|
· Cover
· News
· Music
· Lazy I
· Film
· Theater
· Art
· Sports
· Lifestyle
· Dish
· Books
· Culture
· 8 Days
· Heartland Healing
· Hoodoo Blues
· MoJoPo
· News of the Weird
· Television
· Letters
|
|
|
Home - Dish
|
All Up In Your Grill - |
Grilling trifecta hits bookshelves
by Kyle Tonniges
Humankind has prepared food over hot coals for time immemorial, and we’ve seemingly been reading about it for just as long. A casual trip through the cooking area of any large bookstore yields dozens of tomes about grilling.
Three new titles offer distinct variations that will give grill enthusiasts plenty to choose from when the weather’s right and there’s a fresh bag of charcoal in the garage. |
|
|
|
Crumbs - |
While there has never been a definitive study on tipping, Michael Lynn, professor of consumer behavior at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, recently told the LA Times that the general rule is that tips go down in bad times.
That’s bad news for servers. Mac Brand, a Chicago restaurant consultant, said tips can account for 30 percent to 60 percent of a server’s wages. Most servers pull in around $2.13 an hour. And many servers must share their tips with other employees, ranging from bus boys and bartenders to hostesses.
What can you do? Tip properly. The general rule is 20 percent, though you can tip more or less depending on service. But you do need to tip. Factor it into your budget when dining out. And if you can’t afford to tip you shouldn’t be dining out. Period. |
|
|
|
Still Sweet - |
Georgine’s granddaughter reclaims, restores family bakeshop
by Leo Adam Biga
It’s not everyone that would leave a successful national food television career to do a start-up bakery in Omaha. Especially not when it’s your first entrepreneurial effort. Or when a recession is on and tight consumer spending makes the already daunting prospect of a new business even scarier.
But Christianna Reinhardt is used to going her own way. Her Sweet Georgine’s Bakeshop opened April 22 at the site of the former Benson Bakery, 6109 Maple St. The gourmet bakery adds to the historic business district’s expanding cultural scene.
While she believes Benson is “becoming the hip new place to be” that’s not what sold her on ditching a sure thing for the uncertainty of a new venture with predawn wakeups, heavy lifting and 14 hour days. No, the history conveyed by the 1904 building spoke to her and her interest in baking “the way it used to be.” |
|
|
|
Crumbs - |
|
While customer reward programs are nothing new, California Pizza Kitchen takes it further with its latest promotion. From now until May 16, all diners will receive a sealed envelope with their bill. The envelope can contain anything from a 10-percent discount on a meal to a trip for two, to cash prizes up to $25,000. But here’s the catch: You won’t know what you’ve won until you eat there a second time. The envelopes can only be opened by a California Pizza Kitchen manager. If you want to try your luck, Omaha’s one and only CPK is located at 10317 Pacific St. in One Pacific Place. |
|
|
|
Do a Chair Dance - |
Inside one of Bellevue’s best-kept secrets
by Camille Kelly
With her first bite of the Chili Relleno at the Lil’ Burro, my friend Lisa started smiling and doing a little chair dance. Responding to my raised eyebrow and smirk, she laughed and said, “When it tastes good, I dance.” And good taste is what this little Mexican restaurant delivers.
With my first bite of the shredded beef Chimichanga I felt a little jig coming on myself. This is good stuff!
We shared chicken fajitas and guacamole, red and green salsa and chips, and a couple of margaritas. If you feel like chair dancing, head to Bellevue (via Kennedy Freeway) and find the Capeheart water tower. Nestled almost underneath the tower you’ll find the Lil’ Burro. |
|
|
|
Crumbs - |
|
If you’re into mushrooms, head to Peru, Neb. this Saturday. The Great Nebraska Mushroom Festival, hosted by NebraskaTheGoodLife.com and sponsored by Canfield’s Sporting Goods, will offer guided morel mushroom hunts in some of the state’s best mushroom territory. Registration for guided tours is $30 per person ($25 per person for groups of four). For more information, go to nebraskathegoodlife.com/mushroomfestival.htm or stop at Canfield’s at 84th and Center. |
|
|
|
O in the O - |
Successful fusion restaurant relocates to the Old Market
by Sean McCarthy
For almost two years, Lance Wang enjoyed a remarkable run for a first-time restaurant owner: His restaurant, O’s Casual Dining & Lounge, enjoyed a strong word-of-mouth following and favorable reviews. His menu — fusing Asian, Japanese, American and French cuisines — attracted new patrons while retaining a steady stream of regulars. And finally, his restaurant exceeded the lifespan of many first restaurants.
