Delivery from Sgt. Peffer's

1501 North Saddle Creek Road
And another location in Millard
Or, in this case, my bedroom in front of my TV
402.558.7717
Open daily 11am - 10pm
sgtpeffers.com

Hot Strombo and a side of potatoe salad ($6.50):
"Baked bun stuffed with sliced ham, pepperoni,
mancini peppers, mozzarella and romano"

Today at lunchtime I was faced with the strenuous task of finding something to eat without leaving my house. I foraged through the cabinets, but once the columns of Saltine crackers diminished, and the memories of setting the smoke detector off last night trying to make a pizza came back, I decided on delivery. My experience would have been smoother if I had the possibility of ordering online. In the "Delivery Instructions" field, I would have typed key by key with my index finger from my bed to please bring the food upstairs to my bedroom, along with some plates and napkins, and retrieve the money from my wallet which should be somewhere in the vicinity, but I'm not exactly sure where.

They don't offer online ordering, but to my delight, Sgt. Peffer's delivers. I spent most of the 45-minute wait wondering what's behind the name. What's a Peffer, and why the Beatles mid-career motif?

I intuitively disregarded Sir Paul's veggie crusade and went with a couple of meaty sandwiches. With a name like Hot Strombo, I was expecting something more, ya know, stromboli-like, perhaps a bit more fromagian. Instead, it was relatively light on the cheese, but stuffed with enough cured meats to fill a party tray. On the other hand, the roast beef au jus was just phenomenal.

The potato salad served on the side was one of my favorites in recent memory; it had a semi-pureed consistency, interrupted with bits of crunchy scallion.

As with most takeout, both sandwiches resembled a surgery, or as my dining buddy mused, "John Lennon's brain spatter." But both were much better tasting than the "jelly on stale bread" I would have come up with myself. Thanks, Sarge.

Roast Beef au Jus ($6.50), with peppers, onions and provolone cheese

La Casa Pizzaria

4432 Leavenworth Street

402.556.0585

Open Tues-Thurs 11am-10pm, Fri and Sat 11am-10:30pm, Sun 4:30pm-9:30pm, closed Mon

lacasapizzaria.net

Double slice deal:
Spicy sausage with olives, and
 "Genoa Bianco" with artichoke hearts and mushrooms

As I was bumbling down Leavenworth Street the other day, I noticed a sign next to La Casa's Best Pizza in Nebraska facade advertising a lunch special of two slices and a salad for $6.69.

My addiction is to pizza no secret. When I saw that sign, my excitement was palpable. 

Side salad with creamy Romano dressing

The appetizer lunch salad -- a handful of colorful greens, a blob of house-made cheesy dressing, and a chunk of herb focaccia -- provided some much-needed foliage for the day's diet without killing my pizza buzz. The slices arrived rectangular, and seemed reheated, but with exceptional toppings such as spicy sausage and fresh mushrooms. Another thing that I imagine makes La Casa's schtick special is the dense, flaky, pie-like edges. But strangely unlike pie crust, it buckled under the weight of the toppings and flopped towards the table when I picked it up. Cue the sad trombone sound effect. 

The Hot Italian Beef sandwich was a fine specimen, though if you want to get technical it was more like a French Dip. And the pizza was more like... flatbread? Ok, I'll shut up.

Should anyone ever have the gall to leave Omaha, La Casa now ships its pizzas nationwide (four pies for only $100, plus a nominal $49.99 shipping fee). Because, ya know, there's nothing like it anywhere. 

Hot Italian Beef sandwich --
I wonder if they'd ship one of these to Chicago?

Addendum:

They say sex is like pizza -- "even when it's bad it's still pretty good." But I maintain that bad sex and bad pizza are both pretty depressing. Unless you're drunk, of course, in which case neither exist. Behold this Chicken Caesar slice I ordered recently in a fit of intoxication and you'll understand. I've enjoyed many a lackluster pie in my day, but until I finally attain the status of functioning alcoholic, I just won't understand La Casa's die-hard appeal.

Chicken Caesar Salad slice, Anna Maria Pizza, Brooklyn --
Hot lettuce is not the same as hot sex.

Barrett's Barleycorn

4322 Leavenworth Street
402.554.5805
Open daily for lunch and dinner 'til 11p.m., bar 'til 2a.m.
Monday is $5 burger night; go Thursday or Friday for the pork tenderloin.
barrettsomaha.com

Pork Tenderloin ($9.50) --
They cut it in half for a reason. 

