Best Italian in Omaha?

[Hyok Kim]

Vincenzo's gave me food poisoning once. Never going there again.

I never had food poisoning problem at Vincenzo's, but I find their food to be mediocre.

[nativeomahan]

Food brings out the passion in people.  In those who cook it.  And those who eat it.  And those who review it.
For years we have loved Nicola's, which by the way is Greek owned.  The menu is simple, but has just enough variety at reasonable price points to satisfy everyone in our group.  Portions are moderate, which I also appreciate.  What we really love most about the place, however, is not the food, but their marvelous patio.
All of that said, our last experience dining there in May was very poor.  Not the food, but the uber slow service.  It took 50 minutes for our dinners to arrive after our appetizer plates had been cleared away.  Unacceptable.  The manager appeared after we had requested to speak to a manager, and all he offered was to comp the drinks.  But only one of the four of us had any alcohol, as two were non drinkers.  I got my two glasses of wine taken off, but two others only ordered water to drink, and got shafted.  This was very poor customer service to what had been regular customers.

[Linkin5]

I have never had bad service at Nicola's, were they extremely busy?

Also, if you are a repeat customer that had one bad experience with a server, you are an [expletive] for posting it online and not just contacting the restaurant directly.

[S33]

I have never had bad service at Nicola's, were they extremely busy?

Also, if you are a repeat customer that had one bad experience with a server, you are an [expletive] for posting it online and not just contacting the restaurant directly.

ok, calm down. That sounded really angry again.

[jessep28]

[nebport5]

Hyok Kim, you're default endorsement of Olive Garden ruins you're credibility.

Please, I did not give default endorsement to Olive Garden.   I just gave it higher rating than Cascio's on 10th.   I know personally how bad the food at Cascio's on 10th was, plus the awful decoration.   To be fair, the portion was generous.

All the same, reading this thread, one gets the impression that after Pasta Amore you'd opt for Olive Garden?

All the corporate training in the world can't save OG's assembly line pasta.  I'll take fresh quality ingredients by "non-professional" chefs any day over that "food".

Btw.  I am not necessarily opposed to 'non-professional' chef.    The husband of one of my aunts on the maternal side could whip up wonderful Italian food, even though he didn't have a drop of Italian blood in him, nor had he ever visited Italy, nor had any professional training in Italian or any other cuisine for that matter.  But he had passion for Italian food, and he experimented constantly, and finally he could make some real killer pastas, not up to 5 star Italian restaurant level, but better than most so-called, 'Traditional, family style, Italian-American' restaurants in Omaha.    Plus, he had made pastas from scratch unlike those 'Italian-American' restaurants.

Also, the pastry chef at Viviace, Tina Tweedy had no professional training, either, but she prepares outstanding desserts, and keeps improving over the years.  So I'm not automatically knocking out people with no professional training.    

I am just pointing out if Nicola's has such wonderful Italian food, then how come we don't hear about the 'chefs' creating those wonderful Italian food?    Maybe the owner doesn't want the 'curtains being lifted' and the paying public finding out how the 'chefs' learned to cook 'Italian' food?   At least, Tina Tweedy doesn't pretend she attended pastry school in Austria.

Think about it.  Why OWH has not covered Nicola's over the years if Nicola's has such wonderful food?   OWH even covered Petrow's, Panda House, International Cafe, but no Nicola's.    Maybe Nicola's doesn't want to be reviewed by OWH and to reveal how their chefs got the training?   That they learned to cook from a coffee shop owner who had neither the professional training nor the experience?

I am not saying Nicola's food suck.  I'm merely saying they're nothing special.   To be fair, they are better than many 'Traditional, family style, Italian-American steak/pasta houses, which isn't saying much, considering how bad they are.

To put Nicola's at the level of Pasta Amore is an insult to the real chefs.   That's what I object.

Btw.  I also gave higher rating to spaghetti on International Cafe than Nicola's, and I know the cooks at International Cafe have no professional training.

As a diner is it necessary to qualify one's enjoyment of the food based upon a chef's training?  An amateur chef can not produce enjoyable quality food?  So if a classically trained chef works at Fazoli's I should opt for it over the untrained at Nicola's?   Also, should we tell the line at Spaghetti Works' trough salivating in anticipation over the culinary genius that is "beer cheese pasta" that it wasn't prepared by classically trained chef.  Oh the devastation!  Obviously, food and taste is very subjective but there are just many restaurants with trained chefs who churn out mediocre product.  While training is important, I think it's less about training than the execution.  Pasta Amore may have good training but the reviews on Yelp and Urban Spoon the past few years are decidedly negative.

And I don't think anyone is calling Nicola's a five star wonderland.  Rather, good, fresh, consistent Italian for the money?  Yes.

[RNcyanide]

Vincenzo's gave me food poisoning once. Never going there again.

I never had food poisoning problem at Vincenzo's, but I find their food to be mediocre.

Before I had their gastrointestinal handgrenade, I had quite a few of their things. I honestly thought they put more effort into their appetizers than they did their entrees.

[Hyok Kim]

Food brings out the passion in people.  In those who cook it.  And those who eat it.  And those who review it.

Indeed.

For years we have loved Nicola's, which by the way is Greek owned.

I've got nothing against the Greeks operating Italian restaurants.  It's not the ethinicity of who owns it or even cooks the meal, but how well they do it that matters.    

The menu is simple, but has just enough variety at reasonable price points to satisfy everyone in our group.