Then he had to do it again.
Last year, Children’s Hospital purchased the strip mall land near 80th and Dodge, where O’s Casual Dining resided. A settlement was reached between Children’s Hospital and Wang’s restaurant. O closed its doors Oct. 16, 2007. Because of the nature of the settlement, Wang and general manager Natalie Kallhoff said they could not talk about the details. However, Kallhoff added, “No one lost, no one won.” |
|
|
|
Crumbs - |
Stella’s Hamburgers, 106 Galvin Road in Bellevue, landed the only Nebraska entry in the newly-released Hamburger America book, a cross-country tour of America’s best burger joints. Author George Motz called Stella’s burgers “an explosion of grease and flavor,” and lovingly describes the history of the place and the burgers in a two-page spread. His criteria were simple: The establishments had to be independently owned and use fresh ground beef — not frozen or pre-made patties. Before you take him to task (what about Louie M’s?! What about Dinkers?!), he freely admits that the book offers a cross-section, not a definitive list.
|
|
|
|
Healthy Chat - |
New café-style eatery offers the baked goods
by Lainey Seyler
It’s what Morgan Spurlock has been drawing attention to since his 2004 documentary Super Size Me scared the country into eating at home or at Subway restaurants. Entrepreneur M.J. Zaremba opened her La Vista restaurant in response to the stifling lack of diversity in fast-food options. Let’s be honest, turkey clubs with a side of chips are only diverting for so long.
The Chatty Squirrel Café and Bakery opened March 11 to sporadic but encouraging business in a strip mall on 96th and Giles. The restaurant has a drive-through window and a sit-down dining room. The interior is akin to a Panera, as are the soup-and-sandwich offerings but with a neighborhood-café appeal. |
|
|
|
Crumbs - |
*Another chain is closing. The Chili’s located in Crossroads Mall closed April 9. It’s owned by Brinker International, which also closed its Macaroni Grill at the Westroads Mall last month.
*Omaha restaurateur Jamie Suarez Reyes will open L’evento Caffe at six metro locations. Four will be in Caribou Coffee locations that closed last fall. Two will be a drive-through near the Cabela’s in La Vista and at 344 S. Washington St. in Papillion. All locations will feature European-style coffee and espresso drinks made from fair-trade and organic beans, in addition to light breakfast, lunch and dessert items. Suarez Reyes said he plans to donate 1 percent of all sales to charities that help Omaha’s homeless. |
|
|
|
Ambitious Ales - |
Independently owned Nebraska Brewing Co. hops into Sarpy County
by Steve Brewer
Most people who brew beer at home keep it simple. They share it with friends, maybe enter a few contests. Paul Kavulak turned his homebrewing hobby into a restaurant, to share his creations with the entire state.
Kavulak and his wife Kim own Nebraska Brewing Company in Shadow Lake Town Center in Papillion. They offer distinctive beers brewed on site, along with a broad menu offering something for everyone.
My wife and I visited Nebraska Brewing after work on a Thursday. The crowd was sparse when we arrived, but the 100-seat room filled up quickly.
We started with a Beer Sampler, featuring samples of six beers for $7. Here’s a quick recap:
The EOS Wheat beer had a surprising banana flavor, and the Belgian Wit was redolent of oranges. Cardinal Pale Ale offered a nice medium maltiness. The India Pale Ale was quite bitter. I couldn’t taste cherries in the Cherry Maca Porter. Our favorite was the Brunette Nut Brown Ale, with tastes of caramel and roasted coffee beans. |
|
|
|
Crumbs - |
|
Make your meals count for something other than calories. This year 50 restaurants across Nebraska will participate in Dining Out for Life on Tuesday, April 8. The national event raises more than $2 million annually for the fight against HIV and AIDS. All you need do is have breakfast, lunch or dinner at a participating restaurant (listed at nap.org) and a portion of the proceeds goes to the Nebraska AIDS Project. If you can’t make it Tuesday, consider dining at the Passport or Omaha Prime in the Old Market during April. Both pledged to donate a portion of all sales through the month of April for diners who mention the Nebraska AIDS Project when making reservations. |
|
|
|
Stokes, Take Two - |
‘See the action’ at Omaha restaurant’s second location
by Chris Aponick
After several years of planning, Stokes Grill and Bar’s second location is off to the races on Howard Street after opening five months ago, co-owner John Ursick said.
