Built in 1910, the Colcord at 15 N Robinson was Oklahoma City’s first skyscraper – 12 stories – and today the hotel therein is among the first tier of the city’s accommodations, offering guests luxurious bedding, flat-screen TVs, a 24-hour fitness center and other perks in spectacular surroundings. Unfortunately for those of us who live in the 405, those amenities rarely come up, as unless we’re on staycations we tend not to experience the finer points of local hotels. With, hopefully, one exception: The house restaurant Flint is eminently worth a visit from any and everyone, wherever they’re staying.
The atmosphere is welcoming and the dress code fairly casual, especially on the excellent patio, but a quick look at the menu makes it clear chef Patrick Williams and team are taking their craft seriously – braised Swiss chard here, a citrus buerre noir there, fries spiced with za’atar … even the chicken fried steak has a red onion confit.
We recommend starting with a bowl of savory vegetable posole, then attacking the thick, tender pork shank braised in Bourbon, topped with molasses gastrique (a slightly thickened sweet and sour syrup) and a zesty gremolata – that’s parsley and garlic chopped together and mixed with a dab of citrus, almost like an Italian chimichurri. Finish with a sweetly tangy key lime tart crowned with meringue and drizzled in raspberry coulis, and if you find yourself in need of a walk afterward, the verdant beauty of the Myriad Gardens is right across the street.
Whether or not you’re planning to stay over at the Colcord, you should take a look at Flint’s menu – something is bound to light a fire under your imagination.
