Kim Dansereau Leads the Paseo Shuffle
Putting out fires of both the literal and metaphorical varieties are two base-level cliches to describe hospitality professionals. Ah yes, it gets hot in the kitchen, but those temperatures with the staff, hoo boy! And have you heard the latest reviews from our critics? It reminds me of the time we ran that five-alarm chili for a special, FOLKS!
Kim Dansereau does not wring her hat like a vaudevillian hack comedian waiting for the hook when faced with any of this. In the 14 years since she helped open Picasso Cafe in the Paseo, she’s been a quiet force in transforming a key OKC cultural district, which has, in turn, changed her.
“When we opened in 2009, it wasn’t this booming food scene in Oklahoma City where you open your doors and it’s flooded,” Kim reminisces of the origin of Picasso, which replaced the beloved but perhaps aged-out concept Galileo. “It wasn’t ‘open to instant success.’ Shaun Fiaccone, my partner, and I were filling every role.”
In 2009, there were two only established restaurants in the Paseo. On one side was Sauced, the pizza place where the broke kids who made art hung out to eat cheap slices and drink cheaper beer. Across the street was Paseo Grill, a place where artists were likely to consider one lunch bill more or less equivalent to keeping their lights on for the month. Picasso was a democratic meeting of the two, where artists could (and still do) hang their pieces for a few months to decorate the place and find potential benefactors for their work.
Flash forward to 2023 and now Dansereau is practically the gang boss of the block, helping manage the newer concepts Oso, Flamingo Tiki, and Frida, at the latter of which she was a semi-finalist for the prestigious James Beard Award for Outstanding Beverage Program. “That was the coolest thing in my life,” Kim laughs. “I didn’t know there was a wine and other beverages award for that. I was getting text messages, I was pretty overwhelmed. I have such an amazing team at Frida. The bartenders make the drinks, I do the wine list, and they present drinks and we critique them.”
That nomination gave Kim a fire to come back harder for next year. “It shows we’re being creative,” she reflects. “Not winning also means we plan on working even harder with each menu. That’s why all the cocktails are named after Taylor Swift songs. It’s our revenge list!”
One of her biggest battles was taking over Sauced, an institution where people had memoryholed experiences going back to 2006. How do you transform (this is a sincere compliment) a worn-in freakzone — that, if you believe in ghosts, is very likely haunted — and make it worthy of keeping the name? “I tried to come in with what everyone likes and keep the prices down. I was very, very intentional about that,” Kim states.
Kim had grinded her way through working at local bars that catered to the service industry, so it was important for her to continue to attract those crowds. Fitting in with that price point and demographic, she built a bar program at Sauced that includes a selection of nearly 30 amaros, those bitter liqueurs that are considered bartender handshakes, most of which are priced at below-industry standard $5 a shot. “I made a bartender's bar down there; that was very intentional,” Kim grins.
The focus on wine and spirits is part of Kim’s professional transition. “I’ve found my passion and have made it my career. I love learning about wine and spirits and sharing that knowledge with staff and guests. My role is more focused on that education, developing menus, and controlling costs.” It’s the evolution from renaissance person to a leader, by both necessity and personal interest.
“When I walk down the street I feel pride, for sure.” The neighborhood has changed, but there is no doubt that Kim and company’s crew has left a stamp upon it that has helped make the Paseo a destination once again. “Now, it’s thriving — and I know we had something to do with it.”