Ursick said locations were scouted on Jones, Jackson and Farnam streets. But Ursick noticed most downtown pedestrian traffic seemed to funnel down one that one Old Market road.
What Stokes got was a corner location in the middle of both Howard Street and the Old Market. The space at 1122 Howard St. was renovated from its previous life as Crawdad’s furniture store.
|
|
|
|
Crumbs - |
|
Soaring Wings Vineyard, 17111 S. 138th St., recently won a Double Gold Medal, Best of Varietal, and Best of Class for its 2007 Vignoles at the annual Jerry Mead International Wine Competition March 9-10 in Ontario, Calif. “This is a singular honor for us at Soaring Wings,” said Jim Shaw, owner and winemaker. “Receiving a Double Gold along with the Best of Variety designation is extremely difficult to obtain. Few wineries in the world receive such an honor so we are quite proud of what we have achieved.” |
|
|
|
All-You-Can-Eat Alternatives - |
Restaurants offer diversity to the typical Chinese or Italian buffet menu
by Lainey Seyler
Typical buffet protocol involves deciding how much food is worth the $9.99 all-you-can-eat deal on Sunday nights. Seconds are not enough, and at least one trip through the dessert bar is mandatory. Who hasn’t sat down for a good meal with a bunch of friends that quickly turns into a competition for who can eat the most pieces of pizza or who can create the tallest ice cream cone? |
|
|
|
Crumbs - |
Nebraska Brewing Company, located in the Shadow Lake Towne Center in Papillion, hosts a beer and food pairing dinner Sunday, March 30. It’s a ticket-only event, at $50 each. For more information call 402.934.7100.
|
|
|
|
Tropical Tasty - |
Gusto Cuban Café gives you an island — in spirit and portions
by Steve Brewer
The warmth is the first thing you notice upon walking into Gusto Cuban Café on a wintry day. It’s not so much the temperature of the room, but the feeling you get from the bright décor and the aroma of island food.
Owner Robert Meireles opened Gusto Cuban Café in October 2007 in Ralston, and he’s created an inviting atmosphere with homemade ingenuity. |
|
|
|
Crumbs - |
LiT Tapas Bar and Lounge at 180th and Pacific hosts a benefit for the family of Matt Brester on Sunday, March 16, from 6-8 p.m. The 36-year-old Brester succumbed to cancer and is survived by his wife and five children. Tickets are $100 per guest. Food and drinks are provided.
Attendees can participate in a silent auction that includes Husker football tickets, a golf outing with Eric Crouch or Tommie Frazier, and a personal dinner party for up to eight guests, catered by Glenn Wheeler of Liberty Tavern and cocktails prepared by LiT’s Jason Himberger. For information or to purchase tickets, call 402.618.8881 or email gotlit@cox.net. |
|
|
|
Fried Food Fever - |
Mo Fish is a good Lent option
by Steve Brewer
If something can be fried in a vat of oil, they serve it at Mo Fish. The namesake fish get most of the attention, but gizzards, okra and even macaroni and cheese are available battered and fried.
Mo Fish is a friendly, no-frills diner, and a good choice if you’re in the mood for a simple fish fry.
Don and Roberta Mulvania opened Mo Fish in 2005, along with son Troy. Two other relatives work there, creating a family atmosphere that contributes to the restaurant’s humble charms.
|
|
|
|
Crumbs - |
|
WineStyles at 72nd and Pacific hosts a “Ladies Night” March 12 at 6 p.m., enabling multitaskers to taste wines from the Zaca Mesa winery and nibble on cheese while getting a manicure or pedicure. Cost is $30 or $25 for wine club members. For more information call 402.884.6696. |
|
|
<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next >>
|
|
|
