Latest Blog Posts
What You Get For the Money
Folks who own a “stylish” house in the $200 - $950K range might want to check out this post in the forums. I admit it’s technically spam, but it’s Lincoln-related spam, and it may get one of you on television, so I’ll let it slide this time.
Sonic Boom
Sheesh, how’s a guy supposed to get any work done this afternoon with all those jets screaming overhead? Actually, I’m just cranky because I can hear them, but I can’t see the jets, what with this eternal darkness we seem to be stuck in. NU volleyball coach John Cook got a ride in one of the Blue Angels the other day; maybe some other local celeb is puking over Lincoln at this very moment.
Inna’s Inside and Out
Mr. T and I ventured to Inna’s Pirogi today, located on O Street near Centennial Mall between Oso and Abloom. It opened its doors just yesterday. I know very little about the cuisine Inna’s offers—so little, in fact, that I’m ashamed I can only call it “Central or Eastern European”—so don’t expect any comments from me on the cafe’s authenticity. But I do have a couple observations I would like to share:
First, Inna’s is a small, locally-owned restaurant. The owners have wisely kept everything fairly basic: a simple interior, simple decorations, and a simple menu. In spots it’s a little too simple—there was no soft background music, for example. But overall the simplicity is an asset, not a liability.
The menu (PDF) is fairly limited, but it does include a nice selection of breakfast items, lunch/dinner entrees, and soups. I’m especially excited about the breakfast items, since Downtown offers very little in the way of breakfast dining options.
As I mentioned above I know nothing about the style of cuisine Inna’s is going after, and I think Mr. T knows only slightly more, so the following is intentionally brief. The food is presented very nicely on “real” plates (as opposed to paper or plastic), and it was served to us only two or three minutes after we ordered. Mr. T commented that his guliash ($6.95) was “kind of bland”. The guliash was meat in a brown gravy served over rice. I had the zrazy ($6.95), a pork meatball stuffed with eggs and parsley and covered in gravy, and served with potato wedges and garnish. I found it very tasty, and I happily cleaned my plate, with the exception of a couple pieces of cucumber.
Overall, I’m rooting for Inna’s, but I’ll be brutally honest: I give it three months, tops. That’s not because of anything wrong with the restaurant, mind you. Rather, I just don’t see Lincolnites giving Inna’s enough business in its current location to keep it afloat. History has shown that small, independent, ethnic-but-not-Mexican restaurants have a hell of a time surviving in Lincoln. Here’s hoping history is wrong about Inna’s.
Uh Oh
Tucked inside Deena Winter’s column today was this bit of unfortunate news:
The group [of Lincoln representatives who went on a lobbying trip to Washington, D.C.] got bad news regarding the outlook for federal street funds; they learned the federal Highway Trust Fund is expected to dry up by 2009. Federal gas tax revenue goes into the trust fund and is then distributed to states, but revenue hasn’t kept pace with the rising cost to maintain highways.
The assumption all along has been that the Feds would pay for a huge chunk of the bill for the Antelope Valley Project and the South and East Beltways, among other roads projects. From the beginning I haven’t cared for that assumption. On the other hand, Lincoln isn’t the only community for which this is bad news. I have a hunch the Feds will find some money in their magical, inexhaustible pot o’ gold.
A Taxiing Situation
I admit I know very little about the topic, but I really don’t understand why it is so blasted difficult for a company to offer taxi or taxi-like services in Lincoln and Lancaster County. Why does the Public Service Commission think it is in the public’s best interest to protect Servant Cab’s monopoly, especially considering the public is clamoring for something better? What is it about open competition that the Public Service Commission finds so distasteful?
Inna’s Pirogi is Open
As I left Oso today, I happened to notice that Inna’s Pirogi is open. I dropped in, had a quick chat with the guy behind the counter, grabbed a menu, and promised I’d be back tomorrow. So who wants to hit Inna’s with me tomorrow? Let’s say 12:15. I hope to see you there!
