Fuddrucker's

Restaurant: Fuddrucker's
Address: 7059 Dodge Street - At the corner of 72nd and Dodge.
Website: http://www.fuddruckers.com/
Genres: Burgers
Check Constraints: Short-order.
Chain: Yes. | More Omaha Locations: Yes.

==Chamelaeon==
Ordered:

• #2 Combo ($9.29)
  
• 2/3rd Lb Burger
• Fries
  
• Drink
• Black & Bleu Specialty Burger ($1.00)

I admit to feeling guilty each time we review a large chain restaurant for this blog. In some sense the restaurants clearly fit within our bailiwick, since they are restaurants, they are in Omaha, and you could eat at them as easily as we do. But on the other hand these places are already well-reviewed and, excepting quality issues, they're pretty much homogeneous between locations. On the gripping hand, however, we could look at these reviews as sacrifices, of a sort - us throwing ourselves on the hand grenade of food construction manuals and paper hats, screaming "Find somewhere else to eat!"... or perhaps a less dramatic metaphor would work.

Regardless, we went to Fuddrucker's this week. We have eaten here before - in fact, before we'd started the blog - so we weren't going in blind. The location is slightly new, though. They revamped the building, and in the process they seem to have decided that the solution to the parking problem in that entire retail corner was to add more stores alongside it. It might be because I was trained as an engineer, but that seems hardly ideal.

But we are here to review the food, and so we shall. Mecha ordered some nachos, which arrived early as an appetizer should, but which were thoroughly underwhelming. In fact, you might call that the theme of the meal itself. I initially attempted to order a 2/3 lb buffalo burger, but they only do the buffalo and turkey patties in the 1/2 lb sizes, so be forewarned. It also turns out that you can add special toppings to the meals for not much, so doing that's a better price option than trying to assemble a combo around a specific burger. The order-takers will helpfully do this for you - at least, ours did. As is usual at Fuddrucker's, ordering was a pretty painless process.

I only wish the same could be said for the burger. I recieved a heaping helping of blue cheese on top of a large patty of beef, with a sparse scattering of caramelized onions on top. It sounds like a delicious combination, doesn't it? That's what I thought, until I bit into the burger and realized that the whole deal was mostly tasteless. Once I got to the midpoint of the cheese pile, where it was roughly half an inch deep, I finally got some rather empty blue cheese flavor which completely overpowered the already-weak beef. I didn't put any ketchup on the thing, and I'm glad, because if I had I would have tasted little else but ketchup.

It was probably a mistake to review this place with the memories of Brewburger's so fresh in our minds - certainly when comparing it to, say, Burger King, I'd claim that Fuddrucker's wins without a moment's hesitation. But it suffers from the inconsistency and lack of quality ingredients that a lot of chain restaurants have, without really dropping its price point much.

==NinjaDebugger==
Ordered:

• Bacon & Swiss Chicken Sandwich($9.29)
  
• Fries
  
• Drink
• Strawberry Shake (3.50?)

They forgot to give me a flasher, and took my recipt when I went to get my food, so I'm a little fuzzy on the prices, but this sounds about right. Mecha ordered some chicken nachos as an appetizer. I think we all sort of regret that. The chips were on the stale side, the chicken had an undertone of fish, and didn't have much taste otherwise, and the cheese sauce was awful. I didn't try any of the other assorted toppings, but given the way they continued to sit on the pile of untouched nachos, they can't have been much better.

As far as the fries go, they're solid fries, and I identified the spice coating them liberally as Lowry's seasoning salt, or a variant thereof. They're very sturdy fries, about halfway between 'fries' and 'steak fries', and frankly, they were one of the best parts of the meal, especially given Fuddrucker's excellent selection of things to dip them in.

The shake was a classically prepared one, rather than from a fast food shake machine, which is a tick in their favor. It filled the glass and had plenty left over in the metal shake cup, and was made with real strawberries, putting it in the "worth the money" class of shakes.

Unfortunately, that takes me to the sandwich. It is very, very difficult to get a chicken, bacon, and swiss sandwich wrong, but somehow, Fuddruckers managed it. the swiss cheese was fine, their toppings bar was fine, but the bacon didn't taste like bacon, and the chicken didn't taste like chicken, and both of them were hard to get a solid bite out of, making the sandwich a tasteless chore to eat. For the price I paid, I'd much rather have gone back to Brewburgers and tried another meat that I've never had before.

That's pretty much the conclusion we reached halfway through the meal. Fuddruckers costs about the same as Brewburgers, but has worse appetizers, worse burgers, worse drinks, and a worse atmosphere.

==Moogle==
Ordered:

• 1/2 lb Chipotle BBQ burger meal ($9.59)
  
• Fries
  
• Drink

I had actually forgotten about the nachos, and that's about all I have to add about them. The poor burger looked so small in the giant bun it came with. It had a little bit of "chipotle" bbq sauce and a couple strips of bacon on top. I ordered it medium-well, and it came with no pink in the middle, which is fine with me. I threw on some lettuce, pickle, and pico de gallo from the topping bar. The ketchup pumps were out, but they still had some bottles of ketchup there. The burger itself was decent. I didn't really taste the chipotle part of the chipotle bbq. The fries were decent steak fries with a little seasoning. For the price, I wasn't impressed. It's a little more expensive than an equivalent burger at some place like Applebee's or Chilli's. I didn't go to Brewburgers, so I can't compare there. I suppose the draw for Fuddrucker's over another chain with burgers would be the number of options and speed. You can get any burger (well, beef burgers, apparently) anywhere from 1/3 to a full pound and can order it at your preferred level of doneness. There are plenty topping options as well. I would eat here again, but it probably won't be my first choice.

==Mecha==
Ordered:

• Tricked-Out Chicken Nachos ($7.??)
• 1/2 lb Chili burger meal ($9.59)
  
• Fries
  
• Drink

Okay, need to get this done. Moogle and the others are right, really, on the nachos front. They were just not that good. Standard 'tough to get stuff' problems. Very meh. Figured we should give it a shot, though.

The chili burger isn't on their online menu list that I can find, so I'm guessing on the price. The chili on the burger actually kinda looked decent, but the flavor was awful weak. Tough to get a good consistent bite of flavor on it. Not unlike the fries at Brewburgers, in that respect, but the difference is that this is a big mouthful of burger, not a fry trying to pick up a meaty cheesy chili. It should be more flavorful or consistent. The fries were okay, but just fries. The actual burger was solid, to my tastes, but... well, I didn't just get a burger, I got a burger with stuff on it. I think it had cheese on it, but I don't remember much about it.

The overall is more or less how ND put it. Coulda gone to Brewburgers and gotten better for the same cost. I remember the place as much better before the change.  The big plus here is the easy basic fixings addition, and that's nice, but.. yeah. If I go again for whatever reason, I'm getting a bog standard cheeseburger, putting some normal stuff on it, and calling it a day.

Brewburger's Burgers and Brew

Restaurant: Brewburger's Burgers and Brew
Address: 4629 S. 108th St. - In the same parking lot as the Holiday Inn Express
Website: http://www.brewburgersomaha.com/
Genres: Burgers, Sports Bar
Check Constraints: None that we noticed.
Chain: No | More Omaha Locations: No

==Chamelaeon==
Ordered:

• Diet Pepsi ($2.00)
• Tableside Guacamole ($7.95)
• West Texas Burger ($8.95)
• Fries
  

Brewburger's, located just inside the I-680 loop, used to be a steak restaurant that I never got the chance to eat at before it closed. In its place, Brewburger's was built. On its surface, the restaurant doesn't look like someplace I'd be very inclined to eat; I am fairly indifferent to sporting events in general - especially football - and the exterior of the restaurant makes absolutely no bones about the fact that it was conceived of and executed by people who like sports, and especially the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Thankfully for us cultural transplants, the restaurant owners also seem to like food.

As should probably not be shocking, the menu items at the forefront of the restaurant are their burgers, of which they have a fairly large variety, including buffalo, salmon, tuna, lamb, turkey, a vegetarian patty (of mostly mushroom) and of course beef. They also seem to pride themselves on their appetizers - perhaps rightfully so. The Tableside Guacamole (as the name might suggest) is made right at your table, and you have the option of what you want to add into the mix with the base avocado flavor. The server then grinds it in a large mortar and pestle, which results in a very nice textural counterpoint between avocado paste and avocado chunks in the finished guacamole. Available ingredients include onion, cilantro, salsa, jalapenos, and several more options. This kind of thing isn't new by any means (I have had it before but cannot precisely recall where) but it is delicious. You get a large amount of guacamole to pair with the homemade chips, and because you picked the flavors, it is more than likely delicious. However, I recommend using more ingredients than you initially think you might need, as there is a lot of avocado in that mortar.

The West Texas burger was topped with a heapin' helpin' of fried: fried jalapeno and onion strips fought for dominance on top of some cheddar cheese and a beef patty. Oddly enough, the strongest flavor in the whole burger was the beef - I could barely taste the cheese, and the fried toppings provided little but crunch. I can't lie, the beef itself was excellent, and cooked medium rare exactly as I requested... but I was expecting a little bit more from a $9 burger. I suspect I would have been happier ordering one of the more exotic burgers in their repertoire, or just building one myself off their menu (though that is definitely more expensive). Still, the decision of toppings aside, it was a good burger and deserves recognition as such.

I did not try any of their alcoholic beverages, but they had a rather impressive beer list (predictably most of it is bottled) involving most of the regional favorites like Fat Tire and Boulevard. It also isn't cheap, but you can definitely find something that strikes your fancy - or you can rely on the menu to suggest a beer that matches the meal for you.

If you find yourself of a mood for some interesting meats, have some extra cash to spare, and a football game to watch, definitely drop in. If only the first two apply, you should still give it a try, if you think you can ignore the college sports team logos on the ceiling tiles.

==NinjaDebugger==
Ordered:

• Bison Burger ($9.95)
  
• Garlic Parmesan Fries ($1.45 upgrade)
  
• Lemonade ($1.95)

Today, I added two more meats to my list of things I have eaten. They were both pretty good. The deep fried alligator reminded me mainly of somewhat tougher chicken bites, with just a hint of turkey, but you could pretty easily tell that it wasn't either of those. I declined to sample the guacamole, as I have tried many variations and never even come close to liking them, but the deep fried white cheddar curds were good, as was the dipping marinara they came with, and I'm pretty sure they were breaded there, rather than purchased as-is.

The garlic parmesan fries are... well. I will not say they were bad, but you have to be careful with them. Most especially, do not get these at lunch. Your coworkers will hate you, because they apparently see fit to top the fries with equal parts garlic and parmesan. There had to be at least a dozen cloves, minced, on that plate. And it wasn't a very big plate! The first bite, I did NOT expect that much garlic, and it was like a kick in the nose. Not even a cookie and some root beer could adequately get the taste and smell out of my mouth for the rest of the work day. Aside from that, if you like garlic and parmesan, go for it.