I remember their meatballs being real tough,  rubbery and cold.   I've had far better meatballs.   Their bolognese was inconsistent.  Sometimes okay, sometimes not so.

Portions are moderate, which I also appreciate.

I didn't have problem with the portion.   I would rather have high quality smaller portion than more portion of low quality like Cascio's on 10th.

 What we really love most about the place, however, is not the food, but their marvelous patio.

Finally, you're 'cooking'.   Yes, it has the most unique ambience, especially in downtown Omaha.   I love their patio as well.  Dining alfresco in nice spring/fall weather brings extra dimension to the palate.

I had meals at 5 star Italian restaurants.  Nicola's is not in their league, not even close.  

Praising Nicola's to the level of Pasta Amore, and Vivace is unfair to Pasta Amore, and Viviace.

I would agree that it is an ideal, date night dinner place.

All of that said, our last experience dining there in May was very poor.  Not the food, but the uber slow service.  It took 50 minutes for our dinners to arrive after our appetizer plates had been cleared away.

Unless it was extremely busy, that implies poor organization in the kitchen, which leads to my original question, "Who's in charge back there?"

Unacceptable.  The manager appeared after we had requested to speak to a manager, and all he offered was to comp the drinks.  But only one of the four of us had any alcohol, as two were non drinkers.  I got my two glasses of wine taken off, but two others only ordered water to drink, and got shafted.  This was very poor customer service to what had been regular customers.

I am sorry about your experience.   I think it was doubly unacceptable that you even had to ask for the manager.   In a well-run restaurant, the manager should have come before you even asked in such a situation, especially for a regular customer.   I had better service from burger king than that.

[Hyok Kim]

I have never had bad service at Nicola's, .....

In the spirit of fairness and objectivity, I never had bad service from Nicola's, either.   YMMV, though.

Also, if you are a repeat customer that had one bad experience with a server, you are an [expletive] for posting it online and not just contacting the restaurant directly.

Please, I believe the nativeomahan already had a contact and didn't receive the proper remedy.

[jessep28]

Food brings out the passion in people.  In those who cook it.  And those who eat it.  And those who review it.
For years we have loved Nicola's, which by the way is Greek owned.  The menu is simple, but has just enough variety at reasonable price points to satisfy everyone in our group.  Portions are moderate, which I also appreciate.  What we really love most about the place, however, is not the food, but their marvelous patio.
All of that said, our last experience dining there in May was very poor.  Not the food, but the uber slow service.  It took 50 minutes for our dinners to arrive after our appetizer plates had been cleared away.  Unacceptable.  The manager appeared after we had requested to speak to a manager, and all he offered was to comp the drinks.  But only one of the four of us had any alcohol, as two were non drinkers.  I got my two glasses of wine taken off, but two others only ordered water to drink, and got shafted.  This was very poor customer service to what had been regular customers.

[youtube][/youtube]

[Hyok Kim]

 I'll take fresh quality ingredients by "non-professional" chefs any day over that "food".

The pasta, specifically, the noodles at Nicola's, are they made from scratch, fresh?

[Hyok Kim]

I am not saying Nicola's food suck.  I'm merely saying they're nothing special.   To be fair, they are better than many 'Traditional, family style, Italian-American steak/pasta houses, which isn't saying much, considering how bad they are.

[Hyok Kim]

All the same, reading this thread, one gets the impression that after Pasta Amore you'd opt for Olive Garden?

Actually, no, I would opt for Vivace when it comes to pasta after Pasta Amore.  

As a diner is it necessary to qualify one's enjoyment of the food based upon a chef's training?  An amateur chef can not produce enjoyable quality food?  So if a classically trained chef works at Fazoli's I should opt for it over the untrained at Nicola's?   Also, should we tell the line at Spaghetti Works' trough salivating in anticipation over the culinary genius that is "beer cheese pasta" that it wasn't prepared by classically trained chef.  Oh the devastation!  Obviously, food and taste is very subjective but there are just many restaurants with trained chefs who churn out mediocre product.  

Had you even read my previous post?

This is what I had said;

Btw.  I am not necessarily opposed to 'non-professional' chef.    The husband of one of my aunts on the maternal side could whip up wonderful Italian food, even though he didn't have a drop of Italian blood in him, nor had he ever visited Italy, nor had any professional training in Italian or any other cuisine for that matter.  But he had passion for Italian food, and he experimented constantly, and finally he could make some real killer pastas, not up to 5 star Italian restaurant level, but better than most so-called, 'Traditional, family style, Italian-American' restaurants in Omaha.    Plus, he had made pastas from scratch unlike those 'Italian-American' restaurants.

Also, the pastry chef at Viviace, Tina Tweedy had no professional training, either, but she prepares outstanding desserts, and keeps improving over the years.  So I'm not automatically knocking out people with no professional training.

While training is important, I think it's less about training than the execution.

Is that why I had tough, rubbery, cold meatballs at Nicola's?

Pasta Amore may have good training but the reviews on Yelp and Urban Spoon the past few years are decidedly negative.

Have you ever even dined at Pasta Amore?   I've dined at both Pasta Amore and Nicola's.    Are you implying Pasta Amore provides substand Italian cuisine based on Yelp and Urban Spoon reviews?
Maybe I should post a negative review on Nicola's at Yelp and Urban Spoon, then would you agree with me on Nicola's?

