B & G Tasty Foods

7900 West Dodge Road
Omaha, NE 68114-3423(402) 390-6096
Monday thru Saturday 11-9, Sunday 11-3
www.bgtastyfoods.com

The Bee Gee

"HOME OF THE LOOSE MEAT SANDWICH" the website proclaims. The term "loose meat" made me worry it would lead to loose something else, I have to admit. Happily, there were no physical side effects after scarfing down a Bee Gee sandwich, a Cheese Frenchee, and a chocolate shake. They say everything there is "unchanged since 1953." All I could think was we, as a human race, have gotten much better at deep frying things in the last sixty years. The Cheese Frenchee was mostly just a brick of fried matter, and surprisingly stingy on the cheese. Adding loose meat to the mix, as in the Bee Gee Frenchee, couldn't even take it up a level. As for the Bee Gee Sandwich, the supposed star, I expected the meat to be better seasoned and the bun to be toastier.

I'm gonna file this one under the "Better When Drunk" file. Hey, a lot of things are better when drunk, right? Maybe go in during Bee Gee happy hour, when they're a buck apiece weekdays from 4-6pm. Other than that I'd say stick to Don and Millie's for your Frenchee fix, where at least they have dollar margs to numb your gustatory sense.

Cheese Frenchee:
A deep fried grilled cheese

Bee Gee Frenchee:
A deep fried grilled cheese with LOOSE MEAT inside

Chocolate Shake and Boring Limp Soggy Fries

Laos Thai Restaurant

4520 South 24th Street (near South High, between J and K Streets)

Omaha, NE 68107

(402) 733-0579

Open for lunch and dinner, Monday thru Saturday, closes early

Basil Fried Rice with Chicken

My ma was a workin' ma. Most nights she got home early enough to make us one of those home-cooked square meals. I'm talking a protein, veg, and starch, ultra-American and dare I say bland. Other nights I made a mean Kraft mac and cheese. Once a week it was pizza or cheesesteaks. As a grown up with my own disposable income, I have hyper-compensated for this lack of ethnic foods during my youth (see: the Rest of This Blog), and have grown to love all things spiced, rice'd, and with veggies that are diced. (Dork.) 

Indian cuisine would be the winner, followed closely by Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Thai (pronounced "thigh"). My maiden voyage to find good Thai in Omaha need not go further than Laos Thai Market. I say good--and not great--because my Basil Fried Rice with Chicken was not the burst of flavor on my tongue that I wanted. Diners request their spiciness level on each dish, and I went with "6," afraid anything higher would be too ballsy. Next time I think I'll crank it up to 11, if they'll let me. Bites with actual basil were few, but tasty when I could find them. The oily quality made the whole thing a little mushy, but with enough onion and green pepper crunch to keep it afloat. 

Regarding the interior, the south wall is adorned with a cluster of kitschy crap, mostly small figurines a flea market granny would die for, and the server had a playful, curt sense of humor. With most dishes at $9.99 and up, I felt the price didn't quite match the atmosphere, but maybe I'm just a big giant snob. Hey, at least we got a gratis spring roll, which I was able to down in one bite. 

One roll, one gulp

I'll admit I may have chosen a dud of an entree, so I'll be back to try the Pad Thai, the Papaya Salad, or the curries, which are recommended by others. Speaking of fellow eaters, if you've got something to say about a place you love (or hate), write a guest entry with photos, send it here, and I'll post it. My taste buds might be the best, but yours are probably pretty all right too. 

"Poor Man Noodles" with Tofu

La Casita

1328 Park Avenue (just south of Poppleton Ave.)
Omaha, NE 68105
(402) 934-7575
Closed Mondays

To celebrate National Taco Day today, I'm sharing with you my favorite place to eat them in all of Omahaland. Perhaps one of the best kept secrets in the city, La Casita is a friendly little house that serves quality, authentic Mexicuisine. You can go just for the food, or you can relax and sip a Michelada or margarita. The jukebox tunes can get a little rambunctious, and beware of Sundays, when the place is bursting with fiesta. When you walk in, your nostrils will perk at the smell of refried beans, which will then cause your tongue to salivate. If this doesn't happen, there's something wrong with you. Try a taco al pastor in a soft flour tortilla. And maybe a carne asada quesadilla, which is a neatly stuffed brick of meat and cheese that is perfect to share with your pals. Vegetarians will only really have cocktails and chips to savor, but that's kind of hardcore, eh? Maybe a side of rice? No matter what, you will leave stuffed and happy with only a couple bucks missing from your wallet. See you there.

Michelada

Taco al Pastor and Carne Asada Burrito

Sope

Gordita and Taco with Flour Tortilla