The Winery

741 North 98th Street (Clocktower Village, near JC Penny side of Westroads Mall)
Omaha, NE 68114
402.391.3535
Deli open Mon-Fri 7am-3pm, Sat 10am-3pm, closed Sunday
Wine Shop Mon-Sat 10am-9pm, Sun 12pm-5pm
thewineryomaha.com
See Facebook for info on Saturday wine tastings

BLT on white toast with mayo.
Protein, carbs, fruits and veggies all on one 'wich.

I'd rather not hide the fact that I know most of the people who work on the deli side, so attempting a proper "review" would be dubious. Here you've got one of the largest wine selections in the city, with beers and liquors as well. Forget shopping for gifts at the nearby mall; presents in bottle form are always preferred, don't you think?

I'd also advise you to steer clear of Panera Bread and the like when you rustle up a hunger from shopping/working/whatever it is you do around there. The Winery has daily soups, fresh breads, and an array of chicken, pasta and veggie salads, all for a very respectable price. That bulging-with-bacon-lettuce-and-tomato up there? Four bones. And that's all I have to say about that.

Santa Fe Chicken Salad on Marble Rye--
Crunch of scallion, mild chipotle spice and not dripping with mayo. Win. 

Aerial view, with Chicken Nood and Cream of Sherry Mushroom Soups

Le menu

Lithuanian Bakery & Kafe

7427 Pacific Street
Omaha, NE 68114
(402) 391-3503
Open Monday thru Friday 8am to 6pm, Saturday 8am to 4pm, closed Sundays

Get your spätzle, your Black Forest cake mix, your mustard. And no old European ladies butting in front of you in line, it's fantastic.  

Giant loaves of fresh and day-old rye available for purchase. 

Bread N Butter

Lunch time comes, and many Omahans flock to their burger and barbecue joints. The Lithuanian Bakery & Kafe, nestled in a parking lot eclipsed by McKenna's BBQ and with the bustling BrewBurgers nearby, holds its own during this hour. Nearly every table was full with an assortment of families, business dudes and hausfraus by the time the clock struck one. And then there was us. Service was slow and dishes were served in a curiously staggered manner, but it allowed us a chance to sample each other's grub. Unlike the plates served by L B & K's neighbors, expect portions you can actually finish. The pastrami and Swiss sandwich was not of the towering NYC deli variety, and the cup of soup may have actually been a proper eight ounces of liquid. $7.50 will get you a Kielbasa, a Bratwurst or a Knackwurst, a scoop of potato salad and a serving of sauerkraut, which may seem like a hefty price, but guess what guys: This is the real deal. My complaints are trivial; I wished I didn't have to settle for Gulden's mustard when there was perfectly good Löwensenf on the supermarket shelf across the room. The famous Napoleonas Torte was just a tad dry, and the sauce (an extra 50 cents) was extremely sweet, but what the heck, it's chocolate raspberry sauce after all. Overall this is a Must Try for anyone wanting an authentic taste of Eastern Europe, which is obviously everyone, right?

P.S. I did some research and found that about 1% of Lithuanians are vegetarian. This is represented on the menu with the veggie sandwich. Just FYI.

Meet Borscht. It's better than it looks. You might expect it to taste like chalk and be good for upset stomachs and diarrhea. But in fact, this chilled beet soup is perfect for Omaha summer, in all its dill-y creamy glory. 

Big fan of Split Pea, y'all. This one is pretty good.

Kielbasa, Kraut, and Potato Salad. 

Boiled Bratwurst with Chips, cuz, why not? Best Brat around. 

Pastrami and Swiss on Rye with that creamy potato salad with hints of vinegar and slivers of boiled egg.
Legit as sh*t. 

Chocolate Raspberry Napoleonas Torte with Chocolate Raspberry Sauce--
Just woke up from the sugar coma. 

Napoleonas Torte with Apricot Amaretto Sauce--
"I'm not a cake person," says one of us as he shovels this in his mouth.

The Pastry Case with a rare view of... Me. 

Ritter Sport chocolates. Take me back to D-land. 

Really Fat in San Diego

Di Suvero's Tumbleweeds in Balboa Park

Del Taco

At the risk of cheapening the blog, I'm going to include the national chain Del Taco, which you should know does not exist in Nebraska, or Iowa, or where I'm from. In fact, there's more in California than anywhere else, making it a fast food vacation must. Early on a Sunday morning I was able to get a "BIG FAT" taco with fries along with a breakfast taco that was trying to pretend it was from the street, wearin' a foil wrapper and all. To the Taco Bell at 38th and Dodge: Now you look grosser than ever. http://www.deltaco.com/

How could I not get the BIG FAT?

I'm all about fast food trying to mimic real street food.

