Mmmmmm. . .

While we were gone I was tagged by e-Mom for a restaurant meme, so here goes nothing. I'm supposed to pick five of my favorite restaurants. I feel I need to preface my choices by saying this list will seem very boring to most of you. There are not a lot of fine dining opportunities in our little community and my budget has not allowed for me to take advantage of many of those that do exist. I've decided to highlight some places that are distinctively Nebraskan and missed by those natives who move away.

1. The Black Crow. This is the best eating establishment in our little town and boasts clientele from around the region. The chef trained in Europe and I found out recently he nearly opened his place in Seattle (thought you'd get a kick out of that, e-Mom--it could have been on YOUR list!). Dinner can be pretty pricey, but never disappointing. The last time I ate there for dinner I had some kind of concoction with salmon, shrimp and squid in it--very exotic. Lunches are very reasonable and I believe there is nothing on earth like their Chocolate Decadence dessert. The ambiance is fantastic which is always a big plus in my book.

2. Valentino's. This local Italian restaurant chain started in Lincoln, Nebraska. I grew up on their pizza and associate it with many fond memories as a child, which is probably why I always like it best. Their Sunday brunch is one of the best around. Their family pack specials are a favorite of our family and a very good deal for larger families. We order one often at our house for movie nights.

3. Runza. Okay, technically this is not fine dining. This is actually a fast food chain, again originating in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Runza "sandwich" is a ground beef, cabbage, seasoning mixture rolled up in a dough and though this is their signature item, they also have the best hamburgers, french fries, onion rings and chili around as well.

4. Grandmother's. Like I said, I'm all about the ambiance which is one of the reasons I chose this restaurant. Again, this is a Nebraska original started by, I believe, Bob Kerrey, a former governor and U.S. Senator of Nebraska who once ran for President. Their menu is pretty standard home-cooking kind of fare (and very good), but my favorite part of this place is its roomy, tall booths. The tops are enclosed with etched glass which makes them seem very private and drowns out the usual noise found in a big eating establishment.

5. Carlos O'Kelly's. Yes, I know, this is a national chain and not purely Nebraskan. It just happens to be a favorite of our family. We don't often take the whole clan to sit down restaurants because it can really kaching (if you know what I mean), but when we do, this is one we like to hit. Their chips are full of pockets of crispiness (had to put that in for my daughter).

And there you have it. If you're ever in the fair state of Nebraska, check out these places and enjoy. I've decided not to tag anybody else for this as my delay in getting it done has probably made this old news. If you'd like to share (especially those of you from Nebraska who think I may have missed some really good places), please feel free to leave a comment or post something on your own blog. Bon Appetit!