OK Omens
Restaurant · Hosford-Abernathy ·
Chic wine bar with cocktails, small plates & outdoor seating
Chic wine bar with cocktails, small plates & outdoor seating
"Under new chef Joseph Papas, OK Omens emphasizes seasonal, vegetable-forward fare honed at institutions like Coquine and Davenport: starters such as kelp-cured McFarland Springs trout on Ken’s Bakery toast with parsley aioli and fresh horseradish are exemplary, and other standout plates pair textures and flavors brilliantly—think grilled pole beans with chanterelles and a Marcona almond-breadcrumb topping over a creamy Marcona almond spread. Sommelier Brent Braun curates a dynamic wine list that highlights Rieslings, Oregon producers, and natural wines, and the program has earned James Beard nominations for Outstanding Wine Program." - Hannah Wallace
"An elegant Hawthorne wine bar and restaurant co-created in 2018 with sommelier Brent Braun and Monique Siu, it thrived along with similar fancy-casual hybrids like Canard and Expatriate. In the wake of Justin Woodward’s passing, the restaurant’s Instagram filled with colleagues and admirers remembering staff karaoke nights, adventurous platings, and quiet moments of kindness, underscoring the gracious, community-minded spirit connected to the space." - Ben Coleman
"A wine bar and bistro called out as a Central Eastside favorite for drinks and small plates." - Dianne de Guzman
"OK Omens is one of the best places to drink wine in the city, thanks to award-winning sommelier Brent Braun’s fun, voice-y by-the-glass list. “Tastes like eating an almond croissant in the middle of a peach swamp,” Braun writes, describing a Hungarian Furmint. Riesling lovers, this is your spot, with nearly a full page of listings to choose from, including many bottles over a decade old. But the food is no afterthought; after all, OK Omens originally grew as an offshoot of Castagna, the now-closed, trailblazing fine dining restaurant next door that opened in 1999. Chef Joseph Papas recently took over the kitchen, with a menu that might include mussels in escabeche with roasted chicken fat, kelp-cured raw trout with grilled toast, barbecue mackerel, and steak Diane. Don’t miss dollar oyster happy hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday." - Katherine Chew Hamilton
"Award-winning sommelier Brent Braun of Castagna busted out his collection of the good stuff when OK Omens opened in the summer of 2018, but he did so with an eye toward affordability. The bright, breezy wine bar and “neo-bistro” offers an astonishing collection of wine-geek bottles at reasonable prices. Summertime sees open-air dining on the outdoor patio lit by overhanging string lights, while in winter, diners retreat indoors to the sleek and stylish plant-filled dining room. Riesling lovers will find OK Omens a hard place to beat (there’s a full section entitled, “Good Lord, I think we need some help drinking all this riesling”), and the by-the-glass menu — which features pairing suggestions and delightfully inventive tasting notes —and knowledgable staff ensure that wine drinkers of all varieties will find something they’ll love." - Zoe Baillargeon