Daily Grub: Making Omaha Even Better

I'm happy to report that Daily Grub, the restaurant of Clean Plate's Elle Lien, is just as wonderful as the weekly raw brunches that I was lucky, and spoiled enough, to attend. After eating there multiple times, I find it very comforting to know that there is a vegan restaurant in Omaha that I can confidently recommend to anyone- vegan or not. The food and ambiance are fantastic and I can sometimes barely believe my luck to have this amazing restaurant in my own city.

When entering Daily Grub, you immediately notice the calm and clean aesthetic. This is a place that invites you to come in and relax, with sparse, beautiful and effective decor and delicious smells coming from Elle's tiny kitchen. The menu takes up most of a wall, and it is worth noting that Daily Grub is cash only, but eating there is absolutely worth hitting up the ATM.

And the food? Amazing, not that I expected anything less. I have sampled the green thai curry and two types of sopes, all with lovely, complex flavors in food that made me feel energized, rather than weighed down. I also was allowed a close-up look at a waffle, which I figured my mom would offer me a bite of. She didn't. I am 99% sure that this is the only time my mom has been so into her meal that she didn't offer me a taste. That's a big deal. The menu also features juices, smoothies, soups, hearty bowls, sandwiches and anything else Elle dreams up.

My one complaint with the restaurant is that I can't go there for dinner. Some days make it hard for me to squeeze a lunch trip over to Daily Grub in, and I would definitely stop there for dinner if the option was available, even for only a couple evenings a week. However, I will continue to buzz over for lunch whenever possible and will keep proudly recommending it to anyone who will listen.

Nebraska Vegan May be Spoiled: Jane's Health Market

Sometimes I wish there was a magical place in Omaha where I could get caramel booty, tings, Go Max Go candy bars, Primal Strips, Stonewall Jerky,tofu salad and fresh vegan chocolate chip cookies.

Oh wait, there is.

Jane's Health Market is a combination grocery store, deli and supplement store. You can meet all of your vegan needs (tofu, tempeh, nooch) and wants (Temptation Cookie Dough Ice Cream) here. The store has an excellent selection of vegan wants including the sought after Go Max Go bars in all four flavors, Zen Soy pudding, kombucha, coconut milk, coconut milk ice cream bars and veggie booty, among other previously mentioned (and unmentioned surprise) items.

In addition to this wide selection, Jane's deli also has a wide range of vegan selections. From house-made hummus to tofu salad to manna tofu-all fresh, all delicious. The bakery at Jane's provides vegans with chocolate chip cookies to round the meal out. Jane's has also been exploring the raw side of life and has been offering raw lasagna, raw tacos, raw nachos and raw truffles. It is surprisingly easy to spend an afternoon nibbling at the deli and chatting with Jane and Jim, the owners of Jane's Health Market, as well as their lovely employees.

Jane's also offers freshly juiced wheatgrass, something that can be tough to find in Omaha. If you prefer your health boost in pill form, Jane's offers a huge range of vitamins and supplements, as well as a staff who can help you out while you wander through the aisles.

In addition to all of this, Jane's also offers a massive selection of beauty products, from No Miss Nail Polish to Preserve Toothbrushes. If you need a vegan lotion, shampoo, conditioner, etc., Jane's can hook you up.

There's also an aisle of eco-friendly cleaning supplies such as Seventh Generation and Method products.

I could go on, but what's the point? You should be convinced by now. Jane's is located at 61st and Maple in the historic Benson district of Omaha, Nebraska, near The Waiting Room. Go pick some stuff up.

Nebraska Vegans May be Spoiled: Omaha Ethiopian Restaurant

When you think of Omaha, Nebraska, the first thing that pops into your mind is authentic, delicious, affordable Ethiopian food, right?

No?

I'm wrong?

Get prepared to change your mind because I am going to introduce you Omaha Ethiopian Restaurant.

Omaha Ethiopian Restaurant (yes, that is the name) is located at 25th and Leavenworth. If you aren't looking for it, you will drive straight past it. This place looks like a hole in the wall because, well, it is a hole in the wall. However, it is a delicious, clean, incredibly affordable hole in the wall. The menu is limited, with only eight items and one vegan selection: the veggie platter. Funny enough, I have never found myself wishing that there was another vegan option on the menu as I am consistently satisfied with the veggie platter. The platter is made up of a spicy lentil dish, a potato and carrot dish, a yellow lentil dish, greens and a curry that I like to dip the other dishes in. The dishes are slightly different every time the plate is ordered, but they are always good.

On top of being filling and delicious, the veggie platter is also cheap. One platter easily feeds two for only $6. Yes, $6. I stop here at least once a week for dinner and then proceed to eat the leftovers for both breakfast and lunch. When I'm tired, there's nothing that makes me happier than knowing I can get three filling, incredible meals for as cheap as if I made it.

