Mark’s

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By JEFF KORBELIK / GZO

Macaroni and cheese is not the kind of entree you would expect to find as a signature dish at one of Omaha’s best restaurants.

Yet it is at Mark’s, the quaint eatery located in the historic Dundee neighborhood.

What makes Mark’s mac and cheese so good is its blend of cheeses. The pasta dish ($8.75) features cheddar, havarti, asiago and blue cheeses.

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At Mark's in Omaha's Dundee neighborhood, you can get embellished mac and cheese with bacon and spinach. (Courtesy of Mark's)

At Mark's in Omaha's Dundee neighborhood, you can get embellished mac and cheese with bacon and spinach. (Courtesy of Mark's)

For $4 more, a diner can have the chef embellish it. On my visit, that meant adding bacon and spinach to the cheesy entree.

The mac and cheese is a hit. While I sat with my friends waiting for a table on a busy Friday night, I saw several diners enjoying it. I, of course, had to try it, too. It definitely is a dish I would order again.

Mark’s mac and cheese is one of the restaurant’s many twists on recognizable favorites. The menu, along with its unique atmosphere — it operates out of a turn-of-the-century house —  are why the restaurant has become such a popular destination.

Mark Pluhacek and Molly Romero opened Mark’s in September 2003. Pluhacek’s background is in gourmet food, having worked in a family-run grocery store. Romero is a lawyer.

“It’s  a great balance,” Pluhacek said.

 After taking over the house, the duo went to work on renovations, completely redoing it from top to bottom, Pluhacek said.

Highlights include the main dining room, which is framed by 50 feet of window and features a large, master-crafted wood bar.

Behind the house is a sunken, tree-shaded garden with bistro tables and chairs. Upstairs are several private dining rooms for book clubs, business meetings, etc.

In designing the menu, Pluhacek said he wanted it “comfortable,” an extension of people’s homes with an emphasis on wine and good conversation. The restaurant’s chef is Steve Bolen, who changes the menu every April and October.

The menu’s emphasis is tasty twists on well-known dishes, such as a greek salad with ground lamb meatballs ($13.75), a smoked chicken lasagna ($15.75) and a tempeh reuben ($12).

The vegetarian choices are quite good, with vegetable ravioli ($14) and pad thai pasta ($10.50) among the tempting options.

Entrees range from $8 to $24. The menu also features several sandwich and salad options.

Complementing the food is Mark’s diverse wine list, which features many reds and whites not found anywhere else. They also are affordable. We shared a bottle of Oregon’s Duck Pond Pinot Noir ($31).

On our visit, we started with two appetizers: A cheese plate ($7.75) and “bread spreads” ($8.50), which included hummus, sun-dried tomato pesto and herb feta cheese.

For entrees, I had the embellished mac and cheese. My companions enjoyed the smoked chicken lasagna, tempeh reuben and fish (baked tilapia) tacos ($14.25).

Two of my companions were Omaha residents, with one a frequent diner at Mark’s. It was her suggestion to go there. I’m glad we did.

The evening was a pleasurable dining experience. Those venturing to Omaha for holiday shopping excursions may want to include a stop at Mark’s.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.