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Venue Serves St. Pat's Specials |
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Thursday, 04 March 2010 19:31 |
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If you don't plan on gulping down green beer and cavorting with the crowds this St. Patrick's day, Venue Restaurant & Lounge in Lincoln is hosting a six-course St. Paddy's day meal for $45 per person. You'll still get your corned beef, along with a Guinness-braised lamb shank and bread pudding with a caramel-whisky sauce for dessert. For a complete rundown of the menu or to book a table, call 488.8368.
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Chatty Squirrel on the Move |
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Thursday, 04 March 2010 19:30 |
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Chatty Squirrel Cafe & Bakery owner M.J. Zaremba is expanding her "healthy fast food" operation from its existing La Vista location. The new restaurant will be near 120th and Center and is slated to open in April. The drive-through 96th and Giles location serves Panera-style breakfast and lunch dishes, including baked goods, soups, salads and sandwiches. Zaremba is considering opening for dinner at the 120th and Center location.
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Premier Wine Event Nearly Sold Out |
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Wednesday, 24 February 2010 20:48 |
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All Our Kids, a nonprofit organization that works to mentor at-risk youth, is teaming up with vinNEBRASKA for an annual fundraiser. The gourmet dinner and reception on March 26 is sold out, but tickets to the March 27 wine tasting and auction are available. At least 20 wineries will be represented, presenting their libations. For tickets or more information, call vinNEBRASKA at 391.3535 or visit vinnebraska.com. |
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Omaha Restaurants Nominated for Top Honors |
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Wednesday, 24 February 2010 20:43 |
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Three Omaha eateries were named semifinalists for a James Beard Award, the culinary world’s highest honor. V. Mertz was nominated for outstanding wine service along with serious culinary heavy hitters in New York, Chicago and California’s wine country. Jennifer Coco and Dario Schicke of the Flatiron Cafe and Dario’s Brasserie, respectively, were nominated in the category Best Chef in the Midwest. The Midwestern category includes chefs from Minneapolis and St. Paul, Des Moines, St. Louis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Madison, Wis. and suburbs. Coco was named a semifinalist last year, making her the first Nebraska chef to receive that distinction. Finalists will be named later this spring; the winners will be announced May 3, in New York.
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Thursday, 18 February 2010 20:43 |
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Lincoln's Venue Restaurant and Lounge will host a five-course wine dinner featuring wines from Witness Tree vineyard Friday, Feb. 26. Courses include a salmon steak served with mushroom and cheese ravioli, topped with a brown sugar and port wine glaze, a duck roulade with sweet potatoes and figs, and a pear and blueberry tart served with a citrus creme anglaise. All dishes are paired with a complementary wine; the dinner costs $70 per person. For more information or to make reservations, call 488.8368. |
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Thursday, 18 February 2010 20:42 |
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I've heard more than one person complain about the lack of a take-out option at a certain neighborhood pizzeria. Friends, your voices have been heard. Pitch Coal-fired Pizzeria is now accepting to-go orders. Call 950.2625 or visit pitchpizzeria.com. |
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Additions to Midtown Crossing |
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Thursday, 18 February 2010 20:41 |
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Here at Crumbs we've been getting news of openings at the Midtown Crossing development just about every other week. The latest enterprise set to join the venture within the next six months is Crave. Based in Minneapolis, the Midtown restaurant will be the company's fifth (There are three locations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and one opening soon in Orlando, Fla.). Crave offers sushi, wood-fired pizzas, soups/salads/sandwiches, steaks and meat entrees, and pasta dishes; and was voted best new restaurant in 2008 by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. It will join the larger Mexican-American chain Cantina Laredo, Lawrence, Kan.-based Ingredient, Dallas-based Loft 610, and with locals Delice and Parliament Pub. Visit cravemn.com.
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New Farmer's Market to Open |
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Wednesday, 10 February 2010 17:40 |
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I've begun dreaming of my 2010 garden though I may be behind in the game. It's likely farmers have started seedlings to be ready for this summer's farmers markets. PlanItOmaha is creating a new venue for growers to vend their wares at the Midtown Crossing. At the Outdoor Market things will run Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day with vendors selling produce, fresh fish, meat and poultry, coffee, and playing music Sat.-Sun. from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
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Clean Plate to Become Daily Grub |
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Wednesday, 10 February 2010 17:31 |
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Elle Lien, the mind and muscle behind Clean Plate's residency at the Empty Room, will open a permanent restaurant at 20th and Pierce. Dubbed Daily Grub, the eatery is slated to open in early April. Lien plans to serve a daily or weekly rotating lunch menu (thus the name) depending on available ingredients from area growers Ñ plus monthly ping-pong tournaments. As a tribute to last year's impromptu raw brunches and her love of the in-between meal, Lien plans to serve brunch Saturday and Sunday featuring the much-loved waffles.
"It's really simple comfort food," she said. "There will be four regular items on the menu -- always a soup and a sandwich, and a bowl dish like polenta, noodles or a curry. Those items will always be on the menu, but they will change."
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Vegetable/Fruit Market Wide Open |
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 20:21 |
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A study out of Iowa State University's Leopold Center shows increased demand for regionally grown produce in the Omaha-Council Bluffs and Des Moines metropolitan areas could result growth of up to $4.62 million in direct farm-level sales. Economist David Swenson hypothesized that, in order to meet demand, farmers would need an additional 2,100 acres of land dedicated to fruit and vegetable production in 10 counties. Economic growth could create up to 45 farm-level jobs in the region. Both Cass and Pottawattamie counties have hired a local food coordinator to bring consumers and farmers together.
