Last week I had a lunch meeting in downtown OKC, and they recommended Park House. I had heard of it, but never been there. Sold.
It's in a really great location, in downtown between Myriad Gardens and Chesapeake Energy Arena. I was a little worried about finding parking in the middle of the work day, but there was actually quite a bit available and I found a space less than a block away. It's a really cool building, with floor-to-ceiling windows around 3/4 of it, and the building itself is kind of like a circle. There's also a big outdoor patio that wraps the same 3/4 around. We sat at a table inside next to the window, so it was almost like we were outside. There's also a full bar and some high-top tables for bar seating. The whole restaurant is very open and spacious. It's really a great atmosphere. It wasn't super crowded, but I'm sure when there's events going on in the area it's packed. They offer valet parking in the evenings, which is key on a big event night. There's a big open space beyond the patio on the far end of the building, and I found out that in the winter it's an ice rink. That's awesome. Never even knew we had one of those in OKC.
There's a pretty good-sized wine list, and I like that they offer half bottles as well as by the glass. And then I saw that they have warm cookies and milk for dessert. Love that. And you can also order a round of beers for the kitchen. Cool idea, but I wonder how many they get to drink before they cook your food?
The lunch menu isn't too big, so that's good for me. One of the first things that caught my eye was the halibut fish & chips. But it's pricier than I would normally do for lunch. And for some reason halibut is an expensive fish. But then one of my companions got it, so I went with it too.
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| Boulevard Wheat Beer Batter, Crisp Slaw, Malt Vinegar, Waffle Fries, House Made Tartar Sauce |
I was very pleasantly surprised with how big the portion was; I'm guessing this is the same for both lunch and dinner. I tried the Cole slaw first. It's a little creamier than I normally like, but it had good flavor. The fish was pretty good, but I do wish it had been served hotter--I think it might have been sitting for a little bit. The batter was light and not greasy, and the fish was good, just a little bland. Some spicy seasoning in the batter would have added a great kick to the flavor. I probably should have asked for some hot sauce to add some kick. The tartar sauce is homemade, and very tasty. The down side is that I spent so much time talking that it got cold faster than I could eat it. And once cooked fish gets cold, it's not so good anymore. The waffle fries were hot and crisp and delicious. And since those were under the fish, they stayed hotter longer.
Will I go back? Yes I will. I mean, warm cookies and milk, and the cookies are cooked to order? How can you pass that up?! Besides, I think it will be a great place for happy hour or to enjoy lunch out on the patio. And they had some other items on the menu that I definitely want to try.
