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.