Restaurant Hoppen

Mercredi Market has been busy from the moment it opened in Omaha in early June despite a minimal social media presence. What's led to its instant success? How about baking its own bread, carefully curating its small sandwich menu, and being created with community at its core? Owner Nathan Ma joined me to discuss all that and more, chatting about sandwiches, service, and how Mercredi brings something the Old Market has long needed.

Find Mercredi Market:
https://www.instagram.com/mercredimrkt/

Restaurant Hoppen is hosted by Dan Hoppen.

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Timestamps:

00:00 - What Makes Mercredi Market Different?

01:19 - A Sandwich Shop Built Around Downtown Walkability

05:27 - Why Nathan Wanted to Create a Neighborhood Market

09:52 - Why Focaccia Is the Foundation of the Menu

13:58 - Why Mercredi Market Keeps Its Menu Small

17:40 - How Nathan Built a Menu of Sandwich Classics

24:25 - Bringing Breakfast to the Old Market

26:18 - The Family Recipe Behind Mercredi's Milk Bread

29:23 - How Music Influences Nathan's Approach to Food

37:03 - Growing Up Around Family Restaurants

42:22 - Opening Day, Early Sellouts & Learning on the Fly

46:28 - Why Mercredi Doesn't Chase Social Media Trends

51:26 - The People Behind the Food & the Power of Community

#RestaurantHoppen #MercrediMarket #OmahaSandwiches #OmahaFood #OldMarketOmaha #SandwichShop #Focaccia #DowntownOmaha #OmahaEats #DanHoppen

Bella never set out to start a business. She just wanted a gluten-free bread that tasted and felt like traditional bread and didn't upset her body. So she made it herself, and her gluten-free sourdough bread is all the rage now. You'll not only find it in local coffee shops, but in Hy-Vee grocery stores all over the Midwest! Hear how Bella unlocked the code to gluten-free bread and what her journey to get to this point has been like!

Shop Bella Bread and find retailers:
https://bellabread.co/

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Timestamps:

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00:00 – Why Bella Couldn't Find the Bread She Wanted

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00:37 – What Makes Bella Bread Different From Other Gluten-Free Bread?

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02:36 – Why 24-Hour Fermentation Is Her Secret

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04:51 – How Bella Uses Her Bread at Home

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06:00 – Why She Chose to Focus on Sourdough

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09:30 – How Gluten-Free Sourdough Became a Business

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10:38 – Bella's Journey Into Gluten-Free Baking

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11:35 – Why Bella Went Gluten-Free

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12:25 – A Year of Experimenting to Make the Perfect Loaf

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14:44 – She Even Grew Her Own Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter

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16:21 – How Bella Kept Going After Failed Batches

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19:09 – Who Tried Bella's First Loaf?

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19:57 – The Moment Bella Realized People Wanted Her Bread

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22:49 – Bella Bread's First Farmers Market

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23:45 – “I'm So Glad I Can Finally Have Bread Again”

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27:02 – Why Gluten-Free Sourdough Costs More

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28:29 – How Kitchen Council Helped Bella Grow

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31:26 – The Business Skills You Need Beyond Baking

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33:39 – How Bella Bread Got Into Omaha Coffee Shops

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37:25 – How Bella Got Her Bread Into Hy-Vee

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40:27 – The Big Shift to Commercial Production

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42:14 – What It Felt Like to Stop Baking Every Loaf Herself

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43:32 – What Building Bella Bread Taught Bella

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46:22 – Bella's Goal: The Gluten-Free Bread People Choose

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48:07 – Dan's Final Pitch for Bella Bread

#RestaurantHoppen #BellaBread #GlutenFree #GlutenFreeBread #GlutenFreeSourdough #OmahaFood #OmahaBusiness #SourdoughBread #HyVee #DanHoppen

Chef Rachel McGill of Dish in Lincoln, Nebraska joins Dan Hoppen for an in-depth conversation about creative cooking, vegetable-forward cuisine, restaurant ownership, young chefs, the Lincoln dining scene and her experience competing on Food Network's Chopped.

Rachel explains why vegetables are at the center of her cooking, how her backyard garden supplies produce for Dish, how she works with local Nebraska farmers, and how she develops dishes around seasonal ingredients.

