Saturday, August 18, 2007

Omaha on $40 a Day
posted by snekse

We've all seen the show. Pick a city and see how well you can eat for just $40 a day. Well, we decided to throw a little contest to see who could do it best. And now we have a winner!

I'd like to truly thank all those who participated. I really wish I had enough prizes to give to everyone because they really all were great menus for different reasons. But alas, we had to make a decision. Before we reveal the winner, let me present the menus we received. In no particular order, here is Omaha on $40 a Day.

By Nan T

Breakfast @ Summer Kitchen

Prince Charles Omelette: 3 egg omelette with grilled chicken breast, broccoli, almonds, onions, Monterey Jack cheese, and hollandaise, served with hashbrowns or fruit and toast or a fresh-baked muffin - $7.99
9-oz juice of your choice - $1.59

Cost : $11.79 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Lunch @ Jaipur

Vegetable Curry with Rice, served with Mulligatawny soup and salad. - $7.50
Mango Lassi - $2.75

Cost: $12.62 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Morning or Afternoon Snack @ Crane Coffee

Turtle Latte - Espresso, steamed milk, chocolate, caramel and praline, whipped topping ($3.30 for 16-oz size)

Cost: $4.00 with 7% tax and $0.47 in tip bucket

Dinner @ Mediterranean Bistro

Combo Kabob - 3 pieces chicken kabob & 2 pieces of shish (beef tenderloin) with grilled fresh vegetables, served with basmati rice & choice of soup or salad - $7.75
Persian Hot Tea - $1.50

Cost: $11.39 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Total: $39.80

By Brian O'M **

Breakfast @ Miracle Hills Cafe

Anything - Between $5 to $7

Cost: Less than $10.00 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Lunch @ Stokes

WORLD FAMOUS (ALMOST) SHARON'S CHICKEN ENCHILADAS:
chicken & cheese enchiladas with white sauce, poblano sauce, beans & rice - $8.65
-OR-
YAYA'S SAUSAGE:
andouille & chorizo sausages with cowboy beans, green chile & tortillas - $8.95

Cost: ~$11.00 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Dinner @ Surfside Club

Fried Catfish - $12.00
-OR-
Fried Chicken - $10.00
Corn Fritters - FREE

Cost: ~$15.00 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Total: ~$36.00

By Stacy W

Breakfast @ 11-Worth Cafe

Biscuits and Gravy (really any breakfast item on the menu is excellent) - $4.50

Cost: $5.54 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Lunch @ Stella's

Cheeseburger - $3.25
Fries - $1.00
Ice Tea - $1.00

Cost: $6.46 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Dinner @ Nicola's

Tortellini al Formaggio & Prosciutto - $12.95
(includes salad and bruschetta)

Cost: $15.93 with 7% tax and 15% tip

After Dinner Dessert @ Jobber's Canyon

Chocolate Bread Pudding - $4.50

Cost $5.54 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Total: $33.47 (Allowing for a couple of drinks in there somewhere)

By Amy P

Breakfast @ Radial Cafe

One can't miss this traditional diner in the heart of midtown. Must try the gut-busting Radial Raft, a huge plate of hashbrowns, biscuits, gravy, and eggs cooked to order - $5.95

Cost: $7.35 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Lunch @ Bohemian Cafe

As if the huge breakfast wasn't enough, a trip to the "Bohem" is a must for anyone with roots in eastern Europe. The Czech goulash is ridiculously good, and make sure to add a side of dumplings and gravy for the full experience. A favorite of my grandmother, the Bohemian is in my rotating cycle of where to take guests visiting Omaha for the first time.
Goulash - 6.75
Side Dumplings - $2.15

Cost: $10.95 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Dinner @ Darwin Bistro

Run by culinary students, this bargain restaurant gives the glamour of fine dining without the pricetag. Great service and high quality food, even with a free amuse bouche, Darwin is somewhere to come again and again. Great entree choice- Crispy Duck, a bargain at only - $17. [ED: Darwin has recently raised their prices, this dish is now $21 ]

Cost: $25.84 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Total: $39.35 [ED: $44.14]

By Foodie E **

Brunch @ Taxi's

Belgian Waffle with strawberries and whipped cream served with fruit or potatoes $7.50

Cost: $9.23 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Lunch @ Barrett's Barleycorn

Famous Pork Tenderloin sandwich: pork tenderloin lightly breaded and served with cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and onions. Served with chips and a pickle. Only served on Thursdays and Fridays - $7.95

Cost: $9.78 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Happy Hour @ Bianco's

Spedini di calimari: skewered squid with seasoned bread crumbs, grilled, flash-fried with fresh lemon, tomato basil sauce - $4

Cost: $4.92 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Small Dinner @ TasTe

Beet & Goat Cheese Salad - $5.5
Sweet Potato Fries with Basil Aioli -$4.5

Cost: $12.31 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Dessert @ Gelato Jo's

Small cup of any tasty gelato - $2.50

Cost: $2.95 with 7% tax and 10% tip

Total: $39.19

By snekse

Brunch @ Taxi's Grill

Blackstone Eggs: Poached eggs, tomatoes, bacon on English muffin with jalapeño hollandaise - $8.95

Cost: $11.02 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Lunch @ Amsterdam Falafel & Kabob

Doner Kabob & Curry Fries: Thin sliced lamb, fresh vegetable salad and choice of garlic or spicy sauce in toasted bread - $7.50

Cost: $9.02 with 7% tax and $1 tip

Dinner @ Spezia

Gnocchi Alla Pollo - Seared chicken breast, cremini mushrooms and fresh baby spinach served over gorgonzola cream - $15.95

Cost: $19.63 with 7% tax and 15% tip

Total: $39.67

And the winner is...

