OKLAHOMA CITY, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Milo is a new chef-driven restaurant offering contemporary Oklahoma cuisine, located in The Ellison hotel as the anchor of The Triangle at Classen Curve in Northwest Oklahoma City. 

Milo will open on November 22, 2021, celebrating Oklahoma’s local flavors and culture through the culinary arts using local products. The restaurant’s name is inspired by milo sorghum — a heritage grain and key Oklahoma export. Milo will offer an all-day, coffee-to-cocktails dining atmosphere.

Milo’s food and beverage services are directed by Michael O’Hara, an Oklahoma City native with twenty years of experience in several of our city’s most well-known restaurants. O’Hara has worked his way through the ranks in some of the finest restaurants in Oklahoma City, getting his start at Nonna’s Euro-American Ristorante & Bar, and moving on to concepts such as Vast, Mahogany Prime Steakhouse and Mary Eddy’s Kitchen & Lounge in 21c Museum Hotel. 

“I have an intense passion for the pursuit of knowledge in the field of beverage and an undying commitment to providing over-the-top hospitality experiences to our guests,” O’Hara said, who is both a Certified Sommelier and Certified Specialist of Spirits.

The restaurant is led by Executive Chef Josh Valentine, another Oklahoma native who found his love for food at an early age. After culinary school, Valentine garnered experience at Restaurant Alma, Stephan Pyles, The Coach House, and The Metro, to name a few. He opened his first restaurant Divine Swine and drew national attention by becoming a finalist on Top Chef Season 10. After another short stint in Dallas at FT33, he returned to Oklahoma and gained more experience as Executive Chef at The George, Cultivar Mexican Kitchen, and Resident Chef at Carlton Landing. Chef Valentine is now primed and ready to open his newest venture Milo at The Ellison.

“Milo will be a restaurant celebrating Contemporary Oklahoman Cuisine, where guests can find a blend of Southern, Latin, and Indigenous cuisines that are thoughtfully created and artistically presented – but more importantly delicious,” Valentine said.

“With Milo, we wanted to create a space that would not only be comfortable for our hotel guests, but also welcoming to our neighbors and the rest of our community at large,” Jonathan Pitman, Managing Partner said. “The name Milo illustrates our roots and commitment to Oklahoma, not only as locally grown grain, but also through our use of ingredients that we source from our great state. In the creation of Milo, we wanted to embrace the opportunity to shine a light on this state’s rich food history and showcase dishes everyone can be proud of.”

Adjacent to Milo, The Ellison Hotel is set to open on December 6, 2021. The 75,000 square-foot hotel will house 120 guest rooms and feature a restaurant, 3752 square feet of meeting spaces and a rooftop swimming pool and bar. It will mark Marriott International’s first foray into Oklahoma under its Tribute Portfolio brand, which focuses on independent boutique hotels rooted in their local community. The namesake—native Oklahoman and celebrated author and musician Ralph Ellison —represents Oklahoma’s broader story of offbeat creativity and determined character.

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Hotel Info
The 75,000 square-foot hotel will house 120 guest rooms and feature a restaurant, 3752 square feet of meeting spaces and a rooftop swimming pool and bar. The hotel’s retro design is thoroughly crafted to reflect the era of its namesake. It will mark Marriott International’s first foray into Oklahoma under its Tribute Portfolio brand, which focuses on independent boutique hotels rooted in their local community.

Contact: 
Carrie Parker
Director of Sales & Marketing
405.935.9111 | 405.924.4176
cparker@ellisonhotel.com