PS- I'm sorry for the picture. It's hard to take pretty pictures of Ethiopian food, especially after they've been put in a take out box and transported back to my apartment.

Nebraska Vegans May be Spoiled: Part Four

Vegans have long resigned themselves to only being able to enjoy a select few rolls of sushi at most restaurants: the avocado roll, cucumber roll, veggie roll....you know the drill. However much I love those plain avocado rolls, sometimes I just want a little more variety. I shoot jealous sideways glances at my friends who are having a difficult time deciding between all their different fish filled rolls, while I made my decision within 30 seconds. Avocado roll and an inari, please.

This is why I'm constantly thankful for Matsu Sushi, located at 1009 Farnam Street, in the beautiful Old Market. Out of the 23 vegetarian rolls available, an astounding 21 rolls can be made vegan. Simply ask that the tempura be rolled in oil rather than egg, and you are good to go. Going there is a deliciously overwhelming experience. My favorites include the tofu yasai maki, which includes lightly fried tofu, green onions and peanuts, and the yasai maki, which includes cucumber, avocado and tempura battered asparagus and sweet potato. The next roll I intend to try is the mangotini, a concoction of mango, various veggies and no rice, all wrapped in nori.

My one caveat with this restaurant is that the service is not...brisk. Thankfully, the atmosphere here is very relaxing and the music is quiet enough that you can talk to everyone at your table. In short, bring someone you truly enjoy having conversations with, order an appetizer of edamame and then simply enjoy the evening as it happens.

The next time you are craving something beyond your basic cucumber roll (which is all the time for me), definitely hit up the Omaha's own, local Matsu Sushi.

Nebraska Vegans May be Spoiled: Part Three

The image to the left is of mojitos. The mojito is a tasty summer drink made out of mint leaves, simple syrup, lime juice, club soda and rum. These particular mojitos are also organic, with locally grown mint and with simple syrup made in-house. Interested?

What if I told you that while these organic mojitos are available in the summer, there is another equally tasty drink available during the winter months? Does that pique your interest? What if that drink was hot rum and cider? Would you want to know what wonderful, magical place had these drinks?

Well, you're in luck. These delightful concoctions are from Brothers Bar in Omaha, located at 3812 Farnam St. Please note that this Brothers has absolutely no affiliation with the Brothers Bars in Lincoln or Lawrence. This means that the popped collars and hot wings you may be associating with Brothers are now null and void. This Brothers is vastly superior, with a fantastic jukebox full of punk music, a pool table, pub games, darts and the nicest staff I have ever encountered at a bar. The atmosphere is also wonderful. I have never felt like I had to guard my butt from being grabbed or that I was in danger of immediate gropage. There is a laid back atmosphere overall, and it is immediately apparent upon entering Brothers that you should grab a drink and a seat (there is almost always one available) and sit back and relax.

But let's go back to how wonderful the staff is. Not only do they make the strongest, yet most delicious, drinks I've ever had, they will actually come out from behind the bar to take your order and have it waiting for you when you get to the counter. Seriously. It's amazing. If you are having trouble deciding what you want, instead of getting an eyeroll, you are handed a menu of their specialty drinks and given suggestions with a smile. The drinks are also cheap, which doesn't hurt.

So yes, this post may not be specifically vegan, but vegans in Nebraska are definitely spoiled by having this bar in their figurative backyard. Fantastic staff, amazing, cheap drinks (try the Moscow Mule!), great atmosphere, impressive jukebox and a location across the street from McFoster's make this bar in the bar that I like to spend my money and time at. So come support one of Omaha's best local bars. I know I will be!

What was on my Clean Plate....two weeks ago: Middle Eastern Brunch

I'll admit it. This little blog hasn't been my number one priority. I've relocated to a new city and started two new jobs, so I've been a little busy. However, now that my wonderful life is a little more settled (I have a sofa bed now!), I can return to the important things in life: talking about eating.

What could be more appropriate for a return to form than reminiscing about the Clean Plate brunch I ate two weeks ago. It was Middle Eastern themed and it was wonderful. I apologize for the shoddy photo, but I was seriously excited about digging in, and I was talking about cats, so you know nothing good can come of that combo. I was especially excited about the return of the best tofu scramble I have ever had in my entire life. Other players were hummus, baba ghanoush, dolmas (I love dolmas so much), a minty watermelon fruit salad, pita, halvah and the classic waffles, this time with the addition of a super tasty orange sauce. The surprise favorite for me were the coconut date balls. I'm sure there is a more formal term for these, but all I know is they were delicious and I could have eaten them for days.

