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Review: The atmosphere at Omaha’s Kinaara now matches its adventurous, unusual menu
The food at the new location of Kinaara, which moved from a Millard hole-in-the-wall to a chic spot in Regency in August, is filling a hole in Omaha’s dining scene for creative, high-end Indian food served in an atmosphere to match. I couldn’t be more thrilled for us diners, or for owners Ashish Sathyan and…
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Review: At the tiny Phyl’s Deli, the pastrami is the real deal (and so is everything else)
Phyl’s deli, which opened last April in the Old Market, is tiny. Its menu is small, too – fewer than a dozen sandwiches, one soup, bagels and lox and a couple of homestyle Jewish specialties. But what’s not small at all are the enormous piles of meat that co-owner and chef Craig Hoffman piles carefully…
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A Steak Star is Born: Italian breed showcased on Nebraska plates
Under the warm lights of the Casa Bovina dining room, a round of Certified Piedmontese rib cap glows red, like a rare jewel. A selection of house-cured charcuterie made from Nebraska-raised Mangalitsa pork is served artfully arranged on a slab of reclaimed wood. Beef Wellington — a dish chef Zach Midgett, who came to Lincoln…
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Review: At Texas de Brazil, it’s the smorgasbord of meat that’s drawing a crowd
At Texas de Brazil, the city’s first Brazilian steakhouse in the Capitol District, I can say one thing for sure: the meat just never stops coming. During my two recent experiences at the downtown spot, which opened in October and has been much talked about since, I found that meat, when cooked to the medium…
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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 Sofra Kitchen, Omaha’s dining past and future collide with varied results
If you want to understand how restaurants have changed, and perhaps how our city’s dining scene has changed, consider Sofra Kitchen, the new breakfast, lunch and soon-to-be dinner space in Midtown Crossing. It’s taken over the former Grey Plume bay — certainly, any food lover in Omaha would agree that the Grey Plume, at its…
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Review: Seafood and steak still rule at the newly reopened Twisted Cork Bistro
The Dungeness crab pot, one of the new dishes on the menu at the newly reopened Twisted Cork Bistro, is a contact sport, in the best possible way. I barely took any notes while I was eating it, and for good reason: I was eating crab, mussels, tiny roast potatoes, crisp-tender green beans and bread…
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The 16 Best Restaurants in Omaha, Nebraska
From classic steakhouses to sushi, explore the top dining destinations.
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A selection of my favorite cookbooks and food books, which you can buy at Tiny House Bar Wednesday night
When Tiny House Bar owner Megan Malone asked me what my favorite cookbooks were, it led to a great idea: Let’s have a selection available at the Tiny House Holiday Scholastic Book Fair, which is this coming Wednesday, November 16. It has been a pleasure not only to pull together a partial list of favorites,…
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Review: At Anna’s Place, Omaha’s underground history is served in original, beautiful cocktails
Tucked behind a softly lit door — that light green or red, depending on luck — in the lobby of downtown’s new Hotel Indigo sits the city’s latest speakeasy, serving a succinct lineup of original, artful cocktails. If the light is green, knock with the big brass door knocker shaped like a woman. (If it’s…