J. Coco

Location: 5203 Leavenworth St. - Dundee
Listening to: Rose Rouge - St. Germain 

My experience at J. Coco was a lot like a relationship gone bad.  I was very impressed at first, even in love a little.  Then I realized we had our differences; and though I tried to make it work, I began to lose interest.  By the end, we were trying something crazy as a last ditch effort to spice things up.  It ended in an ugly hot mess which left me a little bit scarred.  You date someone, you break up.  You realize what you're looking for next time and what you never want again.  Perhaps you decide to stay friends; and after awhile, if things are looking up, you might just give them a second chance.  Maybe...

The Good...

Apertif
The Mellow Yellow is an aptly named libation made of gin, Aperol, lime juice, and Yellow Chartreuse.  The orange aroma and bitter taste from the Aperol were well balanced with the sweet honey flavor of the Yellow Chartreuse.  Perfect after a long day at work.  The cocktail was served in a rocks glass with a hand-cut king cube.  Some may not realize that the size of the ice cube does make a difference in the taste of the drink.  Larger cubes have less surface area; they take longer to melt thus diluting the drink at a much slower rate.

Starter

Scallops, Sweet Corn Pudding, Accoutrements

We had the scallops served with sweet corn pudding and truffled honey.  The scallops had a great grill flavor, cooked perfectly throughout.  I'd say they were the some of the best I've had, second only to Lot 2.  The corn pudding was creamy, but bland.  It reminded me of malt-o-meal breakfasts from my youth.  The dish was also sprinkled with diced tomato, celery, green onion, and possibly some pear or other unidentified produce.  The truffle honey was actually a glaze on some pistachios, which paired well with the pomegranate seed garnish.  All together the appetizer was sweet, nutty, and smoky.  But the garnishes really didn't add to the deliciousness of the scallops.  Too many independent flavors that didn't mesh well.  I chose to eat them separately.

Entrée

Petite Tender Beef Medallions

Dustin ordered the Petite Tender Beef Medallions with asparagus, snap peas, brown gravy, and potato latkes (though the menu calls them "lakes").  The tenderloins were crusted with ground peppercorns and served with three different toppings: creamed spinach, sautéed wild mushrooms, and lobster.  He recalls them as being some of the best tenderloins he's ever had.  Fabulous.  I'm glad you had such a good meal.  Mine started out nice, but by the end I was ready to run out of there.  I ordered Jennifer Coco's signature dish: Chilean Sea Bass.  Apparently this renowned dish was created when she was working at the Flatiron Cafe downtown, before she started her own restaurant.  I have not yet had the pleasure of dining at her old spot.  But a dish that made someone mildly famous, sign me up!

The Bad...

Chilean Sea Bass

Evil Bok Choy

The sea bass was served on a bed of bok choy, radish, yellow bell pepper, carrot, and cucumber.  On the side were (I believe) pork-filled pot stickers.  The fish was indeed delicious!  It was flaky, fall apart tender with flavors of sweet teriyaki and smoke from the grill.
I don't remember much else about the fish because I had a horrible mishap with the bok choy.  The cabbage was served whole, and I ended up choking on it.  It should have been cut into smaller pieces before cooking, or at least served with a steak knife.  The cooked bok choy was too slimy for my dinner knife to slice through, and apparently my incisors weren't caveman enough to do a good job, either.  A long leaf got caught in my throat and I started gagging.  Embarrassing to say, I practically regurgitated into my cloth napkin.  No one else in the restaurant noticed, but the whole experience really spoiled the rest of the meal.  I asked my server for another napkin (not telling him why); but by the time he finally brought one to our table, we had pretty much finished dining.

The Ugly...

