Restaurants often trade in nostalgia, tugging on familiar heartstrings and tinkering with recognizable flavors to conjure a palpable sense of connection for diners. Though nostalgia might be a frequent calling card for many, few pull it off with such authenticity as Norman newcomer Rally Kitchen + Bar. Located in the NOUN Hotel, nostalgia is baked into the property’s DNA, and woven through a menu — by well-traveled chef Greg Cook — that toes the line between endearingly familiar and refreshingly novel.
“The NOUN serves as a callback for alumni of the University, Norman citizens and visitors; a nod to how far one has come,” explained Justin George, general manager of the NOUN Hotel. “Rally is an outlet that ushers one back. The University decor harkens great memories and the food brings you right back to where it all started.”
Everything about the all-day restaurant, despite being newly opened in August, feels like a homecoming. It’s in the food, at once classic and unexpected. It’s in the decor, modern yet homey. Altogether, it’s in the atmosphere — a convivial community spot soundtracked by upbeat music, the sound of cocktail shakers and laughter among guests. In many ways, it’s the simplicity of it all that makes Rally so enriching. But, often, it’s the simple things that are often the hardest to pull off — especially with this level of earnestness.
Nowhere is this more evident than the menu, which George bills as “comfort food, reimagined,” and “a familiar fish in an unforgettable fashion.” Again, there’s nothing inherently new about contemporary comfort food, but the delicacy in which Cook combines ingredients and presents it on a plate exhibits a keen understanding of what that concept really means.
“Focused on American cuisine, you will see staples such as filet mignon with a port wine demi-glace alongside a more adventurous dish, like grilled swordfish drizzled in a tomato basil vinaigrette,” George explained. “Whether you prefer a true-form fish and chips, or steak frites with parmesan-truffle fries, Rally has you covered.”
Inspiration for said menu, he noted, stems from Cook’s itinerant childhood, sojourning at military bases across the country. “After his own military career, Chef continued to travel, tasting spoon in-hand,” George added. “Place by place, he picked up cultural nuances, recipes and mechanics, all contributing to the expanded palate that is Rally Kitchen + Bar.” Such inspiration naturally lends itself to an eclectic-yet-comforting menu, featuring familiar dishes with subtle stamps of originality, as well as dishes (like Formaggio dip with Italian sausage) that harken to the Supper Club that previously occupied the Rally space, and naturally evolve throughout the seasons.
Comfort isn’t just in the cuisine, but in the design aesthetic, which George detailed as a “modern interpretation of a traditional kitchen,” flanked by soaring two-story windows on the east wall of the dining room, a 20-foot-tall back bar lined with premium spirits and an entrance area that funnels from the open-concept lobby in the hotel. To the north, guests can glimpse the kitchen (“not so much an open kitchen, but open-ish,” said George), while the west wall features — what else — an upside-down silver longhorn.
In describing the menu, George explained that it may seem eclectic from afar, “but it’s woven with fond memories and family favorites.” Rally might be a new addition to Norman, but that same ethos already feels true in every facet of a restaurant that so tastefully implements nostalgia as a key ingredient.
