A quiet evolution is underway at OKC's Nonesuch. How the restaurant is changing

Oklahoma City's tasting menu restaurant Nonesuch, 803 N Hudson Ave., is going through an evolution.

In May, the restaurant gained new ownership in the form of Erika and Kelly Whitaker's Colorado-based Id Est, a brand that prides itself on its environmental impact and sustainability. A month later, Id Est turned around and claimed the James Beard Foundation award for Outstanding Restaurateur.

Dining at Nonesuch Thursday, I was lucky enough to get to catch Kelly Whitaker on site and chat with him and operating partner Chad Luman, who has been at Nonesuch for years and worked with Whitaker previously. Whitaker said that while the excitement and honor of the James Beard win is great, he wants all of his teams to be recognized for the hard work and consistency they achieve day in and day out.

"Awards don't last forever," he said.

Whitaker also said getting to work with and put his experience and knowledge behind supporting the talented team at Nonesuch is something that had him riding a wave of excitement before the James Beard win and it's where he will continue focusing time and honing ideas for now.

What's familiar at Nonesuch?

Inside Nonesuch, the team behind the food hasn't changed much. In addition to Luman staying on board, Garrett Hare is still the team's executive chef and the culinary and beverage teams went largely undisturbed.

Hare and the culinary team continue to source as much of the food on their menu as locally and sustainably as possible, a key to the Id Est model, and part of why the restaurant fit into the brand's portfolio so well.

What Whitaker's team has lent the restaurant is renewed ardor and a fresh opportunity to do the kind of experimentation that serves Nonesuch, and its guests, best.

What's new at Nonesuch with Id Est?

Since Id Est assumed control in May, what you will find are small edits to the footprint of the restaurant, as well as the dining experiences.

Guests enter the restaurant on the south instead of the east now, a change that makes a major difference in the initial ambiance of the restaurant. Previously, you immediately found yourself standing amidst the Chef's Counter. Now, you enter a cozy vestibule where you can wait for another guest, if necessary, before moving to the interior of the restaurant.

Changes to the dining experience at Nonesuch will be most noticeable to those who choose to enjoy their evening in The Den at Nonesuch. The space that was previously the private dining room has been transformed to a smaller tasting counter and lounge space.

Inside The Den, guests at the lounge tables can take a seat before or after their dinner reservations and The Den's a la carte options open up a way to try a few small bites without the full price tag of an entire tasting dinner. Guests can also order cocktails, wine by the glass and non-alcoholic beverages.

At The Den tasting counter, guests will experience a modified, more experimental approach to the more formal Chef's Counter. Drink pairings in The Den consist of cocktails, wine and non-alcoholic options, and courses can include any number of options.

Thursday's meal in The Den had eight courses, including a snack course opener with several small bites, and additional courses such as a salad course, beet course, pasta course and more.

The innovation in foods being offered across the restaurant continues to grow. Hare is experimenting with pasta and the restaurant's pastry chef is using different flours to create unique flavors in tart shells and more with access to scratch-milled in-house flour.

Whitaker brought the smallest mill from Dry Storage, Id Est's bakery and mill, to Oklahoma. Space was rearranged to accommodate the machine and storage areas were adjusted to better suit other in-house production processes. Fermentation, in-house syrups and more can be created with better finesse and quality thanks to the company's knowledge in fermentation, sustainability, milling and more.

What else could change at Nonesuch?

Chatting with Luman and Whittaker throughout Thursday evening gave me the sense that the world is their oyster at Nonesuch, and they aren't looking to put too many limits on the possibilities that have opened up.

On that topic, Whitaker's ownership has created a new world of sustainable sourcing for the team, allowing for Hare to access items like fresh shellfish for the first time — leading to oyster courses being offered up on the snack menu and a la carte in The Den.

Hare, Luman and Whitaker said the next few months are poised to be a lot of fun for both the team and guests as Oklahoma moves into peak growing season and the restaurant continues its metamorphosis. The plan is to try new things, see how they work for Oklahoma City and grow and learn, accordingly.

Reservations for July and August at Nonesuch are now open and can be made by visiting https://www.nonesuchokc.com/.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Change in Nonesuch ownership leads to renewed excitement, experimentation