On the Side

Lobster Crème Brûlée

Lobster Crème Brûlée.  Sounds daring, right?  I fancy myself a bit of a culinary Evel Knievel, so I thought I'd give it a try.  I imagined some sort of gratin casserole with scorched breadcrumbs, but boy was I wrong.  What arrived at my table was an epic fail, a Homer Simpson "D'oh!" moment.  Sweet burnt custard filled with green beans and lobster.  Well, the lobster was more of an afterthought.  And I wish the green beans had stayed in the kitchen.  Eating it was kind of like trying not to look at a bad car accident.  We kept taking bites, hoping for an "Aha!" moment of clarity.  "So this is what they were going for.  Pure genius!"  Alas, that moment never came.  I give them credit for experimenting with salty and sweet; but the sugar overpowered the dish, the beans were an unwelcome texture, and the lobster, sadly, was scarce at best.

Digestif & Dessert
After all the disappointments of dinner, I decided to stay for one last drink.  My spirits were lifted with a snifter of my very favoritest Belle de Brillet.  Sweet heaven in a glass, the French pear brandy liqueur was just what I needed.  Dustin ordered an off-menu drink, similar to the Manifesto's Farewell to Arms.  It's a 1:1:1 concoction of Fernet Branca, Velvet Falernum, and fresh squeezed lime juice.  His favorite.  I thought it tasted like sour apple pie with a hidden layer of mint.  I think we both needed something we knew we loved, as our dining adventure had turned terribly sour.  The server offered us some dessert, and he described it as "brown sugar cheesecake."  It came topped with pecan pie filling and a compote of blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries.  It wasn't half bad, but after having so much sugar in the rest of the meal, we couldn't finish it.

Bottom Line
*This restaurant really needs to back off on the sugar.  Every single dish was overly sweet.
*I applaud eclectic flavors and experimental cuisine, but if you can't execute it, don't put it on the menu.  The only well-balanced items I had came from the bar.

It's just too bad, because I've read several other rave reviews of J. Coco, and it came highly recommended from several friends.  Perhaps we have different tastes.  Of course I always say I'll give a restaurant another shot.  It just might be awhile.  And bok choy?  Probably never again.

Taxi's Grille & Bar

Location: 1822 N. 120th St. - West Omaha
Listening to: La Vie est Ailleurs - Coeur de Pirate

Normally this restaurant wouldn't even register on my radar, but my good friend Susan asked that I check it out.  Taxi's definitely seemed like a, dare I whisper, "old person's restaurant."  Dim lighting, out-dated décor, unimpressive at first glance.  But, as the old adage goes, never judge a book by its cover.  And I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.

Dustin and I happened to visit on a Wednesday (also known as Half Price Wine Night at Taxi's) after a long day at work.  So of course we started with a bottle of wine - 2010 d'Arenberg Stump Jump, a blend of grenache, shiraz, and mourvedre from southern Australia.  It was smooth, mild, great before dinner.  Though I didn't like it much once the meal came.  The more I drank it, the drier it seemed to become.

The décor was French-inspired with vintage posters hanging on every other wall.  The menu was not so French.  In fact, it was kind of a hot mess.  A mélange of different cuisines including steaks, salads, enchiladas, crêpes, omelettes, meatloaf, and fish and chips.  Some of the dishes are offered only before 7 pm, and others after.  (Having an "early evening" dinner menu that includes pot roast only fosters the "older" feel of the place).  By the way, apologies for the poor photography.  As I said, it was a dim-lit restaurant with the occasional abrasive track lighting.  Last word on the atmosphere - please fix the bench seating along the wall!  They sink down and make one feel like a child dining at the adult table.  Dustin and I are exactly the same height, and his chair sat a good six inches higher than my bench seat.  I had a very lovely conversation with his throat.

Blue Cheese & Cabbage Soup

Starters
We ordered with the Taxi's signature soup, blue cheese and cabbage.  The soup was creamy, smooth, with a definitive caraway flavor.  Funny, I just learned from Alton Brown that caraway goes great with cooked cabbage.  Can I get some aquavit, please?  There was a mild tang from the blue cheese.  And, look, it came with brand-name crackers :)  Perfect for the last chilly evening before spring.