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 20:19 |
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Changes are afoot at Progressive Enterprises, the company behind the successful Blue Sushi Sake Grills, Roja Mexican Grill, Red Lounge and Bianco Ristorante Italiano. The company closed Bianco, which opened in 2006, and heard a pitch Jan. 21 from parties interested in buying the restaurant. Co-owner Anthony Hitchcock said he could know the future of the Italian eatery within the next couple weeks. "We're very busy," Hitchcock said. "Blue has got a lot of our attention right now." Visit bluesushisakegrill.com. |
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M's Pub Hires New Patisseur |
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Thursday, 28 January 2010 22:44 |
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M's Pub and Vivace, both in the Old Market, have a new pastry chef. Omaha native Katie Murphy joined the chef staff of both restaurants (who also share owners) in November 2009 after graduating from the School of Culinary Arts at the Art Institute of Colorado in Denver. Murphy worked for several months at V. Mertz and recently transitioned to M's and Vivace. Chef Bobby Mekiney of M's Pub said, "She's going to be doing a lot more with gelatos, presentations and doing smaller desserts, where we'll have two different tiers of pricing so people can get one small thing." Visit mspubomaha.com or call 342.2550 or visit vivaceomaha.com or call 342.2050.
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Thursday, 28 January 2010 22:42 |
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Goodnights Pizza Bar + Patio opened Wednesday, Jan. 27 at the Slowdown Complex. The pizzeria plans to stay open until 1 a.m. serving pies by the slice along with mixed drinks and beer or wine. Located on the recently renamed Mike Fahey Street next door to the Green Street Cycles, it plans to cater to visitors and North Downtown residents. The restaurant currently has 22 pizzas on its menu with the option for customers to create their own pies. Owner Tim Goodnight Jr. said there is an all-meat pizza that the staff likes, but the restaurant has no one signature pie. Visit goodnightsomaha.com.
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Midtown Crossing Lands Two Eateries |
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Friday, 22 January 2010 20:35 |
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Two new dining options have been announced for Mutual of Omaha’s Midtown Crossing development. Delice European Bakery and Cafe, which had been an Old Market favorite for decades, will reappear in the Midtown Crossing development just east of the Marcus Midtown TheaterÕs entrance. John and Karen Tollinger acquired Delice from former owner Pat McDermott, who closed the bakery and cafe in 2009 and is assisting with its rebirth in this new location.
“We’re looking forward to re-opening Delice with the same great menu and recipes. All the items enjoyed at the old location will be available at the new Delice. We also plan to hire several former Delice employees, including pastry chef Heidi Schlict,Ó Tollinger said in a press release.
Cantina Laredo, which is said to offer “gourmet Mexican food in a sophisticated atmosphere,” will occupy 8,432 square feet with frontages facing Dodge Street and the Turner Park crescent. The chain has 20 locations in eight states. Both businesses are scheduled to open during the summer of 2010. |
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Thursday, 14 January 2010 20:06 |
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The north downtown Slowdown complex is getting a few new retailers, one of which will be serving pizza pies in what must be a banner year for pizza in the metro (this will be the third pizzeria to open within about three months). Goodnights Pizza, named for the owner, is slated to open at the end of January, serving pizza and beer from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. Visit goodnightsomaha.com.
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Thursday, 14 January 2010 20:05 |
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Diners can still get Cuban sandwiches and Chicago-style hot dogs to go, but Worker's Take-Out now boasts a sit-down eating area and a new name. Appropriately dubbed Worker's Cafe, the restaurant now seats eaters in its newly expanded area (taken over after Glass Harmony Gallery moved to the Old Market). Loyalists fear not; Worker's Cafe, still at 50th and Saddle Creek, offers the same menu items with more space for atmosphere. Call 932.6083.
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Tuesday, 12 January 2010 15:54 |
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Looking into the crystal ball can be a funny thing, especially when it comes to dining trends. Who knew, for example, that Omaha would be inundated with burger joints this year?
Here’s what the tea leaves say for 2010:
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Big Mama's on the Big Screen |
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Monday, 28 December 2009 20:18 |
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Even you can go where the Travel Channel goes. The cable station visited Big Mama's Kitchen at the Turning Point Campus to film it as part of a show now announced to be "101 Tastiest Places to Chowdown." The North Omaha eatery will be featured in the Jan. 17 episode at 9 p.m. Visit bigmamaskitchen.com.
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Monday, 28 December 2009 20:17 |
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Bellevue's Confluence is selling off its remaining books in an after-Christmas clearance sale, but its bistro served its last meal Wed., Dec. 23. Confluence bistro's chef, Jessica Joyce, just won the 2009 Comfort Food Classic with a gnocchi poutine, a spin on a Quebecois dish that covers fries with cheese curds and gravy. The bookstore, wine bar and bistro opened in Bellevue April 2007.
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To Eat Or Not to Eat (Leftovers) |
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Monday, 28 December 2009 20:06 |
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If you’ve ever wondered if you can still eat that leftover pizza or shrimp cocktail, you’ll definitely want to check out Still Tasty (stilltasty.com), a site devoted to expiration dates for all sorts of food. You can also download an app for your iPhone for a mere $1.99 from the Apple store that’ll send you an alert when your chicken Kung Pao or chili is about to expire. |
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