Dining Notes: New (old) pizza concept coming to Legacy

Nebraska could have its first certified Neapolitan pizzeria (more on that later) when Dante Pizzeria Napoletana opens this fall near 168th Street and West Center Road.

Chef-owner Nick Strawhecker said the 4,000-square-foot, 80-plus-seat restaurant will serve authentic Neapolitan-style pizza with house-made mozzarella, as well as a seasonally changing array of pasta and antipasta. It also will have a 40-foot bocce court in its bar.

The restaurant has leased space in the Shops of Legacy, a few doors down from Shucks Fish House & Oyster Bar.

Despite some overly optimistic “opening summer 2009” signs printed months ago and hung recently at the site, Strawhecker said he’s now aiming for a mid-October start.

An Omaha native who spent 10 of the past 12 years training and working as a chef in Rhode Island, Arizona, Italy, Chicago and Philadelphia, Strawhecker has a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I.

He said he has been working toward certification from the American chapter of the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association and hopes to have the group’s mark of authenticity when Dante opens or shortly after. The association, founded in Italy and called “Vera” for short, aims to preserve age-old artisan Neapolitan pizza-making techniques. Its Web site lists fewer than 30 certified American pizza-makers.

Strawhecker said he has already apprenticed with a Vera-certified pizza-maker in Los Angeles and now is working to make sure his restaurant has the four other components required for certification: a wood-burning stone oven that heats to temperatures between 700 and 800 degrees; approved ingredients (including a special type of flour, San Marzano tomatoes and wholesome, natural toppings); the right technique when it comes to mixing, proofing and shaping the pizza dough; and the traditional size for each thin-crusted pie (10 to 12 inches in diameter).

Strawhecker said Dante likely will be open for lunch and dinner on weekdays and for lunch, dinner and late night on weekends. The location did not have a phone number as of this printing, but the Web site is www.dantepizzeria.com.

Ferd’s return

Omaha institution Ferd’s Bake Shop closed its bakery near 89th and J Streets in April. But the baker and the recipes will live on at Broadmoor Market.

Store director Jennifer La Montia said the gourmet grocery and deli in Countryside Village, near 87th and Pacific Streets, purchased the Ferd’s business and hired its baker and former owner Bob Seefus.

The market is adding a commercial bakery space for Seefus and plans to sell Ferd’s breads and baked goods on its shelves and wholesale to other outlets. Installation delays pushed back a July 1 launch, but LaMontia said the store should be carrying Ferd’s products by the end of July.

“It’s the same recipes, the same products, just in a different space,” LaMontia said. “We’re really excited about it.”

Closed?

The Vincenzo’s near 76th and Pacific Streets has at least temporarily closed.

Aaron Smeal and Matt Knoblauch, part owners of the midtown Vincenzo’s, said Tuesday they were not sure what was happening with the restaurant. Knoblauch said the group was working to reopen it.

Though the three locations share a name, the midtown Vincenzo’s is not affiliated with the other Vincenzo’s locations — the one in the Old Market and the original near 144th and Blondo Streets. Those locations, owned by Bill Whitley and Mike Frank, remain open.

Ming’s Star Chinese Restaurant, 4646 Dodge St., also appears to have closed. The restaurant was locked and dark during normal business hours this week. Its phone number was disconnected, its Web site taken down. The owners did not respond to e-mail and could not immediately be reached.

Relocated

The Old Market Zio’s reopened in bigger digs at 1109 Howard St. late last week. The new spot is about a block east of the old 1213 Howard St. location. The number remains 344-2222.

Tiny bubbles

Kelly Schwarz, one of the chefs at M’s Pub, has been playing with “fruit caviar,” using a gelling agent to turn fruit juices into little caviar-like bubbles of flavor. Executive chef Bobby Mekiney said diners should look for the fruity bubbles on specials and in cocktails this summer.

Expanding

Mr. Goodcents continues to expand in Omaha a bit slower than it originally had hoped.

A press release from the 20-year-old Kansas-based sandwich and pasta chain said it is looking to open four more franchises in the Omaha area in the next five years.

When it opened its first Omaha location in 2003, the chain said it planned to launch another nine spots in Omaha by 2010. The chain currently has four Omaha-area locations.

Local food forum

The Nebraska Local Foods Network will have a daylong conference in Lincoln next week for anyone interested in producing or eating local foods. Speakers include Diana Endicott of Good Natured Family Farms near Kansas City, who will discuss getting local foods into grocery stores and restaurants. Nebraska producers will share their trials and successes. The event is from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday at the East Campus Union at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Registration is $20 per person after today (or $15 if you register today). To register, click on the Nebraska Local Foods Network Conference at http://cariregistration.unl.edu/ or call 402-472-2935.

Tastings

Taste in Rockbrook Village plans an Aug. 4 wine dinner, with a menu from its relatively new executive chef Glenn Wheeler. The five-course dinner includes a caprese salad, sea scallops, beef tenderloin and a berry tart with lavender honey cream. Cost is $55 per person, plus tax and 20 percent gratuity. Call 884-3175 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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