New restaurant coming to bricktown

[mecarr]

Hopefully someone can shed some more light on this...but in the Oklahoma Gazette, the one that came out two weeks ago, there was a story about a restaurant somewhere in OKC. Anyway, the article said that he is planning on opening up a french\tapas bistro in bricktown right by Red Pin. The article said the restaurant is to be open in October. I forgot the name of the restaurant, but it sounds like the one that was originally gonna go be in the Legacy Arts complex. Anyway, sounds like it would be a nice addition to bricktown.

[soonerfan21]

I think this is the one Sean Cummings of Boca Boca is going to open. Can't remember the name of the restaurant, but you could probably Google it and find an article in the paper.

[DrFritz]

Bolero?

OKC real-estate developer experiences success

He’s come a long way, Baby

By Pamela A. Grady
OKCBusiness
5/26/2008

Tracking down Randy Hogan these days is no easy task. What with his Centennial mixed-use project now 100 percent leased and all 30 residential units sold at the site, the man known for his Lower Bricktown developments has been busier than ever before.

Commercial real estate brokers, developers, bankers, attorneys and the like recently gathered at The Centennial on the Canal to tour the site at which Hogan expressed a tone of excitement while discussing new tenants slated to move in.

Coming soon will be two new restaurants, a bar and a clothing shop.

Chef Curtis Bramlett, with partner Grant Defehr, plan to open Bolero, a restaurant with a South American flair designed by Shelby Smith of HSE Architects. It will be situated next to Starbucks by mid-July. Taking 3,700 square feet of retail space, Bramlett says the restaurant will include an additional private dining room and bar and will seat about 130 patrons.

“We wanted to stay small, but with the outdoor seating, it didn’t give us much of a choice. We’ve got these nanodoors where you flip a switch and the entire window folds back and you’ve got this great open-air restaurant,” he said. “They use them (nanodoors) a lot at the islands and in New York at open-air bistros. We’re looking at 40 additional seats out on the deck.”

Bramlett says Bolero’s menu will be moderately priced. For example, a full-course meal and bottle of wine for two would run around $100.

The restaurant will serve Spanish, South American and Basque grilled foods with a variety of fresh items including fish and meats with a South American influence. The bar will feature freshly made house Sangria, Spanish wines and champagne among other popular beverages.

“Bolero will bring a fun festive bar element with a great base of world-class food while keeping it comfortable and affordable for Bricktown,” Hogan said. “We laugh and call it our Upper East Side. It’s a great complement.”

On the canal side, Hogan says Tulsa-based In The Raw, a sushi restaurant, is scheduled to open July 1. The restaurant will feature a variety of sushi, domestic and imported cheeses, dips, tenderloin sandwiches, pasta, seafood dishes and more.

Hogan says he also plans to lure Paralogia Ultra Lounge to the site.

“I’ve had a quick preliminary peek of the interior plan, which is being finalized now and it just looks fantastic,” he said. “It’s something more like what you’d find in Manhattan.”

Lit Lifestyle Fashion will join the mix at the end cap of the project just west of Starbucks. Currently under construction, Hogan says plans are for the store to open June 1.

“Randy (Hogan) is such a pioneer of development,” said real estate guru Judy Hatfield. “He has created a wonderful opportunity for people to live Downtown. And when you look at the view of the city and look at the morning sun, how could you not think this is one of the greatest places to live in Oklahoma City? Everything’s at your fingertips. He’s done a fantastic job, and the finishes create an ambiance that makes people want to be a part of it.”

Sold out!

Further, Hogan said, as of press time, he had closed nearly all pending contracts for the residential units. Units ranged from $300,000 to $600,000. Devon Energy Corp. and Chesapeake Energy Corp. each purchased three residences.

“When they compete for talent, it’s part of their pitch for that management talent to move in until they find a house or build one,” Hogan said of the companies’ residential purchases. “It kind of helps both of those companies compete against some of these bigger cities like Dallas, Houston and Denver.

