Omaha Magazine June 2026 The Food Issue

THE FOOD ISSUE ON THE MENU: OMAHA

COMMUNITY JOURNALISM

Our recipe for journalism is simple: Take a hearty slice of Omaha’s diverse community. Fold into human-interest profile and feature stories. Sprinkle a healthy dose of captivating narrative, social impact, and local history into recurring departments covering arts and culture, dining, etc. Simmer over months of production deadlines for reporters, photographers, designers, and editors with care.

Then, voila! It’s the annual food issue of Omaha Magazine. From our editorial oven to you, dear readers. A culinary theme is baked into every story. Let’s dig in.

Renowned chef Dave Utterback (owner of Yoshitomo, Ota, and Koji) appears on the cover, representing his latest recognition from the James Beard Awards. Judges are mulling over candidates for the nation’s most prestigious culinary honors as this issue delivers to subscriber mailboxes. For the third time, Utterback is a finalist for Best Chef: Midwest. Results will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on June 15 in Chicago.

Whether he wins the trophy or not, simply being named a semifinalist in the “Oscars of the food world” is a huge honor. Omaha chefs’ consistent appearances in the competition demonstrate the strength of our dining scene. This issue’s cover story dives into Omaha’s presence in the Beard Awards, and what the recognition means to nearly a dozen local establishments tapped since 2008 by an awards program established in 1990.

Already this year, Omaha sank its teeth into a first win in the contest with a 2026 James Beard America’s Classics distinction going to Johnny’s Cafe. The 104-year-old steakhouse is the second in Nebraska to have received the honor for reflecting “local character and cultural traditions.” Johnny’s is not only a beloved steakhouse in a town famous for beef. It’s also Omaha’s oldest restaurant a distinction previously held by King Fong’s before the downtown Chinese restaurant’s closure in 2016.

But if you consider the timeline of restaurants built on existing culinary services, Orsi’s Italian Bakery & Pizzeria is even older than Johnny’s. Orsi’s opened in 1919 as a bakery, and it is the subject of this issue’s history story.

The other main course in this issue dives deep into the Food Bank for the Heartland’s service to those facing food insecurity during a time of tumultuous disruptions to the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Lighter courses tantalize readers with local flavors ranging from the serious (a giving spotlight on Refugee Women Rising) to the reflective (the legacy of former Husker and pizzeria owner Matt Vrzal at Piezon’s), the innovative (one of the nation’s first women’s sports bars in Benson at SET The Bar), and the intriguing (hostess Laura McCann slaying at Omaha Drag Brunch; flautist Claire Noelle James composing musical meals; Lee Running serving dinner and art by the highway).

Dessert is even on the menu with the issue’s adventure story about the ice cream capital of the world a road trip away in Le Mars, Iowa and so much more.

You are what you read. If you are reading Omaha Magazine, we know you are uniquely Omaha. Please consider subscribing at omahamagazine.com/subscribe if you are not already receiving the magazine at home. Thanks for your support.

Bon appetit!

Doug Meigs Executive Editor doug@omahapublications.com

THE

001 From the Editor

The Food Issue

004 The Heart of Omaha Magazine

032 Giving Spotlight

Refugee Women Rising

037 Obviously Omaha

CWS Pub Crawl

038 History

Orsi’s Italian Bakery & Pizzeria

052 Adventure

Ice Cream Capital of the World

078 Calendars

088 Not Funny

ENTERTAINMENT

006 A+C Media

Julie Cornell

010 A+C Music

Claire Noelle James

014 A+C Theater

Natalie Hanson

018 A+C Visual Arts

Lee Running

PEOPLE

028 60+ Active Living

Laura McCann

034 Gen O

Brooklynn Freeman

050 Sports SET The Bar

054 Profile

The Potash Twins

056 60+ Profile

Louie Marcuzzo

DINING

058 Dining Feature

Piezon’s Pizzeria

062 Chef Profile

Chris Blazeski

064 Review

Jaipur Dundee

068 Tasty Bites

Pop-Ups to Permanence

072 Dining Guide

Listen to the entire issue here. Open the camera on your smart device and hover over the QR code. Produced by Radio

Omakase dining with David Utterback is one of the Midwest’s premier culinary experiences. On the cover, he holds one of his high-end, dry-aged fish. In March 2025, he brought a No. 1 ranked tuna from Tokyo auction to Yoshitomo in Omaha. In 2026, for the third time, he was named finalist for the James Beard Award’s Best Chef: Midwest. Full story on page 22.

Backlund Plumbing

Henry Doorly Zoo

Catering Creations

Children's Nebraska

Cutchall Management Group

FNBO

Kiewit Luminarium

Lauritzen Gardens

M.U.D.

Omaha Performing Arts Society

Primo's Modern Mexican Restaurant

Scott Conference Center

The Dentists Valmont

JUNE 2026 VOLUME 44 // ISSUE 3

EDITORIAL

Executive Editor

DOUG MEIGS

Senior Editors

ISAAC NIELSEN · NATALIE VELOSO

Assistant Editor NAOMI HEU

Contributing Writers

BEAUFIELD BERRY · TAMSEN BUTLER

KYLE EUSTICE · DAWAUNE HAYES · DAN HOPPEN · SARA LOCKE

BRANDI LONG-FRANK · LISA LUKECART · LUCY MASON

LINDA PERSIGEHL · KORINA ROBERTS · TARA SPENCER

TIM TRUDELL · OTIS TWELVE · ANDY WILLIAMS

CREATIVE

Creative Director

RACHEL BIRDSALL

Senior Graphic Designers

RENEÉ LUDWICK · NICKIE ROBINSON

Graphic Designer JOEY WINTON

Chief Photographer SARAH LEMKE

Contributing Photographer JUSTIN BARNES

SALES

Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing

GIL COHEN

Branding & Digital Specialists

GREG BRUNS · DAWN DENNIS · FRANCINE FLEGG

SANDY MATSON · KIM MAY · TIM McCORMACK

Senior Sales Coordinator

ALICIA HOLLINS

Sales Coordinators

JESSICA LINHART · SANDI M cCORMACK

Director of Business & Development CAROLE SPRUNK OPERATIONS

Business Manager

KYLE FISHER

Ad Traffic Manager

DAVID TROUBA

Digital Manager

LUIS DE LA TOBA

Distribution Manager CARSON KRUSE

EXECUTIVE

Publisher

TODD LEMKE

Associate Publisher

BILL SITZMANN

The Heart of Omaha Magazine

Omaha Magazine has existed in Omaha since 1890, according to publisher Todd Lemke. Lemke himself entered the Omaha publishing scene in March 1983 with the first issue of City Slicker. That newsprint publication was the precursor to his Omaha Magazine, which launched its first issue in 1989.

Today, Omaha Magazine Ltd. is the parent company of Omaha Publications, which produces other community-focused magazines such as FACES of Omaha, B2B Magazine, Family Guide, and many custom publishing products.

The magazines would not be possible without the people behind them whether that's the people in between the covers or those behind the scenes. Lemke and his Omaha Publications staff take immense pride in presenting Omahans with the best stories in the city and the company is always looking to improve its products.

At its heart, the Omaha Magazine team is one that works hard for its community. If it's Omaha, it's in Omaha Magazine. Your city. Your culture. Your stories.

Omaha’s Benchmark for Steakhouse Excellence

Omaha has its fair share of steakhouses, but few deliver an experience as refined and memorable as Mahogany Prime Steakhouse in Omaha. Nestled in the upscale Heartwood Preserve, this distinguished establishment masterfully balances classic steakhouse traditions with an air of contemporary sophistication.

Stepping into Mahogany, one immediately notices the ambiance—rich wood paneling, dimmed lighting, and a striking glass-encased wine cellar set the tone for an evening of indulgence. The move to Heartwood Preserve has allowed for a refreshed, more polished aesthetic that seamlessly enhances the restaurant’s signature warmth and elegance.

At the core of Mahogany’s culinary philosophy is its commitment to excellence in beef. The menu boasts USDA Prime Midwestern cuts, expertly aged and prepared with a precision that elevates every bite. The 8-ounce filet mignon is impossibly tender, while the 14-ounce ribeye delivers the kind of bold, buttery richness that steak lovers dream of. Each steak is simply seasoned, perfectly seared, and served at peak juiciness—a testament to the kitchen’s mastery.

Yet, Mahogany is far more than just a steakhouse. The starters set an indulgent stage: the lobster cargot, baked in pools of garlic butter beneath melted Havarti, is an absolute must. Meanwhile, side dishes like crispy onion rings and sautéed Napa spinach add depth and contrast to the mains, each executed with the same level of care as the entrées. For dessert, the crème brûlée cheesecake is a silky, caramelized dream, providing a sweet and satisfying close to the meal.

A meal at Mahogany isn’t complete without exploring its stellar wine list, a selection that spans bold Napa Cabernets, elegant Bordeaux blends, and expressive Pinot Noirs. The restaurant’s Executive Manager, Andrew Roy, a certified sommelier, ensures pairings are nothing short of e xceptional.

For those seeking an intimate private dining experience, Mahogany offers elegantly appointed rooms for 12 to 40 guests, complete with curated pre-fixe menus.

In a city known for its steakhouses, Mahogany Prime Steakhouse stands at the pinnacle, offering an experience that is both timeless and modern, indulgent yet effortless. It’s the kind of place that reminds you why steakhouse dining, when done right, is a n art form.

Reservations are highly recommended—because once you experience Mahogany, you’ll understand why it remains a benchmark of excellence in Omaha’s fine d ining scene.

Mahogany Prim e Steakhouse

225 N 145th St, Omaha, NE 68154

402.445.4380 | mahoganyprimesteakhouse.com

A Recipe for Relief

Cornell Releases New Cookbook to Fight Food Insecurity in the Heartland

“When your children are hungry, that’s a problem you can’t see beyond. Food Bank for the Heartland is securing meals for families, giving them the capacity and the hope to sustainably build a better future.” -Julie Cornell

KETV’s

main anchor, Julie Cornell, has spent decades using her platform to share current events, human-interest stories, and connect with her neighbors in Omaha. But she’s also used it to ensure that everyone has enough to eat.

“More than ever, it’s so important that we find commonality. Food is our shared language, no matter where we are from culturally or economically,” Cornell said. “When I post a recipe on Facebook, everyone wants to talk about it. Every family has their own version of each dish, and they are connecting over it.”

This was just as true 30 years ago when she first shared her family’s recipes with her viewers.

“I decided I would collect all of my family’s recipes I could from my mom and my aunts and release a cookbook,” she said. “It was a lot of work. I had to type it all out on a typewriter, and I hand-drew the illustrations. It was a labor of love, but it was worth it.”

The collection of Italian recipes and original artwork was accompanied by a smattering of family anecdotes that helped KETV’s viewers connect with the woman bringing them their news. Many commenters on Cornell’s posts say that they are still using the cookbook, the proceeds from which Cornell donated to the 7 Can Help Kids back-to-school backpack fundraiser.

Cornell has never stopped championing causes that ensure Omaha families have access to the resources they need to raise healthy families.

“In March, I taught a cooking class at Guiding Grace. The goal was to get participants more comfortable in the kitchen and gain confidence with their cooking abilities,” she said. “Many of them are transitioning off of SNAP benefits or battling food insecurity. And we’re all looking for ways to stretch our food budget, so the recipes I taught were very budget-conscious. It was a great class.”

Cornell turned her passion for sharing nutritious, hearty meals into activism by diving into the creation of a new cookbook, this time benefiting Food Bank for the Heartland. The digital tome, Home Cooking from the Heartland , contains 37 carefully curated recipes for budget-friendly, nutritious meals that families can make and enjoy together.

“It’s my responsibility to shine a light on things that go unnoticed, and food insecurity is so much more prevalent than a lot of people realize,” she said.

In fact, food insecurity is reaching levels as high as 48.5% in parts of Omaha, where rising food costs and cuts to food assistance programs are hitting children and disabled populations the hardest.

“It’s my responsibility to shine a light on things that go unnoticed, and food insecurity is so much more prevalent than a lot of people realize.”

-Julie Cornell

“Food Bank for the Heartland is such an incredible organization with so many great volunteers,” Cornell said. “They support 83 counties, ensuring that families have what they need to survive. When your children are hungry, that’s a problem you can’t see beyond. Food Bank for the Heartland is securing meals for families, giving them the capacity and the hope to sustainably build a better future.”

The book is available for purchase on Anchovy, an app used for recipe storage, meal planning, and sharing of favorite dishes. Anchovy, created by Nebraskan Diane Temme Stinton in Lincoln, made the process much simpler.

“Diane is brilliant, and she made the Anchovy app so easy to use,” Cornell said. “It wasn’t like the first cookbook, where I spent hours meticulously writing out the ingredients and the steps on my old typewriter. Diane made it simple to upload a recipe, edit what you need, make notes, and share with anyone you want.”

Anchovy moonlights as a fundraising app, but the core mission of the free-to-use digital cookbook is far simpler.

“Anchovy is based deeply in connection. To your family, your friends, your community, your heritage. Food is so integral to families, not only through necessity,

but emotionally and culturally,” Stinton said. “The strength of the app is how easy it is to upload your recipes to one place. I had a binder of them, bookmarked and food-splattered, with recipe cards all over the place. But on the app, you can easily upload any recipe, even handwritten ones. You take a picture and the app formats it for you. Then you can convert it into a grocery list or share it with your family and friends.”

And with Anchovy’s ability to create cookbook fundraisers, Stinton has had the opportunity to help others make a huge difference.

“Julie is so passionate, and this partnership with Food Bank for the Heartland is really exciting. Being a digital product means that more of the money raised goes directly toward your cause. There’s no product to print or ship, and people contributing to the fundraiser have immediate access to the recipes Julie has shared,” Stinton said, adding, “And I don’t know if you know this, but she’s just a phenomenal cook!”

Visit anchovy.app/cookbooks for more information. Home Cooking from the Heartland can be purchased on the Market page in the Anchovy app.

PHOTOGRAPHY

DESIGN

Sound

Flautist Claire Noelle James is Cookin’

A+C MUSIC

Although Claire Noelle James isn’t an Omaha native, her passion for nurturing the Omaha community through Sound Bites, an immersive culinary experience that melds music and fi ne dining, makes her seem like a local. Originally from Durango, Colorado, the 28-year-old fl autist relocated in 2022 to pursue a master’s degree in music at the University of Nebraska–Omaha under Christine Beard, D.M.A. But it was while attending the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for her undergraduate degree that the idea for Sound Bite s was born.

“A friend of mine gave a recital, and she had candies that she gave to the audience that went with each piece of music,” James said. “I was in the audience for that, and I remember thinking, ‘Th is is so cool.’ I’m not a violinist, so I don’t remember the specific pieces of music, but I still remember the candies. She had a York Peppermint Pattie and a little Hershey’s Kiss and a cinnamon candy. Flavors really stick in your memory.”

James became enamored with the idea of pairing her classical flute with a full dining experience—not just candies—but multi-course meals. Then the COVID19 pandemic hit and momentarily thwarted her plans. Between getting her undergraduate degree and applying for graduate schools, she stored the idea in the back of her mind, hoping she’d eventually fi nd a way to execute it. After settling in Omaha for school, she set her sights on performing in nontraditional spaces and the Sound Bites concept began to take shape.

“I wasn’t really interested in doing the stereotypical recital, where you generally just get up and play very standard repertoire and don’t necessarily have to interact with the audience,” she said. “I wanted to do something different.”

Like a dutiful student, James poured herself into research, exploring all the ways food and sounds complement each other.

“Coincidentally, I had been listening to this podcast about food, and it brought up this research where if you are listening to music or just certain sounds, it can influence your experience of eating and drinking,” she said. “The fl avors and textures that you’re perceiving combined with certain musical sounds, people will consistently associate them with certa in fl avors.

“

I wasn’t really interested in doing the stereotypical recital, where you generally just get up and play very standard repertoire and don’t necessarily have to interact with the audience. I wanted to do something different.

-Claire Noelle James

“Then, through my research class, I had access to all these academic databases. I found out there’s quite a bit of research on this. The concept is called cross-modal correspondence, which is just a really fancy way of saying that our senses are very interconnected.”

Being new to Omaha, James was not yet aware that Metropolitan Community College’s Institute for the Culinary Arts was a highly accredited program with a reputation for producing talented chefs, but someone in her circle suggested she start there. Just like that—in May 2023—the fi rst Sound Bites Culinary Concert was realized. Held at the school, where they had access to a professional kitchen, the event recruited then-student Ben Slovak, who crafted a menu built around James’ musical selections.

“I chose music that was mostly unaccompanied and didn’t have a piano, because we didn’t want to move an entire piano into the culinary school,” she said. “It ended up being 13 courses, which was a lot, but [the] music that I was playing was a collection of eight super short pieces. We just had little bites of food that we brought out together on a plate, and then we would tell people, ‘Th is is what you’re gonna eat and this is the piece of music that goes with it.’ I would say it was very successful. It’s very different from a norma l concert.”

Since then, James has taken Sound Bites Culinary Concerts to nearly a dozen other spaces, including Au Courant, Saff ron, Kiewit Luminarium, and Cattle Call. The most recent, Saff ron, took place in January, but James is currently cooking up the next one.

Simultaneously, she’s juggling multiple other jobs—teaching private flute lessons, working with the Omaha Youth Orchestra, and serving as an assistant music theory professor at UNO and as business manager for the Nebraska Wind Symphony. Sound Bites Culinary Concerts, she said, are her “passion project,” though they aren’t limited to classical music.

“Th at’s why I love collaborating with people—everybody’s going to have different ideas,” she said. “For Au Courant, somebody brought up folk music, so we did folk songs and that’s very universal. I don’t think we’ve done one that was even similar to another one.”

James isn’t necessarily sure how long she’ll stay in Omaha—she met her husband, a jazz musician, at UNO—but she hopes to take Sound Bites outside of the Omaha met ro one day.

“I would love to keep collaborating with different people, different chefs, different musicians,” she said. “I’m working with a composer and a chef, and we’re trying to collaborate on a project where the composer is going to compose an entirely new piece of music for it. We’re hoping to publish it along with the recipes that it goes with, and then also premiere it in a live concert. It’d be super cool to have it grow outside of Omaha. We’ll see.”

Visit clairejamesfl ute.com for more information.

n stage at Th e Rose Th eater, Natalie Hanson once found herself barking—earnestly, expressively, and with surprising emotional depth, at a room full of children. Not metaphorically. Literally. As Cody the dog in Dragons Love Tacos, Hanson had just one sung moment of human language before spending the rest of the show communicating entirely through “woof.”

“The role was essentially a lot of clowning,” she said. “The rest of my lines throughout the show were just 'woof.' So it was really fun to put meaning behind all of t hose barks.”

It’s the kind of performance that could feel like a gimmick in the wrong hands. But for Hanson, it’s a distillation of what she loves most about theater: physicality, play, and the ability to communicate something real without relying on words. “You don’t need a lot of language to express feeling,” she said. “It’s all done through physicality and facial expression.”

Also, notably: Cody never gets to eat a taco. “So honestly, I was obsessed with tacos throughout that show,” she laughed, adding a nod to Masa Luna as her go-to po st-show fi x.

