Cibo Vino — Restaurant in Omaha

The host/hostess were very polite and kindly took my partner and I to our seat. We probably sat at our table for enough time that it felt awkward before being formally greeted by our server. We initially ordered wine before our entrees as the wine menu doesn't seem to have a lot of selections if you're opting to just order by the glass. Many of the wines are by the bottle only. I'll give the benefit of the doubt considering that this restaurant just opened, but the service although very nice and polite was very wishy-washy. Our server brought us a pitcher of water but didn't pour it for us, and didn't bring us small plates to go with our starters. By the end of our meal they had seemed to disappear and the bartender was the one who happened to close our tab. Frankly it took way too long to be greeted and it was a very akward and confusing situation as to who would be serviand taking care of us. Evem more so confusing was why this seemed like such a difficult process when i counted at least 4 or 5 serve staff despite only maybe two tables sat in additon to us. Our plates weren't even bussed even after my partner and I stacked them and put them on the end of the table until after we had already given our payment. We ordered two starter plates and two starter pastas. The burrata caprese, the hummus, the bucatini amatriciana, and the bucatini cacio pepe. The hummus has a weird flavor and was not exciting, the brewery across the street has a comparably priced hummus plate that despite being served with likely not fresh house made pita, was way better in flavor and portion size. The only redeeming quality was the house made rosemary focaccia which was delicious however it appeared to be grilled on the outside yet was served not room temp but honestly seemed cold. The caprese was a huge disappointment. The menu claimed the mozzarella was served with heirloom tomatoes and basil pesto, but when it was brought out the cheese had a weird consistency and the flavor was very subtle. The tomatoes had no flavor and were not even seasoned. The wild part to me was that I couldn't taste basil at all and then the tomatoes were garnished with LETTUCE. The lettuce definitely muted any of the minimal flavors that could've existed and it was a very weird aspect to the dish. Frankly a garnish of basil would have made the flavor and texture multiple times better. The bucatini cacio pepe was the best part which is unfortunate to say because the cheese and sauce seemed grainy. But the pasta was cooked well and the flavors were balanced and nice. However the bucatini amatriciana was a disaster. The pasta was undercooked and stiff, the sauce had a weird flavor, there were random fettuccine noodles in the mix, and the guanciale was so hard it hurt to eat. some pieces popped in a way that resembles stale croutons. We were super hungry but left still hungry as we left a fair bit of food on some of the plates. We were not interested in ordering any other plates or entrees. We ended up spending around 70 before tips and frankly I wouldn't have spent that on a meal as such had I known what we were going to get. Frankly I think this restaurant has a lot of potential between the location, the atmosphere, and the menu itself. On paper it looks like a wonderfully designed and balanced menu with a fair number of offerings that cater to many people yet maintains the theme and cuisine, the fact that we went during their first week means that likely many of the staff are still learning and training. I'd like to think that they are still working out kinks and developing systems to improve the speed/quality of service and also improve the systems in the kitchen to ensure the highest quality of food possible. Frankly a few adjustments like ensuring the focaccia comes out warm, ditching the lettuce on the caprese, seasoneing all the tomatoes, having more consistently cooked pasta would make a world of a difference. I wish them best of luck, as Operating a restaurant is a huge task and very difficult! I think this could be...

My partner and I went there on a date night a few months back.

Cibo Vino is kinda mid, in my opinion.

It relies on its wine selection and location to appeal to people, and the food kinda falls short. Lemme tell you why.

It’s on one of the busier intersections in the Old Market, just across the street from Upstream and La Buvette. The ambience is lovely. Low, intimate lighting with a lot of really cool artwork and decor. The bar is beautifully designed, and our bartender was cool.

Good selection of wine, and not too terribly priced if you’re getting it by the glass.

Food and plating, however, was what made it mid.

For a restaurant in a prime location serving food that’s anywhere from 25-35 bucks a plate, you’d expect some diversity in the flatware with a little bit of artful plating. Every dish came out on the same size plate, tossed onto the middle of it with no real thought.

We got two slices of their rosemary focaccia for an appetizer, and it tasted like they had thrown a bunch of rosemary onto the fire before they grilled it. The flavor of rosemary was almost overpowering, bordering on bitter. Good texture and crunch, but Jesus was it herby.

We got their bucatini amatriciana to split as well, and here is where the ‘real’ review of their food begins.

While the ingredients of the dish were all there, they weren’t really combined. The pasta was cooked well, but there was next to no starch in the actual pasta. This tells me one thing: cheap pasta. It felt as if they’re just ordering large quantities of pasta from Sysco, par cooking it before service, then reheating in boiling water to sell. As a result, the ingredients of the sauce; the tomatoes, the guanciale, and the pecorino cheese, didn’t really have anything to bond them together. The basis of flavor was there, but the execution and prep work kinda blew it. Could use more salt, as well.

