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metro
Here's the full OKCBiz article for when we can't access the archieves after a while.
Classen Curve gets New York-style pie with an Oklahoma twist
Pamela Grady
2.10.2010
Hal Smith Restaurant Group soon will unveil its latest concept, Upper Crust Wood Fired Pizza, at 5860 N Classen Blvd. at Classen Curve.
Chief Operating Officer Hank Kraft said the company has been working on its new concept for the past eight months.
The eatery’s interior will showcase earthen tiles, natural woods, expansive glass, granite counters and hand-scraped wood floors throughout to give the restaurant a “Napa Valley” feel.
“The building’s structure is up, and we’re now waiting for the roof to be added,” Kraft said. “Then we’ll begin the build out. We hope to open by the end of May.”
Chef Brad Johnson is charged with creating the menu. The uptown pizzeria and wine bar will specialize in wood-fired, New York-style pizza pies, complemented by a full menu and wine list.
Johnson said the restaurant’s open-designed kitchen will feature two wood-fired brick ovens for fast baking and charring of the Caputo-floured dough to give pie crusts a smoky edge.
“Once you do this (Caputo) dough, you don’t want to do anything else. It’s not going to be your typical pepperoni pizza,” Johnson said. “These are pies with high-quality, fresh ingredients. I have a little producer on the south side of Chicago that’s making my Italian sausage and pepperoni for me. The family that is doing it owns a walk-up deli and doesn’t usually ship out of Chicago. But we get our meats for our Mahogany restaurant from them, and I have the opportunity to piggyback and bring in some really good and different styles of meats with incredible flavors and textures.”
He said many of the freshly-made cheeses will come from Houston, and he’s using a producer north of Stratford, Okla., to grow the tomatoes.
The group’s 4,100-square-foot freestanding structure has been under construction and should be turned over to the restaurant owners within the next 30 days or so.
“We’re (HSRG) stepping outside of our box a little bit with a more relaxed and casual approach to the table," Johnson said. "It won’t be your white tablecloth type of restaurant. It’s a ‘let’s have a great time with great food and drink' atmosphere.”
Re: Classen Curve
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but what's going in the former Iguana location at 6714 N. Western. Property still owned by Jeff Records? Anybody have privy to building permits or inside intel?
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