Restaurant Hoppen

Hosted by Hurrdat Media

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384

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Dan Hoppen breaks down the Nebraska cuisine scene one bite at a time. He talks to local chefs, media members, and just interesting people about what's going on in the Cornhusker State when it comes to food, where people need to eat, and how food relates to Nebraska sports.

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60 recent

October 15, 20261 hr 1 min

The Chef Who Sees Vegetables Differently | Rachel McGill of Dish

Chef Rachel McGill of Dish in Lincoln, Nebraska joins Dan Hoppen for an in-depth conversation about creative cooking, vegetable-forward cuisine, restaurant ownership, young chefs, the Lincoln dining scene and her experience competing on Food Network's Chopped. Rachel explains why vegetables are at the center of her cooking, how her backyard garden supplies produce for Dish, how she works with local Nebraska farmers, and how she develops dishes around seasonal ingredients. She also breaks down her signature Carrots, Carrots, Carrots dish, her approach to minimizing food waste, the evolution of Dish over the past decade, the challenge of changing an established restaurant, and what it took to convince Lincoln diners to embrace a different kind of upscale dining. The conversation also covers Rachel's James Beard Best Chef Midwest nomination, her self-taught path into cooking, learning to work on a line, mentoring young cooks and the lessons she learned from Dish's original owner, Travis Green. Then Rachel goes behind the scenes of Chopped, including the stress of cooking for cameras, creating dishes from mystery ingredients, judging, the differences between television competition and restaurant cooking, and how the experience made her more confident as a chef. Dish Lincolnhttps://www.dishdowntown.com/ This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  Timestamps: 00:00 – Why Dan Finally Made the Drive to Dish in Lincoln01:28 – What Makes Dish Different From Other Restaurants?04:03 – Why Vegetables Became Rachel's Passion12:12 – Inside Rachel McGill's Rapid-Fire Culinary Brain19:03 – Why Lincoln Needs More Independent Restaurants31:10 – How a 21-Year-Old Became a Chef38:33 – How Rachel Ended Up Buying Dish42:52 – What Really Happens on Food Network's Chopped51:22 – Rachel's Second Business: The Sitch55:16 – Rachel's One Rule for Dining at Dish #RestaurantHoppen #DishLincoln #RachelMcGill #LincolnRestaurants #LincolnNebraska #NebraskaFood #OmahaFood #Chopped #VegetableForward #FarmToTable

October 8, 20261 hr 5 min

Family, Fusion, & Flavor: Exploring Indian Cuisine w/ Little India

The Antony family has been bringing Indian Cuisine to Omaha for more than a decade at several locations and restaurants, and now they've landed at Little India in Blackstone. Joshy, Agnes, and Christian discuss what it's like to work with family, the wonders of Indian cuisine, how they're surviving the streetcar construction, and more! Visit Little India: https://littleindiaomaha.com/ This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  Timestamps: 00:00 – What Little India Wants You to Experience About Indian Culture03:21 – From Indian Grocery Store to Omaha Restaurant04:48 – Why Little India's New Kitchen Changed Everything08:07 – The Kerala Dishes They Still Want to Bring to Omaha10:49 – The Indian Sandwiches Coming to Little India19:20 – How Taj Kebab & Curry Became Part of Their Story21:44 – The Chef Who Taught Joshy Indian Cooking29:19 – How a Bigger Kitchen Changed the Menu32:13 – Little India's Secret Menu34:10 – Why Christian Learned the History Behind Every Dish37:07 – Exploring the Different Regions of Indian Cuisine39:08 – Spiced, Not Spicy: The Biggest Indian Food Misconception41:35 – Why Little India's Handmade Samosas Are So Special52:34 – Why Little India Still Doesn't Serve Dosa59:39 – Dan's Little India Recommendations #RestaurantHoppen #LittleIndiaOmaha #IndianFood #OmahaFood #OmahaRestaurants #IndianCuisine #OmahaEats #IndianFoodOmaha #BlackstoneOmaha #DanHoppen

