Eating Omaha....Tavern 180

Yes! Such a cool place, albeit a little pricey but you can pick and choose a reasonable dinner from all the fine selections.

The menus took a bit of getting used to as they came on tablets but they had nice photos of all the offerings which just made it harder to choose. For starters Old Fashion's Brenda ordered a Vanilla and I had a plain. The only flaw in the evening is they were out of bitters.

Next up was an array of great looking appetizers but we opted for soup or salad. The Seafood Bisque came topped with a puff pastry crust high on the bowl that added buttery goodness to the creamy filling soup underneath. The Bisque was spot on. I have a Caesar Salad that was great. Brenda ordered a house salad with her soup. I have a Cajun Seafood Pasta. Bob and Kim ordered the Parmesan Chicken and Shrimp and Crab Stack Salad respectively. All of it was great and we ran into 2 sets of friends while there. The star of the show was a basket of  tiny rolls laced with Asiago cheese that I had to mind my manners to keep them all for myself.

Service was prompt and courteous and attentive. And patient,  as we struggled a bit with the menus.

Eating Omaha...Smitty's Garage

After services on Saturday, we wanted to try this new hamburger joint. Not sure what to expect, it was a cross between fast food and sports bar. Serving lots of liquor and a ton of burgers. The burgers were tasty and the menu extensive. Self service at the front, they give you a number and deliver to your table. Mostly booths and high tops, we sat a a high top as it was quite busy being a Husker weekend and there was nothing on the floor.

You can pick your patty from beef, bison or turkey (they have vegan also) and then a pre set combo of ingredients. I opted for the Spicy Siracha Blue burger and picked a few of the grilled jalapeno's off as it was a bit much for that spice late in the evening. I would not be able to lay down to sleep.  It was grilled perfectly and the combo was savory, spicy and satisfying. John had the Bison burger and was happy as were all of the members of our party. The sides were fries and they had sweet potato fries as well. Not a huge fry guy personally, these were OK. Skin on but not as crisp as I like.

Brenda bought the ladies a Moscow Mule, a first time treat for Dora and Debbie. Apparently a big hit, Brenda said the Ginger beer used was especially tasty. We sat and talked, watched the humiliating defeat of the Husker's, we left at halftime and headed for home. Great night, great burger.

Eating Omaha....Stroud's

It was a crazy eating out weekend for the Denich's starting with Stroud's, the home of pan fried chicken. A chain from KC that features fried chicken in a kind of family style atmosphere.




The atmosphere was great and we got there just in time as the crowd rolled in about 6. Simply a new spot in Omaha, it took over a former restaurant by Village Point.

The menu was a little confusing but basically, you choose your entree, various chicken piece combinations and a few sides which are brought out family style. I chose the 3 breast meal and took a full 2 breasts home. Brenda had the salad with a huge portion of chicken on it which she took quite a bit home. Jeff and Michale had other combinations and it was a really good. As good as Millard Roadhouse but more expensive.  I would give a two thumbs up but probably hit the Roadhouse for this type of meal.  The finishing salvo was an order of cinnamon rolls that come with each meal. we had them bring them to us last and bagged them for home as we were just too full. They were great too but no quite what we expected. The service was fantastic and personable.

Eating Omaha...Report Inn

Another Saturday night and fortunately the Birge's were up for Vespers and dinner. We headed to a new (old) spot in Belair Plaza called the Report Inn. Some of my coworkers had checked it out for Sunday brunch and gave it a thumbs up but we needed a little dinner after church.
What a great little spot with fantastic food and a $18 Bloody Mary that's a meal in itself. Start with a great tasting 32oz Bloody Mary and garnish with a cheeseburger, a few wings, fried pickle, onion rings, bacon and assorted veggies. Yum!
I had the steak sandwich with tender chunks of beef on a soft roll and side of fries. Debbie and John had a patty melt and Swiss cheeseburger respectively. A few beers, an imposing Bloody Mary, delightful company and a cozy establishment with friendly service. This is a great go-to spot!

Eating Omaha...Tussey's Casual Grill

Saturday night was a night for adventure. Mostly everyone was out of town, the big game came on at 6:30 and we were looking for somewhere new to eat.

It also happens to be restaurant week in Omaha so menus are posted and unusual spots are featured like this one in North Omaha just west of the Mormon Bridge. It feels like a highway cafe, very casual and the prices were moderate.

We both had the Restaurant week special which included choices from the appetizer, entree and dessert menu. Normally we are not big dessert fans but the price was right so...

We both ordered the same thing, a Black and Bleu flatiron steak with different sides. Mine,  grilled veggies and hers,  garlic mashed potatoes. Opposite night!  For the appetizer we had Short Rib Flatbread and Artichoke dip with crostini.  Both were delicious but the dip was under seasoned.

The steaks were cooked perfectly and generous portions. Then came dessert, we chose the Churros and the Bread Pudding in Whiskey sauce. That was a hit. The Churros and chocolate sauce were room temp but would have been better hot.  All in all the wait staff was attentive and pleasant.

Nice place, far away for us, at a decent price. Very casual, truck stop kind of feel.