Roost Really Wants Your Business!!!

After reading the review on Taste of Lincoln I thought I'd give Roost a shot.



I ordered the "Grape Escape" and my companion (Mom) ordered the "Presto Pesto." The sandwich that Buffmeat describes over at Taste of Lincoln is actually called "Ol' Red." So yeah, this place is kinda gimmicky.

I found this little gem nestled inside my sandwich wrapper:

DONE!

A lot of people love gimmicky, I just don't happen to be one of them. What I do love is a delicious sandwich, and my "Grape Escape" was quite tasty. It really tasted like homemade chicken salad, which I've been craving ever since I read this. The toasted whole grain bread was pretty good too.


Yeah, I took a couple bites before I remembered to take the picture again

The "Presto Pesto"? Not so great. It was overly salted and the pesto tasted like it might be past its prime. What happened Mom? You used to be such a good orderer. People used to call you long distance for menu consultations. Poetry has been written about your ordering prowess. Has the student surpassed the teacher? Will you be calling me from your next vacation destination for help deciding between the soup or the salad?

Perhaps not.

I'd get down there fast cuz one of two things is bound to happen:

1. Roost will become a big corporate national chain and you'll want to brag about eating at the original.

2. You'll get a chance to try it before it goes the way of Pita Pit, Taco Bueno, Great Wraps...

NOW GO!!!

China Inn

I'm not usually a huge fan of Chinese food. ("I hear you can't get a sauce as thick or as sweet over there.") China Inn is the exception. Located in the strip mall by the 27th and Cornhusker Super Saver, you wouldn't think so to look at it, but the food is top-notch.



Their menu has the usual Chinese-American fare, plus some more authentic Chinese and Korean dishes. I know their Bul Go Gee is really good, but so is their peanut butter chicken. It's the best of both worlds. I hear their Kim Chee is quite good as well. (I'm too chicken to try it.)


Hot and sour soup

One of the best things about China Inn is their prices. They have a meal deal that includes soup, a crab rangoon, sweet and sour pork, and another dish of your choice for $5.50. Most of the dishes on their menu cost $5-6 and the portions are huge.



My dad claims that everyone from China in the UNL Chem Department eats here, which is a good endorsement as far as I'm concerned (although my judgement of what's "authentic" has been called into question as of late-- haha!).

For a cheap, casual, yet delicious meal, try China Inn.

Suite 1 Pizza & Pub: The Experience

This post is basically to second Beer or Kid's review of Suite 1.



Is it possible to die of deliciousness? Seriously. It was that good. I got the Chicago Supreme and it had big patties of sausage on it. It's just as good, or better in some cases, as the pizza I've had in Chicago.



I think an owner or manager was our waiter. When he was listing the beers they had on tap, he named the local brews first. He said they try to rely on local stuff whenever they can and that the tomatoes for the pizza are grown locally. Awesome.

For reals. Run, don't walk.

Suite 1 Pizza & Pub

Has anyone heard anything about this place? According to their Facebook group, the kitchen will open on Friday and a band is performing on Saturday.

I do like Chicago style pizza...

N Zone

I headed down to the N Zone (728 "Q" in the Haymarket) on Saturday night for some greasy bar food with my friends Katie and Amos.



It was like 6:30 and the place was DEAD. I haven't been in a while, but I think this place fills up later with people looking to get drunk.



As you can see, their shooter selection is excellent. I recommend the "Cooter Cork."

As far as I'm concerned, there are only two things to order at the N Zone: pizza and wings, although they have the usual selection of bar food on their menu. We started with an appetizer of wings (6 each), then had personal pizzas for our entrees, though Amos had to be different and order a Philly cheese steak.

The wings come in four levels of hotness, which were basically mild, medium, hot, and really really hot. They had cute names like "blazin" and so forth, but I don't remember them. I asked the waitress for guidance, but she had stomach issues and doesn't eat wings. She said she saw a really big guy sweating while eating the the hot, so I ordered the medium. Turns out that big guy was a wuss, cuz the medium wasn't hot enough. They were also a little skimpy, but we each got two more wings than we ordered. They tasted pretty good, but the wingettes looked a little funny.


Are these creepy genentically-engineered wings, or are they just cut weird?