And I don't think anyone is calling Nicola's a five star wonderland.

Please, no need to get so defensive.   But at least, it's nice to know you don't think Nicola's is one of the best Italian restaurant (foodwise, not the ambience) in Omaha.


 

Rather, good, fresh, consistent Italian for the money?  Yes.

Their noodles, not made from scratch, certainly not fresh.   I know the difference between fresh, made from scratch noodles, and the ones bought in bulk at the warehouse for school cafetria.

[Hyok Kim]

Before I had their gastrointestinal handgrenade, ...........

Do you love garlic?   I always eat plenty of garlic, especially when I suspect possible food poisoning, like when I eat steak tartare, especially when prepared by someone else.  Raw garlic is the best, but they 'burn' the mouth, so I combine with slightly boiled,roasted/microwaved garlic, and olive oil.

I had quite a few of their things. I honestly thought they put more effort into their appetizers than they did their entrees.

I guess my loss then.  I never had their appetizers, only their entrees.

[guitarguy]

This thread is too much.. I've been to Vincenzo's and it was ok absolutely nothing great.. just ok.. The best I've ever had was in little italy at a small place in Manhattan with pictures of the sopranos cast on the wall.. so needless to say I doubt I will find a place in Omaha that beats there but I'll have to try a few of these places you guys speak of.

[Globochem]

None of this has anything to do with Italian food.  The mushy slop that is sold as "Italian" by all of the places named so far is an embarrassment.  Saccharine tin can red sauce perfumed with expired dried herbs and spices, or gloopy, slimey reduced heavy cream white sauce with knock off parmesan cheese, or even the infantile combination of the two into an intolerable "pink" sauce is NOT Italian.  Dante Pizzeria and now Avoli in Dundee are the only places approximating what an adult can all Italian fare.  The rest, yes even Pasta Amore and Lo Sole Mio, are grotesque guilty pleasures that may or may not please some people, but should be viewed like charming if overbearing anachronism.  The Italian steakhouse is undeniably the worst thing that happened to Omaha dining outside of the Country Clubs.  It is a enormous breath of fresh air (and fresh products) that Avoli, Dante, sometimes Pitch, and The Boiler Room make and are very proud of their housemade pastas.

[ShawJ]

None of this has anything to do with Italian food.  The mushy slop that is sold as "Italian" by all of the places named so far is an embarrassment.  Saccharine tin can red sauce perfumed with expired dried herbs and spices, or gloopy, slimey reduced heavy cream white sauce with knock off parmesan cheese, or even the infantile combination of the two into an intolerable "pink" sauce is NOT Italian.  Dante Pizzeria and now Avoli in Dundee are the only places approximating what an adult can all Italian fare.  The rest, yes even Pasta Amore and Lo Sole Mio, are grotesque guilty pleasures that may or may not please some people, but should be viewed like charming if overbearing anachronism.  The Italian steakhouse is undeniably the worst thing that happened to Omaha dining outside of the Country Clubs.  It is a enormous breath of fresh air (and fresh products) that Avoli, Dante, sometimes Pitch, and The Boiler Room make and are very proud of their housemade pastas.

I agree, Fazoli's is delicious.

[nebport5]

Hyok Kim,


Obviously, anyone can have a bad meal at a "good" restaurant...and vice versa.

While training is important, I think it's less about training than the execution.

Is that why I had tough, rubbery, cold meatballs at Nicola's?

That's execution.  I don't need training to know not to serve cold food.  Training doesn't guarantee good food.  

Pasta Amore may have good training but the reviews on Yelp and Urban Spoon the past few years are decidedly negative.

Have you ever even dined at Pasta Amore?   I've dined at both Pasta Amore and Nicola's.    Are you implying Pasta Amore provides substand Italian cuisine based on Yelp and Urban Spoon reviews?
Maybe I should post a negative review on Nicola's at Yelp and Urban Spoon, then would you agree with me on Nicola's?

No, I haven't been to Pasta Amore and do not see that changing anytime soon.  I don't doubt that you've had poor food at Nicola's.  And I'm sure you have a good discriminating palate but I don't believe Pasta Amore is "the best in the city" or at least that it's still the place it once may have been.  I'm sure you had great food at Pasta Amore at some point.  Have you been recently?  I don't base my dining choices entirely upon web reviews but the following reviews from the last year or so are hard to ignore.


on Pasta Amore...

" ...the server delivered us two small rolls which were clearly frozen at one time.  The salad was exactly as if you would go to Wal-Mart and buy a pre packaged mix except for at wal-mart you may actually get fresh lettuce.  The house dressing was essentially tasteless and for the first time in my life I actually put salt on my salad in attempt to get some taste...Then came the lasagna which was also dry and tasteless.  So clearly the owner and or chef are cutting corners and trying to save money by sacrificing the quality of food by not serving fresh food."

"The grease from the meat was pooled all over. It was probably the nastiest Bolo I have ever seen. She ate about three bites and declared it undesirable."

"For my main dish, I tried the combination plate of 4 different pastas since our server suggested it and said that all the pasta was made fresh.  That could not have been further from the truth, the pasta did not taste homemade and was overcooked.  None of the food made me gag, but I felt like I was force feeding myself because it was not good.  My bf ordered the seafood pasta which he said was ok.  My brother ordered the flattened meatballs special (another suggestion from the server) and was not impressed either.  The red sauce was very bland, I would say that Prego is better."

