Dining Notes

CULINARY CLIMBERS

Two Omaha-raised chefs are making culinary strides out west: Matt Lightner, executive chef at Castagna in Portland, Ore., and Colin Duggan, executive chef at Urban Tavern in San Francisco.

Restaurant Hospitality magazine named Lightner among “10 to watch in 2010” in its January issue. The 28-year-old is drawing attention as a hot new talent in the kitchen at the high-end restaurant Castagna — and for his high-profile mentors. During a study program and more than 18 months in Spain, Lightner worked with Andoni Aduriz, chef at the avant-garde Mugaritz in San Sebastian, and with Ferran Adria, the El Bulli chef known worldwide for his cutting-edge cuisine.

Lightner is a graduate of Papillion-La Vista High School. His mom, Betsy LaSalle of Papillion, tells us he got his start at a Summer Kitchen Cafe in La Vista and graduated at the top of his class from Portland's Western Culinary Institute.

The 30-year-old Duggan, a graduate of Omaha Central High School, studied Asian cooking at the William Angliss Institute in Melbourne, Australia, and worked under Omaha chef Glenn Wheeler at the former Wheelers and Bomba Dia restaurants and at Liberty Tavern at the Hilton Omaha. Duggan went on to serve as executive chef at the Liberty Tavern in Branson, Mo. He joined the staff at Urban Tavern at the Hilton San Francisco in June 2008. He was its acting executive chef much of last year and was promoted to executive chef this month.

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RESTAURANT GUY(ER) OF THE YEAR

The Omaha Restaurant Association has named Cory Guyer, executive chef at the Old Mattress Factory Bar & Grill, its restaurateur of the year for 2009.

Guyer was honored at the group's annual dinner, held Jan. 11 at Anthony's steakhouse. The group also named its purveyor of the year, Greenberg Fruit Co., and inducted some new board members.

Restaurant consultant Rich Barmettler remains the group's president.

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NEW EATS IN YORK

Southside Grille has opened in the Camelot Inn and Suites in York, Neb. The new fast-casual family restaurant is celebrating its grand opening this weekend with free dessert sundaes for lunch and dinner patrons Friday through Sunday. The 50-seat eatery is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

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NEW BUFFET UNDERWAY

A new Grand China Buffet is in the works at 11226 Chicago Circle, near the Parables store southeast of 114th and Dodge Streets. Majority owner Simon Dong said he and his partners plan to open the restaurant by early March.

Dong said he also co-owns Grand China Buffet restaurants in Albuquerque, N.M., and El Paso, Texas. “It's a family-owned business,” he said. “We've been doing restaurants for 20 years.”

He said the Omaha version will feature a Chinese-American buffet with hot and cold bars, a Mongolian grill and fresh sushi and will be open for lunch and dinner daily.

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CLOSED

The catering continues at Matt's Grill and Catering, but the restaurant at 5402 N. 90th St. closed last weekend, co-owner Jennie Warren said.

Warren and husband, Matt, opened the restaurant in the spring of 2006. She said she wasn't sure what's next for them but that the closure is “a good thing.”

The drive-through-only Runza at 1325 Northwest Radial also has closed, much to the chagrin of “a longtime newspaper reader who doesn't do well with change.” The otherwise unidentified caller said he worked up a Runza-worthy appetite removing snow and ice only to find the place closed and partially emptied.

Becky Perrett, marketing director for Runza, said the franchisee for that location “decided to pursue other interests” and shut its doors late last month. It had been a Runza restaurant since 1985.

Perrett said remaining Runzas will continue to offer their “Temperature Tuesdays” deal through the end of February. The deal: The temperature at 6 a.m. each Tuesday (in degrees Fahrenheit, above zero) determines the number of pennies you'll pay that day for an original Runza sandwich (when you also buy a medium-sized drink and fries). Prices from the past three Tuesdays were: no cents, 4 cents and 28 cents.

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EVEN MORE INVESTED

Marks executive chef Steve Bolen and general manager Rachel Kolb are now also shareholders at the Dundee bistro. Co-founders Molly Romero and Mark Pluhacek remain primary owners of Marks. But Romero said the recently expanded ownership reflects “how much we value the integrity, talents and skills Steve and Rachel bring to our organization.” Bolen has worked at Marks since 2007, Kolb almost since its opening in 2003.

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GETTIN' WHEATY WIDIT

Good news for anyone whose 2010 diet resolutions involve eating more whole grains:

The Sgt. Peffer's Cafe Italian restaurants in Millard and near Saddle Creek Road have added whole wheat pizza dough and whole wheat honey rolls to their menus. Suzanne Leonovicz, dessert baker at the Millard location, said the dough is made on-site daily.

— 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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