Avoli Osteria

5013 Underwood Ave

402.933.7400
http://www.avoliosteria.com/
M: Closed
T - Sat: 5pm - 10pm
Sun: 5pm - Close

This isn't exactly an eye-opener, but there's a lot of Italians in Omaha. I'm one of them, actually (if I remember correctly, my great-great-grandmother's maiden name was Caniglia, of Omaha restaurant fame; this really doesn't say much, however, like most Italian families from the time, the Caniglias were a huge family). But most of the Italians here (read: damn near all of them) trace their heritage to Sicily, a rocky island mostly made up of hard-scrabble people who make their living off the land and sea, and who only kind of identify as Italian. It's why the "Italian" you see here is so homogenous. Everyone's nana or mother (in my case, both) makes their zagu, and of course, everyone's nana's or mother's zagu is the best, but everyone has their favorite restaurant, which is usually the one whose zagu is the closest to their family's version. In my case, it's a toss up between Lo Sole Mio's and Piccolo Pete's (whose sauce is spicier and not as sweet as the rest of the Caniglia restaurants). Also, the agrarian background of the Sicilian families here help explain the "Italian Steakhouse" that seems to be fairly unique to Omaha.

All of the above is why Avoli is an outlier in Omaha, and a welcome one. Avoli does northern Italian. Both Sicily and northern Italy are agrarian, and as such "simple foods done simply" is kind of the mantra for both areas, but since the climes and available foods are so different, the styles to achieve that are very different. Pasta isn't entirely eliminated from the menu up north, but it does share room with risottos and polenta. Olive oil, again, isn't entirely gone, but it's use is pared back quite a bit. There is a ton of different protein sources in use as well, at least in comparison to the American Italian we usually see here, and you'll see that in my dishes, too. Those are probably the three most evident differences, though there are more, for sure. Anyway, on to the review!

The first time I ate there was on Saturday, a day I usually avoid. But the Huskers were playing at 7, so the local restaurants not sports-related would be fairly slow. And since I was already out Ubering and since the the Husker's opponent was South Alabama, I decided dinner at 7 pm would be fairly easy to do. And it was.

It was a gorgeous 68° when I sat down in the outdoor patio. Although busy, there were still plenty of seats available. This day I ordered the Bruschetta du jour Del Giorno, the pork cheek ravioli, and for dessert the Tre Gelato and an espresso.

I should really make bruschetta more often, Simple stuff, and always amazing.

First off, the plates. When my bruschetta came out, the plate struck me first and foremost. All my dishes were served on the kind of tableware you'd associate with your grandmother, and I loved it. It was like they scoured the local thrift stores and Goodwills to find all the donated grandma-ware they could find. A very nice change of pace form the some of the avant garde plates some super-trendy places employ.

The bruschetta of the day was goat cheese that had been whipped together with...something (honestly I forgot, but there was so much to remember when doing this review; I should really take notes during reviews like this one), tomato jam and garnished with chives. The goat cheese spread reminded me of a cheesy, only slightly sour sour cream that was smooth and creamy. The tomato jam exploded with flavor over the understated goat cheese; it was slightly sweet with a tomato-y umami (big surprise, right?). The bread I'm sure they got from La Quartier, and was very well toasted and crunchy. I'll always look at the bruschetta first when I come here in the future.

Next came the ravioli.

The menu did not say anything about green pasta. Not that I wouldn't have ordered it. This place is full of surprises.

Whenever I see cheek meat on the menu, I'll order it. It is probably the most tender meat on the animal. I love the stuff, I just wish more places served it, so when I saw it on the menu here, well, I ordered it. The ravioli came out without a sauce per se; it looks like they sauteed some carrots and leeks together, then threw in the ravioli to finish it out, so everything has a nice coating of olive oil. The romano they grated on top melted very nicely into the hot dish. The carrots were cooked down to a tender-but-not-mushy consistency and added a very small amount of sweetness to the pasta. As for the ravioli itself, the stuffing was awesome.

This stuff hasn't seen a blender; it was slow cooked and pulled apart to keep the texture of the cheek meat intact.

Tender, juicy, perfectly seasoned. And notice how thin the noodle is; it wasn't like I was getting a mouthful of pasta and a little bit of meat with every bite. Very well proportioned.

Finally, the dessert I ordered was the gelato and an espresso. It came with a small rosemary shortbread cookie.

A little melty, but it made for easy eating.

The three flavors I got were the classics chocolate and strawberry, and the not-so-classic olive oil. All three were very creamy, as it should be. The chocolate was very chocolaty, which is a good thing. The strawberry was good, though nothing to write home about. The olive oil was an interesting one. Understated I think would be appropriate. Slightly sweet and very smooth, as one would expect. The cookie had the piney flavor one would expect from the rosemary, and was very crunchy. The consistency and texture of the cookie strongly reminded me of the Pecan or Almond Sandies in the grocery stores.

I wish I put something down for size comparison. This was one of those tiny, tiny cups. My finger didn't even fit through the handle hole.

Now, an 8pm espresso may sound crazy to you, but I had a long night of Ubering drunks home ahead of me, and coffee with my dessert just sounded right. It came with two sugar cubes, I used one, and sipped it down between bites of gelato and cookies. It was perfect.