She also breaks down her signature Carrots, Carrots, Carrots dish, her approach to minimizing food waste, the evolution of Dish over the past decade, the challenge of changing an established restaurant, and what it took to convince Lincoln diners to embrace a different kind of upscale dining.

The conversation also covers Rachel's James Beard Best Chef Midwest nomination, her self-taught path into cooking, learning to work on a line, mentoring young cooks and the lessons she learned from Dish's original owner, Travis Green.

Then Rachel goes behind the scenes of Chopped, including the stress of cooking for cameras, creating dishes from mystery ingredients, judging, the differences between television competition and restaurant cooking, and how the experience made her more confident as a chef.

Dish Lincoln
https://www.dishdowntown.com/

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Timestamps:

00:00 – Why Dan Finally Made the Drive to Dish in Lincoln
01:28 – What Makes Dish Different From Other Restaurants?
04:03 – Why Vegetables Became Rachel's Passion
12:12 – Inside Rachel McGill's Rapid-Fire Culinary Brain
19:03 – Why Lincoln Needs More Independent Restaurants
31:10 – How a 21-Year-Old Became a Chef
38:33 – How Rachel Ended Up Buying Dish
42:52 – What Really Happens on Food Network's Chopped
51:22 – Rachel's Second Business: The Sitch
55:16 – Rachel's One Rule for Dining at Dish

#RestaurantHoppen #DishLincoln #RachelMcGill #LincolnRestaurants #LincolnNebraska #NebraskaFood #OmahaFood #Chopped #VegetableForward #FarmToTable

The Antony family has been bringing Indian Cuisine to Omaha for more than a decade at several locations and restaurants, and now they've landed at Little India in Blackstone. Joshy, Agnes, and Christian discuss what it's like to work with family, the wonders of Indian cuisine, how they're surviving the streetcar construction, and more!

Visit Little India:

https://littleindiaomaha.com/

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Timestamps:

00:00 – What Little India Wants You to Experience About Indian Culture
03:21 – From Indian Grocery Store to Omaha Restaurant
04:48 – Why Little India's New Kitchen Changed Everything
08:07 – The Kerala Dishes They Still Want to Bring to Omaha
10:49 – The Indian Sandwiches Coming to Little India
19:20 – How Taj Kebab & Curry Became Part of Their Story
21:44 – The Chef Who Taught Joshy Indian Cooking
29:19 – How a Bigger Kitchen Changed the Menu
32:13 – Little India's Secret Menu
34:10 – Why Christian Learned the History Behind Every Dish
37:07 – Exploring the Different Regions of Indian Cuisine
39:08 – Spiced, Not Spicy: The Biggest Indian Food Misconception
41:35 – Why Little India's Handmade Samosas Are So Special
52:34 – Why Little India Still Doesn't Serve Dosa
59:39 – Dan's Little India Recommendations

#RestaurantHoppen #LittleIndiaOmaha #IndianFood #OmahaFood #OmahaRestaurants #IndianCuisine #OmahaEats #IndianFoodOmaha #BlackstoneOmaha #DanHoppen

What is it like to start a bakery business out of your home? How do you balance being a parent and having a family when your work takes over your home kitchen? Three of Omaha's favorite cottage bakers—Kelsay Cosgrove (KCC Bakery), Hailey Vinter (crumb coat & chill), & Corinne Honan (Sweet Earth Delights) joined Restaurant Hoppen for a panel discussion on the highs, lows, and everything in between when it comes to cottage baking!

Guests:

Kelsay Cosgrove — KCC Bakery
https://www.kccbakery.com/

Hailey Vinter — crumb coat & chill
https://www.crumbcoatomaha.com/

Corinne Honan — Sweet Earth Delights
https://sweetearthdelights.com/

Restaurant Hoppen — Hosted by Dan Hoppen

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Timestamps:

00:00 – What Does It Actually Take to Become a Cottage Baker?
03:13 – When Cottage Baking Turns Into a Brick-and-Mortar Bakery
11:06 – The Reality of 4 AM Wakeups & 20-Hour Workdays
13:32 – Nebraska Cottage Baking Rules Explained
16:35 – What a Home Bakery Really Looks Like
22:18 – What Happens When Baking Becomes Your Job
33:34 – Cottage Baking Disaster Stories
37:21 – The Best Advice for Starting a Cottage Bakery
38:57 – Why You Should Grow Your Baking Business Slowly
41:38 – Becoming a Business Owner, Not Just a Baker
56:59 – Quick Hits: What Should You Try First?
59:49 – “Organized Chaos” at Midnight

