M&N Sandwich

It has been WAY to long since I have written one of these and I am going to try to catch up when I have time as I have several restaurants to write about. This isn't a breakfast place, but in my opinion a hidden gem in the center of Lincoln.

Today a co-worker and I went to M&N Sandwich at 27th and Randolph.  M&N is tucked in between a series of shops on the Northeast corner of the intersection and is very unassuming from the outside.  If you drive there you will need to park in the alley in the back.  I have eaten here several times over the past couple years and I keep going back for one simple reason: it is really good.

Inside is no frills.  A few tables and chairs, a tv in the corner, a menu board with pictures, and a counter to order at.  Some people liken the gentleman behind the counter to the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld.  He is a little gruff, but makes a hell of a sandwich.  A little advise: look at the pictures and know what you want to order when you get to the counter. 

Today I had the double Italian combo.  A sandwich made of a hearty Italian roll, Italian beef, pastrami, and topped with Swiss cheese.  The sandwich comes three ways: light, medium, or juicy.  I usually go with medium, meaning the sandwich is dipped in au jus.  Its juicy but you can still pick it up.  If you go "juicy" you will have juice running down your elbows when you eat it, and if you order "light" you will probably get a very stern look from the owner.

Last summer in Chicago I went to Al's Beef to have an Italian Beef sandwich.  I had seen Al's Beef shown all over the travel shows on TV as having an amazing sandwich, and they do... but M&N blows them out of the water every day of the week.  Abby doesn't care for M&N but I think she is flat out crazy... maybe some of the "charm" is lost on her.  Regardless I love the place.  Be prepared to wait though, depending on when you show up.  It is a one man show and he makes every order individually.  It takes a little time but trust me it is worth it. 


One other thing I think I am going to do with this blog is post movie recommendations.  The people that know me know that I watch a ton of movies; and being so, I watch a lot of movies that other people never see.  So, for my first recommendation is the movie Dogtooth.  This is a Oscar nominated Greek movie about a family that lives secluded from the rest of society.  The movie is a little strange but I found it very engaging; I was always trying to figure out what exactly is going on.  Go get a sandwich and watch a movie, hopefully neither will disappoint.

Aura

So this is my first non-breakfast blog and I really need to keep this thing more up to date. I have about a month of lag between when we eat somewhere and when I write about it.  I also want to preface this entry by saying that I want to keep this website as positive as possible.  I don't like writing negative things and I keep this blog as a hobby and because it is something that I enjoy. Anyway...

Aura.  We went to Aura for our anniversary last month. Nine years already!  We usually try to find a nicer restaurant to go to and spend too much money on for a dinner for two.  After looking at their menu and pictures on their website (www.dineaura.com)  I thought this place would be a good fit and a bit fancier than usual.  To Abby it looked a little too "foo-foo" but I told her that if we didn't enjoy it at least it would give us something to complain about. 

We had my brother come over to babysit, got dressed, and headed out.  Upon arriving we were seated immediately.  For appetizers we ordered tuna tartare and some bruschetta with shrimp and steak.  The tuna was everything I hoped it would be.  Ahi tuna in soy sauce, sesame oil, wasabi and scallions. I LOVE sushi and this was right up my alley.  Delicious. The other appetizer wasn't really anything special.  A piece of bruschetta with a slice of skirt steak or a piece of shrimp.  It was difficult to eat and I thought that it didn't have much flavor at all.

For our main courses Abby ordered the shrimp and I ordered the duck.  This is where things went bad. Worse than bad.  The shrimp was served with risotto and was advertised as having some sort of garlic butter sauce or something.  Quite honestly nothing on Abby's plate had any flavor.  The shrimp were not anything special.  They looked like the pre-cooked frozen shrimp that you get at Walmart in a bag and there was no garlic buttery anything.  The risotto was just as disappointing as it had NO flavor.  If you didn't tell me it was risotto I would have thought they were grits.  I'm not knocking grits, but come on, they are bland.  

