Sarah Baker Hansen - Omaha restaurant reviews and food news

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The SBH Review: Delicious new empire, built on dumplings, rises in Ralston

I have been waiting years for soup dumplings to come to Omaha. Twelve years, to be exact. I’ve been waiting since we returned home from a memorable trip to China, where we ate hand pulled noodles, stinky tofu, egg and tomato, Sichuan peppercorns and, most memorably, xiaolongbao, also known as soup dumplings. We ordered them…
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The SBH Review: Clio is the hottest restaurant in Omaha. Can it handle the heat?
The SBH Review: Paris on Pacific Street? A new bakery in a west Omaha strip mall can take you there.
The SBH review: New west Omaha Mexican spot at its best when it sticks to bold cuisine

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I have been waiting a decade for soup dumplings to

I have been waiting a decade for soup dumplings to come to Omaha. Thanks to Dumpling Empire, they’re here. Hand cut noodles in chili oil, huge bao buns and hand-pulled noodles are nothing to sneeze at, either. Read the latest Just Add Salt at the link in my bio.
Story by Sarah Baker Hansen. Photos by Joshua Foo, @joshfoolovesyou.

Clio is hot and new. Clio is perhaps the most chal

Clio is hot and new. Clio is perhaps the most challenging reservation in the city, period. But can it age into a good restaurant? Time will tell if this Mediterranean spot will find long-term success in Omaha’s Old Market.

Read the latest Just Add Salt for the @flatwaterfreepress at the link in my bio.

There’s a lot of Tex Mex in Omaha. But there’s

There’s a lot of Tex Mex in Omaha. But there’s less of what could be called “fine dining” Mexican. That’s what the owners of west Omaha’s El Milagro are aiming for, primarily focusing on the mole and grilled meats that the southern Mexico state of Oaxaca is most known for.

When the owners are bold with flavor and pair it with the high-quality ingredients they say they want to use, it’s quite good. But the new menu doesn’t always hit that sweet spot. Read my latest “Just Add Salt” review for @flatwaterfreepress right up at the link in my bio.

This week for @flatwaterfreepress I’m at one of

When Block 16 makes your requested Bourdainwich — inspired by the late, great Anthony Bourdain’s personal favorite sandwich — you place the final order of the evening service and enjoy every bite. Fun fact: Paul told me the restaurant went through 20 pounds of mortadella yesterday. (And, this sando might be coming to the menu!) It will be available again tonight and tomorrow, or until it runs out. Get down there!

You want patios? I give you 34 Omaha patios. This

You want patios? I give you 34 Omaha patios.
This week for @flatwaterfreepress I’m sharing a list of more than 30 patios that I love and that FFP readers recommended to us, plus, we tried to answer that age old question: “Why do Omahans love patios so much?” Read the latest “Just Add Salt” at the link in my bio and make your weekend patio plans now.

This week in “Just add Salt” for the @flatwate

This week in “Just add Salt” for the @flatwaterfreepress: Reinventing an Omaha restaurant — especially one that’s incredibly recognizable — is a tough order. Dundee’s @oohdelallyomaha — in its reinvention of Marks, the beloved second floor restaurant that closed two years ago — is giving it a shot. Marks was known for its mac and cheese and Ooh De Lally is, so far, mostly known for its mission creating culinary careers for formerly incarcerated adults. Perhaps, though, the two can coexist. Read the full review right now right up at the link in my bio.

I have heard a lot about Din Tai Fung and today wa

I have heard a lot about Din Tai Fung and today was the day. The pork soup dumplings took us straight back to Shanghai: soupy center, ball of pork. Absolutely delicious. So did the excellent bok Choi with scallion oil. Bonus round: chicken spicy wontons and shrimp and pork shao mai. I didn’t even get to take a picture of the chicken and mushroom bao bun because we ate it too fast. If you find yourself in a town with a Din Tai Fung, go.

@sarahbakerhansen on Instagram

More stories

The SBH Review: Sushi and burgers? Memoir opens trendy new chapter for Omaha restaurant group

I’ve been thinking a lot about how a restaurant tells us who it is. Memoir, a new, super-hot downtown Omaha restaurant is dedicated to that exact task: telling a story. It’s the tale of Omaha-based Flagship Restaurant Group, an arbiter of cool in this city for two decades with spots like Blue Sushi Sake Grill,… Read more »