The bison burger actually did come out the medium rare I ordered it, just like Cham's texas burger. The meat reminded me mainly of a very lean beef that somehow didn't sacrifice any juicy goodness. it was quite good, though the smattering of gorgonzola on top really didn't do it any favors. I thought it clashed quite badly with the bison, and would have been far better if replaced with feta, like the lamb burger got. The barbeque sauce wasn't anything outstanding, but also didn't get in the way of tasting the meat, so that's sort of a point in its favor, and aside from the fairly hefty price tag, it was a pretty damn good burger.

Brewburgers' schtick pretty much seems to be a lot of very good burger options, plus a lot of beer options, plus sports bar. I don't know about the beer, but the burgers part, it does damn well, if a bit on the pricey side. Okay, a fair bit on the pricey side. On the other hand, the sheer variety of meats available may well make it worth it. Just... not very often.

==Mecha==
Ordered:

• Lamb Burger ($9.95)
  
• Chili Fries ($1.45 upgrade)
• Alligator Bites ($9.95)

Guacamole: Fantastic. Oh man, was it fantastic guac. Fresh and full of deliciousness, made at the table? Oh yes. Cheese curds: Pretty good, and I think part of why they are made there is that they're made with Nebraska cheese. I doubt that one can buy generic cheese curds with Nebraska cheese. The alligator bites were pretty enjoyable, and they came with a nice sauce. I assume that the price premium of 10 bucks is due to rarity/distance/etc, but all the appetizers were a bit on the expensive side. On the other hand, all solid, which is something we don't generally get from our appetizer sampling. And plenty of them, too, none of this 'six pieces for 7 bucks' stuff. Definitely worth giving them a shot yourselves on these.

The Lamb Burger was lamb (they didn't ask me how they wanted it cooked), topped with a ridiculous amount of feta and cucumber sauce (AKA, tzatziki or a close relative). I was glad that it came with lettuce, tomato, and onion. Anything to blunt the strength of the feta, to me. Good meat, and good burger on the overall, but perhaps a little strong for me with the feta. ND pointed out that it was a bit of a lesser version of the Greek Isles burger, and that may be worth considering: If you like lamb and feta burgers, they might be a better choice if you're striking out for it. The two resturants are pretty far apart, though. I'll probably try something else next time I go, but don't let that steer you away from it if you're in the area and like your feta.

I used the upgrade option to go with Chili on my fries. They had a fairly meaty chili here that made for some pretty darn good chili fries. It wasn't the best at binding to the fries, so it took a bit of work to get chunks of meat or bean with your fries, but the flavor was all there. I'll probably try some of the other fry modification options when I go back.

On the overall, the place is definitely a cut above, and the price is also a cut above. In the sense that it's kinda high. It looks like they have several deals throughout the week, and those might help various people enjoy things more without hitting the wallet quite so much. We also did not sample any of the 'brew' part of the equation, which may also help. Also, the sports bar component seemed reasonably strong, but Thursday Lunch does not give you a huge opportunity to feel the Husker fans, among any others. Give this place a shot in your rotation, and I don't think you'll regret it.

==MapleSyrup==
Ordered:

• Maverick Burger ($8.50)
  
• White Cheddar Cheese Bites ($6.95)

The Guacamole was delicious and well worth the price. It had a fresh and cool taste with a hint of salt and a tiny, tiny kick. Be sure to eat it while it's still fresh though. It suffers a little getting warm. The cheese curds were also delicious. I'd wondered where they managed to get their cheese curds, since you rarely see them this far out from Wisconsin because they lose their luster in transit, but Mecha's probably right. I didn't bother with the marinara. They were good enough on their own. The alligator bites tasted like a gamier chicken bite. They were served with what I still maintain was hoisin sauce. If it wasn't, it was something damned close. They were good, but you could have gotten the same amount of appetizer for $3 less by going with the cheese curds, so you're paying extra for their exotic nature.

The Maverick Burger was a beef patty with sliced onions mixed in topped with jack cheese. I ordered mine medium-rare and it looked to be cooked through. The onions mixed in with the meat made the burger crumbly and didn't contribute any flavor, so I'm not sure how much they contributed to the burger as a whole. They could have added some juiciness (it was a juicy burger), but unfortunately I can't empirically conclude that. It also came with a horseradish sauce on the side which I smeared generously on the upper bun. The horseradish sauce was disappointingly tame. I was hoping for a good nasal kick on each bite but never got it. Overall, it was a very good chunk of meat, but all of the fancy didn't contribute to that at all and it was a rather small burger for the price.

Shuck's Fish House and Oyster Bar

Restaurant: Shuck's Fish House & Oyster Bar
Address: 1218 S. 119th Street
Website: http://www.absolutelyfresh.com/
Genres: Seafood
Check Constraints: None.
Chain: No. | More Omaha Locations: No.

==Chamelaeon==
Ordered:

• Diet Coke ($1.95)
• Shuck's Sampler ($16.95)
• Fried Clam Strips
• Fried Oysters
• Fried Shrimp
• Fried Calamari
  
• Baby Cake Potatoes
  
• Louisiana Gumbo, Cup ($3.95)
• Catfish Po' Boy ($7.95)
• Coleslaw
• Baby Cake Potatoes

I am continually amazed that the transportation infrastructure in this country is good enough to get fresh fish delivered to a city and state several thousand miles away from the nearest salty body of water. Amazed, and made very hungry. Seafood was not something I liked in my youth (unless it was square, coated in batter, and deep-fried into unrecognizability) but as my palate's matured I can definitely say that I am way more into our finned friends than I used to be.

Shuck's, I am told, arose out of a Wednesday night food tasting that the Absolutely Fresh fish company used to hold. The food was apparently good enough they were turning away people until one of them had the bright idea to open a restaurant - and so they did. You actually enter the restaurant through the store proper, giving you a good opportunity to wander over and examine what may be your imminent meal. The restaurant itself emanates a very "crab shack" feel to it, with the tables being covered in butcher paper and the walls being made of faux planking, and despite being a little crowded it's a reasonably nice place for lunch.

The sampler platter was a heaping helping of fried. Shuck's boldly claims on their menu that they have "the thinnest breading in town", and the platter certainly helped their story - the breading on everything but the clam strips was thin and delightfully crunchy. The clam strips were still delightful, but the breading on them was rather thick. The platter came with ketchup, cocktail sauce, and some unnamed Asian-flavored concoction which went well with the shrimp but was not as good as the Kowloon sauce (as Mecha will later attest).

The gumbo had a very thick flavor to it. It was served with a dollop of rice in the middle, which was then dusted with what I think was filé powder. Both okra and chunks of sausage were visible in the bowl - and it was very much a bowl, despite me ordering a cup - but I think the dish had been cooked so long that all the flavors in it had melded into a single note of flavor. It wasn't bad, but it didn't make for much variety when eating. A couple jots of Louisiana-style hot sauce improved the bowl a lot, if only by lightening the flavor a little.

The catfish po' boy was very good. Their catfish was fried much the same was as the sampler, with very thin batter that still managed to give some good flavor to the fish - not that the fish needed much help. I'm pretty sure I've not had catfish that fresh since my grandmother used to fry up the ones my grandfather and I had caught that day. The po' boy came with remoulade sauce, and the menu claimed it came with "muffaleta relish", which I assume is meant to be the olive-based relish in the muffaletta sandwich. Sadly, I could find no trace of such, and instead recieved only chopped romaine lettuce in mine. Still, it was some good stuff and the remoulade paired well with the catfish. The whole deal came in a sub bun which had been quite liberally buttered and then grilled on a flat griddle, so that it tasted quite a bit like a correctly-done grilled cheese sandwich (minus the cheese). I will state for clarity, though: do not order this sandwich if you don't like the taste of grilled buttered bread. It is very prevalent in the sandwich and I had to adjust my perceptions of what I thought the sandwich should taste like before I really started to enjoy it. Again, though, some hot sauce really took the sandwich to the next level. But then, if you've been reading the blog for a while you are not surprised that I would say that in the slightest.

One last note before I pronounce verdict: the drinks here are a little more expensive than some places, but the glasses are gigantic, and there are free refills.

Schuck's is by no means a "classy" establishment (all the dishes are disposable), and you can find other seafood around town that's just as fresh (though not for retail sale), but the prices here for the quality absolutely cannot be beat. The speed at which you get food isn't shabby either. This has just become my first choice for good seafood.

==NinjaDebugger==
Ordered:

• Mr. Pibb($1.95)
• Shrimp Alfredo($9.95)
• Small Salad ($1.95)
• Baby Cakes ($1.95)

Let's get this out in the open. I'm not a born seafood fan. I like seafood, as a general sort of thing, but it doesn't come naturally to me. Like I said in some of the sushi posts before, at some point while I'm eating a seafood heavy meal, my stomach will catch up with reality, wonder what the hell I am feeding it, and demand retribution. In spite of this, I like a fair variety of seafood. When I say in a review that my stomach couldn't take the dish after a point, it's not an indictment of the dish, it's my stomach being itself.

Okay, from there, I'm ready to proceed. The baby cakes are small potato patties, what we called "hash browns" (the non-homemade type) when I was a kid. They're small, they're fried and potatoey, and they're lightly herbed. Not bad, but not worth two freaking bucks, either.

The small salad is, for once, actually not bad. I wasn't a fan, because it's got large portions of tomato and onion, but it had NO iceberg lettuce, instead consisting mostly of romaine. If you're the sort, you can try their vidalia onion based house dressing. I went italian. If you're a salady sort, go ahead and grab it.

The shrimp alfredo was the second time in a row that I've had alfredo. Luckily, this one left the bitter at home, and had a decent amount of parmesan flavor. A superior alfredo to the ones I've been having lately. There was, however, a surprise in addition to the shrimp. Namely, artichoke hearts. Properly prepared, artichoke hearts are pretty good, I remember having something involving them at another italian restaurant a while back, with a bunch of other stuff in, and it was decent. In alfredo... not so much. It was a decidedly unwelcome burst of artichoke flavor, and it was really strong, like a kick in the teeth. the little tinge of flavor it added to the alfredo itself was good, but the bits of artichoke themselves got left on the plate. So did some of the shrimp, but again, that's because of my angry stomach, not because they weren't good. The shrimp were a little on the chewy side, so I'd probably grab something else, like the jambalaya I was considering instead, if I went back, but it's certainly better italian food than I expected to find in a seafood bar.

==MapleSyrup==
Ordered:

• Diet Coke($1.95)
• Clam Chowda ($3.95)
• Jambalaya ($8.95)

The Appetizer Sampler was a good choice. My favorite bit was the calamari. It was lightly breaded and when dipped in the sweet & sour-like sauce that came with it was great.

For my entree, I went for the Clam Chowda and Jambalaya. The Clam Chowda was unfortunately lacking in clam flavor and the little bits of clam you usually find in there. It was also unfortunately abundant in potato chunks. It was decent enough, but I think they could have benefited from shifting around some of their ratios. The Jambalaya was a mixture of rice, andouille sausage, little bits of chicken, and spice and was a little drier than what I'd expected. The sausage was tasty, but the whole dish was way too peppery. I ended up putting on a good dallop of the Louisiana hot sauce to add some kick and cover up some of the pepper.

Overall, I look forward to going back. All of the items on the appetizer sampler were delicious. I popped a couple of ND's alfredo shrimps and they were cooked perfectly. And the po' boys looked scrumptious. However, I won't be getting again what I ordered this time.

