Catch A Meal
Affordable and pleasant, Taxi’s remains a real find in Omaha
By Jim Delmont
Mac Thompson’s Taxi’s restaurant continues to be a West Omaha neighborhood favorite that combines a bistro approach with a near-suburban watering hole aspect with an upscale restaurant personality that offers ever-changing nightly specials and elegant desserts. The combination is irresistible as a nearly full house at 7 p.m. on a recent Wednesday testified. Thompson’s cozy spot, with Patty Werth’s energy and good will providing warm welcomes to every patron, has hit all the right notes in recent years. It doesn’t try to do too much, it is friendly to regulars, it keeps popular items on the menu indefinitely, the kitchen is consistent, prices remain reasonable, and table service is excellent. Going to Taxi’s is like going to a club – and though the prices and low key atmosphere draw an older crowd, as would be expected, there are always young couples there, too.
Having sampled our favorites many times – the amazing salads, especially the Egyptian chicken salad (transferred from the Neon Goose downtown, where the recipes originated), the juicy Angus burger, the fish ‘n chips, the meatloaf and Aunt Kay’s pot roast – we tried something different: the grilled chicken foccacia sandwich ($9.50) and the Cajun Chicken ($9.95). With the sandwich, you get a side, which can be a Caesar salad for one dollar more. Foccacia sandwiches can be too bready and dry, but this one was made with a basil mayo that soaked into the bread, complementing the juiciness of the chicken and these flavors melded with the pungent portabella mushroom, roasted red peppers, guacamole and the heady flavor of havarti cheese, all folded into one delicious sandwich. The Cajun dish had the right spiciness – a little heat running into the rice from the seasonings; the julienned chicken medallions were not as juicy as the chicken in the sandwich, but were not overcooked, either. With sautéed onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, artichokes and tomatoes, they made for a full meal with a heap of soft basmati rice.
Before these entrees, we tried the Taxi version of shrimp scampi – Dijon Shrimp (9.50) served in the usual ramekin, the shrimp in a Dijon butter bath, the whole covered with a crisp, but pliable crown of baked Havarti – sinfully rich, but worth it.
The mellow, foamy amber import, Newcastle Brown Ale, was a perfect beverage, as was a spritzier, lively Fat Tire (tap). Taxi’s does have a decent wine list with the unique aspect that all table wines are available by the glass or bottle, not just a few, as at many restaurants. Almost all wines (13 whites, 16 reds) are under $35, reminding me of San Francisco bistro restaurants. To make it even better, these reasonably priced wines can be had at half price on Tuesdays and Wednesdays – a real bargain. House wines are $5.95 a glass, in half a dozen varietals. A few of the more expensive wines are Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander valley, $85; Sonoma Cutrer Pinot Noir, 2006, $55; Cakebread Chardonnay 2008, $75; and a Duval-Leroy French brut Champagne at $66.
Thompson and his partner, the late Bill Johnette, started all this at the renowned Neon Goose restaurant, then moved west. The menu remains ambitious, with lots of specials, in an inviting L-shaped room that has an intimate quality and a warmth missing at many spots. The wait staff seem like old friends, which in some cases, they are. Paintings and posters suggest Belle Epoque France, in this tasteful but friendly room (with a side alcove).
There are lots of inexpensive items on the regular menu: As noted, the Taxi-burger is terrific – Black Angus U.S. choice ground beef with a deep, grilled beef flavor, served with a creamy cole slaw or salty fries ($8.75, the price has actually gone down in the past year or so); the fish n’ chips offer soft, moist Atlantic cod in a crisp batter, with fries, tartar sauce and the creamy slaw ($9.95). Also under $10 are Southwestern meatloaf, chicken crepes with mushrooms and Mornay sauce, quiche, pasta penne, chicken enchilada, all nine sandwiches, and, for only a dollar or two more, the fabulous dinner salads, including the Egyptian chicken salad.
Changing nightly are specials that might include, among recent offerings, a 7 oz. tenderloin char-grilled over gorgonzola hash browns, with whiskey gravy and sautéed mushrooms ($28.95); breaded pork tenderloin over basmati rice with basil cream, steamed broccoli and garden tomato salad (($18.95); or a lightly battered walleye with basmati rice, brown butter and toasted almonds ($22.95). Other specials have included sole Monterey, grilled halibut, a chicken enchilada with cumin cream sauce, lemon shrimp, and seared sea scallops, to name a few.
Among appetizers, a big hit with regulars here are the waffle fries – crisp, meaty, with a heady, melted gorgonzola cheese topping and a spicy chipotle mayonnaise ($6.95). Also yummy are the tuna nachos, “spinart” (spinach and artichokes with cream cheese and Parmesan cheese), crab cakes, and more.
Unique are the huge dinner salads. The Egyptian Chicken is the king of these – a huge helping of mixed greens with crunchy walnuts, grilled chicken, chopped bell peppers, raisins, artichokes, with a delectable and unusual curry cream dressing ($10.95) – and it is a meal, with the crusty and delicious bread (soft and chewy beneath the crust) that comes to all tables and is replenished when you run low. The strawberry chicken salad is sweeter – chicken nubs mingled with strawberries, mandarin orange slices, and cinnamon-spiced pecans, with a cilantro/lime vinaigrette dressing (also $10.95). The Thai peanut sauce on the Warm Asian Chicken Salad is spicy and lively and makes a delicious meal with julienne chicken, fried won tons, water chestnuts and cashews tossed with the mixed greens – it is served warm and its flavor has a slight peanut-butter sheen that is offbeat and surprisingly good ($10.95). the last of the four is the Salmon Nicoise Salad ($11.95), a full meal in itself, with grilled salmon, eggs, “new” potatoes, Roma tomatoes, olives, garden greens and mixed greens, with an herb vinaigrette (opt for ahi tuna and pay $3.00 more).The house salad ($3.95) offers a sweet, sharp dressing over Romaine leaves with slivered almonds, orange slices and peppercorns.
The desserts here change, and are wonderful, including a superb bread pudding – much lighter than most, a soft, moist, custard-like creation, not heavy with bread, with slices of apple, walnuts raisins, and caramel – can easily serve two ($5.50). The desserts are around $6, and include a house favorite - chocolate “earthquake” fudge cake made with pecans, a coconut topping, a filling of cream cheese and powdered sugar, topped with ice cream and drizzled chocolate. Others are a Napoleon Torte from the Lithuanian Bakery, and a sour cream pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream.
At Taxi’s the kitchen can do everything from pot roast to lemon shrimp, from Dijon escargot to a Taxi-burger. The Sunday brunch has really caught on – offering elegant, ambrosial poached egg dishes, quiche (also on the dinner menu), many omelets, Belgian waffles and macadamia nut waffles, chicken and other crepes, sandwiches and salads (including the Taxi burger) and even the Dijon shrimp and Dijon escargot. The brunch has much more to offer, as does the dinner menu.
This place is a find – affordable, pleasant, surprisingly good, and relaxing to visit almost any day of the week.