Th at mix of humor, discipline, and deep artistic curiosity has defi ned Hanson’s path—from a kid stepping into her fi rst production to a working artist balancing theater, music, dance, and experimental performance.

“I started doing theater when I was 12,” she said. “My dad was in the military, and we moved to Tacoma, Washington.” Her fi rst major role came in Th e Wizard of Oz . “I played a munchkin, and just getting to be with all the adult actors in what I thought was a professional setting was just so thrilling. I was hooked ever since.”

Th at early spark has carried her across cities and disciplines. Hanson came to Omaha in 2014 to study theater at Creighton University, quickly embedding herself in the local arts ecosystem. “Omaha just kind of hooked me in,” she said. “I loved my time at Creighton and started to make connections with Th e Rose Th eater and BLUEBA RN Th eatre.”

Th ose relationships have remained foundational. “Th ey’re very diff erent work,” she said. “But I love what BLUEBARN does, and I love what Th e Rose does.”

After graduating, Hanson moved to Chicago to pursue theater professionally—and almost immediately hit an unexpected wall. “I had about a year of work lined up,” she said. “And then COVID shut down everything. My career was just really starting to take off… and then all those shows got canceled. It felt like a big setback.”

Still, Hanson kept moving, literally and creatively, splitting time between Omaha, Seattle, and Chicago, and continuing to build her artistic voice. During that stretch, she expanded into music, launching her solo project under the name Facade Queen. “Making music and performing it live is defi nitely the scariest thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “Th ere are no characters to h ide behind.”

Th e name itself is a kind of permission slip. “Even if it’s just in the name, the idea of having some sort of facade or character that I get to hide behind a little bit was really helpful,” H anson said.

If there’s a through line in Hanson’s work, it’s an embrace of multiplicity. “Sometimes I feel like I do too many things,” she said. “But whenever I try to just narrow in on one thing, I realize that I’m missing something.”

Th at refusal to choose just one lane has led to some of her most memorable experiences: performing in an opera, puppeteering 12 penguins (shared among four actors) in Mr. Popper’s Penguins , playing to her dance strengths in Dance Nation and Th e Wild Party at BLUEBARN, and even appearing in a children’s show alongside Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough. “It was such a fever dream,” she said.

But it’s new work—messy, collaborative, still-takingshape work—that lights her up most. “I love workshopping pieces,” she said. “It’s clunky sometimes. It’s intense. Th ere’s a lot of changes. And I just love the freedom that gives.”

Hanson is deeply interested in how plays function— not just for children, but for adults. “You don’t need really any materials,” she said. “You just need a little space and some openness…how quickly you can foster play with a group of adults is really fascina ting to me.”

It’s a philosophy that also informs her teaching. “I love what theater does for kids,” she said. “It builds so much confi dence and teamwork and collaboration… whether they do theater throughout their l ife or not.”

Now, Hanson is stepping back into a broader regional and national theater circuit. She recently performed in Little Shop of Horrors at the Duluth Playhouse in March and A Chorus Line at Park Square Th eatre in St. Paul in May and June. “It’s my fi rst time getting back out there into the regional theater scene outside of Omaha in about 10 years,” she said. “If I booked this, let’s keep the ba ll rolling.”

Long term, she has her sights set on larger markets. “I’m ready to pursue theater again more professionally,” she said. “I think I will always come back to Omaha… but it’s time to see what else is out there.”

Th at next chapter may include building a full band for Facade Queen—she already has “about 30 songs”—and even developing original work rooted in her family’s history. “My sister and I have talked about writing a play or a musical about our mom,” she said, describing a story that spans India and the United States. “Her story is just insane.”

Th rough it all, Hanson returns to one core idea. “Th eater is all about collaboration,” she said. “Art is. I just know that I need collaboration throughout my life.”

Which makes sense for someone who can hold an audience’s attention without saying a single word— just a well-timed bark, a perfectly tilted head, and the unmistakable presence of someone fully, joyfully committed t o the bit.

Seasonal menus that blend creativity with classic technique and global cuisine

Student-run lunch service where they learn hustle, fundamentals, service and stewardship

Fine dining for dinner showcasing the American Sages Project

Support our students on their culinary journey at Sage Student Bistro, our guest-centered, chef instructor-led classroom featuring: Visit mccneb.edu/Bistro to make a reservation.

Lee Running Exposes Nature’s Forgotten Mysteries

Lee Running’s studio on 22nd and Leavenworth feels like a mysterious archive hidden atop an industrial warehouse—simultaneously out of place, yet exactly where it was meant to be.

“I told you it was a little unconventional,” Running said.

Running’s love for the in-between served as inspiration for her 2024 dining series called “Meal in the Verge,” hosted in spaces people don’t often think about: off the side of highways. Places where, according to Running, “the most interesting blends of native plants and animals reside, because they don’t get mowed and are often forgotten.”

The meals brought attention to the mundane and bridged people’s relationship with the natural world, all while creating a unique place in time, similar to the moment of impact when an animal collides with a fast-moving vehicle.

That comparison was furthered by the iron dining plates cast in shredded tires with traces of deer teeth embedded in them. The food served came from local growers, and the tight one-hour meals involved poetry and people sharing their stories of what they saw on the road as semi-trucks drove by.

Running grew up in Colorado. As a child of the mountains, she was immersed in the outdoors. “My parents said they always knew when my jeans were in the laundry because there were rocks in the dryer,” she said.

Th at little girl with cool rocks in her pocket is still collecting nature’s marvels and turning them into creative reflections. Her stone, bone, and snakeskin collections are all neatly packed into labeled drawers.

“I’m a collector, but I don’t feel it’s related to trophies. I feel it’s related to connecting,” she said, holding a jar of serpent vertebrae.

Th at recognition, taking time to honor relics of life and their unique magic, interplays with the laws of physics and matter that dictate her practice. A high school dropout, Running went to vocational school and trained as a welder, where grades were based on practicality, not just aesthetics.

“I really love processes that are very practical and in some ways are non-metaphorical, but are tied to things like truth and gravity. Like, does it pull together or not?” she said.

Running’s fascination for materials has shaped her storied career—notably as a professor of sculpture at Grinnell College in Iowa for 16 years. There, she taught and collaborated with artists, but also scientists, even teaching a class on the history of art materials. She used the studio and the lab as a place for inquiry into how common materials like paint pigments or paper were crafted, and how one could control the process in a focused and ta ngible way.

“Discovery is at the core of what I think about,” she said. “Once

“Discovery is at the core of what I think about. Once you see something, you can’t unsee it.” -Lee Running

you see something, you can’t unsee it. I can’t see a piece of paper without holding it up to the light, and I can’t drive by a skeleton on the side of the road and just keep driving. I think about them. It’s this idea of knowing by hand but also about repair, grief, and kinship.”

From a giant metal hook hanging in her studio, a carefully assembled deer skeleton “stands” on two legs, roughly the same height as Running herself.

“My interest in all of this is figuring out how they are like us,” she said. “There’s something so interesting in thinking about four-legged animals as ‘other,’ but then when we see it on two legs, we realize how we’re the same.”

She left her tenured position to pursue art full time, which led her to Omaha. Her creative practice is all about curiosity, scale, and how matter transforms, whether physically or in relation to ourselves.

Running’s art blends her passion for plants and natural processes and amplifies those patterns using glass, bones, and metal—all of which can be extremely strong, yet uniquely fragile, depending on their relationship to their environment.

Running was one of 16 artists chosen to commission original artwork for the new Omaha Central Library. It was a moment that felt full circle for her.

“My mother was a reference librarian, and I would help her replace the checkout cards in books. Th at was one of my fi rst jobs,” she said with a laugh. Those years under her mother’s desk to now mounting cast iron molds of milkweed seeds in a brand-new modern library is symbolic of how Running’s curiosity took fl ight.

The inspiration for the art pieces came from OPL’s seed library, she said, where cardholders can check out up to 20 packets of seeds a month, and discover “how seeds need wing s to fly.”

View Running’s artwork on display at the Omaha Central Library. More information about past and upcoming projects can be found at leerunning.com.

EARNING A SEAT AT THE

enny Coco felt so out of place.

The James Beard Awards were a completely foreign concept for Omaha chefs until 2008, when Coco, then at the Flatiron Cafe, received a nomination for Best Chef: Midwest. Such honors were usually reserved for larger cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, which is where Coco found herself for that year’s James Beard Gala.

As culinary luminaries like Ming Tsai and Daniel Boulud loitered around the afterparty, a star-struck Coco struck up a conversation with a food critic from Baltimore.

“I think I’m in the wrong place,” Coco whispered.

“No, you are not,” the critic replied. “Enjoy it, take it all in, own it, and be proud of yourself.”

That’s the attitude Omaha has taken overall when it comes to recent national recognition. After not receiving a single nomination in the first 18 years of the Beard Awards, the city has garnered 29 in the last 18 years, including two finalist nods. Omaha’s culinary footprint continues to grow, and the nation is taking notice.

“It proves that Omaha’s food scene is on a level to be in the same tier with restaurants across the country,” said Tim Nicholson, the executive chef at The Boiler Room and a five-time Beard nominee. “We can become peers with the East Coast, West Coast, North, and South.

“It brings attention that we’re not just a flyover state. There are things to do here, things to eat here, that can make an awesome weekend for people when they travel,” he said.

What Are the James Beard Awards?

Established in 1990, the James Beard Awards are like the Oscars or Grammys of the food world. They are among the highest honors a chef or restaurant can achieve. According to the Beard website, the awards aim to highlight the best restaurants and chefs in America by recognizing “exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive.”

There are 23 categories, ranging from Outstanding Chef to Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker, and Best Chef for 12 different regions. Twenty chefs/restaurants are named as semifinalists for each category.

Semifinalists are announced in January and then are pared down to finalists in March. A winner in each category is announced at the national gala in June. The Midwest region, which Omaha is a part of, recognizes chefs and restaurants from the states of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Which Omaha Chefs Have Been Nominated?

In 2026, Omaha’s David Utterback of Yoshitomo and previously Ota and Koji was nominated for Best Chef: Midwest, as was Lincoln’s Zach Midgett of Casa Bovina. Le Bouillon was also a semifinalist for Outstanding Wine & Other Beverages Program.

In February, Johnny’s Cafe was also named a James Beard America’s Classics restaurant. In a press release announcing the winners, the James Beard Foundation described classics as “institutions that reflect local character…and serve as an enduring anchor for their communities by serving delicious food across many years.”

The award was Omaha’s first Beard win.

“It’s awesome to see Omaha get one,” Nicholson said of Johnny’s, “to get a stamp on the map in that regard.”

Coco, who later opened her beloved restaurant j. coco and is now the chef at The Linden House, was Omaha’s first nationally recognized culinary star, gaining four straight nominations from 2008 to 2011. Nicholson and Clayton Chapman, who formerly owned The Grey Plume, each have five Beard nominations, while Utterback has four.

Nicholson and Utterback were finalists in 2024 and 2025, respectively. And while they haven’t brought home any hardware yet, Paul Kulik, a nominee in 2012 for his work at The Boiler Room, said simply being at the awards ceremony is a massive accomplishment that Omaha should be very proud of.

“I don’t think you can overstate how hard it is to get to that level,” Kulik said. “That’s such an enormous accomplishment.”

Omaha’s nominations have steadily increased in recent years. 16 of Omaha’s 29 nominations have come since 2017, including both semifinalist appearances and Johnny’s victory.

“It’s opened doors for more restaurants to get recognition,” Utterback said. “Once a city is established as worthy, there’s more opportunity for other restaurants to be seen on a national scale.”

Omaha Beard Award Nominations (finalists in bold; * designates winner):

CHEFS:

Kane Adkisson, kano (2023)

Clayton Chapman, The Grey Plume (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)

Jennifer Coco, Flatiron Cafe (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)

Anthony Kueper, Dolce (2022)

Paul Kulik, The Boiler Room (2012)

Ben Maides, Au Courant (2020)

Jon Seymour, V. Mertz (2013)

Dario Shicke, Dario’s Brasserie (2010)

Tim Nicholson, The Boiler Room (2017, 2018, 2019, 2024 , 2025)

Jessica & Paul Urban, Block 16 (2023)

David Utterback, Yoshitomo (2020, 2023 , 2025 , 2026 )

RESTAURANTS:

Johnny’s Cafe, America’s Classics Restaurants (2026* )

Le Bouillon, Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program (2026)

V. Mertz, Outstanding Wine Service (2010)

Yoshitomo, Outstanding Restaurant (2024)

What Does This Mean for Omaha’s Food Scene?

When Utterback opened Yoshitomo, he had no aspirations of garnering national awards. Even as Omaha started gaining more national recognition in the mid2010s, the idea of gaining nationwide acclaim was a hopeful dream, not an expectation.

But it’s become a reality for Omaha chefs in recent years. Either Utterback or Nicholson (or both) have been nominated each year since 2023, with Yoshitomo gaining a nomination for Outstanding Restaurant in 2024.

Utterback believes that Omaha simply had to break in and be deemed “worthy” as a food city to the rest of America. Once Coco, Kulik, and Chapman started garnering annual nominations, a door that was closed for so long started to crack open.

And in recent years, rising chefs like Utterback, Nicholson, Ben Maides, and Jessica and Paul Urban have kicked that door off its hinges.

“Success breeds success,” Kulik said. “That path gets a little more trod and other people can follow in those footsteps.”

“We talk all the time, once one drops…” Nicholson said. “You look at Minneapolis, they’ve got three in the last three years, and it’s brought a ton of attention to their city and their food scene. I remember when I first got [to Omaha], Kansas City was always getting [Beard awards]. It just brings that attention and excitement.”

Both Utterback and Nicholson credit some of the shift to the growth of Omaha’s diners. What was once thought of as a steak and burger town now has restaurants featuring ramen, Latin American, Indian, Mediterranean, Japanese, Korean, Greek, Chinese, and African food, just to name a few. Even Yoshitomo, now a wildly successful sushi restaurant, was a big risk when Utterback opened it in 2017.

Omahans are not only more open to new cuisines and exciting experiences they chase them. That’s allowed Omaha chefs to be more adventurous and creative, garnering outside interest from other cities.

“They’re excited to see new things, to see what new restaurants are opening up, to see the new wine dinners, the new pop-ups,” Nicholson said. “They like to see that activity. That draws attention. That draws business. That draws excitement. To have all those things fall in hand, it’s really cool to see. It also pushes the restaurants to do things like the Long Walk [Farm] dinners, to host wine dinners, to do collaboration events. It’s exciting for them to see Omaha succeed.”

Social media has undoubtedly played a massive role in the recognition of Omaha’s restaurant scene. Omaha will never get as many tourists as Miami, San Francisco, or Washington D.C., but because its food scene can be shared without the viewer physically being present, it can still be recognized as vibrant and exciting.

Photos of gorgeous Neapolitan-style pizzas at Dante and viral TikTok reviews of the wildly inventive poutine burrito of Block 16 help draw more eyeballs to Omaha and have helped the city generate more buzz.

“People have access to what Omaha is doing without having to be here,” Nicholson said. “They can see there’s something going on and want to check it out. There are a lot of factors that have happened in the past 15 years that have made it more readily available to see what’s going on in Omaha, and it’s exciting.”

And according to Kulik, the recognition is creating a self-fulfilling prophecy in Omaha. As Omaha chefs and restaurants get more attention, chefs and cooks feel excited that what they’re doing is being seen. This causes them to work harder, to push and innovate, knowing that their contributions have more eyeballs on them than ever.

“For me, it opened doors,” Coco said. “It legitimized what we were doing and why we were doing it. It’s a motivator, also. We’re not just sitting in the middle of the U.S. where nobody notices us. We’re going to make a difference. It’s got to start somewhere, and I’m happy to be a part of that beginning.”

For Chapman, the recognition only made him want more, to work smarter, to push harder. The recognition gave him and his staff a boost. The ambition wasn’t to chase awards though being nominated five straight years surely felt empowering but to view what was great and make it even better.

“It was like, OK, double down,” Chapman said. “The real work begins. Let’s make sure that the work that we’re doing is impactful enough that it deserves the award.”

That type of buzz spread throughout the city. Once the concept of being nominated, of being seen, became possible, Omaha began to level up. Chefs who’d left for other cities came back and opened restaurants. Metro Community College continued to buttress its already strong culinary program. And everyone, from executive chefs to line cooks and dishwashers, got a taste of what was possible with the hope of something greater.

“It’s cool to see how it inspires the staff, too,” Kulik said. “Everybody’s like, ‘This is pretty sweet.’ You’re not inconspicuous or toiling away in the dark. There are actually people paying attention. Everyone gets a lift out of it.”

That lift might come sooner rather than later. Utterback was named as a finalist again, and, with a finalist appearance already under his belt, is closer than ever to bringing a Beard Award to Omaha. Even if the wait continues, it’s clear that the Beard Awards and the nation as a whole are watching Omaha more closely than ever. At some point, all the knocking Omaha is doing on the door is going to simply knock the door down.

“We all want whoever’s up there to get it and bring it home to Omaha,” Nicholson said. “Whether it’s myself, Dave, Ben from Au Courant, Block 16…I mean, there are plenty of people that should be on that list, and I know in years to come there’s just going to be more and more. There is so much talent and there are so many restaurants opening up. We just keep getting better and better.”

Dan Hoppen is the founder of Restaurant Hoppen, a website and podcast dedicated to Omaha’s restaurant scene. Visit restauranthoppen.com for more information. To learn more about the James Beard Awards, visit jamesbeard.org/awards.

Laura McCan n’s Four Decades

inDrag

I’ve never looked down on myself for who I am—and I never will.

-Laura McCann

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The mimosas are flowing. Plates hit the table. And just as the first bite lands, the room erupts. A performer turns the corner, sequins catching the light, music pulsing through the space. Conversations pause. Phones lift. Someone gasps, and then the show begins. At Omaha Drag Brunch, it’s a day in the life of the amazing cast.

In a city that knows brunch well, Omaha Drag Brunch offers something more immersive. The monthly event, now a consistent sellout, blends dining with live performance, transforming a typical Sunday outing into a full-scale experience.

Originally launched about four years ago by founder CeCelia Jernberg, also known as CeCe McQueen, the show has since evolved under owner Anna Roxia, who expanded the cast and strengthened its format. Today, a core group of performers anchors the production, with rotating guest entertainers joining each month.

At the center of it all is host and emcee Laura McCann.

“Omaha Drag Brunch is high-energy entertainment it’s something you just have to experience,” McCann said. “We sell out every month. People come in unsure and leave saying, ‘I’ll be back.’” What keeps them returning is more than spectacle.

“Strangers walk in, and by the end, they’re talking across tables like friends. It’s the best Sunday fun day you’ll ever have,” she said. Offstage, McCann is a performer with nearly 40 years of experience in drag.

“I’m an artist,” McCann said. “I create the costume, the hair, the makeup. I’m the canvas and the masterpiece.”

McCann began performing in the 1980s, traveling the country and competing in pageants that demanded both creative excellence and discipline. She has won more than 25 titles and competed nationally more than a dozen times.

“Back in the ’90s, this was a business,” she said. “You didn’t repeat numbers, you didn’t repeat costumes you had to stay fresh.”

