Flint sucked, 4 of us went in for coffee and hot chocolate one evening and haven't been back since. That would be damn hard to screw that up but they did.

Yeah, they need a huge turnaround. Their menu is mediocre, location is the best in the city, and service is mediocre. They have so much potential. I hope they make a lot of changes to Flint. I love that patio.

Flint sucked, 4 of us went in for coffee and hot chocolate one evening and haven't been back since. That would be damn hard to screw that up but they did.

I'm at about 50/50 in terms of actually paying at flint. I've had several brunches comp'd and a similar evening experience, where they were out of most desserts and the ones they did have came with pre-melted ice cream. So sad, because it's an awesome location and a great looking space. I've had consistently better service at Waffle House at 3am.

Stopped by Vast tonight to have a drink before going to a play at the music hall. I tried to get some information about a new menu. The bartender said soon and something about a tweet would come out and he thought that one shrimp dish had been changed. The woman at the reception desk didn't seem to know what I was talking about at first and then finally said she thought in a few months. I'm thinking neither of them knew anything at all.

Yeah, I'd give Vast at least until October to even begin to see changes…there might not be major changes until after the new year if things can't move quick enough to be in place by the holidays.

Looks they will be doing some remodeling in addition to the menu changes. From the Gazette:


You can look forward to some major changes at the restaurant at the top of the Devon Tower, 333 W. Sheridan Ave. Vast, the gorgeous space on the 49th floor with a bird’s-eye view of the city, welcomes local rock star chef Kurt Fleischfresser as director.

“We’re going to have a great restaurant with a unique feel, and it’s going to be more fitting with Oklahoma. We’re going to do more of a regional cuisine with people from our part of the country,” he said.

The changes start immediately and will be completed gradually over several months.

Some of the immediate changes he has planned include a remodel of the bar to make it more user-friendly for staff and guests and changes to the private dining areas on the 50th floor. There will also be a new chef’s table and menu changes that reflect Fleischfresser’s core interest in local and accessible dining.

My brother from LA is visiting here for a few days and we went to Vast this evening for drinks. We were originally going to spend a lot of time downtown today doing the OKCMOA and number of other things but the weather wasn't good for that so it's being put off until Sunday. This is still an amazing place to give visitors a good idea about what's happening downtown without a lot of walking. I pointed out about everything going on within the view out of our window side seats. I also have to rave about the employees there. They are all so friendly. We got there about 20 minutes before it opened and sat in the reception area. They were having a staff meeting. I lost count of the number of people who made a point to speak to us while we waited. There were some of the kitchen staff who spoke to us also. I've never met him, but one of them certainly looked like pictures I've seen of Kurt Fleischfresser. I think the place is heading in the right direction.

I'm waiting for the new menu before trying the food, however. :)

Vast has a facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/VastOKC

From their Twitter page, could be really cool:

We are creating a Lounge in one of our (former) private dining spaces. We'll have TVs, delicious food and drinks, and amazing views of #OKC!

From their Twitter page, could be really cool:

We are creating a Lounge in one of our (former) private dining spaces. We'll have TVs, delicious food and drinks, and amazing views of #OKC!

That is good news!

Vast only occupies about 1/3rd of the 49th floor and the rest is private dining space.

In fact, the existing restaurant and bar features (in my opinion) the least favorable views, so the new lounge will face either north or east and those are some great vistas.

Looks like the new management is starting to shake up the personnel.

27 (!) open positions listed between Vast, Flint and the Colcord:

Career Opportunities (http://ch.tbe.taleo.net/CH16/ats/careers/searchResults.jsp?org=WAHOSPITALITY&cws=1)

From a Hobby Cook's Standpoint:

Can you imagine how difficult it would be
To rise to the Top of the OKCuisine
And be replaced?...
I've heard so many conflicting stories about Vast that I'm afraid to
try it.

In the meantime I'll be dining at Bobo's and Cheever's
Nothing beats a sure thing.

