2022 OMAHA FOOD HIGHLIGHTS
The end of the year provides a perfect to reflect on all the good things that happened in the past 365 days. Naturally, my mind went immediately to food.
And holy cow, did Omaha restaurants bless me with some amazing experiences in 2022.
From finding unique new favorite spots to participating in unforgettable dinners, I got to do some really cool stuff this past year, and it’s all thanks to Omaha’s awesome restaurant scene. Check out my top 12 (in no particular order) and put them on your Omaha restaurant radar for 2023.
"Say Aloha to Summer" Pop-Up at Hail Varsity Club
I’ve long wanted to do some kind of Restaurant Hoppen pop-up event, and that opportunity came this year. Hurrdat, the company that produces my podcast, opened Hail Varsity Club, a state-of-the-art sports bar, and offered me the opportunity to bring in a chef for a one-night event. Immediately I knew Nick Joubert would be perfect for the job. The owner of The 4th Station, I knew Nick could make killer food. He just needed a platform to showcase it.
On Sept. 13, my dream finally came to life, and it couldn’t have gone better.
The support we received from friends and the restaurant community was insane (shoutout to the owners of Kinaara, Chef Around the Block, Wonton Jon’s, and Mexitli for showing up); the patio was packed all night long. Hail Varsity put on a heck of an event, and Nick absolutely crushed the food, slinging delicious burgers, kalbi plates, and fry baskets. The night went so well, Hail Varsity Club subsequently hired Nick to run their kitchen.
Everything I love about the restaurant industry—bringing people together over food, highlighting talented but unknown cooks, and just having a good time—came together in one evening I’ll never forget.
The Creation of Sarah's Chocolate Dream Cake
There are few better things in life than bringing joy to someone you love. So when Stacey Leick, the sweet and amazingly talented owner of Buttered Marshmallow, said she wanted to make a special cake named after my wife, Sarah, I was floored.
Given the delicousness of every Buttered Marshmallow cake we’ve had, I had no doubt Stacey would create something epic. But what she came up with surpassed even my wildest expectations.
Sarah is a chocolate lover to the extreme, and Sarah’s Chocolate Dream Cake is a beautiful ode to all things chocolate. The dense, rich chocolate chip cream cake is lightened by an airy, silky chocolate buttercream. But what makes this cake is the velvety Ghirardelli chocolate ganache, flowing with chocolate chips, between each layer. This is my favorite dessert in Omaha, but more importantly, it thrilled my wife. I owe Stacey and Buttered Marshmallow a debt of gratitude for this masterpiece.
Avante Larde Dinner at Casa Bovina
Let me be clear—any meal at Lincoln Casa Bovina is a memorable experience. The chefs are as creative as they are talented, the dining room is elegant yet rustic, and the ever-changing menu consistently delivers new delights. But an evening in Casa Bovina’s private dining room is something different altogether. Separate from the restaurant, this room seats only 8-12 diners to craft an intimate experience.
My experience here was for “Avant Larde”, a special dinner honoring the mangalitsa hog. We were served 7 courses that highlighted different cuts of the fatty swine, from crispy pork belly nestled on a nettle risotto to decadent lardo-wrapped coppa. And I still have fond dreams of the agnolotti, bite-sized pasta purses stuffed with braised shank and jamon.
Visit Omaha Video at Trucks & Taps
My favorite TV show is Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and I’ve long envied host Guy Fieri’s job. Travel the country, get to meet amazing restaurateurs, and eat incredible food? Sign me up. You don’t even need to pay me.
So when Visit Omaha offered me to do a version of this at Trucks and Taps, an old Sonic Drive-In converted into a food truck hub, it was a dream come true. And the resulting video turned out better than I could’ve imagined.
Not only did I get to feast on ribs from Big Green Q, a lobster roll from Three Kids Lobster, and one of Omaha’s best fried chicken sandwiches at Burning Bridges, but we highlighted the individual trucks and Trucks & Taps as a whole.
Bucket list event, checked.
Getting Introduced to Sauced by Alfaro
Sauced by Alfaro is one of the most unique and special restaurants in Omaha. It’s small, still relatively new, and is run by a former home cook with no “chef” experience.
But given the amount of care, skill, and attention to detail that goes into every plate that comes out of this kitchen, let me assure you: this is one of the best restaurants in Omaha.
Owner Michelle Alfaro left her corporate job to pursue her cooking passion, and Omaha is lucky for it. This scratch kitchen makes just about everything it serves: every chicken tender and fried shrimp is hand breaded, every sauce carefully crafted by Michelle, every french fry cut by hand.
The result is some of the best food you’ll find in the city. From the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich (which has my vote for Omaha’s best), to Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos, the Screwball Whiskey Peanut Butter Burger, and some of the city’s best wings, Sauced can do no wrong. Dish after dish is a home run, making this a MUST-VISIT restaurant in 2023.
Omakase at Ota (Yoshitomo)
3+ hours. 18 courses of sushi and small plates. An ongoing conversation with a James Beard-nominated chef.
A meal at Ota, the omakase room at Yoshitomo, is unlike anything else. There’s no ordering; you place yourself in chef Dave Utterback’s hands and watch as he crafts each course right in front of you. The flavors are mind-bending, and you’ll find yourself swearing each course was better than the last.
But the real pleasure is Utterback himself. In what other setting do you spend several hours with a chef of this caliber? We discussed everything from Japanese tuna auctions to the curing methods he uses for the fish to his Fortnite battles with his son. Utterback is a charming, knowledgeable personality who would make the night a blast even if the food were average.
