The mark of a savvy restaurateur is one who, even when conceptualizing something as ubiquitous as an Italian restaurant, can create something truly unparalleled. At Nichols Hills’ newly opened Elisabetta, the menu might traffic in familiar comforts, like pastas and pork chops, but familiarities end there.
The restaurant represents a swanky new chapter for 84 Hospitality, a brand built on pizza and burgers and ramen, and its founder and CEO Rachel Cope, who collaborated with Austin-based Excelsior Hospitality on the most decadent restaurant of her portfolio. Whereas previous concepts skewed casual, Elisabetta is decidedly ornate, from the walnut paneling and raw brass accents — implemented by Palm Springs-based architect Chris Pardo — to the globe-trotting wine list, handmade pastas and fresh seafood, flown in throughout the week.
“This place is the combination of travels, and looking at cuisines in Oklahoma City, and going ‘What do we not have?’” Cope explained. “There are some great Italian restaurants here, but we wanted to do it differently. Selfishly, I just wanted to eat handmade pasta in a moody, dark, vibe-y atmosphere, and that’s really how it all began.”
For Cope, the timing for Elisabetta — a nod to her middle name, Elizabeth —was as pivotal as the vibe. “Five years ago, I wouldn’t have been ready to do this,” said the prolific restaurateur, whose empire spans eateries in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Stillwater. “Empire turned 11 last year, and we’d been running so fast doing these fast-casual high-volume concepts. I just turned 40. I want to slow down and be more intentional.” After driving by what is now the Elisabetta space, transfixed by its exterior lampposts, she said something spoke to her about the location at 7300 N. Western, with its Nichols Hills locale, its parking capacity and its atmospheric potential.
The menu matches the moody aesthetic, too. Veering away from traditional Italian, Cope cited handmade pastas, like tagliolini enrobed in pork ragú or shrimp- and lobster-stuffed tortoloni with tarragon butter sauce, describing them as traditional in terms of how they’re made, but untraditional with accompanying ingredients. So too, a pork chop comes with a crispy panko and herb crust, and a texture akin to a pitch-perfect schnitzel, while a verdant chopped salad — strewn with salami, Castelvetrano olives, crispy chickpeas and oregano vinaigrette — is a nod to a salad Nancy Silverton made on “Chef’s Table.”
Drinks are just as divergent. While other 84 Hospitality “hangouts” excel at beer and cocktails, Elisabetta distinguishes itself with its worldly wine list, the handiwork of partner Britton Stewart. Cocktails also shine, like a Rum Lemon-Berry Milk Punch and the Dirty Martini, made with Castelvetrano olives (and an optional caviar-stuffed olive).
For Cope, it all ties together as the vibe she was looking for — one culled from years of travel and inspiration. “The first thing people notice is how it feels,” she added. “Who wrote the rules that we have to do things that way? How do I want to eat? How do I want to be treated when I enter a restaurant? All of our experiences led us to putting together the best for us, and the best for guests and staff.”