Red Sails Inn, Shelter Island

And so we decided to go to a non-fancy seafood place. Not to belabor the point, but in Omaha this means Red Lobster. In San Diego it means checkered tablecloths outdoors with the water and yachts right there, and a waitress that may or may not have graduated high school some forty years ago. There was no innovative plating and no deluxe drink list; it was kinda like a seafood diner with crabs. Here we go: http://www.theredsails.com/

Mini Crab Cakes Appetizer with Lemon and Remoulade Sauce 

Crab Louie Salad--aka the King of Salads--Invented in San Francisco

Above Average Clam Chowder

Crab Sandwich--yep

California Sea Bass with Steak Fries and Veracruz and Tartar Sauces

D. Z. Akin's Restaurant and Delicatessen

My appreciation of the Jewish deli is somewhat newfound, and basically formed when I realized I couldn't have it whenever I wanted it. (If I'm wrong and there is a good Jewish-style deli in Omaha, now would be a good time to let me know.) At D.Z.'s, there were some fat folks literally dancing their way from the parking lot to the entrance, they were so excited. We sat down in one of the many ugly blue booths and skimmed the heavy six page menu while noshing on house-brined pickles from a bucket on the table. It was all over when the soup came. Please, let the pictures do the talking... I'm too full to think about it right now. http://dzakinsdeli.com/

Mish Mash:
Matzo ball, kreplach meat dumpling, noodles, carrots and chicken broth

Kishka with Gravy:
Made with matzo meal, potatoes and carrots, stuffed in a casing and fried,
a sort of vegetable sausage

Blinzes:
A crepe filled with a sort of cream cheese, with sour cream on the side

Potato Latkes:
Shredded potato pancakes fried and served with sour cream and applesauce

The Number 2:
Corned beef, pastrami and chopped liver on seeded rye with potato salad.
It's number 2 on the menu because it's popular, not because the liver looks like poop.
And yeah, you kind of have to dislocate your jaw to eat it.

Osteria Romantica, La Jolla

Sometimes you just want some good Italian food. Sure, the portions were more American than European, but at this point in the trip we said to hell with authenticity. Besides, our friend the Waiter showcased his exaggerated Italian accent beautifully. On the patio shaded by trees with the ocean a few steps away, I sipped on (chugged?) pinot grigio and nibbled on hot bread with a'spicy marinara. At one point the busser spilled a bunch of sauce on the table and didn't bother to wipe it up; I guess he figured we had tongues. http://www.osteriaromantica.com/

Calamari Fritti:
With fried zucchini and marinara sauce

Linguine Mare:
Mussels, Shrimp and Clams in a White Wine Sauce

Iforgetthename-i:
House-made penne with sausage and porcini mushrooms in red sauce

Back to Omaha for now, where the AC is kicking, the corn is shucking, and there are still like 600 restaurants I need to try. Woot. 

Fat in San Diego

The Pacific Ocean

Don't worry; I didn't go on a diet. Rather, I've been absent from posting the last week because I'm on vacation. 

Here's some of the stuff I've been getting fat on:

El Indio Mexican Restaurant, Mission Hills

"Mordititas"

A crazy concoction of a couple of beef taquitos cut up and smothered in nacho cheese and jalapeños. This is basically nachos with tacos instead of chips, people. The "mord" in the title becomes more understandable once this is in front of you. Still pretty damn tasty though, and you won't find this dish anywhere else, period.  www.el-indio.com

Mona Lisa Italian Foods, Little Italy

Capicola Sandwich on Torpedo Roll with Everything--Perfect with a Peroni

Informed by an insider that this place has the best sandwiches in San Diego, and we have no reason to believe otherwise. Truly foodgasmic. Huge and under $7, a Mona Lisa's sandwich will make Subway and everything else taste like barf. www.monalisalittleitaly.com

Order Your Sandwich on the Deli Side and then Enjoy Outdoors

Bahia Don Bravo Mexican Restaurant, La Jolla

Fish Tacos 

Ok, Omaha, the only bad thing about these is that once you've had fish tacos a couple of blocks from the ocean, you can't go back to frozen. This is one long strip of fresh crispy fish, not the minced white stuff found farther inland. This is a warm tortilla that was born earlier that day--not in a factory six months ago. Plus, salsa bars are fun! ("Should I get hot-hot? Or just kinda hot?") Get your happy hour on after some beach time, when tacos are 99¢ each. Unbeatable. http://bahiadonbravo.net/

Pacifico on Tap

Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria, Mission Hills

Thin or Deep Dish?

Loaded Fries with Bacon, Scallions, Cheddar Cheese and Sour Cream

You may or may not know that I am constantly dreaming about that floppy, greasy New York slice. For your information, the thin-crust pepperoni from Lefty's is on the right track. The deep dish is legendary, if that's your thing. If you're very drunk or have at least four hungry friends with you, try the Loaded Fries, which you will find to be very intense in all of their thickly sliced bacon-ous glory. We caught a glimpse of the Chicago Dog at a nearby table and had total plate envy. www.leftyspizza.com

And that's all for now. There's more on the menu for tomorrow, though.