"We ordered fried mozzarella and it was pretty gross.  You could buy better cheese sticks from the freezer section of the grocery store.  These were definitely not homemade, probably the cheapest frozen cheese sticks they could find.  They also gave us rolls on the table, these were pretty bland, but ok, come to find out that they are not homemade either since they gave us the bread bag to take our leftovers in."

"Food cold and tasteless.  Service nothing to brag about...Go elsewhere for real flavor"

Honestly, I don't have a strong opinion about the best Italian in Omaha.  I'm not saying it's Nicola's, but I enjoyed it and would go back.  I haven't been to Vivace, Avoli or Dante's yet.  I would try Spezia for what it is.  Pitch is just ok.

[Hyok Kim]

This thread is too much..

I agree.  It's amazing how defensive sometime people can get for their favorite haunts so undeserving.  Kinda like how some people hung up on the girl they first got the milk from, even if she rates 5 and below on the scale of 10.   Of course I understand that beauty is only skin deep, what's supposed to count is what's inside (the 'heart' I mean).

I've been to Vincenzo's and it was ok absolutely nothing great.. just ok..

That's what I was talking about.  

The best I've ever had was in little italy at a small place in Manhattan with pictures of the sopranos cast on the wall.. so needless to say I doubt I will find a place in Omaha that beats there but I'll have to try a few of these places you guys speak of.

Actually, one of my friends from North Jersey told me most pizza places in Omaha suck big time except Don Carmelo's.  (except one fake 'Don Carmelo's' operated by a nephew of a woman who once married a member of Don Carmelo family and divorced later, I'll tell you guys more about this fake Don Carmelo's later)

He told me Don Carmelo's pizza is about the only pizza place in Omaha that would survive in North Jersey.

Vivace makes better pizza than even Don Carmelo's, and most people in Omaha don't even know about this gem because it looks so upscale so it doesn't look like an authentic pizza joint.
     
Kinda like people pre-judging a beauty with perfect make-up as uppity without even talking to her.

[guitarguy]

My favorite NY slice in Omaha is without a doubt Franks Pizzeria out on 132nd Dodge its the only place that I've had that I think could do business in NY. But I will say that the NY pizza places out here cater to the local love of loading up the pie's with veggies and meat. A true NY slice is just fresh cheese, sauce, crust.. the end.

[ThatGuy]

Well, this was a fun read. IMO there is Dante & Avoli plus a bunch of places that are a waste of money. To each their own.

[Hyok Kim]

None of this has anything to do with Italian food.  The mushy slop that is sold as "Italian" by all of the places named so far is an embarrassment.

Saccharine tin can red sauce perfumed with expired dried herbs and spices, or gloopy, slimey reduced heavy cream white sauce with knock off parmesan cheese, or even the infantile combination of the two into an intolerable "pink" sauce is NOT Italian.

 The Italian steakhouse is undeniably the worst thing that happened to Omaha dining outside of the Country Clubs.

You hit the nail on the head.




 

Dante Pizzeria and now Avoli in Dundee are the only places approximating what an adult can all Italian fare.

I noticed you didn't mention Viviace.  What do you think of their pizzas, not pasta?

 The rest, yes even Pasta Amore and Lo Sole Mio, are grotesque guilty pleasures that may or may not please some people, but should be viewed like charming if overbearing anachronism.

Well, I am one of those pleased by those offered at Pasta Amore.    On the spirit of fairness, until fairly recently, we didn't have Dante Pizzeria and Avoli.   Pasta Amore was about as close as the real thing in Omaha.


 

 It is a enormous breath of fresh air (and fresh products) that Avoli, Dante, sometimes Pitch, and The Boiler Room make and are very proud of their housemade pastas.

Thanks for the tip.   I'll check them out.

[Hyok Kim]

No, I haven't been to Pasta Amore and do not see that changing anytime soon.

One doesn't have to be so close-minded like those diehard fans of 'Traditional, Family style, Italian-American steak/pasta house'.

I don't doubt that you've had poor food at Nicola's.

My problem with Nicola's is not necessarily the food.  It's the promise made and not delivered.   Nicola's website promises, freshly made Italian food, authentic Italian food, just like in Italy, implying high quality style food served in Italy.

...and that's not what they serve at Nicola's.    Like I had said, overall, food at Nicola's is even though mediocre, actually a lot better than your run of the mill, 'Traditional, Family style, Italian-American steak/pasta houses' in Omaha.

 Even a relatively recent review at Reader's who gave very positive review on Nicola's overall did admit that food quality was not consistent.   Also, the reviewer omitted about the 'chefs' at Nicola's.

That's strange, don't you think?      Nicola's website is full of celebrities enjoying the food at Nicola's, but nary a word about people making those wonderful, authentic Italian food fresh just like in Italy.

If I were an owner of Nicola's, and I thought I provide wonderful, authentic Italian food just like those served in Italy, I would brag a little about people making those wonderful food.

I would say something nice about them.  It would be a descent thing to do.    Maybe the owner doesn't want public finding out some barely above minimum wage slaves shlepping back in the kitchen?    Totally expendable, and disposable, nameless nobodies?

The truth is great restaurants are never shy about the chefs working in their kitchens.   Nicola's does not want the public to know about their 'chefs'.    Hiding something?

And I'm sure you have a good discriminating palate but I don't believe Pasta Amore is "the best in the city" or at least that it's still the place it once may have been.