With food, espresso, tax, and tip, it all came to $41.

The next visit occurred on Thursday around 5:30pm. They were able to seat me indoors this time, right before another reservation showed up. It would seem reservations are the way to go at this place, I just lucked out. All the tables indoors had a marble top. There were small chandeliers throughout, as well. Even in my button up shirt, I still felt a little out of place, until I saw the guy being seated in athletic shorts and a graphic tee.

This week is Restaurant Week, a fundraiser for the Omaha Food Bank (and at the time of this posting is ongoing from today through Sunday). There are dozens of restaurants throughout Omaha participating, including Avoli, and the way it works is they have a very small special menu that you order from, its three courses, and comes with a fixed price, which is dependent on the restaurant. Here, that fixed price is $30, and you can add wine pairings to all three courses for an extra $15.  I'm not a wine guy, but I chose to add that to my meal as well. These dishes are supposed to be Restaurant Week offerings only. Here's their menu for this Week:

I had to ask for it back to take this picture, because of course I would forget to do that.

On this day I ordered the Brandade Crostini, the Fregola Sarda with Lamb Belly, and the Flourless Chocolate Cake.

I feel I'll lose some man points, but I like whites over reds.

First to come out was the wine (De Forville Arneis) that was paired with my appetizer. I'm no sommelier, so here's a real wine expert's take on this wine, all of which I agree with: 

Full-bodied but refreshing, it boasts juicy green apple, white pear and mineral sensations. The creamy palate is brightened by fresh acidity, giving a clean, fresh finish. 

Not long after the wine came the crostini.

They like the very finely chopped chives here.

 The bread was sliced impossibly thin, which means when you toast it, there's no where for bread to hide. On top of the wafer-thin slice of toast was the brandade, which is salt cod and olive oil. In this case, the cod was shredded and mixed with the oil, which made for a chewy and flavorful bite. The wine was very well paired because the saltiness of the cod was washed away with the acidic and sweet nature of the wine.

Next came the lamb belly. It was amazing. Like, seriously, it was crazy good. It is probably Top 5 in restaurant dishes in my lifetime, and easily the best I've reviewed up to this point. It's that good. If this doesn't end up on the menu within the next two or three iterations then Avoli is making a huge mistake.

A vertical pic? Oops, that was not on purpose.

Where do I start? I guess the pasta. Fregola is a type of pasta, kind of like a pea-sized ball. Fregola Sarda is the Sardinian version of this pasta. Don't ask me what the differences are, because I don't know. I'm just reporting to you what the Google told me. My server told me the pasta was given the risotto treatment, making the sauce creamy and thick. The rosemary was very pronounced, which gave the sauce a tangy, citrus-y/piney flavor. This was a great compliment to the lamb belly, which was a more tender version of the pork belly you're more likely to see. I was told the best thing to do was to cut the chunk of meat up into small bits and mix it into the pasta to savor throughout the dish. I did as I was told, but it was harder to accomplish than one might think, The different layers of the meat were very loosely joined, so as I sliced they tended to separate. Oh well. This meant many times I was greeted with small chunks of the most tender fat I've ever eaten. The meat just melted in my mouth the way those weird mints you find at weddings do. That is, except for the very top bit. That was a crunchy, salty piece of meat heaven. Seriously, get this before its gone.

Here's a mouthful. This wine was called Tenute Soletta (that's the company) Cannonau di Sardegna.

Again, I'll step aside and let an expert describe the wine:

There's a glimpse of dried herb and rosemary behind more intense aromas of black fruit, cherry and leather. This rich wine is concentrated and persistent...

If you notice the name of the wine in the caption, you'll see it's from Sardinia. So the pasta is Sardinian, and is heavy with rosemary. You can see why it was paired. I didn't like the wine as much, but its because I don't really like any reds, save for a malbec maybe.

Finally the dessert. Because I got the gelato the last time, I got the flourless chocolate cake, and it came with a digestif called Branca Menta.

Very small, but its really dense, so a little goes a long way.

The dense, fiercely chocolate cake was rather like fudge. There was a chocolate ganache on top that my server said was made with a little bit of the Branca Menta, lending as small amount of minty flavor to it. It can garnished with a raspberry sauce with a few chunks of raspberries, and a small amount of crushed walnuts that I could have sworn were lightly candied. The Branca Menta was intensely minty and sweet over slight bitter flavors. It feels thick, so it was meant to be sipped, and was served in a glass that was about double-shot sized on a stem. It all combined to be an amazing end to an amazing meal.

With the three course meal, all three drinks, and tax and tip, it came to $61.

The Session Room

1502 Mike Fahey St

402.342.4393
Sun-Sat: 11 am - 2 am
http://sessionroomomaha.com/

The Session Room has only been open since May, but they've already started to make a name for themselves with one of their trendy menu items: the pizza cone. You may have seen the review by the OWH (a quick Google search didn't turn up the review, but I know I saw one sometime in June); the cone is exactly like you think it is: the cone itself is made up of pizza crust and its filled with pizza sauce, toppings, and cheese. This is the thing that brought me in, and while very good, the other menu items are what's going to keep me coming back.

