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<?xml-stylesheet href="https://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:blogger="http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008" xmlns:gd="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:openSearch="http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/" xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0"><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979</id><updated>2021-12-30T02:33:35.118-06:00</updated><category term="CONTEST"/><category term="NATIONAL EVENTS"/><category term="JAMES BEARD"/><category term="REMINDERS"/><category term="Harold McGee"/><category term="SAN JOSE"/><category term="RESTAURANT REVIEW"/><category term="ONLINE EVENTS"/><category term="DINING"/><category term="BBQ"/><category term="Contirbutors"/><category term="Environment"/><category term="BEER"/><category term="WINE"/><category term="NOTW"/><category term="Press Release"/><category term="techniques"/><category term="GUIDE"/><category term="BAY AREA"/><category term="wbw"/><category term="CLOSINGS"/><category term="BLOGROLL"/><category term="Eating Local"/><category term="WINE REVIEW"/><category term="DARWIN"/><category term="PREVIEW"/><category term="discounts"/><category term="TECHNOLOGY"/><category term="PRODUCT REVIEW"/><category term="HOLIDAYS"/><category term="LISTS"/><category term="BOOKS"/><category term="RESTAURANTS"/><category term="ADS"/><category term="KIDS"/><category term="AWARDS"/><category term="TASTING MENU"/><category term="Paul Kulik"/><category term="BRUNCH"/><category term="WEIRD NEWS"/><category term="BOOK REVIEW"/><category term="KANSAS CITY"/><category term="DOWNTOWN"/><category term="INTERNATIONAL EVENTS"/><category term="LOCAL EVENTS"/><category term="molecular gastronomy"/><category term="CHARITY"/><category term="EDITORIAL"/><category term="LINCOLN"/><category term="BYOB"/><category term="San Francisco"/><category term="PHOTOGRAPHY"/><category term="Brent Udron"/><category term="NEWS"/><category term="TIPS"/><category term="RECIPES"/><category term="EQUIPMENT REVIEW"/><category term="CALIFORNIA"/><category term="Coffee"/><category term="ELKHORN"/><category term="NOTICE"/><category term="LUNCH"/><category term="Oakland"/><category term="Omaha Food Bank"/><category term="COOKBOOKS"/><category term="FREE"/><category term="VOTE"/><category term="INTERVIEW"/><category term="FESTIVALS"/><category term="QUICK PICK"/><category term="CHEFS"/><category term="Sushi"/><category term="Jesse Becker"/><category term="BREAKFAST"/><category term="France"/><category term="NAPA VALLEY"/><category term="NEBRASKA"/><category term="BAKING"/><category term="STORY"/><category term="MEXICAN CUISINE"/><category term="DUNDEE"/><category term="FOODPORN"/><category term="Beer Reviews"/><category term="TOOLS"/><category term="ALAMEDA"/><category term="REVIEW"/><category term="REFERENCE"/><category term="Earth Day"/><category term="IOWA"/><category term="Foodies of Omaha"/><category term="how to"/><category term="PAUL URBAN"/><category term="OMAHA"/><category term="Ferran Adria"/><category term="FRUSHI"/><category term="Heston Blumenthal"/><category term="Michelin"/><category term="OFBBR"/><category term="OPENINGS"/><category term="SHOPPING"/><category term="UNDER $10"/><category term="INSTRUCTIONAL"/><category term="CHICAGO"/><category term="Thomas Keller"/><category term="COMPETITION"/><category term="Best Of"/><category term="TELEVISION"/><title type="text">Gastronomic Fight Club</title><subtitle type="html">Mischief. Mayhem. Soup.</subtitle><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default?orderby=published" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default?orderby=published" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/Index.cfm" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/><link href="http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/" rel="hub"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default?start-index=26&amp;max-results=25&amp;orderby=published" rel="next" type="application/atom+xml"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><generator uri="https://www.blogger.com" version="7.00">Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>235</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-8589354616426320975</id><published>2010-04-24T23:59:00.005-05:00</published><updated>2010-04-26T11:41:44.808-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Foodies of Omaha"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="RESTAURANTS"/><title type="text">Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Around the World in 80 Blocks</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/8589354616426320975/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=8589354616426320975" rel="replies" title="24 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/8589354616426320975" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/8589354616426320975" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2010/04/foodbuzz-24-24-24-around-world-in-80.cfm" rel="alternate" title="Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Around the World in 80 Blocks" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><media:thumbnail height="72" url="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_t.jpg" width="72" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"/><thr:total>24</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-4337786573814107759</id><published>2010-04-13T23:50:00.023-05:00</published><updated>2010-04-15T15:33:53.447-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="OMAHA"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="RECIPES"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="RESTAURANT REVIEW"/><title type="text">RECIPE: Omaha Reuben Sandwich</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/4337786573814107759/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=4337786573814107759" rel="replies" title="6 