Oklahoma Chef Nominated Two Years In A Row For National Honor

An Oklahoma Chef has been nominated for the James Beard award for the second year in a row, last year making it to the semifinals.

They say that lightning never strikes in the same place twice, but for Chef Andrew Black it did, and it is definitely a good thing. 

Growing up in Jamaica Chef Andrew Black got his love for cooking from his grandmother. 

“I grew up cooking and eating a lot of Indian food, so to speak, so I was always around food,” said Black.  

He moved to Oklahoma with the intention of staying maybe a year, but that was sixteen years ago. 

“Funny how times fly because here we are, years down the road we have the Grey Sweater,” said Black. 

He’s now Oklahoma through and through, with multiple restaurants in Oklahoma City.  

“So, we have Grey Sweater, Black Walnut, and now Gilded Acorn, yes in first national, right on the corner, so yeah we’re just grinding it out,” said Black.  

The jewel for Chef Black is his Grey Sweater restaurant, located at 100 N.E. 4th, in the heart of Deep Deuce.  

“The sweater really represents, to me the most important part is how we made you feel,” said Black.  

That feeling has been attracting not only customers to his restaurants but also getting national attention, through the James Beard award.  

“This is like the Oscars. It’s the best of the best of the best,” said Black.  

He was nominated, and made it to the semifinals last year, but this year he found out he was nominated for a second year in a row, something that has possibly never happened before.  

“This is bigger than I am, it’s bigger than the people in this building, this is representing the state of Oklahoma that I have come to love and call home so much,” said Black.  

“Chef is somebody that he’s not one to wave the flag for himself, he knows that he can’t do it without us and just like we know we can’t do it without him,” said Dylan Morgan, executive sous chef at Grey Sweater.  

Although it is Chef Black’s work that is being celebrated, he insists none of this is about him. 

“It’s about giving back, it’s about really celebrating the city, and how far we have come and how far we are going,” said Black.  

Chef Black goes to Chicago in June for the ceremony, he admits, he is already emotional about the possibility of winning.