==Mecha==
Ordered:

• Fried Kowloon Shrimp ($8.95)
• Louisiana Gumbo ($3.95)
  
• Trout Amandine ($10.95)

So, I got the quite expensive (for a handful of shrimp) Fried Kowloon Shrimp. Now, they were well done, certainly, and that's not a problem. But the thing of most note, and a positive note at that, was that they came drizzled with (and served with) a sauce with complexity and spice and sweetness. Upon table reflection, it might have been two sauces, but it wasn't completely sure. Similarly, the sampler came with a sauce kinda like it, but again, the table disagreed. Whatever I got was the best, in the group opinion.

The sampler, by the way, was a good variety of fried stuffs, of a decent size for 4 or 5 people. The clam strips were the oddest, with a little bit of grindy crunchiness that slightly turned me off from the otherwise decent flavor. The gumbo was indeed thick and I agree that it looked like a dusting of file atop rice atop the main gumbo.

Now, like ND, I am not a huge fish person traditionally (although am much better with random seafood), but a well cooked fish (or well uncooked fish, in sushi's case), can appeal to my tastebuds, and this was a very well cooked fish. It fell apart as it should, the skin was edible and not a huge ugly burst of fishy flavor, and the almonds provided a little crunch. My biggest problem with the trout amandine was a thorough lack of almond flavor. Not even really subtle, just not there. I'd like a little more to add to the flavor (although not too much), but it was still well done, and it gives me a bit more confidence to try some of their other fish-based offering. It came with some veggies that were covered with powered parmesean to the point of reminding me of alfredo. Okay, but I wasn't quite willing to finish them over the fish or other things.

Ultimately a very positive and relatively fast experience, and there's plenty more to try. Maybe even room for dessert next time. (Also, I'm making sure to put the word 'dessert' in almost every entry, to anger Cham when I mispell it (because it amuses me) until I don't.)

==Moogle==
Ordered:

• Shrimp Po' Boy ($8.95)
• Coleslaw
• Baby Cake Potatoes

All the fried appetizer items were quite tasty. None of it was rubbery. I didn't find the grittiness in the clam that Mecha did. They were actually one of my favorites. The fried calamari was probably the best calamari I've had, and even though I haven't had it from many places, I think I'd be hard pressed to find much better. The others were good, but didn't catch my attention as much as the clam and calamari. Due to the size of the platter, I'd say it's a great appetizer to share with four or more.

The po' boy was good as well. There were fewer individual shrimp on it than I expected to see, but they were enough. The shrimp were breaded, and it had the shredded lettuce and a sauce. I can't remember exactly what the sauce was. The bread was fairly prevalent in my sandwich as well. That bread to shrimp ratio would be my only complaint, but it's a minor one. The sandwich was filling and tasty. The coleslaw is worth mentioning as well. This may be the best coleslaw I've had in a restaurant for a long time. It was the creamy style served chilled. I also liked having the baby cake potatoes as a side instead of the usual fries.

Though the dining area is a bit cramped, I will definitely come back. The good news is that they are opening an new restaurant further out west. Hopefully space won't be an issue there.

Caniglia's Venice Inn

Restaurant: Caniglia's Venice Inn
Address: 6920 Pacific St
Website: http://canigliasveniceinn.com/
Genres: Italian
Check Constraints: 17% Gratuity for 6 or more
Chain: No. | More Omaha Locations: No.

==Chamelaeon==
Ordered:

• Escargot ($8.50)
• Pesto Linguini w/Chicken ($10.90)
• Salad Bar
• Beef Vegetable Soup
  

As I learn more about the restaurants of Omaha and the history thereof, I have come to realize that it's impossible to trace said history without mentioning the Caniglia family. From Caniglia's Original Restaurant to Mr. C's, the family has a long history in Omaha, and I can honestly say I regret that we didn't start this blag before several of these restaurants closed. Still, there are some still operating, and Caniglia's Venice Inn (started by Eli Caniglia in 1957) is one such place. On what was more or less a momentary whim by ND for Italian, we selected this as our destination and boldly marched forth in search of history.

I suppose you could say we found it. I ordered the escargot because I thought it would make for a good blag experience (such things we do for our readers! It's so hard to eat food), and to be honest it did. The small land snails are served out of their shell, so there's no need to fish around with a fork for them or anything difficult. They arrived in a largish ceramic dish with five small depressions around a sixth center depression, in each of which was nestled a piece of escargot, veritably swimming in butter and garlic, which wikipedia assures me is the traditional service for such edible beasts as this. Additionally there seemed to be at least a small amount of Parmesan scattered over the dish, though it wound up not being very taste-able. There was actually a mushroom on the top of the center depression, which fell to Maple to eat, and he seemed to think it delicious. At any rate, around the outside of the ceramic dish were toast points of a sort. The whole deal was very hot when it came out of the kitchen, and I recommend a moment or two of cool down before trying to eat one like ND and I did. I actually had two pieces, as nobody seemed to want the last one, so I got one very hot and one that was far more temperate - I ate both of them on toast, and I think my general opinion of the appetizer was: good, but expensive. Granted, this was my first time trying it so I am no connoisseur of such things, but the butter flavor went well with the subtle taste of the escargot, and it was certainly no more rubbery or hard to eat than your average deep-fried calamari. I'm glad I ordered it once, but it's unlikely I'll get it again - at least here.

The salad bar was better than many, but I've been severely spoiled by salad bars at places like Whole Foods, and thusly I am not the most impartial judge of variety. Still, I was able to assemble a decent salad, and the greenery was not composed of entirely iceberg lettuce. Their signature Sicilian dressing was sweet with a very light vinegar taste, and well worth getting over anything else I saw there. The soup was actually very good; the beef in the name came from ground beef the soup was tomato-based, and the vegetables weren't cooked entirely to death while still imparting a lot of flavor to the overall cup. Both soup and salad come with a lot of the entrees, so you'll likely get the chance to try them.

A brief mention: there is olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table for the bread which also comes with entrees. I recommend using it - the bread is good, but it's hard for me to pass up some balsamic goodness.

The pesto chicken was good, but not overwhelmingly delicious. It was little more than linguine slathered in pesto, with diced tomato, black olives, and chunks of chicken. The chicken wasn't as flavorful as it could have been, but the pesto made up for that a lot. The single downside was that it could have greatly benefited from some fresh-grated parmesan. The table shaker helped, but the flavor zing from fresh would have definitely done more for the dish.

I have heard good things about the steak here, and I might try that at some point. The dinner menu here looks like it has a lot more culinary stars on it, and I'm positive that you'd have a much better ambience and probably experience overall at dinnertime. I fully intend to come back for said dinner at some point, but from what I hear I'll likely need to make reservations. One thing's for sure - if you like the food here, you'll probably like it for a long time. I know of at least one person who has been eating here for 30+ years.

==NinjaDebugger==
Ordered:

• Garlic Bread ($4.25)
  
• Fettucini Alfredo ($8.25)
• Cannoli ($3.95)

Okay, first things first. I really don't know what the heck to make of the escargot. I didn't actually get much taste out of it, in part due to the heat. I don't think I'd do it again, but not because it tasted terrible or had a bad texture, but just because it's pretty expensive.

The garlic bread here is actually pretty good quality. A bit charred around the edges, but when you get past that into the gooey center, you're looking at a very nice blend of multiple cheeses and garlic that can top most places, though obviously not my favorites.

I have never had cannoli before, but the essence of my thoughts on the stuff here is that it's rather like eating a cinnamon stick dipped in chocolate sauce and whipped cream. There was a LOT of cinnamon flavor, and it was overpowering in the cream filling. If I had to choose between getting this a second time and getting, say, the tiramisu, I'd go with the latter without hesitation.

Unfortunately, this brings me to the fettuccini alfredo. I am a man who loves his alfredo. This alfredo, it did not love me back. It was bitter. Not so much as, say, Indigo Joe's, which remains a travesty beyond compare, but it had a good helping of bitter. It lacked parmesan flavor entirely, and the somewhat stale shaker of grated parmesan at the table didn't help at all. Worse, when I didn't eat it all promptly, as it was not delicious, it congealed into an awful mess that wasn't even worth taking with me. Heed my warning, and stay well away from the alfredo.

==Moogle==
Ordered:

• Sausage and Pepper Sandwich ($6.95)
• Tiramisu ($5.00)
• Iced Tea ($0.95)

The escargot was a fascinating thing. I gave it a shot since I'd never had it before. I was a little afraid of another gizzard incident, but that wasn't the case. It did have a pretty strong flavor and was a bit chewy, but it actually wasn't bad at all. It's one of those things where it looks and sounds a lot worse than it tastes. It's a bit hard to describe the flavor, however. Cham mentioned that it was better with the lemon squeezed over it.

The garlic bread was pretty good. The bruchetta wasn't bad either. I'm not normally a fan of tomatoes, but this actually had a lot of other stuff on it as well. There may have been more of the olives, onions, etc than tomato even. The topping doesn't like to stay on the bread as you eat it, however. Both came with six pieces, which seemed pretty good for the price.

The sausage and peppers sandwich turned out to be "hot dog style". The sausage came uncut on a hoagie bun with the peppers and sauce topping it. It still had to be eaten with a knife and fork because it was so messy. It was an interesting option, and I've never seen it done like that. It was good, but hard to eat. It also came with thin fries, which were average. A lot menu sections mentioned that you could get tea or coffee (free refils) for 95 cents with your meal, so I gave that a go as well. The waiter kept my glass fairly full.

The tiramisu was pretty good. It was a fairly large piece with fresh whipped cream. The bottom bready portion seemed a little dry, but it didn't detract much from the rest of it. The whipped cream was very light and delicious.

Overall, it was decent food with reasonable prices, but you may have to look for some of the dishes that they do best. I would come back to give it another shot.

==MapleSyrup==
Ordered:

• Fettucini Alfredo ($8.25)
• French Onion Soup ($4.25)

The escargot reminded me somewhat of an oyster. Like the others, I've never had escargot before, so I'm not sure how it compares to what other places might offer, but I can say it was only ok and not something I'd get again at the price point.

I opted to pay the upcharge for a bowl of french onion soup with my meal and was sorely disappointed. The soup not only had the standard bit of cheese on top, it also had a generous sprinkling of parmesan which overpowered everything until you got through the crouton. Once through the crouton it tasted mostly of beef broth and, despite seeing lots of onion, there was very little onion flavor or texture. The Fettucini Alfredo, as ND has already said, was bitter and needed a big helping of parmesan added. I left the place with half of my serving still on the plate.

==Mecha==
Ordered

• Bruchetta Bread ($6.50)
• Lasagna ($8.50)
  
• Onion Soup ($4.25)
• Cannoli ($3.95)
  

What a smattering of random stuff we got!

The s-car-go was a really unique taste, but split between 5 people there wasn't much of it to go around. It did have its own subtle flavor, and I can definitely see why people in general would like it. It really isn't my cup of tea, though, especially at that price. I'd take sushi over escargot for weird expensive deliciousness anyday. The Bruchetta was very full of vegetation, from the tomatoes to the strong olive flavor to some other herbage. Not a huge fan of olives, but it worked reasonably well for the appetizer itself.

