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.

Bailey's

1259 South 120th Street
Omaha, NE 68144
(402) 932-5577
Open daily 7am-2pm

A couple of things stood out to me at this breakfast spot embraced by many as having the best benedict in the city. Firstly, nearly everyone dining on this particular Sunday morning was lookin' large. Very large. Look, I don't want to offend anyone, but it's true. About half of the items on the breakfast menu come "drizzled with Chef Jon's secret recipe Hollandaise." Just, um, go for a walk or something afterwards and you'll be fine. Regarding the service, I haven't been called "Hon" that many times since the last time I went to Baltimore. When we asked for hot sauce, the reply was, "You could have gotten that yourself." But don't get me wrong; I'll take a spunky senior as my server over a snotty college kid any day.

The eggs were poached to perfection, each one taking on a uniform smooth round shape and soft texture. On the Guerrero Benedict, the beans were of the Rosarita canned variety, and the chorizo was glistening with grease like it should be, but lacked the heat. The hash browns were very simple, but done well. Vintner's Eggs, with its crisp asparagus and ripe tomatoes, was probably even healthy. You may have to wait a few minutes for your table at Bailey's, but you'll need all the appetite you can muster to conquer one of these plates.

Guerrero Benedict:
Chorizo sausage, refried beans, cotija cheese and poached eggs over an English muffin with chipotle hollandaise 

Vintner's Eggs:
Grilled asparagus, poached eggs, chopped bacon, tomatoes and sourdough toast

Leo's Diner

6055 Maple Street
Omaha, NE 68104(402) 553-2280
Open early for breakfast but closes around 1pm most days, then re-opens for dinner, closed Mondays
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Leos-Diner/201050693097

Retro jukebox at each table... but do they work?

I can't tell you how many nights of my life have ended in a diner. When you're not old enough to (legally) drink alcohol, and there are places like Tom Jones filled with other 18 year olds smoking cigarette after cigarette and hounding the waitress for coffee refills, it's really the coolest place to be. Post-fake ID age, we still turned to diners to fill our boozy bellies at 3am, or maybe to cater to our hangovers the next morning.  I even worked at one for over a year! Yes, the "diner" holds a special place in my heart. So far, Leo's Diner in Benson is the only one I've found that even comes close to my favorites back home. The French toast, for example, is not some fancy brioche topped with preserves or encased in chocolate ganache or any of that funny business. It's flat, egg-y, and swimming in butter. The two-egg platter is just like what you'd get at one of New Jersey's finest; the hash browns are something else. As Leo's is a family affair, I understand their limited hours, but just think of all the Benson bros they could feed after the bars close!

In the meantime, I'll look into getting that tattoo that says "White, wheat, or rye?"

French Toast

Egg Platter with Bacon--
hash browns under there somewhere

Christmas in June, Why Not?
Coffee in True Diner Style: Mostly Water

Louie M's Burger Lust Cafe

1718 Vinton Street
Omaha, NE 68108
(402) 449-9112
Breakfast and lunch everyday 'til 3 or 4
http://www.louiemsburgerlust.com/

Just a Few of the Condiments Available

I'm gonna go ahead and put this one on the Must Eat List, if not for the food then for the novelty. Located within the Vinton Street Commercial Historic District--an area on the National Register of Historic Places as of 2006--Louie M's opened in the 80's, when there was that fascination with the 50's, and it shows. Our table was next to the wall of dead celebrity headshots and the bar with the quintessential old-fashioned shiny barstools. This is real life retro shit here. I can't be completely sure, but I would bet the menu hasn't been updated since the 80's either, with your standard breakfast and burger fare. Inspired by the impressive selection of hot sauces on the table, we chose the Taco Burger and the Cajun Burger. Not gonna nitpick here (if you like your burger rarer than medium well, better say so). The toppings were fresh, the cheese was melty, the buns were hot and toasty. Judging by the clientele, perfect for hangovers and lunch breaks alike. Also good for out-of-towners who want to see where real Omahans go.

Taco Burger: Lettuce, Tomato, Shredded Cheddar and Side of Salsa

Cajun Burger: Chopped Onion, Green Pepper, Swiss Cheese and Cajun Spices

Dixie Quicks

NEW ADDRESS:
157 W Broadway, Council Bluffs, IA 51503
(712) 256-4140

FORMERLY LOCATED AT:
1915 Leavenworth Street
Omaha, NE 68102
(402) 346-3549
Weird hours, check website and make a reservation 
www.dixiequicks.com


Making reservations for brunch is soooo Brooklyn. Make that a brunch place that is also an art gallery and you might think you have to take the L train to get there. Add the chalkboard-only menu, alternative looking servers, squished together tables and quirky decor and you've got something that is utterly unique for Omaha. (Bummer this place is moving to Council Bluffs soon.)


Let's talk about the food. The Dixie Scramble is a delightfully spongy English muffin topped with either meat or tomato, and a creamy tomato basil sauce. And eggs of course. For someone who usually douses her eggs in ketchup this was a nice departure. Maybe I don't know squat about grits but I thought these were pretty devoid of taste. The meat in the Italian sausage, pepper and mozzarella omelette was nice and spicy. The wheat toast was more akin to cardboard, and the cubed red potatoes were under-seasoned and also a little undercooked. So, they definitely know how to do eggs but are maybe ignoring the sides a little. Also, what's up with the drinks? There's no menu.


I'll try to sample the dinner--which looks really, really good--before this place moves across the Missouri, cause I prefer to hang out on this side of the river (like in Brooklyn). 

Dixie Scramble with Ham and Grits

Italian Sausage, Peppers and Mozzarella Omelette with Wheat Toast and Home Fries

Lisa's Radial Cafe

817 North 40th Street (Just south of 40th and Cuming)
Omaha, NE 68131-1828
(402) 551-2176
Open for breakfast and lunch, closes at 2pm most days; check out the "worker's special" weekdays before 8am. 

Lisa's has a lot of fans, and on this Saturday morning I was expecting greasy diner perfection. We sat under a wall decorated floor to ceiling with photos of different folks. Regular customers, perhaps? Staff family members? Don't really know. The vibe is very homey, nearly trashy, but friendly enough. The service was prompt, and my coffee and water was refilled often. As a former diner waitress used to waiting on hungover douchebags, I know how important these things are. I got a ham and tomato omelette--ham was sliced, not the cubed kind--and somehow it was missing something (cheese next time?), but I was pleased to see it wasn't bigger than my head. My dude got the eggs/bacon/toast combo (known as The Works), as you probably should too when you go here. Lisa knows her bacon, thick-cut and salty. I hear the french toast is good too. Hash browns just like the frozen kind I fry up sometimes, which isn't a bad thing. Cash only, and at 7 bucks a plate I've seen cheaper places.

Ham and Tomato Omelette with Wheat Toast and Hash Browns

The Works