When you walk into the place you are greeted with a bare-bones establishment. An industrial ceiling with exposed I-beams, Edison bulbs hanging over tables on long electrical cords, cement floors, and just enough beer and alcohol-related decor to keep your eyes interested. There were a few TVs hanging over the long, well-stocked bar that were all tuned to sporting events, which I appreciated as I was able to follow my Kansas City Royals while eating. The music was a very good mix of classic rock. All the tables were hightops, though. I hate hightops. Those are another one of those trendy things. I dunno, I guess I like being able to put my feet anywhere on the floor, instead of being forced to rest them on that little ring around the base of the table or the base of my chair. That said, if the exclusive use of hightops is my only real gripe, then that's a good thing, I think.

I visited on a Wednesday in successive week, at about 6 pm, which was right before their main dinner rush happened. The first time my eyes were too big for my stomach and I ordered a Meat Lover's pizza cone, Timmy Tok Thai Egg Rolls, and 10 of their spiciest chicken wings (more on these in a moment).

Fried to perfection. Look at how delicate the shell looks.

The egg rolls came out first. They were spectacular. Tender, thin strips of cabbage and carrots with more than enough meat inside. The sweet chili sauce was an excellent addition. They are kind of expensive as you only get two whole rolls at $7, but my word are they delicious.

Side.

Top.

The delicious, delicious inside.

The pizza cone was next. The outside was crisp, almost crunchy, and the inside was ooey, gooey, and amazing. The top half of the cone was basically meat and cheese. About half way down was the pizza sauce that was reminiscent of, but a thousand times better than, Godfather's. The sauce on the bottom reminded me of the chocolate on the bottom of the Drumstick novelty ice cream cone. (Sorry, now you want a Drumstick. And so do I actually). These are fairly small; you can figure that each one is worth about a slice and a half of a normal pizza. At $5 each, this is a pretty good deal.

Very meaty wings, here. Also, my eyes regretted this decision when I took out my contacts.

I was, crazily, still hungry after those two so I ordered some of these wings. I decided that I was a man's man and ordered their spiciest wings. Unfortunately, I forgot what they're called and the sauce is not listed online. The sauce was not "Eat 12 wings in 30 minutes, get your order free" hot, but it certainly packed a punch. I got them down, but not without some tears. The wings themselves were perfectly fried and crispy, and they held enough meat to make a meal out of them. The ranch I got with them was a life saver, and I could tell it was made there. All-in-all they were excellent wings, but I'll stick with the classic Buffalo or BBQ wings next time.

All this, plus my pop and the tip came to just over $33.

The next week I obviously had learned my lesson and only ordered two things: another pizza cone that, again I cannot remember the name of and is not on their online menu, and the Caprese flatbread.

The sauce in the cup. Dear lord the sauce.

The pizza cone this time was not the best, I'll be honest. If you look on the menu, its essentially the Chicken Bacon Ranch with a few other ingredients thrown in. Anyway, what made me dislike it was the ranch sauce. It was just too much garlic and salt. I felt like if it was regular pizza sauce I'd have another winner here. Also, the crust was slightly underdone this time. I like it that way but I can see why others would not. As for the fries, they were in a novel shape that held a good crust-to-potato ratio, if that's a thing, and very well seasoned. The sauce, which they call "boom boom sauce," was slightly spicy and really made for a great dish.

I'll be honest, this was bigger than I thought it was going to be,

The flatbread was all about what was on top. The crust was okay, but the sauce, cheese, and tomatoes more than made up for it. Excellent stuff here, but really, it's good for two./ I once again waddled out.

This day, with pop and tip, I walked out at just over $21.

I should mention that the service I got both days was excellent and personable.

These guys have  a lot going for them, including being in a nice, up -and-coming location. Definitely a great location for before and after Blue Jays basketball games come winter.I can see a nice, long future for The Session Room.

Jazz, a Louisiana Kitchen

1421 Farnam St

402.342.3662

Sun-Thurs: 11 am - 12 am

Fri-Sat: 11 am - 1 am

http://omaha.jazzkitchens.com/

Based on some recommendations from some friends of mine, I decided I was due for some Creole cooking and made a couple trips to Jazz, a small chain that is, I think, based out of Kansas City.

Outdoor seating was available, but it was still kinda chilly out, especially in all that downtown shade.

Walking in, you are first greeted with the classic wrought iron fence and gate that surrounds many yards in New Orleans. I love that touch. Inside, the walls are adorned various New Orleans ephemera, including an authentic-looking, gigantic cape that a waiter said came from the '88 or '89 Mardi Gras parade. Very, very cool stuff even if it's a replica.

Despite the name, both times I went in I heard no jazz. The first day I heard classic rock, and the second I heard blues. No complaints from me, though. Maybe the employees would go nuts if all they heard was one style of music everyday.

Ugly and worn? Yeah. Full of character? Absolutely.

The first day I visited was at about 5:30 on a Wednesday, and as I expected, even at a downtown restaurant, it was pretty quiet inside. I was seated at a table that was all kinds of scratched and graffiti-ed, befitting a down-home jazz bar. I ordered the Voodoo Wings and the Chicken ala Mer.

Hmm, baguette? Not really crusty enough, but close.

After ordering I was presented with a basket of baguettes and butter. The butter was whipped, making it very creamy, and they added garlic and herbs to it, so there was a lot going on with each bite. Very good, but, you know, its bread and butter. Moving on.