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/4337786573814107759" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/4337786573814107759" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2010/04/recipe-omaha-reuben-sandwich.cfm" rel="alternate" title="RECIPE: Omaha Reuben Sandwich" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><media:thumbnail height="72" url="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/185/427564278_5979f8a2a2_t.jpg" width="72" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"/><thr:total>6</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-8154371368564411925</id><published>2010-04-07T22:52:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2010-04-07T23:11:03.504-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="NOTICE"/><title type="text">Please allow me to introduce myself</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/8154371368564411925/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=8154371368564411925" rel="replies" title="1 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/8154371368564411925" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/8154371368564411925" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2010/04/please-allow-me-to-introduce-myself.cfm" rel="alternate" title="Please allow me to introduce myself" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-2092335268962008383</id><published>2010-03-21T22:29:00.004-05:00</published><updated>2010-03-24T17:28:41.282-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="molecular gastronomy"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="PRODUCT REVIEW"/><title type="text">SousVide Supreme Review</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/2092335268962008383/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=2092335268962008383" rel="replies" title="6 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/2092335268962008383" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/2092335268962008383" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2010/03/sousvide-supreme-review.cfm" rel="alternate" title="SousVide Supreme Review" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><media:thumbnail height="72" url="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2725/4429663495_03c9570946_t.jpg" width="72" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"/><thr:total>6</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-5466660853172469703</id><published>2010-03-13T17:39:00.006-06:00</published><updated>2010-03-15T14:45:00.787-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="techniques"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="molecular gastronomy"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Thomas Keller"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="GUIDE"/><title type="text">Sous Vide for the Home Cook</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/5466660853172469703/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=5466660853172469703" rel="replies" title="6 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/5466660853172469703" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/5466660853172469703" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2010/03/sous-vide-for-home-cook.cfm" rel="alternate" title="Sous Vide for the Home Cook" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><media:thumbnail height="72" url="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4381162054_41480471f0_t.jpg" width="72" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"/><thr:total>6</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-5184192046962401169</id><published>2010-02-06T17:23:00.004-06:00</published><updated>2010-03-16T10:02:43.865-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="how to"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="TECHNOLOGY"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="techniques"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="molecular gastronomy"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="INTERVIEW"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="INSTRUCTIONAL"/><title type="text">What is Sous Vide</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/5184192046962401169/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=5184192046962401169" rel="replies" title="1 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/5184192046962401169" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/5184192046962401169" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2010/02/what-is-sous-vide-cooking-method.cfm" rel="alternate" title="What is Sous Vide" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-9084369185725378689</id><published>2010-02-03T16:12:00.000-06:00</published><updated>2010-02-03T16:12:18.019-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="NOTICE"/><title type="text">GFC Re-Launch Announcement</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/9084369185725378689/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=9084369185725378689" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/9084369185725378689" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/9084369185725378689" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2010/02/gfc-re-launch-announcement.cfm" rel="alternate" title="GFC Re-Launch Announcement" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-7438721524309471147</id><published>2010-01-08T12:04:00.010-06:00</published><updated>2010-01-08T16:52:54.579-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="LOCAL EVENTS"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="RESTAURANTS"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="AWARDS"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="OMAHA"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="RESTAURANT REVIEW"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Best Of"/><title type="text">Best-ter-est of Omaha Restaurants Award Winners - 2009</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/7438721524309471147/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=7438721524309471147" rel="replies" title="1 