The Collective

[CCOKC]

I talked to one of the owners of the donut shop in the Collective yesterday. He seems like a very nice young man and I cannot wait to try this place out. He was not as committal to opening this week as the Oh Baby owner though. Everything looks to be mostly in place however and I believe this place as a whole is going to be insanely popular. It is hard to believe how much this corner has transformed in the last 7 years. There was many a day I wanted to come over with my loppers and cut down the trees that were growing in the side of the building.

[Pete]

OKC's first food hall set to open on Monday
by Jacob Threadgill of Oklahoma Gazette

Oklahoma City’s first food hall, The Collective Kitchens + Cocktails, is almost ready to showcase 10 restaurant concepts at its Midtown location, 308 NW 10th St.

Alexa Ace


After months of construction and financing delays, The Collective is set to open to the public on Monday, July 29th.

The two-story space is made out of three once-forgotten buildings at the corner of NW 10th Street and Harvey Avenue. It features two full-service bars, rooftop and courtyard patios and coffee service.

Unlike other food halls that charge restaurants up front to enter the space, Collective co-founder Truong Le wants it to serve as a restaurant incubator. The Collective offers its kitchens a turnkey operation and marketing in return for a portion of sales.

It is set to open with 10 kitchens, with another concept to open in the coming weeks and months. Here is a look at the restaurants that will open The Collective:


Beth Lyon’s Black Cat


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Chef Beth Ann Lyon has devised menus all over the city; now it is her turn to take center stage with her concept that debuted as a food truck last year. She opened Kitchen No. 324, wrote the original menu for The Press, Anchor Down and many others. Lyon, a Coach House graduate, is a proponent of what she calls intuitive eating.
“I want to nourish people through high-vibrational foods,” Lyon said in a promotional video for The Collective.

The farther food gets from its original source, the less nutrients it offers the consumer. This applies to food that must travel long distances or has been heavily processed or cooked in a way that robs it of most of its value.

Lyon eats mostly a plant-based diet, and that will be reflected on Black Cat’s menu, with an emphasis on using raw nuts, vegetables and fruits as often as possible, but the restaurant will also provide plenty of meat-based dishes that are sourced locally, organic and grass-fed at every possibility.


Café de L’Asie


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Oklahoma City is more than familiar with chef Vuong Nguyen after the Coach House program veteran became the original chef at Guernsey Park, developed the menu at Chae Modern Korean and served breakfast at Bonjour. He also now operates the re-vamped menu at Ur/Bun.
Nguyen takes his French training and family’s Vietnamese recipes for a casual Pan-Asian concept with elevated elegance.

“I’m staying true to the flavors; I’m bringing bold Asian flavors and not masking anything,” Nguyen said. “The uniqueness of it is going to be my spin on it.”

Café de L’Asie goes around the world in one dish, like Nguyen’s version of pad thai, which takes fresh Italian-style pasta and finishes it with mango salsa and chicken. Thịt kho tàu is a staple in many Vietnamese homes, but Nguyen makes the braised pork belly that is then caramelized his own by combining pickled vegetables and a fried egg.


The Flying Pig BBQ


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You’ve probably seen The Flying Pig BBQ’s bright orange food truck at events or driving around Oklahoma City for years, but now you do not have to track it down.
The Flying Pig offers pulled pork, chopped brisket, pork ribs, smoked chicken, sausage and bologna. Its namesake sandwich includes a hot link and smoked sausage wrapped in bacon that can be topped with macaroni and cheese for 50 cents extra. The B-52 takes all of these ingredients, including a bed of macaroni and cheese, and tops it with pulled pork.

It also offers loaded baked potato with its selection of smoked meats or, if you are looking to cut carbs, a loaded avocado with coleslaw and Sriracha mayonnaise.


Fried Taco


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Ruben and Kristal Pacheco operate Fried Taco in Edmond, last year’s nominee of for Best food truck in Oklahoma Gazette’s Best of OKC readers’ poll. Fans of its Puerto Rican and Caribbean fusion dishes now have a permanent place to find them.

As the name implies, Fried Taco’s signature item is fried tacos, but it is not just a crispy taco shell filled with ingredients. Different meat and plant-based fillings are loaded into the tortilla as it is fried, allowing the meat and cheese to fuse with the crispy shell for a unique bite.

In addition to tacos, it offers dishes from across the Caribbean, like mofongo, a Puerto Rican staple for which mashed plantains are combined with pork before being topped with a flavorful broth. Be sure to also try its drinks like mango coconut and coconut lavender lemonade.

“We don’t have any other food like this in the metro area, and we have a nice, relaxing vibe,” Ruben Pacheco said.


Local-homa


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A farm-to-table restaurant does not have to involve an expensive meal eaten in a rustic-style restaurant. Chef Gary Arnold and team want to take Oklahoma products and deliver fine-dining quality food in a casual and quick setting.
“I like the idea of inspiring future generations of chefs to work not just in a fine dining atmosphere, but to be able to branch out and use your talents to feed people of all walks of life,” Arnold said.

