Omaha

I'm heading to Omaha to teach some classes, and I'm looking for a nice restaurant, preferably one that does regional cuisine.

I'd like a good martini, great food and an interesting wine list.

Does anyone know of a good place? I'd even be interested in one where I can bring my own wine.

I haven't been there in years, but I recall that M's and the White Horse were good by Omaha standards. If you ask on Chowhound I'm sure you would get some solid rec's. Good luck.

Thanks Dave. I'll check them out.

I've been to Omaha plenty on business travel. I cannot recommend anything that would be regional, except for steakhouses. By and large, all of the so-called "local" restaurants I'd been to have at best average food. The ones that strive for better quality end up being more worldly than local, or even have a corporate stamp.

Of these, I like Sullivan's steakhouse, a fairly small chain that does the steakhouse schtick really well. But ignore the waiter's recitation of the heavy sales pitch on starters, etc.

You can eat at Omaha Prime in the Old Market District, but the prices do not translate to significantly better quality than Sullivan's, except that the steak is marginally better.

M's Pub, across the street from Omaha Prime, is a pretty good middle of the road restaurant that is locally owned. Good wine list, you would have to call about corkage.

Lo Sole Mio Ristorante is local, a bit off the beaten track, but not too far from downtown. It is a real local's place, and I've done BYO there. The food is average, a step above red sauce, but you can be satisfied.

There's also a French Bistro in Old Market that doubles as a wine shop. No reason to BYO there.

Patti,

I spoke with a colleague that was there last month. She confirmed that M’s is still open and still serving good martinis. She mentioned that she had a very good dinner at a restaurant called Mahogany. All grade prime beef.

Thank you both, very much.

It sounds like I have a couple of decent choices. I was leaning toward steak. I'll look online at your recommendations.

Again, thank you.

We lived there for five and half years, and have to admit that the regional restaurants are Italian Steakhouses. There are a dozen or so in the yellow pages. Great meat with pasta on the side.

Thank you for the info Carl!

Patti, at the top of this webpage is a list of them. We have been to almost all of them. Gorat's, Johnny's, and Cascios, were the one's we went to most. Not taking anything away about the others.

http://www.creighton.edu/Heartland3/restaurants.html

Mahogany hs the best steaks and a very good wine list. It is the priciest steakhouse in Omaha, but it has the best prime steak. It is hard to find, so Google directions carefully.

Gorat was very mediocre.

Thank you Carl for the link and thank you Bernard for the directions advice. We have decided to eat at Mahogany's. I'll see how well my TomTom does. Hasn't failed me yet.

We are doing a write up of the Omaha/Lincoln Nebraska wine scene for the 10/15 issue of Wine Trails USA.

FYI, there are three wineries within 15 minutes of downtown Lincoln, which is a great town about 50 minutes from Omaha on Interstate 80. South of Omaha, there are two wineries about 40 minutes away, both well worth a visit. I'll list the wineries at the end of this post.

For restaurants in Omaha, yes, M's Pub in the Old Market district is good and has an extensive wine list. We thoroughly enjoyed Upstream Brewing Co., also in the Old Market. A fun place, the beer is great, as is the pub food. Unrelated to food but also in the Old Market is the Artists Cooperative Gallery, an interesting place for local art. If you dabble in Indian food, there's Jaipur Brewing Co. west of the city, it's been there many years and the cuisine is imaginative and unique.

Do take the time for a visit to Lincoln. It's a vibrant, spirited city, very easy to get around. The Haymarket area downtown is a hub for restaurants and shopping. The hamburgers across the street at Lazlo Brewing Co. are among the best I've ever had. As you can tell, we are beer fans as well! And if you have a sweet tooth, look for products from a local candy company located just outside of Lincoln, Baker's Candies. The milk chocolate meltaways are outstanding. Or, get some ice cream or homemade cheese at the UNL Dairy Store, on the east campus of the Univ. of Nebraska.

