delivered on all counts including its Belgium-style beer pairing of
Stunt Dubbel.
Benson Brewery held true to its name and provided us with a
great pub style feel. The staff, including brewer Andy Elliot, was
extremely willing to talk to us about their brews as well as their
process. Not only was Tri Omega able to take away good vibes from
Benson Brewery, but we also took away new knowledge.
Our third restaurant of the night was Lot 2 at 6207 Maple Street.
Chef Joel Mahr helped to cook and serve our meal, making quite
the impression with his humble personality.
“España is a treasure to Benson.
They provide a warm atmosphere
of friendly faces that want to
introduce you to Spanish cuisine.”
Our first course was an heirloom tomato soup using house
canned heirloom tomatoes, grilled cheese croutons, bacon jam,
smoked olive oil and chives. The combination created a smoky,
better-than-mom’s, tomato soup.
The second course for the night will be premiering on their
menu this spring: braised beef brisket croquets, along with a shaved
Brussels sprout salad.
“If you could deep fry beef stew, this is what it would taste like,”
Tri Omega Vice President Angie Thomas described.
The entrée course at Lot 2 was salmon with beans, bacon and
mushrooms. A citrus note was added to create a good balance in the
flavors.
The fourth course of the night was a maple bourbon yellow cake
with chocolate ganache and a caramel center. This dessert presented
an amazing sweet, salty and textural contrast.
“I want to crawl inside of this and stay for a little while,” a
student commented as they ate.
Lot 2 brought out all of the best parts of our childhood memories
with their menu. They also provided a laid back setting that makes
you want to come back for cocktails and a good conversation with
Chef Joel.
The last stop of the night was España Tapas Bar at 6064 Maple
Street. Walking into España, modern paintings by local artists make
you feel like you have been transported to an upscale restaurant in
the heart of Spain.
The first two courses were served as tapas which are a wide variety
of small appetizers. A wonderfully salty, but nice, acidic chicken
croquette with garlic aioli was a hit, along with a very tender
and sliced Serrano ham. A solomillo, or a steak sandwich, with
Manchego cheese, roasted peppers and aioli was also raved about
during this course.
The entrée course was a creamy chicken, pork, and chorizo paella
using saffron rice with peas and carrots. This course brought a new
experience to quite a few people, and impressed them all.
“Miracles happen,” Coral Hernandez commented on the paella.
The last course at España was a trio of desserts including
cinnamon flan, tres leches cake with strawberry jam, and churros
with chocolate sauce. The flan was perfectly light and creamy while
the tres leches cake had a hint of lemon to compliment it. The
churros were accompanied by a chocolate sauce that had most of us
licking our plates clean and asking for more.
At the end of the each meal, Chef Carlos brought out the
porron. The porron is a glass wine pitcher that you pour wine (or
cranberry juice) in a stream to your mouth, and it usually produces
entertaining results.
España is a wonderful treasure to Benson. They provide a warm
atmosphere of friendly faces that want to introduce you to true
Spanish cuisine.
Over all, this was a truly amazing experience. Tri Omega provided
an adventure for their members for this Supper Club and a big
thanks to all of the chefs, owners, servers and everybody else that
made it possible for us to experience Benson.
Paella served at España Tapas Bar
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