According to another review of Taxi's, the waffle fries are a must-order. These came absolutely smothered in peppery gorgonzola cheese and spicy chipotle mayonnaise.  The kick from the chipotle was well-balanced with the creamy cheese.  You know we love our moldy cheeses.  And the crispy fries had a great texture.  Not soggy at all, considering the gooey mess on top.  Way better than your basic cheese fries.

Waffle Fries

Entrées
I ordered the filet special of the night: A 7 oz. filet and crab cake atop a bed of hash browns and asparagus with béarnaise.  It reminded me of a play on Filet Oscar, and of course asparagus with béarnaise is a classic.  The crab cake was crispy on the outside, tender and flaky inside, with just a touch of lemon juice.  I requested my steak medium-well knowing that I would probably receive medium.  It was hot and juicy, well seasoned, still pink in the middle but not too rare for my taste.  For a Nebraska girl, I know very little about steak.  Blasphemous, I know, but to each her own.  All I can say was that this particular steak was yummy.  The fried potatoes threw me off, but they added a nice saltiness.  I preferred them to a bed of rice.  The asparagus were crunchy-tender, but I would have roasted them just a tad more.  The béarnaise was lost in all the other flavors, which was a shame.

Filet and Crab Cake with Asparagus and Fried Potatoes

Dustin ended up with a dish called "Velvet Chicken."  Intriguing.  It was a breaded, fried chicken breast stuffed with feta cheese and mushrooms, all on a bed of linguini and romano cream sauce.  This dish was, to quote Dustin, "just what you'd expect."  It was delicious, but not impressive.  I liked the breading, not too crunchy or greasy.  The chicken was cooked perfectly and the cheese sauce was not too salty.  Basically, there is a lot of room to mess up this dish, but the chef didn't seem to miss a step.  Standard food expertly executed.

Velvet Chicken

Dessert
Napoleon Torte from the Lithuanian Bakery.  One of my absolute favorites!  The restaurant was closing, so I asked for it to go.  It was supposed to be garnished with strawberries and crème anglaise, but I love the torte just as it is.  (With the exception of a little brandy apricot glaze as found at 7M Grill.)  Besides, the crème anglaise tasted more like crème fraîche.  It wasn't very sweet and I certainly didn't taste vanilla.  Why mess with perfection?

I ended up liking the food so much that I returned less than two weeks later when my brother dropped in for a surprise visit.  My dad and brother (two VERY steak-and-potatoes kind of guys) both loved it.  And though the food is unassuming and modest (I admit, I prefer complicated, avant-garde food), I thought every single dish was prepared exquistely and tastefully.  I don't mean to repeat myself, but it's really the best way to describe this place.  Classic food, done right.  I recommend Taxi's the next time you and your dinner partner can't decide where to go.  There's something for everyone here, and it's going to taste great.

Louie's Wine Dive

Location: 16920 Wright Plz. - Shops of Legacy

Listening to: Sleeping Lessons - The Shins

Wine and bourbon on tap.  French food meets comfort food.  Say what?!  I'm so ready for this....

Roi des vins

Let's start with the décor.  The entryway is mighty tight, and no I don't mean "tiz-ight."  I mean, as soon as you walk in the door, there's the hostess stand.  No room to side step, dust off your feet, maybe take a breath before being asked "How many in your party?"  I'd say they need to re-work the design a bit, as there is absolutely no room for those on a wait.  The rest of the space was visually appealing with its mismatched chairs, graffiti specials wall and chandeliers made of frosted wine and Patrón bottles.  I particularly liked the tag on my table.