#RestaurantHoppen #OmahaFood #CottageBaking #OmahaBakers #OmahaBakery #KCCBakery #CrumbCoatAndChill #SweetEarthDelights #OmahaEats #Hurrdat

Few people in Omaha's restaurant scene are more fun to chat with than Tim Maides, the co-owner of Dolomiti, and unpacking his brain on pizza is a true delight. We nerd out on ovens a dough a bit, but we also talk a lot about Dolomiti's approach to treating guests and how expectations, from both restaurant and guest, can affect a dining experience. This is a fun one, and very educational!

🍕 Dolomiti Pizza 🌐 https://www.pizzadolomiti.com/

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Timestamps:

00:00 – What Makes a Great Restaurant? Tim's Three-Pillar Philosophy

01:38 – Why Dolomiti Doesn't Follow Traditional Pizza Rules

10:45 – Inside Dolomiti's Giant Italian Pizza Oven

14:03 – The Sourdough & Semolina Dough That Makes Dolomiti Different

16:08 – Why There Isn't One "Right" Kind of Pizza

18:55 – The Panuzzo: Pizza Dough Gets a Whole New Life

23:52 – The Biggest Lesson Hospitality Taught Tim

31:51 – The Little Hospitality Moments Customers Never Expect

34:19 – Has Restaurant Hospitality Become Too Complicated?

42:37 – How Dolomiti Built Its Famous Cubano Pizza

50:05 – The Part of Restaurant Ownership Nobody Warns You About

59:40 – "In Crust We Trust" & Final Thoughts

#RestaurantHoppen #DolomitiPizza #OmahaPizza #OmahaRestaurants #Hospitality #OmahaFood #MillworkCommons

What happens when a childhood love of baking turns into a career, then a business, then a bakery of your own?

In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Elana Crum, owner of Crum Cakes Bakery, to hear the story behind her journey from childhood baking dreams to one of Omaha's growing bakery businesses.

Elana says she was helping in the kitchen and asking to bake cookies from a young age. After high school, she followed that passion to Metro Community College, where she earned degrees in baking and pastry and business management.

But owning a bakery wasn't always part of the plan.

Crum Cakes grew organically through farmers markets, pop-ups, word-of-mouth and baking from home before Elana spent several years working out of the No More Empty Pots kitchen. Eventually, she took the leap into her own storefront in 2022.

Along the way, she learned that running a bakery takes more than loving to bake. It means managing demand, navigating Omaha's constantly changing weather, maintaining extremely high standards, leading a team, and finding the energy to keep going when the day-to-day pressure gets heavy.

And somehow, it all started with a pretty simple idea:

Her husband was named Crum. She was in culinary school. So why not Crum Cakes?

🧁 Crum Cakes Bakery 🌐 https://crumcakesbakery.com/

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

#RestaurantHoppen #CrumCakes #OmahaBakery #OmahaFood #OmahaRestaurants #Baking #CulinaryArts

What happens when a family recipe is so good that people refuse to stop asking for it?

For Katie Becker, it turned into a business.

In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with the owner of Tasty Good Toffee to hear how her grandmother's holiday recipe grew from a family tradition into a full-time candy company.

Katie inherited the recipe from her grandmother Louise 24 years ago. She originally made the toffee for the holidays, shared leftovers with coworkers and gave it to friends. Then people started asking for the recipe. Then they started asking to buy it. Eventually, that seasonal tradition became a hobby business, which became a full-time operation producing toffee in Crete, Nebraska and supplying more than 50 business partners around the country.

Today, Tasty Good Toffee offers a growing lineup of flavors, from classic milk chocolate pecan and dark chocolate sea salt to churro, s'mores, peanut butter, ghost pepper and seasonal creations. Katie says her mind is constantly spinning with new toffee ideas.

The story gets even more special when Katie talks about her children, who have grown up around the business and now help with deliveries, packaging, marketing and selling at events.

This isn't just a candy company.

It's a family legacy.

🍬 Tasty Good Toffee 🌐 https://tastygoodtoffee.com/

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

#RestaurantHoppen #TastyGoodToffee #OmahaFood #NebraskaMade #Toffee #SmallBusiness #FoodEntrepreneur

What happens when you put more than 25 Omaha food and drink businesses under one roof?

