Reviewing Grey Sweater: New American fine dining in Oklahoma City.

Congratulations to Chef Andrew Black on being named the Best Chef in the SW by the James Beard Award Foundation! 

Chef Andrew Black has received much praise for his culinary abilities, especially after being named a 2022 James Beard Outstanding Chef Semi-finalist. My husband and I decided that his Grey Sweater Restaurant was perfect for celebrating our anniversary dinner. After our reservation was secured online, we received a call from one of the restaurant ambassadors to get to know us and to discuss dining options. Did we desire a 5, 7, or 10-course Chef’s tasting menu? And did we want to add a wine pairing option, and if so, at what level—silver, gold, or platinum? Were we celebrating any special event—birthday, anniversary? Are there any food allergies or anything we did not care for? All this information was then used to curate a dining experience just for us. Now, I was even more curious and excited about what our special dinner at Grey Sweater would hold. 

Once we arrived at Grey Sweater, one of the friendly staff members escorted us to our seats. We chose to sit at the Chef’s dining bar—which I highly recommend—to watch the chefs in the open kitchen prepare and plate each dish. The sommelier noted our anniversary celebration and poured us a glass of champagne to begin our evening with a toast. 

I must say that observing the chefs in action at Grey Sweater was incredible. Each appeared passionate about their craft. Seamlessly working together, each detail of preparation was well orchestrated and executed. The plating of each dish was performed with meticulous precision.  

We had selected the 5-course dinner with the platinum wine pairing. As there is no menu, the evening’s courses come as a surprise, but none disappointed. The sommelier chose French and Italian wine pairings that perfectly complemented each dish. He was incredibly knowledgeable about each wine and the area from which it came. We love sampling new-to-us wines, so this was an enjoyable part of the evening for us. 

After beginning with courses of butternut squash, then tuna with pea and mint sauce—each course paired with beautiful French wines—we enjoyed a delicious pan-seared sea scallop. It was superbly prepared—tender and delicate—and served with a Madagascar Beurre Blanc sauce, then topped with Kaluga caviar. It was exquisite. The lovely French White Burgundy poured for us was the perfect complement.

Our next course was one I had never tried, and it blew me away—oxtail. The meat was fork-tender and surrounded with a perfectly paired, intense, deeply rich imperial stout reduction. The tasty concoction was further elevated with a topping of caviar. In addition, the sommelier added an Italian wine from northern Italy that stood up to the concentrated flavors of the dish. It was pure heaven. 

The final course was a delightfully smooth orange chia ice cream plated on top of a hard cider blueberry reduction. Once again, the sommelier matched the flavors with a winning dessert wine to complete our meal. 

Grey Sweater offers more than refined dining—it offers a unique dining experience. Chef Black is well deserving of the James Beard Semifinalist Award. My husband and I will definitely be returning.  

Oh, and the name? Chef Black describes grey as alluding to his lack of allegiance to any boundaries—no black or white—in creating new flavors. The sweater describes the warm and comforting feeling one immediately receives from the atmosphere and the staff from the moment the customer enters the door until the final goodbye is said. Perfect name, Chef Black.