Abby's food being as bland as it was I would have traded my plate for hers in a heartbeat.  My duck was served with some sort of cherry sauce and wild rice.  To say it was bad would be one of the biggest understatements I could make.  It was flat out terrible.  Who ever made the cherry sauce must have had their tongue removed somewhere previous to working in a restaurant.  It was so incredibly bitter that it was inedible.  I tried as hard as I could to eat it but three bites was all I could force down.  I have never sent something back to my kitchen in my entire life but in this case I had to.  Hopefully they will reconsider serving food of this quality in the future.  When we were getting ready to leave I overheard a waiter at another table say that they had a special sushi menu that evening, something our waiter neglected to tell us.   I wish I would have known because this blog may have went in the opposite direction.  Oh well.

After leaving completely unsatisfied and still hungry Abby and I went to Big Red Keno for nachos and a few beers.  I played my normal numbers and won back all of the money that I spent at Aura. Thanks, universe!  While this was probably the worst restaurant that either of us has been to I do have to say I was left eating my own words.  It has given us something to complain about and turned out to be one of our more memorable anniversaries. 

The Green Gateau

This last weekend we tried The Green Gateau in downtown Lincoln.  The Green Gateau is more upscale than the other places we have been; tablecloths etc.  Abby and I ate here years ago but I really couldn't remember too much about it so we headed back.

The restaurant seemed pretty busy when we walked in but we were seated right away in one of the back rooms.  Our waitress was very friendly and Zander being the social butterfly and ladies man that he is was constantly chatting her up.  Abby and Zander ordered their usual's and I ordered the Eggs Benedict with a potato pancake.  The service was prompt, which I really appreciate, and our food came fairly quick.

Abby's biscuits and gravy were a different take on the traditional classic.  Not really much sausage in them but tons of other different flavors, a new spin on what can be a boring dish.  The biscuits were light and fluffy and the gravy was loaded with savory spices. Abby thought they were very good and was pleasantly surprised by their flavor. I only snuck one bite but I agreed with her completely.  My eggs benedict tasted good but they weren't anything too exciting and the holendaise had very little flavor. I'd rate them as average.  The accompanying potato pancake was very interesting.  It was very savory and loaded with herbs. Crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, very well cooked.  Z enjoyed his bacon and pancake.  He must have anyway because he devoured them before I could ask.

Portion sizes at The Green Gateau are very generous but their prices are higher than the other places we have been.  Our bill was roughly $40 for the three of us.  The food was "ok". They do interesting twists on standard breakfast fare but overall they land in the middle of the pack.  I really have no complaints but nothing was jumping out as outstanding.  If you are looking for a classier place to take someone and want to avoid a greasy spoon than this is the place for you. 

Tina's Cafe

WOW!

That is about the best way I can start this blog.  We went to Tina's about a month ago, I just haven't taken the time to write about it yet.  This cozy little place is located at about 6th and South street.  I use the word cozy because the restaurant seats around 20 people with no elbow room to spare. Tina's is dripping with character from head to toe.  The walls are adorned with knick-knacks, old photos, and NASCAR memorabilia. I have been wanting to try this place for quite a while and we had attempted to go there a few weeks prior, but they close at 11am on Saturday's and I'm not quite sure if they are open on Sunday's. 

More importantly the food is AMAZING!  We all went with our "usual's"- Pancakes and bacon for Z, biscuits and gravy for Abby, and ham and eggs for myself.  Tina's really sets itself apart by making everything fresh, from scratch.  Luckily we arrived when we did because Abby got they very last of the biscuits and they are something that shouldn't be missed.  Abby rates them near the very top of her list, maybe THE best in the city after our recent re-visit of Two Twins.  I stole a bite of Zander's pancakes and they were top notch.  Very light and fluffy and the taste was amazing.  (I realize I'm using the word "amazing" a lot, but no other adjective will do.)  My ham and eggs were good but the real star of the show was the hash browns.  From the way they tasted I wouldn't be surprised if they shredded each potato to order. They really tasted that fresh. Heck, everything tasted that fresh.  After eating their potatoes it is easy to tell what you are missing when you go to a places that gets them frozen out of a bag.

