Perle Mesta in the Skirvin Hotel

[OkieBerto]

Perle Mesta is Now Open.

[citywokchinesefood]

The lack of a menu is not inspiring. I mean I am going to go, but I would like to know how many people to bring to try the majority of the items. Securing a 4 top versus an 8 top can be a massive pain in the ass. Not to mention I would rather just invite my friends and not their significant others and mine.

[TheTravellers]

The lack of a menu is not inspiring. I mean I am going to go, but I would like to know how many people to bring to try the majority of the items. Securing a 4 top versus an 8 top can be a massive pain in the ass. Not to mention I would rather just invite my friends and not their significant others and mine.

Yeah, how many restaurants open without posting a menu? He's good (we loved Grey Sweater when we went a couple of weeks ago, and plan on visiting his other places), but man, how hard is it to post a menu when/before you officially open? We will go, but will wait a few months for them to get the kinks worked out (as we always do).

[Mballard85]

Yeah, how many restaurants open without posting a menu? He's good (we loved Grey Sweater when we went a couple of weeks ago, and plan on visiting his other places), but man, how hard is it to post a menu when/before you officially open? We will go, but will wait a few months for them to get the kinks worked out (as we always do).

This is where I am at, I won't go until there are a lot of reviews and the menu is available to see.

[sooner88]

I'm not sure why this isn't coming through cleanly, but here's a picture of the menu.

[Pete]

[Urbanized]

I stuck my head inside yesterday. The space looks fantastic.

[OkieBerto]

This is where I am at, I won't go until there are a lot of reviews and the menu is available to see.

Agree. Oddly, they have a link to a menu on the OpenTable app, but it just takes you to the website's front page, which doesn't have a menu. I love Chef Black and will make it here eventually.

[TheTravellers]

I'm not sure why this isn't coming through cleanly, but here's a picture of the menu.

I just copied it into IrfanView and it's pretty clear there - looks like a wide, interesting variety, thanks!

[OkieBerto]

One of the interior designers posted some photos of the interior.

[Urbanized]

That menu looks fantastic. Definitely several offerings unlike anything else downtown.

[TheTravellers]

There's one review on Yelp, from 6/24, says the drink and dessert menus weren't available. How odd to open without that in place....

Is this the restaurant that people staying at the Skirvin would get room service from?

[citywokchinesefood]

There's one review on Yelp, from 6/24, says the drink and dessert menus weren't available. How odd to open without that in place....

Is this the restaurant that people staying at the Skirvin would get room service from?

When Chef Black opened Vast it was an absolute disaster from the start. I would honestly not be surprised if they rushed this and did not have staff and procedures in place to execute the opening correctly. He seems to get an infinite number of mulligans in this market so we will have to wait and see if it impacts him negatively at all. I am holding off at least until October to go here because they are going to have to figure some **** out.

[bison34]

When Chef Black opened Vast it was an absolute disaster from the start. I would honestly not be surprised if they rushed this and did not have staff and procedures in place to execute the opening correctly. He seems to get an infinite number of mulligans in this market so we will have to wait and see if it impacts him negatively at all. I am holding off at least until October to go here because they are going to have to figure some **** out.

Bashing a James Beard award winner is a bold strategy...he gets "mulligans" as you call them because he is one of the best chefs in the country, if not the world. There are not a ton of those around.

[citywokchinesefood]

Some of us have eaten at restaurants outside of Oklahoma.

[bison34]

Some of us have eaten at restaurants outside of Oklahoma.

Not sure what this is getting at, but you don't get a James Beard award for being above average. They also don't care where you are located. If you have a bunch of issues, whether in NYC, OKC, or the La Brea Tar Pits, you get dinged for them.

I look forward to trying this place!

[citywokchinesefood]

Not sure what this is getting at, but you don't get a James Beard award for being above average. They also don't care where you are located. If you have a bunch of issues, whether in NYC, OKC, or the La Brea Tar Pits, you get dinged for them.

I look forward to trying this place!

