Usually, it’s the company shared while dining that makes the meal. Food is the magnet, and should be more than just sustenance, but good conversation can hide numerous food/service flaws. This was the case at Ludivine in Oklahoma City. The chow wasn’t bad, but couldn’t compete with the camaraderie.
Also, we were told “No!” a lot.
The restaurant prides itself on farm fresh, or at least locally-procured, ingredients. It’s a small menu with intriguing cocktails, most had references to The Beatles. For example, the Fixing the Hole: Rye whiskey, lemon, egg white, club soda and ice fill a glass, which contains a smaller empty glass into which blackberry-thyme shrub is poured. It’s fun and tasty. A request for gin instead of rye generated the first No, as in no-can-do – or more aptly, no-won’t-do.
In addition to a regular bill of fare, which apparently frequently changes, a chef’s tasting menu is offered. The most enticing course was gnocchi. I hoped to have corn chowder, not on the tasting menu, with the potato dumplings. Nope. Again.
There were a few other negative responses from our server, but we had some positive elements on the plates we did order. The roasted bone marrow was as fatty and decadent as one could want and served with plenty of crostini.
Besides the drink, the creamy corn chowder was my favorite. For the money, the Waygu steak disappointed. Thankfully, chimichurri saved the meat.
Ultimately, the meal was enjoyable thanks to my friends.
Ludivine
Three Plates
805 N. Hudson Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK
When I entered Corridor 44 in Denver for dinner I thought it was clear from the narrow
shape why corridor is part of the name. But I couldn’t figure out 44. Perhaps it’s the num-
ber of different types of champagne bottles lining one wall, or maybe it’s the many differ-
ent cocktails, featuring the bubbly, included in the drinks menu. Possibly, simply it’s the
owner’s favorite number. As it turns out, it’s the length (in feet) of the narrow hallway con-
necting the front of the restaurant to the private dining room in back. This mini-mystery
was but a slight distraction to an otherwise lovely meal.
Nonetheless, it seems people go to Corridor 44 for the creative alcoholic beverages as much
as for the food – at least this is the case earlier in the evening. As night progresses, the drink-
ing crowd completely takes over. This might explain the discrepancy in size between the ex-
tensive drinks menu and the diminutive list of dinner options. Beverage offerings range from
the sublime “Raspberry Truffle” (made with raspberry vodka, Godiva chocolate liqueur and
champagne) to the dignified “Tranquility” (made with blue curacao, amaretto and champagne).
The menu is more straightforward: Steamed Halibut, Roasted Chicken, Seared Scallops. All
were well-prepared, but the surprise dish of the evening was the succulent, flavorful chicken
with garlic mashed potatoes. I rarely order chicken; it’s too easy to prepare well at home. Some-
how I made the wrong call, so I had to settle for a few bites – some offered, some stolen.
Corridor 44
Three-and-a-half Plates
1433 Larimer Square, Denver, CO
The Blue Page Special 