I was lucky enough to be the guest editor of the most recent issue of Nebraska Quarterly, the beautiful publication sent to University of Nebraska-Lincoln alums. I hope you got a copy. But if you didn’t, don’t despair: my stories, and many others, are available online.
You can read my introductory column, where I try my best to answer “What is the future of Nebraska food?” I’ve got all my stories linked below, but I also suggest checking out two pieces by friends, Daily Nebraskan coworkers and fellow UNL graduates Paula Lavigne, who wrote a love letter to the Mill (which remains one of my favorite coffee shops anywhere) and J.J. Harder, who wrote at long last about his experience as a culinary diplomat.
Magic in McCook
I hadn’t checked in with Matt Sehnert since his bakery won Nebraska’s first ever James Beard America’s Classic award. He’s found inventive ways for the Bieroc Cafe going in spite of the pandemic.
The Call of the Dining Hall
My story about the UNL dining halls didn’t turn out quite how I had hoped (The original plan was for me to go eat for a day at all the centers) but I like the result anyway. I knew the dining hall experience had changed in more ways than one since I was a student (hell, I read a physical copy of the DN every day during lunch, for one.) But they have actually changed in more ways that I even realized. Bonus: I collected some really funny stories from fellow alums on Twitter, and many made it into print.
Love at First Bite
I have been wanting to write about Angela Garbacz and Goldenrod Pastries for absolutely ages. When I realized she was a fellow UNL alum, it seemed like the perfect moment. Not to mention she’d opened a second location of her bakery inside The Bay in Lincoln and had a cookbook come out, all during the pandemic. Her story of survival and success is one I hope you’ll take the time to read.