By name alone, Grand Island’s The Chocolate Bar evokes thoughts of delicious cocoa concoctions and other delectable sweet treats. And while the establishment offers those as well as many other dessert items, it’s much more.  “The Chocolate Bar name is a mixture of the chocolate that the original owner loved about it and the truffles and cakes we sell; the bar is the mixture of a coffee bar and alcohol bar,” said Angie Dowd, who bought the restaurant in 2023. “The drinks, desserts, and food are all special and all made in-house. We get our coffee shipped in from Intelligenstia out ..read more

Who invented the reuben? The meaty grilled sandwich has an origin story that diverges in two directions: one that begins in a New York City delicatessen, and the other in Omaha at the famed Blackstone Hotel.  As the New York version is told, a famous actress strolled into the deli in 1914 and exclaimed, “I’m so hungry I could eat a brick!” Arnold Reuben, the proprietor, grabbed Virginia ham, roast turkey, and imported Swiss cheese, topped it with coleslaw and Russian dressing, tucked it between slices of rye bread, and thus, the Reuben’s Special was born. The Omaha vers ..read more

Chef Joel Hassanali’s fascinating and fabulous career odyssey—which includes working at his parent’s restaurant in Trinidad as a boy, stints with two celebrity chefs, taking care of professional athletes, and traveling the world and the U.S. to perfect his well-honed craft—is on vivid display with every delectable item he debuts at the Salted Edge Modern Kitchen + Bar in Waterloo, Nebraska. Hassanali’s resumé reads like a crescendoing recipe, each ingredient adding savor to the next to culminate in a tour de force on a plate. “With France, with Italy, with the Caribbean, all across the states ..read more

Willa Cather was born on December 7, 1873, and 150 years later several months of sesquicentennial celebrations took place, including the unveiling of her statue in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall Collection. In works such as O Pioneers!, Song of the Lark, and My Ántonia, the prolific author wove tapestries of common life on the prairie plains, including food, ethnicity, and place. Through this trilogy, the reader is exposed to the progression of plains flavors from the peasant pursuit of cooking with corncobs and manure in the 1880s to the wood stoves in the early 20th century ..read more

The United States is widely known as the birthplace of the cocktail, but in the early days, spirit quality often varied, so fruits and other ingredients were added to mask the unpleasant flavor of subpar spirits. This was especially true during prohibition, a time when creativity reigned, and imbibers found ways to skirt the laws through speakeasies and member only supper clubs. Those who came of age in the mid- to late 20th century might remember their parents stopping for cocktail hour on road trips or the prevalence of post-dinner ice cream drinks. The bright green of a Grasshopper or the ..read more

Whether spritzed as a fragrance or massaged as an essential oil, lavender is a sought-after product adored by many for its beautiful appearance and calming properties. One couple has turned their affection for the wildflower into a budding business by harnessing the power of lavender and honey bees to create natural aromatherapy and unique culinary products. Jerry and Holly McCabe, co-owners of Sleepy Bees Lavender Farm, began this chapter after purchasing 21 acres in Firth, Nebraska. When they discovered their jobs were moving out of state, the couple decided to stay and venture into t ..read more

Nebraska City, Nebraska, home of J. Sterling Morton, founder of Arbor Day, is also home to sundrenched orchards. At Arbor Day Farm, guests can sip signature wines crafted from the luscious orchard fruits grown in this fertile soil.  Beverage manager Sara Wiebold has been in the hospitality business for years—for her the world of wine encompasses myriad aspects, most importantly the guest experience. The Certified Sommelier started at Arbor Day Farm as a consultant in 2021, where she dove headlong into Nebraska wine production. “One thing always leads to another, and I just fell in love wi ..read more

By law, the mixture of grains that are used to make bourbon must be at least 51% corn, and Nebraska is the third largest corn producer in the nation. The Cornhusker State and bourbon just might be the perfect pair.  Crafting bourbon is a relatively simple process: after at least 51% corn, any combination of rye, wheat, or barley can make up the remainder of a bourbon’s mash bill. The grains are milled and then combined with water in a mash tun where enzymes convert the starch from grain into fermentable sugars. This liquid is strained (the solids are fed to grateful lo ..read more

In the heart of Nebraska, Kearney is home to a small-town lifestyle that pairs urban amenities with local events and history. A leisurely road trip just off I-80, the city welcomes residents and travelers to an eclectic food scene bursting with international flavors. For those yearning for an upscale eatery with a touch of local flair, Nebraska Ale Works awaits. Eager to bring a different taste to K-Town, co-owners Robby Yendra and Jim Gardner opened Nebraska Ale Works as a destination spot for unique eats and local sips. Pairing Gardner’s previous restaurant ownership with Yendra’s dre ..read more

Six years ago, life for two couples took a dramatic turn. Their internal compass told them it was time to find somewhere they could call home. Jason and Kimberly Hines grew up in Michigan, where they met in college. Mark Kraus, Kimberly Hines’s brother, was in the Marines and met his wife, Jessica Kraus. Jason Hines took a job in Holdrege, NE, and the Krauses would soon move there. The couples enjoyed homebrewing and decided to take it to the next level. The former Sunglow Dairy building at 614 Third Avenue would become the home of Lost Way Brewery. During a soft opening in 2017, Mark Kr ..read more