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/7438721524309471147" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/7438721524309471147" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2010/01/best-omaha-restaurants-list-2009.cfm" rel="alternate" title="Best-ter-est of Omaha Restaurants Award Winners - 2009" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-5021076848630943926</id><published>2010-01-06T14:42:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2010-01-06T15:23:58.430-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="NOTICE"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="OMAHA"/><title type="text">WANTED: Food Writers in Omaha, NE</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/5021076848630943926/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=5021076848630943926" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/5021076848630943926" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/5021076848630943926" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2010/01/wanted-food-writers-in-omaha-ne.cfm" rel="alternate" title="WANTED: Food Writers in Omaha, NE" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><media:thumbnail height="72" url="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/181/399238764_eb0831c1a7_t.jpg" width="72" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-3588577694705183789</id><published>2009-12-14T07:43:00.004-06:00</published><updated>2009-12-14T11:36:40.828-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="NATIONAL EVENTS"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="CHARITY"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="NEBRASKA"/><title type="text">Menu for Hope 6 - American Wagyu Beef by Morgan Ranch</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/3588577694705183789/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=3588577694705183789" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/3588577694705183789" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/3588577694705183789" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/12/menu-for-hope-6-american-wagyu-beef-by.cfm" rel="alternate" title="Menu for Hope 6 - American Wagyu Beef by Morgan Ranch" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-1711123928405930529</id><published>2009-11-20T15:09:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2009-11-20T15:12:56.328-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="LOCAL EVENTS"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="AWARDS"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="OMAHA"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="RESTAURANT REVIEW"/><title type="text">Vote in the 2009 Best-ter-est of Omaha Restaurant Awards!</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/1711123928405930529/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=1711123928405930529" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/1711123928405930529" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/1711123928405930529" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/11/best-of-omaha-restaurants-2009-best-ter.cfm" rel="alternate" title="Vote in the 2009 Best-ter-est of Omaha Restaurant Awards!" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-1957512054598820315</id><published>2009-11-03T21:26:00.000-06:00</published><updated>2009-11-03T21:26:09.460-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="NEWS"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="LOCAL EVENTS"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Jesse Becker"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="WINE"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="OMAHA"/><title type="text">Master Sommelier Introductory Course - Midwest Location</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/1957512054598820315/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=1957512054598820315" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/1957512054598820315" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/1957512054598820315" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/11/master-sommelier-introductory-course.cfm" rel="alternate" title="Master Sommelier Introductory Course - Midwest Location" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-6297306005265948902</id><published>2009-10-31T21:06:00.006-05:00</published><updated>2009-12-18T09:44:48.222-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="AWARDS"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="RECIPES"/><title type="text">RECIPE: Award Winning Gnocchi Poutine</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/6297306005265948902/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=6297306005265948902" rel="replies" title="2 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/6297306005265948902" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/6297306005265948902" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/10/award-winning-gnocchi-poutine-recipe.cfm" rel="alternate" title="RECIPE: Award Winning Gnocchi Poutine" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-5687901338459605665</id><published>2009-10-25T15:29:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2009-12-18T09:44:20.105-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="INTERVIEW"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="OMAHA"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="CHEFS"/><title type="text">INTERVIEW: Chef Jessica Joyce - Confluence Bistro</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/5687901338459605665/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=5687901338459605665" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/5687901338459605665" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/5687901338459605665" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/10/interview-chef-jessica-joyce-confluence.cfm" rel="alternate" title="INTERVIEW: Chef Jessica Joyce - Confluence Bistro" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-9158397887353783921</id><published>2009-10-07T05:50:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2009-10-07T12:30:22.537-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="CHARITY"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="LOCAL