Local-homa serves contemporary American dishes that will change with the seasons and seasonal availability. Its compressed watermelon salad with berries and mint impressed Collective judges and will be seen with other dishes like a local chicken breast topped with poulet sauce and served with sweet potato melange, spinach and oyster mushrooms.


Okie Pokie


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Oklahoma City’s first standalone poke concept is making the move from the bottom floor of the old Guernsey Park building to The Collective. Poke is one of the fastest-growing food trends in the continental U.S., after it started to make its way from Hawaii in the last two decades.
The Hawaiian take on sushi allows fresh tuna or salmon to be quick-marinated in oil and vinegars, but customers can choose other options like cooked shrimp, crawfish, seared Spam (a Hawaiian staple) and tofu.

A variety of vegetables like edamame, cucumber and mango salsa with a dollop of guacamole make a poke bowl one of the most refreshing and nutritious meals in the food hall.

Customers can choose from pre-selected bowls or build their own with a base of rice, lettuce or a mixture of both. The concept in The Collective will also offer regular sushi and sushi burritos.


Oh Baby!


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Oklahoma native Michael Spencer has been all over the country, working in some of the best kitchens at places like Beverly Center in Los Angeles, The Venetian in Las Vegas and more. He returned to Oklahoma City to help open The Cheesecake Factory and has found a new home serving Dutch babies, a German-style puffed pancake.
“We went with that name because that’s what I hear from people when I set them down in front of people most of the time,” Spencer said.

The Dutch baby, cooked in a cast iron skillet until the egg and butter-heavy batter begins to puff along the edges, is the perfect vehicle for breakfast or dinner. It can be topped with lemon curd, blueberries and whipped cream for breakfast or an after-dinner snack. Savory options include a take on lox with smoked salmon, capers, red onion and cream cheese and pulled pork with mango chutney and candied bacon.

You also wont have to wait for Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts to get a version of Strawberries Newport, as it will be on the menu at Oh Baby.


Press Waffle Co.


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This concept from brothers Bryan and Caleb Lewis enters The Collective with a lot of momentum, after securing investment on the hit television show Shark Tank.
You might be used to normal waffles made from a quick-mix batter, but these waffles are made in the Liege style, with a 24-hour fermented yeast dough that has bursts of Belgian sugar.

“They are loaded up with pearls of Belgian sugar that melt down and give you a sweet crunch in every bite,” Bryan Lewis said.

Press Waffle Co. offers selection of sweet and savory options, like chicken and waffles or a Monte Cristo waffle sandwich with smoked turkey, ham, white American cheese and berry jam. The Southern Belle is lemon curd, blueberries and whipped cream. Customers can also build their own waffle with different sweet and savory toppings.

The Collective is the fourth food hall location for Press Waffle Co., after opening three locations in Texas.


Shaka


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Chef Patton Simpson builds on his background of living in Honolulu and experience cooking in Oklahoma City at places like Ding Asian Fusion and Musashi’s to bring his Hawaiian-inspired concept to the Collective.

The shaka sign is also known as the “hang loose” sign, and you’ll want to relax after trying Simpson’s take on Hawaiian chicken with grilled pineapple and ohana sea scallops with pineapple and mango chutney and macadamia nut crumble. The powerhouse of the menu is a Hawaiian classic, the loco moco, which is white rice topped with a grilled hamburger patty, fried egg and gravy.

“It’s a lot of citrus taste that is very easy on the palate with some savory taste and a few spicy items, but it’s more soothing than anything,” Simpson said.


Theo’s Doughnuts


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While most people think of brioche as a buttery piece or bread or roll for a sandwich, the dough can also be turned into a doughnut, but it is much easier said than done. Owners Ryan and Morgan Kennedy discovered the brioche doughnut while traveling overseas, and when they could not find the sweet treat upon returning to the States, decided to take matters into their own hands.

“When I came back home and thought about getting a doughnut treat, this is what I imagined,” Ryan Kennedy said. “They are not in Oklahoma City, so I was determined for how to make them for myself.”

The key to Theo’s unique doughnuts is the lengthy fermentation process. Each process hits the mixer 24 hours before it is eventually fried, for a huge, fluffy doughnut that is extra buttery.

Sweet doughnuts are served glazed or filled with freshly made crèmes and jelly, like vanilla bean, chocolate hazelnut and a seasonal jam. Theo’s also offers a rotating savory doughnut.



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Following photos by Alexa Ace:

[Pete]

This place is gorgeous; will knock the socks off of a lot of people.

And really a great mix of kitchens and when you add in the large bars, you can bet this place will stay busy most days.

[Ross MacLochness]

Awesome! Can't wait for this to open.

[Bullbear]

WOW!.. that looks amazing. that patio is gonna kill it!