I also hit the salad bar, which was pretty light on options (although it had some other independant stuff you could get, a pasta, something that looked like mousse?) and went with their 'house' special dressing, which was a twist on italian. I vaguely remember it as being sweet and interesting, and so wasn't disappointed. The garlic bread was also pretty good. I got one of the pieces that was just the right amount of browned for my tastes, and it was a slight cut above in my opinion. The onion soup that I went with had VERY strong cheese flavor, and almost no onion flavor, which was disappointing. I am a fan of cheese, but no balance makes for a tough dish to want to go through all of it.

My Lasagna went the 'extra sweet' route, for the sauce. This is fairly common in higher end italian places in my experience, and is not generally my preference. That said, the actual body of it was very good, if small, with plenty of meaty and slight cheesy flavor to try to balance against the sauce. I'd probably try something else, but if you enjoy the sweet version of lasagna, this may be a place to take a shot at.

The dessert options were fairly small, but I felt like trying the cannoli here. I actually really enjoyed the cinnamon flavor (and am not a fan of Tiramisu), so it worked well for me and I might have it again were I to return (I am a fan of eating tubes of things.)

With (forced) tip, we averaged 20 bucks a person, which is certainly decent in theory, but there were so many inconsistencies that drove people away (eg: the alfredo). On the overall, I have to agree with Cham. Lunch may not be the best time to give this place a shot (it was fairly sparse in people, which almost always seems to be a problem), and it may smooth out some of the inconsistencies to give it another shot at dinner.

The Market Basket

Restaurant: The Market Basket
Address: 911 S 87th Ave, in Countryside Village Shopping Center
Website: http://marketbasketomaha.com/
Genres: bakery, deli
Check Constraints: Unknown
Chain: No | More Omaha Locations: No

==Moogle==
Ordered:

• New York Reuben ($9.00)
  

If I don't start this review now, it may be forgotten. The Market Basket is hidden away in the back corner of a small shopping center near 90th and Pacific St. It has an upscale sort of feel to it. The prices have an upscale sort of feel as well, however. They have a wide range of foods and plenty of healthier foods on the menu. They have an assortment of items displayed in a case in front of the counter and some shelves of jellies or preserves as you walk in. They also had some non-food items that looked like haircare, skincare, or soaps.

The reuben was a pastrami sandwich with shredded fresh vegetables and thousand island dressing. It was a bit different than what I was expecting, but it was decent. It came with potato chips that Market Basket makes themselves. The chips were large slices of potato, far less greasy than average chips, and came to us unsalted. I thought they were a bit bland, honestly.

Market Basket has a unique atmosphere and decent food, but I think the higher prices keep it off my "must return" list.

==Chamelaeon==
Ordered:

• Herb Roasted Beef Sandwich ($9?)
  
• Cup of White Tuscan Bean Soup ($3?)
  
• Brownie ($2?)
  
• Lemon Bar ($2?)
  

As Moogle says, this review was about to be lost to the sands of time; it has clearly already started happening, as I seem to have utterly misplaced the receipt and so my prices are only approximate.

Market Basket is a strange blending of what you would call a "bistro" and a bakery/restaurant not unlike Wheatfields or Panera. It's a lot closer to the latter of the two, but it's striving for the upscale feel more than anything. The dining area is split into two parts, one of which is near all their display cases and isn't especially distinctive, style-wise, but the other part is done in a very modern style and appears to be meant a lot more for couples or small groups than the five-to-six people we usually eat lunch with.

Still, being on the side with the bakery display is interesting in and of itself. The bakery here puts out quite a number of interesting things, including a large number of intriguing cakes. Like a lot of bakery/restaurants, you can purchase these over the counter. It's probably worth mentioning that they seem to have a lot of chocolate confectioneries, including some rather curious fudges which I have heard are good but didn't actually try at this visit.

What I did try was the herb-roasted beef sandwich. It's served on ciabatta, which in this case was toothsome but not overly chewy like some ciabatta tends to be. The beef was tender but chewy enough that you're almost better off cutting off bites of the sandwich, or you're going to pull a lot of beef out of the sandwich with that first bite. It was topped with Swiss, red onions and tomatoes, making for a flavor combination I've had before and which I feel works very well for roast beef sandwiches. More importantly, though, the entire sandwich was spread with very very coarse-ground mustard. Seriously, there were almost more seeds than actual spread. Which isn't to say that this was bad; it was actually not overwhelmingly mustard-y, and the rest of the flavors of the sandwich did a good job balancing the strong flavor. It would have been amazing if it was served warm, but cold it was still very good. I'd get it again, but I think it would be absolutely best on an early fall afternoon.

The Tuscan white bean soup was, to be honest, not very memorable. It had the flavor one would expect, the seasoning one would expect, and the texture one would expect, so it's fairly safe to say if you've enjoyed this soup elsewhere, you'll like it here. The desserts, however, were damn good. The brownie had a large hit of chocolate flavor and was appropriately dense for what it was - which is to say, a brownie, and not a piece of chocolate cake. It was also fairly moist inside, a good bet that it was baked fresh that day - not that I expected anything different. The lemon bar, on the other hand, was good but not nearly as excellent. If you really dig lemon bars, go for it, but otherwise wander elsewhere in their catalogue of sweets.

The cost here is definitely high - you're paying in part for the "bistro" classification - but it comes down to what you place value on in a restaurant. If you think it's worth it for fresher ingredients and some more interesting taste experiences, you'll enjoy it. If you're looking for a quick sandwich on a busy Saturday, stick to a slightly less upscale restaurant.

==Mecha==
Ordered:

• Chicken Pita ($9.50)
  
• Cup of White Gazpacho ($3.50)

I am smrt, I wrote my prices down on the intertubes.

The environment was more or less as was described, although it looked like they had a darker more 'dining room' environment off to the right, but we got seated in the brighter section right near the bakery case. I was going to order two soups, but sadly they were out of a delicious squashy soup, so I just went with the one White Gazpacho. It was white and tasted very strongly of cucumber and sour cream. Which was not a bad flavor (Cham assures me that that flavor occurs elsewhere in the world, such as in sandwiches) but I couldn't quite manage the whole cup of it. The Chicken Pita had a lot of similar notes, but was far more complex and an extremely well put together dish. There wasn't much 'pita' to the chicken pita, and once it was gone it was a bit harder to manage the blend of chicken, fresh vegetables, and IIRC a light dressing. I vaguely remember strands of squash, lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, and more, but it has been a long time. My overall impression which I noted down, though, was that it had a very good balance, and for a dish to have a lot of complex notes that could all be tasted and also all worked together means it's a dish you should try. Just be careful managing your pita.

There's a lot more to try here that I was interested in, with a large variety of fresh seeming fare, so I'd definitely go back, even with the high price. Unfortunately for it, the place competes fairly strongly with Wheatfields and maybe Paradise in its proximity, both of which do similar things at good prices, but give it a try for its variety.

==MapleSyrup==
Ordered:

• Fish 'n' Chips ($10.50)
  

I'm a fan of Fish 'n' Chips, so I ordered the Fish 'n' Chips. It came with a very large helping of coleslaw. I assume it was made in house, since it was unlike any I'd had before. It was a little less than dry and barely sweet, composed of (I'm going from a long distant memory here, so forgive me) julienned cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, zucchini, and yellow squash. I prefer my coleslaw a little wetter and a littler sweeter than what they offered, but it still had a really good crunch.

The chips were definitely made in house. They sliced potatoes the long way into about 1/16" thick pieces and fried them to a very hard crunchy. The level of crunchiness didn't work for them at all. You'd bite into one and, instead of giving you a clean cut, it would break into a bunch of smaller pieces that would dribble down your front. They were also pretty bland and had a slightly burnt taste to them. They definitely could have used some salt.

The fish had a classic light batter. They didn't offer any malt vinegar and by the time I'd thought to ask, the waitress had already disappeared and wasn't to be seen for a short time. The fish was still good though. The batter was flavorful and the fish wasn't too fishy.

Mecha's right that there were a lot of other interesting things on the menu that I'd like to try, but I find the prices a bit off-putting. And if I were to ever return, I'd definitely go for a side other than their chips.

Gandolfo's New York Delicatessen

Restaurant: Gandolfo's New York Delicatessen
Address: 6303 Center Street
Website: http://www.gandolfosdeli.com/
Genres: Sandwiches
Check Constraints: None
Chain: Yes| More Omaha Locations: Yes

==NinjaDebugger==
Ordered:

• Small Soup (Wisconsin Cheese) ($1.99)
• Cheesecake ($3.49)
• Drink + Chips ($1.99)
• 12" Dagwood ($8.99)

If that seems like a lot of food, it's because it is. I was coming off a nasty bout with something or other last week, and my appetite was voracious, to put it mildly. This is a new location in town, it just opened last week, and it opened within very easy distance for us, and they were offering a discount, so we kinda had to try it. It's a pretty standard sandwich place inside, except that instead of waiting at the counter, they have you sit down and they'll bring the sandwich out to you. Everything else, you get to carry yourself. The place is a little small, so if they get decent amounts of business, it's gonna be crowded.

All of this is pretty secondary to the food, though. The Wisconsin cheese soup was a tad heavy on the ham, but the entire taste was ham and cheese, pretty much like eating a ham and cheese sandwich, only without the sandwich. For those who don't read ND-speak, that means it was delicious and you should get some if they have it when you go in.

The cheesecake was very cheesecakey, and I can't say that the slice was undersized. In fact, it was pretty damn formidable, but coulda used some strawberries, as it was a tad on the dry side. Other than that, it was quality, though.

The dagwood... oh man. The dagwood is a monster. Four or five types of meat, a bunch of cheese, mayo, mustard, pickles, onions, tomatoes. It's a big sandwich. If you like a big sandwich, get this. If you like a really big sandwich, get this with extra meat. There is only one sandwich that can compare to this, really, and that's the monster called the Gargantuan, at Jimmy John's. And this one has pickles. Man, I love pickles. If you love pickles and meat and cheese, get this sandwich.

==Chamelaeon==
Ordered:

• Whole Coney Island Gyro ($8.89) (sans mayo)
  
• Soup (Wisconsin Cheese) + Drink Combo ($2.49)

The servers at the restaurant called the sandwiches 12", but the online menu and the paper one I picked up call them "whole", which I think is a better term for them since I'm fairly positive the sandwich I ate clocked in over 12". Even given that amount of food, though, the prices here are fairly expensive. It certainly outclasses Subway and Jimmy John's in terms of price per sandwich, but when you're making that consideration you have to take a couple things into account.

I have eaten many a Subway sandwich, and while they're filling and some of them are certainly better for you than a bushel of potatoes in a deep-fryer, you're not going to find the sandwiches themselves winning taste or innovation awards anytime soon. Given that standard, the sandwiches at Jimmy John's come out on top almost unilaterally. The bread's better, the toppings are better, and their only failings when put up against Subway are that customization is lacking and that they do not do any kind of hot subs. Gandolfo's seems to be capitalizing on variety, offering more sandwiches than both the other places (possibly combined, especially since Subway cut back on subs to offer crap like horrible pizzas), and offering them in both hot and cold varieties. The quality of the bread and toppings is at least approximately as good as Jimmy John's, though it would take a few more visits to really determine that. So is it really better? It beats Subway, certainly. When pitted against Jimmy John's that's a harder call for me to make, as I had a hot sub. I certainly enjoyed it more than Quizno's sauce-soaked contraptions.