EVENTS"/><title type="text">Dine Out Against Hunger 2009 - Oct 13, Tuesday</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/9158397887353783921/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=9158397887353783921" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/9158397887353783921" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/9158397887353783921" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/10/dine-out-against-hunger-2009-oct-13.cfm" rel="alternate" title="Dine Out Against Hunger 2009 - Oct 13, Tuesday" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-1168414488316992818</id><published>2009-10-01T22:58:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2009-10-01T23:10:13.212-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="how to"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="BAKING"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="HOLIDAYS"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="RECIPES"/><title type="text">Halloween Cake Recipes: Pumpkin, Dirt and more!</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/1168414488316992818/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=1168414488316992818" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/1168414488316992818" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/1168414488316992818" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/10/halloween-recipes-pumpkin-cake-dirtcake.cfm" rel="alternate" title="Halloween Cake Recipes: Pumpkin, Dirt and more!" type="text/html"/><author><name>Foodie-E</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/00955826699868436973</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="35" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//www.blogger.com/img/blogger_logo_round_35.png" width="35"/></author><media:thumbnail height="72" url="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2526/3972988909_d47ccd4c58_t.jpg" width="72" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-3913982914397570891</id><published>2009-09-15T15:30:00.006-05:00</published><updated>2010-02-16T20:32:36.476-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="RESTAURANTS"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="REVIEW"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="OMAHA"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="RESTAURANT REVIEW"/><title type="text">Peru, Mucho Gusto - Omaha NE - Review</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/3913982914397570891/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=3913982914397570891" rel="replies" title="6 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/3913982914397570891" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/3913982914397570891" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/09/peru-mucho-gusto-omaha-ne-review.cfm" rel="alternate" title="Peru, Mucho Gusto - Omaha NE - Review" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><media:thumbnail height="72" url="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2511/3804574105_8a64c6cbe1_t.jpg" width="72" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"/><thr:total>6</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-7067714295888814313</id><published>2009-09-10T13:55:00.004-05:00</published><updated>2009-09-10T14:04:01.302-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="CHARITY"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Omaha Food Bank"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="RESTAURANTS"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="discounts"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="OMAHA"/><title type="text">Omaha Coupon Book  helping the Omaha Food Bank</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/7067714295888814313/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=7067714295888814313" rel="replies" title="5 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/7067714295888814313" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/7067714295888814313" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/09/omaha-coupon-book-omaha-food-bank.cfm" rel="alternate" title="Omaha Coupon Book  helping the Omaha Food Bank" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>5</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-6006204379283779190</id><published>2009-08-10T08:50:00.004-05:00</published><updated>2009-09-14T09:12:37.937-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="LISTS"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="NEBRASKA"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="GUIDE"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="IOWA"/><title type="text">MAP: 100 things to eat in Iowa before you die</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/6006204379283779190/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=6006204379283779190" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/6006204379283779190" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/6006204379283779190" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/08/map-100-things-to-eat-in-iowa-before.cfm" rel="alternate" title="MAP: 100 things to eat in Iowa before you die" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-850956768778325664</id><published>2009-07-31T10:33:00.005-05:00</published><updated>2009-07-31T11:38:33.911-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="RESTAURANTS"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="REVIEW"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="OMAHA"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="RESTAURANT REVIEW"/><title type="text">Where's the best Mexican food in Omaha</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/850956768778325664/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=850956768778325664" rel="replies" title="7 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/850956768778325664" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/850956768778325664" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm" rel="alternate" title="Where's