Restaurant Hoppen
by Hurrdat Media
Dan Hoppen breaks down the Nebraska cuisine scene one bite at a time. He talks to local chefs, media members, and just interesting people about what's going on in the Cornhusker State when it comes to food, where people need to eat, and how food relates to Nebraska sports.
Episodes
-
Baking for the President and Now Omaha's Community w/ Jodi Jefferson (Busy Bee Baking Company)
Jodi Jefferson wasn't sure where her life was headed after she retired following 21 years in the Air Force. But she knew she loved to bake, and what began as a fine side hustle has evolved into a thriving baking business! Hear the origin story of Busy Bee Baking Company in my fun conversation…
more -
Behind Omaha's Newest Sandwich Sensation w/ Nathan Ma (Mercredi Market)
Mercredi Market has been busy from the moment it opened in Omaha in early June despite a minimal social media presence. What's led to its instant success? How about baking its own bread, carefully curating its small sandwich menu, and being created with community at its core? Owner Nathan Ma…
more -
The Start of a Gluten-Free Bread Empire w/ Bella Henry (Bella Bread)
Bella never set out to start a business. She just wanted a gluten-free bread that tasted and felt like traditional bread and didn't upset her body. So she made it herself, and her gluten-free sourdough bread is all the rage now. You'll not only find it in local coffee shops, but in Hy-Vee grocery...
-
The Chef Who Sees Vegetables Differently | Rachel McGill of Dish
Chef Rachel McGill of Dish in Lincoln, Nebraska joins Dan Hoppen for an in-depth conversation about creative cooking, vegetable-forward cuisine, restaurant ownership, young chefs, the Lincoln dining scene and her experience competing on Food Network's Chopped. Rachel explains why vegetables are…
more -
Family, Fusion, & Flavor: Exploring Indian Cuisine w/ Little India
The Antony family has been bringing Indian Cuisine to Omaha for more than a decade at several locations and restaurants, and now they've landed at Little India in Blackstone. Joshy, Agnes, and Christian discuss what it's like to work with family, the wonders of Indian cuisine, how they're…
more -
The Ins & Outs of Cottage Baking (Live Panel)
What is it like to start a bakery business out of your home? How do you balance being a parent and having a family when your work takes over your home kitchen? Three of Omaha's favorite cottage bakers—Kelsay Cosgrove (KCC Bakery), Hailey Vinter (crumb coat & chill), & Corinne Honan (Sweet Earth...
-
Pizza Science and the Evolution of Restaurant Hospitality w/ Tim Maides (Dolomiti)
Few people in Omaha's restaurant scene are more fun to chat with than Tim Maides, the co-owner of Dolomiti, and unpacking his brain on pizza is a true delight. We nerd out on ovens a dough a bit, but we also talk a lot about Dolomiti's approach to treating guests and how expectations, from both...
-
The Omaha Ice Cream Shop You Can Ship Anywhere in America
What if you could send someone a pint of Omaha's best ice cream no matter where they live? In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Abby Jordan, co-founder of eCreamery, to talk about nearly 20 years of...
-
How Lola's Became One of Omaha's Favorite All-Day Cafés
What happens when you stop trying to make food more complicated—and start letting great ingredients speak for themselves? In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Clare Bartolomei, owner and operator of...
-
Sweet Magnolia's Turns 10! What's Next for Katina Talley?
Ten years of Sweet Magnolia's. Three-plus years of Know Good. And another restaurant project already on the way. Katina Talley is one of Omaha's busiest—and most relentlessly creative—food entrepreneurs. In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the...
-
This Omaha Culinary Program Lets Students Run a Real Restaurant
What if culinary school let you learn in a real restaurant—with real guests, real service, and real feedback? In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Emma Oblender, outreach specialist and outreach chef...
-
You Came for Pickleball… Then You Tried the Food
Most people know Smash Park for the activities. Pickleball. Duckpin bowling. Darts. Karaoke. Shuffleboard. Arcade games. But Todd Lindberg wants you to know there's another reason to visit: the food. In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit...
-
The 70-Year-Old Secret Behind La Casa Pizzaria's Famous Pizza
For more than 70 years, La Casa Pizzaria has been serving Omaha with a pizza recipe that's become part of the city's history. In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Nicole Jesse, owner of La Casa...