The work required financial, physical, and emotional investment, but it built the foundation for a career defined by longevity.

“I’ve been doing this almost 40 years so I must be doing something right,” McCann said.

Over the decades, drag has shifted from niche performance to mainstream visibility.

Technology has made the art form more accessible, while cultural attitudes have evolved though not without tension.

“Drag today is more accessible you can create anything with a phone and a vision,” McCann said. “But to sell out every month, you still have to know your audience.”

For McCann, the core hasn’t changed. Performance is still about connection. “Every number I do has meaning,” she said. “That’s how I connect with the audience.”

At Omaha Drag Brunch, entertainment is only part of the equation. The experience creates space for release, celebration, and community. “We take people away from whatever they’re going through even if it’s just for a few hours,” McCann said. “You realize quickly that you’re not the only one going through something.”

That emotional resonance is what transforms first-time guests into regulars.

“It’s live art. It’s creativity. It’s joy,” she said.

In November, McCann experienced a life-threatening brain aneurysm. Recovery came with uncertainty and pressure to step back. Instead, she returned to the stage.

“I had a brain aneurysm and almost died but I wasn’t ready to stop,” McCann said. “You can’t tell an artist to stop creating.”

Now 60, she continues to perform alongside a multigenerational cast, bringing both history and perspective to each show.

Omaha Drag Brunch succeeds because it balances structure with spontaneity: a consistent cast, fresh guest performers, audience interaction, and a format that keeps energy high from start to finish.

But its staying power lies in something less tangible.

“People tell me all the time, ‘I never thought I’d come to something like this but I’ll be back,’” McCann said. “That’s when you know you’ve done something right.”

In a crowded brunch scene, Omaha Drag Brunch stands out not just for what’s served, but for what’s shared.

For McCann, it’s a reminder of purpose.

“I’ve never looked down on myself for who I am and I never will,” she said.

Visit omahadragbrunch.com for more information.

A thematic survey of American photography from 1920 to today, this exhibition celebrates the aesthetic potential, documentary value, and social power of the medium. Through the Lens encompasses a range of approaches and genres, with works by Ansel Adams, Robert Adams, Diane Arbus, Dawoud Bey, William Eggleston, Elliott Erwitt, Gordon Parks, Alec Soth, Carrie Mae Weems, and more.

For expanded content, open the camera on your smart device and hover over the QR c ode above.

mong the feelings a refugee experiences while resettling in the United States— gratitude, relief, freedom—is a deep sense of loss. For the families and communities they’ve left behind, their language, and the lives they’ve built.

Refugee Women Rising has made it its mission to honor this grief and to work in close collaboration with the female refugees who call Omaha the ir new home.

“We don’t have ‘clients,’” said Pamela Font-Gable, executive director of Refugee Women Rising. “Th e women in our program are our friends and neighbors. We aren’t a Band-Aid service or a charity—we’re more concerned about a woman’s dignity. Th is is an entirely new life for them, and they’re building it in a strange land with strange customs and languages. As an adult who has been traumatized, how do you rebuild when you have nothing left of what you’ve al ways known?”

“Nobody wants to become a refugee, and most women don’t get to choose that path for themselves at all. Th ey are here because they didn’t have a choice,” Font-Gable continued. “Why would someone choose to leave the country where they were born, everything they’ve ever known and loved, their families, their religion, their culture. What would make you choose to leave? Th e persecution is physical, emotional, and mental torment. We are trying to restore some of the choice, some of the connection. We are trying to give them somewhere they can fee l welcomed.”

While the team at Refugee Women Rising works hard to preserve the dignity and culture of the women they serve, they also recognize the sacrifi ces their neighbors are havi ng to make.

“Healing and integration are our focus,” Font-Gable said. “We aren’t trying to teach women to assimilate, but to integrate. To bring their whole selves and join a collective—become part of a community that sees and res pects them.”

Th e intention behind Refugee Women Rising is more than providing services to women who are new to this country, but providing a safe space to learn and a village to connect with. One of the most universal languages we use to connect is food. To honor the traditions these women were able to bring with them, Refugee Women Rising creat e d HomeDish.

“HomeDish is a mutually benefi cial program supporting refugee and immigrant women in our community,” Font-Gable said. “Th is gives them a space and a means by which Omaha women can learn about one another through food and conversation. You don’t have to know a lot of one another’s language to participate in the communication of food. It engages all of y our senses.”

HomeDish employs three dozen chefs—some who owned restaurants in their home countries, and some who have simply always been the cook in their ow n families.

“We invite our chefs to cook a meal, usually two chefs per dinner,” Font-Gable explained. “We provide them with a stipend for the experience and ask them to curate a meal with us that they want to share with our ladies. We are either at our facility or in one of the women’s homes, and we ask our chef to cook something from their homeland. Th is creates curiosity about their experience and gives them a platform where they can share t heir story.”

One such chef is Sak eena Nazari.

“I used to work with the Asian Community and Culture Center in Lincoln as a caseworker,” Nazari said. “That’s where I met Pam. During COVID, I was making masks, and she ordered some to provide for the community.”

Nazari was born and raised in east-central Afghanistan. She moved to Omaha and owned the former Taste of Afghanistan. “I like trying new recipes, and just enjoy cooking,” she said. “I am catering now, as well as cooking for my own family.”

She is also serving as a culinary collaborator on the New American Dish project this summer, serving a traditional borani banjan at the Joslyn to benefit Omaha Refugee Task Force.

“When a woman is cooking a meal, we want it to be representative of her,” Font-Gable said. “We’ve had some funny conversations and some heartbreaking ones. But we always leave the meal with a deeper understanding of who our friends are, what they need, and how their dreams are still aliv e and well.”

HomeDish creates a platform for women from all over the world to share their stories and talents with those who will hear and tre asure them.

“Th ese are not poor refugees that we are engaging with,” FontGable said. “Th ese are incredible, powerful, resilient women who are welcoming us to share w ith them.”

Visit refugeewomenrising.org/homedish to participate, donate, or share in the HomeDish experience.

Loud portable radios awakened Brooklynn Freeman. In her semiconscious state in the darkness, Freeman knew the police or paramedics stood outside her bedroom door. The chatter on the radios felt deafening to the 13-yea r-old girl.

“Deceased,” she heard someone say.

Th e teenager lost her mother, Marquitta Jones-Freeman, to COVID-19 that night during the height of the pandemic in December 2020. Even though the trajectory of her life felt

uncertain because of her father’s mental health struggles, Freeman determinedly journeyed down the rugged road of success despite shuffl ing around from place to place. She credits her then 18-year-old half-sister, Natalyia Wilson, and her grandfather for raising her.

my people are more than just a month. a social media post. or a textbook with the same dehumanizing whitewashed history.

-Brookly nn Freeman

“I wanted to make sure to keep my head on straight, especially for my mom,” Freeman said. “I knew she wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t at least fi nish high school. I’m her youngest daughter, so might as well go out with a bang and hustle through these next four years.”

Freeman’s talents flourished at Westview High School, where she became a standout member of the National Honor Society with exceptional grades. She started a drill team after persistently advocating to the administration, even choreographing routines that included stomp-and-shake cheers to spread school spirit.

She wrote in one of her poems, “my people are more than just // a month. // a social media post. // or a textbook with the same dehumanizing whitewashed history.”

Freeman set out to show that, founding a chapter of the Black Student Leadership Council to help educate her predominantly white peers on Black history, hosting African American Professionals Day and directing a fashion show segment.

As captain of the speech and debate team, Freeman incorporated environmental poetry, a subject she’s passionate about. In fact, Freeman, 18, plans to major in environmental science with a minor in public policy after graduating in May. She has 11 scholarships thus far and wants to wait until fi nancial aid packages come through before deciding on a college.

The senior’s interest in environmental studies, in part, took root in North Omaha’s challenges, including pollution, lack of access to fresh food, and legislative neglect. As the

section editor for her high school newspaper, The Westview Wire, Freeman wrote an opinion article about the Omaha Public Power District’s coal plant.

“North Omaha…has been underserved since its inception: there are few opportunities for environmental education for its residents, insultingly run-down houses, and a vast number of graffiti-covered businesses, poverty-stricken systems, and invisible gases that have undoubtedly poisoned families of that area for decades,” she wrote.

As a Step-Up Omaha ambassador, Freeman learned about a science internship at No More Empty Pots. The nonprofit, founded in 2010, works to strengthen Omaha’s local food system by supporting growers and entrepreneurs. The Culinary Certificate Program aims to ensure students will gain knowledge in commercial settings. Consumers can purchase fresh produce from Micro Market and coffee from Cups Café, connecting them with producers a nd farmers.

For Freeman and two other students, the Claire M. Hubbard fall internship offered an immersive 150 hours of experience and 15 weeks at The Greenhouse in the Highlander neighborhood in North Omaha. The summer program includes 10 weeks of 180 hours of real-world skills through the same STEM-like projects and field-based learning.

“The internship helps create future change-makers,” said Amy Wehlander, a communications and engagement manager. “Food is the connector of the hu man spirit.”

During her time at No More Empty Pots, Freeman participated in hands-on science, sustainability, and community-focused

activities. She tested soil in different parts of the metro area to compare environmental conditions, studied “critters” and microorganisms, and created “a Coca-Cola boba” to comprehend chemical reactions.

In one photo, Freeman stands with a huge smile in front of a wall of green flora. She couldn’t believe how fast hydroponic plants flourished within just a few short weeks.

“I have successfully grown two strawberries,” she laughed. “I grew a baby cucumber, which was actually good, but it was like two bites.”

No More Empty Pots recently faced scrutiny due to April layoff s, raising concerns about the future of some educational programs. Cid Kelley said in a recent interview with KETV that she was laid off midway through a semester-long course that she taught, leaving her students without notice. The nonprofit issued a statement saying the restructuring would ensure long-term stability.

No More Empty Pots was founded on the belief that food could become a catalyst for change, something Freeman hopes to do in the future by standing up for her community.

“I feel like I want to be the person that I wish I had growing up: an advocate,” Freeman said. “Th is is something I want to do for the underserved communities that cannot really fight for themselves.”

A HOME-RUN LINEUP FOR DRINKS, DJS, AND DUGOUTS DURING THE COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

Compiled by Naomi Heu || Design by Joey Winton

ne of the most anticipated times of the year in Omaha is the College World Series. For nearly two weeks, the city is overflowing with people from all over the country, whether they’re cheering for their alma mater or just hardcore baseball fans. Around Charles Schwab Field Omaha, the area transforms into Omaha Baseball Village with vendors to stroll through during the day, bars and restaurants to watch the games in, and parties to dance the night away. With the city at its busiest time of year, it’s a chance to meet people from California all the way to Louisiana. This pub crawl outlines everything you need to know to have a blast during CWS.

THE OLD MATTRESS FACTORY BAR & GRILL

501 N. 13th St. | themattomaha.com

The Old Mattress Factory, lovingly referred to as “Old Matt,” becomes one of the largest hubs during CWS. While the restaurant continues to serve up delicious food with a specialized CWS menu, the parking lot is transformed into one huge party. A large stage features DJs every single night for nonstop dancing. Country Fest occurs on the second weekend, with live performances from popular country artists. Food trucks line the perimeter for a variety of options to snack on throughout the night.

ROCCO’S PIZZA & CANTINA

1302 Mike Fahey St. | culjatbars.com/ rocco-s

Home of the iconic Jell-O shot challenge, Rocco’s Pizza & Cantina is a must-stop in this pub crawl. During CWS, purchase a Jell-O shot and add a tally to the baseball team you think will win CWS—Louisiana State University is still the reigning champion for the most shots sold. Part of these proceeds go toward Food Bank for the Heartland and the on-campus food banks of each of the participating teams. Along with drinks, enjoy a wide variety of craft pizzas and their Mexican menu options.

BLATT BEER & TABLE

610 N. 12th St. | blattbeer.com

Another place to cross off on this CWS pub crawl is Blatt Beer & Table, located across the street from Charles Schwab Field Omaha and kitty-cornered to Rocco’s. Like Old Matt, they serve up delicious food during the day and throughout the rest of the year. However, their upstairs area stays open throughout CWS with large roll-up windows that create a true indoor/outdoor experience. Every single night, a different DJ takes the stage for a jam-packed dance party. Purchase one of their iconic rum buckets for a tasty cocktail served in a handheld bucket.

LEFTY’S

1310 Mike Fahey St. | culjatbars.com/ lefty-s

Located directly next to Rocco’s, Lefty’s is another pub you must visit during CWS. Formally called Lefty O’Toole’s, this Irish pub is the perfect spot to grab a beer or two. Large roll-up windows lining the front entrance stay open, inviting more people in and keeping you connected with the hubbub and energy throughout Baseball Village. Pick from their large selection of craft and draft beers and watch a game or two on the TV screens behind the bar. Decked out in green, this Irish pub is a more intimate and casual setting for CWS, but it is still tons of fun.

CAPITOL DISTRICT

capitoldistrictomaha.com

A couple of blocks down from Baseball Village is the Capitol District, which has many restaurants and bars that stay lively during CWS. Listed below are some places definitely worth checking out.

Addy’s Sports Bar and Grill

101 N. 10th St.

Annie’s Irish Pub | 1101 Davenport St.

DJ’s Dugout | 1003 Capitol Ave.

Qvole | 1080 Capitol Ave.

EPOCA Cantina | 1080 Capitol Ave.

The Exchange | 1080 Capitol Ave.

Let It Fly | 1080 Capitol Ave.

Moe & Curly’s | 1011 Capitol Ave.

Nosh | 1006 Dodge St.

The Stuffed Olive | 1140 Capitol Ave.

OLD

MARKET

oldmarket.com

Walk past Gene Leahy Mall at the RiverFront, and you’re on your way to the historic Old Market, where the fun continues at these bars.

Barry O’s Tavern | 420 S. 10th St.

Billy Frogs | 1120 Howard St.

Dubliner Pub | 1205 Harney St.

Ghost Donkey | 910 Harney St.

Laka Lono Rum Club | 1204 Howard St.

Mr. Toad | 1002 Howard St.

Alfonso Orsi’s photo hangs by the entrance of his namesake bakery a nd pizzeria.

LEGACY HISTORY

STORY BY Tara Spencer

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Bill

Sitzmann

DESIGN BY Nickie Robinson

Good Food and Good People

AT

Orsi’s Italian Bakery & Pizzeria, each patron is greeted by owner Jim Hall as they enter. Most seem to know exactly what they want, and so does Hall.

One gentleman has an order waiting for him. “You want your stuff today that you got for tomorrow?” Hall asks. “Yeah, that’d be perfect,” the man responds. “Don’t forget the ricotta,” he adds. “It’s already in there,” Hall responds as he sends the young woman working for him to get a box that is already set aside.

“See, I know he’ll show up early, so I better get it done today,” Hall said.

Similar scenes have likely played out like this at Orsi’s since its inception in 1919, when founder Alfonso Orsi and his brother Ralph bought the original location at 2119 Pierce St. from Louis Pardini. In 1931, they relocated the business to 621 Pacific St., in the area known as Little Italy.

The Orsi family was originally from the Tuscany region of Italy, known for its rustic yet fl avorful approach to food, which is something its citizens carry with them wherever they land.

Alfonso’s great-granddaughter, Sarah Wynn, remembers her grandpa Frank and great-uncle Claudio—who ran the bakery from 1949 to 1987—telling her they were originally from the city of Lucca. In summer 2024, she made a point to visit their hometown of around 90,000 with her children to learn more about their heritage.

“It was such a sweet place,” she said. “The city center is wrapped in these old walls, and everywhere you turned there was music, laughter, and food.” She added that being there gave her a strange, beautiful feeling, “like nostalgia for a life I never actu ally lived.”

During their visit, Wynn noticed little bakeries selling fried dough balls, and it immediately took her back to her childhood. She said her dad would take her to Orsi’s Bakery every Sunday while he helped out cutting bread and catching up. He would take a pound of dough home with them after, break it into pieces, fry it, and top it with butter and powdered sugar.

“It was indulgent, defi nitely, but so good,” she said. “He always said it was something his family made for him when he was a kid.”

Th at feeling of being connected to the past is one that permeates the walls of the stout little brick building. Much like the smell of its freshly baked bread, the atmosphere inside Orsi’s is as much a part of its legacy as its baked goods.

“As

long as I can remember, Orsi’s has been a neighborhood social center. It is its own ‘Little Italy community center.’”

—Nancy Calinger

Wynn recalls her days spent there listening to the “old-timers” joke around, telling stories and sharing their picks for winning horses. “I always thought my uncle Bob was so funny because he had a silly, lighthearted nickname for just about every regular who came in,” she said.

Today, Hall carries that same energy, greeting people by name and occasionally good-naturedly ribbing them a bit. While not an Orsi or even Italian, Hall has earned honorary status through his love and devotion to making good bread and keeping the beloved corner store running.

Hall started working at the bakery at age 8 and continued to work there on some level throughout his life. One of his nine brothers, Tim, also worked at the shop for a time.

“Most everyone that worked here grew up in the neighborhood,” he said. “Here and Caniglia’s—it was like a rite of passage.”

While the Orsis had been serving pizza to friends and families during the ’50s and ’60s, they didn’t start putting it on the menu until sometime in the ’70s, he said.

He and Wynn’s cousin, Bob Orsi Jr., bought the bakery with their wives in 2006. They added a deli counter in 2007, and the Halls became the sole owners in 2010.

They run a brisk business, with Hall working in the bakery 360 out of 365 days of the year and his wife, Kathy, handling the books. Known for running a tight ship, Hall is also known for his generosity.

“Of all the people I’ve known in my 84 years, Jim Hall is the most generous,” local Little Italy resident and history buff Nancy Calinger said, stating that he donates to church dinners, fundraisers, funerals, schools, and more.

“As long as I can remember, Orsi’s has been a neighborhood social center,” Calinger said. “It is its own ‘Little Italy community center.’” Regulars who gather here now have more reason to hang out and shoot the breeze, as Hall added a “sit-down area” in November 2024. Located to the right of the entrance, it inhabits the space where, for decades, different members of the Orsi fa mily lived.

For nearly a century, Orsi’s remained in the hands of family members. Though Hall may not share the last name, after nearly 59 years of working at Orsi’s, he embodies the spirit of hospitality it is known for and is viewed as family by the rest of the community.

A patron grabs Hall’s face and says, “I love you, Jim,” as he hands her just what she needs. No doubt, there are many in the neighborhood who would say the same.

Visit orsibakery.com for more information.

Established in 1977 in the heart of Omaha, The Drover Steakhouse has

top steakhouse for decades. A family-owned and operated American classic. Our USDA Prime Beef is locally sourced,

and

FightingHunger in the Heartland

Food Bank for the Heartland Fills the Gap After SNAP Changes

STORY BY KORINA COLE ROBERTS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

DESIGN

BY

RENEE LUDWICK

or 43-year-old Amber Baker, Food Bank for the Heartland has offered trusted assistance completing SNAP benefit applications over the last five years. She worked as a bartender in Omaha for most of her adult life, but work and daily life increasingly became a struggle. It took years before she was finally diagnosed with the rare genetic disorder, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which causes joint hypermobility and instability, at times causing dislocation, chronic pain, and often accompanied by chronic fatigue, gastrointestinal issues, and frequent headaches.