I very much dislike breaded wings. These are breaded wings. I loved these wings.

I'll admit I was slightly disappointed when I saw the wings were breaded. I've always thought the breading on wings just added an unnecessary barrier between you and the delicious fried goodness that you ordered. But these were just very slightly breaded, and doused with their Voodoo sauce. I should mention, you don't get to choose sauces here, as the Voodoo is the only choice. Yes it is spicy (though certainly not overly so), so if you can't handle heat, you may want to stay away. If you can, however, you'll need to order a plate of these. If "the sauce is the boss", then this is le patron. I was told they take their hot sauce, which is available in a bottle on every table, and add brown sugar and black pepper. Slightly sweet, but with the classic Louisiana hot sauce still present. I can't get enough of it. Get the wings.

Not the best picture I've ever taken, but certainly not the worst. I need to work on my staging.

Here's how the menu reads on the Chicken ala Mer: 

Here it is: our most popular item and the one that’ll keep y’all comin’ back. This chicken is topped with a shrimp & krab parmesan (sic) cream sauce over a bed of rice with your choice of veggie. Ooo, baby!

I'm not sure I had a choice after reading that. Fried chicken breast covered in a creamy seafood sauce, dirty rice, and sautéed veggies? Can't go wrong! And it was very good. The dirty rice gave that late Cajun kick that it should, the chicken was moist and tender, and the sauce was very creamy and full of flavor. The veggies needed a little bit of help with the house seasoning that is helpfully put on every table, but otherwise was well done, as well.

Because the wings were still on Happy Hour pricing, I got out of there with tip, tax, and everything for less than $20.

Two weeks later I visited again, this time on a Thursday, again at about 5:30 pm. I ordered the stuffed mushrooms and the shrimp po'boy.

Fried or stuffed, I love me some mushrooms.

I'm kinda sorry to report I didn't care for the mushrooms. They've got a seafood stuffing that was baked with Parmesan and white wine. But all I tasted was bread. Like, I know there was probably shrimp and fake crab and all that, but it was so loaded with bread crumbs, that's all I could taste. So much potential, so little reward.

Again, I need to work on my photography. I hate being that guy in the restaurant, but you gotta see what I'm eating!

The po'boy was one of the things I was specifically told to order here by my friends, and it didn't disappoint. Po'boys are essentially simple sandwiches made with one of about 3-4 meats, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Some of the seafood ones and the beef one has a special sauce, but they're all on baguettes. This one has what is essentially popcorn shrimp, and there was an orange sauce that I wasn't able to identify but was delicious. The shrimp was perfectly fried and wasn't too rubbery, and the batter held enough flavor to compliment the sandwich and not take it over. The cole slaw was decent, nothing to write home about. The hush puppies, though. I was taken aback.

I'm not too proud to admit the only hush puppies I've ever had was from Long John Silver. I know that they are certainly not the be-all-end-all, but I also thought I had a good idea on what hush puppies can be. I was very wrong. These held all kinds of flavor that I never expected, with visible herbs and spices. And slightly sweet which surprised me the most. It's just a hush puppy, but boy, what a hush puppy.

With tax, tip, and everything, I walked out at just under $25.

The menu is rather large, and I want to try a few other meals (I'm looking at you, stuffed catfish and muffuletta). I don't know when I'll go back, but it certainly is on the list of places to visit again.

Hog Wild

4950 S 108th St.
402.991.4227
Sun-Sat: 11 am - 8 pm
http://www.hogwildpitbbq.com/

As I was in the process of eating/writing my review for Brazen Head, I came across this post on /r/Omaha, which is the unofficial official Omaha page on reddit. For the shortened version, someone who goes by CrayolaHead accidentally walked in during the soft open for Hog Wild, and unintentionally got a free meal that he quite enjoyed. So, I mentioned I would review it the next chance I had. That time is now.

First things first: this is the first chain I'll be reviewing. These guys are based out of Kansas, and this location is the first, from what I can tell, outside of their state. They are so new here that, at the time of this posting, their website doesn't even list Omaha as one of their locations. Also, this is the first drive through I'll be reviewing. Honestly, I've always thought a drive though BBQ place would work. It takes so long to cook the meat that you have to have it prepared to start the day anyway, all you would have to do is pack it and toss it out the window. Well, they beat me to it. Damn. Finally, regarding BBQ in Omaha: not that long ago I'd have said Omaha was sorely needing good local BBQ joints, at least ones without "Dave" in the name. Obviously, others have seen that opening as well, because there's been a small flurry of them opening up recently, including a food truck called "402 BBQ" that has garnered quite a bit of good ink. This can only lead to good things in the future.

Like most BBQ places, you walk up to a counter and place your order and pay. After that you wait a minute or two by the pop machine as they put your meal together, then they call your number and you go find a place to eat. The dining area is actually fairly large compared to some BBQ places, is brightly lit, has country playing all the time (its easy enough to ignore if you're like me and hate the stuff), and the walls are covered in picnic table tablecloth-style wall paper and photos of cows and pigs.

