The Market Basket

911 South 87th Avenue (in the Countryside Village shopping center)
Omaha, NE 68114
(402) 397-1100
Open early for breakfast, closes at a different time every day, see website
www.marketbasketomaha.com

Lobster Tacos Special:
"Corn tortilla, garlic butter and sauced lobster, basil sour cream, avocado and tomato slices,"
as described on the menu

I usually have little to no idea what I'm getting into when I visit a restaurant I've never been to before. Usually it involves me swerving my vehicle into the closest place at the first hunger pang. But this was a semi-planned excursion, driven by my desire to check out another "Omaha staple," a place known for its throngs of rich old folk and rows of sticky buns. I didn't partake in the pastries, but I did order straight off the specials list, ignoring the $15 price like some bourgeois honky. The Lobster Tacos were filled with tender meat, cradled in real corn tacos (not Sysco brand) and topped with creme fraiche that was... fresh. The brown-ish guacamole was another story. Add a pile of cabbage (you know how Grandma feels about cabbage) and you've got yourself an entree fit for the finest of retirement homes. Here there was attractive plating with a variety of ingredients, but a curiously bland flavor. I don't want to harp on it too much, but in this case the food really did fulfill the geriatric genre of stereotypes. The restaurant is proud of its use of fresh and local ingredients and draws on a wide range of culinary styles prepared by chefs who give a crap, but they seem content appealing to a limited demographic. And for this reason I would advise you to go elsewhere, my fellow young-and-hungrys.

The youthful servers were all kind of milling around with those familiar dark circles under their eyes that say "I've been studying/drinking all night and this lunch rush couldn't be over fast enough." And then it was over, and I exited into the bright sunlight, wondering what we'll all be eating when we're 80.

Half a "Deli" sandwich and a cup of Turkey Mushroom soup--
Baked ham, turkey, swiss, tomato, lettuce, mayo, mustard, on rye.
The Thanksgiving-style turkey was tasty, and the bagel chip in lieu of soup crackers was a nice touch.

Orange slice garnish:
You can't really tell from the photo, but it looked like it had been pre-chewed,
perhaps for the denture-packing crowd.