the best Mexican food in Omaha" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>7</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-6010677564379438006</id><published>2009-07-18T15:23:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2009-09-20T14:47:31.158-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="EQUIPMENT REVIEW"/><title type="text">The Best Adjustable Spice Rack</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/6010677564379438006/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=6010677564379438006" rel="replies" title="6 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/6010677564379438006" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/6010677564379438006" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/best-adjustable-spice-rack.cfm" rel="alternate" title="The Best Adjustable Spice Rack" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>6</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-6339301415415646742</id><published>2009-07-10T08:30:00.006-05:00</published><updated>2009-07-10T09:10:24.671-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Foodies of Omaha"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="OFBBR"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="OMAHA"/><title type="text">New Omaha Food Bloggers - Q3 2009</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/6339301415415646742/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=6339301415415646742" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/6339301415415646742" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/6339301415415646742" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/new-omaha-food-bloggers-q3-2009.cfm" rel="alternate" title="New Omaha Food Bloggers - Q3 2009" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-9190032344948803142</id><published>2009-06-12T09:19:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2009-06-12T09:57:58.402-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Foodies of Omaha"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="CHARITY"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="LOCAL EVENTS"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Omaha Food Bank"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="OMAHA"/><title type="text">Omaha Food Bank - O! What a Duck Race 2009</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/9190032344948803142/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=9190032344948803142" rel="replies" title="0 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/9190032344948803142" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/9190032344948803142" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/06/omaha-food-bank-o-what-duck-race-2009.cfm" rel="alternate" title="Omaha Food Bank - O! What a Duck Race 2009" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-1386992735601965872</id><published>2009-06-08T07:37:00.010-05:00</published><updated>2009-06-08T11:12:09.975-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="BOOKS"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="NEBRASKA"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="RECIPES"/><title type="text">Kobe Beef Hamburger Recipes</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/1386992735601965872/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=1386992735601965872" rel="replies" title="2 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/1386992735601965872" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/1386992735601965872" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/06/kobe-burger-recipes-wagyu-beef.cfm" rel="alternate" title="Kobe Beef Hamburger Recipes" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><media:thumbnail height="72" url="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1413/622073328_2ce1f27240_t.jpg" width="72" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"/><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11473979.post-6603475830436467922</id><published>2009-05-30T22:55:00.007-05:00</published><updated>2010-02-16T19:20:31.229-06:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="REVIEW"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="PRODUCT REVIEW"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="GUIDE"/><title type="text">REVIEW: ThermoWorks Splash Proof Thermapen</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="margin:0 0 5px 5px;float:right;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/sets/72157623932520456/" target="_flickr" title="Around the World in 80 Blocks Photo Set"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/4552869645_1f5be7df84_m.jpg" alt="24th Street Building"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;The United States is often called the melting pot of the world.  Many cultures living together under one roof so to speak.  Yet outside of places like Berkeley CA, the diversity in most cities is segregated into little cloisters.  Out of these enclaves come neighborhoods that &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FList%5Fof%5Fnamed%5Fethnic%5Fenclaves%5Fin%5FNorth%5FAmerican%5Fcities"  target="_blank" title="List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/List of named ethnic enclaves in North American cities/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_named_ethnic_enclaves_in_North_American_cities');" &gt;get labels&lt;/a&gt; like Chinatown, Little Italy and Spanish Harlem.  And of course in each of those, you'll often find the best of that region's cuisine.&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;h2&gt;24th Street - Omaha, NE&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552854889%2F"  target="_blank" title="Paul and Nick" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Paul and Nick/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552854889/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/4552854889_76ed179f7f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paul and Nick" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;h3&gt;The Longest Street in the World&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;/div&gt;In Omaha, 24th street not only connects South Omaha to North Omaha, but it also connects many cuisines to one another.  