Big Mama's Sandwich Shop

2416 Lake Street 

402-933-6622

Open Mon – Fri 10:30am – 2:30pm, Sat 11am – 2:30pm, closed Sun

bigmamassandwichshop.com 

Big Mama has some experience with sandwiches, and it shows. (She's fat.) 

So, um, can everyone please stop thinking Rotella's is good bread? Just because their stinking factory is located here doesn't mean the stuff is any different from the other pliable, springy, memory foam mattress-like, preservative-laden breads on the shelf at Hy-Vee. If a local restaurant carries it, it is not a nod to fresh, local, or quality. It's fine if you don't care at all about bread, but it is most certainly nothing to brag about. 

Big Mama's Cold Fried Chicken Sandwich
on Rotella's wheat hoagie roll

Big Mama's Sandwich Shop serves Rotella's bread. But I can get over it. 

At the counter on a fine spring afternoon, when prompted to choose white or wheat for my cold fried chicken sandwich, I seized up. My mind went a mile a minute trying to resist the urge to go for my knee-jerk choice of wheat (which is usually just brown white bread anyway), because something like cold fried chicken sounds like it's on the list of Reasons Why White Bread Exists — along with grilled American cheeses, BLTs, and baloney sandwiches they serve in prison. Why were they even asking me? So I asked her which one I should get. To which she responded:

"I don't know. Do you like white or wheat bread?"

Feeling like a doofus, I said "wheat" and immediately regretted it. But after that whole episode, I don't think it really mattered, because it was indeed brown-colored white bread encasing this particular sandwich. You know, Rotella's. Whatever. 

Down the hatch.

Other than that, the fried chicken strips had a hefty, flavorful breading and were pleasantly juicy. I thought Big Mama's secret sauce — something akin to a marriage of honey mustard and Italian dressing — had a nice, just-out-of-the-food-processor zing and an interesting, earthy spice I couldn't quite put my finger on 'cause my palate was busted from a hangover.

One very solid pastrami sandwich

My dining buddy's pastrami pepper jack melt thing came on pumpernickel that was ridged with the markings of a panini press. He said it was a solid sandwich but generally unremarkable. I had a bite and immediately forgot what it was like. The kosher dill pickle spear we paid extra for was on the level of a Vlasic®, reminding me why I always feel like such a putz when I pay extra for a pickle. 

Oxtail soup with swimming meat fibers and dissolving vegetables

The oxtail soup had okra, which was a nice touch, but it was smushy okra, so it didn't matter. Actually, all of the veggies were smushy, and the broth under seasoned. The pulled oxtail was pulled apart to the max, reduced to individual strands of meat fibers, rendering it undetectable. It was definitely homemade, it was just in need of some attention to detail.

I don't doubt Big Mama is a great cook. Because I have a heartbeat, I love the idea of opening a good sandwich shop to lure people of all races from all corners of Douglas County to a part of town with a dangerous reputation, as any forward-facing, liberal-slanting millennial would. Her story is very attractive to television producers: in addition to appearances on several national programs, Big Mama was even picked up for her own reality show on the Food Network (which seems to have immediately been canceled).

She's certainly the face behind the food. Or on the food. Y'know.

The problem is that here, it's too over-branded to feel authentic. Big Mama's face stares up at you in places you wouldn't expect. I just don't see the place making its way into anyone's regular rotation on the merit of the food alone. In quality and menu items, it could be an alternative to Worker's Takeout, but the sandwiches are half the size and twice as expensive.

$7.50 for a sandwich pre-tax and chips? Hmm.

I should stop posturing as if Omaha is just brimming with fantastic sandwich shops that could take this place down. It's not. And the over-the-top marketing might just seem like a lot because so many restaurants in this town either don't even bother or fail miserably at it. I think I was just offended by the chip selection. I just don't want to believe that Big Mama expects us to subsist on Lay's as the sole side dish offering, unless it's on purpose to take you back to the hard times of the early '80s, long before kettle chips were a thing. I mean, having to choose between original, BBQ, or sour cream and onion is some old-school shit.

Still, everyone should pay Big Mama's a visit, if not just to see what it's like. Counter space is limited; I'd recommend takeout. If you do eat in, be sure to bring your own chips.

Part of the Carver Bank development, an art exhibit and performance space.

A note: The Sandwich Shop's mother restaurant, Big Mama's Kitchen, was the subject of one of my very first blog entries three years ago, before I knew how to write. It's a little bit of an embarrassing time capsule, much like logging into MySpace and looking at your profile. 

Bomb Digs Food Truck

Wherever the truck may roam... lately at 72nd and Dodge.
Follow @bomb_digs for details.
www.bombdigs.com

You can't miss this wacky truck.