(Warning: incoming digression.) Regarding the music: maybe it's because I associate Kansas City with BBQ, but am I the only one who thinks BB King goes best with a rack of ribs? Regarding the pictures on the wall: its a bit disconcerting looking a pig square in the face when chowing down on some pork shoulder. And on a slightly related note, what is the fascination of having a happy pig as your mascot of a BBQ joint? Its a little macabre, is it not? Hog Wild is no exception here. (End of digression, thank you for your patience.)

I stopped by twice, as usual. Both times on a Wednesday at around 5-5:30 pm. The first day I ordered the three meat combo. I chose ribs, brisket, and the hot links, with cole slaw and potato salad as sides.

The tray is heavy and coated on top with a kind of rubber coating. You can easily see where I put the bread on it. Actually I can't get over the trays. They are really high quality. Like, seriously. I didn't know they made them like that.

These ribs were legit.

The spare ribs were awesome. I could easily pull them apart with my hands, which is good as the silverware I was given was of the plastic variety. They were amazingly tender, but they still held on to the bone. They were brushed with a sweet and mild BBQ sauce that paired very nicely with the strong smokey and salty flavors the meat held. Excellent stuff, this.

I was expecting slices of brisket, but I guess pulled will do as well.

The brisket was...okay. I can't complain about the technique in smoking it, for certain. It was very tender and moist, just like a good brisket should be, But the flavor was overwhelmingly of roast beef with a little BBQ sauce. Yeah, when I go out for BBQ, I don't expect pot roast.

I find it kind of odd they slice it for you like this. Not that I was offended, which is how the next sentence will sound: I felt like a six-year-old being served like that. 

Finally I dove into the hot links. When you bite into them, there's a good snap to the outside, and the sausage itself was very tender. They are doused in their spicy BBQ sauce (the "hot" in "hot links" I guess), which took me a little by surprise. It was good spicy, I just wasn't expecting it. By the way, its never been adequately explained to me: what kind of sausage is it when you order sausage at a BBQ place?

The sides were standard fare. The slaw was a generic cole slaw. The potato salad was no different than what you'd find at Hy-Vee, so good, but nothing spectacular. Each meal is served with two slices of Texas Toast from Rotella's buttered and grilled. I know its Rotella's because they have a sign saying as much at the register.

All told, between the meal, the drink, and taxes, my total came to $15.23.

The next week I stopped by I wasn't as hungry so I got the two meat combo. This time I ordered the pulled pork and ham; as sides, I got the mac and cheese and corn.

Its a beautiful thing.

I was really excited about this pulled pork, and the coloration of the meat was especially enticing.

I'm sorry to say the pulled pork suffered the same kind of fate the brisket did. Again, just like the brisket, the technique isn't what wrong: it was super tender and juicy. But all I tasted was roast pork. There was no smokey-ness to it. I didn't sense any BBQ rub bark that is a hallmark of good BBQ and I had to pour a ton of sauce on top to make it taste right. Maybe that's what they're going for, but I hope not.

Now I kinda regret not moving the front piece to get a good view of what the ham actually looked like.

The ham was excellent. Smokey, well brined, tender, salty, delicious. Get the ham. Like seriously, get the ham.

The mac and cheese was basically the same stuff you'll find at KFC, which I kinda like actually. At least a step up from Kraft. The corn was buttered and warmed canned corn. I was honestly expecting a half cob like you'd find at Long John Silver's and was kinda disappointed I was served canned. There are better choices on the menu, so stay away from the corn.

With the meal, drink and taxes, my total came to $12.48.

It just occurred to me that I've gone this far in a review of a BBQ restaurant and I haven't really talked about the BBQ sauce. Hog Wild offers two kinds: a mild and a hot. They are essentially the same sauce, but one is spicier than the other. They're not world beaters, but they are still very, very good. On the sweet side, thick, smokey, tomato, and vinegar. Excellent stuff, here.

I think these guys will have some staying power in the long run, but they need to improve a few things. They're in an accessible part of town with a lot of businesses around that should be tired of burgers and Valentino's by now, so they'll do just fine. Give these guys a shot. You don't even have to get out of your car to do so.

Brazen Head

319 N 78th St
402.393.3731
www.brazenheadpub.com
M-W: 11-1pm
Th-Sat: 11-2pm
Sun: 12-1pm

Brazen Head has always kind of been an odd place for me. It was a popular hangout for my college buddies, but when we were there, we were always the youngest in the crowd. Which is not to say they cater to those over 60, certainly not, but I also kind of felt out of place a little.

Anyway, I quite like the place. They've done a very good job giving it an authentic pub feel: wood floors with tile inlays, heavy wood tables and chairs, comfortable and cushy booths, lots of Irish and English beers on tap, and nice and low mood lighting. The fist day I visited I stopped by with ten minutes left in happy hour, so it was busy but not crowded, and loud with large groups hobnobbing after work.

That day I ordered the happy hour spinach artichoke dip, and the County Cork Boxty, which came with either soup or salad. I chose the soup as it was chilly that day.

I only found out the dip had that red tint to it after I took the picture; it was so dark in the restaurant otherwise you'd never know.

The spinach artichoke dip was spectacular. Creamy, hot, full of flavor. I wish they didn't put chips in it when they served it, though, as it made the part of the chip that was in the dip soggy and soft. I'm, well, not sure what else to say about it, really. It was really, very good. By the way, since I got the happy hour version, I got a smaller version of the real size, which is also served in a bread bowl. I'll have to bring someone with me next time to tackle that one. 