My second visit to one of Midtown Omaha's staples left me a little confused as to why it's so goshdarn popular, but at the same time explained a few things for me (e.g. why Americans tend to be so obese). Here we have the very first place I ever dined in our fine city, some years ago. The reuben was forgettable; all I recall was my feeling of desperation as I scoured my iceberg salad for the last few bacon bits. It was time to give Barrett's another try.

Fortunately for my growling stomach, I remembered that Thursdays and Fridays are when Barrett's offers their famed Pork Tenderloin. Served on a sesame seed bun with an exorbitant amount of mayonnaise, the pork was exquisitely juicy, encased in a well-seasoned, not-too-thick layer of breading. Due to the (un)healthy slather of mayo, the stack of napkins on the table was necessary. And the crinkle cut fries were a joke. Still, the sandwich was so tasty, I'd say it's even worth braving the inside of a cramped sports bar during volleyball season.

Quite the opposite in quality, the beef in the French Dip did not appear to be US Foods' finest. Chewy around the edges and overall pretty dry, I've had better at Arby's. I didn't really know what to do with the heap of it, but it seemed counterintuitive to put it in my mouth.

French Dip ($7.95) 

Both sandwiches were insultingly and embarrassingly large in portion size. You can call it "value" or "bang for your buck" if you'd like, but there is really no reason for anyone to ever eat that much food in one sitting. But if you bring a buddy (or take a doggy bag), I suppose you needn't worry about spending all that food money you saved on your diabetes meds instead.


P.S. The freshly brewed iced tea -- though nothing special -- was refreshing, and the staff was obsessed with keeping our cups full.

Duncan's Cafe

501 South Main Street
Council Bluffs, IA 51503
712.328.3360
Open Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri 7am to 7pm, Sat 7am to 1pm, Sun 8am to noon, closed Tues
Duncan's Cafe on Urbanspoon

French Dip and Jacket Fries

Attracted to the mysterious nature of a restaurant that doesn't have an online menu but does decide to run a Living Social deal, I couldn't resist trying out the enigmatic Duncan's Cafe across ye ole Missouri. Plus, getting out of my zip code felt really good, even if it was to a place called Counciltucky. (Oh come on guys, as if Omaha is like, sooooo cosmopolitan in comparison.)

Exposed brick and weird giraffe picture equals "quirky country kitchen" feel.

The coffee was watery, and the chili wasn't very edgy. Over the semi-bland but piping hot cup we discussed the Bean Question. (Do beans belong in chili or not?) Here there were just a few kidney beans, a safe compromise for all.

Cup o' Chili, Stack o' Crackers

"I'll have the Skillet Breakfast," I proudly proclaimed, after several minutes poring over the two pages of selections. The exceedingly nice waitress only then informed us that breakfast is not served during the lunch rush. Certifiably bummed that I wouldn't be annihilating a cheesy, hashbrown-y platter, I reluctantly ordered the lunch special of pork and mashed potatoes. I chose green beans over peas. When it came, I imagined myself an old widower, unable to open my own can of green beans at home, sliding the gummy mashed potatoes over my gums, at Duncan's mostly for the friendly faces. The French Dip was above average, with tender beef and savory jus, but the unseasoned "jacket fries" were not much more than floppy, oily potato discs.

The Daily Special--
Points for the Simon-inspired plates.

On the way out I eyed the neon-colored plates of other diners, which were brimming with fried eggs and pancakes. Apparently breakfast ordering was permitted only minutes after I sealed my fate with the pork special. We weren't even able to spend the whole $20 Living Social coupon, as the bill only came to $17. Still, I will be back to Duncan's when I don't feel like Lisa's or Leo's, and I'll be sure to go early enough to score some bacon.

Star Deli

1319 South 50th Street (attached to O'leaver's Pub)
Omaha, NE 68106
(402) 614-9060
Mon thru Fri 11am-3pm and 5pm-11pm, Sat noon-5pm, closed Sun
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Star-Deli/101695776554954

Hmm. Did anyone go to this?

Star Deli sits in the shadow of the old Worker's Take-out location. For this reason, their similar menu of pressed sandwiches, salads and soups already had a lot to live up to on Day One. I grudgingly tried it for the first time six months ago. I think it was the Cubano, on toasty white baguette, with whole grain mustard and pickles sliced longways. And then I went the very next day, this time to satiate my Italian sub craving, which the "Don Rocco" did quite well. I thought about going for a third straight lunch, but I didn't want the counter dude to think I was weird. One time I tried a veggie sandwich on special that was a little sparse (mostly bell peppers), but I let it slide. The chicken cordon bleu special a few weeks ago really blew my skirt up, though. Oh, it was heavenly, hammy and cheesy.