You can take a culinary tour around the world by starting at one and working your way towards the other.  And that's what we did.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; With the company of Paul Kulik (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/02/review-boiler-room.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;The Boiler Room&lt;/a&gt;) and Nick Strawhecker (Executive Chef; &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Edantepizzeria%2Ecom%2F"  target="_blank" title="Dante Pizzeria Napoletana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Dante Pizzeria Napoletana/http://www.dantepizzeria.com/');" &gt;Dante Pizzeria Napoletana&lt;/a&gt;), we started just South of the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen%2Ewikipedia%2Eorg%2Fwiki%2FSouth%5FOmaha%5FMain%5FStreet%5FHistoric%5FDistrict"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Omaha_Main_Street_Historic_District');" &gt;South Omaha Main Street Historic District&lt;/a&gt; and ate our way up past the &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fa5TkxB"  target="_blank" title="Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Omaha Near North side on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/a5TkxB');" &gt;Near North side&lt;/a&gt;.  We sampled Mexican, Thai, Ethiopian, Barbecue and Soul Food with some good old Midwestern fried carp and beef jerky thrown in for good measure - all in about 4 hours. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For some people, wandering into a random ethnic restaurant and ordering something unfamiliar is a bit terrifying.  I'm here to tell you to just let go; don't be afraid.  If need be, ask for help.  As long as you avoid your allergens, nothing is likely to kill you.  And if it tastes gross, so what.  It's just food.  Order something else.  The point is you don't have to travel to eat exotic foods.  My bet is that there's something on a menu in town that you've never had before.  It could be something as simple as a &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2Fdvkh7S"  target="_blank" title="Mexican Mole on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Mexican Mole on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/dvkh7S');" &gt;Mexican mole&lt;/a&gt; to something as exotic as &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj%2Emp%2FaIu9wJ"  target="_blank" title="Birds nest soup on Wikipedia" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Birds nest soup on Wikipedia/http://j.mp/aIu9wJ');" &gt;bird's nest soup&lt;/a&gt;.  Just get out there and explore what your city has to offer.&lt;h2&gt;Exploring the Cuisine of Omaha&lt;/h2&gt;So let's take a look at some of the things we discovered during our trek. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/" title="Seafood Cocktail"&gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4553496740_aa2f99b34e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Seafood Cocktail" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;How would you like to start your morning off with &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553496740%2Fin%2Fset%2D72157623932520456%2F"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553496740/in/set-72157623932520456/');" &gt;one of these&lt;/a&gt; each morning?  &lt;b&gt;El 7 Mares&lt;/b&gt; is open at 10 am each morning and specializes in seafood from a distinctly Mexican perspective.  We asked our waitriss what their specialty was and she pointed us to the &lt;abbr title="The Hearty Seafood Cocktail"&gt;La Campechana Pescado Cocteles&lt;/abbr&gt;.  This massive goblet was filled with a a nice tomato broth similar to a gazpacho with piles of shrimp, calamari, octopus and oysters.  This was much sweeter then cocktails any of us had tried in the past and was a great way to begin our day. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Next we headed to &lt;b&gt;Joe Tess Place&lt;/b&gt; for their "Famous Fish" which just happens to be fried carp.  I wish we had good things to say about this odd delicacy, but the fish left a lot to be desired.  We'll leave it at that.  They do offer Schlitz beer, which could be seen as a bonus in some circles :-) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553501540%2F"  target="_blank" title="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553501540/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3006/4553501540_0659cd57a6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Tacos at Taqueria Tijuana" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Putting that memory behind us, we headed to our most anticipated destination of the day - &lt;b&gt;Taqueria Tijuana&lt;/b&gt;.  Many a debate is often had about &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/07/wheres-best-mexican-food-in-omaha.cfm"&gt;where to find the best Mexican food in Omaha&lt;/a&gt;.  Many of our trusted friends have told us about the amazing tacos at Taqueria Tijuana, yet none of us had been yet.  Cut to the chase: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  There was some very colorful, passionate language used, but I'll paraphrase and just say "That's a damn good taco".  I think the phrase "Best Taco in Omaha" was also used.  Oh, and I know we got 4 different tacos, but those statements stand across the board. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553404088%2F"  target="_blank" title="Laos Thai Market" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Laos Thai Market/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553404088/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/4553404088_c895ea2653_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Laos Thai Market" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Pay. Jump in the car.  Head down the road.  &lt;b&gt;Laos Thai Market&lt;/b&gt;.  Another place I've heard I must hit.  A spot that's half market, half restaurant with no real line between the two.  An incredibly small kitchen is tucked in the back with residential refrigerators for coolers.  The entire place is run by 3 people. Presumably mom and grandma in the back cooking and cleaning with the son waiting tables in the front.  Unfortunately that killed our time line taking over 20 minutes to get our green curry with chicken.  It was *almost* worth it.  The curry was spicy, clean and balanced - not at all cloying with coconut milk. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Back in the car to see what else we can find.  A quick drive-by &lt;b&gt;Shang-Hai Garden&lt;/b&gt; Chinese &amp; Mexican food for a laugh, but no food.  Then a pit stop at &lt;b&gt;Stoysich House of Sausage&lt;/b&gt; for some jerky that Paul had been calling "meat butter".  Opps, that was &lt;b&gt;Wohlner's Grocery&lt;/b&gt; that had the "meat butter".  Nothing wrong with the Stoysich jerky though.  Next place.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553448810%2F"  target="_blank" title="Doro Wat" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Doro Wat/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553448810/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4553448810_7a460757f8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Doro Wat" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Here I elected to cheat just a tad.  &lt;b&gt;The International Cafe&lt;/b&gt; is a 1/2 block off of 24th Street, but how do you pass up the opportunity to have East African food in Omaha?  Don't be thrown off the trail by the "House of Gyros" tagline.  Inside are the goods.  &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafel"&gt;Falafel&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa"&gt;Sambusa&lt;/a&gt;, something called Mendase and more.  We ordered the &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doro_wat"&gt;Doro Wat&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera"&gt;Injera&lt;/a&gt;.  We quickly dug into the braised chicken in a nice rich red sauce.  You'd swear has tomatoes in it, but you'd be wrong.  The injera here was rather delicate, so forks are not a bad idea.  Keep in mind that being Muslim &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fislam%2Eabout%2Ecom%2Fcs%2Fprayer%2Fa%2Fprayer%5Ftimes%2Ehtm"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://islam.about.com/cs/prayer/a/prayer_times.htm');" &gt;requires prayer through-out the day&lt;/a&gt;, so be prepared to wait if you go during one of these times.  &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4552823439%2F"  target="_blank" title="Southern Boys Cafe" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Southern Boys Cafe/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4552823439/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4552823439_9d72c71dc5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Southern Boys Cafe" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;For our last stop with the full crew, we sought out the &lt;b&gt;Southern Boys Cafe&lt;/b&gt;.  Not much to look at on the outside, but the inside is plastered with character.  Pictures, posters and the guitar in the corner give you a fast idea about the owner in case you don't get a chance to meet him.  We got a chance to talk to the owner and I think the place is appropriately named.  We ordered ribs and fried okra, but were easily talked into getting the fried catfish as well.  Everything was excellent.  The ribs were unique with just a ton of flavors going on.  The okra was some of the best I've ever had. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;At this point, Paul and Nick both had to head back to "the office".  I chose to carry on since there were a couple more places I wanted to check out.   &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I was told I should stop at &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Echefmike%2Enet%2F"  target="_blank" title="Chef Mikes Community Cafe" name="Chef Mikes Community Cafe"  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Chef Mikes Community Cafe/http://www.chefmike.net/');" &gt;&lt;b&gt;Chef Mike's Community Cafe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  Since Thursday's are soul food day at Mike's, who was I to argue.  It was not what I was expecting it to be.  Don't expect a restaurant.  Instead this is basically a cafeteria.  My stomach was getting full and I had other stops I wanted to make, so I decided to pass.  If you think I made a mistake, leave a comment and tell me how great the place is. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;div style="float:left;margin:0 5px 5px 0;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553472652%2F"  target="_blank" title="Bills BBQ Omaha" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Bills BBQ Omaha/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553472652/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/4553472652_62a21e510d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Bills BBQ Omaha" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Back in the car and continue up 24th to a place I haven't been to in years.  I was a little proud of myself for knowing of a barbecue place that one of the members of Greater Omaha Barbecue Society hadn't heard of.  Not to mention a little funny since the person in question happens to share the same name as the location in question.  Granted the place is called &lt;b&gt;Bill's BBQ, Liquor Store and Gas&lt;/b&gt;, so  not being a dedicated barbecue joint might have something to do with the oversight.  Waiting for your 4 bone ribs while people get rolling papers, alcohol and Starbursts is a little amusing.  I should also mention, in case it wasn't clear, this is not a restaurant.  There are no seats, no counters, and certainly no hostess.  You walk up to the barred window, order your food and go.  It's not the best BBQ in Omaha, but it's not bad and worth a slight detour if you're in the area. