7M Grill

7M Grill

www.7mgrill.com

15805 West Maple Rd., Omaha, NE

(402) 509-3225

I recently had an awkward phone conversation that went like this:

Me:  Hello?

7M:  Hi.  This is 7M Grill.  Is this “Kiki?”

Me:  Yes.

7M:  We show that you had a reservation with us in the past 12 months.

Me:  Yes?

7M:  Did you know that 7M Grill was recently named Omaha (something or other’s) Best (something or other) Restaurant?

Me:  Uh…… Congratulations?

7M:  We’re just calling customers from the past year to thank them for making it such a great year for us.

Me:  Um… okay…

7M:  We would like to offer you a free drink or maybe an appetizer as a thank you.

Awk.  Ward.  And a little confusing until the end there.

It is especially unfortunate as I don’t see myself going back to 7M Grill in the near future.  This is a restaurant I expected a lot more out of.  They have great potential but the execution just isn’t up to par.  Our experience was bad enough that even a menu change and rotating specials aren’t enticing me back.

We had a group of six so I was able to have a wide sample of their offerings.  Half of us ordered the house salad which was nothing to get excited about.  The most interesting part of the salad is that you have a dozen different dressings to choose from.  The other half ordered the soup of the day which was a crab and roasted corn bisque.  This soup was velvety and smooth and had a strong fresh roasted corn flavor.  The lumps of crab meat were generous and tender.  This soup showed such promise, I was eager for my entrée.  (Coincidentally, I believe that is what a first course is supposed to do.)

One other bright note, our waiter was well informed on the dinner and wine menus.  He made good recommendations for the wine.

Then our entrées arrived.  I ordered one of the house specialties, the Raspberry Whitefish.  This dish features a filet of whitefish wrapped around a black bean and corn crab cake (WooHoo!  More Crab!)  It also comes with a raspberry chili sauce, mango cilantro rice and some sautéed vegetables.  Presentation was a bit sloppy as the crab cake fish tower didn’t really tower.  Maybe this is because the whole dish was overcooked.  The fish was so dry, even the sauce didn’t help.  The crab cake held no resemblance to a cake and did not hold together.  After the delicious pieces of crab in the soup, I was disappointed to have only a few shreds of crab meat that I had to dig through the filler to find.  Even the black beans and corn were not the main ingredients of the crab cake.  Dry, bland filler was the main component of the dish.

The seafood enchiladas were also a disappointment.  The best parts of the dish were rice and salsa.  The chef came close to a good dish with decent overall flavors, but the seafood was so rubbery it ruined any promise the dish had.  The Harissa Chicken was a complete misnomer.  If someone is going to order Harissa chicken, they probably know what harissa is and expect that level of spice.  7M’s version had virtually none of the expected heat.  They have since removed this item from the menu. 

The best dish at our table were the fish tacos.  I’ll just let that sink in for a minute.  The best you can do is fish tacos?  Seriously?  7M has added other items to their menu with such groundbreaking (ahem!) options as Mac-N-Cheese (with Bacon!  Oh, how original!) and the 7M Burger (Where do they get these ideas?!?) listed under “lighter fare.”

Finally, a word on dessert.  I would have thought the chef, who grew up in Omaha’s Lithuanian Bakery, would have prepared an amazing Lithuanian Torte.  It was, again, dry and disappointing.

So, 7M Grill, thanks for the offer, but I probably won’t be cashing in on my free drink or appetizer. 

Pudgy's Pizzeria

Pudgy’s Pizzeria

www.pudgyville.com

16919 Audrey St. #110, Omaha

(402) 884-7566

The first thing you should know about Pudgy’s Pizzeria is that it is White Sox country, all the way. Cubs fans will be harassed, but at Pudgy’s they are harassed with a wink and a smile.

If you like Chicago style pizza, this is as close as you’re going to get in Omaha. Pudgy lived in Chicago running Pudgy’s Hot Dogs making Vienna brand dogs served up Chicago style for 10 years. After moving back to Omaha, Pudgy and family experimented with pizza recipes until coming up with the Chicago style they serve in their small family restaurant now. 

Forget the New York style vs. Chicago style debate; there is enough dispute over what makes a true Chicago Deep Dish pizza. Pudgy’s version is appropriately deep; Toppings are generous; Sauce is on top. I managed to eat two slices of the pie my beau and I ordered and I was overstuffed. My brother ordered the stuffed pizza which you have to special request, it isn’t on the menu. A typical stuffed pizza is a deep dish filled with cheese and toppings then another layer of dough before the sauce goes on top and the crust is more rounded and puffy. Pudgy’s version did not have the top dough layer. 

The pizza was pretty good. It is something I would definitely eat again (as I never get tired of pizza!) What really made the experience for our group was Pudgy (Phil) himself and his wife. This is a mom and pop operation in the true sense of the word. They work the kitchen, taking orders at the walk up counter, and handing out to-go orders as patrons come in. The seating area only has a handful of tables but in a slower moment, they came around and chatted with their customers. Phil will make you laugh and Mama Cerra is like the Italian mother you never had. She'll make sure you get enough to eat, tell you that you look too thin, and in our case, try to set my brother up with one of her daughters. They were too loveable not to recommend this place.

One caveat about the food... do not order salad. Ours were two styrofoam plates of watery iceburg lettuce. Period. I expected more toppings, but the amount of sauce and cheese to dough was just right.

If it's pizza again, but you're looking for something different than the usual, try Pudgy's and plan on dining in. You'll have a fun Friday night.