Tag Archives: restaurant

photo of Asian Chicken Salad at Beacon Hills Grill & Bar

On the Tasty Trail – Lunch: Beacon Hills Grill & Bar

Teardrop Trail Log: June 13, 2017

It’s always nice to catch up with Jon, Jim’s brother and his wife Judy in Omaha. I’ve enjoyed spending time with them in their condo in Park City and their home in Omaha. I has been fun getting to know Omaha on our visits over the last few years. This time we hit the Tasty Trail for an amazing lunch at Beacon Hills Grill & Bar.

We drove to the Aksarben Village, a vibrant neighborhood location on the land of the former Ak-Sar-Ben coliseum and horse track in Midtown Omaha. This new, pedestrian friendly development is combined with the south campus of the University of Nebraska Omaha and the First Data Campus. It is home to many of Omaha’s major corporations, restaurants, Stinson Park, and even the Omaha Farmers Market.

We drove to Beacon Hills Grill & Bar. It opened in fall of 2016 and is a new venture of the owners whose Lincoln location was a local’s favorite for 16 years. The website describes the experience as homemade American Cuisine with Midwest hospitality. “Every one of our memorable homemade dishes is made from scratch.”

The atmosphere is contemporary combined with an urban industrial ambience. It is comfortable with exposed warm, wooden beams and large windows. The walls were adorned by modern sculpture that offered a nod to the windmill, a mid-western visual icon. There is an outdoor patio with a fireplace and gazebos.

I enjoyed the Asian Chicken Salad, with mixed greens, orange slices and snow peas tossed in a house-made Asian vinaigrette. The crispy-fried chicken tenders had been dipped in peanut sauce. Best of all were the mini egg rolls. Sadly, we did not take time to sample the amazing desserts.

Beacon Hills Grill & Bar is a real find! Hope we can dine there again when the Teardrop Trail takes us to Omaha again. This time with dessert.

photo of Interior Othello's

Another Stop on the Tasty Trail – Edmond, Oklahoma

Teardrop Trail Log: June 10, 2017

Our first night on the Teardrop Trail was spent in Edmund, Oklahoma. On the edge of Oklahoma City, it is a great stopping place about half way from Dripping Springs to Omaha where Jim’s brother and Bob, his high school friend live.

Jim had introduced me to Edmond when stayed at the Best Western on the way to and from his high school reunion in July of 2015. It is conveniently located near I-35. On that trip, we explored a bit before having a wonderful dinner at Moni’s Pasta and Pizza, a culinary gem hiding in a strip mall on North May Avenue with great food and a casual, comfortable atmosphere.

photo of table with candle and check

A Lovely Evening

On the Tasty Trail this trip, we continued to explore the local culinary scene. A short Google search lead us to Othello’s, a family-owned Italian restaurant downtown, located in the building that was the original home of Edmond’s first hospital which was on the second floor of the town’s first movie theater. It is a picturesque dining destination with a classic vibe, complete with a pressed tin ceiling and candles melting over wine bottles. The walls were decorated with colorful murals of the Italian countryside. The service was friendly and we started with glasses of lovely Italian red. The menu contains many Italian favorites. Jim ordered Hellen’s Baked Ravioli and I ordered Nancy’s Penne Tomato Alfredo with Chicken from the Customer Creations section, a unique feature of Othello’s menu.

After dinner, we went in search of a bottle of wine for a night cap, but discovered that the liquor stores closed at 9:00. Disappointed, we returned to the cozy comfort of the Best Western for a much-needed rest. The morning brought a trip through the free continental breakfast buffet before we headed to Omaha.