Restaurant Hoppen

24/12/2025

Toffee is one of those treats I typically ignore on a holiday tray. It’s fine, but is pretty low on my sweet snack power rankings.

And then I had toffee from Tasty Good Toffee. It was an “aha” moment into how delicious toffee can be.

Owner Katie Becker still employs her grandmother’s famous recipe, continuing the legacy she built making treats for the family. Katie had no intentions of turning it into a business, but it became so beloved and in demand that she simply had to share Grandma’s recipe with the world.

Thank goodness she did.

The hardened caramelized base is sticky and sweet, but not so hard that it gets stuck in your teeth. The milk chocolate layer adds a richness and a good *crack* texture. The base of the toffee itself is delightful.

Tasty Good Toffee has a variety of flavors, the best of which (to me) is the Hot Cocoa. A mint lover's dream, this bark has a kiss of mint in the butter crunch toffee base, and the chocolate is joined with marshmallow fluff and crushed candy canes. It’s seriously addicting.

The Dark Chocolate Sea Salt has a much different but similarly craveable flavor profile. The bitterness of the chocolate tones down the sugar, and the flakes of salt enhance that rich flavor while adding texture.

You can find Tasty Good Toffee at Made in Omaha stores and at various markets throughout the year. Just be careful: once you try this toffee, you won’t think of it as an afterthought treat anymore. Your sugar consumption is about to increase.

22/12/2025

Andrew Novak. Remember that name.

The chef at All In Thyme Bakery & Cafe () is one of Omaha’s rising culinary talents. And Sunday night’s prix fixe dinner, All In Thyme’s first, only furthered my belief that Andrew is one of Omaha’s next great chefs.

All In Thyme is a delightful cafe serving sandwiches and breakfast inside Millwork Commons (13th & Nicholas). You can get a great meal there any time, but this was Andrew’s first foray into fine dining with this concept (he’s a former sous chef at The Boiler Room). This 4-course meal showcased balance and restraint with aplomb, as each dish allowed wonderful ingredients to speak for themselves, with Andrew adding subtle notes to take them to the next level:

- Bread Service: Andrew is as talented a bread maker as Omaha has, and these sourdough loaves (garlic parmesan and caraway rye) were proof of that.

- Crudo: The yellowtail had a sweet, buttery flavor amped up by the creamy heat in the chili oil aioli and a citrus punch from the leche de tigre.

- Duck Ravioli: the filling was a touch dry, but everything else about this supple purse bathing in a pool of parmesan broth was wonderful.

- Wagyu Ribeye: buttery and fatty, the best bites of the steak were eyes-roll-back-in-your-head moments. My only complaint is the creamy parsnip purée was so delicious I wanted more of it.

- Egg Nog Creme Brûlée: creamy and decadent with a crunchy, caramelized crust, this dessert was perfect. And that comes from someone who doesn’t like egg nog. I’d eat 4 of these.

I’m not sure when All In Thyme will have another dinner like this, but follow them on social. Because if this happens again, you want to experience it. Trust me.

19/12/2025

The French dip is a near perfect sandwich as it is. If you mess with it too much, you lose the integrity of what makes it special. Restaurants walk a thin rope when they try to chef it up.

That’s what has me so impressed with Marrow Restaurant (180th & 370 in Gretna). Chef Jared Clarke found a way to take the French dip to the next level.

The Lamb Dip starts with the carved rotisserie lamb, which is deeply savory and more mild and sweet than beef. It’s joined in a Philly roll with sweet caramelized onions, a creamy harissa aioli, and a bright, acidic chimichurri. There’s salt, fat, sweetness… it’s a wonderfully balanced sandwich.

But dunking it in the lamb jus is what takes it to Mount Olympus. The jus is so rich and unctuous… if this weren’t an upscale restaurant, I 100% would’ve drank the rest of the cup. You could soak an old dish rag in the jus and I’d eat it.

The beef in the Braised Italian Beef was very flavorful, if a bit chewy, and the beef jus was similarly excellent. The bread was lightly toasted, and my only note on these sandwiches is that it could used a touch more crisp. Other than that, no notes.

Bravo, Marrow.

Speaking of marrow, bone marrow is in dishes all over the menu, including the Onion Rings. The rings themselves are excellent, fluffy and crunchy. But what makes them stand out is the rich, lick-the-plate clean marrow aioli. A drizzle of balsamic adds a nice sweet finish.

