Oklahoma City, OK – August 5, 2023– After a landmark year of firsts, Chef Andrew Black is coming home to continue his evolution. Andrew returns after winning the 2023 James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest to where his roots begin– the award-winning Skirvin Hotel in historic downtown Oklahoma City.
The Skirvin Hotel is as essential to the history of Oklahoma City as it is to the personal journey of its proud alumni. Andrew began his career working in local resort kitchens in his home country of Jamaica. After working his way through Europe's finest restaurants, Andrew came to Oklahoma City to participate in the reopening of the historic Skirvin Hotel. His experience cultivated his love for Oklahoma City, where almost two decades later he is a proud community leader and restaurateur, continuing to establish and elevate the culinary conversation of his adopted hometown.
Now Andrew sets his sights on a new vision, Perle Mesta, a captivating concept located inside the first floor of the Skirvin Hotel. Bridging his experiences and unique culinary voice, Perle Mesta exudes a graceful, elegant allure, an extension of the hotel’s timeless reputation with an immersive, playful twist.
For Andrew, the ethos of Perle Mesta is precise; “A most exquisite encounter." Earth tones and playful typeface envelope Andrew’s signature refined palate, allowing for a sensuous yet cosmopolitan new taste for Oklahoma City. With Perle Mesta Andrew expands his portfolio, exploring a more delicate and mysterious concept with the familiar glamor of many of the world’s best restaurants which his career is steeped in.
"Chef Black brings a world of culinary talent and vision to our team. With so many successful concepts and a James Beard award under his belt, Chef Black is the perfect person to bring an unmatched dining experience to life and to further our mission to make Skirvin a luxury and culinary destination," –Chase Rollins, Skirvin General Manager.
Perle Mesta is currently scheduled to open Spring 2024 inside the Skirvin Hilton Hotel. You can join the official waitlist for news and reservations at: perlemesta.com.
ABOUT CHEF ANDREW BLACK
Chef Andrew Black–a 2023 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef Southwest, and a 2022 James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Chef–is a chef, restaurateur, and entrepreneur in Oklahoma City. Born in Jamaica to an Indo-Jamaican family, where chapati roti was cooked on a handmade clay oven over an open fire; Chef Black was often tasked with building outdoor clay ovens for his grandmother as a child. From working his way through the island’s resort kitchens, to staging his way through fine dining restaurants in Europe as a young adult with the support of the Jamaican government, to finally finding himself as a business leader and tastemaker in Oklahoma City with the inimitable fine dining venture Grey Sweater, trend-setting Black Walnut, and chic patisserie Gilded Acorn. He is author of the cookbook Foraging in Oklahoma: Tales and Recipes from the Open Road, as told to The Oklahoman’s Steve Lackmeyer. Chef Black is a winner of the 2023 James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest, and was named semifinalist for the 2022 JBA for Outstanding Chef. His work has been featured by The Wall Street Journal, Wine Enthusiast magazine (50 Best Restaurants 2022), Zagat Stories, and Thrillist. Chef Black is executive chef/owner of Grey Sweater and Black Walnut, and co-founder of restaurant group Culinary Edge Concepts. Chef Black has proudly partnered with Dorasti Premium Caviar to present his brand Grey Sweater Caviar, as featured in The Wall Street Journal. He adopted Oklahoma City fifteen years ago as his permanent home and he lives there today.