboard Bread Pudding ($10) is served with white chocolate ganache and fresh berries, while the Sticky Toffee Pudding ($10) comes with vanilla and butterscotch sauce. And for the chocolate lovers, there’s a Chocolate Caramel Cake ($10) served with walnuts and vanilla ice cream.
Chef Gayland Toriello takes pride in the hard work that goes into the menu at The Chalkboard.
“What’s really good about the food is it’s all house made. So we make everything from scratch,” Toriello said. “We don’t buy any products like a lot of hotels do that are pre-made, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s such a great place to eat, because everything is real fresh.”
Even members of your party with dietary restrictions are welcome at The Chalkboard.
“Anyone who comes in with some kind of allergy, the waitstaff immediately lets the kitchen know. So we do whatever we can to provide the person with a great experience,” Toriello said. “We accommodate anyone who comes in, and we’re as hospitable as we can be. We never turn anybody away.”
The Chalkboard is clearly a place designed with the diverse needs of the customer in mind.
“I personally think we have a little bit of everything for everybody,” Hernandez said. “No matter how old you are, no matter what kind of mood you’re in, whether you want light fare or you’re starving and really need to fill up.”
The Chalkboard Kitchen + Bar is located at 1200 N. Walker Ave. It’s open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Breakfast is served every day, and brunch is served on weekends. To see the menu or make an online reservation, visit thechalkboardkitchen.com.
This article appears in Queen of Oklahoma.