In thinking about where to play restaurant critic, I wanted to find an independent place that was started by a chef looking to feed people good food. Ryan's Bistro was my choice. Let me first say that Omaha seems to be a small business mecca. There are many small restaurants spread around the city. Chains are definitely part of the landscape, but unlike some towns, you can find mom and pop shops fairly easily. I have lived in places where this is not the case and where it seems that chains run over mom and pops like semi trucks over squirrels. This is one reason why I like Omaha.
I walked into Ryan's Bistro in West Omaha and was pleased with the décor. It was appointed with dark leather and wood. The bar was very small and near the door. It definitely seemed to me more of a food centered place which excited me. I had heard good reviews and the place was held out to be "French dining". Whenever I hear someone describe a restaurant as "French dining" that can mean so many different things...maybe they use a lot of butter? I requested to sit outside on the patio since the hurricane from the morning had subsided and it was a pleasant evening. The hostess told me to sit wherever I liked on the patio sandwiched between two buildings in a strip mall. That sounds unpleasant, but the patio atmosphere was in fact very pleasant. (Until I had my fill of the Frank Sinatra hits audio assault that is...) There was a fire pit in the middle of the decked patio and imitation spiral evergreen trees looked like they would be lit with Christmas lights at night which would be a nice ambiance.
A server greeted me shortly after I sat down and asked what I would like to drink. I inquired about the house Zinfandel. She told me that they could offer me a nice white "Zinfandale" at the happy hour price which sparked visions of Franzia boxes dancing through my head. I asked for the wine list and after noticing a few misspellings on the bar menu (Guinnes and Baily's) ordered a nice red Zinfandel.
Upon perusing the menu, I noticed that most dishes contained meat and very few vegetarian items. Ok, I will go with it. "Order something you might not normally order" a little voice whispered to me. Rarely eating beef, I ordered the Filet Pasta to go with my red Zinfandel. Since I was back in Nebraska, I figured I would follow the crowd for once and try a red meat dish.
My dish arrived in a timely manner. Upon arrival, my pasta dish looked appetizing. My very first thought was "beef stroganoff" which then reminded me of Hamburger Helper...a busy weeknight kid special. "Oh my, that would be disappointing if this tasted like beef stroganoff," I thought to myself. It was barely off. It was possibly more salty than Hamburger Helper due to the blue cheese crumbles and an abuse of sodium chloride. The first bite of the dish had a slight note of soy sauce and I wondered for a split second if I would get fortune cookies with the bill. As I dug into the dish, I found it was sitting in too much sauce. Grape tomatoes: disappointing and nothing special. Portion: way too big. Plate: a shallow "plate/bowl" to accommodate the soupy sauce of which there was way too much. This was a lesson in less is more: less salt, less sauce, less tangy blue cheese, less food. More freshness, less Hamburger Helper, please. As I enjoyed the cool breeze and my food cooled down, it only got saltier. My eyeballs felt as though they were shriveling.
As I ate my heavy dish that did not quite fit with the seasonal change to summer, a person who was either the owner or manager sat down with a group of people at the table next to me. He lazily drifted in and out of the conversation with a styrofoam beverage cup in hand. It struck me as slightly unprofessional.
Feeling full and very dehydrated from the salt lick, I paid my $30 bill for an entrée and a glass of wine. Although I only had the chance to experience one item off the menu, there is no compelling food reason for me to go back. The service was the restaurant's redeeming quality, and that may bring me back at some point to try a different, more flavorful, less salty dish. Salt is your friend, but perhaps not your best friend.
Overall, good potential, but it did not meet my expectations. I will now go attempt to hydrate my body back to normal levels.
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