Singing Toes

by Liz von Achen

Previously, I mentioned that the state of Nebraska smells like manure. In truth, much of the state DOES smell like cow dung, especially at rural rest stops on the I-80 corridor. But after taking a day trip into the city of Lincoln, I developed a whole new appreciation for Nebraska’s fertile aroma.

Lincoln, Nebraska is a great big little city, with some damn good tasting beef. Following easy, idiot-proof signs to ‘tourist information,’ I found the Lincoln Visitors Center in the old railroad station at the Historic Haymarket. This is a section of Lincoln that was the original town market-square, where in the 1860’s, wagons, equipment, hay and whatever else people needed (I don’t know; pies? petticoats?) were bought and sold.

I was a bit surprised at how many tourism brochures the center had. ‘You mean Nebraska actually has something to offer besides corn fields and smelly cows?’ I wondered. As a matter of fact there’s a lot more to Nebraska than meets the nose. And Lincoln was the perfect city to prove it to me.

A friend had mentioned that Nebraska was famous for its bar-b-que and its beef. Omaha Steak, anyone? So, duh-uh… as long as I was in this neck of the plains, I figured I should try some of its beef. Not in the mood to bite into a whole cow, I set my sights on a burger, and on a burger-quest I went.

FROM NEBRASKA

The visitors center suggested an eating/drinking establishment named Lazlo’s, explaining it was a long-time fixture in the area. Then they mentioned a whole bunch of other local spots which made me feel confused, and not quite ready to make a true heart-felt burger commitment. So I walked around a bit and found the From Nebraska gift shop (www.fromne.com), where they sell — you guessed it, everything from Nebraska (or at least, everything with the name Nebraska on it). Well, maybe not EVERYTHING … I think I saw some chewing gum behind the counter that had nothing to do with Nebraska. The shop features University of Nebraska Cornhusker souvenirs and apparel, gifts, gourmet food products from the heartland, locally brewed ale, Nebraska wines, and pretty much everything else you could imagine having the word ‘Nebraska’ printed on it. The friendly folks at From Nebraska agreed that Lazlo’s would be the place to go for the best local burger-fix.

GOURMET LICORICE FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Having a consensus from two reliable sources, I was just about to make a beeline to Lazlo’s when I noticed the sign for the Licorice International store. Upon entering, I was warmly greeted by co-owner Elizabeth, who immediately offered tasty samplings of traditional red and black licorice pieces. She then gave a tour of the shop and invited me to sample as many gourmet licorice flavors as I’d like.

Licorice International Inc. offers more than 160 types of licorice from 14 countries, the largest selection of black licorice, gourmet licorice and European licorice available in the United States. Elizabeth described the company’s roots as a mail order business started by a NYC confectioner named Larry Ring. When Elizabeth and her partner Ardith purchased the company in 2002, they developed the www.licoriceinternational.com website, and began fulfilling orders from their homes. Growth of the business led them to rent a facility for processing internet and mail orders, which then led to its current 4,450 square foot retail shop in Lincoln’s historic Haymarket district.

I sampled and purchased several gourmet twist flavors among many; cinnamon, orange, green apple, grape. As well as soothing licorice spice tea, and some anise mints from France.

Upon hearing of my cross-country road trip and plans to blog, Elizabeth graciously offered to take a photo of me with my camera, explaining that if I sent my photo to their site, they would post it, and share a link. Elizabeth and Ardith also conferred and directed me on my burger-quest to Lazlo’s.

Later, I reflected upon my visit to the lovely licorice shop. I must say, I was somewhat taken aback by just how pleasant Elizabeth and Ardith were to meet. Their earnest kindness and hospitality seemed quite unnecessary; they had me at “free samples.”

And Finally, a Burger!

After all this research and legwork to find the best burger in the Haymarket District, one might wonder if the build-up was worth the beef. Oh, you bet your buns, it was!

Lazlo’s Brewery and Grill is a casual eatery located across the street from the vistors center/former train depot in Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket District. The interior is pretty much what you’d expect from a modern brew house/grill; clean and contemporary, yet slightly nostalgic with its brick walls and exposed high ceiling beams.

Established in 1991, Lazlo’s serves up fresh, ‘from-scratch’ cooking and hand-crafted ales. The burgers are ground fresh on the premises daily from 100% beef from locally raised, grain fed cattle, and cooked on a custom grill fueled by hickory wood.

I ordered the cheeseburger with cheddar, lettuce, tomato, red onion and a secret sauce, which came with a side of crinkle fries and honey mustard sauce for dipping. While my meal was being prepared, I sipped on Burning Skye, a Scottish style brew recommended by Luke, the bartender. Lazlo’s is Nebraska’s first and largest brew-pub, featuring an assortment of flavorful beers and hand-crafted ales from its in-house brewery; Empyrean Brewing Co.

My burger arrived, and with the first bite, I was transported back to a wonderful childhood memory from days when we actually still had a butcher shop in our town, and could buy freshly ground meat, free of additives. Perhaps it was the secret sauce, the hickory grill, the fresh local beef, or the combination of all, but this was the best burger I’ve tasted in many, many years. Kudos to Lazlo’s.

So, do I still think Nebraska smells like manure? You bet. But that’s a good thing. A very good thing.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 8:16 pm and is filed under Travel Stories, Vegas Road Trip. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed. Share on Facebook