Ever liked something just cause it's cool? Did you ever really get that movie Lost in Translation? Do you really think Sleigh Bells is good music? DO YOU REALLY WANT TO GO TO COACHELLA? Or do you click "like" just cause you feel you should? Would you even admit it?

I feel a little like I'm supposed to like food trucks, cause they're popular in L.A. and Austin, and even Kansas City. Omaha's had a few in the past, but with Bomb Digs, the Barbeque Barn, and Localmotive (coming soon), it seems the big trend is finally hitting our little city. Can it work in a town with very few pedestrian friendly areas and very many extreme weather days? We shall see. For now, all I care about is the Foodie Special at Bomb Digs, which I downed in a matter of minutes. Once you've experienced the flautas, a cream cheesy chicken delight over crunchy apple slaw, there's nowhere to go but down. Once you've felt the gentile sting of the red chili sauce on your tongue, all other foods seem utterly ho hum and drab. These things were so well rolled, and fried to a perfect and greaseless golden brown, that I didn't even use my napkin. It was kind of unreal.

Only time -- and a lot more parking lot lunches -- will tell if Bomb Digs can keep up with their game. I implore them to consider a meatless option. (Vegetarians think food trucks are cool, too.) Until then, I might be finding more excuses to go to Target, as long as they're hanging around 72nd and Dodge.

Foodie Special:
"Shredded chicken, green onions, mozzarella & cream cheese
wrapped in a flour tortilla and fried.
The flautas are served atop an apple coleslaw covered in a poblano & red chili sauces."

The Menu--
Get there early before they run out of stuff.

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.

The Market Basket

911 South 87th Avenue (in the Countryside Village shopping center)
Omaha, NE 68114
(402) 397-1100
Open early for breakfast, closes at a different time every day, see website
www.marketbasketomaha.com

Lobster Tacos Special:
"Corn tortilla, garlic butter and sauced lobster, basil sour cream, avocado and tomato slices,"
as described on the menu

I usually have little to no idea what I'm getting into when I visit a restaurant I've never been to before. Usually it involves me swerving my vehicle into the closest place at the first hunger pang. But this was a semi-planned excursion, driven by my desire to check out another "Omaha staple," a place known for its throngs of rich old folk and rows of sticky buns. I didn't partake in the pastries, but I did order straight off the specials list, ignoring the $15 price like some bourgeois honky. The Lobster Tacos were filled with tender meat, cradled in real corn tacos (not Sysco brand) and topped with creme fraiche that was... fresh. The brown-ish guacamole was another story. Add a pile of cabbage (you know how Grandma feels about cabbage) and you've got yourself an entree fit for the finest of retirement homes. Here there was attractive plating with a variety of ingredients, but a curiously bland flavor. I don't want to harp on it too much, but in this case the food really did fulfill the geriatric genre of stereotypes. The restaurant is proud of its use of fresh and local ingredients and draws on a wide range of culinary styles prepared by chefs who give a crap, but they seem content appealing to a limited demographic. And for this reason I would advise you to go elsewhere, my fellow young-and-hungrys.

The youthful servers were all kind of milling around with those familiar dark circles under their eyes that say "I've been studying/drinking all night and this lunch rush couldn't be over fast enough." And then it was over, and I exited into the bright sunlight, wondering what we'll all be eating when we're 80.

Half a "Deli" sandwich and a cup of Turkey Mushroom soup--
Baked ham, turkey, swiss, tomato, lettuce, mayo, mustard, on rye.
The Thanksgiving-style turkey was tasty, and the bagel chip in lieu of soup crackers was a nice touch.

Orange slice garnish:
You can't really tell from the photo, but it looked like it had been pre-chewed,
perhaps for the denture-packing crowd.

Amato's Cafe & Catering

6405 Center Street

Omaha, NE 68106
(402) 558-5010
Closed Mondays, open 'til 1:30pm on weekdays and 1:00pm on weekends

You have a choice. The choice is chips or salad with your sandwich.
We said salad. We got this. Iceberg with a ladle of bleu cheese.
Simple and yet elegant.

And for the lady, a side of house-made red wine vinaigrette.
I say screw the lettuce and give your bread a soak in the stuff.

