LOCAL FLAVOR

Ian Bennett, certified sommelier and operating partner of The Study

Raise a Glass to The Study

A wine-lover’s paradise on Film Row

BY GREG HORTON | PHOTO BY LEXI HOEBING

THE STUDY WAS ALMOST

called The Nook, but a phone call with a trusted mentor convinced operating partner Ian Bennett that he needed to go a different route, even as he realized the interior of the Film Row “wine pub” at 701 W. Sheridan Ave. would be — as he put it — nook-y. While The Study’s opening was immediately followed by the onset of the pandemic, the ownership team — which includes Bennett’s scientist wife, who cured a form of hearing loss this year, and their friends John and Megan Allen — managed to endure the financial hardships wrought by COVID’s march.

As 2022 comes to a close, the wine bar is what Bennett hoped it would be when they started the adventure: a place where he can meet people wherever they are on their wine journey.

“I never want to yuck someone else’s yum,” Bennett said. He’s an affable and gregarious man in the bar — even a bit frenetic — but it’s a practiced extroversion; he and Elaine are both introverts by temperament and preference. “Wherever you are, I’ll meet you there, even if you tell me our Moscato d’Asti isn’t sweet enough for your taste.”

For Bennett, wine should be accessible. He’s a certified sommelier with the professional experience and palate to accompany the professional credentials. He was the opening sommelier at Ludivine, where his first list described the Rosé section thus: “These are Pink and not Sweet.” The irreverence or at least iconoclasm is refreshing in a world that often has stodgy gatekeepers, of the variety he was too familiar with in Los Angeles .

“I had a good friend in L.A. who had done very well, and he took a ton of his profits and converted them into wine,” Bennett said. “He’d say, ‘Ian, have you ever had an ’89 Haut-Brion?’ and I was like, ‘Of course I haven’t!’ So he’d invite me over and open a bottle. I learned generosity from my friend, so how can I do otherwise at my own bar?”

That generosity and openness are made possible in business terms by the purchase of the Cruvinet system, a beautiful 64-bottle system that prevents waste, meaning that Bennett can offer wines by the glass at any price point. Any price point, as in $150 a glass to $8. Or he can pour super high end wine by the ounce and not lose money. That alone makes The Study one of the best choices in the 405.

“I lost $300 a week in wine at previous restaurants,” he said. “With the Cruvinet, I might lose the inch and a half of wine that’s in the tube if it sits for three days. Otherwise, there is no waste, and the system pays for itself at some point.”

Just as with the wine, The Study’s interior is accessible. Nerdy — Bennett won’t be offended — easter eggs are plentiful among the roughly 5,000 books and 8,000 tchotchkes, gewgaws, objets d’art, prints and toys scattered throughout the bar. Nooks and rooms provide semi-privacy, and the area around the bar is louder and more open by design. You can have a date night in the nook, or an argument about Napa vs. Sonoma at the high top. Bennett just wants you to have the experience you want, and to enjoy some wines.

Bennett designed The Study with himself in mind — which is to say, he assumed the target demographic was a 45-year-old Gen Xer, but he’s now carded more people than he ever expected, and he loves (LOVES) the Gen Zers.

“They’re adventurous and daring,” he said. “They’ll try things just because they’ve never tried them before. A quarter of our clientele is Millennials. We never expected that.”

The generosity manifests itself in two more important ways, as well, regarding nearby businesses: “We don’t do cocktails, and when people look at me side-eyed, I just point them to [Bar] Arbolada, because they make great cocktails, and if you want food, I tell them to go to Joey’s Pizzeria and bring the food back here so I can pair it with something delicious.”

Delicious Growth, Old Favorites

10 Northeast OKC restaurants you need to try now

BY GREG HORTON

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS — INCLUDING A JAMES

Beard Award — have brought Oklahoma City’s northeast side into larger conversations about food, culture, access and justice. The truth is, NEOKC has been churning out great food for decades, but most people who didn’t live there didn’t take the time to pop over for Southern cooking, soul food, barbecue, Bobo’s or any of the other diverse options available for those who knew what to look for. The area is developing rapidly though, and there are plenty of new things to try and old favorites to cherish. Here are 10 NEOKC Restaurants to Try Now.

Eastside Pizza

Bob’s Fish & Seafood, 3340 N Kelley Ave. It’s in one of the city’s most nondescript buildings, but locals have been going here for many years to get catfish, frog legs, shrimp and even pork chops. Bob’s sells fresh fish, too — Monday through Wednesday, you can pick a fresh fish from the case and they’ll fry it for you.

Burritos el Tin-Tan, 3838 N. Lincoln Blvd. The company purchased Taco Rico late last year and converted this site into its third location. The food hasn’t changed much, which is great news for longtime diners. The menu is built around Tex-Mex dishes, but there are more traditional options, too, like tamales and street tacos.

Carican Flavors, 2701 N. MLK Ave. This rare Caribbean restaurant in OKC serves excellent food hot-line style. It’s also the rare place in OKC to carry curried goat, which is a must-try. Also sample the jerk chicken, including wings, smoked turkey legs, snapper, lamb stew and Jamaican beef patties. The latter are largely unfamiliar to most diners, but they are among the best things on the northeast side.

Eastside Eatery, 1708 NE 23rd St. Located inside the Market at EastPoint, it’s set up lunch-counter style, with tables for seating inside the store. The draw is the burger and the fish dog — a fish sandwich on a hot dog bun that’s an absolute treat — but it does a solid job across the board, even carrying some vegetarian and vegan items as healthier options alongside fried chicken, catfish and wings.

Eastside Pizza House, 1724 NE 23rd St. This welcome addition to the pizza scene is located in the EastPoint development along NE 23rd Street.

Leo’s Barbecue

Owner-rapper Jabee opted for a black crust as the restaurant’s telltale signature, but it’s not a gimmick; the pizza is excellent. The Deep Deuce pizza has shoulder bacon and sausage, and Jabee’s eponymous pizza is made with roasted corn and jalapeños. Eastside has build-your-own and solo-sized options as well.

Ice Event Center & Grill, 1148 NE 36th St. While the focus is often on live entertainment at this venue and restaurant, the food is justifiably famous in NEOKC, too, including the weekend brunch options where you’ll find chicken and waffles, pancakes, build-your-own omelets and burgers. If you throw an egg on the burger, it’s a brunch burger. The catfish basket is a best-seller for good reason.

Florence’s Restaurant, 1437 NE 23rd St. Officially a household name in the metro thanks to its James Beard Award this year, its accolades are long overdue. Diners who are just now discovering the NEOKC icon have a lot of menu to work through, from the daily specials to the fried chicken, neck bones and pear pie. Geronimo’s, 1817 N. MLK Ave. Not just a donut shop, it’s an institution that’s been making donuts and burgers in NEOKC for more than 50 years — and can always be counted on to help support youth athletic teams, too. Ask for your burger “Geronimo style,” and get country ham added to what is already a delicious burger.

Leo’s BBQ, 625 NE 36th St. The legend is not gone; the original building on Kelley is no longer occupied because it made the move to the beautiful new Homeland on NE 36th and Lincoln. Owners have been making barbecue since 1974, so the food is excellent across the board, including the staples, sides and the famous strawberrybanana cake.

Polk’s House, 2319 N. Lottie Ave. It’s essentially two different experiences: Sunday and then the rest of the week. The tiny spot is a takeout joint, where you definitely want to grab soul food for Sunday supper. The pork neck bones are the best in OKC, and you can also order mac ’n cheese, fried pork chops, tangy greens and scratch desserts. compound medications at affordable prices

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