Perle Mesta was known as a lot of things—daughter of Oklahoma ’89er William Skirvin, heiress to the fortune made in part from his namesake landmark Oklahoma City hotel, an early political advocate for women’s rights, and U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg from 1949 to 1953. Her lasting legacy, though, is as the “Hostess with the Mostess” who was unrivaled as a party thrower. Allan Cromley, a writer who attended her soirée at the 1956 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, said, “I entered the ‘Perle’ gates Tuesday night, and it’s a jolt to come back to earth. My ears are ringing, my feet hurt, I’m black and blue, and I feel like I’ve charged through the Big Red line.”

As an Oklahoman with an appreciation for European luxury, Perle could seamlessly blend the thrill of fine delicacies with heartland hospitality.

“Elegant foods and expensive entertainment aren’t prerequisites to a successful party,” Mesta once said. “It’s warmth and friendliness that counts.”

The coconut milk scallop ceviche bring delectable pops of color to the demure atmosphere at Perle Mesta. Photo by Lori Duckworth

Entering the rippled glass portal into the new Skirvin Hilton hotel restaurant bearing the late heiress’ name, the Parisian ambiance showcases how the space strives to further that legacy. Only this time, elegant foods take center stage.

The Perle Mesta restaurant is the latest concept from chef Andrew Black, following previous downtown Oklahoma City favorites like Gilded Acorn, Grey Sweater, and Black Walnut. Black, who was born in Jamaica, is renowned in and outside Oklahoma as the first chef from the capital city to win the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southwest region. Perle Mesta, opened in June, represents a homecoming for Black, who began his career as an Oklahoma restaurateur when he started the Park Avenue Grill at the hotel in 2007.

The opening of Perle Mesta marks a return by Andrew Black to the Skirvin hotel, where he opened his first Oklahoma City restaurant in 2007. Photo by Lori Duckworth

Perle the person would likely have approved of the Perle menu emphasizing diverse flavors made with communal dining in mind and prepared with ingredients procured with no expense spared. The raw menu is a good place to start, featuring fresh half-shell oysters with a strawberry mignonette sauce and a coconut milk scallop ceviche as vibrant to the eyes as it is to the taste buds. The ceviche in particular is indicative of Perle Mesta’s kitchen staff, which the chef sometimes refers to as the United Nations.

“I remember one night I was in the kitchen, and I looked around, and there were eight of us, and we were from eight different countries,” Black says. “When we made the ceviche—we have Guatemalan, Mexican, Colombian—everyone was tasting it and saying, ‘Okay, this piece represents my country,’ and when it all comes together, it becomes the ceviche we want to represent us.”

Tasting menu options aren’t just limited to seafood, however. The whole table will buzz over the delicate umami burst of thin-shaved Iberico ham on buttery grilled milk bread or the butter beans steeped in flavor, paired with grilled roti flatbread—a dish that perfectly encapsulates Black’s Indo-Jamaican upbringing.

It could be said that Perle Mesta features some of Black’s most personal creations yet. Take for instance the sorghum-glazed sea bass entrée, a seductively sweet and savory combo marrying his island roots with one of the most distinctive crops of his new home state. The sea bass was a favorite on the Park Avenue Grill menu, but it has been upgraded with crispy black pearl rice and a delightful citrus beurre blanc sauce. It’s unlikely diners will find better sauces anywhere, unless Black is making them. Guests should get the spoons ready to siphon off samples of the red pepper and saffron broth with the seared hake or the buttery nage with the vegetarian dish boasting artfully arranged artichokes, truffle pasta, and other eye-pleasers.

The popular sorghum-glazed sea bass was also featured on the menu of Park Avenue Grill. Photo by Lori Duckworth

With food like this, it’s no wonder Black has built a devoted following. The appeal extends beyond the plate, though. If there is one thing Black has fully come to understand in his nearly two decades of cooking in Oklahoma, it’s that each dining experience is its own journey.

“They say your circle or your company decides who you are,” the chef says. “Well, it’s kind of the same with restaurants. Based on the restaurant you’re at, it can decide your mood, the energy, how you’re feeling, no matter how beat up you got that day.”

After all, it’s only right that a restaurant named for Perle Mesta understands the importance of a good host.

Written By

Ben Luschen

Luschen joined the *Oklahoma Today*’ staff as Research Editor in 2021 and currently works as the magazine's Web Editor, managing the website and social media fronts. His past *Oklahoma Today* stories have ranged in content from the state's bee and quail industries to its vibrant art and music scenes. Not adverse to a road trip, Luschen is always on the lookout for the next big adventure. He is never out of opinions about the current state of Oklahoma City Thunder basketball.