Carletti's brings fresh pasta and family recipes to Oklahoma City

Carletti's makes the strongest case for everyday Italian

At 1226 NE 63rd St., Carletti's is rolling out fresh pasta every day inside a building that already has a story. The new restaurant sits in a historic former speakeasy that later became a longtime barbecue joint, and the preserved 1930s horse stalls are still part of the room, so dinner comes with a little Oklahoma City history baked in.

That setting matters because Carletti's is not trying to make Italian food feel precious. It is built around classic family recipes, a cozy atmosphere, and the kind of comfort food that works when you want to bring kids, split plates, or settle in for a meal that feels generous instead of formal. The lasagna comes from a 200-year-old recipe, and the ravioli bolognese and spicy rigatoni have become two of the dishes people keep circling back to.

The family story behind the menu gives the place its backbone. The Carletti and Ravaioli families emigrated to the U.S., settled in the Krebs area of Oklahoma, and joined in marriage more than 100 years ago. Their recipes were passed down by word of mouth, which meant the women in the family had to recreate them from memory in the kitchen before they could be written into restaurant form. Consulting chef Chris Becker helped turn that oral history into a working service menu, and that is why Carletti's feels more like a family table than a polished concept chasing Italian trends.

Why Carletti's fits the new OKC dining mood

The bigger story in Oklahoma City is not just that new restaurants are opening. It is that many of the newest spots are locally owned, casual, and family-friendly, which makes the city’s restaurant map feel more usable for regular nights out. Carletti's is a good example of that shift because it gives pasta lovers something approachable without stripping away personality.

That balance is exactly what makes the place worth knowing for summer dining. You get handmade pasta, a space with real character, and food that is rooted in memory rather than marketing. For a lot of diners, that is a better sell than a restaurant trying too hard to be special occasion only.

Nichols Hills gets a more polished Italian option with Elisabetta

If Carletti's is the cozy neighborhood answer, Elisabetta fills a slightly more elevated lane. The Italian-inspired restaurant and bar sits at 7300 N. Western Ave. in Nichols Hills, and News 9 reported that it opened on February 28, 2025, according to the restaurant’s social media pages.

The tone there is different by design. News 9 describes Elisabetta as a place with a slightly elevated vibe and shareable dishes, which makes it sound like a smart fit for a date night or a family celebration when you want Italian flavors but do not want the meal to feel stiff. The menu description is broad rather than pasta-specific, but the larger point is clear: OKC now has more than one way to do Italian, from comfort-driven bowls and baked dishes to something a little more polished.

That matters for the city’s dining map. Nichols Hills has become part of the conversation because it adds a restaurant that feels ready for groups, not just splurges, and that is the kind of opening that broadens the scene instead of narrowing it.

Bar Sen shows how far the comfort-food lane now stretches

In the Plaza District, Bar Sen pushes the same approachable idea in a different direction. The restaurant opened in February 2025 near Ma Der Lao Kitchen, and its name means “noodle bar.” Chef Jeff Chanchaleune, a two-time James Beard nominee, built the concept around handmade noodles and Lao family flavors, which gives the space a clear identity even as it stays casual.

Bar Sen’s menu is not Italian, but it belongs in the same conversation because it plays in the same comfort-food space. The lineup includes noodles, fried chicken, and other dishes that appeal to both kids and adults, which is exactly why it has traction in a city where more diners want restaurants that feel welcoming first and impressive second. Chanchaleune has said the restaurant was created to keep educating diners about Lao food and Lao culture, and that mission is part of its appeal.

The recognition has been real too. The New York Times named Bar Sen one of the Top 50 Places to Eat in America, which only sharpened attention on a restaurant that was already making a case for family-style comfort with serious cooking behind it. The signature dish, khao piek sen, is Chanchaleune’s mother’s Lao chicken noodle soup, and that family connection gives the menu the same kind of emotional pull Carletti's gets from its inherited recipes.

West OKC keeps adding another easy pasta-and-pizza option

Emma Elle’s adds one more useful stop to the list, especially if you want pasta and pizza without overthinking it. The west OKC restaurant serves classic Neapolitan pizza and Italian dishes, and the imported 900-degree Naples oven gives the pies the kind of heat that matters when you care about crust as much as toppings.

The pasta side of the menu is straightforward in the best way. Homemade lasagna, spicy bolognese, and fried chicken alfredo make it clear that Emma Elle’s is leaning into familiar dishes that families already know how to order and share. That is the same pattern running through the city’s newest openings: good food, recognizable flavors, and enough comfort to make repeat visits easy.

What this summer’s openings say about Oklahoma City

Taken together, these restaurants show a city where the everyday dinner out is getting better. Carletti's gives northeast Oklahoma City a fresh-pasta room with history in the walls. Elisabetta gives Nichols Hills a more polished Italian stop. Bar Sen expands the definition of family-friendly comfort food in the Plaza District, and Emma Elle’s keeps west OKC in the mix with Neapolitan pizza and straightforward Italian plates.

That is the real shift. Oklahoma City is not just adding restaurants, it is adding places that make it easier to go out without treating dinner like an occasion. For pasta fans, Carletti's is the clearest sign of where the city is headed: local, relaxed, and good enough to make a bowl of ravioli bolognese feel like part of the neighborhood.