I suppose I should talk about the sandwich itself at some point. The Coney Island Gyro is roast beef, mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, lettuce, tomato, onion, butter, and oil and vinegar... it comes with mayo but I ordered it without as too much liquid on my sandwiches is always distressing to me. As a result it came out very good - not too soggy at all. The bread had a flavor, which is nice, and the meat was cooked and seasoned well. The oil and vinegar added a nice little kick, to boot. If you closed your eyes and squinted, it did almost taste like a strange sort of gyro.

The soup was passable, with obvious chunks of bacon giving it a nice ham flavor, but not really wowing me much overall. They rotate soups, but only do one per day, so you've got your pick of a couple over the course of a week. Stick to medium drinks here, as they have a fountain in the dining area and you get refills. I'll eat here again at some point, though in the future I'm more likely to stick to their cold chicken sandwiches, just out of personal preference toward such things.

==Moogle==
Ordered:

• Half/6" Manhattan Transfer ($5.24)
  
• Soup (Wisconsin Cheese) + Drink Combo ($2.49)
• Chocolate Chip Cookie ($1.29)

The Manhattan Transfer is a hot, Italian-type sandwich with cappicola, salami, cheese and other toppings. The menu mentioned butter, which I thought was odd. You didn't really taste it, but I'm sure it made the sandwich a bit more drippy. I do like the bread, and it seemed like a more quality sandwich than any of the other standard sandwich chains mentioned above. It was bigger than most, but it still seemed a tad more expensive for the size. The quality may be worth it however.

The drink combos were a nice change. You could get your drink with either the soup, a deli salad, or your standard bag of chips. The soup was pretty good, but uneventful. It was a much better option than chips, even if it was kind of a small bowl. I might have to try the deli salad next time. The cookie was fairly large. They had a few options under a glass cover on the counter. I doubt they made them there, though.

The next day for breakfast:

• Radio City ($3-4?)
• Orange Juice ($1.29?)

[Editor's note: The Radio City and OJ are $3.29 and $1.29 solo, respectively, but there's a combo for any sandwich plus orange juice for $3.99]

Now, the Radio City is a breakfast sandwich with ham, eggs, and cheddar. This wasn't part of lunch that day. They had a special event the next day where you'd get a free sandwich when you dine in. I decided to give it a shot and am glad I did. This is also why I don't remember the prices that well. The only sandwich they had for free was the Radio City, but that was not a problem. It was a fairly good sized sandwich with plenty of egg and ham. It could maybe have used a tad more cheese, but it was great anyway. The service was pretty fast, but I think it was because they were just cranking those puppies out that day. This was definitely worth the under-$4 you would normally pay. The orange juice bottle was maybe a bit small for the price, however. If I need to get breakfast on the way to work, I know where I'm going next time.

==MapleSyrup==
Ordered:

• Whole Philly Cream Cheese Steak ($7.49)
  
• Salad (Egg Salad) + Drink Combo ($2.49)

I've never had egg salad before, so I can't say how it compares with mama's. It was nearly ice cold and tasted like deviled eggs, but a bit milder. I like deviled eggs, so I liked the egg salad. They give you a full half-pound of it in a small styrofoam bowl, which looked a bit small, but it turned out to be a good amount.

The Philly Cream Cheese Steak sandwich was roast beef shaved/shredded like you would expect in a philly cheesesteak with cream cheese, mozarella, lettuce, tomato, green pepper, onion, steak sauce and butter. The bread it came on was great. I think it was actually better than Jimmy John's. It had a nice crust and was a touch flakey. The sandwich itself worked better than I expected. The cream cheese and steak sauce gave it a bit of a tang and nothing was too overpowering.

The prices are comparable to Penn Station. I'd go there and get a medium reuben and a medium fry and pay about $9. Here I got a large sandwich, a deli salad, and a drink for $10 (before discount). Though I must grant that the medium fry at Penn Station was actually a medium cup of awesome.

Fernando's On Pacific

Restaurant: Fernando's On Pacific
Address: 7555 Pacific St
Website: N/A
Genres: Mexican
Check Constraints: None
Chain:Yes | More Omaha Locations: Yes

==NinjaDebugger==
Ordered:

• Appetizer Sampler ($8.95)
• #5 combo (Two chicken enchiladas) ($9.95)

Fernando's is a hard place to miss, on account of the gigantic table on the roof. We briefly considered asking if we could have that table, but thought they probably heard that way too often and opted not to be lame. There's outside seating, though it wasn't in use when we went, and inside there's plenty of room, in general, though we had to have another table brought over, on account of several of us being large and in charge.

We've had pretty good experiences with mexican restaurants in Omaha, so I was kinda hopeful walking in. I'm just going to make a quick note here, everything, and I do mean -everything- came out blazing hot, like they had just pulled all the plates out of the oven. I burned my hand, though not enough to blister, and if you don't let things sit for a minute or two, you're probably going to regret it.

The appetizer section wasn't anything amazing, so we opted for a sampler and some chicken nachos. The chicken nachos were a bit on the crumbly side, but other than that, they were simple and clean. There were chips, copious amounts of cheese and chicken, and some hot peppers, and nothing else. They were pretty good, too, and once they cooled down a tad, they were devoured at speed. Most of the stuff on the sampler didn't really appeal to me, but I'll let others cover that, because I can't remember any of it.

I figured out before I ordered that this place was like the good restaurants and not the bad ones, so I ordered a tad light, going with two enchiladas. MapleSyrup and I opted for the same combo, so I took chicken, and he'll be talking about the beef and seafood. The chicken enchiladas were high quality. The chicken was juicy and just a little spicy, there was plenty of cheese, and quite frankly, it's the best I've had in quite a while.

If it weren't for the somewhat lackluster appetizer menu, I'd easily rate this above my favorite, Senor Matias, but as it is, it's just a tad short. It's still a damn good choice, though, and if you're not up for appetizers or a bit of non-mexican food, I'd come here without hesitation.

==Chamelaeon==
Ordered:

• Iced Tea ($1.75)
• Pork Green Chili Stew ($3.95)
• Tamale Plate ($7.95)
• Beans
• Rice

To be fair, the appetizers are only lackluster because we're all so very sick of dips. They're an appetizer staple, and we've had far too many of them to truly appreciate a good guacamole or bean dip at this point. The sampler was decent if a little sparse for five people, and the nachos were certainly adequate.

You may wonder why we order so much soup or stew; I know in my case, the primary reason isn't necessarily to get more food, but to experience a broader range of the restaurant's flavors for not that much more money. If a place offers cups of soup, I recommend you try the same thing, especially if you come across an interesting or unique variety of soup. In this case the soup was good, if not especially outstanding in any category. Keep it to the cup, though, since I think a bowl would be too much of the flavor.

Unlike ND, I actually thought the portions here were on the average size, as opposed to the immense portions occasionally offered up elsewhere. The tamale was good, as such things go, though as mentioned the size was a tad small. If you're looking for the highest "food for your buck ratio" you'd probably be better off to get the Tamale Combo instead of the Tamale Plate - it's $2 more and you get an extra item. Also, as I make this post I realize I am stuck in a tamale rut and likely need to order something else next time we hit a Mexican place.

My verdict is Would Eat Again, especially with the free suckers they give you with the check.

==Mecha==
Ordered:

• Chicken Nachos ($7.50)
• #3? combo (Burrito, Taco, Tamale) ($9.95)

It's been a long time, but I haven't forgotten everything.

As for appetizers, the sampler had wings, cheese, what one might term 'mexican eggrolls'... good flavors, but yeah, for 5-6, not enough so everyone gets a taste of everything. The salsa that came with was pretty tasty as well. The nachos were good, and not quite as difficult to pick apart as some others that we've talked about, although still with the big block o'melted cheddar issue to a point.

I'll second the 'hot plate' mention with a note that the servers use oven mitts to bring out the food. They seem to go for cooking things right on the plates. In some cases, it shows more than others. My combo actually was difficult to pick out the burrito on, as it seemed to be buried next to the tamale. The tacos here are pretty solid on the beef front, good vegetation to go with flavorful beef, and using the folded pita-like 'soft'ish shells. The flavor of the tamale was fairly well mixed, not overpoweringly corn as I am used to, and the meat of the tamale and the beef burrito were both very good. The beans and such were fairly standard, but they're refried beans, what do you want from them? I do tend to agree with Art that the size was not huge, but my perspective on that is more that I want a large 'main' piece, and less of the sides. This was not so much with the large main dish in my opinion. Contrast with Giant Burritos of Doom from other places. Still, reasonable prices and good flavors. I'd want to mix it up next time, but I'd give it another shot.

==Moogle==
Ordered:

• Fernando's Favorite ($8.95)

The "Fernando's Favorite" is a combo plate with a taco and an enchilada with your choice of fillings. I got beef for the taco and chicken for the enchilada. I don't remember a whole lot about it, but none of it was dry. The bottom of the taco did get a bit soggy from sitting on a bed of lettuce. The chicken enchilada was pretty decent. The sides it came with were average. It was good, but it didn't stand out in my mind.

What did stand out were a couple of things in the appetizers. There were some fried pepper things that looked a lot like jalapeno poppers, but had a red pepper and were a bit more spicy. Those I thought were pretty good and fairly unique. The dip was pretty good. It was a pico de gallo salsa, which I'm not usually interested in. The chicken wings and other sampler items weren't otherwise impressive. The nachos were good. They were probably more worth the price than the sampler. They had good flavor and weren't terribly hard to eat. Their chips, in general, seemed extra salty.

I'd visit again. It didn't think it stood from the crowd terribly well, but it was a good meal. They do have some other, less-standard options as well as some non-Mexican choices.

==MapleSyrup==
Ordered:

• Soda Pop ($1.75)
• #5 combo (Beef Enchilada, Seafood Enchilada) ($9.95)

Thinking back on it, Mecha is probably right. I bet they cook the food right on the plate and that's why they were so deathly hot.

I was fairly impressed with the portions, especially in light of Margarita's, the last Mexican joint we went to. The enchiladas were a good size. There was a heapin' helpin' of refried beans with a dash of cheese and a heapin' helpin' of mexican rice. The beef enchilada was unremarkable, though good. I can't even remember if it was shredded or ground beef, unfortunately. The seafood enchilada, on the other hand, was delicious. The innards were a mix of crab (most likely with a k) meat with some small shrimps. They were perfectly warmed and not at all fishy. I bit in and chewed and got the nice little pops of the shrimp and a not overpowering taste of the krab. I would definitely order it again.