Following the steps of that bleachy haired stallion from Diners, Drive-ins and Dives can be gut busting. Take the taquito-chos in San Diego, and the cheesegasm at Cali Taco, for example. At Amato's, the autographed poster from triple D hangs proudly at the entrance. And so we came hungry, but on this Man vs. Food-like excursion, Man lost. Although we didn't order the "Gut Buster" sandwich from the menu, our bellies still surrendered by waiving the white to-go box way before halftime. Maybe we filled up on too much iceberg 'n dressing salad. Can I go there and just order some bread soaked in red sauce? Those were easily the best parts, although the sauce did have an interesting cinnamon-esque flavor. The giant marinated olives on the Tutti Special and the sloppy mounds of mozzarella on the Italian Beef were a little much, even by FIO standards. Another case of "I don't really want to eat this for lunch but would shove it down my gullet late-night if given the chance." I mean, I totally had a sauce stain around my lips for the rest of the day. 

I hear they've got a bangin' breakfast; in fact, on weekends it's all they serve, and on weekdays they'll flip you some ricotta pancakes right up until their absurdly early 1:30pm close time. I can't wait to try the "Mail Man Special," which is just two eggs and a hamburger patty, no big deal. (Obviously this is what we're supposed to feed our mail men.) Just like my saucy sausage cookin' Italian-American grandmother, Amato's doesn't do vegetables. Deal with it. 

Tutti Special--
Lurking inside are two Italian hams, Genoa salami, provolone cheese, sweet roasted peppers and olive condite.

Italian Beef--
Thinly sliced with red sauce and mozzarella cheese leaking all over the place.
It reminded me of a cheesesteak and therefore I was happy.

Manhattan Deli

222 South 19th Street (between Farnam and Douglas)
Omaha, NE 68102
(402) 346-9764
Breakfast 7-10, lunch 10-3, Monday thru Friday
www.manhattansomaha.com

Manhattan Deli, under fairly new ownership

Do I like stuff simply because they reference New York? Um, maybe. But who cares. Manhattan Deli has an admirable offering of soups and sandwiches, and cashiers named "Baby Face," according to the receipt. Inside, the wooden details and high ceilings made me feel like I was dining at some bank clerk's desk in 1929. The sandwiches arrived in three minutes flat; here's an alternative for those in love with that despicable Jimmy John's. And that sums it up: Simple, fast, inexpensive, fun. Try it. Next time I roll out of bed in time to catch their breakfast, I'm so there.

The Stork Club:
Turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, ranch (on the side), on marble rye

The Rockefeller:
Roast beef, cream cheese, cucumber, tomato, on marble rye

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.

11-Worth cafe

2419 Leavenworth Street
Omaha, NE 68105
(402) 346-6924
Open every day 6am to 3pm
www.11worthcafe.com

Pork Tenderloin with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

After my recent trip to this Omaha favorite, I'm thinking a "People of 11-Worth" photo site might be a popular idea. Here in the waiting area you've got a group of College World Series bros enjoying the gratis coffee right alongside the Wal-Mart mutants; it's really a beautiful thing. These people obviously had one thing in common: They were hungry. And as the 11-Worth states on their website, they "have always made a point of giving large portions for the best possible value." Unfortunately, they should re-assess their concept of "value." The portions were indeed breathtaking, but who wants an overflowing plateful of crappy food? Take the Pork Tenderloin for instance. The first bite delivered a mouthful of thick breading that made the fatty in me go "mmm." Three bites in and I wondered if I ordered the Pork Tendon-loin by accident, judging by the Grade F meat. The Chicken Philly came on one of those rolls that tasted like it had a very long fake ingredients list. With the canned mushrooms, American cheese, and pathetic frozen French fries, even I couldn't get past the first half, which is really saying something.   


You might say we should have stuck to the breakfast. I'd say join the VIP club for 15% off your bill, and go anytime you feel like asking yourself why you didn't go to Leo's, or nearly anywhere else in this town. 

Chicken Philly with French Fries

Worker's Takeout

1620 Dodge Street (Basement of First National Building)

Omaha, NE 68102

(402) 991-6131

Open 11am-2pm Monday thru Friday; better set an alarm!

THEE Cuban Pork Roast (Half version)

This place used to be attached to O'leaver's Pub, which, judging by the clientele there, might be the last place you'd want to market your workforce-centric sandwiches. Note the cute Communist theme on the website. Now "Worker's," as those who know call it, is located downtown, sharing counter space with a Scooter's coffee. Less dinge and more suits, but still with the same kick-ass Cuban. Notable here is the value: The ingredients are absolute top, and you can get a giant half sandwich plus chips and pickle for four bucks! The veggie deluxe sand with jalapeños is killer; the meat is not missed. Maybe ask for light cheese, though, unless you're in the mood for your sandwich to ooze out the sides.

The Veggie Deluxe Half Sandwich

Skip the kettle chips and add a side of potato salad, or the beans and rice, or a CONEY DOG. Hard workers need hearty food you know.

Red Potato Salad

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