Cheese soup is a cure-all in cold weather. Why are we not studying this fact?

The soup came out quickly. It was smooth, creamy, and a little bitter in a good way. The paper lace doily on the plate was pretty, easily missed, and completely unnecessary. I love that touch. Get the soup here.

If you don't enlarge this, you'll think I took an okay picture. So, um, please don't enlarge this.

Finally the boxty came out. "What's a boxty?" you may ask. Basically, take a potato pancake, put some stuff on top, fold it over, and pour a sauce on top. Done. Irish comfort food. The one I ordered, the County Cork, is filled with crab meat, asparagus, and Havarti cheese.

Go ahead and enlarge this one, I did well here. 

I loved this. Sweet crab meat, still-crunchy asparagus, both of which swimming in melted, velvety Havarti is already an awesome combination, but put that into a dense, fresh potato pancake and cover it with their cream sauce and you've got a winner. This is serious comfort food.

With my happy hour beer, food, and tax and tip, my total came to about $25.

I visited a week later, this time with plenty of time in happy hour. I was so early the place was pretty dead. By the time I left, however, it was starting to pick up. This day I ordered a plate of the happy hour Irish Nachos and the fish and chips.

I'm not sure what made these nachos "Irish." Maybe because the cheese was only cheddar, and nothing Mexican? I don't know, your guess is as good as mine.

I'm not sure what compelled me to order a Tex-Mex dish at an Irish pub, but I did and here we are. They were surprisingly delicious, however. Don't let the picture fool you, that is not the nacho cheese you find at the stadium, that is actually very melty cheddar cheese on top. When I pulled a nacho up, the cheese stretched and broke like the real deal. The beef was well spiced, there were enough jalapenos, and it included other nacho plate staples. A definite good little plate of nachos. Again, I ordered the happy hour version. The normal version is apparently bigger. I couldn't come close to finishing this, so the real one must be gigantic. As a side note, I'm not sure what would be on a plate of Irish nachos to make them truly "Irish." Maybe potatoes, cabbage, or mince meat. Ew. I'm glad they stayed away from that.

The waffle fries were very, very welcome.

So I went from "Irish" nachos to something a little more traditional on that side of the pond: fish and chips. I got three generous cod fillets on a bed of waffle fries. I was served with a tangy and very thick tartar sauce that would not surprise me was made in house. Unlike the last time I had fish and chips, at Sean O'Casey's, these fillets were fried correctly and not over done. The thick batter soaked up all the malt vinegar I cared to put on, and somehow still stayed a little crispy. The fish was flaky, tender, and perfectly done.

As for the fries, they were very well done. I know that french fries are one of those things that people can have very particular ideas about. Now if you were to ask me what type of fry I like, it's a very close race between shoestring and waffle. I think the best fries in town can be found at Broncos, so it should be easy to figure out that I like my fries a little limp. But I can completely understand why people would like a nice, crispy french fry. If you are in that boat, then get your fries here. They're crazy good.

The only thing I disliked about this dish was how it was served. I had a very hard time cutting and stabbing the fish with my fork because the fillets were over the fries. I could have used another plate.

Again, on this day, I could not finish my plate. Lots of food here. It would be very easy to have to waddle out the door.

All told, with the two bottles of  Dr. McGillicuddy's root beer, the food, and tip and taxes, my bill came to about $30.

Garden Cafe

11040 Oak St.
402.393.0252
M-Sun: 6 am - 8 pm
http://gardencaferockbrook.com/

This is the first place I've reviewed that I've been to before. Well, sort of. Back in the 90's, there was another Garden Cafe in Millard, right off of 144th and Q. While I was in grade school, my mom and I used to go there about once every 3-5 weeks. I came to love the Acapulco potato casserole, and my mom would (almost) always order the French Dip. And whenever we left, we'd bring home a loaf of monkey bread or cinnamon bread (which, at the time, I wasn't really a big fan of). After a short conversation with my mother, we decided it's been about 15 years since that location shut down, and we never went to the Rockbrook Village location afterwards, which I always thought was a little odd, as 108th and Center isn't exactly too far out of the way, especially with the Interstate right there.

Anyway, I was kind of excited for a little bit of nostalgia when I decided upon the Garden Cafe, especially after doing some research (read: Googling their name) and finding they still serve the Acapulco potato casserole. As it was cold for a late March Wednesday (in the 50s), a home-y casserole sounded even better,

It was fairly early when I arrived, before 5:30. so there wasn't much activity going on. The inside of the restaurant is very bright, in contrast to my last review, and is supposed to bring to mind a backyard family get together/outdoor cafe. There's a gazebo in a corner, the half walls that separate the booths that run down the middle are reminiscent of a wood fence, the doors to the supply rooms look like the doors to a garden shed, etc. Just as I remember it, but laid out differently. It felt like 1998 again, in the best of ways.

The first day, I ordered the Acapulco Potato Casserole (of course!) and a cup of the soup of the day, a Cheese Tortellini soup.

I actually kind of love the cup it was served in.

