Rivera's Mexican Restaurant

12047 Blondo Street
402-932-1381

Open Tues–Sat for lunch & dinner but closed 2–5 p.m., also closed Sun and Mon
riverasmf.com/

I approach any visit to northwest Omaha much like an alien coming across Earth for the first time. "There's a whole ecosystem out here, a whole other world! It's astounding!" I'm known to mutter to my passenger. Then, once I've loaded up whatever Craigslist find sold to me by some bloke living in a windowless structure with newer beige siding, I think, "I should eat since I'm not out here too often."

Thus, Rivera's has become a favorite stop on this edge of town.

After a handful of visits, I wouldn't use the word "classy" to describe the staff. But while each server's diner-meets-dive bar demeanor can only be her own, it's not the group's fault the ownership outfits them in T-shirts emblazoned with the embarrassing phrase: So Authentic, It Should Be Illegal.

Feeling like a washed-up shadow of my former outraged young self, I sit and eat. I watch people clothed in these obnoxious tees march to and fro, holding hot plates piled high, craning my neck to get a look as my dining buddy and I remark to each other, "that one looks good." I want to boycott the place, but can't seem to care enough. Apathy has taken over in the PC-minefield of 2016, not to mention there's rich, cheesy food to be had.

Enchiladas Suizas

Nachos

The nachos are enough for two full meals, chips pleasantly on the thin side with the cheese, meat, and beans assembled in a scarcely seen harmonious balance. With a plate of enchiladas Suizas in front of me, a traditional dish named for the copious amounts of cream and cheese seen in Swiss-style cuisine, I shudder to think of the number of middle-aged humans who have made the quip, "This is low-calorie, right?!" before letting out a hearty guffaw at their own joke.

The bartender once cautioned us strongly against anything with the double red pepper emblem on the menu—I guess we looked like a couple o' pussies. That's fine. Though the beans and rice on every plate appear to be an afterthought as tasteless as the waitstaff's apparel, the selection of enchiladas dishes make this my go-to spot every time I suit up in my spacesuit and head out to northwest Omaha.

Enchiladas Potosinas

Chips n salza

Suizas again

Enchiladas Rancheras

Jim & Jennie's Greek Village

3026 North 90th Street (just north of Maple Street)

402.571.2857

Mon - Thurs 11-9, Fri and Sat 11-10, closed Sun

jimandjennies.com

On this overcast day, the silly Flintstones-esque lettering drew me in. 

I've had a tough time finding a blind-mowing dining experience lately. That is, until hunger struck in the middle of an afternoon "thrifting" (not the cool kind, the poor kind), and I found myself transported to the shores of Greece. Not really. But still, before I knew what was happening, I was deeply submerged in my blue vinyl booth, happily chowing down on some of the best darn spinach pie I've tasted since I worked at a Greek diner in Philly. The phyllo dough was nicely flaky, but just chewy enough to keep the whole thing held together. Darkly caramelized onions added flavor and texture, and it wasn't weighed down with too much feta cheese -- just the way I like it. Finally, something to salivate over.

Spanakopita appetizer ($3.25):
I may or may not have this as my iPhone wallpaper. 

Dolmades appetizer ($4.99):
Ground beef and rice-stuffed grape leaves with creamy egg lemon sauce.

I exercised my timidness and ordered the sandwich special of the day, the gyro. The octopodi and pan-fried smelts will just have to wait 'til next time. Like the souvlaki sandwich, the gyro rested atop a piece of warm, delightfully pliable pita bread. This wasn't the puffy fake stuff you might find in the Baker's bread aisle. The gal I believe to be Mrs. Jennie herself, as she gracefully boxed up our scraps table-side, explained they get their bread from "a place in Chicago." Not bad, says I.

Gyro, complete with tzatziki sauce rich with dill, and house salad ($6.75 on Mondays).

The menu is more than fit for pescetarians, and even your vegetarian friend can tag along and get a Veggie Gyro. Winos will feel adventurous sipping on the full-bodied Kourtaki Retsina ($4.75/glass), which had a tangy, unfamiliar piney taste.

Jim and Jennie have been doing their thing since '85, and I hope they know how good they are at serving wonderfully rustic, traditional Greek cuisine. Even the way they dressed the wedge of iceberg in oil, vinegar, and a handful of dried oregano was somehow impressive. Rookies they are not; they've got the touch.

Souvlaki sandwich ($5.99):
Well-seasoned, marinated pork loin skewer grilled to a tender medium,
with pepper, onion, a chunk o' feta, a sad tomato slice,
a ramekin of velvety tzatziki and your customary kalamata olive.