Brunch
The brunch menu had several intriguing dishes, including the Mac Daddy omelet, a mac'n'cheese stuffed omelet; breakfast flatbread with chorizo and eggs; and the Rise and Shine Burger, a patty encrusted in coffee grounds.  For those who want to nosh on the lighter side, I recommend The Boulder Way breakfast, yogurt, fruit and granola.  The name of that one certainly made me chuckle.  We started with a Zing Zang Bloody Mary and a glass of zinfandel.  I also wanted to try the Louiemosa, a champagne and grape juice cocktail, but then I remembered I don't like to drink alcohol in the morning.  The Bloody Mary was left to fend for herself....coffee with cream, please.

Dustin ordered the corned pork hash with potatoes, poached eggs, and toast.  It was definitely comfort food - salty, fatty, delicious - perfect after a night of drinking.  However, this hash came with sautéed mirepoix.  I didn't get the twist, but Dustin seemed to like it.  The sapidity of cinnamon or allspice added an unusual flair; but again, it worked.

Corned Pork Hash

My own croque madame was nearly perfect.  Louie's put in their own pizzazz, using spicy capicola, chewy ciabatta, and tangy swiss cheese.  Heck yes!  But here's the rub: a croque madame already comes topped with a fried egg, yolks still runny.  Why, then, would one pour hollandaise on top of that?  Way too "eggy."  The sauce came to my table at room temperature, with a skin.  I'll order the sandwich again and again; but I recommend, omit the hollandaise.  Or better yet, fry the egg over medium and top with a nice béchamel and nutmeg.  (To each her own, right?)
Last thoughts: my "seasonal fruit."  For once, I wasn't stuck with honeydew, cantaloupe and grapes!  Most restaurants seem to think these are the only fruits available in the Midwest.  I was ecstatic to see fresh berries on my plate, even if blueberries and strawberries are not in season in winter.  Perhaps I'm being too picky.  They were sweet and juicy and all those other things that make women crave berries.

Croque Madame

Dinner
Dustin and I chose to sit at the bar this time, mostly because our very good friend JP was working.  I inquired about the oysters, but JP said they are a bit dry (an oyster atop a wonton crisp with habañero aioli).  I would soon come to find, Louie's dinnertime kitchen staff is a little too frugal with their condiments.  Instead, we ordered the bruschetta sampler, four kinds of toppings on La Quartier ciabatta.

1. Margarita
This first toast point had my favorite sweet tang of balsamic reduction.  The smell of fresh basil and roasted tomato was nothing short of inspirational.  There's something about that fresh from the garden, herb-y smell that makes me want to go out and do something to change the world.  (Insert your own thoughts regarding la primavera, springtime renewal, etc.)  Beneath was a good amount of gooey mozzarella.  Oh, did I mention the tomatoes were marinated in Zing Zang before they were roasted?  It's a culinary shortcut, but I liked the juiciness and spice.  (All this from a tomato hater, by the way.)

2. Braised Short Rib
The rib meat was fall-apart tender.  Braising locks in loads of flavor and juice, which is great for layering over a crusty bread.  The "pinot noir infused" onions were perfect, not too sweet or sour.  Too often do restaurants put too much sugar (e.g. M's Pub) or too much vinegar (e.g. La Buvette) in their pickled vegetables.  You want the pickled veg to accompany the dish, not overpower it.  Using a red wine was a great alternative.  As for the Maytag blue cheese, I didn't taste it, which was fine by me.  Maytag is not my favorite, by far.

Bruschetta Sampler

3. Balsamic Portobello
The mushroom was of course meaty and earthy.  The roasted red pepper, goat cheese, and balsamic reduction all provided a piquant balance against the mushroom.  Simple, a bit predictable, but scrumptious nonetheless.  I can always be pleased with goat cheese and balsamic.

4. Pulled Pork
This last bruschetta did not come out as the menu described.  The menu said "Pulled pork, fontina, roasted butternut squash, balsamic onions, and lime sour cream."  Ours came garnished with shredded fresh apple instead of squash.  The pulled pork was rich, almost creamy.  Unctuous.  Paired with the apple, this one was definitely my favorite and probably better than what the original dish would have been.