“Every year, [food bank employee] Seth [Fox] calls to walk me through everything. It brings me to tears that he thinks of me,” she said. This year, Fox explained the new SNAP rules, and Baker said she is doing her best to comply with the work requirements, though she could likely qualify for disability.

She has recently started helping a neighbor with respite care for her two sons who have special needs. “I’ve wanted to work,” Baker said. “I hate the idea of asking for help.” That is why she keeps her doctor’s appointments, continues her physical therapy, and tries to maintain a diet that doesn’t exacerbate her symptoms. “I can’t eat processed foods, and because of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), I try not to have dairy or spicy foods,” Baker said.

GERD can also be caused by connective tissue disorders like Ehlers-Danlos. SNAP helps her afford fresh fruit and vegetables.

On July 4, 2025, Congress passed Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill, which included tightened SNAP eligibility. Adults without dependents under the age of 14 are now required to work, volunteer, or attend a training program 20 hours per week or 80

hours per month. There is no longer an exemption for veterans, those experiencing homelessness, or those who are aging out of the foster care system.

While previous work requirements applied to able-bodied adults ages 18 to 54, they now include those ages 55 to 64 as well. Asylum seekers and refugees are no longer eligible, though Cuban and Haitian entrants may be. SNAP has extended services for many Native Americans.

Each SNAP recipient’s eligibility is checked every six months. Many have found, and will continue to find, that they are no longer eligible. Stephanie Sullivan, assistant director of marketing and communications for Food Bank for the Heartland, said the need for food assistance in the Greater Omaha area, as well as across Nebraska, is growing.

“Changes to the SNAP program are very new, so we have not truly seen yet, and probably won't see for quite some time, the repercussions of those changes,” Sullivan said. “That being said, SNAP is one of the most effective tools we have in our arsenal for fighting hunger. For every meal that a food bank can provide, SNAP provides nine. There is no possible way that any food bank can make up for the loss of SNAP meals.”

Sullivan is quick to point out there isn’t one sole reason for the budget crunch. Since the pandemic, clients have faced higher grocery prices. While overall food prices rose 2.4%, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, beef and veal prices were over 14% higher this February than last February. Fresh vegetable prices increased 4.8%, and nonalcoholic beverage prices, largely influenced by the cost of coffee, increased 6.5%.

Straining budgets even further, average rental prices in Nebraska have increased dramatically since the pandemic. RentCafe, an online platform and app for apartment rentals, lists the average one-bedroom apartment in Nebraska at over $1,000 per month. Additionally, “Omaha’s affordable housing

“I think it's easy to joke that when you're in college, you live off ramen, but it's bad for you. That's a very harsh reality for a lot of college students, especially those who are trying to pay their way through school.”

-Stephanie Sullivan

stock has decreased by two-thirds in the last decade,” according to the United Way of the Midlands.

This pushes tenants to accept low-quality options or places them in danger of experiencing homelessness. Sometimes, the only option is multigenerational or multifamily arrangements. "We are seeing more empty nesters with children and grandchildren who have moved back in due to financial hardships,” Sullivan said.

Ashley Masek

Transportation costs since the war in Iran began in late February and have also increased dramatically. AAA listed May gas prices for Omaha at more than $1 per gallon higher than one year prior. These fluctuating gas prices can create uncertainty. Senior citizens on fixed incomes are especially vulnerable.

“Seniors continue to make unthinkable decisions because Social Security can no longer cover daily needs. More and more are turning to brick-and-mortar pantries and mobile pantries,” Sullivan said. Two seniors she

spoke to said, “Every single day, we have to make a decision whether we get the medication that we need to survive or whether we get the food that we need to survive.”

Sullivan explained that there is often a misconception that people are abusing the system, and although that does happen at times, she said most clients are very mindful of not asking for more than they need. “What we're seeing just from our preliminary data is that households are only visiting a pantry less than two times a month,” she said.

Upon opening the door of her split-level she shares with her boyfriend and college-student daughter, Baker wears two knee sleeves and manages the stairs carefully. On a good day, she looks like any other healthy woman approaching midlife. She is thin with long brown hair and a ready smile. She knows what it’s like to face the judgment of others while using her SNAP benefits at the grocery store. “It’s the look when you go to pay with the food card, and they whisper, ‘She clearly doesn’t need assistance,’” Baker said.

Yet, she recently obtained a doctor’s note documenting her inability to work 80 hours a month. Baker has been unable to work regularly for the last five years. “I don’t want to live for free,” she said. “But I’ll never make enough money.” Complicating her daily life are weekly doctors’ and physical therapy appointments.

Many struggle with similar hidden disabilities and face the same scrutiny. Baker said she tries to live frugally. She explained a time she felt criticized because she was wearing a new pair of shoes while using SNAP. Those new shoes cost $20 at Costco.

With the fluctuation in food prices, Baker said her SNAP benefits aren’t stretching as far. The first thing she gives up is protein, then fresh foods. Sullivan confirms Baker is not alone. Many are facing the same choices. We are all told fresh is best and to choose unprocessed, but when prices increase and money is tight, we all face sacrificing those healthier options.

Many laud the tightened SNAP rules as a fiscally responsible choice that encourages productive participation in society and reduces the drain on government resources. Nebraska Congressional members unanimously voted for the bill to reduce benefits. In a statement last year, The White House said, “SNAP was intended to be temporary help for those who encounter tough times.”

NPR recently interviewed a single mother whose son is now just over the age limit in an article titled, “Out of work and with two teens, this mom may lose food stamps under Trump’s changes.” The mother explained she was let go from her last job, and even after applying for many positions, she hasn’t had any luck. Her situation mirrors those of other single parents who face unique challenges trying to balance school transportation and children’s medical appointments with work.

Many of those parents will likely face losing benefits. SNAP will conditionally allow for a limit of three months of assistance over a three-year period if an applicant no longer qualifies. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the OBBBA imposed “the largest cuts to the [SNAP] program in history.” With the number of SNAP recipients increasing over the past decade, some applaud the cuts as a needed effort to cut wasteful and fraudulent spending.

However, a 2019 USDA study shows a direct benefit to local economies through spending at businesses that accept SNAP. This benefit extends to employees and to the agricultural community. Economic benefits are also boosted by improved health outcomes. Another 2019 study at the National Institutes of Health showed a significant decrease in obesity, as well as improved rates of high school completion. These outcomes can positively impact the quality of life for individual recipients.

In a November interview with Harvard Kennedy School, however, Harvard professor Sara Bleich warns the cuts may affect the bottom line anyway through increased health care costs and a dent to local

economies. “There is strong evidence that SNAP not only lifts families out of poverty, reduces food insecurity, and lowers health care costs, but also significantly bolsters local economies. Every dollar distributed through SNAP generates about $1.50 to $1.80 in economic activity by supporting jobs in grocery stores and providing income to local farmers,” Bleich said.

“We’re only increasing barriers for our neighbors to access healthy food,” and this trickles down to the local economy, including grocery store sales, Sullivan said. Recent government shutdowns have only added to the need for assistance, but Sullivan said the Food Bank for the Heartland “saw an

outpouring of support…only comparable to what we saw during COVID.”

The Food Bank faced budgeting season this year with a decrease in funding. “The government is no longer a reliable and sustainable source of support for [us],” Sullivan said. “On top of that, our neighbors in need are no longer getting the support that they need…so it's a double punch really.”

Last fall, the Food Bank saw a 16% increase in households they served and a 13% increase in individuals served. When the growth in need highlighted the gap in funding, hard choices had to be made, such as decreasing meal distribution by 20%. That means packing less food in the boxes that

households receive to try to serve as many neighbors as possible.

Food Bank for the Heartland is one of the largest Feeding America programs in the country, serving 93 counties in Nebraska and western Iowa and partnering with more than 500 local pantries and organizations. In addition, volunteers work daily to sort and fill community boxes for mobile pantries, which are often located in convenient spaces spread throughout their service areas. There are over a dozen sites that distribute food within a 25-mile radius in the Greater Omaha area. These boxes often fill the gap when SNAP benefits don’t stretch through the month.

Volunteer manager Ashley Masek pulled one of these boxes aside. Every community box contains 12 pounds of shelf-stable foods, 10 pounds of fresh produce, a loaf of Rotella’s bread, and, if funding is available, a few pounds of fresh protein. The box Masek pulled aside contains 4.5-ounce pouches of white chicken, 1 pound of rice, one small jar of peanut butter, a 32-ounce carton of shelf-stable milk, two cans of black beans, two cans of green beans, one can of diced tomatoes, and two cans of fruit mix. The fresh produce box contained mostly oranges, potatoes, and fresh tomatoes. A donation of approximately $20 covers the cost for one average-sized household, Sullivan said.

“There is strong evidence that SNAP not only lifts families out of poverty, reduces food insecurity, and lowers health care costs, but also significantly bolsters local economies.”

-Sara Bleich

“SNAP is one of the most effective tools we have in our arsenal for fighting hunger. For every meal that a food bank can provide, SNAP provides nine. There is no possible way that any food bank can make up for the loss of SNAP meals.”

- Stephanie Sullivan

Masek said they try to fill the boxes with items that could make easy, balanced meals. In actuality, for a family of four, this box might be enough for two small chicken, rice, and beans meals, four servings of peanut butter sandwiches with fruit, a baked potato meal and salad for four, and a few snacks. To compare to retail prices, if one were to go to ALDI and buy the food included in the boxes, with similar substitutions made, the total would amount to $42.59. This includes the 3 pounds of

ground beef per household the food bank received funding to distribute through June. That is only for seven small meals—one week of once-per-day meals.

Food insecurity, largely defined as not having the resources to purchase two to three healthy meals each day, is something Food Bank for the Heartland regularly witnesses. According to Sullivan, over 14% of Douglas County is considered food insecure. That “equates to roughly 88,000 just in Douglas County who don’t know where their next meal will come from,” she said. Over the past two years, the Food Bank observed a nearly 50% increase in food insecurity levels across its service area. Beyond multigenerational households and senior citizens, many college students and school children need additional help. “I think it's easy to joke that when you're in college, you live off ramen, but it's bad for you. That's a very harsh reality for a lot of college students, especially those who are trying to pay their way through school,” Sullivan said.

In 2025, the Food Bank also provided 1.2 million meals to schools through its BackPack Program. The schools decide which students need the food, usually pulled from the free and reduced-price lunch program. To sponsor backpack meals for one child throughout the school year is only $186. This is a small sacrifice for many that fills more than just the bellies of area children. According to No Kid Hungry, a national organization aimed at decreasing food insecurity, hungry children have a harder time concentrating, leading to lower academic scores and behavioral challenges. Studies suggest that backpack programs may help improve children’s health and cognitive abilities.

Today, volunteers pack boxes and backpacks at the Food Bank for the Heartland’s new location at the corner of 84th and L streets. “Our last location was never built for a food bank, [but] we made magic happen there,” Sullivan said. The new building offers better visibility and boasts an innovative and expanded volunteer center for orientation and engagement, as well as improved technology for tracking data. Volunteers have access to lockers and 24 sinks for handwashing before their shift. There is also a separate entrance for large truck deliveries and one designated for community donations.

“Volunteers are the backbone of our mission,” Sullivan said. In 2025, volunteer hours exceeded 53,000, the equivalent of 26 full-time employees. Dave Toll wears his long ponytail through the back of a

ball cap, a gray T-shirt, and jeans as he unloads donations. Toll has volunteered over 600 hours in the past year, more than 11 hours per week.

The SNAP Outreach Team of nine current employees is dedicated to helping individuals navigate the complex application process. The Food Bank also has a SNAP hotline. For Baker, the Outreach Team has been pivotal. She says technology is a challenge for her. SNAP applications can still be completed in person, but the process is faster if completed online. For many, technology, in addition to the complicated documentation process, can create a barrier. The application itself is 25 pages long, 13 of which are questions to be filled in by the applicant.

It doesn’t seem unreasonable that a person is required to provide accurate, updated information in order to receive government assistance. However, for many who have been in unreliable living conditions, keeping paperwork organized and available is difficult. Imagine a college student who is learning to live life, complete assignments, and work. Realizing just how important it is to keep files with your last W-2, tax return, prior addresses, social security, and medical bills can be overwhelming. Food Bank employees help walk neighbors through that process.

Baker would like people to understand they don’t know her struggle and she doesn’t know theirs. “I didn’t start out life with the right opportunities,” she said. Baker was granted emancipation from her parents at 16. “I didn’t know how to do life. I learned how to survive.” Breaking the cycle of dysfunction and supporting her daughter, who is working toward her college degree, is Baker’s main focus today.

Food Bank for the Heartland helps make this possible. Last year, the Food Bank served over 560,000 Nebraska and western Iowa households. Sullivan said those wishing to support neighbors can donate toward the BackPack Program or donate shelf-stable foods like boxed meals, canned tuna and chicken, pancake mix, or pasta and sauce. A financial donation of $20 covers the food bank’s cost for one Community Box. “96 cents of every dollar goes directly to neighbors in need,” and every donation and dollar counts, Sullivan said.

Visit foodbankheartland.org for more information.

very seat at SET The Bar was fi lled as the Omaha Supernovas pushed a playoff set to 29-28 last season. Fans packed the Benson sports bar in matching team colors, reacting to every point together as collective tension built. Soon, strangers across the bar were holding hands.

“A guy in the back in one of the booths got up and was like, ‘Everybody, stand together right now. We’re holding hands,’” said Caitlin Osborn, SET The Bar’s community engagement and brand manager. “It’s very cool, the fact that guests do that on their own.”

The image of an entire room of strangers holding hands over a women’s volleyball match is representative of what SET The Bar has become in its fi rst year. The moment represented exactly what the women behind the space had hoped to build—a communal place for all clientele where women’s athletics are treated as the main event.

When SET The Bar opened in March 2025, it was Nebraska’s fi rst women’s sports bar and only the eighth in the country. Owner Molly Huyck had spent years working in the corporate tech world, but sports were always part of her life growing up in Omaha. After visiting Rough & Tumble in Seattle, the second women’s sports bar in the country, she came back convinced the city needed one of its own.

“I decided somebody needed to open a women’s sports bar in Omaha,” Huyck said. “And when no one else did, I decided to do it the way I wanted to do it.”

Around the same time, Osborn was having the same thought. She observed the way women-focused sports bars gained traction nationally and believed Omaha was ready, especially with the arrival of professional women’s volleyball. “When the Supernovas came around, I was like, ‘Okay, now it can be Omaha’s turn,’” Osborn said.

Huyck and Osborn met through a mutual friend. An earnest conversation and a handshake at their fi rst meeting over coffee solidified the plan, and the two began building the business together in early spring of 2024. Neither came from the restaurant industry, which meant creating SET The Bar required learning nearly every part of the process a s they went.

Today, the open design of the dining space encourages connection, which extends to the spacious patio on warmer days. The goal was not sensory overload, Osborn explained. Instead of dozens of competing screens, curved booths draw people toward the same focal points.

“Two opposing fans could come in wearing opposite jerseys, and instead of it being a rivalry, it might spark a friendship between them,” said general manager Liv Diedrichsen. “It’s more of a community watching together than I’ve ever seen before.”

“When we say women’s sports bar, we get so many comments like, ‘So men aren’t allowed?’” Osborn said. “We’ve had to refi ne how we speak about our mission, so that the message comes across that everyone is welcome.” A large banner reading “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” greets guests at the entrance to the dining room, with the same slogan appearing across merchandise.

Executive chef Kristin Pyle said the team wanted SET The Bar to feel inviting all day, unlike a bar that only comes alive at night. “People know their kids can come and help themselves to the coloring books and Legos,” Pyle said. “It was needed, because I can’t really think of a space like this that existed before we opened.”

The bar’s mission of making the space inclusive plays out in the viewing experience, but also in the way Pyle and the kitchen staff approach the menu. Familiar sports bar staples remain available, but they are made with the kind of care not usually associated with game-day food, she explained.

“A lot of sports bars are frozen, straight to the fryer, straight to the plate,” Pyle said. “Th at’s just not the kind of chef that I am.” The menu includes smashburgers, wings, rotating seasonal dishes, and a full range of  gluten-free and vegan versions of crowd favorites. Pyle said the goal was to make sure guests with dietary restrictions never feel like an a fterthought.

“We want them to be able to enjoy the same things that their friends and family are eating,” Pyle said. “Nobody ever has

STORY BY NATALIE VELOSO

BY BILL SITZMANN

BY RENEE LUDWICK

to wonder, ‘Can I go there?’ Because the answer is always yes.”

Inclusivity has broadened the bar’s audience. Diedrichsen recalled two regulars who always came in for basketball, but grew curious about a Professional Women’s Hockey League game on a nearby screen. After a long conversation with a staff member about the rules and teams, they returned the following week.

“There was no basketball on,” Diedrichsen said. “They came in and said, ‘Hey, can you put this New York Sirens game on the TV?’ It was cool to see them expanding their knowledge.”

Moments like that reinforce what the team sensed from the beginning, Huyck said. There was a market for a place like this, and Omaha was ready for it, despite early skepticism from those who doubted a women’s sports bar could work in the area. “There were trolls on social media who said, ‘You won’t make it a year,’” Huyck said. “But we’ve always wanted a place where women’s sports are accessible. We believed in that.”

A year later, the lines out the door and packed watch parties have answered those doubts. What matters most to the women behind SET The Bar is not simply that the idea worked, but what the space has become because of it.

“To me, what makes this place special is that people come in and they feel different here,” Huyck said. “They feel safe being themselves, and that’s what makes them c ome back.”

Visit set-thebar.com for more information.

ne scoop. Two scoops. Do we dare go for three? How about an old-fashioned ice cream soda topped with a cherry?

Attracting more than 200,000 visitors annually, the Wells Visitor Center and Ice Cream Parlor in downtown Le Mars, Iowa, is the city’s top tourist attraction. Le Mars is about a two-hour drive nor th of Omaha.

“When you walk into the visitor center, you’re instantly transported into a younger version of yourself, no matter your age,” said Beth Meyer, Wells Enterprises’ senior manager for community and visitor engagement.

A combination museum and ice cream parlor, the visitor center features fun facts and interactive exhibits tracking how the northwest Iowa city became the “Ice Cream Capital of the World.” It also helps that Wells produces about 150 million gallons of ice cream annually, more than any other place on Earth.

Visitors learn that Wells—creator of Blue Bunny—opened in 1913 for only $250, and continues to use local dairies for the milk to produce 60 product lines of ice cream.

After spending 30 to 45 minutes exploring the second floor museum, head to the ice cream parlor on the main level for a frozen treat. With cones, dishes, sundaes, and even root beer floats available, the parlor features 30 fl avors. Wells’ popular Bomb Pops can also be found here.

Most of the ice cream parlor’s 69,000 waffle cones sold are likely to be fi lled

with hand-dipped scoops of chocolate chip cookie dough—Wells’ top flavor—or maybe salted caramel.

A person’s ice cream choice usually gives away their age, Meyer said.

“Honestly, it’s one of those things,” she said. “I’m middle-aged. I’m not picking cotton candy. I’m probably picking butter pecan, mocha almond fudge. But butter pecan is top 10.”

