DELICATESSEN OF BUVETTE

Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★⭑

Small market w/ breads, meats, cheeses, and fresh sandwiches

Perfect For: Baked Goods; Lunch; Casual Dining; Takeout

Standout Dishes: Cubano; Banh Mi; Dolmas

Few Omaha restaurants have a bread program that can rival that of La Buvette. From crispy-crusted baguette to the tangy sourdough, La Buvette experiments with making all kinds of bread in house, and its bread plate is among the best appetizers in Omaha.

And in the small space next door, La Buvette takes that bread to the next level by turning it into sandwiches at the Delicatessen of Buvette.

The delicatessen, it should be noted, is far more than a sandwich shop. There’s a display case filled with deli meats and cheeses, all of which are sliced to order. There’s also a refrigerated case with French butters, duck breasts, and escargot, not to mention several shelves housing all kinds of unique condiments. If you’re looking for interesting jams, mustards, vinegars, and even snails, this is your kind of place. These are the supplies you’re not going to find in the traditional grocery store.

The Delicatessen also sells loaves and baguettes of La Buvette’s breads. There are traditional baguettes, with their crusty exterior and warm, soft insides, sourdough loaves stuffed with olives, fruits, and nuts, and, on the weekends, their famed bagels.

The star of the show is the Sourdough Boule, the crusty, delightfully chewy bread with a light, porous texture inside. This globe of carb-y goodness is perfect for taking home and using for sandwiches, toasts, French toast, and croutons. Or you can just lather it in butter and enjoy it in its most pure form. There aren’t many better bread makers in Omaha.

But if you have an appetite and are looking to do more than shop, you have to grab one of the Delicatessen’s sandwiches. The shop offers two sandwiches on special each day (posted on Facebook): one meat-forward and one vegetarian/vegan friendly. The options range from all across the sandwich spectrum, from Italian beefs and corned beef and cabbage to meatball subs and roasted sweet potato sandwiches.

The highlight of each sandwich is the bread, as each has its unique quality. An La Buvette doesn’t just slap ingredients inside its traditional sourdough; rather, it makes specialty bread for each sandwich. That means marble rye for Reubens, croissants for breakfast sandwiches, and hearty rolls for the Italian beef.

They even make Cuban bread for their Cubano, something no one else in Omaha is doing. However, one day I stopped in for the Cubano, the bake on the Cuban bread wasn’t right and they were forced to pivot to focaccia. That’s no problem; baking is a science and things can go wrong. It happens.

But the pivot to focaccia, while not traditional, might be the happiest mistake the Delicatessen has made. Don’t get me wrong, I still missed the crispy pressed bread a Cubano normally boasts, but this oily, porous, chewy focaccia was perfect. Its spongy consistency allowed it to soak up all the rich, juicy drippings of the roasted pork. The pork itself was delicious as all get out and perfectly caramelized on the edges, and the house pickles and stone ground mustard aioli helped cut through all the saltiness of the meat. It’s a top 5 Cubano in Omaha in my book.

The Banh Mi (pictured in the header photo) starts with sweet, tender pork that had crispy, caramelized edges. The meat works wonderfully with the sweet, crunchy vegetables and the chili mayo, though the sandwich could use a bit more of the latter, as it’s a touch dry.

The Roasted Vegetable Sandwich is a solid option for vegans, but I’m willing to bet meat lovers wouldn’t miss the protein in this offering. The carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, and artichokes are roasted nicely, taking away some of their bite and giving them more of a tender consistency. More vegetables would give the sandwich better balance, as it’s rather bread-forward, but the delightful focaccia, slathered in a garlicky vegan mayo, is so delicious one could eat a loaf of it on its own.

The Delicatessen also offers a soup of the day, as well as a rotating case of sides and desserts. The Curry Chickpea Salad is warm and earthy, and the chickpeas have a satisfying nutty flavor.

But the side you can’t miss (if it’s available), is the Dolmas. These rolled-up grape leaves are commonly filled with a mixture of ground beef and rice, but the Delicatessen omits the former to keep this a vegetarian dish. The rice is cooked exceptionally well, and these tasty tubes have a strong citrus, lemon vibe with a delightful consistency.

With just a few tables inside and on the patio, there’s very little seating at the Delicatessen. Most guests come and grab a sandwich and some supplies to go.

However you enjoy your meal from the Delicatessen, you can know two things: the bread is going to be great, and the sandwich is going to be thoughtfully constructed. Whether enjoyed in restaurant or on the go, that’s a great combination.