Dairy Chef, Elkhorn, NE

During a recent visit to a sibling in Omaha, we HAD to make a trip to this nearby town for a visit to their local dairy bar. This one is called Dairy Chef and they're known for the over-the-top heights of their cones and cups of soft serve.

I was ready, but a bit full from dinner. Never-the-less, I had to step-up, literally, to the counter and order a "Tower". I chose chocolate ice cream and Oreo crumbs surrounding it.

This thing was a perfect capper to the night's meal. I believe I got through about half, then the sibling and his family took over - Phew. Note: this is not even close to the biggest/tallest cone or cup we saw that night. And Cone-watching is a legit past-time while you eat - looking at other people's cone heights.

If you're in the area, totally stop by Dairy Chef, I don't think you will leave disappointed or hungry.

Early Bird Cafe & Bob's Donuts, Omaha, NE

I've heard from at least a few Omaha natives that these two storefronts now represent the best brunch spot in town, i.e. not to be taken lightly. The spots are located in an older neighborhood, but with some new-age gentrification going on. Think boutiques, custom ice cream, drinks, and many eateries.

Perhaps the best part, of at least this trip, is that these two establishments are connected on the inside. When the temps are in the single digits, you can easily walk back and forth b/w the two joints. It helped that day, for sure.

Early Bird
Seriously fun menu for this brunch/lunch-only spot. Good service, interesting layout and decor, and a very creative & tasty food mix.

These unique circular booths hold a bunch of people and were fun to see too.

Basically an "Egg in the Hat" French Toast. Was eaten very fast.

Their version of "Avocado Toast". I think I would have appreciated a couple tweaks - a nice avocado spread on the toast and a poached egg.

Bob's Donuts
Wow, just wow. Amazing looking product, tastes as good too... and all we took home were a couple Chocolate Glazed - they were that good.

If you live in the area or are heading through on I-80, definitely stop in. You can go full brunch or just grab coffee and a sugar puck.

This was taken in the pass-through to both places. That might be myself and a niece.

Over Easy, Omaha, NE

My brother and sister-in-law had been touting this place for weekday breakfast and lunch eats for as long as they've had kids, since it's near the pediatrician. Virtually every time they see the doctor, they stop here and get a meal. Of course, they also send us pics of all the food they're eating, every time. As luck would have it, we were in the right area to grab a late lunch when I was recently in Omaha, finally!

We can learn a lot about the place from their signage:

Seems like they have a nice story to tell, and good food to share, so I jumped in.

I decided to go for the breakfast side of the menu, but I'm told both sides are equally as good. I went in for their avocado toast with "hash brown rounds", and they did not disappoint. I might have eaten them faster than my pie-eating days.

To cap off this meal, I decided we could all use their edition of a Pop Tart. They have a seasonal version on the menu each day, but it had already sold out, so I had to (poor me) order one of their Nutella Pop Tarts. It was really tasty, and a pretty small serving when you split it b/w four people.

They had a nice clean sheet of white butcher paper on each table, and offer crayons so kids (or adult kids) can draw while they wait for their food to arrive. And we did have to wait. We don't know if it was the last few tables of the day, the weekend crew, or something else... but my family commented that normal weekdays are run smoothly and the food is very consistent.

In the end, it seemed like a very nice neighborhood spot to have where you live/work, and I would absolutely go back and try more of their menu options.