Omaha shows up.

In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Meg Bauer, Yelp Omaha's Community Manager, to talk about the event, the local businesses that helped make it happen, and why collaboration is such an important part of Omaha's food culture.

Meg explains why Yelp wanted to create a sampling-style food event where guests could experience a huge variety of local flavors in one night while also supporting the Kiewit Luminarium. The event brought together more than 25 food and drink vendors, representing different cuisines, neighborhoods and types of businesses.

She also talks about how Yelp and other local organizations built the vendor lineup, why giving smaller or less-visible businesses a chance to participate matters, and how Omaha's food community continues to support one another.

And there's a special moment for Restaurant Hoppen: Meg talks about the importance of Dan's role in amplifying local restaurants and calls his participation in the event a huge get for Yelp and its participating businesses.

🌟 Yelp Omaha 🌐 https://www.yelp.com/omaha

🏛️ Kiewit Luminarium 📍 Omaha, Nebraska

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

#RestaurantHoppen #YelpOmaha #OmahaFood #OmahaRestaurants #OmahaEats #OmahaCommunity #Luminarium

For more than 70 years, La Casa Pizzaria has been serving Omaha with a pizza recipe that's become part of the city's history.

In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Nicole Jesse, owner of La Casa Pizzaria, to talk about the family history behind one of Omaha's most iconic pizza restaurants.

Nicole explains why La Casa's pizza doesn't look—or taste—like the typical pizza many people grew up with. The crust is thin and made without yeast, the pizza is finished directly on the oven rack for a unique grilled texture, and the restaurant makes its ingredients from scratch. Then there's the Romano cheese: a signature ingredient that has been part of La Casa's identity since the family's roots in Sicily.

Dan and Nicole also talk about what happens when someone tries La Casa for the first time, why some customers become lifelong fans after just a few visits, and what it means to operate a family restaurant that has welcomed multiple generations of Omaha diners.

This is a quick conversation with a big story behind it:

70 years. Multiple generations. One unmistakable pizza.

🍕 La Casa Pizzaria 🌐 https://lacasapizzaria.net/

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

#RestaurantHoppen #LaCasaPizzaria #OmahaPizza #OmahaRestaurants #OmahaFood #NebraskaFood #OmahaHistory

Most people know Smash Park for the activities.

Pickleball. Duckpin bowling. Darts. Karaoke. Shuffleboard. Arcade games.

But Todd Lindberg wants you to know there's another reason to visit: the food.

In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Todd, Executive Vice President of Expansion for Smash Park, to talk about the kitchen behind the entertainment.

Smash Park focuses on scratch cooking, including Wagyu burgers, smoked chicken wings, and a dedicated gluten-free fryer. The goal isn't simply to provide something to eat between activities—it's to make food that genuinely surprises people who may not have come expecting a restaurant experience.

Todd also shares his own path into the culinary world, which started with his first kitchen job at 14 years old and eventually led him to culinary school at the Culinary Institute of America in New York.

And if you're wondering what Todd would order first?

The answer is the 24-hour-brined, smoked and flash-fried chicken wings.

Because apparently even at Smash Park, the wings are serious business.

🎳 Smash Park 🌐 https://smashpark.com/

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

#RestaurantHoppen #SmashPark #OmahaFood #Pickleball #OmahaRestaurants #FoodAndFun #OmahaEats

What if culinary school let you learn in a real restaurant—with real guests, real service, and real feedback?

In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Emma Oblender, outreach specialist and outreach chef for Metro Community College's Culinary Arts & Horticulture programs, to explore how Metro is preparing the next generation of chefs and hospitality professionals.

At the center of Metro's culinary program is Sage Student Bistro, a public-facing restaurant where students experience both front-of-house and back-of-house operations while serving real guests. Emma explains why that hands-on environment gives students something a traditional classroom simply can't: the opportunity to learn from real service, real feedback and real-world mistakes.

Metro has also revamped its culinary program around cohort learning, cross-training, and internship and job-site opportunities that connect students directly with Omaha's restaurant community.

And you don't even have to be pursuing a culinary career to get involved. Metro offers community education classes covering everything from sushi and knife skills to bread and macarons.

