| Bring on the Spice |
| Written by Lainey Seyler |
| Tuesday, 23 June 2009 13:01 |
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Maria Fernandez likes to say the Old Market’s Indian Oven brought spice to Omaha. The restaurant opened in the summer of 1984 in an area populated by a handful of restaurants — some of which have become local institutions, some of which did not survive. “I think we were (the first), other than Chinese food and Mexican, which Chinese I do consider ethnic, and Mexican with the borders has been a part of U.S. for a long time,” said Fernandez, one of the partners who launched the restaurant. “If you think about the number of ethnic cuisines available in the city (now), I think we started something.” “There was King Fong and a maybe a sprinkling of Chinese restaurants here and there, nothing with the dimension of Indian food,” she said. “And literally we taught the local people about interesting and spicy cuisine. Obviously we’ve been around for 25 years with 10 times as many restaurants around town and in the Old Market. I think we’ve taught people how to not be afraid and to embrace spice.” Fernandez started the restaurant (with goading and encouragement from Mercer family member Nicolas Bonham-Carter) with three other partners. Bonham-Carter approached Fernandez, who had no experience in the business, to open an Indian restaurant in one of the Mercer’s properties. She initially balked, but over time, with the assistance of others (chiefly brother-in-law Alan Fernandez) Indian Oven came to fruition. The restaurant initially focused on the cooking of Northern India with an emphasis on tandoori, a type of slow-roasting grill in which chicken, mutton, beef and even naan bread are cooked. Spices separate Indian cuisine from traditional European offerings and even Far East culinary traditions. Curries are a staple on the menu, a favorite of the Indian subcontinent; coriander, cumin and chili powder make their way into many dishes. Twenty-five years later and the makeup of Omaha is completely different. People live in different parts of town and the Old Market is nearly overrun with dining options. There are a handful of good Indian restaurants, as well as Thai, Vietnamese, Moroccan, Greek and a growing number of African dining venues throughout the city. Fernandez credits executive chef Gren Rodricks with putting innovative options on the menu, something that (again) sets Indian Oven apart from the competition. The restaurant boasts a fusion menu with lettuce wraps (Vietnamese), barta ganouj (Meditteranean), crab cakes and sweet potato fries, all with a bit of India mixed in. “Indian food is our standard,” said Rodricks. “What I try to do is distinguish it from normal dining; like street food is in, so we are doing kimadog, which is sort of an Indian version of a hotdog.” Typical Indian favorites such as chicken tikke naan and rogan gosht still have solid places on the menu. Indian Oven hasn’t changed so much as Omaha has changed. To be an innovative restaurant in this city in 1984 took little more than M’s Pub’s lavosh and Indian Oven’s chana masala. Thankfully, diners have more options, and restaurants like Indian Oven are stepping up to offer even more all of the time. The economy adds another element of innovation to the mix. Fernandez and Rodricks offered small plate options in the month of May to lure in diners looking for a bargain. “We wanted to make it fun and affordable,” said Fernandez. “So we developed a menu with small plates so people didn’t feel like they had to go out and spend $25 for one meal. People could go out and have a glass of wine and spend $3 or $5 for a small plate. Each day of the week we’d do a “stimulus package.” One day we’d do certain wines half-off, other days we did free appetizer and other days we did a happy hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.” It’s survival of the fittest in the restaurant business, and with its original spirit of ideas and innovation intact, it is no wonder Indian Oven has outlasted some of the best. The restaurant plans to celebrate its 25th anniversary with a party in July. Indian Oven, at 10th and Howard, is open Mon.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5:30-10 p.m. Call 342.4856 for more information. |