I am most definitely looking forward to Elle's upcoming Tex/New Mex/Mex brunch. It has been far too long since I 've been able to enjoy the culinary work of Clean Plate. Yay!

Nebraska Vegans May be Spoiled: Part Two

Some people say that vegetables are a staple of their diets, others say carbs. I say pizza. I have a deep, passionate love for that delectable crust with savory or sweet toppings. People often question how I eat pizza as a vegan, but pizza has only become a better and more creative food the longer I am vegan. From creating my own cheese to trying new and different toppings (next: sauerkraut), vegan pizza is a neverending vat of possibilities and delicious.

However, sometimes a girl doesn't want to go to the trouble of making her own. Sometimes you just want that goodness delivered to you. This is where Night Flight comes in. Night Flight (402-342-4500) makes fantastic pizza from 4pm to 4am, and will deliver out to 120th. As the business is vegan owned and operated, pretty much anything on the non-vegan portion of their menu can be made vegan; they even have Tofutti cream cheese for a topping! Additionally, all vegan items are prepared in their own area and kept in their own freezer. Yes, no cross contamination worries! Yay!

Night Flight also has amazing vegan cookies available. From banana chocolate chip to ginger to double chocolate (the one pictured) to (my favorite) frosted sugar cookie, these are the best cookies in town. I have been known to wait in the dining area for the sugar cookies to be placed in the oven, baked, cooled and frosted. Yes, they are that good. Definitely a wonderful end to a beautiful meal of pizza.

I have loved Night Flight from the first time I enjoyed their pizza. Amazingly, it just got better. One exciting addition is their integration of Teese cheese onto their pizza. For those of you who have (sadly) never had Teese, it is a melty vegan cheese that tastes very, very, very good. Night Flight is taking advantage of this by using Teese not only on their pizza, but also on their new vegan cheese sticks! One of the things I had been missing as a vegan was good cheese sticks, but no more, thanks to Night Flight. I look forward to many late night orders of these bad boys.

Also, there is a whole slew of vegan options on the menu, from an AMAZING tempeh, lettuce and tomato to Boca Burgers, there is a chance that if you want it, Night Flight just may have it. The TLTs they make are intensely delicious and if it was a buffet, I would eat about seven. The vegan crabcakes they have are the fish replacer that I have been searching for since I was in eighth grade. Perfectly reminiscent of good fish, without that nasty garbage smell or having to kill anything. With any luck, I will someday have pictures of these items for you. Hopefully these items will show up on the menu soon, but go ahead and order and savor them. I know I do.

PS- For those of you with gluten issues, Night Flight is also working on developing a vegan, gluten free crust that will also have a separate mixer. Yay!

Nebraska Vegans May be Spoiled: Part One

Nebraska. The word conjures up a vegan wasteland, often prompting questions along the lines of "can you even eat there?" However, Nebraskan vegans have a lot going on, from our $6 Vegetarian Platter at Omaha Ethiopian Restaurant (25th and Leavenworth) to Taj Mahal's two page vegan menu (located in Lincoln) to the aforementioned TLTs from McFoster's, we have quite a bit to choose from.

In fact, I thought it was pretty darn good.

But it got better. Much better. Mind-blowingly better.

I found out about Clean Plate brunch. Clean Plate is the brainchild of Elle Lien, who creates some of the best food I have ever eaten. Each Sunday, she is kind enough to invite people into her home for a $5 all you can eat, mostly raw, vegan brunch. I wasn't sure what to expect the first time I went there, but after inhaling about a billion pieces of onion bread with asparagus pesto and sun-dried tomatoes, I knew my culinary life in Omaha would never be the same.

Each week, Elle outdoes herself with amazing creations that have me thinking about brunch all week long. Here are some photos from this week's raw crepe feast:
























Highlights included raw sweet crepes, to be topped with peanut butter sauce or chocolate sauce, raw savory crepes to be topped with lemon hollandaise or a concoction of basil, tomatoes and mushrooms, asparagus pesto scrambled tofu (best I've ever had), ONION BREAD (totally obsessed with this), delicious croquettes made with sunflower seeds, waffles, leeks, a walnut and (I'm guessing) nectarine salad and fresh berries. To drink, there was a strawberry-type smoothie (delish), coffee and water. All for $5. All I could eat. Seriously. This is what my dreams are made of.

In short, I already knew that Nebraska was secretly awesome. Elle really hits this point home with her amazing brunches where she consistently outdoes herself by creating absolutely incredible food. I am most definitely looking forward to when she opens her Clean Plate restaurant in August during the Empty Room series. That's right, a raw, vegan restaurant in Nebraska. Nebraska Vegans may be spoiled.