October 1, 20261 hr 6 min

The Ins & Outs of Cottage Baking (Live Panel)

What is it like to start a bakery business out of your home? How do you balance being a parent and having a family when your work takes over your home kitchen? Three of Omaha's favorite cottage bakers—Kelsay Cosgrove (KCC Bakery), Hailey Vinter (crumb coat & chill), & Corinne Honan (Sweet Earth Delights) joined Restaurant Hoppen for a panel discussion on the highs, lows, and everything in between when it comes to cottage baking! Guests: Kelsay Cosgrove — KCC Bakeryhttps://www.kccbakery.com/ Hailey Vinter — crumb coat & chillhttps://www.crumbcoatomaha.com/ Corinne Honan — Sweet Earth Delightshttps://sweetearthdelights.com/ Restaurant Hoppen — Hosted by Dan Hoppen This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  Timestamps: 00:00 – What Does It Actually Take to Become a Cottage Baker?03:13 – When Cottage Baking Turns Into a Brick-and-Mortar Bakery11:06 – The Reality of 4 AM Wakeups & 20-Hour Workdays13:32 – Nebraska Cottage Baking Rules Explained16:35 – What a Home Bakery Really Looks Like22:18 – What Happens When Baking Becomes Your Job33:34 – Cottage Baking Disaster Stories37:21 – The Best Advice for Starting a Cottage Bakery38:57 – Why You Should Grow Your Baking Business Slowly41:38 – Becoming a Business Owner, Not Just a Baker56:59 – Quick Hits: What Should You Try First?59:49 – “Organized Chaos” at Midnight #RestaurantHoppen #OmahaFood #CottageBaking #OmahaBakers #OmahaBakery #KCCBakery #CrumbCoatAndChill #SweetEarthDelights #OmahaEats #Hurrdat

September 24, 20261 hr 7 min

Pizza Science and the Evolution of Restaurant Hospitality w/ Tim Maides (Dolomiti)

Few people in Omaha's restaurant scene are more fun to chat with than Tim Maides, the co-owner of Dolomiti, and unpacking his brain on pizza is a true delight. We nerd out on ovens a dough a bit, but we also talk a lot about Dolomiti's approach to treating guests and how expectations, from both restaurant and guest, can affect a dining experience. This is a fun one, and very educational! 🍕 Dolomiti Pizza 🌐 https://www.pizzadolomiti.com/ This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  Timestamps: 00:00 – What Makes a Great Restaurant? Tim's Three-Pillar Philosophy 01:38 – Why Dolomiti Doesn't Follow Traditional Pizza Rules 10:45 – Inside Dolomiti's Giant Italian Pizza Oven 14:03 – The Sourdough & Semolina Dough That Makes Dolomiti Different 16:08 – Why There Isn't One "Right" Kind of Pizza 18:55 – The Panuzzo: Pizza Dough Gets a Whole New Life 23:52 – The Biggest Lesson Hospitality Taught Tim 31:51 – The Little Hospitality Moments Customers Never Expect 34:19 – Has Restaurant Hospitality Become Too Complicated? 42:37 – How Dolomiti Built Its Famous Cubano Pizza 50:05 – The Part of Restaurant Ownership Nobody Warns You About 59:40 – "In Crust We Trust" & Final Thoughts #RestaurantHoppen #DolomitiPizza #OmahaPizza #OmahaRestaurants #Hospitality #OmahaFood #MillworkCommons

