Dining Notes

Celebrating Hatch chiles

About this time every year in New Mexico, the air fills with the perfume of roasting Hatch chiles. The annual harvest of the slender green peppers from Hatch, N.M., inspires festivals and dishes throughout the Southwest. And tumbling roasters appear at roadside stands and farmers markets.

Roja Mexican Grill + Margarita Bar is bringing a little of that Southwestern flavor to Omaha with a mini Hatch chile festival from 11 a.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday at its Old Market location, 1212 Harney St.

The restaurant ordered 300 pounds of fresh Hatch chiles, in mild and hot varieties, and will be roasting them in a propane-powered roaster on the patio Saturday. The restaurant will offer free samples and sell the freshly roasted peppers for $3 a pound during the event. Roja also plans to feature them in soups, fritters and other special dishes through September.

New sweets in Lincoln

Chocolatier Blue opened Monday at 4101 Pioneer Woods Drive in Lincoln.

The handcrafted chocolaterie is co-owned by Nebraska native Sean Blue and his brother, Chris Blue, a chef and chocolatier whose résumé includes a stint with renowned Chicago chef Charlie Trotter. The company also has two locations in Berkeley, Calif.

Its chocolates are made with single-source Amedei brand chocolate, Five-Star brand organic butter and fresh fillings with no artificial flavorings or preservatives. The filled chocolates come in seasonally changing flavors, such as caramel, espresso, hazelnut, peach chantilly, blueberry cobbler and grapefruit-rosemary.

The shop is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The number is 402-488-0048. The website is www.chocolatierblue.com.

Chick-fil-A update

A Chick-fil-A spokesman this week confirmed that the company plans a public location in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area within the next three years.

The chicken chain previously would say only that the area was on its expansion list sometime in the next decade.

Don Perry, vice president of public relations for the Atlanta-based company, also confirmed that the Marketplace in Council Bluffs is one of several potential spots for a new location, though the company's not making any lease or construction deals just yet.

Tidbits

Délice European Bakery and Café, which closed its Old Market location in 2009, is reopening at 3201 Farnam St. in Midtown Crossing on Thursday. New owners John and Karen Tollinger have hired the former location's pastry chef, Heidi Schlicht, and plan to revive the old menu. Hours will be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. The number is 505-9500.

Lincoln-based Le Quartier Baking Co.'s first Omaha location is a couple of weeks behind schedule. Co-owner Seth Quiring said they're waiting on an oven part and now are aiming to open in Countryside Village on or about Sept. 15.

Fresh peppers are ready at Lil' Burro in Bellevue. The restaurant is featuring its homegrown peppers, plucked from owner Shane Ashelford's 700 pepper plants, in everything from chiles relleno to salsa through the first fall frost.

Tastings — beer, wine and more

The Bluffs Arts Council hosts Savor the Flavor — a wine, food, music and art stroll — from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. Ticketholders get a tasting glass and samples of craft beers and local food at six pubs on the 100 block of West Broadway in Council Bluffs. Participating restaurants are Barley's, 1892 Bier Haus, Fiddlin' Monkey, Glory Days, T'z and Venue 162. Tickets are $20 in advance (via www.bluffsarts.org or by calling 712-328-4992) or $25 if purchased at the event.

Dario's Brasserie will host a beer garden featuring sous-vide brats and burgers, Belgian beers and live music from 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday in conjunction with the neighborhood's annual Dundee Day. There will be a $5 cover charge for the beer garden starting at 5 p.m. The restaurant is open regular hours, serving its full menu.

The Great Nebraska Beer Fest runs from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Shadow Lake Towne Center in Papillion. Tickets are $25 in advance at etix.com or $30 at the event. A ticket gets you a tasting glass and unlimited beer samples from every Nebraska craft brewery and more than 100 local, regional and national beer companies. The fest coincides with this weekend's Arts Alive! arts showcase at the shopping center.

— Nichole Aksamit

World-Herald staff writer Rainbow Rowell contributed to this report.

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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