Whether you're an aspiring chef, a longtime food lover, or just curious about how Omaha's culinary talent is being developed, this is a fascinating look inside one of the region's most hands-on culinary programs.

👨‍🍳 Metro Community College 🌐 https://www.mccneb.edu/

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

#RestaurantHoppen #MetroCommunityCollege #OmahaFood #CulinarySchool #OmahaRestaurants #CulinaryArts #SageStudentBistro

Ten years of Sweet Magnolia's. Three-plus years of Know Good. And another restaurant project already on the way.

Katina Talley is one of Omaha's busiest—and most relentlessly creative—food entrepreneurs.

In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen catches up with Katina to talk about Sweet Magnolia's Bake Shop, the evolution of Know Good, and the brand-new European-style all-day café she's preparing to open.

Katina describes Sweet Magnolia's as an American-style bakery where everything is made from scratch and where the team pours an enormous amount of love and labor into handmade pastries. She also explains why the bakery embraces both sweet and savory baking, including her personal favorite: pesto twisties.

Then there's Know Good, which started almost accidentally. What began as an opportunity during a slow period in Millwork eventually became a full-fledged bagel and breakfast sandwich concept after Katina realized they couldn't keep up with demand for their bagels.

And somehow... she's still not finished.

Katina teases her next project: a European-style all-day café serving espresso, pastries, breakfast plates, sandwiches, salads and handmade pasta from morning through late evening.

It's a short conversation, but it captures something really fun about Katina:

She's not building food businesses because she has to. She's building them because she can't stop being curious about food.

🥐 Sweet Magnolia's Bake Shop 🌐 https://www.sweetmagnoliasbakeshop.com/

🥯 Know Good 🌐 https://knowgoodeats.com/

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

#RestaurantHoppen #SweetMagnolias #KnowGood #OmahaFood #OmahaRestaurants #OmahaBakery #OmahaEats #FoodEntrepreneur

What happens when you stop trying to make food more complicated—and start letting great ingredients speak for themselves?

In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Clare Bartolomei, owner and operator of Lola's and Fig, to talk about the ideas behind both restaurants.

Lola's began seven years ago as an espresso bar and coffee shop before evolving into an all-day café, sourdough bakery and wine bar. Clare describes the philosophy simply: simple, beautiful food made from scratch, with fresh, local and organic ingredients whenever possible.

That same philosophy inspired Fig, the "little sister" to Lola's located inside the Kiewit Luminarium. When the opportunity arose, Clare didn't want to simply open another Lola's. Instead, Fig became its own concept, with a broader menu that includes burgers, fries and other dishes while maintaining the same commitment to scratch-made sourdough.

Clare also explains why sourdough has become so central to both businesses, including the flavor and structure that can come from local grains and long fermentation.

And looking ahead, she's already dreaming about taking Lola's beyond Omaha through culinary and wine experiences.

It's a conversation about food, community, creativity and what it means to build restaurants around a set of values.

🍞 Lola's 🌐 https://lolasomaha.com/

🌿 Fig 🌐 https://www.figomaha.com/

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

#RestaurantHoppen #LolasOmaha #FigOmaha #OmahaFood #OmahaRestaurants #Sourdough #OmahaEats

What if you could send someone a pint of Omaha's best ice cream no matter where they live?

In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Abby Jordan, co-founder of eCreamery, to talk about nearly 20 years of ice cream, creativity and entrepreneurship.

eCreamery began in 2007 and has evolved from an ice cream shop into a business that blends gelato-style ice cream, sorbets, seasonal flavors and a nationwide gift-giving operation. Customers can customize pint labels with photos or messages and send eCreamery ice cream anywhere in the country.

Abby also talks about how the team comes up with creative new flavors, including a lemon drop melon sorbet inspired by a local farmers market, and why she believes almost any flavor can work when you can imagine it with sweetness.

Dan and Abby also discuss what it takes to stay in business with the same partner for nearly two decades, how they learned to work with completely opposite personalities, and why a little "sugar and grit" has helped keep eCreamery going through the ups and downs.

And yes... Dan absolutely gets Abby to talk about his favorite seasonal flavor.

