Chef Eric Smith, a James Beard Award nominee (Best Chef Southwest), trained in Oklahoma City but developed his “voice” in Chicago restaurants for more than a decade before returning to Oklahoma City. The Duncan, Oklahoma native has been in the culinary game most of his life, and while fine dining is his sweet spot, he’s versatile enough to do everything from Asian to hamburgers with equal ease. In 2024, he renamed Pachinko, his Nichols Hills-adjacent restaurant, to The Crown, and the focus there has been eclectic casual fine dining ever since. He also used the PDR space to relocate his tasting menu experience The Crown Room from the former VZDs to its current location. It was The Crown Room that earned him the James Beard nomination.

In addition to his work in the kitchen, Smith is an advocate, resource, and often lifeline for hospitality pros who are pursuing sobriety. Sober for nearly 25 years, he understands how treacherous kitchens and dining rooms can be for those who want to stay clean and sober. He is surrounded by an incredibly competent team, including one of our up and coming chefs Dylan Peacock, who has already distinguished himself as one of the metro’s most competent bar professionals. Smith’s entire philosophy is team-based, and as such, his team members get substantial input in the creative process. The humor and collegiality at The Crown is part of the overall experience, and that “serious food but not serious attitudes” approach is on full display in The Crown Room, where diners are treated to a multisensory experience, including Smith’s well-honed sense of humor and profane (in the best way) approach to life, living and dining.

Given all that, Smith thrives in a culture recently obsessed with “experience” because his approach has always been experiential, team-based and participatory. In the episode we talk about his culinary trajectory, Chicago vs OKC, and the best ways to handle a food scene oversaturated with influencers who mostly know not enough about food, booze, and how restaurants actually run. Like many of his peers, he’s figuring out how best to work with and around influencers, and because he’s Chef Eric Smith, we get to swear a lot about it!

Simple Simon board