-
Why Yelp Brought Omaha's Food Community Together
What happens when you put more than 25 Omaha food and drink businesses under one roof? Omaha shows up. In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Meg Bauer, Yelp Omaha's Community Manager, to talk about the…
more -
People Loved Her Toffee So Much, She Had to Start a Business
What happens when a family recipe is so good that people refuse to stop asking for it? For Katie Becker, it turned into a business. In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with the owner of Tasty Good Toffee...
-
She Dreamed of Becoming a Chef as a Kid. Now She Owns a Bakery.
What happens when a childhood love of baking turns into a career, then a business, then a bakery of your own? In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Elana Crum, owner of Crum Cakes Bakery, to hear the...
-
Zero Social Media, All the Buzz. How Star Indian Cuisine Created an Empire by Word of Mouth
Star Indian Cuisine prioritizes treating every customer like a guest in their home, even remembering specific customers' favorite dishes so they don't even need to order! That's why the restaurant has no social media; its loyal customers create plenty of buzz all on their own. Owners Rakesh Sahu...
-
Starting an Empanada Empire w/ Latin Bites
Nicole Izquierdo has deep memories of her grandmother making empanadas in Colombia for the family before moving to the United States, and that recipe is so great that, just a few months into dating, Julio De Silva encouraged her to start a business! That has evolved into the Latin Bites food…
more -
Using a Food Truck to Introduce Omaha to African Cuisine and Cooking with Love (Chuanjui)
Hope Ngamalue picked up a love for cooking and serving others from her grandmother in Cameroon, and that desire to feed people continued when she came to America. But it wasn't until she met partner Ebrima Minteh that she was encouraged to start her food truck, Chuanjui, and bring traditional...
-
Meat-ing the Demands of Omaha's Best Restaurants w/ Jon Nelson (Jon's Naturals)
Jon's Naturals is the connector between local beef and pork producers and restaurants, helping chefs get their creative hands on a cleaner, more delicious product. But Jon's journey to thriving butcher shop was a very curvy one with lots of turns. Through perseverance and a crazy impressive DIY...
-
The Secrets Behind Omaha's Longest-Standing Restaurants (Bronco's, Barrett's, & La Casa Pizzaria)
Bronco's Hamburgers, Barrett's Barleycorn Pub & Grill, and La Casa Pizzaria have all thrilled Omaha guests for decades. What's the secret to their families' success? How have their restaurants not only survived, but thrived for decades? And how have they seen the attitudes and actions of diners…
more -
Creating Community Through Coffee & Custard w/ Cup & Cone
Bennington wouldn't be the same without Cup & Cone, the custard/coffee shop that has become a community hub since it opened in 2023. But getting the shop up and running wasn't easy; in fact, owners Amber and Jeremy Tkaczuk knew almost nothing about ice cream and coffee when they started it! The...
-
Creating a Brand New Food & Rescuing a Business w/ Nichole Taff & Vincent Rissell (OCookieOs)
Nichole created a brilliant gluten-free cookie/donut mash-up in 2020, but the business was on the brink of collapsing earlier this year. Now it's thriving inside a brand new brick and mortar location! Hear how Nichole and her son, Vincent, created and built the brand and ultimately saved it when…
more -
TV Cooking Competitions and the Culture of Food Media w/ Christian Alquiza (First We Feast)
After nearly 20 years in restaurant kitchens, Christian has transitioned to life as a media and social media chef. We discuss what the term "chef" means in this age and how, for some, it brings more balance. We also go deep into his experience competing on FOX's Next Level Chef and what it's…
more -
Uprooting One's Life for the Love of Baking w/ Damie Elder-Hiscock
Fariner Bakery is a magical space, a cafe with a gravitational pull that makes you want to stay for hours. That's because of the love people like Damie put into it and every bread and pastry that comes out of the kitchen. You won't believe the crazy road that brought Damie from Lincoln hospital…
more -
Bringing Jamaican Cuisine and Culture to Omaha with Shava Jackson (Jerk Makin Shack)
Shava Jackson left her home of Jamaica to attend medical school with no thoughts of entering the hospitality industry, but her food truck has become one of the hotspots in Omaha. It's incredibly meaningful for Shava to share her food and culture with Omaha, and customers love it so much that some...