The restaurant industry as a whole is facing a staffing shortage. He has a history of some majorly botched openings being in charge of both Flint and Vast in 2012 while working for Williams and Associates. A lot of the little things that could and should be squared away like their online presence (website, socials, etc.) Have either been poorly updated or not had concrete things to post like the menu. Restaurants are hard, opening a new restaurant is even harder. At no point have I **** on him for the quality of his food. I don't always get what he is going for with a particular dish, but that comes with the territory. What I did say was that I feel like most likely the opening was rushed and they were not entirely prepared for it. This is not uncommon at all. I have helped open up new concepts and worked as a corporate trainer opening new stores nationally. In bigger markets outside of Oklahoma Chef's do not get as many chances to **** up. You will lose backers a lot quicker, and people will be a lot more reticent to open up and develop concepts for you. Look at Josh Valentine as a prime example. What restaurant has he been at for two consecutive years since he was on Top Chef? He still gets the opportunity at almost anyplace to get pissed off and tell them to **** themselves. Chef's here get a lot of rope to hang themselves with because guys with talent are very few and far between here compared to Dallas and Denver. I will absolutely go to Perle Mesta, and I expect the food to be very good. It is a bit absurd the pearl clutching you are doing in regards to any criticism of Chef Black. I am not trying to take his James Beard award away that he very clearly earned. I am simply criticizing the lack of execution opening a several million dollar relaunch in the Skirvin hotel.

[TheTravellers]

... I will absolutely go to Perle Mesta, and I expect the food to be very good. It is a bit absurd the perle clutching you are doing in regards to any criticism of Chef Black. I am not trying to take his James Beard award away that he very clearly earned. I am simply criticizing the lack of execution opening a several million dollar relaunch in the Skirvin hotel.

fify. And BTW, I pretty much agree with everything you said...

[Will Dearborn]

It shouldn't be controversial that there is a big difference between being a good chef and being a good restaurateur.

[soonerguru]

One of the interior designers posted some photos of the interior.

That bar photo is sexy.

[Mballard85]

Opening a restaurant without bar service or desert is like going to work without pants and shoes, it's unacceptable. Andrew is a fantastic chef, not word class as stated above, but a great chef none the less. But he's not just a chef at this point, he is a brand and he does a terrible job of supporting that brand. I'll hold off on going for at least a few months until they get it together.

[OkieBerto]

When Chef Black opened Vast it was an absolute disaster from the start. I would honestly not be surprised if they rushed this and did not have staff and procedures in place to execute the opening correctly. He seems to get infinite mulligans in this market, so we will have to wait and see if it impacts him negatively. I am holding off at least until October to go here because they are going to have to figure some **** out.

I was on staff at Colcord when he opened Vast and Flint. You are 100% right about what happened then. I will say that he didn't really have much help from Williams and Assoc. They, too, were horrible at the transition phase with the Coury group. Basically, anything they changed or opened was a disaster. Everyone who worked under the Williams staff hated what they did. We lost people, and Flint was a revolving door. It calmed down, and Chef Black let one of his younger chefs take over. She did a great job until she, too, left. I love what Chef Black does, but he isn't always the best at running a restaurant.

[OkieBerto]

Bashing a James Beard award winner is a bold strategy...he gets "mulligans" as you call them because he is one of the best chefs in the country, if not the world. There are not a ton of those around.

He is a great Chef, but he has made many mistakes. You would think he would learn from them, but the openings of restaurants have not been his forte.

[Pete]

^

I organized a big class reunion in the entire event space at Vast; we were one of their first big events.

Williams & Associates were horrible to work with and charged my credit card for 'extras' without permission. On the day of the event, the person assigned to help was outright hostile and rude even though we were paying them about $10,000. One of many examples: they refused to dim the room lights and it was like an operating room in there. I spent the entire night trying to explain why it was so incredibly bright (every single attendee thought they needed to ask me about it).

Just a horrible experience all the way around, and I've organized similar events all over OKC without anything like their attitude and problems.

[OkieBerto]

^

I organized a big class reunion in the entire event space at Vast; we were one of their first big events.

Williams & Associates were horrible to work with and charged my credit card for 'extras' without permission. On the day of the event, the person assigned to help was outright hostile and rude even though we were paying them about $10,000. One of many examples: they refused to dim the room lights and it was like an operating room in there. I spent the entire night trying to explain why it was so incredibly bright (every single attendee thought they needed to ask me about it).

Just a horrible experience all the way around, and I've organized similar events all over OKC without anything like their attitude and problems.

The hotel staff I had to work with during the transition were all from Las Vegas. Our new manager was more concerned with making a few people happy and not running the place like he should have. The HR guy was even worse. It was a bad place to be all around and was the main reason for me leaving.