While the Wells Visitor Center is the cherry on top of Le Mars’ tourism, visitors can download a map on their phone and traverse the city in search of about 55 ice cream sculptures. Most a re downtown.

Launched in 2010, the 6-foot-tall fiberglass sculptures are shaped like cones with a scoop of ice cream on top. There are also cow and dog sculptures. The project was patterned after Chicago’s cow statues, said Erica Krohn, executive director of the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce.

“They’re all painted differently,” Krohn said. “Each business selects the theme, and the artist is either local or from t he Midwest.”

Ice Cream Days attracts thousands of visitors to Le Mars over Father’s Day weekend each June.

“There’s ice cream everywhere,” said Kristen Heimgartner, executive director of the Le Mars Hometown Heritage Foundation.

The four-day celebration includes live music at the Olson Events Cultural Center amphitheater, a classic car show, and an hourlong parade downtown. Carnival rides are available Friday a nd Saturday.

“There are rides and all the crazy, crazy things, and a lot of sugar,” Heimg artner said.

While ice cream drives local tourism, Le Mars offers additional attractions, including a musical family and a bicycle trail connecting the city to Sioux City, about 18 miles south.

The Brown family—a mom and her three adult children—have developed a major following over a 25-year career. While the family is best known for gospel performances, the group also sings Celtic, country, and patriotic songs.

The Browns Century Theater in downtown Le Mars is home to the group’s popular “Oh My, Iowa!” concert, featuring Iowa-centric tunes from “The Music Man,” as well as classics from Iowa legends Andy Williams and Glenn Miller.

“Of course, fans find their way to the ice cream parlor,” Heimg artner said.

Th e community celebrates the holiday season with an old-fashioned “Christmas in Hometown Le Mars” Th anksgiv ing weekend.

Ice skating, cookie decorating, and holiday music highlight the event leading to the lighting of a 26-foot-tall tree at Olson Cultural Event Center, Heimg artner said.

While in town, it’s a must to enjoy a Bob Dog—a freshly steamed hot dog topped with tavern (loose meat)—at Bob’s Drive Inn. The venerable eatery has called Le Mars home for more than 75 years.

“They’re a local staple,” Heimgartner said. “You can’t come to Le Mars without saying you’ve gone to Bob’s.”

Wells Enterprises, which was purchased by Italy-based Ferrero Group in 2023, continues to be Le Mars’ largest employer, Meyer said. With 4,000 employees nationwide, about 2,500 work in Le Mars, she said.

Wells remains grateful to the community for its support, with companies like BoDean Group supplying its waffle cones, as well as trucking outlets and cold storage facilities, Meyer said. It’s a relationship that has worked well for more tha n a century.

“We couldn’t do what we do without the support of the Le Mars community,” Meyer said. “And the community couldn’t do what they do without the support of Wells.”

Visit ilovewells.com for more information.

It feels slightly uncomfortable to ask a pair of identical twins to ID themselves; it’s like you’re already supposed to know. But in the case of The Potash Twins—Adeev and Ezra Potash—it wasn’t necessary. Ezra plays the trombone, and Adeev plays the trumpet, and once that’s figured out, the question is entirely avoidable.

The reveal came midway through the interview, when Ezra mentioned his trombone. There was a sense of relief that came along with solving the puzzle. After all, the Omaha natives look exactly the same, even down to their customized red and green glasses. During the conversation, they do divulge the secret, though: the best way to tell them apart is “by personality.”

“Don’t go by appearance,” Adeev warned.

“Th at will only frustrate you.” Ezra continued. “People think I’m the more reserved one, but that’s not necessarily true. I am the more reserved one in the twin dynamic,” to which Adeev added, “Neither of us are quiet, but people just think I’m more talkative. But if I wasn’t there, he would still be a big personality.”

Those personalities have taken the Westside High School graduates from Westside Concert Jazz Band to the Food Network, Bravo TV, and the Travel Channel, where they’ve hosted multiple television shows. Sprinkle in their insane musical talent, and they have a recipe for success, evident in their seemingly endless collaborations with top-tier artists like Snoop Dogg, Jon Batiste, Lil Baby, Diplo, John Legend, and Robert Glasper.

Now, the twins have a new candy company called Sweet Stash in collaboration with actor Martin Starr, another promising venture for the ambitious duo. Based in Omaha, the company gave the Potash twins the perfect excuse to move back home— at least part-time. They still have a place in Los Angeles, where they frequently record and perform music with whatever big-time artist requires their genre-defying services.

Being in Omaha has been grounding for Ezra and Adeev, and it was well-timed. In 2025, Gov. Jim Pillen named the Potash twins as Nebraska’s fi rstever composer laureates, an honor they’re taking very seriously.

“Even before it happened, we wanted to have more of a presence here,” Adeev said. “We’d worked with the state before and they’d have us perform at certain things. They named us cultural ambassadors at one point. When they were talking about the composer laureate thing, it was good timing, because we really wanted to be in Omaha and make sure everybody in Nebraska had access to the amazing public school music education that we had at Westside. Th at’s 100% what sparked our love of doing music.”

Sweet Stash also plays a role in ensuring students will have a chance to explore music like they did

Story by Kyle Eustice

Photography by Bill Sitzmann

Design by Renee Ludwick

at Westside. As noted on the company’s website, a portion of the proceeds goes toward education in the arts.

“Our candy company is taking off like crazy and that’s what we’re doing a lot of the time now,” Adeev said. “A lot of it goes to a good cause. Music funding is getting cut left and right, so we were like, ‘What can we do that’s in our control to actually help counteract that?’ Sweet Stash was born out of an obsession of candy and gummies, and a love for giving back to the arts.”

The company recently launched on Amazon and is spreading from c ity to city.

“We’ve always been obsessed with candy,” Adeev said. “Our friend, Martin Starr, is as obsessed with candy a s we are...”

“Maybe even more so!” Ezra added.

“Now it’s monopolizing,” Adeev continued. “We never were like, ‘Oh, it’s going to be sold in New York City on Madison Avenue. We never thought it was going to be sold in L.A. We never thought it was going to be in 300 stores. We never thought it was going to be on Amazon. We never thought it was going to be up in The New Yorker.”

Though it’s just another day in the life for the Potash twins, for those on the outside looking in, their fruitful careers are testaments to the power of believing. It’s something that was instilled in them by their father, Alan Potash, and later, their mentor and jazz great, Wynton Marsalis. It’s taken them to unimaginable heights, and they’re only climbing higher.

“When you’re touring or in the studio, the artists want to work with people that they want to hang out with, too,” Ezra said when asked what their special sauce is. “On tour, you’re in a tight space, the hours are horrible, and you’re traveling all over the world together. It’s not just like, ‘Are you the best trumpet player on Earth?’ It’s like, ‘Are you the best and someone I want to hang out with?’ I think that’s the secret recipe.”

Visit sweetstash.com for more information.

n the heart of South Omaha, Louie M’s Burgerlust has been a staple of Little Italy for the last 46 years. Louie Marcuzzo’s son, Jack, now manages the restaurant, but Marcuzzo can still be found there every morning. With a Nutella iced coff ee in hand and a cigar poised, he’s ready to chat with customers or throw witty banter at his friends who have been coming in for coff ee, conversation, and stogies since 1980.

Louie M’s originated with these very friends coming in the mornings to see Marcuzzo while he was prepping food for what was initially a catering business. “Some of the guys would come in for a cup of coff ee, just because they knew it was available, and that’s really how it got started ,” he said.

It was never Marcuzzo’s plan to own a restaurant. After college and the Marine Corps, he went from corporate America to owning a clothing store and then to cooking for the American Legion Club in Elkhorn. He began catering to local day cares, and when the Legion Club eventually closed, Marcuzzo found the location for Louie M’s on Vinton Street. Since then, the restaurant has become a tradition not just for his friends, but for people all over Omaha.

With most of the clientele being veteran regulars, Marcuzzo credits their consistency to the fact that “the customers know exactly what they’re going to get when they come in here. We’ve always tried to maintain a price point where people not only like the food, but they can aff ord it, and I try to make everybody comfortable.”

Th e interior of Louie M’s exhibits that comfort, but also showcases Marcuzzo’s passion for history, as aged photographs of places throughout Little Italy decorate the walls. For Marcuzzo, Omaha and familial history are synonymous, which has led him to share historical stories about the area and his family at events for the Joslyn Castle and the library’s genealog ical center.

Having descended from a culinary legacy, Marcuzzo seemed fated to end up back in the area. His grandmother, Josephine Caniglia, after a successful bootlegging career, planned to open a nightclub. Th e neighborhood was fed up with the ruckus that had occurred during Prohibition, and the nightclub was bombed before it could open. So, Caniglia shifted to match what the neighborhood wanted and opened Italian Gardens, a historic restaurant that has since closed down. Like his family before him, Marcuzzo’s legacy started by fi lling a need in the community.

Growing up working at Italian Gardens prepared Marcuzzo for the hard work that goes into running a business. For years, his time was dedicated solely to the restaurant as owner, cook, and server. “It takes a lot of time and you’ve got to pay attention to the details…a lot of people think they can just invest in a restaurant. It looks very easy from the outside; it’s a very detailed business from the insid e,” he said.

Th ough a connoisseur of hard work, Marcuzzo knows when to sit back and enjoy life. Having a capable staff and getting out of debt gave him the ability to

start traveling again. Th ough family rooted him in Omaha, it also introduced him to California, where he would visit extended family when he was younger. Th ese trips introduced Marcuzzo to his love for sailing, and he began frequent commutes to San Diego later in life. From sailing to smoking cigars, he gives equal importance to his leisure time and his bus iness time.

Marcuzzo’s son, Jack, worked at Louie M’s growing up the same way Marcuzzo grew up working at Italian Gardens. After Jack left the Marine Corps, he chose to get further involved with the business.

“I hope that Jack eventually does his own thing and fashions the business the way he envisions it to be fashioned,” Marcuzzo said. “I always tell him, ‘You know the business is successful, so when you make changes, make them very slowly and carefully.’” Marcuzzo has curated a particular feel to the restaurant over the years, but in the same way he was fearless about changing career directions, he’s unafraid of the business evolving over time.

Marcuzzo has engineered an easygoing look to Louie M’s that emerges from originality. Whether he’s picking up a scrap of trash across the restaurant or noticing one of the pictures needs adjusting on the wall, he never stops paying attention. Filling the restaurant with the relaxed energy he embodies, he makes the grueling hard work and attention to detail that occurred behind the scenes look easy.

Visit louiemsburgerlust.com for more information

Walk into Piezon’s Pizzeria on Center Road in Omaha, and everything is almost exactly the way Matt Vrzal left it. Almost.

The pizza peels on the walls climb toward the ceiling—dozens of them, each one signed by someone who mattered to Vrzal, a Husker football national champion. Former Nebraska football and volleyball players. Coaches. Youth leagues. Customers who came in so often they became family.

Th e long-time bartender is still pouring drinks and spinning yarns. Even the whiteboard wall, a Piezon’s fi xture that’s been delighting kids since the beginning, is still covered i n scribbles.

Vrzal’s friend and manager Alex Narducci is still behind the counter keeping Piezon’s

standards high by crafting special-recipe pizza sauce, shredding cheese by hand, tossing handmade dough high in the air, and greeting whoever walks through the door with a smile that soon makes a stranger feel like a regular.

The only missing ingredient is Vrzal—the heart and soul of the place—who was taken too soon at 51 years old when he died suddenly in September 2025. The Skutt Catholic High School assistant football coach and restaurateur isn’t here anymore, but somehow, unmistakably, this place—and all he built it to be—still is.

“He really was Piezon’s,” said Narducci, who became Vrzal’s right-hand man in their 13 years together. “And we do our best to embody that.”

Vrzal had what his sister calls “1,001 best friends.” If you weren’t one when you walked in, you probably were by the time you left. Narducci and his staff —all of Piezon’s employees stayed on after Vrzal’s passing— are keeping the quality of food and service high, just like “Vrz” would have wanted.

“You speak to some of the customers that have been regulars for years, and they’re like, ‘Megan, besides Matt not being here anymore, it feels exactly the same,’” said Megan Buettenback, Vrzal’s younger sister, who made the decision along with their mom to keep the restaurant going. “So that’s a testament to what Alex and the crew have done.”

Still, keeping Vrzal’s magnetic spirit alive has probably been the heaviest lift of all.

Narducci doesn’t sugarcoat it. “I wouldn’t say his spirit is gone,” he said. “It’s just maybe dulled a little bit.”

The Pizza Place Built with Purpose

STORY BY ANDY WILLIAMS // PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH LEMKE // DESIGN BY RENEE LUDWICK

Dining Featur �

Vrzal was a fi xture on Omaha sports talk radio 1620, and people came to Piezon’s as much to meet the radio personality as for the pizza. He would show up at 10:30 every morning without fail, work hours upon hours, and know every customer by name. Th at kind of presence isn’t something you replace. You just do your best to honor it.

“Nobody’s going to fi ll those shoes,” Beuttenback said. “He was my big brother. And although he drove me bonkers sometimes, I loved him to death, and so did everybody else. I’m just blown away by the amount of people he touched. He was a remarkable person. One in a million.”

Those who knew him best saw that quality most clearly in how he invested in the next generation, including his two nephews. With no kids of his own, Vrzal poured that energy into Max and Cash—planning annual uncle-nephew road trips to Major League Baseball ballparks across the country. “They were pretty close with my brother,” Beuttenback said of her two boys. “And him not having kids of his own, he kind of thought of them as his.”

Max now plays baseball at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Cash plays football at Iowa Western Community College. Whatever Vrzal was building on those drives and in those bleachers, it took root.

Vrzal no doubt left big shoes to fi ll, but his family was unanimous in their decision. His mom, his sister, her husband, and his two nephews were all unwavering: Piezon’s mu st carry on.

“There was never a doubt in our minds that we would keep it running,” Buettenback said. “Selfi shly, that was a way for us to still hold on to him in some way.”

With Narducci keeping the operational ship tight, Buettenback, who runs a chiropractic practice in Lincoln with her husband, has been learning how good her brother was at a life-d raining job.

“I have a newfound respect for anyone who works in the restaurant business or wants to start a restaurant,”

Buettenback said. “It is some of the hardest work I’ve ever done in my life, and mind you, I’m not doing it full time. They put a smile on their face even when they’re not feeling it, and they make you feel like everything’s hunky-dory in their lives so that you have a great experience.”

Of course, the behind-the-scenes reality is rarely hunky-dory. Narducci has learned to expect the unexpected and to expect it in multiples. “I didn’t realize how frequently things can break,” he said. “And when one thing goes, just prepare for four others to go, because that’s almost always how it happens. Cooler’s broken—oh great, oven’s broken too, fryer’s down.”

Buettenback handles the vendor calls and the bills from Lincoln. Narducci handles whatever is smoking or leaking or simply refusing to work on any given Tuesday. Between the two of them, somehow, the pizzas keep coming out right because of the ultra-high bar set by Vrzal.

Piezon’s “Perfect on Purpose” moniker that Vrzal put in place hasn’t gone anywhere. Th at means intentional quality in every pizza and every interaction—no exceptions. If it’s not

perfect, it goes back to the kitchen for a remake and probably a refund.

“We do everything here intentionally,” Narducci said. “The way we serve our customers is intentional, the way the food is cooked is intentional. I’m not going to say everything we do is perfect, but that’s what we strive for. [Vrzal] had this ability to draw out capability in people—and that capability is what drives us towards perfection. It gives us that purpose.”

Th at pursuit of perfection fueled Vrzal as he was growing up and in his endeavors as a college athlete, a high-school football coach, a sports radio personality, and a resta urant owner.

“Matt was very, very adamant that you put out a quality product and it needed to be perfect,” Buettenback said. “Otherwise, it was going back, and you were apologizing to that patron if you messed it up. He was the typical fi rst child—by the book. You do it right.”

Vrzal’s by-the-book standards extended well beyond the kitchen. Just ask Buettenback, who experienced it up close and personal when she was a freshman at UNL and her brother was roaming the same campus as a football national champion.

“As soon as I turned 18, I got a tattoo and did not tell my parents, and Matt informed my mom of what I was doing,” Buettenback laughed. “He called her and said, ‘Mom, do you know what your daughter is doing?’ It’s a fi sh tattoo on my ankle that doesn’t even look like a fi sh anymore, so he was probably right about that, too.”

It’s a role Buettenback is still growing into— in more ways than one. Th is spring, she joined a group of Vrzal’s friends who have roadtripped to the Chicago Cubs season opener every year for two decades. Her brother’s seat in the Wrigley Field bleachers now fi lled by his little sister.

“I just don’t want to let him down,” she said. “Th at’s my biggest fear.”

She probably doesn’t need to worry. Back on Center Road, the peels keep growing. The dough is still hand-tossed. The sauce is still from-scratch. Narducci is behind the counter, and fi rst-timers still leave as friends.

Vrzal built something that outlasted him. Th at was probably the plan all along.

Visit piezons.com for more information.

“Always Up for an Adventure”

Chef Chris Blazeski Finds a Creative Culinary Home in Omaha

Story by Linda Persigehl // Photography by Sarah Lemke // Design by Joey Winton

rofessional chef Chris Blazeski recently celebrated a couple of milestones. The first was his one-year anniversary as chef de cuisine at West Omaha’s Pivot Prime steakhouse, which he helped open on Memorial Day weekend in 2025. The CDC position came after 20 years of “putting in the grind,” honing his skills, and climbing the culinary ladder.

The second was hitting the five-year mark living in Omaha, which still shocks the 35-year-old New Jersey native who grew up just 15 minutes from New York City. “This is the second-longest stint I’ve done in one place,” Blazeski said. He attended the Culinary Institute of America for a year and has worked in pizza joints, steakhouses, Italian fine dining, and a Southeast Asian kitchen, among other eateries, moving frequently in the notoriously tough industry.

While trained in techniques like braising and blanching, he’s equally proud of his pizza prowess and can “throw down a New York City slice” with the best of them.

Blazeski admitted he knew virtually nothing about Omaha when he took the advice of friend and mentor Chef Joel Hassanali and moved here in 2021. Hassanali had hired young Blazeski as a line cook in New York a decade earlier, eventually promoting him to supervisor. Blazeski later followed Hassanali to Chicago, where they worked together until the pandemic hit. “COVID happened, so I ended back up in my mother’s house…a 30-year-old guy living in my childhood bedroom—that was fun,” he joked.

Then, Omaha came calling. “Joel had some contacts here that got in touch about an opportunity, and he gave me a ring saying, ‘If you want to come, now’s the time,’” Blazeski said. After a quick visit, he was on board. He moved to Omaha’s Blackstone District a week later. “I’m always up for an adventure,” he said.

Unfortunately, that opportunity fell apart, but both Blazeski and Hassanali landed positions at Best Bison steakhouse near 80th and Dodge streets. Then, a spot at Midtown Crossing’s Proof whiskey bar— one of Blazeski’s new favorite hangouts— opened up.

“I WALK INTO THIS PLACE AND MY BLOOD STARTS FLOWING. I’D RATHER BE [HERE], STRESSED OUT…THAN SIT IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER. I THINK I’D LOSE MY MIND.”