The service was friendly and the food came quick.  Even when I try to be nit-picky I can't think of anything to complain about.  Tina's Cafe is doing everything right.  Homemade, made from scratch food, that is simple yet extremely delicious.   My new "Best Breakfast Place" in Lincoln. 

Shoemaker's vs. Shoemaker's

If you are unaware the owners of the longtime truck stop on West O street called Shoemaker's split a year or two ago and one of them built a new Shoemaker's directly across the street from the old one.  The new place brought the name with them and the old place is now called the Cobbler Cafe.  My friend Michele gave me the idea to try both places and then blog about which Shoemaker's is better.

New Shoemaker's:

We decided to try the new place first on Halloween morning.  The new building is very large and very nice and when we arrived the restaurant was about 90% full, but we didn't have to wait to be seated.  It seemed to take quite a while for the waitress to come to the table. Took a while to get our drinks. Took a while a get the waitress to come back to take our order.  And that was just the beginning of the waiting.

Abby ordered her usual B&G's, Z his usual Pancakes and bacon, and myself ordered the chicken fried steak and eggs.  It was the first thing on their menu and listed as their "specialty".  Sounded good to me. 

A while after ordering we noticed something very odd:  No one in our entire section of the restaurant had any food.  You could tell people were getting restless, and finally when the table next us got theirs they informed the rest of us in the hungry mass that it took an hour and fifteen minutes from the time they ordered.  A gentleman at the table at the opposite side of us joked about having to change his order from breakfast to lunch.

An hour after ordering we finally got our food.  I'd like to say it was worth the wait, but it wasn't.  Abby's biscuits and gravy had no visible signs of sausage in them and the biscuits were overly chewy.  I would rate my chicken fried steak as average at best.  The coffee was ok, but I never did get the cream that I asked for.  Z had no complaints about the food, and thankfully they had crayons for him to color with.  I wish I could say more about the food specifically, but it's really nothing to write home about. (Man, that is a very lame but true pun)

Old Shoemaker's:

Yesterday we ventured out to the old Shoemakers, now the Cobbler Cafe.  Joining us for breakfast was the Arney family.  The restaurant was busy but we were seated right away.  We arrived before the Arney's so we were not in any sort of a rush, but neither were the wait staff.  Right away I started to notice a trend between the two Shoemakers.  It took 20 minutes for them to bring menus, two of them for the six of us.  I cant remember how long after that it took for them to return take our orders, probably not less than 15 minutes.  After we ordered I really wondered if they completely forgot about us.  It was nice having another family there for the conversation, and the two kids seemed to keep each other occupied. 

Finally, after a solid hour most of our food came.  Biscuits and gravy for Abby, pancakes and sausage for Z, Aleena had toast and scrambled eggs, an omelet covered in chili for Josh (Josh had to wait for his omelet), and the "Benedict Arnold" for Christy and myself.  The "Benedict Arnold" is a layer of hashbrowns topped with eggs and Canadian bacon then topped with another layer of hashbrowns then smothered in hollandaise sauce. They have several varieties of these hashbrown monstrosities and all of them looked pretty good.

The food at the Cobbler Cafe was tons better than the new Shoemaker's.  I liked the Benedict Arnold quite a bit, and I would go back and have it again. Christy agreed.  Zander finished his pancakes and sausage without taking and breath and even stole a piece of toast from Josh.  Abby's biscuits and gravy were very good even though they were lukewarm by the time she got them.  They were the sausage biscuit sandwich covered in gravy variety, and the sausage was remarkably good.  After finally getting his omelet, Josh said that it was good. 