September 21, 20269 min

The Omaha Ice Cream Shop You Can Ship Anywhere in America

What if you could send someone a pint of Omaha's best ice cream no matter where they live? In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Abby Jordan, co-founder of eCreamery, to talk about nearly 20 years of ice cream, creativity and entrepreneurship. eCreamery began in 2007 and has evolved from an ice cream shop into a business that blends gelato-style ice cream, sorbets, seasonal flavors and a nationwide gift-giving operation. Customers can customize pint labels with photos or messages and send eCreamery ice cream anywhere in the country. Abby also talks about how the team comes up with creative new flavors, including a lemon drop melon sorbet inspired by a local farmers market, and why she believes almost any flavor can work when you can imagine it with sweetness. Dan and Abby also discuss what it takes to stay in business with the same partner for nearly two decades, how they learned to work with completely opposite personalities, and why a little "sugar and grit" has helped keep eCreamery going through the ups and downs. And yes... Dan absolutely gets Abby to talk about his favorite seasonal flavor. 🍦 eCreamery 🌐 https://ecreamery.com/ This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  #RestaurantHoppen #eCreamery #OmahaIceCream #OmahaFood #OmahaRestaurants #IceCream #FoodGifts #OmahaEats

September 21, 202611 min

How Lola's Became One of Omaha's Favorite All-Day Cafés

What happens when you stop trying to make food more complicated—and start letting great ingredients speak for themselves? In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Clare Bartolomei, owner and operator of Lola's and Fig, to talk about the ideas behind both restaurants. Lola's began seven years ago as an espresso bar and coffee shop before evolving into an all-day café, sourdough bakery and wine bar. Clare describes the philosophy simply: simple, beautiful food made from scratch, with fresh, local and organic ingredients whenever possible. That same philosophy inspired Fig, the "little sister" to Lola's located inside the Kiewit Luminarium. When the opportunity arose, Clare didn't want to simply open another Lola's. Instead, Fig became its own concept, with a broader menu that includes burgers, fries and other dishes while maintaining the same commitment to scratch-made sourdough. Clare also explains why sourdough has become so central to both businesses, including the flavor and structure that can come from local grains and long fermentation. And looking ahead, she's already dreaming about taking Lola's beyond Omaha through culinary and wine experiences. It's a conversation about food, community, creativity and what it means to build restaurants around a set of values. 🍞 Lola's 🌐 https://lolasomaha.com/ 🌿 Fig 🌐 https://www.figomaha.com/ This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  #RestaurantHoppen #LolasOmaha #FigOmaha #OmahaFood #OmahaRestaurants #Sourdough #OmahaEats

September 21, 202610 min

Sweet Magnolia's Turns 10! What's Next for Katina Talley?

Ten years of Sweet Magnolia's. Three-plus years of Know Good. And another restaurant project already on the way. Katina Talley is one of Omaha's busiest—and most relentlessly creative—food entrepreneurs. In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen catches up with Katina to talk about Sweet Magnolia's Bake Shop, the evolution of Know Good, and the brand-new European-style all-day café she's preparing to open. Katina describes Sweet Magnolia's as an American-style bakery where everything is made from scratch and where the team pours an enormous amount of love and labor into handmade pastries. She also explains why the bakery embraces both sweet and savory baking, including her personal favorite: pesto twisties. Then there's Know Good, which started almost accidentally. What began as an opportunity during a slow period in Millwork eventually became a full-fledged bagel and breakfast sandwich concept after Katina realized they couldn't keep up with demand for their bagels. And somehow... she's still not finished. Katina teases her next project: a European-style all-day café serving espresso, pastries, breakfast plates, sandwiches, salads and handmade pasta from morning through late evening. It's a short conversation, but it captures something really fun about Katina: She's not building food businesses because she has to. She's building them because she can't stop being curious about food. 🥐 Sweet Magnolia's Bake Shop 🌐 https://www.sweetmagnoliasbakeshop.com/ 🥯 Know Good 🌐 https://knowgoodeats.com/ This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  #RestaurantHoppen #SweetMagnolias #KnowGood #OmahaFood #OmahaRestaurants #OmahaBakery #OmahaEats #FoodEntrepreneur