Which it is not. Not in the least.
Dante Smoker Dinner
Dante is always pushing itself to improve. It wasn’t enough that it’s already the best Italian joint in Omaha, or that it serves some of the city’s best pizza. The chefs and cooks are always looking for ways to get better—so the restaurant bought a smoker.
Infusing Dante’s pizzas and pastas with smoked meats is like giving Stephen Curry’s jump shot to Lebron James; it’s just not fair. And before Dante unveiled new menu items, it invited a small group of us to taste the upcoming treasures.
Tender tagliatelle noodles paired with a rich smoked pork ragu. A pizza topped with smoked brisket. Ravioli loaded with bison. Every dish was a revelation.
But the one I still can’t get out of my head is the Wood Smoked Beef Short Ribs, which featured meat more tender and flavorful than any brisket I’ve ever had (which includes many of the famous joints in KC and Texas). With a brilliant crust and vibrant smoke ring, this was one of the best dishes I’ve had all year, and when it pops up on Dante’s menu, it’s a must-order meal.
Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich Hunt
I love spicy food and fried chicken sandwiches, so Nashville hot chicken sandwiches create a heavenly venn diagram for me. So this fall, I set out to find Omaha’s best version—who could not only fry the chicken well, but balance the mouth-numbing heat with a subtle sweetness?
I spent a month sampling 8 sandwiches from 7 restaurants (my doctor will not be happy with me) to find the answer. In general, I found a lot of restaurants served a great spicy chicken sandwich, but few that offered the “Nashville hot” punch I was looking for.
Two set themselves apart from the field. First was Block 16‘s Renegade Chickenwich, which combined juicy chicken tenders with a creeping heat. But the winner was hands down Sauced by Alfaro‘s version—one bite into this inferno of sweet heat not only confirmed it as the winner, but my favorite sandwich in Omaha.
For the full results, check out this blog.
Trying Block 16's Mackrib
Block 16 has run its take on McDonald’s famous McRib sandwich for years, but the stars had never aligned for me to get downtown on one of these glorious days. That is, until Block 16 announced they’d run the special for an entire week. I blocked off my calendar in anticipation.
This sandwich was well worth the wait.
Unlike McDonald’s version (are we sure that “pork” patty classifies as meat?), the Mackrib features a pulled baby back rib patty with a brilliant smoky flavor. The tangy BBQ sauce adds just the right amount of sweetness to contrast the creamy fat of the mayo, and house pickles add awesome crunch.
And you, dear reader, are in luck: Block 16 has since added this sandwich to the permanent menu, so you can order it at any time. Which you should do… like, soon.
Experiencing Izzy's Pizza Bus
Detroit-style pizza is still relatively new to Omaha, but it’s quickly gaining traction, as Izzy’s Pizza Bus proved when it moved to Omaha from Las Vegas in 2022. The food truck experienced massive lines and sold out of pies nearly every time it was open, and it’s not hard to see why.
Izzy’s nails the elements that define great Detroit-style pizza: a crispy, caramelized crust; chewy, oily dough; sweet red sauce ladled on top. Whatever pizza you order at Izzy’s will thrill you, but the Red Harvest stakes its claim as one of Omaha’s best pies. With crispy, greasy char-n-cup pepperonis, bacon, sweet peppadew peppers, creamy dollops of garlic ricotta, and a healthy drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey, this pizza is a perfect blend of salty, spicy, and sweet.
Staycations at the Cottonwood Hotel
My wife and I celebrated our third anniversary with a staycation at the Cottonwood Hotel, and it was so enjoyable, we ran back the experience a few months later in the summer. The Cottonwood is a tremendous place to stay, with a beautiful pool, multiple fun bars, and the exquisite Committee Chophouse, but it also allows you to experience all the great restaurants the Blackstone district has to offer.
Among our visits, we had bao buns and one of Omaha’s best burgers at Nite Owl, the city’s finest ice cream at Coneflower Creamery, incredible pasta and desserts at Stirnella, and wonderful brunches both inside (Orleans Room) and outside (Early Bird) the hotel. And our trips were so full, we didn’t get to visit awesome restaurants like Get Real Sandwiches, Mula, and Noli’s Pizzeria.
Bottom line: I highly recommend a stay at the Cottonwood for its standalone brilliance, but the ability to savor Blackstone’s vibrant restaurant scene is a fun bonus.
Finding the Hidden Gems
Popular restaurants like Block 16, Piezon’s Pizzeria, and Porky Butts BBQ are beloved for a reason, and I’ll happily eat at these awesome places any day of the week. But I also find joy in discovering under-the-radar joints, especially those in places you’d never expect. Among my favorites this year:
- Alley Taco 402: This food truck is serving some of the best tacos and tortas you’ll find, all from a back alley in South Omaha. The Al Pastor Torta, with a rich sweetness and a crispy cheese blanket, is a treat.
- J’s Smokehouse: A food truck that also serves in a Papillion karate gym Thursday-Saturday, J’s Smokehouse features meaty, tender ribs, tremendous brisket, and a black pepper rub that makes all of its meats just sing.
- Sandwich Proper: This pop-up is extremely limited, as it only serves on Sundays at the Aksarben farmers market. But these breakfast sandwiches are so high above the standard expectation, they’re worth creating a special block in your calendar for.
- Centi: Who would expect to find exceptional gelato in a coffee shop? The idea is unfamiliar, but the creamy gelato and creative flavors that Centi (located in the downtown location of Hardy Coffee) creates are spectacular.