“Overall, even at $300 per square foot, I think they see the value of what they get for their money here versus some of the markets from the coasts – it’s night and day, better quality for less money.”

And putting his money where his mouth is, Hogan even moved into a unit himself. How long did it take him to get used to his new digs with a skyline view? Hogan said, “About two seconds.”

Moving forward, Hogan says he’s got some additional things in the hopper for the pad site next to Toby Keith’s I Love this Bar & Grill, but he doesn’t forget that just 10 years ago, Bricktown’s lower entertainment district was “literally just a blade of grass. It was just the canal and hardly anything else.”

[metro]

Anyone know if Bolero opened yesterday? They had said Oct. 20th was going to be their grand opening.

[jbrown84]

Having seen their progress recently, I doubt it. Maybe in a month or so.

[Watson410]

I walked by last night after the open practice and they weren't open... They didn't even really look close to opening, maybe another 2 weeks or so if I were to guess.

[metro]

On the bright side, what I've seen looks very nice though.

[EvokeCoffee]

I hope more and more stuff like this goes in all across our downtown - not just Bricktown. Having the "open air" stuff is great and it would be nice to be able to "pick and choose" which place we wanted to go for a drink and for a chat...

[onthestrip]

I agree about the "open air"/patio dining. Our city's patio options are awful. Some restaurants just throw a couple tables outside and expect people to sit there. A restaurants patio needs to be an extension of the restaurant with a nice atmosphere and SHADE.

I honestly think part of this is due to the fact that indoor smoking hasnt been outlawed, as nearly every other state has already. And people wonder why we have one of the highest smoking rates in the country.

[metro]

onthestrip, actually indoor smoking has been outlawed in restaurants, and if they have a smoking section, it must be completely sectioned off with its own ventilation system. I believe restaurants must be completely smoke free by 2010 or 2011 if memory serves right. I just can't wait until we get smart enough to ban smoking outdoors in public places (i.e. restaurants, public events, etc. and only allow in designated smoking areas).

[onthestrip]

Metro, I am aware of the fact that restaurants have to have the smoking area completely closed off from the rest of the restaurant. This still creates problems. Several places just closed in their bar areas and allowed smoking in there (think Buf Wild Wings on NW Exprswy). At places like BWW, I prefer to sit in the bar, but stlll hate the smoke. If it werent for this rule, most restaurants would put a little more into a patio, for it should be the only area where smoking should be permitted.

[jbrown84]

I don't know where this Paralogia Ultra Lounge is going to go. All spaces seem to be filled as far as I can tell with Starbucks, Lit, In the Raw, and Bolero.

[metro]

jbrown84, what is Paralogia Ultra Lounge? Is that going to be the bar section of Bolero? I know how they have their bar section across from the actual restaurant.

[jbrown84]

here

On the canal side, Hogan says Tulsa-based In The Raw, a sushi restaurant, is scheduled to open July 1. The restaurant will feature a variety of sushi, domestic and imported cheeses, dips, tenderloin sandwiches, pasta, seafood dishes and more.

Hogan says he also plans to lure Paralogia Ultra Lounge to the site.

“I’ve had a quick preliminary peek of the interior plan, which is being finalized now and it just looks fantastic,” he said. “It’s something more like what you’d find in Manhattan.”

[metro]

jbrown, I googled Paralogia Ultra Lounge and found a couple articles linking to the same info. They recently applied for a liquor license so they must still be planning on moving forward. Do you have any more info on this place, I'm usually in the know as you know and I have not previously heard anything about this place.

Businesses publish notices of intent to apply for licensing through | Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City) | Find Articles at BNET

[jbrown84]

Where in the building would it go?

[MrZ]

Sushi, pasta, and tenderloin sandwiches? Sounds like a bit of a mix for a sushi place, hopefully they can pull off all 3 without the sushi quality suffering.