I think Pasta Amore was the best in Omaha.   With new artisan style Italian restaurants opening recently, it may not be the best it once was, at least until fairly recently.    

I'm sure you had great food at Pasta Amore at some point.  Have you been recently?

On average, once every 3 months.   I stick to veal dishes only.  The reason being, veals are not alwasy available for sale at supermarkets.   Sometimes I get craving for veal, but the supermarkets don't have them.

 I don't go there for their bread or salad.    One does not go to Italian restaurant for the best bread or salad.   One goes to the best bakery for the best bread.   One makes one's own salad if one wants the best salad.


 

I don't base my dining choices entirely upon web reviews but the following reviews from the last year or so are hard to ignore.

on Pasta Amore...

" ...the server delivered us two small rolls which were clearly frozen at one time.  The salad was exactly as if you would go to Wal-Mart and buy a pre packaged mix except for at wal-mart you may actually get fresh lettuce.  The house dressing was essentially tasteless and for the first time in my life I actually put salt on my salad in attempt to get some taste...Then came the lasagna which was also dry and tasteless.  So clearly the owner and or chef are cutting corners and trying to save money by sacrificing the quality of food by not serving fresh food."

"The grease from the meat was pooled all over. It was probably the nastiest Bolo I have ever seen. She ate about three bites and declared it undesirable."

"For my main dish, I tried the combination plate of 4 different pastas since our server suggested it and said that all the pasta was made fresh.  That could not have been further from the truth, the pasta did not taste homemade and was overcooked.  None of the food made me gag, but I felt like I was force feeding myself because it was not good.  My bf ordered the seafood pasta which he said was ok.  My brother ordered the flattened meatballs special (another suggestion from the server) and was not impressed either.  The red sauce was very bland, I would say that Prego is better."

"We ordered fried mozzarella and it was pretty gross.  You could buy better cheese sticks from the freezer section of the grocery store.  These were definitely not homemade, probably the cheapest frozen cheese sticks they could find.  They also gave us rolls on the table, these were pretty bland, but ok, come to find out that they are not homemade either since they gave us the bread bag to take our leftovers in."

"Food cold and tasteless.  Service nothing to brag about...Go elsewhere for real flavor"

I don't base my dining choices entirely upon web reviews but the following reviews from the last year or so are hard to ignore.

What about positive reviews from the last year?   Do you ignore positive web reviews about Pasta Amore from last year, but only concentrate on negative web reviews about Pasta Amore from the last year to make your decision?

This is called, 'cherry-picking'.  When one already has made up one's mind about something, and just starst looking for excuses that may or may not be true or facts in order to rationalize the decision one has already made without looking at actual evidence.

Honestly, I don't have a strong opinion about the best Italian in Omaha.  I'm not saying it's Nicola's, but I enjoyed it and would go back.

International Cafe does not have the best Italian food in Omaha, not even close.   But I enjoy their African style sphagetti with goats(it's a guilty pleasure), and would go back again and again.   I appreciate their honesty, and downtoearthness.  

 I haven't been to Vivace, Avoli or Dante's yet.

I only have been to Vivace, but no Avoli or Dante.   I live in downtown, so for convenience's sake I tend to patronize Vivace.   Maybe I should give a try to Avoli or Dante.
Btw. I don't recommend pasta at Vivace, it's not their strongest.   Their strongest is pizzas and desserts.   The pastry chef has no formal training, self-taught, and actually improved considerably over the years.   Vivace has profile on her on their website.   How nice, I wish Nicola's would do a profile on their chefs as well, instead of just celebrities on their website.

I believe among experts' polls, Dante had the best pizza in Omaha, and Vivace was the second.   Vivace is a lot closer to where I live.

 I would try Spezia for what it is.  Pitch is just ok.

I have not tried either.  I did hear a good thing about Pitch, what did you try at Pitch?

[Hyok Kim]

My favorite NY slice in Omaha is without a doubt Franks Pizzeria out on 132nd Dodge its the only place that I've had that I think could do business in NY.

No surprise there since Franks was originally from NYC.

But I will say that the NY pizza places out here cater to the local love of loading up the pie's with veggies and meat.

Not necessarily a bad thing, so long as it's in moderation relative to the robustness of the crust, use fresh, high quality ingredients.   I've had bad NYC style pizzas, using low quality, unfresh ingredients.

 A true NY slice is just fresh cheese, sauce, crust.. the end.

I am actually more of a fan of new gourmet style pizzas of California or Batali style variety.   The best pizza I ever had was in Portland, OR, from a local mini-chain artisan style pizza place.   It was so good that even a left over 2 days old inside the refrigerator was still better than 'fresh from the oven' pizzas in most places I have tried.

Everything made from scratch, fresh everyday for real, using the highest quality, freshest ingredients.

[cdub]

I frankly have not found many places in Omaha that really impress me.  I recall liking Spezia as far as italian goes.  The italian steakhouses around here are not worth going to from what Ive seen.  

I liked Nicolas well enough the first time but the second was only ok again, but SLOW.  It was a routine, maybe even less busy, weekday lunch.

[guitarguy]

Yes the main factor of good pizza is freshness and balanced salt/sugar levels in the sauce where most places fail around here is they use cheap cheese and toppings and use canned sauce that they spruce up with a little oregano and call it good. For people who don't know better I'm sure this formula works fine but for anyone who's had some of the best it's certainly disappointing trying to enjoy something as simple as pizza. I will say though the steak in this area of the country smokes anything I ever had out in NYC. Even the options at the store are noticeably higher in quality so the food in this area is still very good just lacking in the italian department.