Overall, I liked the place and would advocate going back. The bucket of suckers that came with the check, of course, had absolutely no effect on that opinion *cough*

Noodles and Company

Restaurant: Noodles & Company
Address: 203 South 72nd Street - 72nd and Dodge, in the minimall with Chipotle and Gamestop
Website: http://www.noodles.com/ (Warning, flash)
Genres: Pasta. And that's about it.
Check Constraints: Short order.
Chain: National. | More Omaha Locations: No.

==Chamelaeon==
Ordered:

• Indonesian Peanut Saute, Large ($5.25)
  
• + Chicken ($2.00)
• Fountain Drink ($1.35)
• Cucumber/Tomato Salad ($2.50)
• 2 Flatbread ($1.50)

Noodles and Company is a national chain, centered mostly in the Midwest. Back in the days when we used to go to Buffalo Wild Wings a lot, Noodles and Company was the restaurant we went to when we needed a break from breaded chicken. When work piled up again, we needed a quick destination that would still serve as a respite from beating our collective heads against unworking code - Noodles and Company definitely fits the bill.

It's a short-order joint, so once you place your order at the counter you get a little number to take back to your table. You won't be waiting long, however - I don't think we've ever waited longer than 15 minutes for food here, even if it was packed to the gills. One of the advantages to having the primary ingredient in most of your dishes pre-cooked, I suppose. But as usual, I ramble on about things of secondary importance when I should be talking about the food.

I have eaten many a dish here, and I don't think I've come across a single one that's bad. The Indonesian peanut saute is a personal favorite of mine, not the least because it has a decent spicy kick and some excellent peanut flavor; it's not equivalent to good Thai, but it'll hold off the cravings for a week or so. I usually prefer the asian-style dishes here with added tofu, but I went with chicken this week for a change of pace. If the spice or flavor doesn't quite meet your expectations, they have sriracha on all the tables (it is especially good on the Japanese pan noodles).

The tomato/cucumber salad is practically a must-have for me. It plays a little loose with the most common definition of salad, since it is essentially a plate of nothing but cucumber, tomato, and red onion dressed in what I think is rice wine vinegar, a little oil, and some spices. The goodness of this dish varies proportionally to the ability of the restaurant to secure good tomatoes, so I have occasionally been burned by that. Still, the odds are in your favor, and it's a good pairing with most of the pasta dishes they serve. The flatbread (or the rolls, they're both $0.75 each) is also a must-have for me, since it helps make sure I get the last bits of every dish here.

I can honestly say I've never felt sorry to have eaten a meal here. It is an excellent speedy destination, if you can find parking in the hideously-designed minimall they have there. Even if you're in an extreme rush, their takeout is fast and just as good, as I'm sure ND will attest.

==NinjaDebugger==
Ordered:

• Macaroni and Cheese, Large ($5.25)
  
• Buttered Noodles, Small ($2.50?)

I had to work through lunch this time around, so I got them to grab me some noodles as they were leaving. My ability to eat at Noodles & Company is extremely limited. If you are allergic to mushrooms, about half their menu is off limits, and my inability to stomach whole bits of tomato wipes out much of the rest. Luckily, what's left of the menu is absolutely outstanding.

EDIT: New information from a commenter indicates that this is incorrect, and any ingredient can be left out of Noodles and Company sauces. This is doubleplusgood.

Their takeout dishes are sturdy plastic with sealing lids, so you can pretty much guarantee that your takeout's gonna get to you intact. They cook their takeout noodles a bit less done than al-dente, so by the time they got to me, they were just done enough, and could've taken a couple minutes longer and still not been mushy. If you're in a bit of a rush, or have to work through lunch, sending one guy to Noodles after calling ahead is a very good option for a whole team. Definitely a better lunch than ordering pizza yet again.

The actual food is the same thing I get pretty every time, though when I eat in I get some buns (to mop up the delicious sauce) and potstickers (because they are excellent). Like I said above, what's left of the menu for me is damn good. The buttered noodles are cheaper than their other dishes, on account of being butter, noodles, a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, and a mix of delicious herbs. The macaroni and cheese is the same price as other dishes, and they take your average cream + cheese type macaroni mixture and then sprinkle herbs and even more cheese on top. Both of these are, frankly, the best damn iteration of their type that I have had anywhere. Better than I can make at home, really, and I've been working on them for twenty five years.

That's really about all there is to say about the place. They specialize in noodles, they do noodles very well, and if you don't get yourself some bread, you'll regret it, because you'll have to leave so much delicious sauce on the dishes.

==Moogle==
Ordered:

• Macaroni and Cheese, Chicken, and Caesar Salad Trio ($7.25)
  
• Fountain Drink ($1.35)

They have an option for a "trio" dish, which is a combo meal. You get a small noodle dish of your choice, add meat/tofu, and a small garden or caesar salad. I tend to take this option and usually end up getting the mac & cheese trio listed above. I've tried other types, but that one impresses me the most. The drink is extra, but you get reasonable portions and it comes to about $10 for a total.

The mac & cheese is one of my favorites here. I tried it early on after ND had said how good it was. It's a bit different take than I normally think of mac & cheese. The sauce is more liquid and starts out at the bottom of the bowl. The noodles are "dry" with extra cheddar on top. Mix 'em up and you've got a great bowl o' noodles. The chicken comes sliced on top of the noodles for this one.

==MapleSyrup==
Ordered:

• Japanese Pan Noodles ($5.25)
• Cucumber and Tomato Salad ($2.50)
  
• Fountain Drink ($1.35)

I opted for my usual this week of Japanese Pan Noodles and a Cucumber and Tomato Salad. Cham described the salad accurately. The mildly sweet vinegar and whatever spice they sprinkle on there reminds me of a yummy vinegar, cucumber, and onion concoction my grandma used to make -- but amazingly better with the sweetness.

The Japanese Pan Noodles have been good and reliable in the past, however I was disappointed this go around because they had a burnt taste to them. They were still palatable, but not as satisfying. The pan noodles are long, firm, girthy noodles with some bean sprouts, black seed things, and a spicy asian flavor. They weren't wet with any sauce, but they weren't completely dry either. I'm not a spicehag of any sort, as I'm sure I've mentioned in the past, so I found my tongue burning a little by the time I finished the plate, but it wasn't anything unbearable or terribly uncomfortable.

==Mecha==
Ordered:

• Indonesian Peanut Saute w/Chicken ($7.25)
• Potstickers (3) ($2.95)
  
• Fountain Drink ($1.35)

Girthy. Really.

Well, I also got the Peanut Saute, but first, potstickers. These are pan-fried and heavy on the being full of meat, and a bit above average as potstickers go. They come with a very flavorful dipping sauce, along the lines of most potstickers. Usually worth a buy.

As for the peanut saute, I'm a sucker for peanut sauce, and Noodles generally puts up a good show on that front. As Cham put it, it's not the thai you're looking for, but it is pretty good for its price and speed. A fairly busy dish with a lot of contrasts, as Maple noted, between the fairly firm sticky noodles and the bean sprouts. I'll note that it's really hard to work in the very large chunks of chicken they give you and make that chicken mix even. They essentially just cut up a (nicely cooked and flavored) breast and slap it down on top, as an add-on for any dish. I get the chicken in addition every time anyway, for the added flavor/meat, but it still bugs me.

Out Of Town: Kyoto Japanese Restaurant, Rolla MO

Restaurant: Kyoto Japanese Restaurant
Address: 1002 N Bishop Ave, Rolla, MO
Website: None that I saw.
Genres: Sushi, Chinese
Check Constraints: None noted.
Chain:No.

==Chamelaeon==
Ordered:

• Dumplings in Red Oil ($4.95)
• Sushi Set B ($12.50)
• 4 Sushi (Chef's choice)
• Spicy Tuna Roll
• Soup
• Salad

Once again, we were in Rolla, Missouri for our twice-annual visit. We only reviewed one restaurant this time, since we took things a little easier - Mecha, ND and I were all trying to decompress from work. It's almost a two-for-one deal, though, since Kyoto doesn't just do Japanese food and sushi, but does some interesting Chinese food as well. In its newer location along the "main drag" of Rolla, Kyoto has plenty of room inside, if not necessarily plenty of parking. The interior is fairly traditional in style, with several booths providing you the option of sitting with your legs underneath you.

But enough about the building. Onto the food! The dumplings were essentially large circular potstickers - meat and cabbage inside a layer of dough. They were steamed, and served in a bowl with a spoon, much like some sort of strange meatball cereal. They were also extremely hot, so be careful and let it cool before you spoon one into your mouth whole with eager anticipation, like I did. The "red oil" portion of the appetizer is a chili-flavored sesame oil, with which the dumplings were dressed. It added a nice peppery flavor and though I could have (of course) stood more heat, they were still deliciously spicy. Definitely Would Eat Again.

As with a lot of sushi places, the dinner I ordered came with soup and salad. The salad was good, although suffered from the "iceberg lettuce is the only lettuce" problem a lot of places have. Still, you get your fiber where you can. The soup was good, with what seemed to be an onion base - it had a deliciously oniony flavor to it. Still, a cup of it was probably enough. I don't think I'd opt for the bowl.

The sushi here was good. I wouldn't classify it as fantastic, though it's certainly not the worst sushi I've ever had. But given the circumstances - a college town in the middle of Missouri - it's got some remarkable tastiness to it. Granted, I have a very liberal hand with the wasabi so I'm not usually the best to comment on the subtle tastes of the nigiri. I can, however, say that both the nigiri and the rolls were well-crafted, and that the composition of the rolls made for some delicious eating. I sampled off a lot of people's plates and dishes, and they all fell into the "good" range for me. I don't think any of our party strayed off into the Chinese section of the menu, but I imagine the food is at least as good over there.

Someone at the table ordered red bean buns at the end of it all as dessert. I don't remember who that was, since I was kind of in a food-induced coma at that point. Regardless, they were chewy, delicious, and a good topper to the dinner.

We've been to Kyoto once before, and it's likely we'll be back. You don't have many choices when eating sushi in Rolla, but take heart in that your one choice is, in fact, enjoyable.

==NinjaDebugger==
Ordered:

• Triple Dinner ($16.95)
  • Chicken Teriyaki
  • Tekka Maki
  • 6 Sushi
• Rainbow Roll ($9.50)
• Inari ($3.00)
• Barley Tea ($2.50?)
  

I finally learned the proper way to have wasabi on your sushi. For the record, that's to mix it into the soy sauce in a dish, then dip it. I didn't know that. I'm not sure why.

In any case, the tea I had, which was roasted barley tea. It's their standard tea, and not listed as such, but now that I've figured out what it is, I looked it up, and the stuff I saw sitting in the tea was definitely barley. The first time I went there, we all got the stuff, practically, and wondered what the heck it was, and didn't like it very much. Now that I've figured out what it is, I can appreciate it as barley tea and not the green tea that I expected. Unfortunately, I have no basis for comparison of barley tea, so all I can tell you is that if you're not expecting green tea, it's decent tea. I think. It's also a pot plus a cup, and the pot's pretty good sized, so you're not going to run out quickly.

