Enhanced Food and Wine Experience
1515 Lincoln Gallery is excited to announce that accomplished Chef Nancy Black will lead our new food services. Nancy Black has lived a life full of adventure both in and out of the kitchen. From the start of her 20s, Nancy traveled worldwide, living everywhere, from Alaska to South Africa. She has created restaurants and worked as a chef in Vermont, the Virgin Islands, and Oklahoma. Nancy discovered her love for the culinary arts when she got a job as a short-order cook in Alaska. "I had studied interior design as an undergraduate but did not enjoy it. I traveled throughout my 20s, working different jobs. When I got my cooking job in Alaska, I thought it was enjoyable, and I was good at it. Before this, I didn't even know culinary school existed," says Nancy. Nancy's sister lived in Boston and encouraged her to return to the city for culinary school.
Nancy enrolled at Newbury College when she was 30 to become a chef. "I loved culinary school. Most kids go right out of high school, so I was a motherly figure in a way. I'd wear my checkered pants and hat on the tube to class. I felt comfortable in my skin and realized you can go anywhere and be a chef," says Nancy. She specialized as a pastry chef and graduated at the top of her class. After school, Nancy started a restaurant called The Perfect Pair in Vermont. As executive chef, she created eclectic twists on classics, from pork chops to fresh fish. After seven years in Vermont, Nancy moved to the Virgin Islands and opened another restaurant called The Grill Rub. She served lots of local seafood, with local fishermen bringing freshly caught fish and lobster to the restaurant daily. Nancy also expanded her skills as a pastry chef while in the Virgin Islands. "I built my self-confidence and experience with pastries while in the Virgin Islands. I wanted to learn how to do it all. I'd wake up at night thinking about cooking and search for new ideas online," explains Nancy.
She ran The Grill Rub for almost ten years until a hurricane hit the island in 2016. "It was a tough experience. For a long time, we couldn't leave the island. There was no way out, and I had my dog, so we stayed. A lot of people abandoned everything. My best friend and her husband slept in a dog bed. I slept in a lawn chair. I wish I were making it up," says Nancy. Her mother also passed away during the hurricane, compounding the loss. Nancy endured 190 days without windows, doors, power, or running water before returning to Oklahoma to recuperate with her father.
For the past four years, Nancy has worked as the chef at The Copley in Oklahoma City, working alongside another dear friend to serve delicious comfort food with her signature twist. "I opened the cafe with my friend. She has decided to spend more time with her kids and is closing the restaurant, but it has been one of my favorite jobs ever. It was like a little family," says Nancy. The same friend introduced Nancy to 1515 Lincoln Gallery's Susan, and the two immediately hit it off. "I immediately thought she was a cool lady when we met. Meeting a stranger and talking like you've known each other forever is special. She explained her dream of having food at the gallery, and I am honored to help her fulfill this dream," says Nancy.
Nancy and Susan will introduce food and wine offerings to 1515 Lincoln Gallery for lunch, dinner, gallery events, and rentals. From Tuesday through Saturday, 1515 Lincoln Gallery will serve a custom lunch menu with sandwiches, salads, and soups. "We want the food to be staples but with a unique approach. For example, an egg salad sandwich, but on a croissant with smoked salmon, capers, and red onions on top. I think of it as artistic comfort food," says Nancy. The gallery will offer cocktail hours in the late afternoon and evenings with charcuterie boards, finger food, and wine, ideal for an after-work bite. "Providing appetizers and finger food for cocktail parties, art openings, and private events is exciting. I love decorating each tiny bite like a piece of art," explains Nancy. Delectable lunches and eccentric wines are just a taste of what Susan and Nancy have in store for 1515 Lincoln Gallery's new food and wine services. "We have a lot of ideas, from wine dinners to offering location-based food for exhibition openings based on where the artist is from. Susan and I enjoy bouncing ideas back and forth and finding the best idea for engaging food experiences," says Nancy.
As we mentioned in our previous blog, Creative Appetites, art, and food have a fruitful history, so we look forward to enriching the gallery with delicious culinary experiences. Like art, food is a creative endeavor, and Nancy believes eating can similarly capture the imagination. "Artists do things differently, and I have been adventurous in my life. In that way, I guess I am an artist, just with food," says Nancy. With our new food and wine service, visitors will expand their palette and make unforgettable memories. "How fun to walk into a beautiful gallery, look at a fantastic piece of art, with a glass of wine and a mouthwatering bite of food in your hand. It's engaging all the senses in a perfect moment!" says Nancy.
Our delicious selection of wine and our daily food service begins on Tuesday, November 14th, from 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. lunch is available from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and tasty charcuterie and wine is available until 5:30 p.m.
We invite you to plan a visit to discover 1515 Lincoln Gallery's culinary and visual arts.
