Restaurant Hoppen

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, ju

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

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 Jo

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

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 w

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

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 h

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 ev

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 i

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 culina

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), R

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 c

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.

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

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

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

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 (A

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 Piz

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

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