Memoir — Restaurant in Omaha

I had such a great evening at Memoir’s opening night tonight.

They just opened at the Brickline on the northeast corner of 10th & Harney. We had a reservation and were sat immediately. Our server was absolutely fantastic. Anytime we needed him he was there, but he never hovered nor did he come by too often. Our water glasses were always full. Our table always bussed of dirty dishes. Every drink and plate was presented perfectly like a live advertisement. Even looking around at the busy staff you could tell they were a well oiled machine. Which is hard to manage and incredibly impressive on opening night. But they did it.

Now for the design. This is a can’t miss. Memoir is an ode to the Flagship Restaurant Group’s story as they celebrate their 20th anniversary this year. The jewel tones of sapphire, ruby, and emerald make the space feel rich and sophisticated while being well-balanced with the mix of black and brass metals and warm wood and stone surfaces. The patterns in the tile are bold but classic while the subtle textures in the wallcovering and upholstery complement the space without overpowering it. The acoustics were great, and light levels ambient. I loved it all.

For drinks I ordered the 𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 which is made with vodka, pamplemousse, grand marnier, citrus, rose water, paula kornell brut and served in a stemmed glass with a lemon garnish as well as the 𝗝𝗮𝘀𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲 which was composed of revelton mulberry gin, grand marnier, campari, lemon, ruffino prosecco and finushef with an orange twist. If I had to pick a favorite it would be the Jasminette, but they were both so incredibly delicious it was hard to decide. If you’re looking for something light and not too sweet these are the drinks for you.

For one of our starters we got the 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝘂𝗳𝗳𝘀. None of us realized the dip for the puffs included horseradish (oops). I probably wouldn’t get that again not being a horseradish fan myself, but our server brought us a spicy aioli for the puffs that was a perfect alternative. We also ordered the 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗽 which had a very smoky flavor and was served piping hot with warm naan for dipping/spreading. I’d probably try the pork potstickers or fries and aioli on my next dinner visit.

For my entree I ordered the 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 which is prepared with radiatori pasta, bacon, tomato, chili, basil, and pecorino. It was my favorite dish that I tried tonight. The pasta was the perfect al dente and the sauce was an absolutely delicious complement to it. The portion size was also perfect for one person without making you too full.

My sister ordered the 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗹 which had crab mix, cucumber, and avocado. I tried a piece and felt like this was missing something - maybe a drizzle of sweet chili sauce.

Finally our server brought us the 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 & 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 dessert to try. I wouldn’t have ordered it over the chocolate torte I was eyeing on their menu, but I was surprised at how delicious it was while being light enough to finish after a full meal. The meringue bites were fun little treats sprinkled throughout the dish as well.

There were only a couple things I would personally improve. One would be the music. It felt like we were in a really loud queue or listening to somewhat aggressive and repetitive hold music. It was distracting and didnt fit the vibe of the space, but that’s such an easy fix. The only other thing is I think the tables need a brass tabletop light or candle for some added ambience as well as to help see the menus. There’s just something about a warm glow at the table that makes the vibe feel complete at an upscale restaurant.

All in all it was an incredibly impressive and memorable first night at Memoir. Grab yourself a reservation and see for yourself! Now to try their...

Stopped in around 4-5pm happy hour on a Thursday and did not have a pleasant experience from the jump. We were asked if we had a preference in seating by the host, my only request was to be inside. The wait time was not very long, however, the host quickly said "you only have two hours. We have a lot of reservations". I personally dont keep track of time when going on to dinner, specially if we dont have much going on afterwards.. but to not inconvenience the place we only ordered appetizers and a drink.

For starters, the drinks arrived after our first appetizer but the bar did appear busy even with 3 bartenders making craft cocktails. I ordered the Diablo and I personally did not like the Combination of crème de cassis and the agave from the Tequila. We also ordered Little Italy which was very interesting. Again, I am just not sure Tequila works with Amaretto but it was not bad.

For our appetizers/food we ordered the Tuna Tartare, Yellow Tail sashimi(server recommendations), and the Kale dip. The yellow tale sashimi was actually very good and the fish did taste very fresh. The Tuna tartare however had a very unpleasant fishy smell to it and the cracker that accompanies the Tartare was very bland. My partner did not even try this dish because of the smell. The tuna was definitely not as fresh as the Yellowtail. I would not order the Tartare again and we probably only ate a third of it. Lastly, the Kale dip was very cheesy and hot! I wish it had more Kale and bacon, all I could taste was cheese but overall not bad. The server was very nice and attentive but overall not a great experience with the food.

The layout of the restaurant is a bit odd as the inside is mostly bar seating. The bar is huge in the center of the restaurant. It takes away so much space for tables/dining space as the bar is not always the most ideal place to dine on. The layout and vibe the bar sends is huge community table feel which does not make it ideal for special occasions. The decor and finishes however are very nice! The place is overall fairly new, I will give them a few months to work out their kinks and...

We celebrated my birthday at Memoir. Just let me say...It was the highlight of my birthday week! Our server, Molly, was outstanding. Answered all my questions, offering wonderful suggestions, and being attentive all night (kept my husband's water glass filled, without him asking - Its a thing with him)

We ordered the Diablo, the Moonwalk, & the Marco Island. All perfectly crafted. We will be sitting at the bar to watch them prepare cocktails next time. AMAZING!

Our starters were the Yellowtail Sashimi and the Corned Beef Meat Balls. While it was a weird combo to order together, they were absolutely delicious, and made us excited for our entrees to arrive. The Moonwalk and the Yellowtail Sashimi complimented each other perfectly.

For our main entrees, I ordered the Scottish Salmon. It was prepared perfectly, and the risotto with the peas and carrots was divine! I took part of my meal home for the next day, and it was lovely on day two! I also ordered the Broccolini with Lemon & Parmesan. I was disappointed with the Broccolini as I was unable to cut it, and picking it up with my fingers was not going to happen. Maybe I have been eating Broccolini wrong my whole adult life, but it was very tough. I tried to save it the next day, but had to throw it out. :(

My husband ordered the Memoir Dip Au Jus. He took part of his meal home as well, and made for a wonderful lunch. The meat was tender and so full of flavor. The Horseradish aioli was the perfect condiment to the meat. The fries were nothing special, and next time he said he would order the simple salad. Maybe we were expecting something more elevated with the fries???

I decided on the Coconut Tart for Dessert. This tart was so delicious. Just enough coconut and lime zest to be pleasing. It was absolutely lovely, and a wonderful way to end our meal. (Took about 2/3 of it home, still amazing the next day, and I didn't share with anyone)

All in all, this experience was out of this world. I have shared our experience with all who will listen and HIGHLY recommend. We are already planning our...