The Omaha Critic

Dear Omaha (to the people of,  not to the city of),
I would like to bid you all best wishes this Thanksgiving.  Whatever table you belly up to, whether it be at a restaurant, bar, soup kitchen, mom’s, dad’s, kid’s, auntie’s, uncle’s, or grandparent’s, we wish you the best in food, family, fun, and friendship.  No table could be warmer and more cheerful than the people that you love (especially when some of them have their mouth full of the season’s food!).  If you travel, drive safely.  If you are staying home, make it the best ever. 
If you drink, remember it is much “cooler” to hand off the keys.  (It’s hard to eat good food when you’re “Pushing Daisy’s”.)

Sincerely,
~The Omaha Critic

I would like to say that I have made the rounds of all the “Sushi” places in Omaha.  I am sorry to say that Matsu may never make it on the list.  I  dragged the family out for a “Friday Night” dinner and went from West Omaha, getting ready to head into Tanduri Fusion, to thinking that I needed to review something Italian.  I took the family to Lo Sole Mio and tried to get a table.  It was a 90 minute wait.

As if it were on queue, the oldest son suggested that we do Sushi.  Being as I did not want to drive out to the northwest corner of Omaha after driving from southwest Omaha, I figured we would try and subsequently review Matsu Sushi down in the “Old Market”.

I have a little hint for the management of Matsu.  If a couple bring their kids in and there are tables everywhere, don’t tell us that it’s going to be at least 10 to 15 minutes because you have to “clean tables” and then disappear to back of the restaurant leaving us to stand there.  We’ll leave and spend our $175 someplace else.

Overall impression:  Your service stinks, your wait-staff were aloof to people waiting, and I was completely unimpressed with all the dirty tables that were just left there as we waited for you to “clean one off” for us, which you never did.  After standing there for 20 minutes we got angry and left.

Pluses: It’s in the old market? (None really, I had to find something good about it)

Minuses: Enough room for 3 people to stand and wait.  Nobody to buss tables, dirty tables, and a bad sense of “you don’t matter”.  You should also watch out for the low hanging door chime.  I hit my head on it 3 times waiting with my back pressed against the door. 

(You’re wondering why I didn’t rag on Lo Sole Mio.  Because they were swamped, with a line out the door, the hostesses were attentive and tried to accommodate the 40 people waiting in line.  An attempt at service will bring understanding, ignoring me or blowing me off just tends to make me rant.)

~The Omaha Critic