Neighborhood: Downtown

  • Berkshire Hathaway is back. Here’s where to eat.

    Berkshire Hathaway is back. Here’s where to eat.

    It’s been a minute since the Berkshire Hathaway crowd made its way to Omaha, but thousands of shareholders are coming back this week. (I’ve already seen a few strolling around downtown, in fact.) A lot has changed since the last time I put together one of these lists — in fact, I didn’t even have…

  • Omaha’s best steaks (and one in Lincoln) to eat during BRK weekend

    Omaha’s best steaks (and one in Lincoln) to eat during BRK weekend

    This year marks the return of the in-person Berkshire Hathaway weekend and it also marks the 100-year anniversary of Johnny’s Cafe, the city’s most iconic steakhouse, at 4702 S. 27th St. It was a pleasure to write the definitive story on the Kawa family, who has owned and run Johnny’s for a century, earlier this…

  • Burger Review: Small touches make the Blatt Burger stand out

    Burger Review: Small touches make the Blatt Burger stand out

    I have always enjoyed the sort of simple but upscale menu at Blatt (I especially like their kale Caesar with Indian spiced chicken, if I’m sharing favorites here.) But their trio of burgers — the Backyard burger, inspired by summer barbecues; the Border burger, topped with queso and crispy poblanos; and the one I tried…

  • The 2022 heart-shaped pizza list

    The 2022 heart-shaped pizza list

    I wasn’t planning to make a heart shaped pizza list this year — a lot of other local outlets do their own version now — but then, while scrolling Instagram, as one does, I changed my mind. There’s three reasons, really: Wednesday is National Pizza Day, next week is Valentine’s Day, and I saw a…

  • Four great, recent food experiences

    Four great, recent food experiences

    We really haven’t been going out much lately, but when we have, its been for select, delicious experiences at places we know and love. Hence this week’s post, a little recap of a few dishes I’ve had lately that stuck in my mind and popped out of my photo reel when I was thinking about…

  • The 11 best food experiences I had in 2021

    The 11 best food experiences I had in 2021

    It took me a few hours to shuffle through my iPhone’s camera roll to prepare for this year’s recap, which includes a wide variety of individual dishes, meals, destinations in and outside of Omaha and memorable experiences that together make up the best dining during the last year. I didn’t include any of my own…

  • On the Edge of Essential: Six more spots worth checking out

    On the Edge of Essential: Six more spots worth checking out

    There’s been no shortage of suggestions as to the spots I may have left off my list of 38 Essential Omaha restaurants. To that end, I decided to share six that made my first working list, but didn’t make the final cut. But that doesn’t mean I like them any less — or that they’re…

  • It’s Negroni week!

    It’s Negroni week!

    I couldn’t have been more excited to be asked to judge the return round of Mercury’s Negroni Throwdown, this year the kickoff event to national Negroni week. Mercury is Omaha’s home for the Campari-themed event, and owner Clark Ross told me they’ll be running specials all week. The format of the Throwdown is simple: the…

  • Review: At Salmex, Salvadoran and Mexican food is made with care

    Review: At Salmex, Salvadoran and Mexican food is made with care

    It’s been a while since I have been as excited about a little hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant as I have been about Salmex, a new-to-me Salvadoran spot on the edge of downtown. Here’s why: Every item we tried on the restaurant’s rather massive menu tasted like it was made with care, from scratch. There’s dishes you…

  • Best of 2020: Crap year, great food

    Best of 2020: Crap year, great food

    I had no plans to recap the best food I ate in 2020. Then I saw a Facebook post written by chef David Utterback, where he featured my best of 2018 list which I wrote when I was still at the World-Herald. I sent Dave a text, and we chatted. He made a good point:…