-CHRIS BLAZESKI

“I told them, ‘I don’t know how to bartend, but I could clean glasses for you.’ One Saturday night, they called and said, ‘We’re short-staffed. Do you mind helping out?’” he recalled. That led to a second job, as well as Blazeski learning the craft cocktail trade and the world of bourbon. When Best Bison eventually closed, he took over managing Proof’s Midtown store.

Blazeski’s next break came when he was asked by the owners of Bohemian Gardens in Little Bohemia to host speakeasy nights every Tuesday. The novel events hosted in the quaint converted home proved hugely popular. “There was usually a line down 13th Street to get to the door,” he said. “It was four hours of just keeping your head above water.”

A year later, and wanting to get back in the kitchen, Blazeski suggested the Gardens try hosting a dinner. The owners obliged, and Blazeski embraced the creative opportunity. “We did a Valentine’s Day event with a fourcourse menu,” Blazeski said. “We did two seatings, and we sold out in three days.”

The dinner pop-ups continued, becoming known as the BoHo Supper Club, and word about its innovative fare spread like wildfire. “It was a different four-course menu every week, at $100 a guest…a bit more if you wanted drinks,” he said. “There were only seven tables in the whole place, and a little chef’s counter with two stools. It was small, but my own little thing.”

In 2023, Hassanali joined Lucky Eleven Hospitality Group as chef managing partner and was charged with opening and managing Salted Edge, a modern kitchen and bar in Waterloo, Nebraska. Blazeski jumped at the chance to train with his mentor again and helped open the establishment.

Two years later, Hassanali brought Blazeski on board as CDC at Lucky Eleven’s newest venture, Pivot Prime, a French-inspired modern steakhouse near 137th and Dodge streets.

“A CDC is your right-hand man, someone that knows your work style and your high expectations,” Hassanali said. “Working under me for 10 years, [Blazeski] knows my likes and dislikes. I trust him. He’s very talented, and very, very passionate, so when it was time to make that decision, he was my obvious choice.”

As Pivot’s CDC, “Chef Chris,” as he’s now known, helps oversee daily operations, menu creation, food quality, and staff management at the 146-seat restaurant. He also chooses Pivot’s daily specials and oversees the bar program at both Pivot and Salted Edge. And although the job requires long hours and near 24/7 attention, Blazeski joked it’s really the only one that suits him.

“My parents opened a restaurant when I was 9 months old,” he said. “The party room in the back was my playpen. My mother jokes that when I was big enough to break out, I got to the kitchen and I never left,” he said. As for the commitment required, he said, “I walk into this place and my blood starts flowing. I’d rather be [here], stressed out… than sit in front of a computer. I think I’d lose my mind.”

Hassanali said he’s been impressed by Blazeski’s leadership growth as of late. “It really showed this year…the leap he took, managing his staff, creating his own voice. He’s taken that leadership role and runs Pivot like he owns it.”

Blazeski said he’s grateful to Omahans for embracing him the way they have. “I know that I’m brash and loud, and I do things that people have never seen before, and they accept it,” he said.

He’s also thankful for the relationships he’s built here—with staff, with customers, and notably with Hassanali. “Joel is my guiding light, my headache, my good friend, depending on the day,” he joked. “But my buddy gave me this opportunity, and I love it here.”

aipur’s Dundee location is easy to spot from the outside, not because of elaborate neon signage, but because of the rows of Best of Omaha awards in the window. Th e oldest Indian restaurant operating in the Omaha metro has been around since 1992 and has picked up fi rst place in Best of Omaha for 23 straight years. It’s also known as Omaha’s oldest craft brewery, an interesting twist when paired with Indian food.

In late 2021, Jaipur expanded into Dundee, taking over the former Acadian Grille space at 5018 Underwood Ave. Th e move didn’t change much about the identity of the restaurant, but it does shift the feel slightly. Th e new location substituted the intricate tapestries and warm, vintage feel of the Rockbrook version in favor of a forest green palette that somewhat mimics its staple mi nt chutney.

What stays consistent is how the menu is presented. Everything feels approachable, especially for those who might be branching into Indian cuisine for the fi rst time. Th e menu is large, but it’s not confusing. Items marked with double asterisks are labeled as chef’s favorites, and that makes a diff erence when you’re trying to decide what to order. Th e staff is also very will ing to help.

We started with the momo chicken dumplings, one of the chef’s picks—and we were steered in the right direction. Th e dumplings are small and soft and can be ordered either steamed or fried. Th ey’re savory and paired with a tomato chutney that complements the fl avor well. It’s rich and slightly tangy, pulling the bit e together.

We also tried the chicken tikka spinach naan, another bite recommended by the chef. It may be designed to be eaten with the main course, but it’s rich enough in fl avor that we actually preferred it as a standalone item. Th e naan, stuff ed with chicken tikka and a spinach fi lling, is served warm and soft and with a cool mint chutney. It’s a great entry point for someone branching into Indian food. If it’s anything like the other breads Jaipur has to off er, you can’t go wrong.

The menu overall is massive, including a full drink list with wines and Jaipur’s own beer. But the section that really helps fi rst-timers is the “popular entrees,” where dishes are organized by style like bhuna, korma, madras, and vindaloo. Each one gives you a diff erent level of spice and preparation, but they’re clearly labeled so you’re not guess ing blindly.

Th e lamb bhuna was a standout. It’s a thicker style of curry, not overly saucy. Th e lamb itself was tender and held up well in the dish, and the spices were present without pushing too far in any direction. It’s served in a big, heavy bowl and would make for great leftovers if you don’t bring you r appetite.

While somewhat similar in appearance, the shrimp korma went in the opposite direction. It was creamy and a little richer, with a mild sweetness to it. Th e shrimp were noticeably large, which made the dish feel a bit more substantial. It’s one of the milder options on the menu and easy to eat, especially if you’re not looki ng for heat.

Both entrees came with a choice of soup or salad. Th e salad was vegetable-heavy and crisp, while the soup was a traditional warm lentil option. Both worked well as a lead-in to their respect ive dishes.

Everything also came with basmati rice, a staple of Jaipur. Lightly seasoned and mixed with herbs, it was fl uff y and tied everything together, serving as a bed for the entree to rest on. Between the generous helping of rice, large entrees, and tasty starters, we were much too full for dessert, but the menu has plenty worth coming back for. Th e kulfi and kheer are two desserts mentioned often b y regulars.

Jaipur’s Dundee location may not aim to be the most traditional take on Indian food, but it’s a great option for a wider audience. Th e fl avors are more comforting than bold, and nothing on the table is trying to challenge you. Instead, you get solid portions and a welcoming experience that makes Jaipur easy to com e back to.

Visit jaipurindianfood.com for a full menu and to rese rve a table.

5 STARS POSSIBLE

TastyBites

TO BRiCK-AND-MORTAR MobileFromEats Seats

tarting a food truck or catering business isn’t for the faint of heart. And while it generally has fewer barriers than opening a brick-andmortar restaurant, this foray into owning an eatery is sometimes the fi rst important step in becoming a successful re staurateur.

For some popular Omaha-area restaurants, the brick-and-mortar restaurant came after the demand for food became too great for a truck or catering business to effectively handle, and the business evolved into something bigger.

Tasty Bites

HYDES SLYDES

16859 Q St.

Nick Hyde of Hydes Slydes is a great example of what happens when a chef decides to follow his calling despite every obstacle being thrown in his path. After he won a culinary competition in high school, his desire to own a restaurant was born. He dabbled in some other work before finally deciding that he was ready to bring his culinary vision to life. He purchased a food truck and got started.

The food truck, however, proved problematic. A blown engine prompted Hyde to come up with an innovative plan, born of necessity. He partnered with a towing company to tow his food truck to and from its locations so the business could stay afloat while awaiting repairs. When the tow truck became less than reliable, Hyde turned to the next innovative solution: he parked his food truck in a lot adjacent to his house and fi lled online orders through DoorDash. And when DoorDash didn’t supply enough revenue for the food truck, Hyde set out to work as a DoorDash delivery driver himself.

Eventually, he started looking for somewhere for Hydes Slydes to land. When he heard that the Grover Inn was looking for someone to take over the kitchen, he reached out to the owner. After preparing a burger for the owner, Hyde won him over. “Th at's really where I got to learn to kind of turn the food truck business into a restaurant, even though I wasn't even running a complete food truck at the time,” he said. “I was kind of just doing whatever I could just to try.”

EL AREPÓN

VENEZUELAN FOOD

1021 W. 23rd Ave. in Bellevue

Richard Mendoza started El Arepón as a food truck back in 2015. The Venezuelan native wanted to provide authentic Venezuelan food to the Omaha area. He makes the claim to be the only Venezuelan restaurant within the state of Nebraska and also willingly takes on the task of educating the people of Omaha about authentic Vene zuelan food.

Mendoza started with the food truck before getting a space within Blackstone’s Switch Food Hall (which became KAMP before closing in 2025). In 2022, El Arepón moved to its current location in Bellevue. The restaurant is augmented by one remaining food truck.

The most difficult part of transitioning from a food truck to a brick-and-mortar restaurant, according to Mendoza, is the business aspect and the vast amount of paperwork involved in opening a restaurant. “I had to change everything—all the permits, all the analysis, all the city codes, and all that kind of stuff had to be transferred to a building ,” he said.

For Mendoza, switching his mindset from food truck to restaurant wasn’t too difficult, though he sometimes misses spending the day at the food truck, meeting new people and seeing everything going on around town. He doesn’t miss the unwelcome surprises of blown transmissions or bad weather dampening the ngle source.

LAS CHiLENAS CAFÉ

8064 S. 84th St. in La Vista

Sisters Débora Aguilar and Zarina Boardman are originally from the Republic of Chile. Boardman moved to Omaha at a young age, but never lost her fondness for authentic Chilean cuisine. She eventually started a small catering business, cooking out of a church kitchen and delivering food to eager customers while occasionally participating in pop-ups.

Aguilar joined her sister in Omaha around four years ago. The timeline worked well for this to be the time that Boardman upgraded her catering business to a brick-and-mortar restaurant. And while Las Chilenas Café is advertised as a coffee shop, their menu expands far beyond their signature Chilean coffee and desserts. Homemade empanadas with pebre sauce are a favorite among customers, and are one way in which the sisters provide the Omaha area with authentic Ch ilean food.

hydesslydes.com

He spends most of his time at the restaurant nowadays and said that people expect to see him there. Mendoza likened it to visiting grandma’s house—if you stop by to visit grandma’s house and grandma isn’t there, people don’t like it. The restaurant is closed on Mondays, and when Monday rolls around every week, Mendoza fi nds himself feeling a little adrift, because he genuinely enjoys

His advice to other food truck owners who are thinking about making the move to a brick-and-mortar location is “to believe more in your product than the location,” he said. “Sometimes people say location is the key, and ey is you.’”

elarepon.com

Making the switch from a catering business to a brick-and-mortar restaurant presented some challenges. Like Mendoza, Boardman and Aguilar found the permits and paperwork necessary for a restaurant to be a little daunting. Together, the sisters worked through the challenges and eventually opened Las Chilenas C afé in 2025.

One of the challenges of moving into a restaurant from a catering business, according to Boardman, is the shift in priorities. “With catering, you just have to worry about the person you are catering for,” she said. “When you have a restaurant, you have to care about all the people coming to your restaurant.” Luckily, both sisters have a knack for caring for everyone.

laschilenas.com

THE CHURRO SPOT

1319 S 50th St.

A trip to Juárez changed everything for Omar Garrido. He saw a long line of people patiently waiting for the opportunity to purchase a churro from a food truck at the border. He also noticed that most of the people standing in line were American, and it was then that he realized an authentic Mexican street-food truck in Omaha might be successful.

He was right. The Churro Spot food truck took home second place in the local “Food Truck Wars” competition in 2023 after having been in business since 2016. Garrido opened the brick-and-mortar restaurant in 2022. He now has the restaurant and two food trucks, and he’s as involved as ever in the operation.

When he’s not working at the truck, Garrido works at the restaurant, shops for supplies, or does other tasks involved in running a successful business. In the beginning, it wasn’t unusual for Garrido to work 90 or more hours a week as he built his churro empire.

When The Churro Spot was limited to one food truck, Garrido utilized a commissary kitchen in South Omaha (Douglas County requires food trucks to operate out of a licensed commercial commissary kitchen). When that spot announced its closure, he turned his efforts toward opening the brick-and-mortar restaurant.

One of the biggest challenges that Garrido noticed when transitioning from a food truck to a brickand-mortar restaurant was not being able to “chase the crowds,” he said. “With the truck, it would go somewhere. If it was slow, I would close our windows and head over to the next location.”

Garrido is happy that the brick-and-mortar location gives him more of an opportunity to get to know his customers. At the food truck, customers typically grabbed their food and then ate in their cars or elsewhere, but with the restaurant, customers can linger over chips and salsa and have conversations with Garrido that they probably wouldn’t have been able to at the fast-paced food truck.

His advice to other food truck owners looking to open a restaurant is to have patience. “You might think you're ready, but you never know until you actually get in there,” he said.

thechurrospot.com

LE PEEP - $

DINING GUIDE Omaha

69th & Pacific - 402.933.2776

177th and Center St. - 402.934.9914

156th St. & W. Dodge Rd. - 402.408.1728 120th and Blondo St. - 402.991.8222

Le Peep puts a wholesome perspective on your favorite neighborhood breakfast and lunch spot. Fresh. Simple. Elegant. Inviting. We put the emphasis on people, both patrons and staff. We focus on providing each of our guests the fresh food and friendly service that they have come to expect. Open daily 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. —lepeepomaha.com

LISA’S RADIAL CAFE - $

817 N. 40th St. - 402-551-2176

American. Cafe. Diner. Vegetarian-friendly. Gluten-free options. This old-school diner serves hearty portions of American comfort classics for breakfast and lunch. Family-owned and operated. This business is a must if you’re in the area. People rave about our chicken-fried steak, stuffed French toast, coffee, and friendly staff. Monday-Friday 6 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

PACIFIC EATIN G HOUSE - $$

1130 Sterling Ridge Dr. - 531.999.3777

We have developed our menu inspired by all that touches the Pacific Ocean. Starting with fresh fish flown from Honolulu, locally sourced steaks and natural chicken with an Asian flare and pairing our dishes with tiki libations and Pacific coast wines. —pacificeatinghouse.com

PINE & BLACK BISTRO - $$ 248 Olson Dr., Papillion - 531.999.3777

We opened in March of 2023 to bring a family owned bistro to the community, serving local steaks and fresh seafood. We offer a wide variety of Pacific Northwest wines, local beers, and craft cocktails. Pinot Noir translates to Pine & Black, our name originates from our love of wine. —pineandblackbistro.com

SMITTY'S GARAGE - $

7610 Dodge St. - 402-614-4949

Tasty burgers, ice-cold beer, fresh-cut fries, scrumptious tacos, mouthwatering appetizers and more. What else could you want? Besides the delicious food, each location also offers a full bar with an extensive craft beer list and a one-of-a-kind environment with arcade games and plenty of TV’s. Download our new rewards app, Smitty’s Garage, in the app store to start earnin g free grub! eatatt hegarage.com

—unityseafoodomaha.com

Delivery available. Please check website for hours of operation. —varsityromancoinpizza.com

LA CASA PIZZARIA - $$ 45th and Leavenworth St. - 402.556.6464

La Casa Pizzaria has been serving Omaha its legendary Neapolitan-style pizza and pasta for 60 years. We offer dine-in, carry-out, party facilities, catering, and now pizza shipments to the 48 contiguous states. Open Tuesday-Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. —lacasapizzaria.ne

PASTA AMORE - $$ 11027 Prairie Brook Rd. - 402.391.2585

Pastas are made fresh daily, including tortellini, fettuccine, and capellini. Daily specials and menu items include a variety of fresh seafood and regional Italian dishes, such as linguini amore and calamari steak, penne Florentine, gnocchi, spaghetti puttanesca, and osso buco. Filet mignon is also offered for those who appreciate nationally renowned Nebraska beef. To complement your dining experience, the restaurant offers a full bar and extensive wine list. Be sure to leave room for homemade desserts, like the tiramisu and cannoli. Monday-Thursday 9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 10 p.m. Reservations recommended. pa staamore.com

PITCH

- $$

5021 Underwood Ave. - 402.590.2625 West: 17808 Burke Street. - 402.289.4096

An OpenTable’s Diners’ Choice for 2014 HotSpot Restaurant in America. Keeping up with the traditional way the first pizzas in Italy were made, our pizzas are cooked in a coal-fired oven. The menu also features seafood, hand-cut steak, housemade pastas, and burgers full of flavor. Our goal is to provide you with local, housemade, and imported ingredients. We offer a happy hour menu, and our bar provides an array of in-house concoctions as well as your traditional libations. Our wine selection is well-thought-out and most impressive. You will enjoy Pitch. Monday & Tuesday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Wednesday-Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. pitch pizzeria.com

SPEZIA - $$$

3125 S. 72nd St. - 402.391.2950

Choose Spezia for lunch or dinner, where you’ll find a casual elegance that’s perfect for business guests, get-togethers, or any special occasion. Exceptional food, wine, and service, with a delectable menu: fresh seafood, certified Angus steaks, innovative pasta, risotto, gnocchi, cioppino, lamb, entrée salads, Mediterranean chicken, flatbreads, and fresh salmon daily. Enjoy a full bar, Italian and California wines, Anniversary/Lovers’ Booth (call to reserve), private dining rooms, and wood-fired grill. Open Monday-Sunday. Cocktail hour 4-6 p.m., when all cocktails, glasses of wine, and beers are half price. Evening reservations recommended. —speziarestaurant.com

MEXICAN

FERNANDO’S

- $

7555 Pacific St. - 402.339.8006. 380 N. 114th St. - 402.330.5707

Featuring Sonoran-style cooking made fresh daily. Catering and party rooms also available. Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 4-9 p.m. —fernandosomaha.com

LA MESA - $$

158th St. and W. Maple Rd. - 402.557.6130 156th and Q streets - 402.763.2555

110th St. and W. Maple Rd. - 402.496.1101 Fort Crook Rd. and Hwy 370 - 402.733.8754 84th St. and Tara Plaza - 402.593.0983 Lake Manawa Exit - 712.256.2762

Enjoy awesome appetizers, excellent enchiladas, fabulous fajitas, seafood specialties, mouthwatering margaritas and much more at La Mesa! Come see why La Mesa has been voted Best of Omaha’s 20 Years in a Row! FridaySaturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Thursday-Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. —lamesaomaha.com

HECTOR’S RESTAURANT - $$

1201 S. 157th St. - 402.884.2272

Hector’s Restaurant has been serving fresh, authentic Baja-style Mexican cuisine in Omaha since 1997. Known for flavorful dishes made daily—from salsa and guacamole to beans and rice—Hector’s also offers a wide selection of margaritas, domestic, and imported beers. Guests can enjoy a familyfriendly atmosphere, perfect for casual dinners, celebrations, or events. As the only Baja-style Mexican restaurant in the region, Hector’s stands out for its fresh ingredients, lively vibe, and dedication to superior service. —hectorsomaha.com

MARGARITA’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT - $

4915 S. 72nd St. - 402.393.7515

Margarita’s is a business with more than seven years in the food world. We offer authentic Mexican food where you can enjoy a nice moment with your family. margaritasmenu.com

SPECIAL DINING

CRESCENT MOON ALE HOUSE - $ 3578 Farnam St. - 402.345.1708

Founded in 1996, we’ve grown into Beer Corner USA with the additions of The Huber Haus German Beer Hall, Max and Joe’s Belgian Beer Tavern, and Beertopia Omaha’s Ultimate Beer Store. With more than 60 beers on tap and Omaha’s best Reuben sandwich, we are a Midtown beer-lover’s destination. Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Kitchen hours: Monday-Wednesday 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.-midnight. Cl osed Sunday. —beercornerusa.com

GREEK ISLANDS - $ 3821 Center St. - 402.346.1528

Greek cuisine with specials every day at reasonable prices. We are wellknown for our gyro sandwiches and salads. We cater and can accommodate a party for 65 guests. Carry-out and delivery available. Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. —greekislandsomaha.com

SAGE STUDENT BISTRO INSTITUTE FOR THE CULINARY ARTS - $ 5730 N. 30th St. Fort Omaha Campus, Building 22

At the Metropolitan Community College Sage Student Bistro, culinary and hospitality students learn hustle, fundamentals, community service and stewardship — all from scratch. Explore dishes from around the world during lunch, or celebrate the contributions of American culinary sages at dinner. For reservations, visit: —mccneb.edu/Bistro

CASCIO’S - $$ 1620 S. 10th St. - 402-345-8313

Cascio’s is Omaha’s No. 1 steakhouse. We have been serving Omaha for 80 years. We feature steaks, chops, seafood, and Italian specialties. We have seven private party rooms, seating for up to 400 people, and plenty of parking. —casciossteakhouse.com

2121 S. 73rd St. -

Famous for the original Whiskey Steak. Truly a one-of-a-kind Midwestern experience. Excellent food, wine, service, and value. Rare...and very well done.

