Several Lincoln restaurants offer ethnic cuisines

Nebraska is not usually recognized for its ethnic diversity - it's more commonly known for its corn.

But if adventurous eaters are willing to try food even more exotic than Amigos or Fazoli's, there are authentic ethnic tastes to be found in Lincoln.

To ease into the foreign venture, it might be best to start with food that is geographically closest and commonly Americanized: Mexican.

Taco John's aside, Lincoln is home to several Mexican restaurants.

"(Mexican food) is characterized by using several (animal) pieces that people aren't used to using in their ordinary recipes," said Leonard Jimenez, owner of La Paloma, 13940 O St. "My dad said they use everything but the squeal of the pig."

Menudo, a traditional soup and popular dish at La Paloma, uses the stomach lining of a cow.

More common staples in Mexican dishes include tortillas, beans, chili peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro and, yes, corn.

Travel trans-Atlantic and the next step is Italian food. Pizza, pasta and bread sticks come to mind, but Italy offers more than what's found near the back wall of the Selleck dining hall.

Rather, Mauro Bergo, owner of Caffe Italia, 2110 Winthrop Road, serves sandwiches, biscotti, croissants, scones, prosciutto, lasagna and catalone.

"We don't use as much garlic as you guys (Americans) use in what you call Italian restaurants," Bergo said. "We use garlic, but we don't use as much as you think."

Instead, onion, tomatoes, oregano, sage and rosemary are common in many Italian dishes.

A little further east lies Greece, a small Mediterranean country with big tastes - strong feta cheese, tart olives and balsamic vinegar.

"We do generally use a lot more of the Greek spices, cheese and olives," said Mika Kazas, manager, chef and co-owner of The Parthenon, 5500 S. 56th St.

Some specialties are stuffed grape leaves, braised lamb shank and gyros - all popular choices at Ali Baba Gyros, N 14th St. All of these are still pretty safe for a novice food connoisseur.

The next step is Thai food, which gives a crash course in strong spices and curries.

Blue Orchid, 129 N. 10th St., is one of the most popular Thai restaurants in the city. It offers many traditional as well as fusion dishes.

"We have some dishes like pad Thai and curries that are always there on the menu," said Malinee Kiatathikom, one of the Blue Orchid's owners.

Pad Thai is a noodle dish with bean sprouts, spices, vegetables and chili pepper. Chili spices are common in Thai dishes, but Blue Orchid and many other Thai restaurants adjust recipes to fit their customers' tolerance.

"A lot of people don't like to eat too spicy," Kiatathikom said. "But it's our third year (in Lincoln) and a lot of our customers have adjusted to the spice level now."

Curry spices can initially overwhelm the palate, but after a little practice, an experimenting eater is ready for Indian food.

Bhupinder Singh, owner and cook at Shar-E-Punjab, 1601 Q St., said spice can add an important element to a dish.

"You start eating a little spicy and you think, 'Oh, God, I was missing something before,'" Singh said. "It's not like chili spicy, but it makes your body heat (rise) - it makes you sweat."

Singh prides himself on the fact that, in the nearly six years that Shar-E-Punjab has been open, his customers have never requested additional spices or salt. Food comes from the kitchen needing no alteration, Singh said.

The last stop on the ethnic culinary journey through Lincoln is Holyland Cuisine, 313 N. 27th St., probably more commonly known for being the only hookah bar in the city. Holyland offers Middle Eastern and some African food.

Dishes include rice, chicken, lamb, ground beef, shish kebab and many vegetarian options. There are some curries and similarities with Indian and other Asian foods, but many dishes are relatively unique.

"Each food has different ingredients, each item is different from the other," said Yahya Farhan, owner of Holyland.

An open mind and some daring friends for company can bring any mashed potato loving, chicken-fried steak chomping Nebraska native to culinary enlightenment.

"Being in the middle of Nebraska, it makes it more difficult to emphasize on Greek dishes," Kazas said.

Though Lincoln may not be a hub for ethnic food, there is life beyond Village Inn and the Watering Hole.

andreavasquez@dailynebraskan.com