The Chalkboard Kitchen + Bar – and its bread pudding – has been a Tulsa staple for decades. And this month, the team behind this Ambassador Hotel icon unveils a new take on the restaurant, one that’s nostalgic but forward-thinking, elevated but approachable.
The Chalkboard Kitchen + Bar’s menu will still feature its classic dishes like the Beef Wellington and Chicken Ballotine, but it will also showcase new creations from executive chef Daniel Gibb.
New menu offerings include a Double Bone-In Pork Chop with poached apples and a mushroom chestnut risotto, a Pan-Seared Halibut with French fingerlings, arugula salad, crispy fried egg, and a mustard cream sauce, and the new Chalkboard Wedge, complete with crispy shallots and a buttermilk blue dressing.
Originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, Gibb has been executive chef with The Chalkboard for four years now. And armed with culinary experiences all over the world, he brings an innovative perspective to this Tulsa kitchen.
“He’s been a big influence over the past four years, and we wanted to give him an opportunity to put more of his name and his history into what The Chalkboard is,” says The Chalkboard’s general manager Gerald DuBose.
Gibb’s horizons may be broad, but he says he’s happy to call Tulsa home, especially as the city continues to evolve.
“The food scene is growing so dramatically in Tulsa,” Gibb says. “With these new foods and flavors and profiles, we’re hoping to become a big part of what Tulsa is growing to be.”
The team says through this development, part of their mission is to pay homage to The Chalkboard’s legacy as a cornerstone of Tulsa’s dining landscape.
“I really see this as a unique opportunity to not only maintain a Tulsa icon, but also elevate it, and I think that’s a mantra we’re seeing across the board in Tulsa as a whole, too,” assistant general manager Ben Robinson says.
Guests will soon see murals by local artists on chalkboards in the restaurant’s new warm, modern dining area. From the renovated space to the fresh new food and beverage menus, this new era of The Chalkboard Kitchen + Bar isn’t just for special occasions. It’s a gathering space that’s inviting and amicable.
“We’re not going to do fancy foams or gastriques. There aren’t going to be ingredients you haven’t heard of,” DuBose says. "A visit to The Chalkboard can be a special memory, but you can also join us on the patio or in the restaurant for a casual afternoon drink or meal."