[nebport5]

I don't doubt that you've had poor food at Nicola's.

My problem with Nicola's is not necessarily the food.  It's the promise made and not delivered.   Nicola's website promises, freshly made Italian food, authentic Italian food, just like in Italy, implying high quality style food served in Italy.

...and that's not what they serve at Nicola's.    Like I had said, overall, food at Nicola's is even though mediocre, actually a lot better than your run of the mill, 'Traditional, Family style, Italian-American steak/pasta houses' in Omaha.

Fair enough.  I can tell you there's very little truth in advertising in the restaurant business.  I don't think there's a grand conspiracy at Nicola's.  I think most diners know what there getting.

I'm sure you had great food at Pasta Amore at some point.  Have you been recently?

On average, once every 3 months.   I stick to veal dishes only.  The reason being, veals are not alwasy available for sale at supermarkets.   Sometimes I get craving for veal, but the supermarkets don't have them.

 I don't go there for their bread or salad.    One does not go to Italian restaurant for the best bread or salad.   One goes to the best bakery for the best bread.   One makes one's own salad if one wants the best salad.

Aren't you letting them off the hook a bit?  I mean why even go out when you can make almost everything better at home?  Ok, so you recommendation of Pasta Amore comes with an asterisk.  *Try the veal and homemade pasta, but skip the cheap bread and iceberg lettuce?  You recommend part of a meal there?

Of course, one doesn't go to an Italian restaurant for bread and salad but its not unreasonable to expect some quality(doesn't have to be the best) of these items too.  

I don't base my dining choices entirely upon web reviews but the following reviews from the last year or so are hard to ignore.

What about positive reviews from the last year?   Do you ignore positive web reviews about Pasta Amore from last year, but only concentrate on negative web reviews about Pasta Amore from the last year to make your decision?

This is called, 'cherry-picking'.  When one already has made up one's mind about something, and just starst looking for excuses that may or may not be true or facts in order to rationalize the decision one has already made without looking at actual evidence.

It's not cherry picking when the majority of the reviews are unfavorable. There were only two reviews in the last year that were positive.  Going back a little further to Dec 2012 another review said, "Still love it but their food is not as spectacular as it used to be."


I'm with you on the concept of the Pasta Amore, it just seems very hit or miss and the consensus is that it's not the place is once was.  If they get their sh*t together I'd be more than happy to try it out.

 I would try Spezia for what it is.  Pitch is just ok.

I have not tried either.  I did hear a good thing about Pitch, what did you try at Pitch?

Pizza, pasta, burger.  I honestly liked the burger the best.  The pizza is ok.  It's overpriced and for being fresh it lacks flavour.  The pasta sauce on the other hand is too spicy and overbearing.  Almost tasted like enchilada sauce.

[Hyok Kim]

I frankly have not found many places in Omaha that really impress me.

Exactly my experience.

 I recall liking Spezia as far as italian goes.

I haven't tried Spezia yet.   Thanks for the tip.

The italian steakhouses around here are not worth going to from what Ive seen.  

You can say that, again.    People hiding behind the ethnicity of their long dead relatives from the old world to profit from it without doing the work.

I liked Nicolas well enough the first time but the second was only ok again, but SLOW.  It was a routine, maybe even less busy, weekday lunch.

You know what, I really wanted to like Nicola's since I love their patios, and I wanted anyone making a stab at decent Italian food in Omaha to succeed.

I would have forgiven the mediocre food so long as the owner was trying, just for the effort.   But then I realized the owner wasn't even trying.  He just wanted to make money by pretending that he's something he's not.    If he's really trying, he would not be so shy about showing his kitchen, the staff, and the ingredients he uses.   Instead he hides behind the sizzle, the celebrities!  

I want to support people who care about food, not just money.

[Hyok Kim]

I will say though the steak in this area of the country smokes anything I ever had out in NYC.

Hmmm, I don't know about that, exactly.   The best steak I ever had in my life was a steakhouse in Portland, OR.    Back in 88.   I had very high expectation of steaks when I got here in 89.

Tried some of the highly touted places in Omaha, left me scratching my head, "Is that it?".    One place very highly recommended was Omaha Prime, supposedly the best grade steak in the country, but I found its flavor to be at least a notch below that steakhouse in Portland, not only that I ordered rare, but it didn't have that bright pink color rare steaks have in the interior.   It was just muted grey.   I complained, and to be fair, they apologized and made another one, this time it was pink in the middle, but no brown crust.   I gave up, and just paid the bill.

I read that Paul Castellano (who had worked as butcher) always inspected steak in the kitchen before ordering it, even at Sparks steakhouse, supposedly one of the best in NYC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparks_Steak_House


Maybe he knew something about the quality of steaks in NYC from insider knowledge?   I know that people stealing meat from the factory and selling it to the steakhouses in NYC at least used to be a big problem.    Also, according to an NYT article I had read once, most salmons being sold as 'Wild Salmon' (with accompanying premiums) by fancy restaurants and high end supermarkets in NYC turned out be just regular farmed salmons when the investigative reporter actually traced it.

