For years, Tulsa knew exactly where to find Chris West’s food. At Lassalle’s New Orleans Deli, people lined up for gumbo, po’boys and red beans and rice, the dishes that made Lassalle’s feel like a small slice of New Orleans in downtown Tulsa at 15 W. Fifth St. When the restaurant closed in 2021, regulars were left wondering what became of West — and the dishes they loved.
These days they’ll find him in Kendall Whittier at The Pump, where he’s the director of culinary operations, as well as general manager. The quirky neighborhood bar, with its big patio and roll-up garage doors, might not sound like the natural next home for a New Orleans chef. But for West, it made perfect sense.
“I already had a connection to this neighborhood,” he says, noting he’d been cooking at Lassalle’s pop-ups with The Pump’s owners, Jackie and Chad Potter, and selling his products at the Tulsa Farmers Market. He also plays music just down the street at Whittier Bar (2405 E. Admiral Blvd.) as bassist for Medicine Horse — a metal band led by vocalist Nico Albert Williams, another well-known Tulsa chef.
“I love the owners and the neighborhood. It just felt like it had to happen here,” he says.
As director of culinary operations at The Pump, his goal is to balance what longtime Pump regulars already love with the New Orleans flavors people still ask him about.
“This isn’t Lassalle’s 2.0,” he says. “The Pump has its own loyal crowd, and I want to expand outside of my roots while still incorporating my culture.”
That starts with the food the Pump faithful won’t let him change. There’s the smash burger, made with regional farm Creekstone’s hand-formed chuck patties, and the “trashy” and “bougie” fries and tots — the first of which is loaded with white chili queso, bacon bits and fresh chives, and the latter dressed up with house-made garlic aioli, freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano and bacon jam.
Then there are Lassalle’s favorites, now right at home on the bar menu. West’s gumbo, red beans and rice and crawfish étouffée anchor the Cajun side of things, along with a lineup of po’boys: shrimp, catfish, seafood and muffulettas. He’s especially proud of the roast beef po’boy, dripping with gravy and best tackled with a stack of napkins.
“In New Orleans, the roast beef po’boy is the standard. It’s traditional,” he says.
Game days bring even more Louisiana flavor. The Pump now hosts watch parties for the LSU Alumni of Oklahoma group and the Saints Fans of Tulsa. On fall weekends, the couches and chairs inside turn toward the big TVs while the patio fills with jerseys and purple-and-gold.
Looking ahead, West is especially excited about brunch and special events. He’s developing a brunch menu with dishes like shrimp and grits, sweet/savory crepes and eggs Benedict, all designed to fit The Pump’s easygoing vibe. And come crawfish season, he plans to expand the bar’s annual boil, which already fills the property with long tables, towering pots and the smell of spice.
“It’s a party space,” West says, looking out at the patio. “We want it to feel like there’s always something fun happening.”
Dining and Cooking