Dining Notes

Bar taps craft beer trend

A new craft beer bar called the Foundation opened this week at 1407 Harney St.

Co-owner Chad Rozniecki said he and childhood friends Andy Stiles and Brandon Rubeck opened the bar Tuesday on the main floor and mezzanine of the four-story Old Market building, which had been vacant in recent years.

“It's a craft beer bar meets an industrial rock bar,” said Rozniecki, who said he has worked as a brewer at Nebraska Brewing Co. in Papillion and Upstream Brewing Co. in Omaha. “We took a 120-year-old building and tried to make it more modern but still keep its character.”

He said the bar has 25 beers on tap and 50 more in bottles, some of them local and most made by small brewing companies. There were some deviations for St. Patrick's Day revelers, Rozniecki said, “but we're trying to do anything that's not macro beer.”

Rozniecki, a professional jazz bass player, said he hopes to have live music soon and to eventually turn the overflow space an upstairs bar with a fireplace into an upscale lounge featuring the best beers and drinks.

Though there is a kitchen, there's no food for now. Hours are still in flux, but Rozniecki said the Foundation intends to be open seven nights a week. The number is 905-2270.

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New wing spot to land near 120th and L

Nebraska's first Buffalo Wings & Rings is set to open in Omaha this summer at 12240 L St., Suite 109, in the L Street Marketplace.

The Cincinnati-based casual restaurant chain has more than 50 eateries in a ring of states including the Dakotas, several Great Lakes states, New York, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Arizona and California.

Todd Misselt, local owner of the Omaha franchise, said construction on his 5,000-square-foot space should begin next month.

An Illinois native, Misselt said he has lived in Omaha five years and worked 13 years for ConAgra Foods, most recently in marketing for its Marie Callender brand.

Misselt said the casual full-service restaurant and bar, his first, will seat about 200, sport about 40 high-definition TVs and serve fresh bone-in and boneless wings with about a dozen sauces, as well as gyros, curly fries and onion rings.

“The ‘Rings' in the name actually refers to a curlicue fry,” he said.

Look for it to be open for lunch, dinner and late night daily on or about July 14.

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Moose to cut loose near 120th and Fort Streets

The Loose Moose Bar & Grill has signed a lease at Roanoke Retail Shops near 120th and Fort Streets. The owner could not be immediately reached. According to Investors Realty, which secured the lease, the 6,970-square-foot spot is to be a family friendly restaurant with live music at night and an outdoor patio. It's expected to open in early June.

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Another go at Joe's

Joe's Cafe is set to reopen next month with new owners, and they aren't the pair who shared the winning bid at an auction of the Benson breakfast and lunch spot in February.

The original bidders, Cynthia Zych and Arturo Resendiz, didn't ultimately close on the sale. They hit a few snags during negotiations and withdrew their offer, Zych said. The business was returned to the listings at Omaha-based Auction Solutions and got a new offer last week.

The sale to Mick Goslin and Beth Hersh closed on Tuesday. Goslin said he and his business partner are planning a grand opening April 2 and 3 and a soft opening sometime between now and then.

Goslin said Joe's will reopen with the same name, hours and concept, with a little updating and plans for dinner hours and an outdoor patio down the line. “It's the same person, different uniform,” he said.

Goslin, owner of Goslin Contracting Inc., said this is a first restaurant for him and Hersh, a registered dietitian. But both have restaurant experience. He said he cooked years ago at the A-Ri-Rang Club, a private club in Ponca Hills. And Hersh, he said, gained restaurant experience working at the Yo-Yo Grille and Market Basket.

Goslin said Hersh will head up the baking and cooking. He said they'll incorporate some of their own specialties (including cinnamon rolls based on family recipes that date to the 19th century) and “bringing back a lot of tradition.”

The space at 6564 Maple St., closed since mid-January, has been home to Joe's Cafe since 1959 and a restaurant since at least 1942.

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More to mangia (eat) at Mangia

Mangia Italiana expanded its menu this week to include a few cold deli sandwiches, a few new pasta dishes and about a dozen new pizzas drawn from its most popular pizza-of-the-week specials.

Owner Tony Constantino said the new pies include a pizza version of the Italian beef sandwich (olive oil and garlic on the base, roast beef, peppers, mushrooms, onions and fontina cheese on top) and a buffalo chicken pizza (with barbecue and alfredo sauces, cheddar and cream cheese, red onion, jalapeno and grilled marinated chicken).

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Tastes of Burgundy

Le Voltaire Restaurant Francais is hosting a four-course Burgundy wine dinner Thursday. Chef-owner Cedric Fichepain plans a special menu of vichyssoise, seafood in puff pastry, braised veal cheeks and molten chocolate cake, each course paired with an Albert Bichot wine from the Burgundy region of France. The Bichot wines' importer is to be a guest. Quaffing begins at 6:30 p.m. Dinner starts at 7 p.m. Cost is $49.95 per person, not including tax or tip. For reservations, call 934-9374.

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Help for the Easter brunch bunch

Local diners have begun their annual clamor for a listing of Easter brunch offerings.

Help us help them: If you own, operate or know a restaurant serving Easter brunch this year, please e-mail us by noon Wednesday; we'll attempt a roundup here next Friday.

We need the name, address and Easter hours of the restaurant; a brief description of the menu (a la carte or buffet, highlights, cost for adults and children); and a phone number for reservations.

-- Nichole Aksamit

Got restaurant news, questions or tips? Call food writer Nichole Aksamit at 444-1069, or e-mail nichole.aksamit@owh.com. Dining Notes runs Fridays.

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