Local beer, local produce in Omaha (Upstream Brewery)

I was really impressed with Upstream Brewing Company in the Old Market section of Omaha's downtown (first-ever trip to Omaha earlier this week - cool city). Most memorable was the cask-conditioned double IPA, served at a perfect 55 degrees and loaded with perfumy hops. Mouth-wateringly good, and left me craving something like it for several days. Also very good, and surprising, was that almost all of the produce served at Upstream is purchased from local Nebraska Farmers at the Saturday markets. I don't expect to find that at a brew pub (heck, in Chicago it's hard to find that anywhere). The quality really showed, from the hand-cut local potatoes used to make the fries to the basil grown on the windowsill in the kitchen and used on the very good pizza I tried.

Upstream Brewing Company
514 South 11th Street
Omaha, NE 68102
Phone 402-344-0200

I don't think it was a double IPA, but I had whatever they had on cask there last summer, and I agree, it was a real treat. They put out some good brews. It's been 10 years, probably, since I've eaten there, but I'm glad to hear the food is good also.

Went to a rehearsal dinner at the Upstream last weekend, and I was very impressed with the food, specifically and surprisingly, the pizza.

Okay, I shouldn't have been surprised, since Kenny mentioned the pizza, but I forgot his specific food commendations in memory of general praise; and I knew I wasn't ordering off the menu so didn't need to research.

The pizzas were brought out on trays, serve-yourself, buffet style. While they won't satisfy purists, perhaps, they offered a gread combination of flavors. Very thin crust didn't offer quality bread but a very nice base for fresh tasty toppings that were the focus of this pizza. There was a memorable chicken, kalamata olive, artichoke heart, caramelized onion offering. There was an excellent sausage (not sure if it was made in-house, but very distinct from typical pizza sausage, and delicious) with tomatoes and what seemed to be roasted jalapeno strips. Wow, this was good. Standard cheese and pepperoni were also quite satisfying.

Other standards--a crudite plate, spinach-artichoke dip--were very well-executed. The veggie plate, in fact, had these really crisp, sweet, delightful white asparagus, which may not be in season but tasted excellent.

And there was some chafing dish of ravioli that was better than expected. Very good food all around.

On cask this time was their ESB, which was really smooth and creamy--very nicely pulled.

Tried their Lazy Dave Lager, or something, a seasonal summer, which offered a really nice depth. It strikes me as a little unusual to find a good microbrewpub lager...maybe because I don't tend to order them, but this beer was very good.