Inari rolls are a siren call to me. They're so very simple, reasonably priced for just grabbing to nosh, and are just plain good. I always get them now, wherever I go that has them. I prefer them hot, but cold seems to be the standard, the hot ones must have been an anomaly. These were the best cold ones I've had, though, as they were barely greasy at all, something that has plagued the cold rolls in the past. For those who are reading this as their first sushi review, Inari rolls are a blob of sushi rice with a tofu skin wrapped around it, then deep fried. I usually eat one straight up, and then dip the other in soy/wasabi mix, and they're both quite good.

The triple combo's a pretty good value. More substantial than a bento, for not a hell of a lot more price. The chicken teriyaki was nothing special, as far as I can remember. The tekka maki I'm remembering as quite a bit better than most of what I've had, and the sushi assortment, well. I had to pass off a piece on account of not being able to stomach shrimp, but other than that, it was decent to good.

The real star of the dinner, for me, was the rainbow roll. I had never had one of these before, but now, I'm thinking I'm gonna have it more often. Take a nice long california roll, which I mostly tolerate, but don't go out of my way to get. Now layer along its entire length maybe half a dozen types of fish, with multiple types overlapping on any given area, and cut it into delicious chunks, and arrange to look kinda like a rainbow, only with stripes the wrong way. Okay, my description skills suck, but the rainbow roll doesn't. It was wonderful, from beginning to end, and even my somewhat touchy stomach ate it up.

As for the red bean buns... well, they were delicious, and now ND just wants to go outside and take it easy.

==Mecha==
Ordered:

• Triple Dinner ($16.95)
  • Chicken Teriyaki
  • Tekka Maki
  • 6 Sushi
• Hamachi (Yellow Tail) (4.25)

I actually can't remember if I got Maki or not. Is very long ago, and I can't find the recept despite paying. It's a shame I went to Hiro after this, because it kinda overrides my impressions.

The dumplings Cham got were at a good and not unedible heat, so all could enjoy. I got some a la carte sushi, as I often do, this time opting for the yellow tail. It's definitely a fish I could go for again, and unlike Cham I do not destroy the subtle flavors with more wasabi than should ever possibly go on that fish. The a la carte comes by 2 pieces here, as it seems most places do (making Sakura Bana the exception to Matsu, Hiro, and Kyoto's rule.)

Their triple dinner came in a bit of a bento box format (I think?) and was definitely comparable. It came with an appetizer of a salad, and while being full of iceberg, the dressing was a bit off what you usually get, and pretty good. I'm remembering sesame, but it's been a while. The 'chef's choice' sushi was, as is pretty much standard, tuna, whitefish, shrimp, salmon, etc. This has to be tougher to get in with good time than Omaha's sushi places, so their ability to have comparable sushi to Sakura Bana is definitely a positive note, and it isn't as if there's huge competition in the town. The chicken teriyaki, I think, was actually better than it was at Sakura Bana, at least slightly. It definitely delivers, and at similar price as well. And the dessert of red bean buns, I nipped at a bit before biting in. Very sweet, enjoyable. And then the check. Whuu. Mid 120s, if I remember, for 6 people, pre-tip. Which isn't bad at all (20 bucks a person, with some sharing? Yeah.)

The overall on the place is that it's a good place to eat, does good sushi even in the middle of nowhere, and the prices are perfectly reasonable. If you're the type, in the area, and you can find parking, I don't think we've got a reservation about sending you to Kyoto. Missouri.

Jack and Mary's Restaurant

Restaurant: Jack & Mary's Restaurant
Address: 655 N 114th St - In the minimall to the east of 114th, look for the sign with a chicken on it.
Website: None I could find.
Genres: Home-Style, Chicken. (Yes, that's really a tag.)
Check Constraints: 18% gratuity for 6 or more. $1 split plate charge.
Chain: No. | More Omaha Locations: No.

==Chamelaeon==
Ordered:

• Iced Tea($1.49)
• Onion Rings ($4.99)
• Regular Chicken Dinner ($7.99)
• Salad Bar
• Chicken Noodle Soup

We're not dead yet! Much as happened last month, the dire specter of work has arisen and laid claim to huge amounts of our time. Rest assured, we're still eating at places, we just haven't told you about them yet, so you as the reader should expect there to be a minor surge of reviews sometime in the next two weeks. But right now we have a restaurant to cover.

In looking around on the web I saw two competing addresses for Jack & Mary's. Whether this means they've moved or that they have two locations, I'm not sure, but since both of them are around the Dodge and 114th St area, I have to say it's more likely they moved and the internet hasn't entirely caught up with that fact yet. Regardless, there's a location off 114th St, and that is the one we ate at. We were actually shooting for Feta's Greek Restaurant, which is in the same minimall, but the place was so packed with lunchgoers we opted to try to find another place to eat.

Jack and Mary's is a restaurant which has a very broad love affair with chicken. A good 90% of their dishes are chicken-based, and some of the non-chicken items still wind up chicken-fried. So you can cease wondering what the rest of the geeks got, because we all got chicken of one form or another. We tried a couple appetizers first, though, one of these being the onion rings (thankfully free of chicken). They were good stuff, too. Remarkably reminiscent of the ones at Mama's Pizza without the interesting salt, the onion rings had a good helping of onion flavor paired with a crispy batter that didn't overpower or smother the onions at all. They don't come with ranch, but there's ketchup at the table. Verdict here is definitely Would Eat Again.

Their salad bar is perhaps a little lackluster compared to some, but it's serviceable. You won't find multiple types of greenery and the bar seemed to be missing staples like cucumber, but there were pepperoncini and olives, which always makes me a little giddy about my salads. It's filling, if nothing else, and one has to ingest one's vegetables somehow. The soup was adequate but nothing special. For a restaurant which prides itself on its chicken, the soup seemed to lack a good chickeny base to it. It wasn't horrible by any means, but I don't think I'd go for it again.

The fried chicken, which seems to be the bread and butter of this establishment, was simultaneously a surprise and a let-down; a duality of food, not unlike some kind of chickenish Tao. The chicken itself was the most moist and flavorful fried chicken meat I had ever tasted. I have brined and roasted chicken breasts before, which results in very juicy and properly seasoned breast meat - the fried chicken breast here was very similar. Were it a piece of grilled chicken, I suspect I would have been ecstatic over the meal. Alas, I ordered it fried, and the real letdown was the breading and the process used. The chicken was fried with skin, but I confess I initially remembered it as skinless - there was some remarkably uneven breading and even some almost bare spots. In addition, the breading was essentially flavorless, so that it was nearly superfluous. Its sole purpose seemed to be to give the chicken a crunchy texture, which I have to admit it did admirably - no soggy breading here.

In summation: the chicken here was better than at a lot of "country-style" restaurants, and I wouldn't even be averse to giving it another shot, in the hopes that it was just an off day for the chicken. Most of the rest of the geeks seemed satisfied with the meal, so giving the place a total writeoff's not a good idea. I suspect if I go again I'm going to try to get a piece of fried and a piece of grilled, and see what comes of it.

==NinjaDebugger==
Ordered:

• Iced Tea($1.49)
• Hot Chicken Sandwich ($7.99 ish)
• Salad Bar
• Cheese Soup
  

Work has been so busy that I can't really remember prices here, but it was all pretty close in price, so anyway, food. I tried one of the onion rings, and one bite was more than enough for me to know it was about a hundred times too oniony for me. What Cham calls a pleasant oniony flavor, I call "someone stuffed an onion up my nose."

The salad bar was decidedly lacking in anything resembling Italian dressing, so I was forced back to ranch, but it had enough of the standards that I got a good salad that was worth the money. The cheese soup wasn't so amazing as I had in other places, but it made an excellent dip for the bread that was placed before us in generous baskets. I approve of restaurants that give bread baskets, as a general rule.

The hot chicken sandwich was exactly as advertised, and as expected, mostly. A big slab of bread with chicken, mashed potatoes, and a thick coating of gravy. The chicken gravy wasn't the best I've had, or even close, though. It was very thick, and not really chickeny enough. The blandness didn't go well with the potatoes and chicken. Unless you're a fan of a big platter of bland, I wouldn't go for it. I know I would go for something else if we went back.

==Moogle==
Ordered:

• Hawaiian (Chicken Sandwich) ($6.99)
  

I actually liked the onion rings here better than those at Mama's Pizza. Maybe the others were too salty for me. If ND got an end-piece instead of an actual ring, I can see the "onion up the nose" argument. I did have one of those and it was pretty strong. Your average ring, I'd say, isn't so bad. The other appetizer ordered was a plate of way too many fried gizzards. I'd never eaten one before, and I will likely continue not eating them. I don't think it's the restaurant's fault, but I am not nearly qualified to judge gizzards. The flavor was very strong and not my favorite. The texture was unpleasant. I barely ate the one, but I gave it a shot at least.

The sandwich was pretty good. It was a grilled chicken breast marinated (or otherwise infused) with teriyaki, a pineapple ring, and a bit of cheese in a bun. I think it came with fries, and if so, they were forgettable. The chicken itself was good and tender inside with a bit of a tougher outside. The flavor of the sandwich in general wasn't very strong. It sounds like most dishes were relatively bland. The strongest thing I encountered were the gizzards. In general, I'd say it's pleasant but not amazing food. The price was ok. I would be willing to give the place a try. It'll be on my mental list of places for chicken or country/home-style food.

==Mecha==
Ordered:

• Regular Chicken Dinner ($7.99)
• Salad Bar
• Cheese Soup

Mmm. Chicken. Ahem. Pretty much everyone else nailed the comparison to Mama's, with less of the popcorn salt and more of the onion flavor. I was very pro-these-rings, although I think just a little less salt would do a better job of bringing out the flavor without having the obvious salty flavor. Still, salt makes things good. The cheese soup was thick and tasty. Not amazing, but a good choice. And the salad bar was okay for providing, well, salad. No real ew to it, which is the reak thing that salad bars risk. Also, totally avoided gizzards. No thanks.

As for the chicken, Cham is right that the meat itself was juicy and likely brined, and also right about the lack of skin/breading flavor, which is a real surprise. They definitely do a good job on the meat, but the outer coat is not just for crispiness and contrast, in my mind, it's for taste. You can do so much more with skin/breading, and it may be just because they're home-style/traditional that they haven't moved that way, but I really wish they would. Still, there's a good variety of other things to try (I'm really interested in the burger Moogle got), so another go wouldn't be a problem with me.(Unfortunately, it's competing with a lot of other enjoyable places in that same area that I'm a sucker for (Thai Pepper and the Taj), so I don't know if it'd be my first pick on my own.)

==MapleSyrup==
Ordered:

• Chicken Fried Chicken ($7?)
• Wisconsin Cheese Soup

The cheese soup was surprisingly good. There were chunks of celery in there for a nice crunch and there was a spice to it that gave it that little extra that I've never seen from a cheese soup. The Chicken Fried Chicken was a bed of mashed potatoes with a large chunk of chicken fried chicken on top with white gravy on top of that. I thought it was delicious. The Chicken itself was fried crunchy but not crack your teeth hard and overall it worked and it filled. I don't recall whether I ordered the special or just off the lunch menu, but regardless, I'd get it again.

McKenna's Blues, Booze, and BBQ

Restaurant: McKenna's Blues, Booze, and BBQ
Address: 7425 Pacific St
Website: http://www.mckennasbbb.com/
Genres: BBQ
Check Constraints: None.
Chain: Yes (sort of). | More Omaha Locations: No.

