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Block 16’s Burger Fight III is about more than who won the contest
How many talented chefs can Block 16 get in one room? Last Sunday, it was three (not counting the restaurant’s owners and many guests) in Le Bouillon’s Paul Kulik; Dario Schicke, of Dario’s Brasserie and Avoli Osteria; and Nick Strawhecker of Dante and Forno, who competed against one another at the restaurant’s third Burger Fight,…
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Mercury adds new food and Forno revamps its happy hour
Last weekend Matthew and I stopped by one of our favorite spots, Mercury, to find they’d updated their food menu with some real gems. The highlight of what we tried is the new Dr. Pepper barbecue chicken sandwich: tender, sweet meat stacked deep on an absolutely delicious cornbread and honey biscuit bun. A pile of…
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Omaha has two James Beard semifinalists
Breaking food news this morning: Omaha has two James Beard semifinalists. Congratulations to Ben Maides at Au Courant Regional Kitchen and David Utterback at Yoshitomo. Both Yoshitomo and Au Courant have become staples of the new guard of restaurants turning Benson from a bar neighborhood to a food destination. Au Courant, 6064 Maple St. Maides opened Au Courant in…
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Czechfest comes to Little Bohemia, plus a Gerda’s pop-up
→ During my vacation, I saw a Facebook post about a Gerda’s pop-up. A Gerda’s pop-up that I had missed. Since the midtown German mainstay closed last summer, lots of people have mourned the loss of the restaurant’s homemade desserts and their popular Oktoberfest. Apparently I wasn’t the only bummed diner, as more than 250…
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New African food in midtown, Thai takes over at old High Peak Asian spot, J’s on Jackson is back and a Salvadorian bakery
→ Okra African Grill is headed to 72nd and Pacific Streets, in Aksarben Center. I’ve seen glimpses of the food, which looks wonderful, on friends’ Facebook pages, and you can see it yourself courtesy of Omaha photographer Ariel Panowicz’s image above. I’m still working on gathering more information about the menu. More soon. → Though…
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Saddle Creek Breakfast Club is the news of the week
Update: SCBC staff plans to open the restaurant tomorrow, Feb. 7, and Friday, Feb. 14, to serve a limited menu from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saddle Creek Breakfast Club’s announcement earlier this week that it will be closed in February is the talk of the local food world. The restaurant approached the announcement with…
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Wood-fired pizza is headed to Midtown Crossing; Village Inn closes in midtown
→ A pizza restaurant that has locations in Minneapolis, Denver and Ames, Iowa is headed to Omaha. Smokin’ Oak will take over the Midtown Crossing space formerly occupied by Della Costa and Brix. Omaha is listed as “coming soon” on the restaurant’s website. Midtown Crossing’s website reports it will take over the majority of the…
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Three Happiness closes after a Wednesday morning fire, goodbye Saigon Bowl, new Indian in Blackstone and new Korean-poke in Aksarben
→ Many midtowners shed a tear for the popular Americanized Chinese takeout spot, Three Happiness Express, after it caught on fire early Wednesday morning. The Omaha Fire Department tweeted about the fire, near 51st and Leavenworth Streets, around 7 a.m. Wednesday. Shortly after the fire was out, the restaurant posted on its Facebook page that…
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The new midtown food hall has a name, the end of the road for Ahmad’s (for now) and downtown has a new Green Room
→ There’s a new cocktail spot on 16th Street. The Green Room, at 306 S. 16th St., specializes in “upscale cocktails at dive bar prices.” It’s on the first floor of the Farnam 1600 building on the southeast corner. → The Switch, the new food hall coming to the Blackstone District, announced its official name…