Chicken Artichoke Soup--
What a bummer!

It seems a tad unfair that the day I decided to write about it, they were having a very bad day. As usual, I took the food to go, to heartily enjoy in front of an episode of Frasier. This day was different. The Chicken Artichoke Soup ($3) was mostly just the water that's left in the pot after boiling an artichoke, with a copious amount of oil added--so much that it separated after five minutes. The rest was just inedible outer artichoke petals, and some reject gray chicken meat. I tried not to let the soup bummer affect my sandwich experience, too. But the cheese on the Cubano ($7) wasn't even a little melted, and the beef on the French Dip ($7) was also ice cold and far too rare.

The Cubano:
Lovely baguette and mustard,
but cold ham, pork and Swiss.
Better luck next time.

The French Dip:
The au jus was very Worcestershire-y, not the actual "jus" from roasting beef like it's supposed to be.

Star, I know you're just a little counter sandwich shoppe. Maybe you like staying small. But I think you could be something big, even one of the best. Please, don't take your bad days out on us. Just cause you got in a fight with your girlfriend or whatever doesn't mean we should have to sip on artichoke water. Keep up the good work, and cut out the "off" days, especially the ones that make me feel that flushing a $20 bill down the toilet would have been more fun than eating your food. Got it? Good.

Wohlner's Neighborhood Grocery & Deli

2289 South 67th Street (in the heart of the developer's dream, Aksarben Village)
Omaha, NE 68106
(402) 551-6875
Breakfast 'til 11am, lunch 'til 3:30, dinner 'til 7:30 or so, see website for details
www.wohlners.com

Wholner's French Dip--
Roast beef, sauteed onions, peppers, mushrooms, Swiss cheese, toasted hoagie roll, au jus,
side of tomato bisque soup that was tasty but served room temp,
and if I was over age 65 I totally would have sent it back. 

"Noddle" Special (a "tribute" to the company who owns Aksarben Village?)--
Penne tossed with olive and artichoke tapenade, sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli, parmesan, grilled salmon filet,
looks great, tastes like nothing.

I'm a Whole Foods loving dork. Yeah, make your jokes about how expensive it is and how it's stuff white people like, but if Omaha didn't have a Whole Foods, I wouldn't live here. A supermarket where you don't have to read the labels to make sure you're not poisoning yourself is truly great. To suggest the steep prices aren't worth it is like telling me you know a friend who could have done my tattoos for way less than I paid--a comment I regularly encounter, by the way. Point is, cheaper is not better when it comes to your body, and I am a fan of Wohlner's not because it's "Omaha's oldest grocery store," but because they carry some decent stuff, their inventory representing a sort of Whole Foods/Baker's hybrid. The food at their restaurant is also half good, half bad. Check out their presentation of the French Dip. It's on a chic square plate, but with the soup and au jus in styrofoam bowls, a curious combo of classy and wasteful. The meat was half flavorful brisket, half inedible fat that should have been trimmed off to avoid the spitting after every bite. The "Noddle Special" had a fancy description but turned up with minced ingredients and zero seasoning. At Wohlner's they've got high prices and long waits (over ten bucks per person and more than a twenty minute wait), with food prepared by someone who doesn't eat food, perhaps an alien or something. That's all I can think about a piece of grilled salmon that hasn't been salt and peppered, and beef that is so tough and fatty your average old person would totally choke on it.

Ethnic Sandwich Shop

1438 South 13th Street (Just north of the Bohemian Cafe)
Omaha, NE 68108-3504
(402) 422-1040
Open 10:30 to 6 Monday thru Friday, and Saturdays too according to the banner I saw today as I was driving past
www.ethnicsandwich.com


What IS Miracle Whip anyway? I can't find the ingredients on the Kraft website. All I know is I don't like it, it is NOT mayonnaise, and someone should tell the folks at Ethnic Sandwich shop this, because it says mayo on their menu and the stuff tastes like Miracle Whip. An unwelcome surprise as I was biting into my Turkey Hoagie. Other than that the bread was pretty deece and the meat was so-so, and I dig that they call it a Hoagie, being from Philly and all. The real star here is the Fatty, a French Dip with swiss on a toasted garlic bun. Hell. Yes. Tender beef, salty jus, obnoxious name. The menu also features sandwiches with Irish Corned Beef, Polish Sausage, and Italian Sausage, which, along with the "French" Dip, make it the "Ethnic" Sandwich Shop. Cute. 


We'll be back to get fatter in Omaha with a Fatty and maybe a coupla King Daddy Dogs. 

Turkey Hoagie, top view

Turkey Hoagie, side view

The Fatty