An Après-Ski Pop-Up Is Turning Oklahoma City Into the Alps

When it comes to winter wanderlust, most people dream of famous snowscapes like Colorado, Vermont, or the French Alps, but in the heart of America’s heartland, one extravagant seasonal pop-up is turning the Great Plains into full-blown après-ski hygge. TJ Après is a new tradition for The Jones Assembly in Oklahoma City, one of the best restaurants in one of the fastest-growing US cities, and it’s a veritable winter wonderland of Alpine luxury, cozy comfort, and enough photo ops to make you feel like Gwyneth Paltrow in Park City.

For a (mostly) flat city that comes to a grinding halt anytime it so much as flurries, après-ski culture is far from the norm in OKC. But The Jones Assembly is out to change that by channeling its inner Aspen and morphing into a sprawling quasi-outdoor mountain town, complete with vintage ski lifts, bubbling fondue, faux snow and faux fur, crackling fireplaces, and all the mulling spices you can sip.

The second annual TJ Après pop up runs through March 2 in The Jones Assembly’s massive, temperature-controlled covered patio, lined with trees, twinkling lights, cozy lounge areas, and vintage video projections of people skiing and generally looking rich in various resort towns. In addition to the regular menu, which is still served in the restaurant’s main dining room and bar, Après guests have a special wintry menu to order from, featuring an array of hearty drinks and dishes fit for a day on the slopes—or a day driving down Classen Boulevard.

Printed on colorful, foldable menus designed to resemble ski maps, drinks run the gamut from warm glögg and huckleberry-infused Alpine 75s with popping boba pearls, to Bombardinos, which are basically Italy’s answer to Irish coffee with brandy, créme de cacao, cinnamon, mint, chocolate bitters, and cream. For groups, The Jones offers 48-oz. frozen espresso martinis sprinkled with mini marshmallows, and four-person Shotskis. To eat, après fare includes black truffle fonduta, cacio e pepe croquettes, ham-flecked clam chowder topped like a pot pie with wood-fired dough, and burgers with smoked bordelaise and raclette cheese scraped table-side. Finish off with a plate of warm cookies and a bottle of nog. It’s all the après-ski vibes, minus the altitude whiplash.

Open to all ages, tables can be booked for up to 14 guests, and “lift ticket” entry is $15 per person, which includes an “aprèstif” upon arrival. Click here to make reservations.
 

3 hours from Dallas, TX

A city in the midst of a cultural and culinary renaissance, there’s no shortage of things to see and do in Oklahoma City these days. While impossible to cram it all into an extended weekend, an abbreviated visit should include bucket-list stops like the powerful Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum (which is more uplifting than you might assume), the mural-lined Plaza Walls in the artsy Plaza District, and Scissortail Park, a 70-acre stretch of greenery and whimsical landscaping between downtown OKC and the Oklahoma River.

The local shopping scene is rife with treasures, from vintage wares to loud-and-proud queer accessories. In Automobile Alley, Common Dear is a “feminist and self-empowerment gift shop” owned by wives Jessi and Kelli Newsome, where Taylor Swift swag comes in all manner of merch, and pro-choice mugs share shelf space with banana hair clips, banned books, and rainbow pillows. In the Paseo Arts District, Curated Vintage Vault is a newer addition stocked with affordable cowboy boots, belts, and all the cozy après attire you could imagine. In the rapidly developing Wheeler District, Thrown Design & Wine combines esoteric wines and spirits, both alcoholic and non, with eccentric housewares and enviable accessories. For books, you can’t beat indie darlings like Commonplace Books or Full Circle Bookstore, the latter is a literary labyrinthe of local authors, mystery tomes, and an adorable cafe slinging sandwiches and soups.

For something a bit more hands-on, explore Factory Obscura, an immersive art experience with all sorts of hidden doors, slides, luminous rooms, and installations from local artists. Then, explore a whole ‘nother era in Stockyards City, the Wild West-style neighborhood that not only contains the largest cattle market in the world, but also old-timey cowboy hat shops, saddleries, and Rodeo Cinema, a non-profit arthouse theater that opened a century ago as a silent movie house.
 

When you’re not eating fondue and cookies, OKC’s food scene is teeming with restaurants that punch at a much higher weight than most people give them credit for. In the morning, start with coffee and pastries at Elemental Coffee, the city’s first dedicated coffee roaster, or brave the inevitable—yet worthwhile—line for breakfast sandwiches and croissants at The Harvey Bakery & Kitchen.

For lunch, Bun Box is a funky new Vietnamese spot specializing in vermicelli noodle bowls and herb-packed spring rolls at a takeout-only space. Empire Slice House, meanwhile, has been serving killer pies and slices for a decade in the Plaza District, and 30th Street Market is a lofty catchall with everything from freshly baked loaves of bread to tortilla soup, PB&J smoothies, focaccia sandwiches, and cream cheese snickerdoodles.

Later, snag smash burgers and cocktails at Bar Arbolada, enjoy modern Southwestern fare at chic FRIDA Southwest, or enjoy dinner with a view—from the 49th floor of the Devon Tower—at Vast. On the higher end, Cattlemen’s Steakhouse is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the state. Or you could always pound out a quick tasting menu at lauded fine dining destinations like Nonesuch or Grey Sweater.
 

Boutique hotels don’t come any cuter than Bradford House, a meticulously designed abode situated on a largely residential thoroughfare on the NW side. With just 36 rooms, the inn feels innately intimate and cozy, decked out with vibrant color patterns both in the historic main building, and the adjoining guesthouse.

The hot new spot in town is The National, a historic skyscraper that formerly served as a downtown bank before lying dormant for decades. In 2022, it was reborn as a luxe hotel and residential property, with big-city views, a soaring lobby bar lined with columns, and a basement bar in the former bank vault.

Somewhere between the two, The Ellison is another newish entry in the north side’s upscale Nichols Hills area. Complete with a rooftop pool and bar area, and views of downtown, the contemporary property sports sleek environs and a seasonally driven restaurant, Milo.