Ludivine

[metro]

Their signs are up on their building and they are fixing to announce their grand opening. Click here for pic of the sign.

http://ow.ly/i/498S/original

[Urban Pioneer]

Just walked in through the space. There were people in the kitchen. I didn't disturb them. The restaurant has a great, intimate interior! If you like the intimacy of Cheevers, you'll like Ludivine. The bar was cool to and the L shape design of the space opens it out on both Hudson and 7th with entrances on each. Very cool and I am very excited.

[pickles]

Weekend tables are going to be difficult to come by at this place for some time to come. An instant success.

[jbkrems]

Pickles... what did you order?

[pickles]

Pickles... what did you order?

House-cured salmon, foie gras and scallop ravioli, braised berkshire pork leg, pan roasted trout, dessert foursome.

[onthestrip]

House-cured salmon, foie gras and scallop ravioli, braised berkshire pork leg, pan roasted trout, dessert foursome.

Ive looked at their menu online, and it sounds like you had almost everything. Are the servings small, compared to most OKC restaurants?

[metro]

onthestrip, their menu changes almost daily, it's all about the local slow food movement, whatever they picked fresh for the day, etc.

[onthestrip]

Aware of the concept metro. Even though they change the menu frequently they don't offer many entrees, which is why I asked pickles if he tried everything. If you actually want to be informative metro, answer the questions that are asked.

[pickles]

Ive looked at their menu online, and it sounds like you had almost everything. Are the servings small, compared to most OKC restaurants?

I think it's fair to say that in most instances the portions will be smaller than what you might expect from most OKC restaurants.

[BBatesokc]

Anyone heard any rumors about this place going under? Was there last night around 7:30pm and there was only 3 tables - prime time on a Friday. Asked and they said they had several opening for New Years Eve - this when everyone else is packed. Add to that the food was not par with previous visits. Kinda worried about this place. Hopefully it's unfounded concern.

[JayhawkTransplant]

I hope not, because I haven't made it there yet. Maybe I'll try to go tonight!

[wschnitt]

packed last night.

[BBatesokc]

packed last night.

What time? Was dead at 7:30.

[Rover]

I love the concept, but it has been a little too inconsistent for my liking. I will keep going back though as it is a good eating option for OKC and should be supported. I hope it can stay busy.

[jbkrems]

They're doing a New Years Eve special deal, like a lot of other restaurants, but then they're closing all of the first week of January, to give their employees time off. I can understand not being open on Monday, but if they really want to keep business, they should not be closing the entire first week of January for their customers. I also think they have been doing a lot gimmicks to gain business the past 3 months, and they need to seriously define their concept if they wish to stay open. I also agree with the comment above regarding their inconsistencies.

[adaniel]

I don't live too far from there. Sometimes, I will cut down Hudson to go to the downtown YMCA. Everytime I drive past it is always very busy. Granted I'm usually going through the week.

[chuck johnson]

I go pretty frequently and it's been busy every time. It's just in an area that slows down significantly traffic-wise in the evenings. As the area develops, they should be in a great position. I am pretty picky about where I eat and I think it's great that OKC has a place like this. It would be a shame for it to fail.

[BoulderSooner]

They're doing a New Years Eve special deal, like a lot of other restaurants, but then they're closing all of the first week of January, to give their employees time off. I can understand not being open on Monday, but if they really want to keep business, they should not be closing the entire first week of January for their customers. I also think they have been doing a lot gimmicks to gain business the past 3 months, and they need to seriously define their concept if they wish to stay open. I also agree with the comment above regarding their inconsistencies.

Almost all of those "gimmicks". Have been in the bar to get more bar business

[jbkrems]

Well, if Ludivine is suffering for bar business and has to resort to bar gimmicks to get it... that says a lot about their business plan, right there. If they even have a business plan.

[dankrutka]

Well, if Ludivine is suffering for bar business and has to resort to bar gimmicks to get it... that says a lot about their business plan, right there. If they even have a business plan.

That's a pretty cynical statement. Maybe the restaurant is doing okay and they're looking to increase their profits by increasing bar business. Why the need to be so negative?

[jbkrems]

Yes, I am cynical about my statement. If a restaurant is trying to increase their business by increasing bar business, that says to me that something is not great about their restaurant business. If you are a really top notch restaurant, you should not be depending on bar business to improve your business. You should be able to deliver top notch food and top notch service, and that should be enough to increase your business.

[dankrutka]

Your statement is riddled with so many assumptions that it's silly to argue with you. Just keep being negative, I guess.

[BoulderSooner]

i didn't want to respond .. but ..

take monday nights for example ... the "restaurant" is closed on mondays (and has been sense day 1) ... at some point they saw a bar demand for monday nights and opened up the bar for that evening ....

later they saw that the monday night crowd was interested in food ... so they created a blue plate special bar only for monday nights at a lower price point that the "normal" ludivine meal ...

if you want to be a success you shoudl try to grow all aspects of your business ... and IMHO that is what ludivine has done

[BBatesokc]

Bar business should never be ignored as the profit margin far exceeds food.

[Urbanized]

Every time I have been to that bar (including week nights), it's very busy. Due to the configuration of the place (the bar is basically in a separate - but connected - building with its own street frontage and door with a very different feel than the dining room itself), it makes sense that they would work to cultivate a bar crowd that wasn't necessarily the same group as the restaurant patrons. The bar to me feels very neighborhood, while the dining room feels more like a citywide destination.