No-nonsense breakfast at Sally's Old Fashioned Hamburgers.

Sally's Old Fashioned Hamburgers has operated up in the third floor Food Court at the downtown Des Moines mall, Kaleidoscope at the Hub, for many years. Its a popular place for workday lunch, but Sally's also offers breakfast on weekday mornings as well.

Their most tricked out breakfast item is the Country Omelet, with a veggie omelet atop hash brown patties, then they cover the lot in country gravy. Made on the spot, served piping hot. About six bucks.

On an another visit I tried a breakfast sandwich with bacon, egg and American cheese on a croissant. Can't beat a fried egg on a sandwich!

Other breakfast items available include breakfast sandwiches with ham or sausage, a breakfast burrito with choices of meats, biscuits and gravy, French toast sticks, tater tots, hash brown patties, and made-to-order eggs with toast and choice of meat.

A Friday in Omaha: An odd night book-ended by visits to Upstream Brewing.

I had a long morning in Omaha so far – with the bus ride over from Des Moines, walking the mile round trip to the 11-Worth Cafe for breakfast [see blog post], then cooling my heels at Howlin' Hounds with an espresso and an Italian soda [see blog post] – before finally checking into my room at the Hilton Garden Inn for a much needed nap.

Waking up from some actual sleep and with breakfast fully settled, I took a celebratory shower, and ventured out to the Old Market. At Upstream Brewing I enjoyed a cute little tester glass of the hoppy Czech Yourself Bohemian Pilsner before settling down with its big brother, the 23 oz'er. Little did I realize I had sat next to a very talkative Freddie Mercury lookalike with a mild case of gigantism.

Afterward I checked out Urban Abbey, a coffee shop/bookstore. This was not a good move. I asked for an iced decaf Americano, but instead was given one blistering hot. Then I was privy to a women's religious circle that had gathered in the middle of the shop, and subjected to music best described as Whatever Happened to Holly Near? If you have any clue to that reference, its probably a good bet you spent a portion of the late 1970s learning how to scissor.

Being in the presence of so many well-adjusted, seeming stable women was unnerving. Likely the consequence of a lifetime of drinking in grimy bars where most of the female patrons were damaged goods. I shoulda went to a gay bar instead.

Having some travel vouchers to use or lose, I arrived at the Amtrak station on Pacific St. about 45 minutes before it opened, hoping to kill some time trainspotting. When the time came though, a simple task of purchasing tickets face-to-face with station agents became a minor clusterfuck, with several failed attempts to add on to my end-of-the-year travel itinerary before they finally got the computer to accept the changes. This night would've been less stressful if not for the busload of seniors, traveling as a group, who had filled the small waiting area where I stood. And not even a GILF amongst them!

My business at the station kept me occupied longer than I had expected, and the kitchens around the Old Market were starting to close for the night. A visit to Zio's was close to closing time and I did not want to haul a cooling carryout pizza back to the hotel. So I ended the evening where I started, at Upstream Brewing for a pleasant, relaxed meal with cocktails.

For starters, a cup of chili did not suck. Topped with cheddar, sour cream, and scallions, it was zippy, meaty, and texturally appealing. The main course of mac and cheese offered a creamy, mouth-coating sauce, with toothy cavatappi pasta, chunks of ham, scallion tops, and a sprinkling of toasted bread crumbs.

The nightcap was a civilized drink – The Barrick – made with Upstream's Flagship IPA, George Dickel rye, sweet vermouth, and slice of orange for garnish. Between Upstream and Benson Brewing [see blog post], Omaha's brewpubs sure know how to craft remarkable beer cocktails. A fine rescue of the evening.

A Friday in Omaha: Goin' to the dogs for a cup of joe.

On a visit to Omaha in September I had spotted a coffee shop just south of the bus station in a building that once occupied an old dive—the Diamond Bar. This shop, called Howlin' Hounds Coffee, not only retained much of the bar's fixtures and charm, but is also run by a member of the family that owned the bar and building.

Howlin' Hounds is also dog friendly, as evidenced by the retrievers lounging behind the bar, and the homage above the front window to Constance Depler Coleman's Bar Hounds. Patrons of the Greenwood Lounge in Des Moines should be familiar with the work, in wallpaper form. Happy to find a new watering hole, I settled down with a doppio con panna and friendly conversation with the barista/owner.

Vintage dive bar urinals, Bar Hounds, and a doppio con panna.

After that well made espresso beverage, I was pleased to notice they carried some of San Pellegrino's Italian sodas. I'm especially fond of the Limonota, which is what I ordered next with ice. I would repeat that order 48 hours later as a parting beverage before returning home to Des Moines.

I should note that Howlin' Hounds is a block south of the bus station at 16th and Jackson. If you've got a significant layover and need a good cup of joe, or an excuse to get away from that dinky, seedy station, Howlin' Hounds is open Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For evenings I'd suggest a walk east to my usual watering hole in Omaha, 13th Street Coffee & Tea, just north of Jackson. Any other time and you're stuck with Cubby's, a convenience/grocery/deli/liquor store on the corner of 13th and Jackson.

It was a pretty long morning by the time I checked into my reasonably comfortable room at the Hilton Garden Inn on Dodge and Tenth. It was rather a warm day and I was still digesting my breakfast from earlier in the day [see blog post], so I sloughed off my travel clothes, jacked the air conditioning down to the Ice Age and took a mid-day nap.

A Friday in Omaha: Views Askew.

Monkey is a dish best served with eggs.

Hello Sailor!

No cruising ends… sorta.

A quaint archaeological find.

A Friday in Omaha: Revisiting the Mexican Casserole at the 11-Worth Cafe.

Back in September I took another opportunity to visit Omaha, this time spending a weekend there to tie-up some travel arrangements. Instead of boarding a pre-dawn Megabus like my last trip [see blog post], this time I opted for a ride over on a Burlington Trailways bus a few hours later in the morning.

With a few hours to go before check-in, I walked the half-mile over to the 11-Worth Cafe – one of my favorite breakfast places in the country – to revisit one of my favorite breakfast dishes—the Mexican Casserole.

The Mexican Casserole, the sides, and the beatific end result.

Its a heck of a heaping helping of seasoned ground beef, hash browns, onion, tomato, jalapeño, green bell pepper, and mushroom, glued together with American and Swiss cheese, then further topped with cheddar jack.

Good gravy, what more could you want? Hmm… gravy. How about sausage gravy and poached eggs atop that glorious mess? Which is what I did, plus a toasted English muffin from Rotella's Italian Bakery.

With most of my breakfast tucked away, I leisurely retraced by steps back down Leavenworth, taking a few photos along the way [see blog post].