-
Top Chef Takeaways and the Power of Food Memories w/ Anthony Jones
As the Executive Chef at Marcus Samuelsson's Washington DC restaurant and a contestant on the most recent Top Chef season, Anthony Jones is one of America's rising culinary stars. His success comes from his humility and the unique way in which he's able to connect his food with culture and...
-
Where Omaha's Food Comes From—LIVE Panel w/ Local Producers
We hear about how important it is to shop and eat locally produce meats and vegetables, but do we really know why? Three local producers—Tiff Clifton (Long Walk Farms), Roger Morgan (Morgan Ranch), and Kevin Novak (Flavor Country Farms)—joined me to discuss the benefits of eating and buying local...
-
Defining Hospitality & Following Restaurant Trends w/ Daniel Bello (Koji)
Daniel worked in some of America's most well-known restaurants in San Francisco and now brings those unique experiences and what he learned to Koji. We talk through his career and unpack the different levels of service he's overseen. From Michelin stars to mismatched forks, personalized tasting...
-
Achieving Mom's Dream with Ma' Mona—Manuel & Juan Gonzalez
Margartia Gonzalez's food has always thrilled her family; so much so that it became a goal to open a food truck since they came to the United States from Jalisco in 2010. That dream was finally realized in 2023, and Omaha has absolutely fallen in love with the tacos, tortas, tamales, and…
more -
Dumpling, Hawaiian food, & Sharing Aloha Culture w/ Jian "Peter" Pan
He was born in China and grew up in Hawaii, so Peter has a great desire to bring those cuisines to Omaha. But it was actually his wife and their shared love of food that got him into the restaurant industry! The owner of Bobo's Noodles & Dumplings, Blue Hawaii, and Bo Bo China tells his story and...
-
Digging into Indigenous Cuisine w/ Cassie & Quentin Hinman (Tradisish; Against the Current)
For all the great food Omaha has, indigenous and Native American cuisine wasn't really available... until this food truck/pop-up arose! Cassie Hinman started baking and cooking with Against the Current because she enjoyed it, but she and Quentin realized Omaha deserved to experience the…
more -
Comfort & Nostalgia in Hand Pie Form w/ Kate Anderson (Carter & Rye)
Kate has seen customers tear up while eating her hand pies, and the warm, nostalgic feelings tied with that buttery, flaky crust are indeed powerful. Stuffed with either sweet or savory fillings, her hand pies have transformative powers. Kate and I talked about how she's constantly coming up with...
-
Inside the Life of a Restaurant Owner w/ Katina Talley, Ben Maides, & Paul Urban
We hear consistently that life as a restaurant owner is so hard... but as diners, we can't fully understand what that reality is really like. On this panel, Ben Maides (Au Courant), Paul Urban (Block 16), and Katina Talley (Sweet Magnolias Bake Shop; Know Good) pull back the curtain, tell…
more -
Pizza Culture and Craft w/ Dylan Espinoza (Very Important Pizza)
Pizza culture embedded itself in Dylan's DNA around 2009, and he always dreamed of opening a pizzeria. That dream finally came to fruition in 2006 with Very Important Pizza, a NY style slice shop that has quickly gotten Omaha's attention. Dylan and I discuss what makes pizza culture different…
more -
Adrienne Cheatham & Joe Flamm Bring Restaurant Life to the People w/ Chef's Cut Podcast
Top Chef alums and restaurant veterans Joe and Adrienne started a podcast to bring the conversations inside kitchens to the world, and the Chef's Cut has blown up! Check out my conversation with these beloved chefs as we discuss the podcast's origins, what the term "chef" means today, Top Chef...
-
Learning in Omaha's Elite Kitchens w/ Collin Werner (Au Courant)
Collin Werner might only be 27, but don't let his age fool you. He's already worked in some of the most well-regarded kitchens in Omaha, now advancing to become the Chef de Cuisine at Au Courant. We run through Collin's career, assess the lessons he learned at different stops, discuss the value…
more -
The Impossible Life of a Restaurateur w/ Paul Kulik (Le Bouillon)
Understanding and reacting to guest expectations. Reacting to and engaging with shifting staff expectations. Crafting experiences different from those found at chain restaurants. These are but a few of the obstacles restaurateurs juggle, and few are better to talk to them about than Paul Kulik…
more -
Food as Medicine and Loving on Local with Tony Ellsworth (Ellsworth Crossing)
Tony and Amber Ellsworth are farmers, store owners, and give Omahans so many ways to support local. Their store, Ellsworth Crossing, features meat, vegetables, and more from more than 100 farmers and ranches, giving Omahans easy access to great products. This isn't just great for the taste of the...