My server just told me the name of the soup, so I had no idea if it was a creamy soup or like, I dunno, an Italian Wedding soup or something. When he brought it out, I quickly found out it was essentially a tomato bisque with cheese tortellini. It was creamy, cheesy, and the chunks of tomato floating throughout added a good mount of body. I loved this soup.

I'm not sure why it looks so small in this picture, it was much bigger than this.

Perhaps because I had the nostalgia goggles on, I seem to remember the Acapulco being a lot better than what I was served, because quite honestly it doesn't look any different than what I remember. Maybe its because I didn't have salsa. Not sure.

Now, if you can't tell by the picture, this is essentially a plate of nachos, but with slices of potato instead of tortilla chips. They dowse the potatoes with their chili, melt some cheese on top of that, add a dollop of sour cream, and garnish with tomatoes and olives.

It wasn't bad by any stretch. In fact, it was decently good. But I should have asked for some salsa, and I was definitely blinded by nostalgia.

With the soup, casserole, the iced tea I ordered, and tip and tax, it all came to about $18.

The next time I visited was the following Tuesday, and like any good Omaha spring, the temperature wildly swung to the upper 80s. It was a little later this time when I arrived, about 6:30. This time around I ordered the spinach artichoke dip and the Garden Fantasy omelet with added bacon, because I'm an adult and I can mix things like that.

Don't be put off by how green it is, it was delicious.

The dip came out with five slices of freshly toasted and buttered thick cut baguette bread (if I said "Texas toast-style baguette" would I piss off both Texans and the French? Because that sounds like fun, actually). I'll be honest, what came in the bowl looked a little off-putting. It was very green, and it just didn't have the stereotypical look of spinach artichoke dip that I'm used to. I had very few good expectations for it. I was very wrong.

I'm not sure what about the dip that I liked so much. It doesn't have the cheesiness that I'm accustomed to, Although creamy, it wasn't near as smooth as I normally like it. There was just something about it that worked. Also, the big, visible chunks of artichoke were very nice.

This is a blog of firsts for me. The omelet is also the first breakfast item I've reviewed.

The Garden Fantasy omelet is, unsurprisingly chock full of veggies. Here's how the menu describes it; "This omelet is filled with fresh steamed seasonal vegetables, onions, fresh tomatoes, mushrooms and artichoke hearts, then topped with monterey (sic) jack cheese and hollandaise sauce." I had them add bacon to it as well.

The eggs were probably the fluffiest I've had since the last time I went to KC and had a Waffle House omelet. I loved all the veggies inside the thing, as well. I certainly did not regret adding the bacon, which put it over the top. This was a Top 5 omelet.

With the dip, omelet (bacon was extra), pop, and tax and tip, my bill came to about $20.

I should add that both days I took home a sample of a pastry, and I didn't take a picture of either one, because why would I? I'm only going to talk about them on my blog.

The lemon bar was probably a little too sweet for my taste, but the zebra brownie was as good as I remember it.

Costa El Sol

4456 S 84th St
402.596.1978
M-Sun: 9:30 am - 9 pm
http://costaelsol.com/ (Warning: music will play.)

The hole-in-the-wall. That legendary phrase that usually means amazing, authentic, and without frills. I think Costa El Sol fits that description fairly well.

When I first decided upon this place I had an image in my mind of a Mexican restaurant like, I dunno, Romeo's but with actual Mexican food. What I got was very different. I visited the first time on a very cold and blustery February Wednesday, at about 5:30. There were a few people in a few of the booths, and I was definitely the only white person there. I sat at a very small table facing the only TV in the room, which was playing Univision on mute. There was R&B, sung in Spanish, being played loudly over the speakers, which was eventually turned down a little bit, and was made a little more bearable, The walls were brightly pained, each in their own color. Its a very good thing they had bright colors on the walls, because with as dark in the restaurant as it was, anything else would have turned the room into a dungeon. At some point through the meal, I realized that although the room was carpeted, I was sitting at a table on tile. Then when I looked up, I saw track lighting that wasn't turned on and a small disco ball almost directly above me. I was sitting on a dance floor. They must have dances every once in a while.

So to sum up: I was the only white guy there, I don't speak a lick of Spanish and there's Mexican TV and R&B playing, I'm on a dance floor, and I don't like to dance. I'm pretty out of my element. Then I look at the menu. This place isn't just a Mexican joint, these guys do Salvadoran as well. In fact, the menu is mostly Salvadoran. I've never had Salvadoran. Okay, I'm really out of my element.

Well, where to start? What the hell is pupusa? "Stuffed tortilla?" How do you stuff a tortilla? Isn't that a quesadilla? You can get them at $2 a piece, so why are they not on the appetizers section? Hmm, Lots of soups. On a day like that day was, soup might have been a good idea, but at nearly $11 each, they must eat like a meal, and I wanted something other than soup only. (By the way, I didn't get one either day, but if you've been looking for Cow's Feet Soup, these guys have it.) What the hell do I do?

That day I settled on a pork and cheese pupusa, and a carne asada plate with rice, lettuce, cheese, and avocado.

Also, before I start to get too into the review, I should mention this: there is only one thing I dislike about doing this blog, and it's taking pictures of my food. I always feel like, well, "that guy" when I do, and I especially hated doing it here, because I already stuck out among the clientele. So for the first few pictures from the first day, I took pictures without flash which means they'll be kinda dark, as there wasn't much light to begin with. I had to bite the bullet for the steak, though, because the first few pics came back looking like a black blob. The second day I was seated near a window, so there was plenty of light. This is a long way of saying "Sorry the picture suck."