Stacy W

We liked his off-the-beaten-path/not-in-many-tourist-guide-books selections, yet finishes elegantly at Nicola's which is said to be one of the more underrated places in the Old Market. Congratulations Stacy!

For all of his hard work, he had won a snazzy Omaha Prime Discount Card.

Other dishes mentioned as potential contenders included Cinnamon rolls at Sweet Magnolias, Imperial Chicken at the Rice Bowl, pizza at Mama's, the Bo-Pork or the Ranchera Enchiladas at Rivera's Mexican, Steak Philly and Fries at PepperJax, Chocolate Gelato at Gelato Jo's , The Bagel Bin, Donut Stop on 13th, a Little King 6" sandwich, the Prix Fixe menu at Sage Bistro and an enthusiastic "Runza, Runza, Runza!"

If you'd like to submit your own version of Omaha on $40 a Day, send your menu to us and we'll add it to this list.

** These people were not eligible to win, but we appreciate their participation.

RELATED LINKS:
CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT: Omaha on $40 a Day

Labels: CONTEST, OMAHA, RESTAURANTS

Monday, August 13, 2007

Iowa State Fair
posted by snekse

For those who have never been to the Iowa State Fair, I thought I would post a bit a visual guide of some the tastes and sights to be explored at the fair as well as cover two very cool restaurants to stop by while you're in the Des Moines area.

The Iowa State Fair

The Iowa State Fair is one of the largest and most popular fairs in the world. The fair attracts upwards of a million visitors during it's 11-day run. During this time nearly 200 food stands serve almost every kind of food you can fry and/or put on a stick. Don't believe me? At last count there were over 20 different kinds of food being served on a stick including corn dogs, cheese, pickles, honey, candy bars and of course pork chops. Being Iowa, the pork chops are a fan favorite at the fair, gobbling down 5-6,000 chops daily.

Besides the prepared food, it's also very interesting to see all of the unprepared food with the hooves still on them. I enjoyed seeing all of the technology and work put into the agricultural industry that so many of us take for granted. And I would be remiss if I failed to mention the butter cow. A 550 pound block of butter sculpted into a life size sculpture of a dairy cow. All of these things make the Iowa State Fair a prized foodie badge that's hard earned with almost 240 acres to explore. Tiring, but well worth it.

Because of the size of the fair grounds, I recommend arriving early and staying late, or splitting your visit into 2 or more days. The population of Des Moines swells each weekend during the fair, so I highly recommend planning in advance and booking your hotel room in January to get the best deals.

If you do stay for a bit, you're going to want to visit some of the local dining options you won't find anywhere else. To help you with that, I'm going to share two of my favorites so far.

The Machine Shed

The first is The Machine Shed. Think Cracker Barrel, but better. The front entry is very similar to Cracker Barrel with knick-knacks and crap galore to sell you while you wait, but with an Iowan agriculture theme. You find jams and honey to pink John Deere trucker hats to coffee table books featuring black-and-white photographs of rustic barns. Once seated, you'll notice the wait staff are dressed like picnic tables in denim overalls and the decor is basically old farm signs and equipment nailed to the wall. All a little funny, but somewhat charming at the same time. The food, however, is just plain good.

Every table is given some unusual starters: banana bread, coleslaw and cottage cheese. A little strange, but it's not unlike what I would expect to find at my grandma's house when I was little. The menu is almost exactly what one would expect with some more upscale touches thrown in here and there. Top quality pork is featured heavily and prepared in tender mouth watering succulent ways. Yep, it's that good. Far better than one should expect for the setting and prices. A must stop place for any city slicker.

Rube's Steakhouse

The other unusual stop I wanted to highlight is actually just West of Des Moines in Montour, IA. Rube's Steakhouse claims to be the "The 'Original' Grill Your Own" steakhouse. I know a lot of people don't see the appeal in going to a restaurant just to make your own food, but it's really about two things: the social aspect and the quality of the ingredients. Rube's has both of those down pretty well. They offer some really nice aged corn fed beef that you prepare to your liking on giant indoor hardwood charcoal grills. Standing around a grill with a beer in your hand shooting the breeze with who ever happens to be next to you is really what it's all about. The fact that the steaks are excellent and include unlimited salad bar, soup, Texas toast and potato is just icing. For those intimidated by the 28 oz. Top Sirloin, they do offer a smaller 10 oz. version as well :-)

The Machine Shed of Des Moines
(I-80/35 - Exit 125 at Living History Farms)