🍦 eCreamery 🌐 https://ecreamery.com/

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

#RestaurantHoppen #eCreamery #OmahaIceCream #OmahaFood #OmahaRestaurants #IceCream #FoodGifts #OmahaEats

Star Indian Cuisine prioritizes treating every customer like a guest in their home, even remembering specific customers' favorite dishes so they don't even need to order! That's why the restaurant has no social media; its loyal customers create plenty of buzz all on their own. Owners Rakesh Sahu and Sipra Sahoo joined me on the podcast to talk about how they created that culture, the background of the restaurant, and how their relationship survived for years with them being in different countries.

📍 Star Indian Cuisine Omaha, Nebraska

🌐 https://www.starindiancuisineomaha.com/

👍 Like, subscribe and share this episode with someone who loves Indian food — or someone who appreciates genuinely great hospitality.

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Follow Restaurant Hoppen for more conversations with the chefs, restaurateurs and food creators shaping Omaha's incredible dining scene.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Meet the Owners of Star Indian Cuisine

01:36 – From Flavors to Star: Rakesh's Restaurant Journey

03:33 – What Makes Star's Indian Food Different?

05:55 – The Secret Behind Their Most Popular Dishes

07:12 – North Indian vs. South Indian Cuisine Explained

09:20 – Why Star Also Serves Indo-Chinese Food

11:02 – The Love Story Behind Star Indian Cuisine

13:10 – They Waited Years to Be Together

14:48 – A Family Legacy Built Around Indian Cooking

16:22 – Why Rakesh Keeps Coming Back to the Restaurant

17:40 – They Remember Your Order Without a Menu

19:02 – Why Hospitality Matters More Than Transactions

20:55 – How Customers Became Star's Marketing Team

23:42 – 10,000+ Repeat Customers Without Social Media

26:20 – The Restaurant Business Was Always in Rakesh's Blood

28:35 – Why Sipra Pushed Rakesh to Open Star

30:18 – Building Star Indian Cuisine From the Ground Up

32:42 – The Unexpected Chaos of Opening Day

34:45 – What Makes Star's Naan So Special?

36:55 – How Spicy Can You Make Indian Food?

38:42 – What They're Most Proud of After Five Years

40:50 – The Future of Star Indian Cuisine

42:15 – Why Star Treats Customers Like Family

#RestaurantHoppen #StarIndianCuisine #IndianFood #OmahaFood #OmahaRestaurants #OmahaEats #IndianCuisine #Hospitality #FoodPodcast #OmahaFoodScene

Nicole Izquierdo has deep memories of her grandmother making empanadas in Colombia for the family before moving to the United States, and that recipe is so great that, just a few months into dating, Julio De Silva encouraged her to start a business! That has evolved into the Latin Bites food truck that Nicole and Julio now operate together, introducing Omaha to the brilliance of Colombian cuisine. Hear their story and learn more about the realities of food truck life in our great conversation!

If you've never tried Colombian food, this episode might be your sign.

And if you've never tried Latin Bites? Dan has a few recommendations: empanadas, salchipapas, and those massive arepas. 🌮🔥

📍 Latin Bites
2105 Q Street Omaha, NE

🌐 Latin Bites: https://latinbitesne.com/

👍 If you enjoyed the episode, LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and let us know in the comments: What's your favorite thing to order from Latin Bites?

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Follow Restaurant Hoppen for more conversations with the chefs, restaurateurs and food creators shaping Omaha's incredible dining scene.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro: How Dan Discovered Latin Bites

02:00 - From Homemade Empanadas to a Food Truck

05:00 - Food With a Piece of Your Soul

08:00 - How Nicole & Julio Met

12:00 - Starting a Business Three Months Into Dating

15:00 - The First Bite That Changed Everything

18:00 - 350–400 Empanadas Every Weekend

20:00 - The Machine That Changed Their Production

23:00 - Why a Food Truck Made Sense

27:00 - What Makes a Colombian Empanada Different?

30:00 - Carrying On a Family Recipe

33:00 - Latin Bites' First Food Truck Service

35:00 - From Empanadas to Salchipapas & Arepas

38:00 - Pande Bono & Giving Back to Colombia

40:00 - How Word-of-Mouth Built Latin Bites

42:00 - The Scotty Eats Effect

45:00 - Can a Couple Run a Business Together?

