New "Street Tacos" at Tommy Colina's Kitchen

UPDATE: IT'S CLOSED. 

RIP Tommy Colina

ChimiChurri Street Taco ($10.49):
Shaved tenderloin, lettuce blend, chimi churri sauce, tomatoes,
Chardonnay onions, fresh mozzarella, pita bread

Umm. Really?

I try my darndest not to be a food purist. I try to understand that terms such as "pizza" and "taco" can be used loosely. I try to lead a life that fosters a mutual understanding that transcends cultures. And by golly, I try to go to church on Sunday.

What have I done to be subjected to this?

When I think street taco, I think of a mound of carne asada with flies buzzing around it, hastily piled into a steamy tortilla with some sort of puree that is mostly jalapeño seeds. But let's not nitpick. One could also consider my dear Doritos Locos to be something of a street taco.

To be clear, my main qualm wasn't the divergence from the traditional definition of "taco." Rather, I was forced to wonder whether its creator had ever bothered to have a bite of one before. For a pile of marinated meat, gleaming mozzarella, and tangy chimichurri, all atop a thick slab of pita, refuses to be folded. The diner is systematically prohibited from eating with his hands, and a troubleshoot with ye ole knife and fork leads to inevitable wax tissue paper ingestion. Oh, the horror!

There's no eating this on any street, unless by street you mean sitting in front of your television with a tray and a bib.

Logistics aside, once I combed through the thinly-sliced beef tenderloin and fashioned a comprehensively edible mass out of the mess in the plastic basket, I rapidly attained a sense of satiety. Does this mean it was tasty? I'm not sure.

To La Familia Colina: Try replacing the stiff, store-bought pita bread with something more tortillaesque, if for no other reason than to facilitate successful consumption of the dish. Viva el taco.

Tommy Colina's is at 3558 Farnam Street, with a new location opening soon in the Wild West (Omaha) at 180th and Pacific Street. 

Petrow's Restaurant

5914 Center Street
Omaha, NE 68106
(402) 551-0552
Open breakfast, lunch and dinner, 6am to 9:30pm, closed Sunday
www.petrows.com

Pecan Pie--
Glorious gooey center

One time when I first moved to Omaha I found myself in the backseat of a vehicle in which the operator of said vehicle had just smoked a lot of weed. Without much of a choice I found myself in the parking lot of Petrow's, while the driver procured a slice of pie to go. The pie, he said, was bangin'. I nodded, checking again to see if my seatbelt was fastened. The only thing worse than Omaha drivers are Omaha drivers who are high.

This memory clamored at the back of my mind every time I thought about trying this place: Pie that feels good in a cottony mouth, sliding like velvet over recently burnt taste buds. But as it turns out, the pie is a worthy sober snack as well. In fact, it was the last thing I ate in 2011, trading my champagne buzz for a sugar rush. The clientele was actually not quite as old as dirt, and the vibe was jovial.  I ordered the Seafood Chowder, despite the fact that "seafood" is usually synonymous with "scraps of fish that are about to go bad." In this case I found the thick, creamy base and bits of clam (?) quite enjoyable. The fried fish sandwich only dripped a little bit of grease, and was coated in a fluffy tempura-like batter. The hot beef sandwich, with pliable white bread drenched in gummy brown gravy, made my dining buddy remark that if he was 65, he'd be "totally into it." I imagine it'd be good for denture wearers.

Our server gloated that everything, including the pie and ice cream, is made in the basement. I will be hitting up this place again, now that I know you don't have to be high as a kite to enjoy it.

Seafood Chowder--
Exactly which "seafoods" it was remains a mystery, but tasty nonetheless.

Oddly-shaped Fish Sandwich

Would you like some hot beef sandwich with your gravy?