soonerguru

Originally Posted by soonerguru

My wife and I gave Mary Eddy's a try Friday night.

What a smashing interior, maybe the coolest and most glamorous in OKC right now. This place is a must visit, either for a full dinner or a couple of drinks and small or shared plates.

The food and service were both very good, but the real star is just the space itself. It is a-ma-zing!

The restaurant was packed (even the bar seats) and despite our lack of reservations, we were immediately seated and then quickly greeted by our server.

I don't really remember the old Mary Eddy's menu, so I'm not sure what has changed, but for a starter, we had the excellent French onion dip with house made potato chips that I remember from past visits. Very good. Honestly there are few restaurants in which I enjoy house made potato chips. Mary Eddy's' are among the best I've tried: crispy, slightly salty, and not noticeably greasy. The chips are substantial enough to gather generous scoops of the dip itself, which features caramelized onions and also would make the perfect bar snack.

We moved on to salads. My wife had the wedge, which is dressed with a somewhat elevated ranch (with bleu cheese I think?), and I had the house green salad. The wedge was good as expected. As for the house green salad, I wasn't super pumped about the vinaigrette; it's probably just a matter of preference but it leans a bit on the sweet side for my tastes.

For mains, my wife had the scallops and I gave the crispy chicken breast a shot. Both were well executed dishes. Minor complaint: the potato puree, which forms the foundation for the chicken, could be more flavorful. This is the only item needing a punch or two in the flavor department, and ultimately the potatoes are rescued by a mushroom romanesco broth for dunking. The chicken itself is pretty spectacular with a super crunchy breading that would be hard to replicate at home. We should know because we have labored earnestly throughout the Pandemic to make a great breading for things like chicken cutlets and fish and chips.

The scallops are accompanied with an unctuous saffron cream sauce, but as my wife pointed out, the sauce is almost unnecessary because the natural flavor of the scallops itself is so good. Still, who in their right mind is going to complain about a silky saffron cream sauce for added flavor?

The drink menu is very cocktail focused and if I had any suggestion, it would be to add more wines by the glass. The menu is rather sparse for reds by the glass right now, but the two we tried paired nicely with the food.

We finished up with the apple crisp, which is predictably excellent and served warm with local ice cream (and expertly packed to go because we were totally stuffed).

Our server was delightful, as were the hostesses. Service was professional and conscientious while remaining relaxed and friendly. A rotation of two people ensured we were left wanting nothing. And despite the super cosmopolitan feel of the restaurant, there wasn't an ounce of pretension from the staff, who were warm and welcoming.

The real showstopper is the space itself. It's something to behold after dark because the dim and moody lighting is sensual and warm, and the design of the room lends itself better to the namesake of the restaurant than its previous incarnation, striking a distinctly non-minimal ambiance. Oversized chandeliers and dark green wallpaper with bright floral prints contrast the bright and gorgeous emerald seating, giving the room the feel of a gaudy Victorian parlor shaking hands with a bohemian Parisian salon. And somehow this sensory overload works amid all of the concrete in the building and the postmodern, minimalist design throughout the 21C lobby. It's beautiful and super sexy and warm, something neither the previous bar nor the former restaurant exuded.

Mary Eddy's is an ideal place to take a date, host a newcomer, or welcome anyone visiting OKC. It's worth the splurge and dramatic after dark!