[sooner88]

What's the capacity here? It looks huge. Really looking forward to trying this.

[Southsider2]

Wow. This place is going to be fantastic. Quality development

[Pete]

The stakes in the local bar and restaurant game are being raised almost on the daily.

Just look at the new places that have recently opened and compare that to even a couple of years ago.

And much more to come.

[onthestrip]

I just hope they have enough indoor seating for 10 kitchens. Patio, as is in the pics, doesnt look like a great option for summer lunches and early dinners, might need some more shade structures. Otherwise, looks amazing and the lineup of food is solid.

[BG918]

This looks like a great development, they did a really nice job with the interior finish.

[jedicurt]

nice... walking distance from Elk Valley, when i need food after drinks!

[LocoAko]

Great writeup and looks incredible! I can't wait. But uh.... ?

“I want to nourish people through high-vibrational foods,” Lyon said in a promotional video for The Collective.

[sooner88]

Great writeup and looks incredible! I can't wait. But uh.... ?

Wasn't sure what that was either....

Summary of high and low energy vibration foods:

High

- Fresh certified organic fruit and vegetables food (especially greens and living grains such as sprouts)
- Natural supplements e.g. spirulina
- Herbal Teas
- Herbs and spices
- Pure or filtered water -- reverse osmosis or freshly collected spring water are the best choices
- Healthy oils e.g. olive oil, and coconut oil
- Eating raw food, dehydrated and lightly steamed food e.g. anything in its uncooked, minimally processed raw, sprouted and organic state
- Nuts and seeds
- Fermented Foods
- Raw chocolate
- Raw honey & maple syrup
- Legumes
- Grains such as buckwheat, brown rice, amaranth, and spelt

Low

- Genetically modified (GMO) food, and conventional food that has been treated with chemicals and pesticides
- White rice and flours
- Sugars, sweeteners (artificial etc)
- Coffee
- Sodas
- Alcohol
- Meat, fish and poultry
- Processed, packaged, canned and fast foods
- Unhealthy oils e.g. canola, cottonseed, margarine, and vegetable oils
- Frozen foods
- Pasteurized cows milk, yoghurt and cheese
- Cooked foods, deep fried foods and microwaving food

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/eatin...al-f_b_7596472

[FighttheGoodFight]

Looks great but all I can think in my mind is... Dear god this is going to be so busy.

[Anonymous.]

So will each of these vendors have their own alcohol sales in addition to the venue bar(s)?

[Pete]

So will each of these vendors have their own alcohol sales in addition to the venue bar(s)?

No, all alcohol will be served through the central bars.

[FighttheGoodFight]

Really reminds me of Foodhallen in NL. Really great place and always something new to eat. https://foodhallen.nl/amsterdam

[kukblue1]

What are the prices going to look like? $10 and up for $15 and up for dinners?

[cappa]

This place looks amazing! It'll be a really nice spot with a group as everybody should be able to find something they want. Hopefully Bleu Garten will be able to handle the direct competition. Having both of these places across the street from one another will be a huge draw to an already bustling Midtown - especially on the weekends.

[GoldFire]

Wow, I knew this was going to be impressive from the renderings, but it is shattering even the high expectations in those photos! I can't wait to check this place our, I just hope it won't require hours waiting in line as I'm sure this place is going to be overflowing with people.

[5alive]

Blown away!

[PurpleChicken]

I'm still not understanding the concept of "incubator".... I wonder how leases are set. Is there a limit on how long a lease can run? If a business stays there 10 years is it still considered "incubator" ?

[shawnw]

I'm still not understanding the concept of "incubator".... I wonder how leases are set. Is there a limit on how long a lease can run? If a business stays there 10 years is it still considered "incubator" ?

Presume you're referring to the line above "wants it to serve as a restaurant incubator".

Mother Road Market in Tulsa, also a food hall, is run by Kitchen 66, which is a non-profit state certified incubator. Graduates of their program get a slot in the food hall at a reduced rate for a period of time.

I help run a state certified incubator here in OKC (not food). I'm not sure if he intends to become state certified or not (handled by the department of commerce), but the basic gist is... you accept an incubator client into your program (has to be a relatively new business) and for a set period of time (determined by your business plan, it varies by incubator) the client has to meet certain gates along the way, usually in the form of opening their books or receiving X amount of business coaching per week, etc, and after they graduate from your program, they are exempt from state sales tax for 10 years. The whole point is to try to put a business out into the world that has a better chance of success vs if they had gone it alone. Some incubators only lease space to current clients, and so once you graduate you have to move. Others do it differently. The department of commerce gives a good amount of latitude in how this can be done. Last I checked there were only 30-something state certified incubators, but there are incubators out there that aren't certified.

[betts]

I’m going to echo that it looks amazing. I can’t wait to go.

[chuck5815]

I think there will end up being at least a few people showing up there on Monday.