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div style="float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eflickr%2Ecom%2Fphotos%2Fsnekse%2F4553506760%2F"  target="_blank" title="Sage Bistro" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc/Sage Bistro/http://www.flickr.com/photos/snekse/4553506760/');" &gt;&lt;img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/4553506760_e9a3397d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Sage Bistro" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;My final stops for the day actually weren't on 24th Street.  I popped up to the Institute for Culinary Arts at Metro Community College to drop off some of Bill's barbecue to some friends.  If you haven't seen their new building yet, get out there ASAP.  It's amazing.  I believe Omaha will become a destination school for those entering the culinary field because of the incredible work put into this new facility.  And if you haven't been to &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2006/10/sage-student-bistro-omaha-ne.cfm"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sage Student Bistro&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, change your dinner plans soon.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in Omaha. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;By now it was time to head home.  Since my wife didn't get a chance to join me, I wanted to bring home some dinner.  What did I bring her?  Some of the &lt;a href="http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/resources/Best-of-Omaha-Restaurant-Guide.cfm"&gt;Best Fried Chicken in Omaha&lt;/a&gt; from &lt;b&gt;Time Out Foods&lt;/b&gt; at 30th and Pinkney.  A good Southern style fried chicken with a nice crunch and a spiciness that adds a little zip, but is not overpowering.  The potato salad and coleslaw were both tasty as well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;It was a long day and a food coma ensued, but it was completely worth it.  Hopefully our journey will inspire others to really investigate all their town has to offer and uncover some special gems that are worth the trek.  Eat well. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Special Thanks To...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efoodbuzz%2Ecom%2F24"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.foodbuzz.com/24');" &gt;Foodbuzz&lt;/a&gt; for funding our tour.&lt;br/&gt;Paul Kulik and Nick Strawhecker for joining me.&lt;br/&gt;Food &amp; Spirits Magazine &lt;a href="http://www.snekse.com/common/exit.cfm?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efsmomaha%2Ecom%2Ffood%2F2009%2F2%2F24th%2Dstreet%2Dthe%2Dlongest%2Dstreet%2Din%2Dthe%2Dworld"  target="_blank" title="" name=""  REL="nofollow"  onClick="urchinTracker('/out/gfc//http://www.fsmomaha.com/food/2009/2/24th-street-the-longest-street-in-the-world');" &gt;from whom I borrowed this idea&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br/&gt;All the restaurants that we visited for just being there.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Apologies&lt;/b&gt;There was supposed to be video to go along with this post.  I'm still trying to get the technical difficulties worked out on that one.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&#xd;
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&lt;span  class="tags"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.snekse.com/common/images/bookmark/technorati.png" style="border-width:0px; padding:0px; margin:0px;vertical-align:middle;"&gt; Tags || &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/OMAHA" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;OMAHA&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24TH+STREET" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24TH STREET&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOODBUZZ" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOODBUZZ&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/24+24+24" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;24 24 24&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/PAUL+KULIK" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;PAUL KULIK&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/NICK+STRAWHECKER" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;NICK STRAWHECKER&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a id="showMoreTags" href="#"  rel="nofollow"  onClick="gfc_hide($('showMoreTags'));gfc_show($('moreTags'));return false;"&gt;more...&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span  style="display: none;"  id="moreTags"&gt;| &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/FOOD" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;FOOD&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="http://technorati.com/tag/GFC" target="_blank" rel="tag"&gt;GFC&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;|&lt;/span&gt;&#xd;
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</content><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/6603475830436467922/comments/default" rel="replies" title="Post Comments" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11473979&amp;postID=6603475830436467922" rel="replies" title="4 Comments" type="text/html"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/6603475830436467922" rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.blogger.com/feeds/11473979/posts/default/6603475830436467922" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/><link href="https://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/blog/food/2009/05/thermoworks-splash-proof-thermapen.cfm" rel="alternate" title="REVIEW: ThermoWorks Splash Proof Thermapen" type="text/html"/><author><name>snekse</name><uri>https://www.blogger.com/profile/15121253025671052849</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image height="24" rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" src="//farm1.static.flickr.com/179/399483539_fde599bd88_o.jpg" width="32"/></author><thr:total>4</thr:total></entry></feed>