Omaha review- Dario's

I first heard about Dario's from my Aunt Mary Kay who lives in Omaha and has excellent taste. So one night when my friend Katie came up to visit, my Dad and I decided to take her there to celebrate. The first thing I noticed about Dario's was its great location-- right between 49th and 50th on Underwood. The Dundee area is a great eating and drinking destination that I will cover more in future posts. We went to Dario's on a Monday night and the place was about half full. We were seated immediately and a very handsome and charming waiter offered a drink from their extensive list of micro brews and imports, focusing on Belgian beers. Unfortunately, I had to stick with Goose Island root beer since the docs won't let me have much alcohol. Honestly, I don't really remember what kinds of beer that Katie and Dad got... I think my dad had some sort of trippel, but they both really liked them. When it came time to order, the waiter was very helpful and knowledgeable in giving suggestions for food and beer pairings.

Since it was Monday night, they had a Lobster special. That night's was homemade pasta with artichokes and lump lobster meat. I was sold. While the noodles were, perhaps, slightly overcooked, they were delicious. The mixture of the flavors of lobster and artichoke were perfect. Katie got the smoked pork chops and Dad got the duck shepherd's pie (hunter's pie?), which were both big hits. All three dishes were excellent and well-portioned. There was plenty of food, but not so much that we couldn't join the clean plate club. The bill was $100 including a generous tip for our attentive and knowledgeable waiter. Considering the quality of the ingredients, beer, atmosphere and service, I thought it was pretty reasonable for a special occasion type place.

I went there again this past Tuesday and had an equally good experience. The place was a lot fuller this time (probably due to their Tuesday half priced draft beer special). I got the lamb steak, which was delectable. Another dish I really enjoyed was my mom's carrot-ginger soup. I ended up eating like half of it! The only small disappointment was a goat cheese and caramelized onion tart. It was delicious, don't get me wrong, but it cost $8 and was about the size of a small slice of pizza. I do plan to recreate a giant version of this puff pastry-goat cheese-caramelized onion delight at home as soon as I can though.

Dario's is the kind of restaurant I would like to open, had I the talent or inclination. It's just a great place to spend time. For one thing, they have a chalkboard outside listing the specials of the day. I love restaurants that have a limited menu and a variety of specials. Every day they have a different soup, crepe, entree, and vegetarian entree. They also have a little bar area in the back with high-top tables if you just want a beer before or after dinner.

To summarize, next time you're in Omaha, check out Dario's: big city quality and atmosphere without the big city prices or pretension.