Marrow is best known for its steaks, cocktails, and dinner entrees, and I can’t wait to come back and try them. After tasting the magic Chef worked with the dip, I want to experience the rest of this menu.

18/12/2025

LaRue Marcos faced a lot of discrimination when he returned to society after being incarcerated. Finding a job that would pay a liveable wage was nearly impossible.

Until he found Ooh De Lally.

Ooh De Lally partners with Metro CC’s 180 RAP program to help formerly incarcerated individuals find jobs and successfully return to society, and the program changed Marcos’ life. He and Executive Chef Doug Case joined me on the Restaurant Hoppen podcast to discuss what the program and the education look like and what’s made it such a success in the first few years. Marcos, the program’s first graduate, knows his life wouldn’t be the same without this restaurant, and hearing his perspective on his life now is absolutely incredible.

This episode isn’t just about food. It’s about finding the best in people and helping discover those traits in themselves. Watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast provider!

YouTube: https://youtu.be/5RK4gzt9oXE?si=cZ5cJGE6PQe9KOX5

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/restaurant-hoppen/id1484101742

18/12/2025

I think I just found my new go-to Omaha ramen shop.

The owners have a dumpling shop in Japan, and one of them has taught ramen classes in several American cities. These guys know a thing or two.

But even if I didn’t know their credentials, I’d know from my first slurp of broth: Misolado is the truth.

Mi So La Do (72nd & Dodge in the old Sakura Bana space) makes everything, from the noodles to the broth and dumplings, in house, and it makes a huge difference. The noodles are actively fun to eat: bouncy and slippery, they’re a great start to each bowl.

But it’s the broth that provides the most flavor. The Tonkatsu is rich, creamy, and bursting with umami, as the pork base injects a savory punch into each slurp. The Spicy Creamy Chicken doesn’t have quite as much depth, but a homemade chili oil adds a nice heat that builds as the meal progresses.

The proteins are well cooked, black mushrooms and raw onions add chewiness and crunch respectively, and the soft-boiled egg is perfectly cooked, with a soft white and a delightfully creamy yolk. The bowls are massive, and they literally warm you from within; both my wife and I removed our jackets mid meal as the ramen warmed our souls.

But great as the bowls were, my favorite part of the meal was the Pork Gyoza. These dumplings had springy shells and were stuffed with rich, delicious pork. They were pan-fried on one side, producing a crispy skirt. I’d eat these by the bucket full.

Mi So La Do is still in its soft opening phase, so the full menu isn’t available yet and (as always) you should extend patience and grace as they get their feet under them.

But based on this meal, they’ve hit the ground running. When I’m craving ramen now, Mi So La Do will be my first stop.

16/12/2025

Someone at Dante is a genius.

The restaurant’s Neapolitan pizza dough, cooked to bubbly, chewy perfection in Dante’s wood-fired oven, is incredible. And Dante’s meatballs - savory orbs of pork served in a robust tomato sauce - are as good as any in Omaha.

And whoever suggested putting those two wonderful elements together deserves a promotion.

The bits of char on the dough add a slight bitterness that’s balanced by the sweet, bright sauce. And though the meatballs are very juicy, the bread is hearty enough to soak up the drippings without becoming a soggy mess.

Though in a blanket of gooey mozzarella and you have one heck of a meatball sandwich.

The sandwich comes with chips, but the pro move is to sub in zucchini crisps. Though they’re fried and crispy, the zucchini coins maintain some of their moisture for a nice chew, and they’re seasoned brilliantly. Downright addicting.

And if you need a sweet treat to end the meal, the Brown Butter Gelato is as delicious as it is creative. The gelato is smooth and creamy, and the brown butter balances the sugar with a savory, nutty finish. Caramel drizzle and peanuts round it out with sweetness and crunch, respectively.

I already loved Dante (168th & Center) for its pizza. I loved it for its pasta. And now you can add sandwiches onto the reasons I adore this restaurant (sandwiches only available at lunch).

15/12/2025

Wondering what restaurants are open on Christmas and Christmas Eve? Hurrdat One has you covered!

Want a Christmas dinner out? For restaurants open on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve near you, here's our running list of pizza, Chinese, fast food, & more.