Rating: 85

11151 Hickman Road (map)
Urbandale, IA 50322
Phone: (515) 270-6818

Hours of Operation
  Monday — Saturday: 6:00 am — 10:00 pm
  Saturday Buffet: 7:00 am - 1:00 pm
  Sunday: 7:00 am — 9:00 pm
  Sunday Buffet: 7:00 am - 1:00 pm

Rube's Steakhouse of Montour
(Montour, IA)

Rating: 84

118 Elm Street
Montour, IA
Phone: (515) 492-6222

Hours of Operation
  Monday — Thursday: 5:00 pm — 9:00 pm
  Friday — Saturday: 5:00 pm — 10:00 pm
  Sunday: 4:30 pm — 9:00 pm

Tags || IOWA STATE FAIR | FOOD ON A STICK | DES MOINES | IOWA | RUBE'S STEAKHOUSE | MACHINE SHED | more... |

Labels: FESTIVALS, IOWA, RESTAURANTS

Friday, August 10, 2007

NOTW: Friday, August 10th 2007
posted by snekse

News of the Week: Friday, July 13th 2007

Really news of the month since it's been about that long since I've posted food news around here. There's been a lot of news in the past month, so this will be a fairly long post. And if you didn't hear, I have a good excuse.

Anthony Bourdain was nominated for an Emmy award for his work in Anthony Bourdain in Beirut on the Travel Channel. The special documented his ill timed travels to Lebanon in 2006 to film an episode of No Reservations only to be caught in the middle of an erupting war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Food TV will be holding a competition to decide the next Iron Chef for Iron Chef America. Some really big names will be competing including Traci des Jardins, who just won the 2007 James Beard award for Best Chef [Pacific].

There was an interesting article in the New York Times recently about the surge in fine dining options in the Midwest. It featured Bluestem and Lidia's in Kansas City, as well as places in St. Louis, Minneapolis and Milwaukee. Just goes to show that the Midwest isn't just meat and potatoes. We want our tasting menus and caviar too.

Far From the Big Cities, and Not Missing Them (via the Boston Globe)

Speaking of Iron Chef's and tasting menus, Darwin Bistro, here in Omaha, has been having it's own Iron Chef competitions every week. Every Wednesday each of the four chefs are given a different ingredient from which to make a nightly special. The winner is who ever sells the most specials. Customers are encouraged to call in at the end of the evening to see who won. The results so far:

Paul Urban: 3 Wins, 1 Tie, 1 Team Win
Brian Young: 1 Win, 1 Tie
Craig Hoffman: 1 Win
Jessica O'Kief: 1 Win, 1 Team Win
Telia Owens: 1 Win

They've also started offering a full fledged tasting menu of 12 to 15 courses.

If you recognize the name Craig Hoffman from the previous item, it might be because you're a fan of V. Mertz. Hoffman was part of a large exodus following a "reorganization" in the V. Mertz kitchen that put Clayton Chapman in the chef de cuisine position.

In some slightly odd news, I just found out Ted & Wally's here in Omaha bought eCreamery.com. What's strange about it is the fact that prices start at $49.95 for a single flavor half-gallon! I'm all about indulgences, but that's a little insane.

For those who want to expand their ice cream palate, why not try some chewy ice cream

Omaha Restaurants in the Press
The Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffet, seems to know how to pick great steak houses as well as stocks. His favorite steak house in Omaha, Gorat's, got some great press recently being named one of America’s top seven steakhouses by Saveur magazine as well as being named one of the 10 best "traditional" steak houses in the US by USA Today.

The Omaha World-Herald had a sad, but really interesting interview with the Doc of Doc & Eddie's. If you get a chance, I encourage you to read it. It's short, but good. Chef Chat: Success bittersweet for Doc & Eddie's

And fans of Lance Wang's O Casual Dining & Lounge might be excited to learn that he has tentatively found a new home for his popular fusion restaurant. If all goes well, O Casual will move into the space once occupied by the Great Wall restaurant. The Old Market location in downtown Omaha sits next to the Gene Leahy Mall and should prove popular with tourist and local alike. The survival of the mural on the building is still in question.

The Dundee Dell has a new executive chef, Hilary Quinn, who has revamped their menu with the help of a customer feedback party held in July.

Also in the Dundee area, Dario's Brasserie plans to host a Belgian beer garden during this year's Dundee Days which will be held August 25th.

And the last bit of local press, we've updated our Boyd and Charlie's coverage to a full fledge review. It was written by my wife, so if you find it helpful, please leave her a comment with words of encouragement so I can talk her into doing more.

And for those of you eagerly awaiting an announcement regarding our Omaha on $40 a Day contest, you're going to have to wait just a bit longer. With the arrival of our new bundle of joy, I'm a bit behind. What this also means is that if you haven't yet submitted your entry, or you want to submit more than one entry, you have about another week to do so.

I haven't quite decided if I think this is cool or lame. At the moment I'm leaning towards lame.

It's owned by the same group that brought us the Rain Forest Cafe. Currently they have a single location at the Kansas City Speedway with another opening at the Downtown Disney Marketplace in Orlando.