If you’d like a sneak preview, here’s a PDF version of their menu:
Incivility Takes a Beating
So, wow. Yesterday I mentioned an incident here in Lincoln involving some angry soccer moms and a youth referee, and I hinted that there would be repercussions. Little did I know! I really wish I could spill the details, but I can’t. Err, well, I can, but I shouldn’t. What I will say is this:
The two women have been identified, which means the ugly possibility of having to punish all of the team’s parents won’t be an issue. The women will probably not be permitted to attend youth soccer matches anywhere in the state for the rest of the season, if not longer. And last but not least, law enforcement may yet get involved.
If that’s not the definition of a bitch-slap, I don’t know what is.
The Rise of Incivility
Recent incidents of incivility at youth soccer matches make me fear that idiot sports parents are coming back.
An Accident in the Making
I simply can’t fathom how anybody thought it would be a good idea for city buses to have to cross a traffic lane, a bike lane, and back across the bike lane, between the SOB and O Street. Somebody is going to be killed.
The awkward dance happens hundreds of times each day. One of these days, a bus driver is going to forget to look before swinging across the lanes, and he’s going to take out a bicyclist. That, or the driver will look, but a groggy bicyclist won’t notice that he has camped in the bus’s blind spot.
I know the situation bothers Star Tran’s drivers. It’s easy to discern the traffic issues that frustrate them most. And surely bicyclists don’t enjoy having buses swerving around them twice in such a small stretch (and again two blocks later). I sure hope somebody is looking for a solution.
It’s Game Day!
It’s game day again, Husker fans, and today the Huskers are taking on the mighty Trojans of USC. I hope you plan to take a prophylactic dose of whiskey to lubricate your spirits, because the intensity of tonight’s game might just leave you feeling a little rubber-legged. The Huskers have been ribbed for their relative mediocrity these past few years, but if our protection holds up tonight, we manage to abstain from spilling the ball, and we can tear through their defenses, a win is entirely conceivable.
Huskers: 35
Trojans: 31
Go Big Red!
Least Surprising News of the Day
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but Chris Beutler announced his candidacy for Mayor today. He is currently a state senator, but term limits will force him out in January.
Comparisons
It’s interesting to listen to people discuss two recent situations in Lincoln. In the first, a judge commits a traffic violation and kills a man; in the second, a professor hands out some small explosives to students. Almost invariably the judge is treated with kid gloves, even sympathy. Folks cite his apparent compassion and how “it could have happened to anybody”. Probation and community service, the conversants agree, would be best. The professor, on the other hand, has already been convicted by public opinion. His actions didn’t harm anyone, but he could have “blown somebody’s arm off”. He should, at the very least, be fired (but the University won’t touch him because he’s tenured), and he should serve at least a little time in jail. The professor is “careless”, “wacky”, and “apparently a drunk”.
The contrast in the tone of the two discussions is striking, which I find fascinating. It’s a small case study in the power of media coverage and in how people weigh actions and consequences.
Friday Five
Summer is drawing to a close. Did you do everything you had planned to do? Here are five things you should do one more time (or for the first time) before autumn is upon us:
- Take a long walk through Sunken Gardens
- Visit the Children’s Zoo
- Dine outside in the Haymarket
- Ride your bike along Lincoln’s bike trails
- Eat an ice cream cone at Zesto (the one on South Street, of course)
Where Have You Been?
Did you all notice what showed up yesterday that hasn’t been around for ages? Wind. I heard that Lincoln went 33 days without a wind gust over 30 miles per hour, a new record. (Who keeps track of a record like that?) So not only did August and early September offer us pleasant temperatures, we weren’t beat up by the wind either.
Perhaps Mother Nature is asking forgiveness for that whole drought thing, but I think she is buttering us up in preparation for some fireworks this winter.
13th and M
Mary Lou - the owner of the old Filipino restaurant where Danny’s Deli now resides - has reopened operations where they rented out the old M13 Bistro. Mary Lou flagged me down today as I was walking back home, as I used to visit her old eatery often. The new place just opened has a simple menu of sandwiches and other items. However, if you are interested in home cooked pancit (Wednesday’s special) or chicken adobo (Friday’s special), let her know in advance and she will cook some up for you on any day. I wonder if there is any other operation in the state that offers home cooked Filipino?
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