Restaurants in Chalco

Clay ovens quietly roast yogurt-marinated chicken, and cooks scurry about the kitchen of Tanduri Fusion, mixing exotic curries and sautéing ginger and garlic to coat tender cuts of lamb. Chefs use natural, fresh ingredients to prepare each dish, with inventive offerings including the tanduri top sirloin with cilantro-peppercorn butter and lamb sirloin wraps in grilled naan. For traditional Indian thali dinners, servers deliver large round dishes filled with a bounty of tandoori chicken or curried vegetables, complemented by sides of yogurt sauce and chutney.

Patrons may enjoy their meals tucked inside wooden booths or head out to the patio to soak up sun and satellite emissions while eating. A full bar offers some stool seating, perfect for casually sampling from the extensive wine list.

Aron Mackevicius can still conjure vivid memories of his childhood spent in Omaha's Lithuanian Bakery, when ovens of baking sourdough bread would warm him as he whisked up flaky tortes. While working at his family’s bakery, Aron developed a talent and appreciation for the culinary arts. He would go on to work in fine eating establishments throughout Omaha, developing and refining a style that he described to reporters from the Omaha World-Herald as "a new approach to comfort cuisine everybody can relate to." Aron earned his position at 7M Grill by dazzling owner Graeme Swain with an original dish—a coconut-crusted chicken with corn salsa and mango-jalapeño sauce.

Today 7M Grill features Aron's winning coconut-chicken dish on the menu, alongside a wide variety of internationally inspired comfort dishes—including the 2011 Art and Soup–celebrated caribbean chicken-and-rice soup. The innovative fusion dishes pair with bottles of fine wines out in the chic dining room, where glowing walls bathe the hardwood floors and abstract paintings in a warm orange light. The restaurant also offers an intimate chef's table service experience, where guests sample numerous courses of exclusive dishes while sipping on wine in an elegant, secluded back room, ideal for guests looking for a way to commemorate a special occasion or a place to practice whale impersonations in privacy.

Born and raised in France, chef Cedric S. Fichepain carried his family recipes and passion for traditional French fare across the pond in 1997. Four years later, Cedric cut the ribbon at Le Voltaire Restaurant, which serves up classics such as croque madame sandwiches and coq au vin stewed in white wine. The cellar's 1,000-bottle inventory of French wines has earned the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence eight years in a row, and the eatery was also recognized as one of the city's best French dining experiences in _Omaha Magazine'_s Best of Omaha 2012. The restaurant's lemon-yellow walls and rough-hewn wooden door create a rustic feel, and beneath a unique glass bar top is a display of carefully arranged dried flowers.

Owners and chefs Roberto and Ana Meireles pile plates high with meticulously crafted dishes of beef, pork, poultry, and seafood made to order from fresh ingredients and traditional spices. Fried plantains, tropical fruit shakes, and Cuban sodas serve as plane tickets for the palate as lush foliage, cabana decor, and a working baggage claim evoke Caribbean climes. Libations from a brightly colored bar balance the subtle spice of the restaurant's signature red Cuban creole sauce. Gusto Cuban Cafe's patio bustles during the warmer months, and salsa dancing on weekends, like getting stuck on a slide, gives people an excuse to shake their hips.

The light from 10 plasma-screen televisions illuminates the autographed NBA jerseys covering the walls of Blue Jay Bar and Grill. The downtown-area watering hole draws in more than sports lovers, though—cheerily belted tunes fill the air during karaoke on Thursdays, tickling the eardrums of guests playing Keno. A spacious outdoor deck juts out into the summer air, overlooking a bustling volleyball court, as servers dole out Jose Cuervo margaritas or voodoo punch from a tap. Inside, comfortable couches cradle patrons in an Irish-style poker room nestled together near an old-wood oak bar.

A menu of pizza, wings, and libations sustains patrons as they flit from one room or activity to the next, clutching pints of Fat Tire or buckling down to feast on two-for-one burgers. Live music, played by live people or self-aware robots, occasionally wafts in from the street next to the bar.

Eddie Morin has fond memories of swinging his feet in a B&G Tasty Foods booth as he and his dad shared the Bee Gee, the eatery's signature loose-meat sandwich. During college, Eddie would craft his own Bee Gees as a B&G cook, cementing his love for the venerable restaurant, an area staple since 1953. So it's no surprise that in 2009, when the then-owner of B&G Tasty Foods considered closing, Eddie volunteered to take over ownership.

Since then, Eddie and his crew have undertaken extensive renovations of the space, expanding the dining area and increasing seating by half. As an homage to the restaurant's birth year, they had the logo redesigned in a retro style, and red-framed '50s-era advertisements now line the sage-green walls. Five antique Schwinn Stingray bicycles perch above tables, so diners who bring their own xylophone mallets can tap out their favorite Big-Bopper hits on the spokes.

Though the team also streamlined and updated the menu—adding items such as salads and a vegan hot dog—they opted to retain the original Bee-Gee recipe, which has remained the same since 1953, when Eddie's father developed it. Breading made from ground cornflakes crisps up the Cheese Frenchee and Bee Gee Frenchee. In addition to these, there is also a unique frenchee featured each month. Past iterations have included Nutella and banana breaded with graham crackers as well as a Thanksgiving-Day special with turkey and cranberry sauce breaded in stuffing.