Shrimp and Grits
This was my first adventure with grits, and I was impressed!  I expected a Cream of Wheat texture, but these were not so.  More like a finely minced hominy.  Dustin said these were the largest grits he'd ever eaten.  They were hot, creamy, not too grainy.  Loads of zippy white cheddar cheese and salty bacon lardons.  And some giant Gulf shrimp cooked to perfection.  The grits came with a slice of buttered ciabatta, but after all the bruschetta, I passed.  According to JP, the grits were also cooked with thyme and lobster gravy.  Talk about decadence!  I'm afraid these grits may have spoiled me, should I ever try them somewhere else.

Shrimp and Grits

Finally, how can I not order wine at a "wine dive"?  I had a glass of Joseph Drouhin "Laforet" Bourgogne Pinot Noir.  This red was light and smooth, very easy drinking.  I remember thinking it would go well with a spicy bleu cheese, gorgonzola perhaps.  Dustin was given a shot of Buffalo Trace bourbon from the tap.  It smelled sweeter than it tasted, and then came the whiskey burn.  Just the thing to complete the "full experience."

My first meal there was during the soft opening, so of course there are still a few kinks that need to be worked out.  But Louie's offers the perfect marriage of cuisines for Dustin and myself (perhaps this will spur another marriage in the future?)  Louie's Wine Dive may be one of the newest establishments in West Omaha, but I say "Vive la fête!"  

Pitch Pizzeria

Location: 5021 Underwood Ave. - Dundee
Listening to: Padrino - Smashmouth

Pitch specializes in coal-fire pizza and is one of the few Omaha establishments that offers communal dining.  It is the brainchild of Willy Thiesen, the founder of Godfather's Pizza.  Pitch is definitely one of our favorite places to return, but not too many times in one year.  The menu is fairly stagnant, with only a few changes to the starters and salads each season.  Though as soon as we walked in I could smell all the delicious flavors of house-made fennel sausage, pancetta and thyme.  Let's eat!

Drinks

Kasteel Rouge (BEL)

The new drink menu has improved greatly!  We hesitated ordering cocktails the first few visits because the original drink menu was so uninspired.  And the bar was stocked with low-quality spirits that my stomach just couldn't handle.  No seriously, it was pretty bad last year.  It seems they have now jumped on the "Classic Cocktail" bandwagon and started offering libations such as The Aviation, The Negroni, and The Last Word, as well as a premium spirit selection.  Their bar manager just earned a gold star in my book :)
Pitch also improved their beer offerings.  I love to see one particular word after each listing on the beer menu: BELGIUM.  Another gold star!  And a Kasteel Rouge for me please.  Aged with sour cherries, it was light and fruity and paired well with my starters.  Rookies beware, this beer is 8% ABV.

Starters
Peppadew honey glazed carrots
Roasted brussels sprouts with garlic, pancetta and grana cheese
Corn chowder with smoked salmon

Carrots & Brussels Sprouts

The brussels sprouts were divine.  Roasting provides that remarkable charred, caramelized flavor than just can't be imitated.  The pancetta was smoky and chewy, the grana was salty and savory.  I was popping these mini cabbages like candy.  These are absolutely my favorite brussels sprouts in town.
Now some might consider heirloom vegetables a bit passé, but I still thoroughly enjoy them.  They look more appetizing and tend to be sweeter and more tender.  (Commercially grown vegetables are grown for size rather than for flavor.)  I would have been more likely to eat my vegetables as a child if they looked and tasted like this!  The glazed carrots were syrupy and piquant, but I wish they had been cooked a little longer.  The chef came by our table and told us how he pickles his peppadew peppers (shown below), then purées them and reduces that down with honey for the glaze.  The pickling brine was sweeter than I expected with very little bite from the vinegar.  It also had the faint taste of melon, specifically honeydew (perhaps explaining the name?)  Research tells me they are not named for the melon, but my taste buds disagree.