==Chamelaeon==
Ordered:

• Ten-Hour Smoked Brisket Sandwich ($7.99)
• Red Beans & Rice
• Jalapeno Cornbread ($1.39)
• Drink ($1.99)

A while ago, the ownership of McKenna's... changed hands. It was closed for a couple months, and during that time business apparently fell off. We had heard several good things about its barbecue, and we all felt that we wanted to give them a fair shot at serving up some goodness. For that reason we held off, and tried some of the other BBQ places in town, to mixed results. However, the BBQ bug struck one Thursday morning, and we swiftly decided that it was time to try the restaurant.

It doesn't smell very much like wood smoke outside McKenna's, but there's a very good reason for that. The clever yet evil people seem to vent the delicious smells directly into the restaurant. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not actually smoky inside, but when you walk in and the aroma hits you, you suddenly feel like ordering a lot more food. I actually did smell a bit like I'd been near a campfire when I got home from work that day, which was kind of an interesting effect. Regardless, the agony of waiting for food while that smell just hangs in the air is pretty intense. We ordered appetizers as per usual, and though I'll let the others hold forth on those I will say that I preferred the black eyed pea dip - it was definitely a notch above a generic refried bean concoction.

You would hope that with the good smoke aroma hanging around, McKenna's would have a good smoke on their meat. This is quite definitely the case. The brisket, sans sauce, was deliciously meaty and was tender without being overly dry or falling apart. It could have perhaps been a little more moist, but since it's being eaten with barbecue sauce that's less of a complaint. The sauce was deliciously tangy, with strong hints of molasses, and it went pretty well with... well, with just about everything at the table. All McKenna's sandwiches are served between thick slices of what appeared to be an egg bread. The sandwich, then, was several folded strips of brisket, a splash of sauce (not enough to drown the meat, which is a huge thumbs-up), and the bread. It was absolutely delicious, although the size of the bread slices versus the layout of the brisket on the sandwich meant I got some bites that were mostly bread. It tasted good, though, so I didn't much mind. The verdict here is quite definitely Would Eat Again.

I couldn't taste the jalapenos in the cornbread, but it was good... for Northern-style cornbread. It was perhaps a little dry for northern-style, but I repurposed some of the butter delivered to the table and it helped a lot. The butter had some kind of green herb or spice in it, but we couldn't taste anything. It may have just been parsely.

The red beans and rice deserve their own paragraph. Now, I've not been to Louisiana, so it's hard for me to speak to authenticity. I will say that of the red beans and rice dishes I have had, this one was very different. The beans were not cooked until they fell apart, for starters, and so the appearance of the dish was much more a "beans on top of rice" affair, as opposed to a bean-based sauce. There wasn't much attempt to overspice them, either - the bean flavor shone through. I might have used a shorter-grain rice for a little added stickiness, but that's not that big a complaint. Most importantly, the bean flavor was accompanied by a delicious heat which came out of nowhere a second or two after taking a bite. It was probably out of the heat range of everyone else at the table, but man, it was fantastic for me. I can say it with 100% certainty; unless there is an all-you-can-eat ribs special on the next time we go - and there will be a next time - I'm going to get their red beans and rice/smoked sausage platter. Probably with some cornbread to sop up some of the delicious leftovers.

For the price, it's damn hard to beat this much bbq at this quality. McKenna's brings blues acts through the area, and I am positive that between the food, a good beer, and some good music, you'll have trouble finding a better time on Saturday nights.

==NinjaDebugger==
Ordered:

• Brisket Dinner Platter ($11.99)
• Jalapeno Cornbread
  
• Cottage Cheese
• Corn on the Cob
  
• Drink ($1.99)

I've been okay with the idea of hitting this place for quite a while. Our adventures in barbecue so far have been disappointing to me, with Ozark Smoked Meat Company coming closest to being actually good. I was pleasantly surprised by McKenna's, for the most part, though I have a maxim to impart that will be good for your dining experience.

The brisket was well smoked, with a readily visible and thick smoke line. Mine came without bread, so I was eating pure meat and sauce. The meat was just tender enough to be edible without falling apart, except for one slice I got that was way too thin, and when rolled up, they were great for dipping.

The corn cob was half a cob or so, and utterly unremarkable. It did remind me of why I don't eat corn on the cob often, though. The cottage cheese was apparently prepared and then let sit out while the rest of the dish was prepared, because it was warm. Not lukewarm, but actually warm. Warm cottage cheese is a travesty and a crying shame. Also, don't listen to those other knuckleheads about not tasting the jalapenos in the cornbread. You can taste them if you're not in the habit of regularly torturing your mouth with absurd amounts of capsaicin. The cornbread is, however, VERY dry. If you don't get butter, ask for some.

The appetizers selected were, strangely, both chips and dip. Mainly because they didn't have much -but- chips and dip. The black eyed pea dip was quality, but not something I can really expound on. The chicken nachos were quite good, and had whole beans rather than refried, but they came layered under a quarter inch of melted cheddar. Well, it HAD been melted, anyway. It was a quarter inch sheet of solid cheese by the time we got it, and it was actually work to get a chunk of nachos out. Aside from that, it was good, and not bogged down with things like tomatoes and onions. If they switched from cheddar to cheddar sauce, they would be perfect.

So anyway, the moral, for your dining enjoyment at McKenna's is this: If it involves barbeque sauce, it will be delicious. If it does not, it will probably be much less so. It was still far and away the best barbeque place we've done thus far, and I would willingly eat there again. I'd just get much different sides with the dinner.

==MapleSyrup==
Ordered:

• BBQ Smoked St. Louis Spare Rib Basket ($8.99)
• BBQ Baked Beans
  
• Drink ($1.99)

It took me a while to find the smaller/cheaper portion of ribs which resides in the "Sandwiches" section. I suppose, if you wanted to stretch a bit, you could call it an open faced rib sandwich--it was a rack of 5 or 6 ribs served on top of a large piece of bread. Nevertheless, they were delicious. They had a good smoke; they didn't have any chunks of char; they were very tender and just fell off the bone; and they weren't drowning in sauce (but they did come with a small side of bbq sauce you could apply yourself). The sauce itself worked really well. It wasn't very sweet and had a a nice little kick and a smokey flavor to it. The BBQ beans were a bit too much. I think they could have gone with about half as much bbq sauce in the beans and been fine. As it was, it was like eating the barbecue sauce.

The appetizers were surprisingly good for just chips and dip. I particularly liked the Smoked Chicken Nachos. Once you got through the quarter inch layer of cheese (I'm disappointed that I have to complain about such, really), you could get a delicious scoop of beans, chicken, and some nice green tomato-y pico de gallo.

The service was pretty good. The waitress got a bit confused with ordering our drinks because the other four of us arrived about 10 minutes after ND, but I can excuse that. She kept our drinks filled. And she was actually able to go through Mecha's rib platter and tell him which was what (and seemed eager to do so).

I'm eager to go back. I'd probably go in the evening when they have their blues acts going.

==Mecha==
Ordered:

• Chicken Nachos (~$7.50?)
  
• Ultimate Rib Dinner Sampler ($25.99)
• Jalapeno Cornbread
  
• BBQ Baked Beans
  
• Corn on the Cob
  

I decided to go whole hog, as it were, and get the largest sampler of ribs they had. It was probably about 1.5-2 racks worth of meat, so it was a given I would not finish it.

First, though, the appetizers. The Black Bean Dip + Chips was pretty good. The chips weren't anything amazing, but the dip really did have a pleasant flavor that isn't too common in dips. The chicken nachos were definitely good, and I probably ate too many of them given what I had to deal with. They came with a good chunky salsa, and were indeed buried under some difficult to manage melted cheese, but if you're not too afraid of getting your hands dirty, you can get all the flavors together on a chip.

As for the rib sampler, they had 5 types of ribs. The featherbones were something I'm not familiar with, but apparently they're not only an Omaha thing (see the google for the associations) but supposed to be a good way to get good meat on the cheap. Unfortunately, these were pretty darn tough. The flavor was good, but tough. The Country Pork Ribs were pretty darn juicy, being boneless, although perhaps a bit fatty for some. Think real boneless BBQ with big pieces of meat. The BBQ smoked pork baby backs came a bit tough, but again, the sauce was decent and the flavor decent, just old/overcooked. The St. Louis style, which I'm also not particularly familiar with, was again somewhat tender and easy to get at, and I remember it as a bit more pure.

The shining part here, which I've waited to describe until we were through the the batch of lunchtime inconsistency, was the Hawaiian. The Hawaiian style ribs were exactly what ribs should be. Fall off the bone tender, flavorful, smoky, and they came with a plum-based sauce which 1) worked extremely well with them 2) most of the table was convinced was 80 proof. I refused to leave a single bit of that particular flavor on my plate, and you should as well. On the overall, the platter was decent, but if it had not had inconsistency issues, it could have been amazing on a scale I'd never had before on both scale and flavor. The place was sparsely populated, and I imagined few people were getting what I'd gotten. Nothing was too particularly spicy, but that's not a bad thing. Just a note.

Red beans and rice is not something I have a lot, but this had both strong heat and a good flavor for the beans. A bit too strong on the heat, but the place unabashedly sells milk (which is good to keep in mind if you head for something spicy.) The cornbread I didn't really get through, due to the large plate of food.

I would definitely try this place again, and I want to try it when it's busy enough and I'm not in a rush, because I think then it'll move away from 'frustratingly inconsistent' into something... well, hopefully as good as those Hawaiian-style ribs hinted that they could be.

==Moogle==
Ordered:

• BBQ Smoked Badwich ($7.99)
• Coleslaw
• Black-eyed-pea Dip with Chips ($5.29)
• Lemonade ($1.99)

The nachos were tasty. There were a lot of interesting things mixed in. It was a little bit dry though, so it was harder to keep things on the chips. That seemed to be the style, though (as opposed to accidentally dry or overcooked). The chicken was good and the flavors mixed well. The dip was really good. This one seemed a little too soupy, but it didn't end up being a problem. The peas were whole and the dip held together well enough. The flavor was pretty mild, and made for a great change from regular refried bean dips. The lemonade was pretty good too. It wasn't too sour or too sweet. You get unlimited refills with it too. That may mean it's fountain-style, but I didn't really notice.

The main attraction, the Badwich sandwich, was an interesting beast. It's a pulled pork AND beef sandwich. It was slightly over sauced, but that was about what I was looking for that day. It definitely wasn't flooded, which is good. It came between two large pieces of bread and was a pretty good size. The meat was pretty tender. The BBQ sauce was good, but I didn't taste the meat too much over the sauce. It had a good amount of heat to it. I had a bit of the jalepeno cornbread too. I couldn't detect any heat due to the sauce, but I could taste the jalepeno peppers. The creamy coleslaw was a little light on the "creamy". I didn't realize before, but after ND mentioned that his cottage cheese was warm, I noticed that the coleslaw wasn't very cold. I wasn't a fan.

I would come back. I'd say stick to the intentionally warm side dishes, and go for some of their more unique dishes. They have plenty of interesting options that are off the beaten path.