15/12/2025

I’d never had goulash before, so I don’t have a point of reference to compare to. But if all goulash is as tasty as Mealbox by Chef Will Birge’s version, I want to eat goulash 3 times a week.

The base of this pasta dish is a rich, hearty tomato stew that warms you from the inside out (perfect for days like we’ve had recently). It’s heavily seasoned with paprika, giving it a sweet flavor with slightly spicy, earthy notes. Bathed in the sauce is ground wagyu chuck, which adds a savory, beefy flavor while getting caught in the layers of the corkscrew-like radiatore pasta.

Just when it seems like the dish would be all too heavy, creme fraiche arrives to add a bright, creamy note, and sprigs of dill bring freshness and a hit of citrus. Even if you don’t know about goulash, it’s a heck of a pasta dish.

Oh, and it came out of the microwave.

Here’s how Mealbox works:

- Each week, the chefs concoct a new menu of 10 meals with varied proteins, origins, and nutrition levels. You order online and the meals are delivered to your doorstep on Sunday.

- When you’re hungry, you pop the meal in the microwave or air fryer for a few minutes.

- You eat a meal that would put a lot of restaurants to shame.

I’m not exaggerating this. If this goulash were served to me at a restaurant, exactly as is, I would be thrilled. Considering the price point (most Mealboxes are around $15), convenience, and ease, that’s insane.

Mealbox has reached that upper echelon of trust for me. If this team makes it, I’ll eat it. And that includes goulash, a dish I’d never tried before and now cannot wait to have again.

13/12/2025

Have you eaten at Elie’s Chinchorro Caribbean Bistro? If so, you know of its greatness. If not, you’re missing out on one of my top 10 restaurants in Omaha.

Yeah. I said it.

Every bite at Elie’s (16th & Cuming) is a one-way ticket to Chef Elie Berchal’s childhood home in Puerto Rico. The flavors and textures are unlike any I’ve had in Omaha, and they work your tastebuds like Ali on the speedbag.

- The best example is the Mofongo, a bowl of fried, mashed plantains mixed with fried pork. The texture is reminiscent of chunkier mashed potatoes, but with a salty, deeply savory flavor. The mofongo is filled with the protein of your choice. They’re all excellent, but my favorite is the rich, melt-in-your-mouth roast pork (pernil) with its crusty, caramelized edges. I’m drooling just recalling this dish.

- Elie’s creativity shines in her new dish, Mofongo Sushi. It’s a mashup of Latin American and Southeast Asia, as a crispy fried plantain is stuffed with pork and rice and drizzled with guava sauce and mayo ketchup. It’s the fusion I never knew I needed.

- The Coquito is a sweet rich drink that warms you from within with rum, condensed milk, coconut milk, and cinnamon.

And Elie herself is the sweetest owner, visiting every table even though she’s also busy in the kitchen. She’s one of the best.

I can’t say enough good things about this place. Get Elie’s on your “must visit” list ASAP.

11/12/2025

Just look at this slice of cake. It’s a thing of beauty, right?

What if I told you it was completely vegan and gluten-free, yet tasted like it came from a bakery with no restrictions? That’s the magic of Veg.edible (61st & Maple).

Chef/owner Stacie Van Cleave is a masterful baker, and this cake was the perfect example. Chocolate//mint is one of my favorite flavor combos, and this slice had me in heaven. The cake is a bit dense, but I enjoy the chewy consistency. The buttercream is luscious, and the richness of dark chocolate works wonders with the refreshing, cooling mint. And the crushed-up candy canes in between the layers add a pleasant crunch.

I get asked often for recommendations for baked goods for those with food sensitivities, and Veg.Edible is always my answer. I can’t tell you how many happy responses I’ve gotten from people over the years.

But Veg.Edible isn’t just a great place for vegans or those with food allergies. EVERYONE can get amazing baked goods here. I’ve had it all - cake, cookies, muffins, brownies - and consider Veg.Edible one of my favorite bakeries in Omaha.

If you’re at all a fan of chocolate and mint, this cake is absolutely worth a trip to Benson (and it’s sold in slices, so you don’t have to commit to a whole cake!). Or if you need a sweet treat of any kind, Stacie’s got you covered. I guarantee anything that comes out of this condition will not only be safe, but really delicious.