... I love that patio.
Wait a minute. 5,000 stories high and an outside patio?

Horrors.

On the Vast Facebook page they posted they will be releasing their new menu tomorrow (Wednesday).

Here is their new dinner menu:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/1484094_736596033099577_1420067075199635618_n.png? oh=1f1924ccf522a09b5607ae88f4edca79&oe=54E3EF25&__gda__=1424318572_9b22da27ee1a1fc18555bad613f4c03 5

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10365896_736596026432911_1773566333683253854_n.png ?oh=49435afa03bee578572b885a239f7d55&oe=54E4E048&__gda__=1424295458_43b4959fc262c88b1da074e273bbcd2 4

Wow...even less reason to go there. What a totally uninspiring menu imho. A few more main dishes would be nice. A nice steak or seafood beside salmon would be nice edition as well as a vegetarian option as main course beside pasta which appears to be a fancy fettuccini (so still has animal derived products in it)

If you check their Facebook page, they have lots of daily specials.

I guess you can hope for a special that you might enjoy?.. the menu doesn't make me want to rush out and try it.

Wow...even less reason to go there. What a totally uninspiring menu imho. A few more main dishes would be nice.

I agree 100%. I was one of the few who liked Vast before, and this new menu seems totally lacking.

I worked with Kurt at the Metro for a while a long time ago. I wasn't very impressed, and not impressed with his menu at Vast either. Especially with the uninspired vegetarian dish. I ate at Vast last Feb and almost bought both vegetarian main courses because they both sounded really good. I wanted to go back to try the one I didn't order but kept putting it off. The veg first courses were really good as well. It is too bad they couldn't get Ahmad Farnia to fill his shoes, but he is part owner of the museum cafe so I doubt he would have been able to be convinced to work at Vast.

I've said it before and I'll said it again: OKC's restaurant talent is stretched exceptional thin and it's only going to get worse.

If I was a restaurant operator, I'd be scouting out of state talent and paying them to relocate.

I've said it before and I'll said it again: OKC's restaurant talent is stretched exceptional thin and it's only going to get worse.

If I was a restaurant operator, I'd be scouting out of state talent and paying them to relocate.has anyone been doing that, that you know of?

Re: restaurant talent: My son just got hired on at Broadway 10 chophouse. When he let them know he had waiter experience, they hired him on the spot. It's a good time to be an experienced waiter in OKC.

First time visit

December 16 2014

https://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhider/sets/72157649388711088/

Now that Vast, Flint and the Colcord has shaked up their management, anyone know what John Williams and Andrew Black are up to these days?

I know Williams is still participating in the convention center committee.

Based on recent social media posts it seems that vast might have added TVs to the bar area for Thunder games and such. Has anyone seen this or did I misread their post?

Has anyone been to The Lounge at Vast on the 49th Flloor?

This is space that had originally been built out as private dining space then was converted for cocktails and appetizers.

They are having a craft cocktail event on Oct. 13th but I won't be in town by then.


Just curious about the new space, drinks, food, view, etc.

Has anyone been to The Lounge at Vast on the 49th Flloor?

This is space that had originally been built out as private dining space then was converted for cocktails and appetizers.

They are having a craft cocktail event on Oct. 13th but I won't be in town by then.

Just curious about the new space, drinks, food, view, etc.

I'm going to an event next week... It'll be my first time, so I won't have a comparison but I'll report back.

Has anyone been to The Lounge at Vast on the 49th Flloor?

This is space that had originally been built out as private dining space then was converted for cocktails and appetizers.

They are having a craft cocktail event on Oct. 13th but I won't be in town by then.


Just curious about the new space, drinks, food, view, etc.

I've been up there but it wasn't actually open the night we stopped by. I asked the bartender if we could see the space and he took us over there. It's pretty nice and provides a more casual area to hang out. They moved the TVs from the main bar into the lounge which benefits the main bar area by making it feel a little more upscale while still allowing a place to watch sporting events. I'm a big fan of that aspect of it as enjoy watching sporing events up there, but always thought the TVs detracted from the feel of the main bar.

