Localmotive
Changing Late Nights
in the Old Market
by April Christenson
O
HAND STRETCHED
NEW YORK
STYLE PIZZA
fsmomaha.com
n any given Friday or Saturday night, you’re likely to find a
group of hungry people congregating on the corner of 11th
& Jackson in the Old Market. Until recently, there weren’t many
options for late night food in the Old Market, especially good late
night food. The Localmotive food truck is on a mission
to change that.
Localmotive owner Patrick Favara and partners David Burr and
David Scott had been mulling over the idea of a food truck (or
something like it) for a long time. Burr is an Omaha native and
veteran of Omaha’s food and drink industry, having spent time
working at Omaha staples like Dario’s Brasserie. Favara and Burr,
friends for over ten years, often found themselves lamenting the
lack of good late night food in Omaha, a problem that particularly
plagues service industry workers whose shifts often end late at night.
“We started following national trends,” Favara said. “[We noticed
food trucks] and thought we could tap into that market here
in Omaha.”
At its inception, the Localmotive’s menu consisted of mainly hot
and cold sandwiches. Since then, it has evolved to include daily
specials, frites and their signature item, rounders – a fluffy ball of
dough, stuffed with different combinations of ingredients and deep
fried to golden perfection. Some rounder varieties include Reuben,
chicken cordon bleu and chorizo and egg. For a mere $5, less than
you might spend at a fast food drive thru, you can get three hearty
rounders with a side of housemade dipping sauce.
Regular menu items at the Localmotive include a chicken
sandwich with house bacon, provolone, caramelized onion-green
chile jam and chipotle aioli on focaccia. The chicken is free-range
from local Plum Creek Farms in Burchard, Nebraska. Using locally
sourced ingredients is important to Favara.
“We try to do everything locally,” said Favara. “Most items [on
the menu] are made from scratch, except for a few breads which we
buy locally from Le Quartier.”
Their menu also includes a vegetarian sandwich with Portobello
mushrooms, asparagus, red peppers, pickled red onion, arugula,
balsamic vinegar and basil-edamame pesto on French batard. Recent
daily specials at the Localmotive have included chile rellenos (a
roasted poblano pepper stuffed with Plum Creek Farms chicken,
house bacon, cream cheese and cheddar) and pork tacos with
cilantro jalapeño chimichurri.
Favara, Burr and Scott’s flair for the creative has extended beyond
their menu to several collaborations, including participating in
local food