The pizza is actually pretty good too. It had a nice crust and good quality cheese. The only thing I don't like about it is the sprinkling of dried oregano on the top-- it does not look or taste appealing.


Amos' cheese steak came with a bag of Ruffles for some reason.

I think I spent like $12, including tip, for my meal. If you're in the mood for wings, go to the Watering Hole. BUT, if you're in the mood for wings AND pizza (or other bar food), go to the N Zone. It's pretty good.

Wilderness Ridge Mother's Day Brunch

Yeah. I was pretty uncreative this Mother's Day. My mom made some pretty big sacrifices for me this year (extensive caregiving during an illness), and what do I do in return on her big day? I make reservations for the brunch buffet at Wilderness Ridge.



So when is a brunch buffet with fairly limited offerings worth $21.99? Well, having very high-quality offerings helps: salmon, well-cooked asparagus, huge shrimp, and a nice assortment of baked goods, for example. Plus, Mom wanted to go there and frankly, I'd eat at Applebee's to make her happy. Oh yeah, and Dad ended up paying. Hee hee.


The cocktail and horseradish was the least horseradishy I've ever had. Weak sauce Wilderness Ridge.

This was my first trip to Wilderness Ridge. I found the decor a little ostentatious, to tell the truth. Here's an artsy-fartsy picture of the chandelier above our table:



Hopefully the tool belt full of gardening tools and the kick-ass dinner my sister and I cooked (will post pics soon) made her Mother's Day dreams come true. She's the greatest mom ever and deserves more than I could ever give her.

Stauffer's Cafe and Pie Shop

My usual breakfast joint is Tina's Cafe at 6th and South, but Stauffer's was on the way to an appointment this morning, so my parents and I decided to check . (I believe the hot beef sandwich is really good there.) Unfortunately, I was not as pleased with their breakfast.



Stauffer's is totally the place that your grandma wants to be: the harsh florescent lighting, the country kitchen-y decor, the pie case, the median age of the waitresses being about 53... it's a grandmother's paradise. I'm not being critical here-- I like grandma places because they remind me of my grandma and she was a kick-ass cook.



The menu was mostly various combimations of eggs, ham, bacon, potatoes, muffins, and toast. The prices ranged from $5-$8 or so. I ordered the special: ham and scrambled eggs with hashbrowns and toast for $5.50. Dad ordered a vegetarian skillet.



I'll start with a positive; the ham was very good and had a nice smoky flavor. The rest of the meal was underwhelming: watery orange juice, soggy toast, bland hash browns, and bad coffee. To be fair, Stauffer's isn't really known for their breakfast. They're known for lunch, but are even more famous for their pie. I got a piece of sour cream apple to go, and I tell you it was effin delicious.



So what did I learn this day? It worth it to go a little bit out of your way for a good breakfast-- save Stauffer's for lunch or dessert.

Edited to correct spelling-- thanks Gary.

The Isles

Located at 6232 Havelock Ave, The Isles has the best pizza in Lincoln.


Havelock rocks



As you can see, the atmosphere is pretty casual


The Leaning Tower of Pizza (or "Leaner") is the greatest of them all. With it's substantial, yet crispy crust, it's sausage and pepperoni, it's onions and tiny little chopped-up pepperonccinis... mmmmmmmm

Magnolia

My friend Ruth and I just checked out Magnolia in the Haymarket in Lincoln.



The first thing that happened was the host gave us each a single rose. A little cheesy, but hey, free flower. As we looked around, we saw that no dudes got free flowers. The owner, a woman herself, explained to us later that she named the place Magnolia to honor women and that they give flowers to women to show appreciation for the hard work they do. I felt a little guilty, since I do almost no hard work at the moment, but I thought her explanation was very sweet.


Ruth and our flowers

They had a pretty decent wine list. I tried a little of the Montes Cabernet, which I wasn't crazy about, but after 6 months of no drinking, my palatte is crap. Luckily, my taste in food is superb. I ordered the duck with a cabernet-raspberry reduction glaze. It came with soup or salad, veggie, and another side (some of the choices were mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, roasted red potatoes, and pesto risotto). I chose the creamy tomato soup, and pesto risotto; the veggie was steamed broccoli. Ruth ordered the vegetable cakes with rice pilaf.