I'm sure I've seen that bowl the salsa came in before. There must be a local place that sells these to the area Mexican restaurants.

Both days I was given a small bowl of chips and salsa. The chips were always warm and unsalted, and of the flour variety. I would not be surprised if the chips were made there. The salsa tasted fresh as well, but it wasn't anything to write home about. Fairly standard fare here.

The cheese oozed out. This can only be a good thing. Also, huh, so that's how you stuff a tortilla.

Next came my pupusa. At first, I was just given what you see above, so I looked at it, put together a plan of attack, and dove right in. Then my server came back with something you're supposed to put on top.

OH GOD I DID IT WRONG. FORGIVE MY GRINGO-NESS.

The cup was filled on one side with, well, cole slaw, and the other with a red sauce. I'm not sure, but I think it might have been more of the salsa. So I dumped the contents on top.

It was good plain, and amazing with the topping. The cheese, which was a white Mexican cheese (actually, now that I think about probably Salvadoran cheese) of some ilk, was creamy and chewy, and the pork that was mixed in was tender, moist, and very well seasoned. The cheese and pork mixed together to create a creamy, porky slurry. The slaw offered a fresh, cool crunch and the sauce brought a bright, slightly spicy note. Where have pupusas been all my life?

Does this picture actually tell you anything?

Ah, flash. Much better. Good amount of char on this baby.

                             

Next came the steak. The menu never stated what cut of steak I was getting, so I'll assume it's a sirloin. The steak was tender and very juicy, which kind of surprised me because they were cut so thin, about an inch thick, and they were irregular in shape. I say "they" because I got two chunks of beef. The rice was not the "Spanish rice" I was expecting, but a slightly seasoned white rice with a small amount of peas and corn mixed in. The lettuce, or "salad," was shredded iceberg with tomatoes, radish and cucumber. I was served about a half an avocado's worth of avocado meat, and a large chunk of, again, unidentified white cheese.

A little on the cheese: it was a solid, crumbly dry cheese. It reminded me of feta, but dryer and less intense in flavor. I broke off small chunks and ate it with other parts of my meal.

I was also served two tortillas, the likes of which I've never seen. Very obviously they were made there, because they were the thickest, chewiest tortilla I've been served, perhaps a quarter inch thick. They didn't really made for good impromptu tacos, as all I really tasted was the tortilla itself, but was excellent for sopping up juices and the like on my plate.

Not really knowing how to tackle something like this, I ended up cutting the steak into small chunks and placing a bit of steak on some tortilla I ripped off with one or two of the other things on the plate. So a bit of steak with rice and avocado, or with cheese and radish, or rice and cheese, or cheese and avocado, etc. Everything I combined was amazing. This meal was the real deal.

With an iced tea, tip and taxes, it all came to about $19.

The next time I visited was the next Tuesday. It was a earlier in the day, about 2:30 when I walked in. There was just one other group there, two men. I think they were on break from one of the area businesses. This day I ordered another pupusa, the taco and enchilada combo plate, and an horchata.

This was the whitest I've ever seen horchata. I was kinda worried it would be a little flavorless. I was very wrong. Good stuff.

Horchata, for the uninitiated, is a sweet, cold drink that in Mexico is usually made with rice, cinnamon and some other spices. Very good stuff on a hot summer day. A little research shows Salvadoran horchata is made with something called morro seeds, and not rice. From my previous experience, it would not surprise me if this is a Salvadoran version, because this tasted a little different than what I am used to. Certainly not in a bad way. This was very good.

Those beans look crazy good because they are crazy good.

Oddly, my main course came first. You get a choice of what kind of meat you want in your taco and your enchilada. I chose a cheek for my taco, and carne asada for my enchilada. The taco was small and very, very crunchy. The only other time I had ordered cheek meat was at a hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint in Grand Island, some 10-12 years ago, and it left me with a very good impression. I was excited to try it again, and it didn't disappoint. Cheek meat is among the most tender part of the pig, and a little greasy, but in the best way possible. The taco was excellent. The enchilada, on the other hand, was a little lacking. The meat was just as good as I had the other day, but it was just wrapped in a tortilla and covered with a little bit of red "enchilada sauce." The sauce was okay, but with everything else the menu offeres, just stay away from the enchies.

It came with the same rice as before. Very good stuff. The beans were porky and runny. I'm sure there's better beans in Omaha, but I haven't come across them yet.

Hmm, separate bowls this time...

This time the pupusa I ordered was with cheese and loroco. Again, a little research shows loroco is a flower that is native to El Salvador, and its flower buds are a traditional ingredient in many dishes, including pupusas. The best description I found was they offer a "green flavor", and as undescriptive as that is, it's probably the most accurate.

See those green bits on the left? That's loroco.

The cheese was even chewier without the pork juices like the last one had, and I could barely taste the loroco. Although it was still very good, I'll stick with the pork ones.

With taxes and tip, Tuesday's order came to $12.60.

I came away very, very impressed by what Costa El Sol offers. Score another point for the holes-in-the-walls.