Patrono

Patrono gives downtown Oklahoma City an Italian table close to the Civic Center and the Museum of Art. Chef Jonathan Krell’s restaurant describes itself as upscale casual, and its menu provides a more useful guide to that phrase than any promise about atmosphere. Burrata, cured meats, imported wine and pasta establish the Italian framework; short-rib dishes and a full cocktail offering make the choice adaptable to a lunch or a longer evening around the Arts District.

The pasta selection moves between different kinds of richness. Roman Carbonara brings guanciale, Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic and crushed red pepper; mezze pasta takes a vodka sauce with pecorino. A short-rib bolognese is paired with campanelle, whose shape gives the meat sauce a different setting from the tomato-and-basil spaghetti. The distinctions matter more than choosing whichever dish sounds most luxurious. Someone drawn to cured pork and spice has a different starting point from a diner wanting tomato, herbs and ricotta, and the menu leaves room for both.

There is also a lighter opening available in the burrata with tomato, basil and crisp garlic, or the shaved carrot-and-fennel salad with white beans and a Calabrian pepper vinaigrette. Those dishes can change the balance of a meal that otherwise leans toward rich pasta and meat. Patrono is a useful choice when the restaurant is part of a downtown outing and the table wants an identifiable Italian meal without a fixed tasting sequence. The attraction is the contrast within the menu: fresh cheese and vegetables on one side, slow-cooked beef and cured pork on the other, held together by a kitchen with a clear pasta-centered identity.

Sources: Patrono: cooking, chef and temporary hours · Patrono: official menu embedded on its website · Patrono: official reservations, chef and updated menu · Patrono: Google Maps listing