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The 38 Essential Omaha Restaurants – 2024 Edition
An omakase and yakitori from the city’s first James Beard finalist, prime rib at a century-old steakhouse, the purported inventor of the Reuben sandwich, and more of Omaha’s best meals.
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Omaha chef ditched ‘familiar trappings’ in his restaurants. Now he’s a James Beard Award finalist
The first thing a person notices when spending time with chef David Utterback is that he’s constantly in motion. He rearranges the bottles behind the counter at his new six-seat, high-end sushi counter, Ota, which sits next to his wildly popular Omaha sushi restaurant, Yoshitomo. He stacks and re-stacks boxes of ingredients. He paces. He…
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The 38 Best Restaurants in Omaha — 2023 edition
An omakase and yakitori from the city’s first James Beard finalist, prime rib at a century-old steakhouse, the purported inventor of the Reuben sandwich, and more of Omaha’s best meals
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My top five reviewed restaurants of 2022 (and five more favorites, for good measure)
It has been a real pleasure to return to restaurant reviewing this year. I knew I missed it; what I didn’t realize was just how much. As we close out 2022 — a year that has been personally challenging for me on many levels — I just want to say a quick word of thanks…
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Review: At Koji, small skewers of meat are pushing Omaha’s dining scene forward
Omaha’s food scene, and Omahans, have had a tough two years. We’ve lost restaurants. We’ve done our damndest to keep our local chefs and favorite spots in business. We’ve ordered a hell of a lot of takeout. Which is one reason it felt like such a gift when Koji, chef David Utterback’s adventurous new spot…
Business: Koji
David Utterback has earned recognition for his sushi work, but at Koji he concentrates on a small but solid list of yakitori. The menu features chicken, octopus, and an ever-rotating list of specialty cuts that sell out quickly each night. There are fun shareable appetizers too, like a twist on Korean cheese corn, as well as several made-to-order hand rolls and a signature take on a Nebraska bierock transformed into a bao bun.