Event Report: Rooftop Valentine’s Event at Barrel & Vine Upcoming Events
What’s New
Our long time graphic artist, Mady Besch, has moved to Florida and onto other opportunities. As a result, we are going to have a smaller, sleeker, more concise Food & Wine Gazette. There is a limit of 4 pages. So, there will be a much smaller event report, less pictures and the Upcoming Events section. For more event photos, go to the IWFS. org web site, log in, go to Branches, then select Iowa, then Council Bluffs, then Gazette. Before leaving the Omaha Board, Todd Lemke volunteered to head the Valentine’s Day event. Todd has a knack for coming up with new and interesting places to try. So he was inspired to try Barrel & Vine, near 203rd and Pacific streets in Omaha. A multimillion dollar building, it features a pool on the second level. We had our Valentine’s Day event near the pool. Luckily, we were protected by a glass wall because it was pretty cold that Thursday evening. Executive Chef / Partner Karl Marsh was our culinary guide. We shared the event with the Omaha Branch. Both branches contributed the wine. Read about it within. I was so impressed with the B&V House salad I asked Chef Karl for the recipe. I’m usually not that big a salad person, but I was voraciously looking forward to the next bite, mostly because the dressing was so intriguing. Chef Karl graciously granted my request. It has been added to our IWFS CB Recipe book which you can access below. In your email, a PDF will be sent along with the issuu.com link. The advantage of issuu.com is that you can see both right and left pages, like a paper magazine. Our PDF only lets you view one page at a time. You can also access the Branch Recipe file by clicking: https://issuu.com/omahapublications/docs/iwfs_cb_council_bluffs_recipes.
If you boil a funny bone, it becomes a laughing stock. That’s humerus.
Rooftop Valentine’s Event at Barrel & Vine Written by Tom Murnan, Photos by Tom Murnan Our February 10th event was a combined event of the Council Bluffs and Omaha IWFS Branches. 49 people attended. Wines came from both cellars. We tried a new venue that many members have not yet experienced: Barrel and Vine (BV). The main level is a music venue with live acts from Thursday through Saturday weekly. But the second level sports an outside swimming pool, and the Mischief Bar adjacent to it. The swimming pool was covered, but the bar was festively decorated by hosts Todd & Sandy Lemke and Rhonda and Mile Wilke. Longtime Omaha restaurant fixture, Sam Nasr, was BV’s event manager, and Executive Karl Marsh our chef. We even had live music. Sam’s son, Tim Abou-Nasr and his guitar sang solo for us all evening. Omaha Magazine had produced a four page menu on card stock, designed to be a keepsake. I would say the BV emphasis is on tasty comfort food. Highlights were the finger food Mac & Cheese Spring Rolls, with a crisp top, Roasted Corn and Smoked Brisket Chowder (wow, this was a nice chowder); and the House Salad which consisted of Baby Spring Greens, Roasted Almonds, Chèvre, Dried Cranberries, and Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette. I couldn’t get enough of the tasty dressing, so I asked the chef to give us the recipe, which he graciously did. Click the link on the cover page to access. All told, it was a very enjoyable evening. The ladies left with chocolates from the Old Market Candy Shop.
2022
UPCOMING COUNCIL BLUFFS BRANCH EVENTS APR
801 CHOPHOUS
What’s the Grape? Producers: Hipples
MAY
PASTA AMORE
Brunch Producers: Goldsteins & Wilke
JUNE
AU COURANT REGIONAL KITCHEN Joint Event with the Omaha Branch Burgundy vs. Pinot Noir Event Producer: Tom Murnan
HOSTING AN EVENT?
Let us know when, where and a little bit about what’s going on! We would love to include YOUR event on the calendar! Email details to: iwfs.councilbluffs@yahoo.com