Food & Drink in Chalco

When the Bluejays take the court, you can expect to see a sea of bright blue shirts at the Sam & Louie's at the corner of 24th and Cuming in Omaha. The location has been one of Creighton University's homes away from home since it opened in 1994, but its welcoming atmosphere is found at each of the eatery's 24 locations. There, friends and families bond over great conversation and an eclectic mix of casual cuisine from a menu inspired by traditional New York–style pizzerias. Eighteen specialty pizzas are hand tossed into thin-crust pies before being decorated with more than 35 toppings such as creamy alfredo sauce, sliced Italian meatballs, and canadian bacon. In deference to those with special dietary needs, almost all of these specialty pizzas are available in gluten-free pizzas.

In addition to pizzas, cooks also craft their daily-made dough into calzones and strombolis, which ooze with mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce. The menu culminates in five third-pound Black Angus burgers, Italian hoagies, and eight types of pastas. In addition to hosting guests inside their welcoming pizzerias for both lunch and dinner, the cooks at Sam and Louie's also take their food on the road, offering catering services for events both large and not-so-large.

The Donut Professor uses locally sourced ingredients to create fresh donuts, pastries, and muffins every morning. With 37 varieties of donuts ($0.99 each; $9.29 per dozen) ranging from garden-variety glazed to elusive vanilla peanut, The Donut Professor offers a full catalog of fried, doughy treats. Éclairs, fritters, and cinnamon rolls ($1.19) satisfy partisans of pastries without holes. All locations open at 6 a.m., mere minutes after fresh donuts come into being, giving night-based vigilantes and day-faring caped heroes a place to eat while comparing notes. If the full amount of the Groupon is not used in one visit, The Donut Professor will issue a gift card with the remaining balance.

Named for the terroir in which its grapes flourish, Glacial Till Vineyard's rocky mineral-rich soil is home to nine varieties of French-American red and white grapes that grow ripe on the vine across gently sloping hills. Those grapes are crushed, pressed, and eventually transformed into handcrafted wines, including a smooth and dry Chambourcin; the semisweet and fruity Edelweiss; and the bright, springy Frontenac Rose. At the beautiful off-site tasting room, visitors can take a seat at a café table or along the bar to enjoy sips of all of Glacial Till's wines, which can also be ordered by the glass or bottle.

In 1973, Willy Theisen had two loves: pizza and the classic gangster movie that had just made Francis Ford Coppola a household name. Finding the one thing his two loves shared––Italian tradition––Theisen founded Godfather's Pizza and created its first specialty pie: the Classic Combo.

For decades, the growing pizza chain has served this tasty combination of beef, pepperoni, sausage, onions, black olives, and mushrooms over a bed of mozzarella cheese. Its menu has expanded over the years and now features a full list of specialty and build-your-own pizzas, including gluten-free options.