-
Cibo Vino Late Career Pivots for Don Doty & Wendy Becker
Don Doty and Wendy Becker were both comfortable in their culinary positions, but memories of a trip to Rome inspired Don to make a bold move—open a new restaurant late in his career. The gamble paid off as Cibo Vino is thriving and supplying downtown Omaha with a welcoming, down-home Italian...
-
Omaha's Up-and-Coming Culinary Star Abe Vidaurre (Cattle Call)
Abe began the Executive Chef at Cattle Call at age 22, but don't think this youngster is over his head. He's creating a wide variety of amazing culinary experiences at this downtown Omaha restaurant, from exquisite fine dining plates to incredible desserts and one of the weirdest (and most...
-
Culinary School Truths with Brian O'Malley
There are a lot of debates about the state of culinary school in America, and as Metro CC's Dean of Hospitality & Horticulture, Brian O'Malley has heard them all. In a wide-ranging conversation, we discuss the debate of attending culinary school versus learning solely in professional kitchens…
more -
Breaking Down Omaha's Sandwich Scene (LIVE)
3 chefs from beloved Omaha sandwich restaurants joined me to discuss why sandwiches are so universally loved. Paul Urban (Block 16), Chloe Tran-Thompson (The Banh Mi Shop), and Andrew Novak (All In Thyme Bakery & Cafe) discuss why sandwiches are so closely tied to memory, the art of sandwich...
-
Hospitality Academy w/ Matt Brown (V. Mertz)
If Omaha had a hospitality Mount Rushmore, Matt Brown's face would be chiseled onto it. The GM of V. Mertz joined me to discuss how he and his team customize the restaurant experience for each individual guest, how he's helped keep a beloved, classic Omaha restaurant modern and current without...
-
Omaha's Candy Extraordinaire: Tessa Porter (Sprinkk)
Candy may seem simple, but nailing the textures and flavors of your favorite gummies and chews is actually a deeply scientific process. That's where people like Tessa come in, as her company, Sprinkk, not only helps brands bring their candy dreams to life, but has also started producing its own...
-
A New Level of Ramen in Omaha w/ Ken & Aki Ota (Crafted Ramen Mi So La Do)
Ken Ota has a goal of bringing traditional Japanese ramen to America and, after years of teaching ramen school and consulting, he's opened his own shop in Omaha. Everything from the soups to the noodles and oils is made in house, and Omaha can't get enough of this new restaurant! Ken & Aki…
more -
Witney Stanley—Sous Chef at V. Mertz
Just a few years out of culinary school and already the sous chef at one of Omaha's most beloved fine dining restaurants, Witney has a passion for cooking, hospitality, and mentoring that few can match. We talked about cooking competitions and how they shaped Witney's career, how a dish comes...
-
Omaha OG Chefs Discuss the Evolution of Omaha's Dining Scene
Omaha's culinary landscape has changed drastically in the last 15-20 years. Jenny Coco, Glenn Wheeler, and Paul Kulik have managed Omaha restaurants through it all, and they joined me to discuss the pain points when they got into the industry, how they helped guests get out of their comfort…
more -
Matt & Simone Weber—Table Grace Cafe
Table Grace Cafe doesn't exist solely to feed people; it exists to empower them and nourish their souls. That's why there are no prices on the menu. Matt & Simone encourage guests to pay whatever they can or volunteer at the cafe. We talked through the whole journey and how the Webers created…
more -
Jeff Gorat—J. Gorat's Deli + Market
One of Omaha's newest sensations is part small market, part sandwich shop, and as the massive following indicates, Omaha can't get enough of J. Gorat's Deli + Market. Owner Jeff Gorat joined the show to talk about the art of building sandwiches, how his upbringing at Omaha's famous Gorat's...
About this show
Dan Hoppen breaks down the Nebraska cuisine scene one bite at a time. He talks to local chefs, media members, and just interesting people about what's going on in the Cornhusker State when it comes to food, where people need to eat, and how food relates to Nebraska sports.
Hosted by
Hurrdat Media