Btw.  I know an old Irishman who used to work for about 2 years in the meatpacking industry in Omaha, back in the 60's.   He told me about the unsanitary conditions, like how some of the workers dragging the big chunk of meat (after having been processed) through that urine, feces, blood soaked, dirt/mud field to sell it to the steakhouses in Omaha (after stealing it by throwing it out of the window from the building they worked in).

Well, so much for that test, "How long after can I use that filet mignon after dropping it on the ground?"


Btw.  Even sausages I'm not that impressed.   The best sausage I ever had was from a German butcher shop in Beaverton, OR.    Stoysich is okay.

Even the options at the store are noticeably higher in quality so the food in this area is still very good...........

Well, maybe relative to NYC?    In downtown, Patrick's has the best steak.   Noticeably higher quality than supermarket for about the same price.   I don't find steaks here at supermarket to be any better than Oregon.

.... just lacking in the italian department.

Actually, quite a lot more, for example, Chinese, Thai, Japanese?    But then to be fair, I am comparing Omaha to Portland, a foodie heaven, even NYC is impressed with the quantity and the quality of restaurants in Portland.   In fact, I daresay, Portland has better Thai restaurants than even NYC.



Btw.  I am not knocking everything in Omaha.     The best ice cream I ever had  in my life was from Ted & Walley's.    The owners do not have any formal culinary training, either.

The best fried rice from a restaurant I ever had in my life was from King Fong.  (Most of their other selections suck, but not fried rice.)  

Both Aroma coffee shop and the Liberty Tavern used to have coffee comparable to Stumptown coffee in Portland.    The last time I checked the quality has gone down.

[Hyok Kim]

 I can tell you there's very little truth in advertising in the restaurant business.

If you're talking about chain restaurants in general. I agree.      If you're talking about chefs actually starting restaurants instead of non-chefs, I would disagree.   A real chef, especially with formal, and expensive culinary training, as opposed to non-chef owner posing as a chef, would never falsely advertise.

A real chef would have too much to lose if he gets exposed as a fraud by delivering something he does not deliver and charging accordingly.  He's basically ripping off customers!

Would you hire such a chef?    

 I don't think there's a grand conspiracy at Nicola's.

Having had worked (not anymore) in the restaurant industry for almost 15 years both in the kitchen and waitstaff, I beg to differ.        On-going inconsistent food quality means one of these three.(unless just starting out and developing and testing the menus)

1. No chef in charge in the kitchen.

2. No chefs at all, just barely above minimum wage slaves slumming it away with no ambition, no career prospects, might as well be living in a half-way house or on a parol.

3. Even worse, sub-minimum wage slaves with no documents, going back to the land they originally came from to see their family, but leaving no notice before bolting, or bolting before the INS raid.   (Heck, I have seen it happen for real at Great Wall.)

 

I think most diners know what there getting.

Nope, if that's the case, then why the owner of Nicola's doesn't say anything about his kitchen staff?   Why instead hide behind those celebrity pictures on his website?   Why no reviews from OWH all these years?   I am sure OWH would love to review Nicola's formally, but not when Nicola's doesn't want to be reviewed formally.

Btw. OWH does not engage in mystery diner reviews.   They're too polite.  They want to be 'fair', and do soft reviews in general.

Aren't you letting them off the hook a bit?  I mean why even go out when you can make almost everything better at home?

Can you make almost every cuisine in the world better than chefs with formal training and experience?   I can't.   In fact, even most chefs cannot make almost every cuisine in the world better than the chefs specializing in those cuisine.

Besides, restaurants can buy materials in bulk to get discount the average customers cannot get.    Plus the time and labor to make those food.   One good example is french fries.

Sure I can make french fries at home, probably better than most french fries sold at restaurants, but how much money and time would I have to spend to get that french fries?

How much oil would I have to use to get that one small batch of french fries?   and what would I do with all that oil?    I don't want to eat french fries all the time, just once a while.    All that oil once used eventually would go bad.   Yes, there's a trick to delay the inevitable, but even then it would still go bad.  I would be wasting all that oil.

Plus, the heat and the smoke it generates, the splatter, the accompanying mess, and the potential safety hazard, especially in Omaha summer?   Who would want to make french fries at home in Omaha summer and eat french fries all day for weeks?




 

Ok, so you recommendation of Pasta Amore comes with an asterisk.  *Try the veal and homemade pasta, but skip the cheap bread and iceberg lettuce?  You recommend part of a meal there?

Of course, one doesn't go to an Italian restaurant for bread and salad but its not unreasonable to expect some quality(doesn't have to be the best) of these items too.

Like they say, "The beggars cannot be choosers." or "In the land of blind, one-eyed man is the king." or "In prison, she rates 11."   In the land of 'Traditional, Family style, Italian-American steak/pasta houses', Pasta Amore was it.

Or did one have better choice before the advent of recent arrival of artisan quality Italian restaurants?   Or would you rather have dined on 'Traditional, Family style, Italian-American steak/pasta houses' than Pasta Amore?

One doesn't have to take all the options that come with a meal in a restaurant.   If you do not like the free chips and salsa that comes with steak fajita, then skip the chips and salsa.   Concentrate on fajita.    If you do not like the saltine crackers that comes with clam chowder, then skip the crackers.    If one complains about the clam chowderl, because the cracker was not satisfactory, it says more about the person complaining than the clam chowder.  We are not force-fed geese.   I didn't care for Nicola's bread, either, but I don't complain because Nicola's didn't have rolls from La Quartier bakery.   I complain about the main meals, not the side show.

