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The Omaha Metro

Event Report: Primavera Italiana at Cibo Vino

Branch News

What’s New

We welcome Tracy Tylkowski as our new Membership chairwoman for the next two years. Tracy had the idea that not only should all members know who were in the Omaha Metro Branch, but how long they have been members. She created the chart below. Congratulations to the Hipples and Lemkes for being our oldest couples, with the Hipples being one of the early members, joining in 2006. The Branch, known then as the Council Bluffs Branch, was founded in 2003 by Morris Caudle and Dr. John Fischer. Both Patti and Steve were on the Board for many years. Patti was president for the years 2012 and 2013. Other presidents were Tom Murnan 2016-2017, Joe Goldstein 2018-2019, David Thrasher 2022-2023, Mike Wilke 20242025, and Michelle Hyder 2026-2027. The Branch changed its name by August of 2023 to IWFS Omaha Metro because there were no longer any Council Bluffs members nor, were there any events there anymore.

• Schillcutt, Sasha & Lance

OMAHA METRO MEMBERS

• Epstein, Gary & Lisa

• Flynn, Matt & Mary

• Henne, Tom & Tracy Hightower

• Hughes, Stacy & Tracy Tylkowski

• Kasan, Laura (husband Stefan)

• Moore, Dr. Gary (wife Iris)

• Overholtzer, David & Suzie

• Sullivan, Jason & Ann

• Ayoub, Nagi & Jenny

• Jobeun, Julie & Adrian Dreessen

• Koesters, Jim & Susan

• Markus, Dr. Wayne & Karen

• Murphy, Dr. Richard & Mary

• Rasmussen, Brent & Susan Rauth

• Thrasher, Dan & Heather

• Thrasher, Dave & Tabitha

• Toth, Chris & Christina

• Wilke, Mike & Rhonda

• Clark, Bill & Theresa

• Farmer, Nate & Liz

• Goldstein, Joe & Jill

• Hyder, Hasan & Michelle

• Matz, Stacie & Jim Smith

• Meyers, Jon & Denise

• Murnan, Tom & Mary

• Hipple, Stephen & Patti

• Lemke, Todd & Sandy

“Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time.” George Bernard Shaw

Event Report: Primavera Italiana at Cibo Vino

Story by Tom Murnan

I have been very impressed by Cibo Vino from my own private meals and our Metro event last year. It is not easy to have great Italian cuisine. It looks deceptively easy to make, but you need the best ingredients, and proper technique to get it right. The current ownership partnership of Wendy and Don know what they are doing. Wendy Becker used to be the manager at Spezia, another Italian restaurant. Don Doty is a seasoned chef. His motto is “Celebrate life, one meal at a time.” Wendy’s husband Dwight worked in the wholesale wine business, choosing all the evening’s wine from either the Branch or Cibo Vino, and provided wine commentary for the evening’s offerings.

When you leave the restaurant smiling and thinking of the great courses you had, you tell yourself, “This is why I joined the IWFS,” to source great meals and great wine. Not all the wine was from Italy, but they were well matched with the food. At the Charcuterie Board, my wine of interest was the Sella & Mosca “La Cala” Vermentino di Sardegna DOC 2024. Not actually Italian, coming as it did from Sardinia, it nonetheless had an increasingly popular grape varietal called Vermentino which originates from the Mediterranean costal regions and southern Tuscany. It is dry and minerally, with noticeable acidity. A great starter wine.

The First Course was one of those plates that I was smiling about when I left. I have had numerous Caprese Salads in my lifetime, but this one stood out as especially delicious. Red and yellow Heirloom Tomatoes and Burrata (Bur) with fresh Basil Oil, Balsamic Glaze and Maldon Sea Salt Flakes were our ingredients. Those salt flakes made a huge difference in bringing out the flavor of the salad. There was plenty of oil infused with basil, as well as shredded fresh basil leaves. Bur looks like its sister Mozzarella (Moz), but has several differences. I’ve always been of the opinion that Moz is somewhat

Photos by Tom Murnan

tasteless. Bur and Moz both use milk from cows but Bur also uses water buffalo milk, which is tangier and contains twice as much fat as cow milk. Both cheeses heat the curds, which makes them stringy, then Moz shapes it into balls. Moz can be slightly aged to get excess moisture out. Bur is always served fresh and left as curds. The two are not interchangeable because of the difference in water content. Bur is runny compared to American Moz. The Loire Valley (France) wine, Domaine Huet Le Haut-Lieu Sec 2019 is a 100% Chenin Blanc and was inspired match chosen by Dwight from our cellar.

The next course, Ginger Carrot Soup, I asked for the recipe it was so unusual and tasty. Served chilled, it would be a fantastic summer dish, or good for the entire year for that matter. Slightly spicy with the ginger, it had a haunting orange/citrus spine hovering in the background that begged you to eat another spoonful. So, what kind of wine do you pair with ginger, basil, and citrus? A white would immediately come to mind, but Dwight chose a Paul Hobbs Goldrock Estate Pinot Noir 2019 from the Sonoma Coast because it stood up to all the assertive flavors but was soft enough not to clash with them.

Our entrée was Pork Shank Osso Bucco with red wine ragu and potato gnocchi. No one was going to go home hungry with this chunk of meat! We had a Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa and an Italian Super Tuscan with 70% Cabernet Franc. Both did a fine job. Dessert consisted of house made Biscotti dipped in chocolate on one end, with a Tiramisu Mint Martini made of Irish Cream, vanilla vodka, peppermint schnapps and fresh expresso by Dwight’s daughter Emily, who works at Cibo Vino. It was quite good. Many thanks to Chef Don Doty and servers Garret & Kayla, Wendy & Dwight Becker, and Tracy Tylkowski who brought it all together.