"Gate City"
"Quiet place above all others upon a stream*"

Food - Nightlife - Business - Education - Hospitals

The Steaks (and other restaurants)  

Omaha is the home of the best steaks this side of nowhere.  Omaha has several restaurants that compete for the best beef prize-winners at state 4-H competitions in addition to the local homegrown grain fed beef livestock that Nebraska is famous for.  As a result, the very best beef stays right here.

Omaha has a rich Italian ancestry and therefore, there is an abundance of great Italian restaurants.  Steak is not so much an Italian thing as it is a local specialty.  The Italian restaurants seem to have a firm foothold in the larger, older, and better-established Omaha restaurants.  As a result, several of the restaurants listed seem to have the Italian ring to it.  Check out Angie's, Angelo's, Anthony's, Brother Sebastian's, Casio's, Caniglia's, the Drover, Gorat's, Johnny's Cafe, La Strada, Omaha Prime, Passport, Piccolo Pete's, and on and on, one for almost every letter of the alphabet.  In nearby communities, we have Farmer Brown's Steakhouse (Papillion), The Pink Poodle (Crescent, Iowa and worth the drive for prime rib), and the Depot (Waterloo).  While you will see people dressed up, none of these places requires a coat and tie.

We have uppity, trendy bars and eateries too.  Try Cafe Nova, Jams, M's Pub, and V. Mertz.

Even more casual, Omaha has Dundee Deli, Gallagher's, Goldberg's, Julio's, Old Chicago, McKenna's (Blues, Booze, & B.B.Q.), Mr. Toads, and so on.

And barbecue, did I mention barbecue?  Don't try the Smoke Pit unless you are prepared to make Omaha your home.  You will soon find you can't do without it!  Vegetarian?  Try McFoster's Natural Kind Cafe.

Omaha is the birthplace of Godfather's Pizza.  Nebraska is the home of Runza's (a vinegary chopped beef meal in a bun) and Valentino's Pizza, both started in Lincoln.  We have lots of other restaurants that we keep for ourselves.  If you are visiting, you will want to check some of these out.

Ethnic: The Bohemian, King Fong Cafe (carved tables and other furnishings), Le Bouillon, El Alamo, Gerda's, Mt. Fuji, Old Vienna, Sushi Ichiban, Greek Village, Jaipur (Indian), Bomba Dia, King Kong (gyros), and a host of others.

We have our microbreweries, pasta/pizza parlors, all the usual, all the unusual, etc., etc., etc.  Near the downtown area, we have the Omaha Old Market area that has lots of restaurants in addition to the shops.

Just about any Omaha eating establishment can turn out a good steak.  My recommendation is to order the steak from the independent and local family run steak houses like the ones listed.

Anyone familiar with Omaha's restaurant choices knows that it is unfair to list any if you don't list them all.  The restaurants are spread out throughout the city.  It would be impractical to direct you to each one.  When in town, don't be afraid to ask for a recommendation of Omaha's greatest hidden restaurant treasure.  I'm sure you will soon find yourself in a place that most of the rest of the world hasn't had the opportunity to enjoy.

Nightlife 

Omaha has always had an active nightlife, more so than a lot of other cities.  From the Missouri River riverboats to the Old Market, to downtown, to western Omaha, you are not too far from a great bar.  Omaha's bars change as fast as the trends do.  Several businesses are competing to be the local hotspot.  A stable, "must-check-out" is Arthur's on 82nd and West Dodge Road.  If you are in the downtown Old Market area, walk three or four doors from where you are standing, and step inside,   For variety, repeat as necessary.

Big Business  

Omaha's largest employer is Union Pacific.  ConAgra, First Data Resources, and Alegent Health, are followed by one you surely have heard of, Mutual of Omaha, probably from watching the Wild Kingdom TV show.  Omaha's employer with the largest land area is Avaya (Lucent Technologies), seven miles of road, 65,000 sq. ft of indoor space, located between 132nd and 144th, just north of L Street.  They are the 13th largest employer in the area.

ConAgra and other agricultural businesses have flourished in Omaha.  A suburb of Omaha, Ralston, is home to Ralston Purina.  Grains and livestock have been the money movers in Omaha for decades.  Only within the last ten years did Omaha give up the world-famous stockyards as the urban growth took over the area.

Insurance companies, and a host of other businesses fill a majority of Omaha businesses.  Hospitals are running a close second.  You may have heard of Ameritrade, our financial success story.

Omaha has its own high technology silicon valley like businesses, more in the software than hardware side of things.  Applied Communication Inc. (T.S.I.) world headquarters is in Omaha.  First Data Resources, HP Telecom (formerly Tandem Telecom), and numerous others round out Omaha's soft business side.

Education  

Omaha has excellent preschool through high-schools, including the full 12-year Montessori variety.  Omaha is home to Creighton University, University of Nebraska at Omaha, and College of Saint Mary to name the top three.  U.N.O. has experienced tremendous growth recently, and is now a dorm school.  Creighton is famous for their basketball teams and the production of legal and medical professionals.  Omaha is also home to the University Medical Center where UN medical professionals develop the skills we depend on.  CoSM is still turning out the health and educational professionals, now in both genders.  A full list of education links.

Hospitals  

Only slightly behind the number of insurance companies is hospitals.  Important research in organ transplants and bone marrow transplants is part of University Medical Center's claim to fame.  Others: Clarkson, Creighton, St. Joseph's, and a great Children's Hospital.  Veterans come from a great distance to get medical attention at the VA Medical Center.  The hospital staff is made up of full time physicians and other professionals, physicians from area hospitals, and volunteers.

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