LUNCH: Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-2 p.m.,

DINNER: Monday-Friday 5 p.m.-10 p.m.,

Saturday 4:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m., Sunday 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m.,

LOUNGE: Monday-Friday

Cocktails only 2 p.m.-5 p.m. —droverrestaurant.com

TWISTED CORK BISTRO - $$

10370 Pacific St. - 531.999.3777

We arrived in Nebraska from Washington intent on purchasing from farmers, ranchers & fishmongers who share our commitment for wholesome, sustainable fare. Our recipes use the Earth’s bounty the way it is intended ~ Wild and Natural ~ We compliment our dishes, pairing them with exquisite Pacific Northwest wines.

–twistedcorkbistro.com

MAHOGANY PRIME

STEAKHOUSE - $$$$

225 N. 145th St. - 402.445.4380

In a town known for its great steaks, Mahogany stands above the rest. Conveniently located in the new Heartwood Preserve Center at 145th and Dodge, our Omaha location provides an intimate and classic fine dining atmosphere. Voted Best in Omaha.

DINNER: Monday - Saturday | 5pm - 10pm & Sunday | 5pm - 9pm. –mahoganyprimesteakhouse.com

DINING GUIDE LEGEND

$=

O M A H A M AGA Z I N E .C O M

EVENTS | GIVING | EXPLORE CALENDARS

COMPILED BY NAOMI HEU

VISUAL ARTS

UNDER THE SKIN

Through June 7 at KANEKO, 1111 Jones St. From a collection of artists, explore stories of the body through nude imagery that looks into skin, muscle, and bone.

402.341.3800 thekaneko.org

JUSTICE AND HOPE

Through June 28 at Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center, 2289 S. 67th St. From artists like Samuel Bak, Dinh Q. Lê, Mladen Miljanović, Serge Nitegeka, and Maja Ruznic, explore themes of conflict, violence, and reconciliation.

402.554.6100

unomaha.edu/samuel-bak-museum-the-learning-center

JESSIE HENSON

Through July 5 at The Joslyn, 2200 Dodge St. Look through a collection of colorful sewn paper works created by Jessie Henson using an industrial sewing machine that analyzes postwar American abstraction.

402.342.3300 joslyn.org

COLLECTING MEMORIES

Through July 11 at The Union for Contemporary Art, 2423 N. 24th St. Ilaamen Pelshaw displays memories, stories, and folklore from her homeland Guatemala and other Latin American countries in the exhibition, Collecting Memories.

402.933.3161 u-ca.org

CASEY CALLAHAN AND CHARLES KAY JR.

Through July 15 at Fred Simon Gallery, 1104 Farnam St. Casey Callahan and Charles Kay Jr. collaborate on this exhibition as it explores change and leaving.

402.595.2122

artscouncil.nebraska.gov/explore/fred-simon-gallery

PIPILOTTI RIST: I’M NOT THE GIRL WHO MISSES MUCH

Through Aug. 16 at The Joslyn, 2200 Dodge St. This video exhibit explores how pop music often pushes the envelope when it comes to women through technology and performance.

402.342.3300 joslyn.org

THROUGH THE LENS: AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHERS FROM THE CARTER COLLECTION

Through Aug. 16 at The Joslyn, 2200 Dodge St. Go through a journey of American photography from 1920 through today, looking at photos that have documented iconic American places, communities, and historical events. 402.342.3300

joslyn.org

BENSON FIRST FRIDAY

June 5 throughout Benson Creative District, 2729 N. 62nd St. View art galleries in the Benson Creative District for this monthly celebration of art, culture, and community, perfect for the whole family. Additionally, enjoy live performances, markets, and more. bffomaha.org

MIATTA KAWINZI: AN ALPHABET OF UNFOLDING

June 5-Sept. 13 at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, 724 S. 12th St. Miatta Kawinzi explores the intricacies of the African diaspora in this mixed-media gallery of sculpture, video, and text.

402.341.7130

bemiscenter.org

MOTHER TIME: MEASURING OURSELVES WITHIN THE

LANDSCAPE

June 5-Sept. 13 at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, 724 S. 12th St. Works of photographers Rachel Cox and Rose Marie Cromwell explore family, public and private life, and overall intimacy across different regions of the United States.

402.341.7130

bemiscenter.org

CONCERTS

TOADIES: THE CHARMER TOUR

June 3 at The Astro, 8302 City Centre Drive. The Toadies are on their Charmer Tour, bringing their rock music to The Astro with performances by special guests Local H and Vandoliers. 531.283.5212

theastrotheater.com

LITTLE BIG TOWN

June 4 at Stir Cove, 1 Harrahs Blvd, Council Bluffs. Little Big Town is a country music group from Nashville, Tennessee. They are most known for songs like "Girl Crush" and "Better Man." 712.329.6000

caesars.com/harrahs-council-bluffs/shows

NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND: ALL THE GOOD TIMES—THE FAREWELL TOUR

June 6 at The Astro, 8302 City Centre Drive. Saying goodbye (for now) after 60 years, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band covers all the good times on their Farewell Tour and is joined by special guest Brit Taylor. 531.283.5212

theastrotheater.com

IRATION: WHERE IT ALL BEGAN TOUR

June 9 at The Astro, 8302 City Centre Drive. Iration, a reggae pop group from Santa Barbara, California, brings their Where It All Began Tour to Omaha with guests Tribal Seeds and Surfer Girl. 531.283.5212

theastrotheater.com

AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS

June 16 at The Astro, 8302 City Centre Drive. Australian pub rock and punk band, Amyl and the Sniffers, comes to Omaha for an energetic and exciting night with their spectacular stage presence. 531.283.5212

theastrotheater.com

CHRISTOPHER CROSS

June 17 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Singer-songwriter from Texas, Christopher Cross visits Omaha on his summer tour. Hear hits like “Sailing,” “Ride Like the Wind,” and “Arthur’s Theme.” 402.345.0606

o-pa.org

ALEX WARREN: LITTLE ORPHAN ALEX LIVE

June 19 at CHI Health Center, 455 N. 10th St. Alex Warren is a TikTok influencer turned singersongwriter. On his first major headlining tour, Little Orphan Alex Live, hear popular songs like “Ordinary,” “Eternity,” and “Carry You Home.” 402.341.1500

chihealthcenteromaha.com

EARL SWEATSHIRT AND MIKE: HOME ON THE RANGE TOUR

June 19 at The Admiral, 2234 S. 13th St. Rapper and record producer, Earl Sweatshirt, teams up with rapper and songwriter, MIKE, on the Home on the Range Tour with special guest SURF GANG. admiralomaha.com

FRENCH MONTANA & MAX B: WAVE GODS NARCOS TOUR

June 19 at The Astro, 8302 City Centre Drive. Rapper French Montana, who is best known for "Unforgettable," is joined by rapper Max B on the Wave Gods Narcos Tour.

531.283.5212

theastrotheater.com

LITTLE RIVER BAND

June 20 at The Astro, 8302 City Centre Drive. A rock band formed in Melbourne, Australia, Little River Band comes to The Astro for a night of great music with special guest Ozark Mountain Daredevils. 531.283.5212

theastrotheater.com

THE WALLFLOWERS: 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

June 20 at Steelhouse Omaha, 1100 Dodge St. Once rock band and now rock solo project of Jakob Dylan, The Wallflowers come to Omaha on their 30th Anniversary Tour with special guest Early James.

402.345.0606

steelhouseomaha.com

FIVE FOR FIGHTING & EDWIN MCCAIN

June 21 at Steelhouse Omaha, 1100 Dodge St. Vladimir John Ondrasik III, aka Five for Fighting, is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Edwin McCain is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. The two come together for an unforgettable performance.

402.345.0606

steelhouseomaha.com

CONNOR PRICE AND NIC D: ICONIC TOUR

June 24 at Steelhouse Omaha, 1100 Dodge St. Canadian actor and rapper, Connor Price, and American hip-hop artist, Nic D, combine their talents for the Iconic Tour after releasing the single “Upgrade” together.

402.345.0606 steelhouseomaha.com

“WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC:

THE

BIGGER & WEIRDER 2026 TOUR

June 28 at Baxter Arena, 2425 S. 67th St. Iconic parody actor, writer, and comedy musician “Weird Al” Yankovic takes the stage at Baxter Arena on his Bigger and Weirder Tour with Puddles Pity Party as special guest.

402.554.6200 baxterarena.com

STAGE PERFORMANCES

MARY POPPINS

Through June 28 at Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St.

The well-beloved story of a nanny who travels by umbrella and has the whole world in her bag comes to Omaha Community Playhouse for spectacular performances and supercalifragilistic-fun.

402.553.0800 omahaplayhouse.com

SHERYL UNDERWOOD: I NEED A JOB TOUR

June 3 at Funny Bone Comedy Club, 710 N. 114th St. Suite 210. Actress and comedian Sheryl Underwood brings her I Need a Job Tour to Funny Bone. With many accomplishments under her belt, her talent is something you don’t want to miss.

402.493.8036 omaha.funnybone.com

BEING BLACK OUTSIDE

June 4-14 at The Union for Contemporary Art, 2423 N. 24th St. This comedic play follows two siblings who enter the apocalypse after returning to their childhood home when their mother dies. It explores the truths and realities of race.

402.933.3161

u-ca.org

FROZEN

June 5-28 at The Rose Theater, 2001 Farnam St. Experience the icy adventures of Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven in this classic Disney story. Sing all-time favorites like “Let It Go” and “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”

402.345.4849 rosetheater.org

SAL VULCANO: EVERYTHING’S FINE TOUR

June 12 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Most known for his role on Impractical Jokers, Sal Vulcano is a comedy mastermind. He brings his EVERYTHING’S FINE TOUR to Omaha for a night of his hilarious stand-up comedy.

402.345.0606

o-pa.org

MOJO BROOKZZ

June 12-14 at Funny Bone Comedy Club, 710 N. 114th St. Suite 210. Chicago native Dyon “Mojo” Brooks is an actor, writer, producer, and stand-up comedian. With multiple shows at Funny Bone, the weekend is sure to be full of laughs.

402.493.8036 omaha.funnybone.com

FORTUNE FEIMSTER: TAKIN’ CARE OF BISCUITS TOUR

June 13 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. After being postponed in February, comedian, actress, writer, and host Fortune Feimster finally makes it to Omaha on her Takin’ Care of Biscuits Tour.

402.345.0606

o-pa.org

WICKED

June 17-July 5 at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. The iconic Broadway musical, Wicked , will whisk the audience away to the Land of Oz. With songs such as “Popular” and “Defying Gravity,” you’ll be singing along the whole time.

402.345.0606

o-pa.org

DAMON WAYANS JR.

June 26-27 at Funny Bone Comedy Club, 710 N. 114th St. Suite 210. Damon Wayans Jr. is an actor, comedian, and writer best known for his roles in New Girl and Big Hero 6 . His great comedic timing will make for a hilarious night.

402.493.8036

omaha.funnybone.com

DISNEY'S NEWSIES JR.

June 26-28 at Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. A Youth Troupe production at OCP brings to the stage Disney's Newsies Jr. about newsboys in 1899 New York City who rise up against newspaper publishers. 402.553.0800 omahaplayhouse.com

FAMILY, FESTIVALS, AND MORE

GOLDEN SPIKE DAYS PHOTO EXHIBITION

Through Aug. 16 at The Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. This photo archive exhibition captures the four-day celebration, Golden Spike Days, for the world premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's film, Union Pacific. 402.444.5071 durhammuseum.org

TAJIMAL K'IN LA FIESTA DEL SOL

Through Aug. 20 at El Museo Latino, 4701 S. 25th St. A collection of photography from Cristina Kahlo, Marcos García, and Marco Girón to show rituals and ceremonies of Mayan culture in the Festival of Tenejapa, Chiapas. elmuseolatino.org

TEXTILES OF LATIN AMERICA

Through Aug. 22 at El Museo Latino, 4701 S. 25th St. This exhibit presents traditional textiles worn by Indigenous people of Latin America. Learn more about the identity, community, and history behind them. elmuseolatino.org

THERE’S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT YOU IN LINCOLN, NEBRASK A

How much fun can you pack into a trip to Lincoln? A relaxing and stress-free vacation is waiting for you. Trek around town at your leisure and discover a suprise around every corner.

Joslyn Art Museum BEST ATTRACTION

Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel BEST HOTEL

Big Mama’s Kitchen BEST RESTAURANT

Arrowhead Park BEST ATTRACTION

Judge Richard Distillery Airbnb BEST HOTEL

The Back Forty Bar & Grill BEST RESTAURANT

City Limits BEST RETAIL BUSINESS

Central Perch BEST RETAIL BUSINESS DOUGLAS COUNTY

Pre-created social media posts

Data analytics and insights

Free mobile check-in app

Instant access to local consumer audiences

HEROES & VILLAINS: THE ART OF THE DISNEY COSTUME

Through Sept. 6 at The Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. View 70 costumes of Disney’s most beloved characters from Cinderella to Maleficent to Captain Jack Sparrow. Learn about the artistry of characters' costumes and bringing them to life.

402.444.5071

durhammuseum.org

DINOSAURS AROUND THE WORLD: PASSPORT TO PANGEA

Through Sept. 7 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. Travel back to the prehistoric age in this immersive exhibit at Lauritzen Gardens. Walk through the gardens and come face-to-face with life-sized animatronic dinosaurs.

402.346.4002

lauritzengardens.org

OMAHA FARMERS MARKET

Through Oct. 11 in Old Market, 11th and Jackson Streets & Aksarben, 67th Street and Mercy Road. Every Saturday, stroll through vendors in the historic Old Market. On Sundays, visit Aksarben for even more local items to browse. Either way, you’ll definitely be going home with something in your bag.

402.320.1896

omahafarmersmarket.com

NEBRASKALAND: CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OUTDOORS

Through Oct. 18 at The Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. The Durham partners with outdoor magazine Nebraskaland to showcase original photography, magazine covers, and the rich history in celebration of 100 years of circulation.

402.444.5071

durhammuseum.org

A LEAGUE OF OUR OWN NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL

June 4-July 5 at Great Plains Black History Museum, 2221 N. 24th St. View the history of the Negro Baseball League, formed by African Americans in response to being prohibited from participating in Major League Baseball.

402.932.7077

gpblackhistorymuseum.org

SANTA LUCIA FESTIVAL

June 4-7 at 10th and William Streets. The Santa Lucia Festival in Little Italy was created by Grazia Bonafede Caniglia in 1925. Enjoy delicious food such as trattoria and cannolis while playing a game of bocce or enjoying kids' activities.

402.342.6632 santaluciafestival.com

SUMMERFEST AT RIVER'S EDGE

June 5 at Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park, 4200 Avenue B, Council Bluffs. Summerfest at River’s Edge is the perfect family event full of exciting activities. Watch a drone show, play at the foam party, stroll through vendors, enjoy tasty options from food trucks, and more.

712.890.5100

councilbluffs-ia.gov/2559/summerfest-at-rivers-edge

BENSON BEER FEST

June 6 in Downtown Benson. For one ticket get unlimited pours from over 500 craft beers from over 100 breweries. This 21+ event is perfect for craft beer lovers. Enjoy these fine beverages with a variety of food vendors in downtown Benson. bensonbeerfest.com

ROSE DAY AND SHOW

June 7 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. The Omaha Rose Society puts on their annual Rose Day and Show at Lauritzen Gardens. See over 200 cultivars of garden roses and chat with rosarians to learn more about the flower.

402.346.4002 lauritzengardens.org

NCAA MEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

June 12-22 at Charles Schwab Field Omaha, 808 N. 13th St. One of the most anticipated events in Omaha every year, the NCAA Men’s College World Series brings college baseball lovers from all over the country for 10 days of baseball madness.

402.546.1800 cwsomaha.com

OMAHA FREEDOM FESTIVAL

June 13 at Miller Park, 2707 Redick Ave. & Gene Leahy Mall Pavilion, 1001 Douglas St. Celebrate Juneteenth in a day full of festivities perfect for the whole family. Start the day in Miller Park for interactive activities and then head to Gene Leahy Mall for a concert at night.

531.772.0842 freedomtainment.com

LATE NIGHTS AT THE ZOO

June 18 & 25 at Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, 3701 S. 10th St. This 21+ event invites guests to the zoo after hours for Late Nights at the Zoo. Enjoy relaxing evenings with the wildlife, food trucks, and drinks in this recurring summer event.

402.733.8400 omahazoo.com

JUNETEENTH JOYFEST

June 19 at The Union for Contemporary Art, 2423 N. 24th St. Produced by Joy Ambition, a nonprofit cultural initiative, Juneteenth JoyFest is a familyfriendly Juneteenth celebration supporting local Black artists, entrepreneurs, and businesses. juneteenthjoyfest.com

BEST FEST 2026

June 20 at Heartwood Preserve, S. 145th St. Best Fest is a communal dinner set along one continuous table, shaped into a series of curated moments—each collaboratively designed by a chef and a dedicated designer, and paired with a musician. Subtle transitions in design, lighting, and atmosphere define each experience along the table. Guests don't just eat— they move through it. General admission available. 402.884.2000 bestfest.omahamagazine.com

MUSIC AT MILLER PARK

June 20-Aug. 8 at Miller Park Pavilion, 2707 Redick Ave. This free summer concert series at Miller Park showcases different musicians every week. Hosted by Omaha Performing Arts, this event celebrates the rich history of jazz and R&B music in North Omaha. 402.345.0202

o-pa.org/music-at-miller-park

MEMORIAL PARK CONCERT AND FIREWORKS SHOW

June 26 at Memorial Park, 6005 Underwood Ave. The City of Omaha’s annual show at Memorial Park features Smokey Robinson this year with special guest Cake. Enjoy a spectacular fireworks show after the music performances. memorialparkconcert.com

NIGHT MARKET

June 26 at Turner Park, 3110 Farnam St. In the warm summer months, Turner Park hosts the Night Market once a month. Enjoy live music, local vendors, lawn games and activities, and many options for food and drink at Midtown Crossing businesses.