September 21, 202613 min

This Omaha Culinary Program Lets Students Run a Real Restaurant

What if culinary school let you learn in a real restaurant—with real guests, real service, and real feedback? In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Emma Oblender, outreach specialist and outreach chef for Metro Community College's Culinary Arts & Horticulture programs, to explore how Metro is preparing the next generation of chefs and hospitality professionals. At the center of Metro's culinary program is Sage Student Bistro, a public-facing restaurant where students experience both front-of-house and back-of-house operations while serving real guests. Emma explains why that hands-on environment gives students something a traditional classroom simply can't: the opportunity to learn from real service, real feedback and real-world mistakes. Metro has also revamped its culinary program around cohort learning, cross-training, and internship and job-site opportunities that connect students directly with Omaha's restaurant community. And you don't even have to be pursuing a culinary career to get involved. Metro offers community education classes covering everything from sushi and knife skills to bread and macarons. Whether you're an aspiring chef, a longtime food lover, or just curious about how Omaha's culinary talent is being developed, this is a fascinating look inside one of the region's most hands-on culinary programs. 👨‍🍳 Metro Community College 🌐 https://www.mccneb.edu/ This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  #RestaurantHoppen #MetroCommunityCollege #OmahaFood #CulinarySchool #OmahaRestaurants #CulinaryArts #SageStudentBistro

September 21, 20268 min

You Came for Pickleball… Then You Tried the Food

Most people know Smash Park for the activities. Pickleball. Duckpin bowling. Darts. Karaoke. Shuffleboard. Arcade games. But Todd Lindberg wants you to know there's another reason to visit: the food. In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Todd, Executive Vice President of Expansion for Smash Park, to talk about the kitchen behind the entertainment. Smash Park focuses on scratch cooking, including Wagyu burgers, smoked chicken wings, and a dedicated gluten-free fryer. The goal isn't simply to provide something to eat between activities—it's to make food that genuinely surprises people who may not have come expecting a restaurant experience. Todd also shares his own path into the culinary world, which started with his first kitchen job at 14 years old and eventually led him to culinary school at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. And if you're wondering what Todd would order first? The answer is the 24-hour-brined, smoked and flash-fried chicken wings. Because apparently even at Smash Park, the wings are serious business. 🎳 Smash Park 🌐 https://smashpark.com/ This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  #RestaurantHoppen #SmashPark #OmahaFood #Pickleball #OmahaRestaurants #FoodAndFun #OmahaEats

September 21, 20268 min

The 70-Year-Old Secret Behind La Casa Pizzaria's Famous Pizza

For more than 70 years, La Casa Pizzaria has been serving Omaha with a pizza recipe that's become part of the city's history. In this special Restaurant Hoppen segment from Hurrdat and Yelp's Omaha food event at the Kiewit Luminarium, Dan Hoppen sits down with Nicole Jesse, owner of La Casa Pizzaria, to talk about the family history behind one of Omaha's most iconic pizza restaurants. Nicole explains why La Casa's pizza doesn't look—or taste—like the typical pizza many people grew up with. The crust is thin and made without yeast, the pizza is finished directly on the oven rack for a unique grilled texture, and the restaurant makes its ingredients from scratch. Then there's the Romano cheese: a signature ingredient that has been part of La Casa's identity since the family's roots in Sicily. Dan and Nicole also talk about what happens when someone tries La Casa for the first time, why some customers become lifelong fans after just a few visits, and what it means to operate a family restaurant that has welcomed multiple generations of Omaha diners. This is a quick conversation with a big story behind it: 70 years. Multiple generations. One unmistakable pizza. 🍕 La Casa Pizzaria 🌐 https://lacasapizzaria.net/ This is a Hurrdat ONE Production. Hurrdat ONE is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat ONE Network by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hurrdat ONE YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  #RestaurantHoppen #LaCasaPizzaria #OmahaPizza #OmahaRestaurants #OmahaFood #NebraskaFood #OmahaHistory