Sam & Louie's New York Pizzeria began in Omaha in 1996 and has since opened locations in other communities on that side of the Missouri River.
Now, say hello to Council Bluffs. . . .
(Kenyon) Nelson and his wife, Becky, of McClelland, and their daughter and son-in-law, John and Carrie Renshaw, of Council Bluffs, are the city's franchise owners who plan to open their new business in the former Valentino's location in the Shoppes of Madison Avenue. Valentino's closed several weeks ago.
Nelson said he expects the new restaurant will open by mid-April. . . .
The restaurant will cover almost 3,400 square feet with a seating capacity of 144. The plans also call for a 300-square-foot outdoor patio and a 44-seating capacity party room, particularly nice for children's activities, Nelson said.
Carry-outs will be available and delivery service is planned later, he said.
Sam & Louie's (Shoppes on Madison)
Moderators: Coyote, nebugeater, Brad, Omaha Cowboy, BRoss
Sam & Louie's (Shoppes on Madison)
Sam & Louie's New York Pizzeria coming to Bluffs
Last edited by icejammer on Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
--William Jennings Bryan
--William Jennings Bryan
I think that Valentino's have been closed longer than a few weeks...
It should be a decent location, visibility and a lot of residential.
It should be a decent location, visibility and a lot of residential.
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- nebugeater
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I am guessing that everything in this store will be from the closed downtown location...nebugeater wrote:Come on Brad, you KNOW it should be Downtown.Brad wrote:I think that Valentino's have been closed longer than a few weeks...
It should be a decent location, visibility and a lot of residential.
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A couple months ago their website said opening in June. Â Maybe they meant 2010? Â :;): Â
j/k, right now their website says opening July 2009. Â No way they'll make that. Â I don't see how they'll be open before Labor Day. Â Not sure why this is dragging on so long.
j/k, right now their website says opening July 2009. Â No way they'll make that. Â I don't see how they'll be open before Labor Day. Â Not sure why this is dragging on so long.
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It's a step closer to opening, they got their sign on the exterior of the building now. Â I am so there when it opens....bargainhunter wrote:Any one have any info on possible open date? I drive by everyday & can see there is some work going on. It doesn't look like the walls are even sheet rocked yet.
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Let's stick to the topic at hand please. Â If you cannot, your post will be deleted.
As to progress on Sam and Louie's, sheet rock is up, work crew is in there currently, so they're pluggin' away.
As to progress on Sam and Louie's, sheet rock is up, work crew is in there currently, so they're pluggin' away.
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
--William Jennings Bryan
--William Jennings Bryan
Did it ever open? Â The website said mid September:
Mid September 2009!
1851 Madison Suite 723
Council Bluffs, IA 51503
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From the looks of things, nearly all the interior work is done. Â Not sure about the kitchen. Â Next door a new joint called Johnny's Cantina is underway.
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I'm assuming they'll be serving alcohol and food, don't really know anything about it.
On a bright note, the 'Opening Soon' sign is now down at Sam and Louie's, looks like they might be open for business, I'll have to check it out later.
On a bright note, the 'Opening Soon' sign is now down at Sam and Louie's, looks like they might be open for business, I'll have to check it out later.
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Took the wife Friday night for the first time. I agree and would have hoped they could have moved into the old Valentino's location, but ho hum. Especially since next door opening soon (?) is Johnny's Catina. And judging by its name, it will likely just be a bar.
The food was pretty good. Pizza was great, the ravioli needs some work, but the marinara sauce with it was great.
The food was pretty good. Pizza was great, the ravioli needs some work, but the marinara sauce with it was great.
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bargainhunter wrote: Is Sam & Louie's good? We have eaten there once & thought it was pretty good. But, like I have stated before, IMO good pizza is hard to come by in Council Bluffs.
It's been years ago, but it was either Pizza Counter or Pizza King that I had and it was pretty close to what you'd get at Big Fred's. Â Crisp thin crust and plenty of toppings. Â I can't recall which one it was for sure, all I know is it had "pizza" as the first part of it's name.
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We've tried them both and thought they were both actually quite bad. Â Not just not good pizza, but bad. Â Thanks for the suggestion though.bbinks wrote:bargainhunter wrote: Is Sam & Louie's good? We have eaten there once & thought it was pretty good. But, like I have stated before, IMO good pizza is hard to come by in Council Bluffs.
It's been years ago, but it was either Pizza Counter or Pizza King that I had and it was pretty close to what you'd get at Big Fred's. Crisp thin crust and plenty of toppings. I can't recall which one it was for sure, all I know is it had "pizza" as the first part of it's name.
Probably Pizza King if it was a thin crust. Â Pizza Counter is light years better than Pizza King, but that's not saying a whole lot. Â Old River, IMO, is hands-down the best pizza in CB.bbinks wrote:bargainhunter wrote: Is Sam & Louie's good? We have eaten there once & thought it was pretty good. But, like I have stated before, IMO good pizza is hard to come by in Council Bluffs.
It's been years ago, but it was either Pizza Counter or Pizza King that I had and it was pretty close to what you'd get at Big Fred's. Crisp thin crust and plenty of toppings. I can't recall which one it was for sure, all I know is it had "pizza" as the first part of it's name.
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
--William Jennings Bryan
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I thought Old River was good as well. Â Is it locally owned?
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The franchise is locally owned, the company originated in Bemidji, MN. Â To the best of my knowledge, this is the only franchise location so far.Brad wrote:I thought Old River was good as well. Is it locally owned?
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http://southwestiowanews.com/articles/2 ... 568365.txt
New eatery: Where John Wayne might feel at home
By TIM ROHWER, Staff Writer
timothy.rohwer@nonpareilonline.com
Published: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 10:40 AM CDT
There’s a new place in town where folks can come and relax and enjoy Mexican food with their favorite beverage, while keeping abreast of sports and news on the big screen televisions.
It’s where John Wayne might feel right at home. In fact, he’s all over the place.
It’s Johnny’s Cantina, 1851 Madison Ave.
“My dad decorated the place,” said co-owner Kevin Culjat. “There are a lot of John Wayne pictures, a lot of Americana in here.”
This is the fourth venture in the restaurant/bar business for Culjat and his family. They also own the Scott Street Pub in downtown Council Bluffs and two downtown Omaha establishments – the Stadium Club and J.D. Tuckers.
“My wife wanted to come out east,” Culjat said of this latest business, because many of their longtime patrons live in that part of the city. “We started looking at this location last summer. It was a nice size.”
After building everything from scratch, Johnny’s Cantina opened last December. It’s named after Culjat’s father, who started into this field back in 1964.
Johnny’s Cantina seats about 50 people comfortably and offers three 50-inch televisions. On the menu, patrons can enjoy soft tacos, enchiladas, burritos and green chili burritos. Appetizers include nachos, taco salads, salsa and chips, guacamole and chips, chicken tortilla or green chili soups, homemade green chili sauce by cook Joe Leonard “that people love,” and various cheese dips.
“We do a ton of food,” Culjat said.
Patrons can wash that down with a wide variety of beers, including seven on tap. Other drinks popular with the clientele include frozen margaritas and piña coladas.
Johnny’s Cantina is open Mondays through Saturdays from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. It’s possible, come fall and the football season, it might open earlier on Saturdays.
“We’ve been pleasantly surprised,” Culjat said of the business.
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