Dolce — Restaurant in Omaha

The Groupon made me do it.

Dolce is, in my opinion, underrated for fine dining in Omaha. I think partly because of it's location (as opposed to some trendier location such as Dundee, Blackstone, or Benson) and it's age (not a brand new, buzzing restaurant).

The best way to describe Dolce is delicious, unpretentious fine dining. The entrees are unique compared to an Americana place, yet familiar enough that you mostly have heard of the ingredients used in your dish.

I went on a Wednesday night with one of my friends and we got the Date Night special for $63 (or was it $65) and included a shared appetizer, individual soup/salad, individual entree, and shared dessert. I think the value is absolutely there compared to other prix fixe menus and especially when you throw the Groupon on top of it.

So why 4 stars if I'm talking such a big game? The bookends of the meal were ok at best.

Charcuterie- It was fairly good but I think just having mustard as the only sauce accompaniment (vs. a fruit preserve/jam) and then up charging $5 to add cheese didn't feel right. I have yet to find a comparable charcuterie board since Lot 2 closed.

Soup- I got the cauliflower soup topped with truffle oil and it was a fantastic combination. Not too heavy, right balance of flavors, and just the right amount of food.

Entree- The pan roasted chicken breast with gnocchi and broccolini was excellent. The perfect flavor of food that was cooked just right and seasoned perfectly. The only thing I didn't care for was the pesto sauce on the side of the plate because I'm not sure that was the right flavor profile to go there (and I enjoy pesto), but otherwise the other tomato-y sauce beneath the chicken was delicious.

Dessert- We shared the bread pudding and while good, it was a little dry and maybe overly sweet for my liking. The caramel around the ice cream was overkill and I personally prefer a bread pudding that is more soaked consistency than dry outer and soft inner.

The ambience was enjoyable as they had live music (at the right volume) and the unrushed pace of the meal is a perfect place to catch up and talk.

Overall, excellent meal and I have plans...

Absolutely SPECTACULAR! Hands down this is one of my favorite restaurant experiences ever. I can't believe I haven't been to Dolce before but I will definitely return and if you haven't gone, you really need to make a reservation now. You won't regret it!

We had the Chefs 5 Course Tasting Menu and honestly all I can say is wow wow wow. I was super impressed by (and very appreciative of) their ability to accommodate my unfortunate need for gluten-free in each course. The wines were perfectly paired to bring out the complex and creative flavors in each plate. The first course was quite possibly the best sea scallop I've ever had. While I can't remember all of the specifics, it was beautifully plated with rice and potato crisps, a spicy slaw and fresh microgreens. It set the stage for the remaining courses. Second course was a fantastic and again beautiful tuna tartare. Third course was delicious duck. Fourth course was a to-die-for wagyu beef... seriously every bite elicited moans of pleasure. Sooooo good. Last course was a banana ice cream with berries, brittle and dark chocolate. It was all I could do not to lick the plates clean.

Chef Anthony is not only an incredibly talented chef, but also a marvelous host. He personally delivered each course which made the dinner even more special, not to mention entertaining! The serving staff was the epitome of friendly, professional, and attentive. I don't know that I've ever experienced a more perfect dining experience. This might be the best kept secret in Omaha. If you find yourself contemplating dining at Dolce, deliberate no more... you simply must go. You won't regret it. I highly...

UPDATE: As you can see, I received a not-so-nice reply from the owner. I think I was fair and honest in what I said below, and actually could have said a lot more but felt people got the idea. But he decided to alienate me and dozens of potential customers by attacking me personally. I do support servers (having been one myself) and left a generous cash tip in addition to rounding out the bill to an even amount. It boils down to the fact that I didn't enjoy the service or the food, and I wanted other diners to know about my experience.

I was really excited for our visit to dolce given the great reviews on Google and elsewhere, but unfortunately my experience was not so great.

Slow service and our server was quite gruff. I felt like an inconvenience every time I asked for something.

I wasn’t blown away by any of the food, which again was super disappointing. The mac & cheese was pretty good, but it had way too much chorizo in it. It was really like cheesy chorizo soup with some noodles on top. Kind of bizarre. The salad was way under-dressed and I couldn’t taste the salad dressing at all, it was basically dry lettuce. I ordered the pork trio and was disappointed with all three ways. The pork chop was tough, the pork belly which I was looking forward to was also overcooked and kind of burnt. Then there was some pulled pork of some kind that was flavorless and stringy.

I don’t want to harp on, but nearly everything we ordered had some sort of issue. It really impacted our dining experience, and made our anniversary dinner feel...