For mains, we had the lemon chicken piccata and the hunter’s chicken cacciatore.

Chicken piccata was flavorful and cooked well. The lemon was bright and delicious, but the sauce had slightly split. This tells me it was either unattended to on the line, or it cooled down while waiting to be brought to the table. However, my issue with the pasta arises once more. It felt like the penne it was served with was par cooked prior to service, reheated, and dumped onto a plate with the piccata coming off of sauté and on top of it all. The lack of starch was apparent. The pasta and sauce weren’t married very effectively, and it felt like I had to dip the pasta in the sauce to get an effective bite. Flavors were good -fantastic even- but the execution is where it lacks.

Cacciatore was delicious. Flavor was fantastic, and the chicken was juicy and tender. HOWEVER, the sauce was missing something. The flavors were there, but the texture fell short. The mushrooms were canned, or at least it felt like they were. Now, I understand it is impossible to acquire fresh porcini mushrooms year round, but this is where you have to ADAPT. If porcinis aren’t available, switch to a fresh mushroom you can get quickly. Cremini would be fine, and those things can grow year round indoors. The mushroom gravy was tasty, if a bit lacking in salt. But the real star of the show was the polenta. It was blended beautifully with the pecorino, and was light, creamy, and fluffy. Good stuff.

Dessert was the panna cotta. No complaints. Tasty and delicious.

Overall, I have one main criticism for Cibo Vino:

Make your own pasta.

The experience was lovely, but I can tell that the main focus of the restaurant is shifted towards the wine, considering the chef was sitting two tables over speaking to a pair of sommeliers/wine dealers(?) as opposed to running expo.

The food feels like an afterthought. Like someone decided to open a wine bar but said: “I need to serve food too!” The menu is classic Italian pasta fare, and somehow, they’ve managed to just barely miss the mark.

I will say again; Cibo Vino, make your...

This building is a very beautiful space, and has lived through many incarnations, so we were very excited to see something new. New and Italian.

We decided that today, day 8 of these guys being open, we’d give it a shot. We ended up going shortly after they opened for service. We were readily greeted by a warm, friendly staff, some of whom were familiar faces. I noticed immediately upon entering that the space has been tastefully redecorated (the wallpaper in the entry way is stunning). It looks wonderful! We opted to sit at the bar, which has just enough interesting, well placed decor to keep your eyes busy, without looking like a hodgepodge.

We were greeted immediately by the gentleman behind the bar, and received excellent service throughout our visit. He was attentive and personable, but also gifted with the innate ability of being able to sense when to be around, and when not. After our initial exchange, we got down to the menu. I really enjoyed seeing some of the classics, the home cooking style Italian food is known for. This menu is not pretentious; it does not boast or brag. It is approachable, fresh and familiar. My heart leapt when I saw a chicken piccata—though not a dish I care for, it induces nostalgia of dining days past, working in restaurants featuring that very same time capsule staple. Their menu feels…comfortable.

I opted for the Spaghetti & Meatballs, my dining partner the Bolognese. Both dishes had such an incredibly rich, robust, flavor. You can taste the hours put into the bolognese ragu, and the love. The beef and pork were perfectly tender, and cooked down in just such a way that it didn’t have the usual grease factor you find with this dish. It was light, and delicate. The pappardelle noodles, made in house, were some of the most perfectly ribboned al dente pieces of delight I’ve had yet. The whole dish was incredibly well done.

As for the Spaghetti & Meatballs, we have another winner. The Sugo sauce had just a little bit of a bite to it, a little heat—just enough to add another dimension of flavor. The meatball portions were generous to say the very least, and perfectly tender with the just right subtle amount of crisp courtesy of the pumpernickel breadcrumbs. The small hint of rye produced as a result of using that particular variety of bread also added a wonderful dimension. The noodles, as I suspected, were another hit.

We closed out our meal with their house tiramisu. This tiramisu is the real deal. Ladyfingers were almost obscenely bursting out of the beautiful piece we received. It was light. It was rich. It was absolutely delightful. It had a cute little strawberry on top. We destroyed it at an alarming rate.

For being 8 days in, these guys are on the right track to success. I really don’t have a single “off” thing to add to this review, our experience was nothing but positives. To make the experience even more pleasant, we didn’t break the bank. Their prices are extremely reasonable for the fare and the location they’re providing. These are people who know what they’re doing, and it shows. If you’re looking to try something new, make the trip down to the Old Market and check out Cibo Vino. I’d be surprised if you were...