Matthew and I headed down to Lincoln recently for a Nebraska basketball game; though the game was dire, the food situation wasn’t. We decided to skip our regular spots (read more about those here) in favor of something completely new, at least to us.
Turns out there’s a weekends-only pop-up, the Webster Bistro, in the back of Lincoln’s Marz Bar that serves a rotating menu of cuisines each week. We happened to be there during a Thai menu – recent iterations, Google told me, have featured Italian, Vietnamese, Southern and French.
This weekend, Facebook tells me, will feature Indian.
The spicy peanut pork shoulder, made with locally raised TD Niche heritage meat, was grilled and braised and served with rice, carrots, cucumber, serrano pepper, cilantro, basil and fresh lime. 
A Thai chopped salad came with heirloom greens, edamame, bok choy, carrots, bell pepper, scallion, cilantro and crushed cashews tossed with a sesame garlic dressing. 
The Bistro menu and the window where diners order. 
The bar’s singular chandelier.
It turns out chef Nick Webster is at the helm of the restaurant, which became a permanent pop-up last October, replacing the bar’s former full-service kitchen. Webster serves food Wednesday through Saturday evenings.
I’ve only been to the Webster Bistro once, so I can’t say whether its chefs have mastered such a wide array of cuisines, and I have to believe that some weekend menus are better than others. I’ll have to go back and find out where he excels.
We tried two items off the shortlist last weekend, including a super crunchy Thai salad made with heirloom greens and bok choy and toppings with plenty of texture: chopped cashews, carrot, edamame, and bell pepper. All the vegetables got tossed with a flavorful sesame garlic dressing.
The real star of the dinner, though, was spicy peanut pork made with heritage meat from TD Niche Pork. “Spicy” is no joke here: tiny bits of almost invisible serrano packed a powerful punch tucked in between grains of rice or shredded bits of tender pork. It’s a nicely cooked dish, though, with the pork sitting atop a mound of seasoned rice and more crunchy raw vegetables.
I’d return to Webster Bistro; the rotating style of cuisines intrigues me. Plus, Marz serves a wide list of cocktails, most original, as well as wine and beer. The most expensive entree on the menu last week was $14; it equaled out to a rather affordable dining experience overall.
I like the creativity here – Lincoln’s dining scene needs more of it – and, all in all, the Webster is a pleasant, unexpected find in the capital city.
