Pies & Pints

We have found a new casual date-night favorite.  Pies and Pints:  located in Lincoln's Haymarket.  This is a fun little pizza pub located in the basement below Maggie's Vegetarian Wraps.  They have an excellent selection of beer and the pizza is unique, without being too weird.  Dustin always orders the "Flaming Head" pizza and I get the "Wisconsin's Best," which is about the exact opposite of Dustin's spicy choice.
The atmosphere is different than most places in the Haymarket.  It is sports-themed, but not annoyingly so and has a nice amount of televisions.  We have never been there when it was busy, but I can imagine they run out of table space pretty quickly.  The first few times we went, the service was great; fast and friendly.  But the last time was a different story.  I'm pretty sure our server was stoned He couldn't seem to focus on what we were saying and had to come back to retake our order because by the time he got back to the kitchen, he had forgotten it.
If you are looking for a place that has good, cheap pizza and beer where you can find a tv to watch, try Pies and Pints.


 Read the review from The Lincoln Journal Star

Pizza Wars 2012

We are going having a pizza tournament this summer. We are looking for the "Sweet 16" of pizzas in Lincoln. Here's the suggestions so far.
Please leave suggestions.
 Please no Pizza Hut, Dominos, etc.

Spikes - Buffalo Chicken
Cappy's - Cheese steak
Isle's - Leaning Tower
Grisanti's - Top 10
Davinci's - Chicken Cordon Blue
Blue Mountain - Barbeque Chicken
Piezano's - Potato
Patty's Pub - Fat Pat's Favorite
Valentino's - Special
Yia Yia's - The Mediterranean
Pie's and Pints - Clucking Good

Just the Beginning

One of our favorite things to do is to go to an establishment and order several appetizers instead of a meal.  This gives us the opportunity to try several different flavors at once without spending a lot of time or money.

Top 5 Nebraska Appetizers:

Autumn's List:

1. Onion Rings, The Cellar, Kearney - I love these onion rings!  They are homemade deliciousness at its finest.
2. Spinach Artichoke Wontons, Jasper's Bar and Grill, Lincoln (Eagle) - When I saw these wontons on the menu, I had to order them.  What an interesting mix of flavors, unlike anything else around.
3. Chili Cheese Fries, The Bar, Unadilla (Friday's only) - I look forward to Friday nights when I can get these fries.  The blend of chili and cheese is perfect on top of the crinkle-cut fries.
4. Buffalo Chips, Chicken Coop, Grand Island - I love these spicy fried chips with ranch.  I also love that you can order them with anything at the Chicken Coop.
5. Southwest Egg Rolls, Lazlo's, Lincoln - I have tried several versions of southwest egg rolls and those at Lazlo's are by far the best.  It is even better if you are there on the right day and can order them with a bowl of beer-cheese soup.

Dustin's List:  Note - Dustin refused to follow the Top 5 Nebraska rules.  He has included two restaurants that are not based in Nebraska, though they do have locations in Lincoln.  Please feel free to leave him comments about following his own rules.  I've been arguing with him about this for a year now, and have obviously not succeeded. (Autumn)

1. Chicken Cheese Nachos, Bison Witches, Lincoln - I don't care that they have other locations in other states they are awesome!!!!
2. Irish Nachos, Patty's Pub, Lincoln - Waffle fries are so good
3. Chicken Nachos, Lazlo's, Lincoln - always a good bet
4. Chicken Nachos, Brewsky's, Lincoln - order it with extra salsa.
5. Armadillo Eggs, Buzzard Billys, Lincoln - Again, I don't care about the other locations - they are out of this world.

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jtk

A few weeks ago we had the chance to sneak away for a date night.  This doesn't happen often anymore so we try to make the most of our "time off."  We had received a gift certificate to jtk for Christmas and finally found the time to use it. 
There is just one thing to say about this Lincoln Haymarket restaurant; WOW!  The service, atmosphere and food make this a must-try in Lincoln.  We made early reservations because it was Friday night, but the restaurant never seemed crowded.  jtk is located in the old Haymarket train station, which makes for a beautiful dining experience. 
We ordered from the "Date Night" menu, which is the best deal for the money.  It includes one appetizer, two entrees, a dessert and a bottle of wine for $50.  Every part of our meal was delicious.  We started with a bottle of Coastal Vines Pino Noir and the crab gratin, which was a rich blend of flavors and textures.  Dustin ordered the shoulder tenderloin with horseradish portabella pan sauce and I had the Parmesan crusted chicken.  Both dishes were served with perfectly cooked vegetables.  Dustin finished off his steak, but I had to get a box as I was only able to eat about half of my dish because the portions are generous.  For dessert we ordered bananas foster, and it too, was amazing. 
For the price and quality, you really won't find many restaurants like jtk in Nebraska.  This is a great place for a celebratory meal, a date night, or simply a place to have some appetizers and cocktails.

jtk made it in the Lincoln Journal Star in Jeff's Final Five as the number 3 restaurant in Lincoln.

Valentine's Day

Though we don't get out much for Valentine's Day anymore, here's 5 of our favorite romantic spots.

Top 5 Nebraska Valentine's Day destinations:

1. The Alley Rose - Kearney:  We went here while we were still dating.  The mood was beautiful and the food was decent.  The good people at the Alley Rose try hard to make your dining experience as elegant as you can get in the middle of Nebraska.
2. Slattery Vintage Estates and Tasting Room - Nehawka:  This was were we spent our Valentine's Day outing this year.  We experienced a nice sparkling and dessert wine tasting complete with chocolate covered strawberries.  They had romantic, vineyard inspired movies playing in the tasting room that was decorated with heart candles and roses for the holiday.
3. Corkscrew Wine and Cheese - Omaha:  This is one of our favorite places to go in Omaha.  It is somewhere between a bar and the best wine store ever.  You can do a wine tasting or pick out your favorite bottle to enjoy.  They also have a wide variety of cheeses to complement any type of wine you choose.
4. Vincenzo's Ristorante - Lincoln:  Dim lighting, candles, amazing food.  This is why we enjoy Vincenzo's for a romantic dinner. 
5. Tuscan Villa - Pierce:  One of our favorite bed and breakfasts makes this list because of the beautiful rooms, serene view and short distance to the Cuthills winery.  Although we have not been here in the middle of winter, I imagine the view is still beautiful covered in snow.  This is one romantic destination we highly recommend.

On the side:
The Lincoln 10 - website dedicated to top 10 lists of Lincoln businesses.

The Press Box

It's been quite a while since I've had the opportunity to sit down and punch out a blog.  We have tried several excellent wineries in the last few months, but I will get to those another day.  Last week we tried a brand new sports bar I couldn't wait to write about.
The Press Box
56th and Hwy 2 - Lincoln, NE
We used to love going to this place back when it was Bleachers, but lost interest once it changed to The Element.  It just recently opened again as a sports bar; you can still smell the fresh paint.  We were disappointed that they did not have any happy hour specials, but they were running a $2 domestic draw special all day, so we quickly got over it.  We ordered the most unique thing on the menu: Wing Fries.  This is an amazing creation that I am sad I didn't think of.  They take french fries and cover them with cheese and boneless wings with the sauce of your choice.  We ordered ours with the sweet chili sauce, which gave it a wonderful oriental flavor.  I highly recommend stopping in just for the wing fries.  We didn't have time to order supper, but will be back to The Press Box soon.


Read the review from The Lincoln Journal Star