The culinary gem that is Omaha

I moved into this tiny spot on the map of the United States called Omaha last fall. Little did I know that I was tumbling into a foodie's paradise. I thought food in the Midwest would be all about beef and potatoes and big chains that we are anyway very familiar with back in India. But Omaha has very pleasantly surprised me with all its little culinary secrets tucked away in its nooks.
The people of a town make the place. Omaha has a huge immigrant population from Africa, Asia and Mexico that has contributed very significantly to the food scene.
Here are some of my favourite culinary experiences with pictures-

1. Greek Island

The moussaka is to die for. The food is so good that I forgot to take any pictures. Their desserts are very interesting with very big, difficult to pronounce German names. My favourite was one with cream cheese within a pie crust covering , covered with powdered sugar. Divine !!!!

2. Marrakech

This experience was pure delight coupled with pleasant surprise on a cold ,windy April evening (yes, Aprils are cold here in the Midwest). Surprising were the Morrocan version of the samosas with a beef filling (these completely swept me off my feet ) and delight was the Lamb Tagine. The experience was absolutely complete with the sweet crepes as dessert.

3. Gusto Cuban Cafe

Cuban food uses plantains very generously in their food. Their chicken dish was very flavorful and I suspect that some spices used in their food are common to those used in Indian cooking. They had a very interesting wooden wall where you could scribble things . Unfortunately they had run out of markers to write with , otherwise, my scribble would have said - "Shreya loved this place" :)

4. Lalibela

This has got to be one of my most fun food experiences. I had what is called the combination platter which had a combination of meat, vegetable and lentil dishes served on their soft Injera bread. It reminded me of our n-course Indian lunches that we are used to on special occasions :)

5. Lisa's Radial Cafe

One of the most wonderful breakfasts I've had ever since I moved here. Its a tiny hole-in-the-wall place next to a neighborhood church. What adds to the character of the place is the interesting and eclectic mix of people that come here. Even the thought of the chicken florentine omelet I had here makes me salivate :)

I hope to discover many many more such places in Omaha. :)