When Vecina first opened in Phoenix in 2019, local critics called it “fiercely original,” and a “gem from start to finish.” The Latin-inspired restaurant was praised for its “one-of-a-kind menu,” emboldened by spices, salsas and chiles. If lightning strikes twice, Oklahomans will be singing those same praises, now that lauded chef James Fox has expanded Vecina to the Quail Creek area in Oklahoma City.
All the hallmarks that made the original such a sensation are here, but Vecina 2.0 is “bigger, badder and better” according to Fox.
“We wanted to put something together that was unique and great in every aspect, from the food to the drink and to the service, and everything in between,” Fox explained of the Phoenix original. “The space we had was 2,000 square feet, so you could make it intimate but still fun, and that’s the same vibe we wanted to go for in OKC. It’s been a cool thing to be able to expand to Oklahoma, and show y’all what we do in Phoenix, and have the same atmosphere and execution.”
Following Riserva Bar + Tapas and Culprits, Vecina marks the latest collaboration between Fox and OKC’s Provision Concepts, and considering the praise already vaunted upon their previous projects, this latest venture bodes well for Oklahoma’s red-hot restaurant scene.
“Talking with Jeff Dixon (founder and CEO, Provision Concepts), it seemed like a no-brainer with all the restaurants that are already in Oklahoma, and I thought Vecina would be a great fit,” Fox said of his interest in expanding the acclaimed brand from out of state. “There’s still the nostalgic steakhouses of yesteryear, but there are also some new and different chefs coming in and doing some really cool things.”
And as evidenced by Fox’s menu, he can count himself among those ranks. The food adheres to the original’s ethos of local sourcing and scratch-made sauces and syrups, but in this case he’s sourcing baked goods from The Harvey Bakery, and even visited 10 different tortillerias before selecting Lupita’s Taqueria for Vecina’s corn and flour tortillas. With a larger kitchen in OKC, and a larger dining space emblazoned with an abstract mural by Carlos Barboza, Fox is able to fully explore a range of menu possibilities — including his personal favorites, like a mesquite-grilled carne asada rib-eye and hiramasa ceviche with grilled pineapple and coconut leche de tigre. For that ceviche, yellowtail amberjack wasn’t readily available in OKC previously, but now that Fox has procured it, he’s hoping it opens the doors for other local restaurants to start using it too. Other standouts, from shareable plates to robust entrees, include white bean puree with crispy short rib; elote with chorizo butter; mussels with Spanish chorizo and The Harvey sourdough; and smoked half chicken with tomatillo nam prik and peanut mole. Along with drinks, like the mezcal- and pineapple-based Return of the Velvet Underground, it’s all about adapting familiar flavors and making them bolder.
“As you grow, we’re utilizing things that I couldn’t even have thought about in my first restaurant,” said the chef. “We had no idea what type of success we were going to have. Now, it’s a bigger, better, badder situation here.”