Pickeled Peppadew & Corn Chowder

There was a little mix up with the soup du jour.  Our server told us it was a creamy beet soup with cayenne pepper.  That sounded adventurous enough for a taste.  Alas, we were presented with corn chowder with smoked salmon.  It was a bittersweet surprise as we are always on the hunt for a good corn chowder.  Pitch's is definitely one of the best in Omaha.  I tasted lots of butter and cream, and there were plenty of small corn niblets.  A distinct "chunkiness" helps to discern chowder from bisque (among other differences which shall be addressed in a future post).  There was a hint of smoky fishiness from the salmon, just the way I like it, not overwhelming.

Pizza

Shrooms pizza: roasted mushrooms, thyme cream, truffle cheese, oven dried tomatoes

Shrooms Pizza

Pitch is famous for this pizza, at least, in my circles.  Let me start by saying that I never liked mushrooms until I had this pizza.  Color me converted!  The crust was thin, crisp and chewy, cooked in a coal-fired oven.  This pizza was compounded with plenty of flavor: rich and full-bodied, bright and succulent.  Skip the pepperoni, and give this one a try!

Dessert
We ordered the "Ice Cream Flight" with ice cream and sorbet made by Pitch's Dundee neighbor, eCreamery.  Then, more confusion with the server.  (But she was trying so hard!)  She told us the flavors were vanillla bean, fresh blackberry, and sea salt caramel.  The first two were right, but the last one was straight up butterscotch.  Don't get me wrong, I love butterscotch, but at least know what you're putting in front of people.  If you're not sure, just politely apologize and correct yourself.  Also, if you call it a "flight," I expect three flavors in three separate bowls.  Ours came with three scoops in one bowl, so they ended up melting all over each other.  That's fine when mixing vanilla and butterscotch (or sea salt caramel), but not blackberry!
I must say I enjoyed the vanilla bean.  Most vanillas taste so artificial to me, but this one was obviously made with real vanilla bean pods, not chemically-flavored extracts.  The blackberry was tart and refreshing.  And of course, the butterscotch was my favorite - sweet and decadent.

I loved this entire meal.  Lots of bright colors mean fresh, tasty foods.  I only wish I had more room in my stomach to order one of my favorite salads.  I recommend: Arugula salad with prosciutto, candied walnuts, pears, maytag blue cheese, balsamic vinaigrette.

Other notes:
Visit in the summer and sit by the open garage door for "patio-like" seating
8" pies are available during lunch (perfect time to try the Marsala pizza)
Love the overhead music.  They played all my favorite oldies.

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Kona Grill

Location: 290 N. 170th St. - Village Pointe
Listening to: Sweet Love - Woo Yun Joo

We needed a last minute place to eat on Sunday night. We ended up at Kona Grill via Eat Here, Sunday. Fabulous resource.

Of course Vegan D decided to be vegetarian again, "just this once." But I managed to get him to eat some fish AND chicken. I'm such an evil omnivore :)

Let's get to it...

Hibiscus Cocktail

Cocktails
I chose to start with the Hibiscus Cocktail.  An effervescent drink containing Absolut Pear vodka, St. Germain, Lunetta prosecco, and a sugared hibiscus flower.
This libation was pleasantly sweet with very faint floral notes from the St. Germain.  I loved watching the bubbles rise from the base of the glass.  Dinner and a show!  Of course, it tasted mostly of champagne, in fact, so much that the pear and elderflower were totally eclipsed by the heart prosecco.  Still, a good starter drink.  Eating the flower afterward was a delight.  It tasted quite fruity after its bubbly bath in my glass.  Definitely worth a try!  And the champagne will go straight to your head :)

I also enjoyed a Strawberry Basil Lemonade.  It was very refreshing, and one may be tempted to guzzle it down.  Don't be fooled, this drink isn't virgin.  Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum, lemonade, strawberry, basil, Sprite.  This drink was incredibly cloying and tart, like liquid Smarties.  Strawberry and basil made a cameo on the back end.  The blend of herbal and fruity flavors added a mild complexity to a classic favorite.