Be sure to stop at some of the farm wineries. Kimmel Orchard and Vineyard south of Omaha is a particularly interesting place to visit, they focus on historic preservation and agritourism and have long been partners with the Arbor Day Foundation. We aren't the same level as many of the wine experts on this forum, but we found the Nebraska wines fun, well made, and emminantly drinkable.

For those visiting the area, here's a list of eastern Nebraska wineries. If interested, the full travelogue will be posted at Wine Trails USA October 16th. Feel free to private message me if you want other recommendations for Omaha or Lincoln.

Lincoln Area Wineries

1. Deer Springs Winery: http://www.deerspringwinery.com

2. James Arthur Vineyards: http://www.jamesarthurvineyards.com .

3. Prime Country Winery: http://www.primecountrywinery.com .

Wineries south of Omaha

1. Soaring Wings Vineyard: http://www.soaringwingswine.com . About 15 minutes south of downtown.

2. Kimmel Orchard and Vineyard: http://www.kimmelorchard.com . Very enjoyable, a destination for people in southeast Nebraska, southwest Iowa, northern Kansas, and northwest Missouri. About 45 minutes south of Omaha and well worth your time.

Other Wineries In Eastern Nebraska

Schillingbridge Winery and Microbrewery: http://www.schillingbridgewinery.com . Near the Kansas border.

Whiskey Run Creek Vineyard and Winery: http://www.whiskeyruncreek.com. Further south of Omaha along the Missouri River.

Slattery Vintage Estates Vineyard and Tasting Room: http://www.svevineyards.com . In Nehawka, halfway between Omaha and Lincoln. Features a tasting room with Nebraska wines from area wineries and a gift shop with creations from local artisans. Walk around the vineyard, find a spot by the fireplace or relax on the patio by the fountain.

Silver Hills Winery: http://www.silverhillswinery.com . About 45 minutes north of Omaha in Tekamah.

Big Cottonwood Winery: http://www.bigcottonwoodwinery.com . Also in Tekamah.

Jim,

Thank you so much for the information. I wasn't going to spend much downtime in Omaha, but I may rethink that.

I've stayed in Lincoln, but only as a stopping point on a road trip west.

From home it's about 5 1/2 hours to Omaha and it looks like it would be worth a fun weekend trip to explore some of these wineries. Sounds like a road trip in the making.

Thank you all again. My trip will definitely be more interesting because of your input.

Update on Omaha ...

Here are a few places we're going to feature in our travelogue ... these places are Omaha originals and they are excellent!

Johnny's Cafe: http://www.johnnyscafe.com . Since 1922, this is one of Omaha's oldest steakhouses, if not the oldest. Old saloon atmosphere, great food, reasonable prices, and a decent wine list. On the near south side.

Joe Tess Place: http://www.joetessplace.com . Another long standing Omaha tradition, also on the south side. Joe Tess Place is famous for its fish sandwiches and fun, local atmosphere. Casual and very enjoyable.

Brewburgers: http://www.brewburgersomaha.com . On the city's southwest side, a very cool place for gourmet burgers, authentic Montreal style smoked meat sandwiches, and an eclectic beer selection. Great place for happy hour, all sorts of specials.

We also really enjoyed M's (mentioned above) and the Upstream Brewing Co., both of which are in the Old Market.

Omaha is a great city to explore, there are lots of local places and we found the city friendly and enjoyable.

For those interested, the full travelogue will indeed by posted on Wine Trails USA on Oct. 16th.

Patti L.,

Where did you end up eating?

Hi Dave,

We ate at Mahogany's. Everything was delicious; the martini, the steak, the wine. Service was great as well.

Interesting ritual when your steak arrives...men with little flashlights show up and shine light on your steak. You cut into it to be sure it's done correctly. There were 3 of us, and 3 men with lights. They were quite precise and almost seemed synchronized.

I had dinner with 2 people I know online, and was meeting for the first time.

I had dinner with 2 people I know online, and was meeting for the first time.

And you are still alive! I've heard that all those people on food related internet boards are axe muderers just looking to meet new victims!

Glad to hear you had a nice dinner and thanks for the report.

Yup I survived!

Thanks for checking back.