Enjoying the Small, Local Places

Jan here, hoping you all had a good weekend! I heard a rumor Virginia shared a delectable recipe on Saturday. If you missed it, like I did, scoot over to her post (but then hurry back here!) Virginia's Saturday post

Wow! I'm going to have to try some of the Lilac Jelly. Our lilacs are just beginning to bud, so the timing is perfect.

You might be wondering what I was doing, since I was AWOL from the cafe.

Well, I did the most fun thing - my daughter and I took a quick road trip to Omaha :)

Now wait a minute, you big city types! Don't laugh! You can't fit the amenities of my beloved Black Hills in the same hundred square miles as a city, so for us, Omaha is the big time!

We had a great weekend. We met Carrie's friend, Sarah, and Sarah's other friend, Denise there (they're from Kansas), and we also met up with Sarah's Aunt Karen from Iowa. Karen and I attempted to keep the activities sane, and I think we succeeded!

The Deco XV

We stayed in this beautiful, recently renovated hotel in Omaha's Old Town, right across the street from...

The Orpheum

...this gorgeous theater. Originally constructed as a vaudeville theater in 1927, this lovely place underwent major renovations in 2002.

Here's a picture of the grand lobby. My camera couldn't do it justice!

And the auditorium itself is just as grand - too grand for my little camera. But if you want to know more about the theater and see more (and better pictures), go to their website: The Orpheum Theater, Omaha

Oh, did I forget to tell you what we did there?

Oh. My. Stars. What a great show! The cast, the singing, the sets, the costumes, the orchestra.... We had so much fun!

But what does one do in a city when it's time to eat? You sample the best local restaurants, of course!

To my shame, though, I forgot to take my camera when we ate. (I know, I know - any self-respecting food blogger always takes her camera to a meal!)

But I can still share our scrumptious meals.

Saturday night dinner was at an elegant place called Saigon Surface. Their website shows off some of their dishes: Saigon Surface. If you're ever in Omaha, make sure to try this place. You'll need a reservation (unless you show up at 5:30 on a Saturday night looking desperate and starving!), but it's worth the wait if you don't have one.

I had never had Vietnamese food before, but we guessed it was probably similar to Thai, which we all like. I had their Ginger Chicken Clay Pot. Yumm! And we were right - the flavors were similar to Thai, but with their own spicy zing.

After the show, we went to the hotel's restaurant for dessert (at home, it was WAY past my bedtime - but this is city life, right?) The restaurant is called The Zin Room, and they were more than willing to serve us some cheesecake. Carrie and I split a piece. Even with cheesecake, there's only so much room!

And then for Sunday morning breakfast, we wandered around the block from the hotel to The Culprit Cafe. I love - absolutely love - old world style bakeries, and this is a great one. I had a Frittata Sandwich with carmelized onions, swiss cheese, and cob-smoked ham on rustic boule bread. The Culprit Cafe

Forget any diet - I could live on those sandwiches!

Carrie and I also split a Cinnamon Roll, which was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

And then the best surprise! The chef brought a plate of beignet "ends" to our table because he though we'd enjoy them.

(I actually think it was because of the three lovely 20-something ladies at our table!)

So now it's your turn! Tell us about your favorite local restaurant, or your favorite "big city" restaurant to visit - and be sure to include their website address if they have one!

We want to share in the vicarious pleasure, don't we?