Didn't really try any of the new drinks, but I've heard that the food has vastly improved.

i've been up there but it wasn't actually open the night we stopped by. I asked the bartender if we could see the space and he took us over there. It's pretty nice and provides a more casual area to hang out. They moved the tvs from the main bar into the lounge which benefits the main bar area by making it feel a little more upscale while still allowing a place to watch sporting events. I'm a big fan of that aspect of it as enjoy watching sporing events up there, but always thought the tvs detracted from the feel of the main bar.

Didn't really try any of the new drinks, but i've heard that the food has vastly improved.

boooooooooooooo!!!!!

boooooooooooooo!!!!!

Yeah it wasn't very punny.

Didn't really try any of the new drinks, but I've heard that the food has vastly improved.

I liked it .

Oklahoma City restaurant earns prestigious ranking


OKLAHOMA CITY – If you’re looking to experience fine dining, experts say you won’t have to go very far.

Vast has earned an AAA Four Diamond designation.

Officials say this is the first time the restaurant with views across Oklahoma City has earned the prestigious ranking, and it is the only restaurant to do so in Oklahoma City.

“Just 656 restaurants throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean hold the AAA Four Diamond Rating. That’s just two percent of the nearly 32,000 restaurants inspected by AAA annually,” said Leslie Gamble, AAA Oklahoma public affairs manager.

Restaurants that receive the AAA Four Diamond designation offer a fine-dining experience and attentive service.

- https://kfor.com/2019/08/20/oklahoma-city-restaurant-earns-prestigious-ranking/

This really has been a great year for the hospitality industry in the OKC metro. Nonesuch wins best new restaurant in america, Empire wins best Independent Pizzeria in America, Butcher's Barbecue wins best barbecue in America, and now Vast becomes OKC's only AAA 4 diamond restaurant. Not too shabby OKC, now we just need a slight hiatus on new places opening so the places in business now can stay in business in the future.

This really has been a great year for the hospitality industry in the OKC metro. Nonesuch wins best new restaurant in america, Empire wins best Independent Pizzeria in America, Butcher's Barbecue wins best barbecue in America, and now Vast becomes OKC's only AAA 4 diamond restaurant. Not too shabby OKC, now we just need a slight hiatus on new places opening so the places in business now can stay in business in the future.

I wasn't aware of the Empire nor Butcher's BBQ awards. That is awesome.

I wasn't aware of the Empire nor Butcher's BBQ awards. That is awesome.

I wasn't either, and did some checking. Empire's award is from the magazine Pizza Today and this is how they describe it:

"Each year, we mail out surveys to independent pizzerias across the nation. Using their responses, we compile our Hot 100 list — a ranking of America’s 100 largest independent pizza operations (based on sales)."

So it's basically the independent pizzeria in the USA that made the most money. Says nothing about the quality of the food or experience (except maybe indirectly).

To me, that award is completely meaningless. But I guess if you're in the retail/food business, you take whatever awards you get and display them, like Earl's displaying its 10-year old Best of by the Gazette award (which also means nothing to me, because it's 10 years old and is a reader survey).

Butcher, OTOH, did win a real award - the World Champion team at the Jack Daniels Grand Championship Barbecue. That award means way more than any kind of sales ranking or customer survey (thrillist, zagat, yelp, etc.). Kind of like the difference between a peer-reviewed scientific paper and something that somebody writes and puts up on their blog.

Sorry for the thread hijack, just wanted to clarify things.

Butcher, OTOH, did win a real award - the World Champion team at the Jack Daniels Grand Championship Barbecue. That award means way more than any kind of sales ranking or customer survey (thrillist, zagat, yelp, etc.). Kind of like the difference between a peer-reviewed scientific paper and something that somebody writes and puts up on their blog.