Starters and Maki

Angry Edamame & Cold Seaweed Salad

The edamame was angry indeed!  The blanched pods were coated in what tasted like lime juice, chili paste, and garlic, with nutty soybeans on the inside.  Edamame is definitely one of the better beans in the world.  They're not mushy like pinto or white beans (blech!).  This dish left my lips and tongue afire, and consequently almost as angry as the aptly named appetizer.

The seaweed salad provided excellent contrast to cool my temper.  It was slimy and crunchy, coated in glorious sesame oil and seeds....mmmm!  I saw chili flakes but didn't taste them.  One might hesitate to try this salad, but I say go for it.

Volcano Roll

The Volcano Roll is one of my favorite cooked sushi rolls.  It comes garnished with daikon (bitter and starchy) and eel sauce.  Soft shell crab and whitefish on the inside, tender yamagobo and seaweed on the outside, and topped with motoyaki sauce.  A single drop of sriracha lends a hint of spice which is quickly dissolved into creamy, sweet, sinful goodness.  These are small and easily swallowed, so don't eat too fast.  Be sure to savor them just a bit.

The Checkerboard Roll is a whimsical, raw sushi roll of alternating flavors and textures....crisp asparagus, creamy avocado, and spicy habañero tuna on the inside.  The outside was topped with either tuna or yellowtail and spicy motoyaki sauce.  This roll comes with plenty of flavor and isn't dry at all.  I never use soy sauce for maki (unless it's terribly bland), and only then do I choose low sodium soy sauce.  I'm a firm believer you should always try a roll as it comes before drowning it in liquid brown brine.  But I digress...  The roll is marked as a Kona original, so again, a must try.

Checkerboard Roll

Entrées

Dustin ordered a veggie flatbread.... which was unimpressive.  Covered with asparagus, squash, red peppers, mushrooms, pesto, mozzarella, and balsamic reduction.  Ah, balsamic reduction, its saving grace!  Great dish for someone who likes to stick to the same old, same old.  I'm all for eating healthy, but throwing a bunch of "fresh frozen" veggies on a pizza lacks imagination and effort.  And the pesto...ugh the pesto.  Looks a bit nauseating, wouldn't you say?

Grilled Veggie Flatbread

I was feeling adventurous and thought I'd try something new.  Well, new for me.  Disclaimer: I am not a fan of bananas.  And I have been on an anti-chicken crusade for the last three years.  (I mean, really, a white chicken breast is rarely cooked properly and is the blandest meat in existence.  It's simply a vehicle for whatever sauce it's been drenched in.  Why bother?  You're better off with soup and a few chicken bones.)  Anyway, I ended up with Caribbean Chicken, "Pan-Asian Ratatouille," and caramelized bananas.  Talk about a stretch!

This dish smelled more like Thanksgiving turkey than anything from the Caribbean.  The aromas of garlic, sage, and brown sugar were very apparent.  There was a little kick at the end, a bit of jerk spices lay hidden underneath - allspice, scotch bonnet peppers, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, salt, thyme, and scallion.  It was salty and picante!  Not bad for chicken.  I was pleased to see the meat was roasted still on the bone, not drowned in sauce.  The ratatouille comprised of squash, tomato, eggplant, onion, zucchini, pineapple, black sesame seeds, and lots of cilantro.  I guess "pan-asian" meant regular ratatouille with pineapple salsa.
So I've hated bananas my whole life, but these were surprisingly good!  The skins were still on, but the flesh slid out easily.  There was a thin, delicate, crispy layer of sugar on the top, just like crème brûlée.  More of a dessert if you ask me, but tasty nonetheless.

Caribbean Chicken

While Kona Grill is not an Omaha-based joint, it is still a great place to try new cuisine and indulge in island flavors.  Let me know how your next trip goes by commenting below!