47:00 - The Secret Behind Their Success

48:00 - The Future of Latin Bites

50:00 - What Customers Should Know About Food Trucks

52:00 - Why They Love Feeding Omaha

Hope Ngamalue picked up a love for cooking and serving others from her grandmother in Cameroon, and that desire to feed people continued when she came to America. But it wasn't until she met partner Ebrima Minteh that she was encouraged to start her food truck, Chuanjui, and bring traditional African cuisine to Omaha.

We discussed how Omaha has taken to the food, how Hope presents African food in an approachable way to Omahans, and the long journey that brought her from Cameroon to food truck ownership.

Whether you've never tried African food before or you're already a fan, this conversation is full of warmth, inspiration, and unforgettable stories.

If you enjoy learning about the incredible people behind Omaha's food scene, don't forget to Like, Subscribe, and share this episode!

Try the sensation for yourself today!

https://www.facebook.com/p/Chuanjui-LLC-61553802771595/ https://www.chuanjui.com/

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠!

Follow Restaurant Hoppen for more conversations with the chefs, restaurateurs and food creators shaping Omaha's incredible dining scene.

Timestamps:

00:00 Meet the Family Bringing African Food to Omaha

01:42 How a Love of Feeding People Started in Cameroon

05:58 Why African Hospitality Begins With Food

10:46 Making African Cuisine Feel Familiar to Midwesterners

15:52 The Dishes Everyone Should Try First

21:18 Building Chuanjui From the Ground Up

27:30 Bringing African Culture to Omaha—One Meal at a Time

33:18 The Challenges of Starting a Food Truck

39:02 Family, Faith & Never Giving Up

45:10 Why Food Is Meant to Bring People Together

50:26 What's Next for Chuanjui?

Jon's Naturals is the connector between local beef and pork producers and restaurants, helping chefs get their creative hands on a cleaner, more delicious product. But Jon's journey to thriving butcher shop was a very curvy one with lots of turns. Through perseverance and a crazy impressive DIY attitude, Jon is helping local farms and restaurants thrill diners with incredible dishes.

👍 If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to Like, Subscribe, and share it with someone who loves great food and even better stories.

📚 References

Jon's Naturals – https://jonsnaturals.com/

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠!

Follow Restaurant Hoppen for more conversations with the chefs, restaurateurs and food creators shaping Omaha's incredible dining scene.

Timestamps:

00:00 Meet the Man Behind Omaha's Best Restaurants

01:10 Why Food Became Jon's Life Mission

05:00 From Sandwich Shop Owner to Master Butcher

09:45 Building a Bridge Between Farms & Restaurants

14:45 Why Knowing Where Your Food Comes From Matters

19:40 The Entrepreneur Who Refused to Quit

23:50 Learning Butchery From Scratch

29:45 How Great Chefs Changed Jon's Business

35:00 The Most Underrated Cuts of Meat

40:10 Mental Health, Family & Finding Purpose

46:30 Raising Kids Through Entrepreneurship

51:00 The Future of Local Food

Bronco's Hamburgers, Barrett's Barleycorn Pub & Grill, and La Casa Pizzaria have all thrilled Omaha guests for decades. What's the secret to their families' success? How have their restaurants not only survived, but thrived for decades? And how have they seen the attitudes and actions of diners (in Omaha, in particular) change over time?

Blake Barnes, Jack Jeffrey Barrett, and Tony Vacanti joined me on an informative, hilarious podcast panel to discuss all of that and more!

Check out these legendary restaurants:

Broncos: https://broncoburgers.com/ Barrett's: https://order.toasttab.com/online/barretts-barleycorn-4322-leavenworth-street La Casa Pizzaria: https://lacasapizzaria.net/

This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠ or visit ⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠!

Follow Restaurant Hoppen for more conversations with the chefs, restaurateurs and food creators shaping Omaha's incredible dining scene.

Timestamps:

00:00 Omaha's Restaurant Legends Take the Stage
01:18 Meet the Families Behind Three Local Icons
04:15 The Secret to Surviving for Decades
08:05 Staying Relevant Without Chasing Trends
13:00 Why Community Matters More Than Marketing
15:02 The Employees Who Built These Restaurants
20:18 Advice for Anyone Opening a Restaurant Today
25:18 How Legacy Restaurants Continue to Evolve
31:35 Why They Came Back to Save the Family Business
37:05 Is Omaha's Restaurant Scene Too Competitive?
43:45 Creating Customers Who Keep Coming Back
49:30 Audience Q&A & Closing Thoughts