To put this into further context.... The Butcher BBQ team won that competition. Has also won the World Food competition a few years ago and did quite well on BBQ Pitmasters... That is David Bouska and his brother Martin.

Butcher BBQ Stand is operated by Levi Bouska, David's son, who also spent quite a few years on the competition circuit with his family.

To put this into further context.... The Butcher BBQ team won that competition. Has also won the World Food competition a few years ago and did quite well on BBQ Pitmasters... That is David Bouska and his brother Martin.

Butcher BBQ Stand is operated by Levi Bouska, David's son, who also spent quite a few years on the competition circuit with his family.

The awards are very prestigious and they are well earned. There is a big difference between winning BBQ contests and putting out quality BBQ out on a daily basis. Although not my favorite...Butchers does a great job putting out quality BBQ daily

The awards are very prestigious and they are well earned. There is a big difference between winning BBQ contests and putting out quality BBQ out on a daily basis. Although not my favorite...Butchers does a great job putting out quality BBQ daily

Well, three days per week, anyway

The new valet parking is now open on Sheridan just west of the Colcord.

Those guys were out there last night standing in the cold without any sort of shelter:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/devon020123a.jpg

It took so long to build this and it does seem silly to not even have a permanent stand for the valet people. If I was on the DDRC I would have denied this proposal altogether or ask them where they are parking the patron's vehicles. I guarantee that they are parking them in the garages. So Why couldn't the valet have just been "placed" in the back entrance of the tower where the garage entrances already exist. The north side already has a vehicle turn around on Harvey with virtually zero non-Devon Tower patrons accessing it. This would cause way less street disruption and sidewalk interference.

This addition makes no sense to me.

^

I'm sure it's to raise visibility and help drive more business.

Vast is very easy to forget about and most don't even know it is there.

It took so long to build this and it does seem silly to not even have a permanent stand for the valet people. If I was on the DDRC I would have denied this proposal altogether or ask them where they are parking the patron's vehicles. I guarantee that they are parking them in the garages. So Why couldn't the valet have just been "placed" in the back entrance of the tower where the garage entrances already exist. The north side already has a vehicle turn around on Harvey with virtually zero non-Devon Tower patrons accessing it. This would cause way less street disruption and sidewalk interference.

This addition makes no sense to me.

This is exactly where the valet stand has been for the last 10 years. This addition is relocating it.

It took so long to build this and it does seem silly to not even have a permanent stand for the valet people. If I was on the DDRC I would have denied this proposal altogether or ask them where they are parking the patron's vehicles. I guarantee that they are parking them in the garages. So Why couldn't the valet have just been "placed" in the back entrance of the tower where the garage entrances already exist. The north side already has a vehicle turn around on Harvey with virtually zero non-Devon Tower patrons accessing it. This would cause way less street disruption and sidewalk interference.

This addition makes no sense to me.

Devon has locked down the tower post covid more than they ever did in the past. I bet they got sick and tired of dealing with drunk people walking through the rotunda at all hours of the day. I went to Vast for a party a few years ago and when we were leaving, we saw some drunk people playing in the fountain making a massive mess after midnight. I don't blame them for not wanting all the restaurant traffic flowing through the main building.

Looking at that location on Google street view (older view) it looks like they did away with a lot of the shrubs that lined Sheridan too. Anyone know how much they got rid of? Is it just in front of that one location?

I bet most first-timers did not even know how to access Vast during the evenings. It always felt like a "back door" to me.

Devon has locked down the tower post covid more than they ever did in the past. I bet they got sick and tired of dealing with drunk people walking through the rotunda at all hours of the day. I went to Vast for a party a few years ago and when we were leaving, we saw some drunk people playing in the fountain making a massive mess after midnight. I don't blame them for not wanting all the restaurant traffic flowing through the main building.

yep my understanding was that this was about 70% because of security and about 30% more visibility