Owners of Lola’s in Dundee to operate new cafe, Fig, at Kiewit Luminarium

The team behind Lola’s restaurant in Dundee will operate a cafe inside the Kiewit Luminarium, the new science center due to open on the banks of the Omaha River next spring.

The restaurant, Fig, is set to open in April 2023. Its concept will be different from Lola’s, but it will feature high-quality ingredients and sustainable sourcing like its sister, say owners Clare Watson Bartolomei, Corina Figueroa and Philip Schaffart .

It also has one other thing in common with Lola’s: both provide catering service for Omaha attractions. Lola’s is located inside Film Streams near 50th and Dodge streets.

Fig will be on the southeast corner of the 82,000-foot Luminarium, with river views and an outdoor dining area.

It will offer family menus for breakfast, lunch and happy hour, as well as a bakery that will produce products such as sourdough bread and pastries. It will also provide lunches for tour groups and catering services for event rentals.

The owners have also formed a creative partnership with the Luminarium to explore science and culture through food. The Luminarium will host weekly adult-only evenings where visitors can explore exhibits and enjoy educational programs focused on food and drink.

“We’re going to be able to do what we love to do every day while creating new experiences for visitors outside the cafe walls,” Figueroa said. “For example, we can demonstrate and discuss a process like fermentation, which we use in our baked goods.”

The Luminarium will feature over 100 exhibits that will encourage people of all ages and walks of life to explore their curiosity. As construction of the museum progresses, staff members have worked with community members on the development of exhibits and engaged potential visitors with a series of pop-ups at locations in the area.

“With Fig, we have a new local concept and a committed program partner who is also an experienced manufacturer and excellent operator,” said Silva Raker, CEO of the Luminarium. “We look forward to ‘playing with our food’ through an accessible scientific lens.”

Pulled BBQ Omaha, a food truck, now has a brick-and-mortar restaurant at 11046 Elm St. near 110th Street and West Center Road in Rockbrook Village.

Its website says the truck incorporates pulled meat into every dish on its menu. It also does everything from scratch, including rubs and sauces.

The company has both a restaurant and a truck/catering menu. They’re similar, with items like pulled meat mac and cheese, sandwiches, burritos, and wraps. It lists seven sauces, from “Sweet and Sticky” to “RIP”. The line includes an Omaha version of Alabama’s Creamy White Sauce.

The restaurant — in the former space of The Hunger Block — is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and closed Sunday and Monday. For menus and food truck information, visit pullbbqomaha.com.

The long-awaited Texas de Brazil steakhouse in downtown Omaha will open on October 10, the owners announced on Facebook this week.

The restaurant will be located in the Capitol District at 1110 Capitol Ave. It will be open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. from Tuesday to Thursday; 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays; 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday; and from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Sundays. It will be closed on Monday.

The menu offers all kinds of meats, including filet mignon, lamb, pork, chicken and Brazilian sausages, a wide variety of salads and sides and several desserts.

To learn more about the restaurant, visit texasdebrazil.com.

A new restaurant in a Papillion apartment complex offers both the MLB Pass and the NFL Ticket so diners can enjoy their favorite baseball and football games.

Lux American Grill, 9839 S. 96th St., Suite 105, Papillion is next to the Lux Apartments. It opened last week and will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to midnight weekdays and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

An extensive menu includes entrees such as garlic bread bites and prime rib sliders; salads, including caesar and a wedge; burgers and sandwiches; starters such as carbonara and seared salmon and some desserts.

To learn more, visit facebook.com/luxamericangrill/.

A health cafe specializing in acai bowls, smoothies, salads and wraps is celebrating its fourth anniversary in Omaha.

Vitality Bowls has two local locations: 1922 S. 67th St. in Aksarben Village and 2835 S. 170th Plaza in Shops of Legacy.

Aksarben Village Cafe will mark the occasion with an event from 4-7pm on Wednesday. Customers can try an “acai flight” including samples of its Vitality, Dragon, Green and Nutty bowls.

Acai bowls originated in Brazil and are made from acai berries and additional fruits, then topped with ingredients such as seeds, nuts, or granola.

There are currently 129 Vitality Bowl locations in the United States. They pride themselves on offering foods rich in antioxidants and high in nutritional value.

“The community has welcomed us with open arms since we opened our doors,” said Katie DeSantis, owner of Vitality Bowls Omaha. “And we’ve strived to recreate that same warm, inviting atmosphere in our cafes since day one.”

For a menu, go to vitalitybowls.com.