The Collective Kitchens + Cocktails

September 20, 2019Katie

One rainy night a few weeks ago we went out to celebrate our daughter Tori’s birthday and we headed out to The Collective Kitchen + Cocktails, a new food hall located on the corner of NW 10th & N Harvey Avenue in the heart of Midtown.

The word “food hall” may be new to you if you live in Oklahoma City so let me explain.

The Collective houses 11 kitchens (eateries), a 40 foot bar, an outdoor dog-friendly patio seating, a 95 person rooftop patio (one of the more beautiful I’ve seen in OKC) with views of downtown, live music and a common dining room area to eat in. (As of right now there are 10 kitchens as one is still to be added.) So you pick your place or get something at several places if you’re like us, and then find a place to sit in the common dining room.

The eateries in question were given an audition of sorts, by the operating partners, Jenny Nguyen, known for her popular long-running management of Lee’s Sandwiches on Classen and Truong Le of Chick N Beer and Okie Pokee and Nodee on 23rd Street along with others who got to taste-test. Many were former food truck owners looking to settle down to a brick and mortar establishment. The winners scored a spot, which is wonderful, as we know every one of them will be great.

And from what we tasted…they WERE.

Here is a brief rundown on the eateries or “kitchens”. You can click on any underlined “kitchen” to view their individual websites and menus.

The Flying Pig –St. Louis style ribs, sliced and/or chopped brisket, pulled pork, smoked sausage and smoked bologna (subject to change daily). Of mention: a Loaded Avocado Sandwich (meats topped with cheese and what looks like an entire avocado!).
Press Waffle Co. – Liege waffles -a yeast-based waffle with Belgian pearl sugar embedded in the batter that caramelizes the outside of the waffle with a pleasing crunch served with sweet or savory toppings.
Local Homa – contemporary American cuisine with a menu based around locally sourced meats and produce. Some truly gorgeous dishes are to be found there!
The Fried Taco – tacos are fried with shredded meat and shell together and the result is shall I say, AMAZING? My entire family lined up here to begin with.
Shaka – Hawaiian food fused with a mix of Japanese, Italian, and Pacific Island accents serving up a variety of food and seafood.
Beth Lyon’s Black Cat – Serving food that is focused on nourishment and vitality using mindfully sourced goods. 100% non-gmo, and organic produce. I had a fabulous kale salad from here.
Oh Baby! – Dutch babies (think the love child of a pancake and a crepe) are topped with sweet and savory yumminess.
Cafe D’Lasie – Chef Vuong Nguyen’s is going back to his Asian roots (BIG high five!) but also mashing up these dishes with some delicious twists like Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls. Can I just say the Togarashi Fries here might equally rival my favorite all-time fries at Sushi Neko?
Theo’s Doughnuts – Premium brioche dough-made doughnuts fried and filled with their seasonal and specialty house-made fillings. (Check out Tori’s doughnut “cake” they gave her above.)
Okie Pokie – Thank goodness poké bowl (remember my recipes here?) popularity isn’t lost in Oklahoma and at Okie Pokie you can pick a Signature Poké Bowl or B.Y.O.B. (Build Your Own Bowl) with a variety of fresh seafood and produce ingredients.

The night we visited, it rained so we didn’t get the best pictures of the lovely patios at The Collective but once cooler weather hits, I guarantee you all the outdoorsy people will be fighting for prime spots on this patio upstairs. It’s gorgeous.

Since The Collective is such a …well….collection of so much to see, I’ll just leave you with some pictures to paint a picture in your mind.

Grab some friends and head on over to The Collective. You’re going to love it!