The Omaha
Event Report: 3rd Annual March Madness Stag Upcoming Events
What’s New
It’s always a ton of fun to attend our March Madness Stag, always held at noon. The brainchild of Joe Goldstein, this is the 3rd reiteration of his casual, sports centric themed event. He has a knack for combining tailgate comfort food with fine wine, making for an unique afternoon. Plus, it is one of the Branch’s least expensive events. This is significant because the price of everything from gasoline, construction, food and wine is going up at a clip we haven’t seen for years. Tailgate inspired food means Mexican street menus, the ever popular Mac and Cheese station, and Barbeque. This is the second issue of our pared down Gazette. I, as editor, try to get to the essence of what is going on in the Branch. No more deep analysis of food and wine pairings. No more winery spotlights. Perhaps it fits our busy life styles better. Send me your comments and suggestions on the new format. Both the Council Bluffs and Omaha Boards have approved a limited number of joint events. This is partially due to the smaller number of members attending events as COVID and its variants still linger. Plus, some events need more people to share costs so the event breaks even. These events will be Valentine’s Day, June or July when many are on vacation, and the December holiday event where the Omaha Branch traditionally has hired a live band, an expensive proposition. This year, June 12th will have a joint Branches couples event at Au Courant Regional Kitchen and compare Burgundy with Pinot Noir. Some members have had trouble reading the Gazette on issuu.com, Or, they don’t want to sign in, which means you can’t even read the Gazette at all. They prefer a PDF since all you have to do is click it open. We have decided to offer it in both formats. 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. Cheers!
Tom Murnan
“I have a lifetime contract. That means I can’t be fired during the third quarter if we’re ahead and moving the ball.” - Lou Holtz , Arkansas football coach
3rd Annual March Madness Stag Written by Tom Murnan, Photos by Tom Murnan Our first March Madness IWFS event in 2020 barely got over when Omaha began their COVID ban for restaurants. Plus, there was no basketball as March Madness got cancelled nationwide. No games. No TV coverage. Luckily our 2nd and 3rd Madness events went well. Last year was so warm there was cigar smoking on the patio. A bit too chilly this year: it was 7 degrees in the morning. This is always a fun event. Comfort food with high end wines. Everyone wears casual apparel from their favorite team. So there was a lot of Creighton and UNL shirts, but only one Iowa Hawkeye black and yellow colors. I loved Jon Meyers’ Cornhusker shirt, which looked like a corncob with red lapels and a Big Red N. Highlights include everyone’s favorite Mac & Cheese station, the BBQ, several wines, and an incredible TV last second, half-court shot that allowed Iowa to win 80 to 77 over Indiana. Similar to the standard hotel omelet station where you can select your favorite ingredients, the Mac ‘n Cheese station had lobster, shrimp and chicken to choose from. Many took all three. Plus there were other fixins such as peas, onions, green peppers and the like. The Mexican Street trio was interesting, but perhaps a bit heavy and filling. The BBQ platter shined with St Louis Style Spare Ribs, a Burnt End Slider and nice BBQ sauce. Chef Brenden Brown was asked if he used a smoker. He answered “No.” Instead he used a state of the art Combi unit that functions as a convection oven and also does Sous Vide. Wine highlights were a delicious Hartford Court Russian River Chardonnay 2019 and a Venge Scouts Honor Proprietary Red 2015 from host Joe Goldstein’s own cellar. The Venge, which is 70% Zinfandel, 14% Charbono, 9% Petite Sirah and 7% Syrah, went wonderfully with BBQ. The Lucienne Doctors Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016 from the club cellar was particularly delicious as well. Thanks Joe for a very pleasant basketball themed afternoon. Thanks also to Chef Brenden Brown and his entire crew for great food and great service.
20
MAY
UPCOMING OMAHA BRANCH EVENTS
26
STAG
Pitch West Beer Tasting to start Producers: Dan Thrasher
12
COMBINED COUPLES EVENT WITH COUNCIL BLUFFS BRANCH
JULY
BASTILLE DAY - VIVE LA FRANCE!
JUNE
14
Au Courant Regional Kitchen Burgundy vs. Pinot Noir Event Producer: Tom Murnan
Le Voltaire Two First Growths face off Stag Producers: Hasan Hyder