402.444.5930 midtowncrossing.com

WATER LANTERN FESTIVAL

June 27 at Gene Leahy Mall at The RiverFront, 1001 Douglas St. At the Water Lantern Festival, write a message on a lantern—your goals, a message to your future self, or a letter to a loved one—and send it out on the water. This experience will make for a memorable and beautiful night. 402.599.6565 waterlanternfestival.com/events/omaha

6TH ANNUAL CHRIS BREMER FOUNDATION GOLF EVENT

June 1. Benefits: Christopher Bremer Foundation Location: The Players Club Omaha chrisbremerfoundation.org

GOLF FORE GRANTS 2026

June 1. Benefits: Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation Location: Champions Run elkhornfoundation.org

HABITAT FORE! HUMANITY

June 2. Benefits: Habitat for Humanity of Omaha Location: Tiburon Golf Club habitatomaha.org

2026 FUNDRAISING PALOOZA

June 3. Benefits: Nonprofit Association of the Midlands Location: Scott Conference Center nonprofitam.org

22ND ANNUAL TEE IT UP FORE SIGHT GOLF TOURNAMENT

June 3. Benefits: Outlook Enrichment Location: Tiburon Golf Course outlooken.org

HOPS FOR HARMONY

June 3. Benefits: Project Harmony and Papillion Area Lions Club

Location: Werner Park papiolions.com

4TH ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT

June 5. Benefits: Village Roots

Location: Pacific Springs Golf Course villageroots.family

DINING WITH DOGS

June 5. Benefits: Nebraska Humane Society

Location: A View West Shores nehumanesociety.org

FURRRST FRIDAYS

June 5. Benefits: Nebraska Humane Society

Location: Nebraska Humane Society nehumanesociety.org

LIVE LIKE JOE PARTY

June 5. Benefits: Live Like Joe

Location: The Casual Pint of Countryside Village joefehr.com

DAEGAN PAGE MEMORIAL HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

June 5-7. Benefits: Corporal Daegan Page Foundation

Location: Moylan Iceplex daeganpage.org

2026 NEBRASKA WALK TO CURE ARTHRITIS

June 6. Benefits: Arthritis Foundation Nebraska

Location: Werner Park arthritis.org/local-offices/ne

“A TOAST TO OLLIE WEBB” 20TH ANNUAL GALA

June 6. Benefits: Ollie Webb Center, Inc.

Location: Scottish Rite Masonic Center olliewebbinc.org

BIKE WITH MIKE

June 6. Benefits: Community Alliance in Omaha

Location: Lewis Central Middle School bikewithmikeday.com

LIVE FORWARD! 5K RUN/WALK

June 6. Benefits: Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 Location: Skutt Catholic High School keepkidsalivedrive25.org

2026 TEE OFF & SUPPORT WHEELCHAIR SPORTS GOLF TOURNAMENT

June 7. Benefits: Great Plains Paralyzed Veterans of America

Location: Tiburon Golf Club greatplainspva.org

BURT/WASHINGTON COUNTY 25TH ANNUAL PUTT FOR THE DUCKS

June 7. Benefits: Ducks Unlimited

Location: River Wilds Golf Club, Blair ducks.org/nebraska

IRONMAN OMAHA 70.3

June 7. Benefits: Omaha Sports Commission

Location: Glen Cunningham Lake omahasports.org

27TH ANNUAL GOODWILL GOLF CLASSIC

June 8. Benefits: Goodwill Omaha

Location: Indian Creek Golf Course goodwillomaha.org

LIGHT THE NIGHT

June 8. Benefits: Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Location: Victory Lane Omaha victorylaneomaha.com

PROJECT HARMONY GOLF INVITATIONAL

June 9. Benefits: Project Harmony

Location: Indian Creek Golf Course projectharmony.com

SWING FOR KIDS GOLF CLUB

June 9. Benefits: Papillion La Vista Community Schools Foundation Location: Tiburon Golf Club plcsfoundation.org

BIRDIES FOR BAGS GOLF TOURNAMENT

June 10. Benefits: Bags of Fun Omaha

Location: Indian Creek Golf Club bagsoffunomaha.org

ROCK OUT FOR WISHES: CASEY DONAHEW

June 11. Benefits: Make-A-Wish Nebraska

Location: Indian Creek Golf Club, Elkhorn wish.org/nebraska

BETTER TOGETHER 5K

June 13. Benefits: Abide Omaha

Location: Better Together Campus abideomaha.org

JUNETEENTH PARADE

June 13. Benefits: A Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue Location: TBD savinggracefoodrescue.org

39TH ANNUAL TRIBUTE TO WOMEN LUNCHEON

June 24. Benefits: Women’s Center for Advancement Location: Embassy Suites by Hilton Omaha-La Vista Conference Center wcaomaha.org

DARE TO BELIEVE GALA

June 26. Benefits: Center for Holistic Development Location: Metropolitan Community College - Swanson Center chdomaha.org

GREAT PLAINS BOWLING TOURNAMENT

June 25-28. Benefits: Great Plains Paralyzed Veterans of America Location: Mockingbird Lanes greatplainspva.org

2026 GOLF CLASSIC

June 26. Benefits: ALS in the Heartland

Location: Tiburon Golf Club alsintheheartland.org

6TH ANNUAL PLAYING FOR THE PENGUINS TOURNAMENT

June 27. Benefits: Omaha Penguins Special Olympics Team

Location: Sinnott’s Sand Bar sinnottssandbar.com

6TH ANNUAL STRUT 4 THE CURE

June 27. Benefits: Pink Lotus Project

Location: Metro Community College - South Campus pinklotusprojectne.org

FORGE AHEAD 5K FREEDOM FROM PTSD

June 27. Benefits: At Ease USA

Location: Walnut Creek Recreation Area ateaseusa.org

OMAHA TAKES STEPS

June 27. Benefits: Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation

Location: Werner Park takesteps.crohnscolitisfoundation.org

BLAND CARES GOLF OUTING 2026

June 29. Benefits: Angels Among Us Location: Champions Run myangelsamongus.org

NEBRASKA

CELEBRATING AMERICAN HERITAGE: THE FABRIC OF AMERICA

June 2-July 12 at Arbor Lodge Mansion, Nebraska City. This quilt display at Arbor Lodge highlights Quilts of Valor, presented to local veterans by the Blue Star Mothers, along with other quilted items. Items from the Morton Collection, like historic flags and patriotic items will be displayed as well. Join Arbor Lodge in celebrating American Heritage to view quilted reds, whites, and blues. arbordayfarm.org

3RD ANNUAL NEBRASKA CITY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL

June 6 at Nebraska City Veterans Memorial Building, Nebraska City. This year the bands taking the stage are Grammy Award winners Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, as well as Lloyd McCarter & the Honky Tonk Revival, The Salt Creek Ramblers, and Blue Raven Bluegrass Revue. Bring your own chair, eat some Cornhusker Beef BBQ, and enjoy this night full of soul and groove. nebraskacitycreativedistrict.com

GREAT AMERICAN COMEDY FESTIVAL

June 17-20 at Johnny Carson Theatre, Norfolk. The Great American Comedy Festival highlights some of the funniest comedians out there. This festival features Bluebird Improv, a talented improv collective, and headliner Charlie Berens, a comedian with an iconic Wisconsin accent. With other comedy shows, a magic show, and a late-night bar show, this festival is sure to keep you laughing and entertained. greatamericancomedyfestival.com

Sure, there are a million ways to get down a river. It just so happens that out here we use cattle tanks. It may not be the most conventional choice, but that’s what makes it genius. That, and the fact that they have room for everyone and a giant cooler. A leisurely mosey down the river; paddling optional. That’s why float trips down the Platte River with Dusty Trails get Buffalo Bill’s Buffalo of Approval.

NEBRASKALAND DAYS

June 17-27 at Wild West Arena, North Platte. The official celebration of Nebraska takes place in North Platte over 10 days in the form of NEBRASKAland Days. The Buffalo Bill Rodeo kicks off the festivities from June 17-20. At the end of the week, don’t miss the Summer Jam concert series featuring artists like Treaty Oak Revival and Zach Top. nebraskalanddays.com

BREWS AT THE ZOO

June 27 at Lincoln Children’s Zoo, Lincoln. This annual summer event at Lincoln Children’s Zoo offers a unique after-hours experience at the zoo. A 21+ event, local craft beers and ciders are offered with live entertainment, food trucks, and access to explore the zoo after close. Offered multiple times throughout the warm, summer months, don’t miss the chance to get some brews at the zoo. lincolnzoo.org

IOWA

ALTOONA’S WINE & CRAFT BEER FEST

June 5 at Prairie Heritage/Civic Plaza, Altoona. The 15th annual Wine & Craft Beer Fest is one of Altoona’s most anticipated events of the year. Sample over 30 vendors serving wine and craft beer, and enjoy delicious appetizers provided by HyVee Catering Crew. Mike Moody & The Outlaws will provide music as you try these tasty bites. This event is 21+ and no kids or strollers are allowed. altoonachamber.org

ELKS 347 OTTUMWA PRO BALLOON RACES

June 17-21 at Greater Ottumwa Park, Ottumwa. The 49th annual Elks 347 Ottumwa Pro Balloon Races is Ottumwa’s signature event of the year. This event showcases the best of the best when it comes to pro balloon racing. Enjoy the hot air balloons, fireworks, live music, a carnival, and more. With free admission, all are welcome to come and participate in this exciting weekend. ottumwaproballoonraces.com

LUKE BRYAN: WORD ON THE STREET TOUR

June 19 at Casey’s Center, Des Moines. Country singer-songwriter, Luke Bryan, is on his Word on the Street Tour and brings his popular hits to Casey’s Center. Sing along to crowd favorites like “Country Girl,” “That’s My Kind of Night,” and “Play It Again.” He is joined by special guests Drew Baldridge, RaeLynn, and Karley Scott Collins. iowaeventscenter.com

PEPPERHARROW LAVENDER FESTIVAL

June 19-20 at PepperHarrow Flower Farm, Winterset The 60-acre flower farm, PepperHarrow, hosts the great Lavender Festival every year. With a plethora of family-friendly activities to partake in, there won’t be a dull moment. Enjoy viewing acres of fresh lavender and flower fields, face painting, feeding chickens, artisan vendors, build-your-own lavender bouquets, and more. pepperharrowfarm.com

DES MOINES ARTS FESTIVAL

June 26-28 at Western Gateway Park, Des Moines. Downtown Des Moines becomes a urban gallery at the Des Moines Art Festival where 195 of the top artists in the nation come together and showcase their talent. With free admission, this celebration of art, music, and film is a perfect way to connect with others and explore creativity. desmoinesartsfestival.org

KANSAS

SMOKY HILL RIVER FESTIVAL

June 11-14 at Oakdale Park, Salina. With over 30 food vendors, 120 artists, and 75 performers, the Smoky Hill River Festival will be the most unforgettable weekend. Enjoy music across all genres including country, jazz, blues, and reggae. The Fine Art and Craft Show highlights artists from across the country. Don’t miss the Smoky Hill River Run or endless kids' activities. riverfestival.com

TACOS & TEQUILA FESTIVAL

June 13 at Legends Field, Kansas City. This musical festival is an iconic throwback hip-hop party featuring world-renowned hip-hop artists. See performances from Three 6 Mafia, Busta Rhymes, 112, Soulja Boy, and more. Enjoy craft margaritas, tequila shot bars, and locally made tacos. Extra fun at this festival includes lucha libre wrestling, an exotic car showcase, a chihuahua beauty pageant, and more. tacosandtequilafestival.com/market/kansas-city

COUNTRY STAMPEDE 2026

June 25-27 at Azura Amphitheater, Bonner Springs. The annual Country Stampede is back for another amazing year at Azura Amphitheater. This weekend-long country music festival has all the greats lined up for outstanding performances. Headliners include Treaty Oak Revival on Thursday, Zach Top on Friday, and Rascal Flatts closing out on Saturday. countrystampede.com

MISSOURI

KESHA: THE FREEDOM TOUR

June 3 at Morton Amphitheater, Riverside. American pop singer-songwriter Kesha comes to Morton Amphitheater on her Freedom Tour. With several top-charted songs like “TiK ToK,” “Praying,” and “Die Young,” she has continued to stay an icon from the early 2010s until now. She will be joined by special guest Sizzy Rocket. With her energetic stage presence, this performance is sure to be unforgettable. mortonamphitheater.com

THE PUSSYCAT DOLLS: PCD FOREVER TOUR

June 18 at Morton Amphitheater, Riverside. The iconic girl group from the 2000s, the Pussycat Dolls, comes to Morton Amphitheater on their PCD Forever Tour featuring members Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, and Kimberly Wyatt. Hear all-time favorites like “When I Grow Up,” “Buttons,” and “Don’t Cha.” Special guests Lil’ Kim and Mýa will be joining them. mortonamphitheater.com

ELLA LANGLEY: THE DANDELION TOUR

June 19 at Cable Dahmer Arena, Independence. Rising country singer-songwriter Ella Langley brings her Dandelion Tour to the Cable Dahmer Arena. Writing about heartbreak and vulnerability, her top hits include songs like “you look like you love me,” “Choosin’ Texas,” and “weren’t for the wind.” She is joined by special guests Dylan Marlowe and Gabriella Rose. cabledahmerarena.com

MEGHAN TRAINOR: THE GET IN GIRL TOUR

June 22 at Morton Amphitheater, Riverside. Pop singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor is on her Get In Girl Tour. After gaining popularity from her hit single “All About That Bass,” she has continued to rise in success. She brings top-charted songs like “Dear Future Husband,” “Lips are Movin,” and “NO” to Morton Amphitheater. She is joined by special guests Icona Pop and Ryan Trainor. mortonamphitheater.com

MGK: LOST AMERICANA TOUR

June 23 at Morton Amphitheater, Riverside. Formerly known as Machine Gun Kelly, MGK is a singer, rapper, songwriter, producer, and actor. He brings his Lost Americana Tour to Morton Amphitheater. Popular songs include “cliche,” “Bad Things (with Camila Cabello),” and “my ex’s best friend (with blackbear).” Special guests include Wiz Khalifa and Mod Sun. mortonamphitheater.com

BULLS, BANDS,

&

BARRELS SUMMER JAM FT. JON PARDI

June 26 at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena, Ridgedale. Bass Pro Shops' Bulls, Bands, & Barrels Summer Jam combines Western sports and live country music together for one jam-packed night. Watch high-energy bull riding, barrel racing, and freestyle bullfighting in the rodeo portion of the night. Then, the arena transforms into a concert venue and Jon Pardi takes the stage for an unforgettable performance. thunderridgenaturearena.com

LOUIS TOMLINSON: HOW DID WE GET HERE? TOUR

June 27 at Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis. English singer-songwriter Louis Tomlinson comes to Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis on his How Did We Get Here? Tour. Listen to songs like “Lemonade,” “Imposter,” and “Palaces.” Previously a member of the band, One Direction, he has seen great success in his solo career. chaifetzarena.com

SOUTH DAKOTA

SIOUXLAND RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL

June 6-7 at W. H. Lyon Fairgrounds, Sioux Falls. For the 25th year in a row, the Siouxland Renaissance Festival takes over the W. H. Lyon Fairgrounds for a weekend that transports you back to the Renaissance era in Tudor England. Watch a variety of entertainers like jugglers, mermaids, and dragons, and check out the village market and food vendors. siouxlandrenfest.com

BLACK HILLS BEATDOWN DEMOLITION DERBY

June 12-13 at Central States Fairgrounds, Rapid City. Get pumped up for the exciting Black Hills Beatdown Demolition Derby at the Central States Fairgrounds in Rapid City. Watch cars crash into each other in order to claim victory. It is non-stop action and high energy all night. Don’t miss this demolition derby as its sure to bring an unforgettable and adrenaline-packed night. centralstatesfairinc.com

DON’T CRUSH THAT MASTODON, HAND ME THE LIVER

Some people fast.

They wander off to deserts, or mountaintops, or strip-mall yoga studios to meditate while denying themselves any food. There are fasts that allow certain juices, certain vegetable broths, and even various herbal teas. Carlos Castaneda recommended an “herbal” tea made from a certain cactus button for his Yaquistyle fast that was quite popular back in the day, though some who tried it ended up in the Peruvian Andes with no knowledge of exactly how they got there. Some say fasting leads to a clearer mind. A sense of well-being that transcends human overdependence on nutrients–with the possible exception of fiber–setting one free to experience a oneness with the universe unobscured by wild swings of glucose levels or bacon grease spatters on your eyeglasses.

As for me, give me food. Specifically, give me comfort food.

Our Puritan ethic is of two minds on this subject. On one hand, pleasure is suspect and should be deferred, lest the devil sneak into our minds and whisper, “Just a bit more salt.” On the other hand, one should pile on the calories because there’s work to be done in the fields, and the hired man has come down with cholera. Luckily, I am not a Puritan.

On a cold winter’s night with the wind and packs of ravenous wolves howling outside and the internet down, nothing gives one a more satisfying sense of safety and well-being than a plate of slow-cooked, fork-tender pot roast, and carrots and potatoes glistening with a rich brown gravy. Come to think of it, nothing is better on a summer night with the evening temp still in the 80s with 77% humidity–“feels like 95” as Bill Randby would say–and the AC cranked with the thermostat set on 68 degrees Fahrenheit and OPPD straining to keep the juice flowing…than a big pot roast dinner. Spring or fall, comfort food is…well…it’s comfortable.

Or how about a hearty Irish stew? What could be more comforting than a recipe that includes a pint of Guinness straight from the can? Of course, one should always have a spare can or two of stout just in case the Black and Tans come knocking at the door looking for contraband and nationalist literature by Maud Gonne.

I used to find comfort in liver and onions. We’d soak the liver in milk first and sauté the onions in bacon drippings out of sight of any lurking cardiologists, served up on some buttered mashed potatoes…heaven. Then, suddenly liver was taboo. We’d lost contact with the primitive traditions of our furry ancestors, who would award their leader the first bite of the mastodon’s liver after a successful hunt and the burial of the unlucky participants. Nowadays, you won’t find liver and onions on any restaurant’s menu, even Applebee's.

Every nation has its own version of pot roast. In Italy, there are 457 different shapes of pasta. In Japan, sushi is not comfort food, but yakisoba is…especially if there’s enough pork added with lots of kewpie mayo. The Chinese have yum cha–I once reached a high level of comfort consuming dumplings in a dim sum joint in Hong Kong. In West Africa, it’s groundnut stew and fufu. Humans crave comfort.

As for me, I think I’ll go get a Runza.

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