To me it seemed like the Cobbler Cafe offered a lot more variety than the new Shoemaker's and there are several other items that I'd like to go back and try, if I have the time.  They had some gigantic homemade cinnamon rolls that looked phenomenal. 

Verdict:

In the battle of Shoemaker's vs. Shoemaker's I have to say the the OLD place wins.  The Cobbler Cafe's food was better but both places tried VERY hard to lose this battle.  I would caution anyone from trying either place without a couple hours of your day to kill.

Here is an off the cuff rating that I just came up with:
New Shoemakers:
Food - C-  Service - F

Old Shoemakers:
Food- B  Service - D-

Virginia's Travelers Cafe

I remember eating at Virginia's with my parents when I was a kid.  Ironically enough this was the first place that I took my son.  Abby and I were brand new parents and we had been home with our new baby Z for a week or two when cabin fever started to set in.  I don't know why we chose Virginia's, I hadn't been there for close to 20 years, but that is where we had our first family outing.  Our first meal together at a restaurant.  Walking in the doors after all that time was like stepping into a time machine.  Absolutely nothing had changed.  For those of you that haven't been to this hidden gem it's whats most people would call a "greasy spoon".  To me that term is a really poor way to describe the place.  It is a throw back to the classic cafe.  No frills, good food, large portions and an even better price.  I cant remember for sure what I ate but a good guess would be ham and eggs for me and french toast for Abby.  Probably more food than any sane person could eat for a total of around $12 or so. 

Virginia's has turned into our old standby.  When the line at the other place is too long or we just can't decide where to go we head to Virginia's.  We know we are going to get good food at a great price.   The last time we ate there we had tried to go to The Engine House with my parents, grandfather, and brother.  We arrived at The Engine House at the same time as everyone else in Havelock so we headed up the street a way's to Virginia's.  I think the total bill for all seven of us was $48 and everyone was stuffed. 

Abby doesn't rank the biscuits and gravy very high but she really likes the french toast.  Lately I've kind of jumped all over the menu but I've never had anything that I didn't like.  Go eat there, you wont be disappointed. 

Greenfields

I need to start this off by saying we did not intend to go to Greenfields.  In my mind I had lumped it into the same category as Village Inn, Perkins, and IHOP.  Not saying that those places are bad, just that I view them all as being the same.  They are corporate owned and basically have the same menu.  Everything is "OK" but nothing is outstanding.  Our original destination, Stauffer's Cafe, is not open on Sundays and we didn't know that till we drove to the other side of town.  Geenfield's came up so we headed that direction.   The parking lot was packed, but we didn't have to wait more than a couple minutes for a table. For being extremely busy I thought the service was very good.

Abby ordered her staple biscuits and gravy, Z had is usual pancakes and bacon, and I ordered some sort of sampler consisting of eggs, potatoes, pancakes, and bacon.

Abby rates their B&G's as average or slightly below.  The were a slightly different take on the classic.  A sausage patty placed on a biscuit split in half then covered in white gravy. Essentially a sausage sandwich covered in white gravy.  The gravy itself had virtually no flavor, which she found disappointing.  Z rates his meal as "good" and he was happy that they had crayons to occupy his time while waiting. 

I thought the pancakes were pretty good, probably second to Two Twins but the real star was their breakfast potatoes.  They are a cross between home fries and mashed potatoes, I guess I could call them "smashed home fries", and they were amazingly good.  They seemed to be cooked in the left over sausage grease with little pieces of sausage in the potatoes.  Next time I go back I'm just going to order a big plate of them and skip everything else.  I love potatoes, I could eat them every day.  These are the best potatoes I have ever eaten.  Abby agrees.

Even though Abby doesn't rate this restaurant very highly (two separate "Top Lists" coming soon) I disagree. Eating at Greenfield's taught me two things: 1. Leave my preconceived notions about restaurants at home. and 2. Good food can be found anywhere.  Point number 2 drives home point number 1.