In the restaurant lingo, one has a phrase for customers complaining about the entire meal because the rolls and salad were not to their liking.   "He's looking for pennies under the chairs." 

It's not cherry picking when the majority of the reviews are unfavorable. There were only two reviews in the last year that were positive.  Going back a little further to Dec 2012 another review said, "Still love it but their food is not as spectacular as it used to be."

Then how come did you not go when the majority of web reviews were positive?    Were you waiting till the majority of web reviews on a time frame you chose to use got negative?

That is called, 'curve-fitting' in statistician's lingo.  A form of 'cherry-picking'.  That's when someone chooses a time-frame to get the majority confirmation to rationalize the decision one has already made without examining the actual evidence oneself.   It's like a boss waiting till the sales falter to criticize an underling and not give him the raise while ignoring when underlings increased the sales.

I'm with you on the concept of the Pasta Amore, it just seems very hit or miss and the consensus is that it's not the place is once was.  If they get their sh*t together I'd be more than happy to try it out.

Strange, why hadn't you tried it before when they had their sh*t together?   Did you wait until they didn't have their sh*t together so that you could complain about it and make excuses not to go there?

 


Pizza, pasta, burger.  I honestly liked the burger the best.  The pizza is ok.  It's overpriced and for being fresh it lacks flavour.  The pasta sauce on the other hand is too spicy and overbearing.  Almost tasted like enchilada sauce.

Thanks for the tip.   I was never really sure about Pitch, considering it was started by the guy with Godfather fame.   I never liked Godfather's pizza, I would rather go to Nicola's than Godfather's.

[Hyok Kim]

I think Sam and Louie's as well.

I don't know about Frank's (I never tried it), but I don't consider Zio's and Sam & Louis's as NYC style pizzas. (despite their claim)  Zio's is a lot better than Sam & Louis's (except that hiccup several years ago at old market location)

[Brad]

FYI,

Made our monthly trip to Malara's last night. They have the signs up that next week is their annual vacation and they will be closed all week.

[nativeomahan]

Boy, I am so happy that I missed reading the $hit storm created last summer on this thread, up until today. It definitely proves that people are more passionate about their food, and their favorite (and least favorite) restaurants than they are about their elected leaders or religion.

I will say that Avoli is now our favorite Italian restaurant in town. Spezia might be second, although Zurlo's puts out wonderful food as well. Vivace and Nicola's both ooze atmosphere, but Vivace's seriously let us down in May when we were entertaining friends from Europe and Asia. And I haven't returned to Nicola's after the crummy time we had two years ago. Too many other decent places to eat in town.

On another culinary front, Curri continues to ramp up its game. The wonderful craft beer list is almost enough by itself to warrant a visit. And the vegetarian korma was one of the best Indian meals I have ever had anywhere.

[nebport5]

Am I the only one who thinks Avoli might be overrated? I ate there a couple times and it was good, but nothing blew me away or made me want to rush back. The red wine by the glass is embarrassingly cheap (and overpriced), most of which wouldn't stand up to the majority of their rich fare. I'm glad it's there and presumedly doing well but there is definite room to raise the bar.

[MadMartin8]

Am I the only one who thinks Avoli might be overrated?

Not at all, I'm with you on that one. It's not terrible, but in my opinion it's not worth it.

[choke]

FYI,

Made our monthly trip to Malara's last night. They have the signs up that next week is their annual vacation and they will be closed all week.

I was going to vote for Malara's as well. I can't remember which day, but I believe they make a tortellini stuffed with their sausage that is delicious.

[iamjacobm]

Via Farina in Little Italy is very very good and is actually really reasonably priced. I think the most expensive dish I saw was $14.

[Omababe]

I was going to vote for Malara's as well.

Speaking of Malara's, does anyone know anything about them possibly moving and/or expanding?

I thought I posted this here already but I did not see it. A while ago when I was dining there I overheard some chit-chat about the owner "buying some nearby property" or something and I kind of assumed it was something like an expansion.

(I guess I could just ask the next time I'm there.)

[choke]

I was going to vote for Malara's as well.

Speaking of Malara's, does anyone know anything about them possibly moving and/or expanding?

I thought I posted this here already but I did not see it. A while ago when I was dining there I overheard some chit-chat about the owner "buying some nearby property" or something and I kind of assumed it was something like an expansion.

(I guess I could just ask the next time I'm there.)

My wife used to work there when she was in her early 20's. The last time we ate there on a Saturday night, she mentioned how the dining room and bar would be packed on the weekends. It has been far from that when we go there now. It's too bad because we think the food is pretty darn good. Too many new hipster restaurants opening.

[bigredmed]

I was going to vote for Malara's as well.

Speaking of Malara's, does anyone know anything about them possibly moving and/or expanding?

I thought I posted this here already but I did not see it. A while ago when I was dining there I overheard some chit-chat about the owner "buying some nearby property" or something and I kind of assumed it was something like an expansion.

(I guess I could just ask the next time I'm there.)

My wife used to work there when she was in her early 20's. The last time we ate there on a Saturday night, she mentioned how the dining room and bar would be packed on the weekends. It has been far from that when we go there now. It's too bad because we think the food is pretty darn good. Too many new hipster restaurants opening.

We love the place. Lots of people who eat Italian don't like scicilian. Frankly, as a locovore, this is the bomb. Order spaghetti and sausage and everything on that plate came into that kitchen as a primal ingredient. Love that.