Let me interject into my description of the food to talk about special diets. Whenever I go to a restaurant, I give them the Cliff's Notes version of what I can and can't eat (no raw fruits or veg is the big thing). Many times, the server pretends to listen, then my entree comes out on a big bed of dirty lettuce. Our server at Magnolia, on the other hand, listened carefully, asking questions to clarify. As we were waiting for our entrees, the chef came out twice: once to see if it was okay if he used fresh raspberries in the sauce as long as it was cooked (it was), and once to see if he could cook the duck medium (it wasn't). I was very impressed that the staff was so consciencious about making sure the food met my dietary restrictions.

Okay, back to the food. The soup was very good-- chunky and flavorful. Very tomato-y. The bread that came with it was delicious and the herby, garlicky butter was even better. Once the meal came I was worried I had fallen into the proverbial trap and filled up on bread. I hadn't. My duck was succulent-- about a thousand times better than the duck I got at Bohemian Cafe in Omaha last month, and the risotto is one of the few I've had that I actually like. Most risottos that I've had end up tasting like the cheesy rice from a box that I ate in college. This risotto was different-- the main flavor was the pesto, with a nice parmesany flavor mixed in. The rice was not over or undercooked.


I always forget to take the picture until after I've taken a couple bites

I had a bite of Ruth's veggie cake, which I was glad I hadn't ordered. It was just way too rich for me, which is not something I would expect from the vegetarian menu. I expected that the golden brown crust hid a filling mostly comprised of vegetables. My bite ended up being mostly cream cheese and just a few shreds of veggies. Fried cream cheese is great and all, but I don't want to make a meal out of it.



As we were paying our checks ($50 for two meals and two glasses of wine), the owner came over to chat with us and tell us about their Sunday brunch special. Their buffet menu will include the normal Nebraska buffet brunch food, but with crab cakes and baked brie for $10. Magnolia has excellent food and has a great staff. If you haven't been yet, you should try it out.

Grateful Bread

Grateful Bread (on South 17th between Sumner and Washington in Lincoln) has been a lunch time favorite of mine for a while now. They serve vegetarian soup, a couple choices of breads, and cookies. That's it. Nothing else. (Though they did have a sign saying that they're going to have some more veggie lunch options this summer.) Oh, and they're only open for lunch.



I went there again today and it didn't disappoint. They had five choices of soups including Moroccan tomato and a peanut soup. I got my new favorite, the Southwest Chowder. They put a ton of hand-chopped vegetables in there with a creamy broth. It's just a bit too spicy for me, but crackers make it just right. On the side, I had one of their cheese scones, which was one of the most delicious things ever. The other bread choices were French bread and an apple muffin. A generous bowl of soup and a side of bread is $4.50. I'm usually pretty full after this, so I get a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie to take home and eat later.



Their decor is eclectic to say the least. They've got fun and colorful posters and signs all over their walls, including a gigantic photo of Lincoln taken from the top of the State Capitol during the '50s. The tables are all chromed-out '50s kitchen tables with big metal colanders full of crackers, plus a few tables outside which are great on beautiful days like today.

Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike love this place. As a heads-up, they're closed on Monday and Tuesday and there are lines out the door on the weekend (although the line usually moves pretty quickly). My tip is to eat there on a Wednesday or Thursday when the lines aren't too long.

The Cup

I had lunch today at The Cup, located at 625 S 25th St. I couldn't believe how many people were in there-- the place was basically full, and more people kept going in and out as I was there. The clientele was an interesting mixture of retirees and the teachers and students of the Arts and Humanities school. There were writings and paintings posted around the place from the school, which as a teacher, I thought was really cool. I got the impression that it's mainly a coffee/tea house and bakery, but they serve paninis, salads, and soup.

My aunt got a salad that had really nice, fresh looking greens, and a TON of fresh berries: strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. She said the dressing was excellent. They had a nice selection of paninis, including turkey, chicken, and a couple vegetarian options, all served on what appeared to be Le Quartier ciabatta bread. I got a roast beef panini. They substituted the bleu cheese for provolone, (though I'm sure it would have been even better with the bleu cheese). It came with a little mini green salad and was quite delicious. I also got a fresh-squeezed lemonade. The bill for both of us was $15.

If you're looking for a nice, laid-back, locally-owned place to have lunch near downtown, check out The Cup.

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.