Oklahoma City's Nonesuch , named America’s Best New Restaurant in 2018 by Bon Appétit Magazine, has transitioned hands and joins a restaurant group lauded by both Michelin and the James Beard Foundation.
Now a part of Kelly Whitaker’s Colorado-based Id Est , guests can expect changes to the look and flow of the Nonesuch space at 803 N Hudson Ave., while the concept retains a majority of the acclaimed dining experience that it's been known for since its start.
Id Est, whose accolades include their Michelin Green-Starred restaurants Brutø and The Wolf’s Tailor and their current nomination for the James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurateur Award, among others, is no stranger to the work of Nonesuch, with the two restaurants having collaborated twice in the past.
"We believe that this restaurant needs that new energy and we just saw an opportunity for us to come in and bring that impact to Nonesuch," said Kelly Whitaker, the owner and executive chef of Id Est. "Chad [Luman] is going to be an operating partner. He's not going to just be the GM. That was really important to us to have someone there that is fully committed. And I came down two weeks ago and met the rest of the team, and we just really believe in what they have currently."
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The team from Id Est will add their extensive knowledge of practices surrounding sustainability, regenerative agriculture and grains to Nonesuch's model, providing the team — led by Luman and chef Garrett Hare — a backdrop form which to launch the restaurant's next phase of growth and evolution.
"Chad and I have history together. When this all started months ago, Todd [Woodruff], the previous owner, he was really looking to leave and wanted to focus on his other businesses and all those things and so he actually went to Chad and started talking to Chad about the opportunity. And Chad called me just because Chad was one of my first front-of-house employees at Basta in 2010," Whitaker said.
What started as a call for advice eventually transitioned into reimagining how Whitaker, a Tulsa native, could use his experience with Id Est and take an already great concept and push it even further toward what they believe will be exceptional.
What dining experiences to expect from Nonesuch
Starting in June, Nonesuch will offer two distinct experiences: Nonesuch Chef’s Counter and The Den.
The Nonesuch Chef’s Counter will retain the intimate 22-seat chef's tasting menu experience that Nonesuch is known for — adding even more inspiration from fields, farmers, and Oklahoma terroir. The menu will take things Nonesuch has already done through partnerships with local farmers and producers and amplify them with a full focus on hyper-local sourcing, in-house grain milling, and vast fermentation practices.
"I'm bringing down one of the original grain mills that I started the flour business with," Whitaker said. "Now we have bigger mills, so let's bring the small mill, and let's build a mill room at Nonesuch. And let's start talking to local farmers about the grain and kind of get that movement moving. And so these are ways that we'll work with Chad and the Nonesuch team just on impact and thinking sustainability."
The former private dining room will become the Den, a bastion for a more approachable and experimental experience at Nonesuch. Guests who dine at The Den's six-seat counter will take part in an abbreviated tasting experience, becoming part of the research and development process as they sample a menu showcasing dishes in the works by the Nonesuch culinary team.
"With the ability to mill in-house, it opens up a ton of doors," Luman said. "Chef Garrett is very passionate about pasta, so I think like that's kind of a no brainer to be able to workshop stuff like that within the dinner experience."
The Den will also be the first time Nonesuch will have space to accommodate walk-in guests for bar snacks and cocktails, while also providing space for visitors before or after their Chef’s Counter experience.
The ownership transition gives the team at Nonesuch additional resources, including the expertise of Mara King, director of fermentation and sustainability at Id Est., who will guide them in implementing additional practices that reduce waste and promote environmental responsibility.
"We're meeting with a bunch of people in the community, whether it's farmers or some of the tribal leaders, we're looking at sort of these older fermentation techniques and things that have been around Oklahoma for a while, so it's a deep dive into the sort of history," Whitaker said. "I think this is a real unique stage for us and we're going to learn a lot as we go [...] it's about being able for people to look at local foods and, like, who's kind of keeping the money in Oklahoma when you support the grain projects and the regenerative farming and all the things that kind of come along with that, so really excited for that conversation to hopefully spark up and get people back in."
Reservations for the two Nonesuch experiences - Nonesuch Chef’s Counter and The Den - are now open for June bookings .
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Exclusive: OKC's Nonesuch under new ownership; here are the changes planned
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