The BEST Bets in Omaha During Berkshire Hathaway Meeting 2012: Part Two

Hands down, the best steak in Omaha.

I came across this article about "What To Do In Omaha When You Need A Break From Next Week's Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meeting" in the Business Insider and as a former editor, I can't help but say I'm a tad disappointed with their picks.

Gorat's? Again? Really?

And including Berkshire Hathaway-owned Borsheim's really doesn't actually "give you a break" from the shareholder meeting when you're basically doing BRK stuff.

The Business Insider's Things to Do and See list isn't terrible but here are Trocadero's ideas when it comes to eating, recreational play and shopping. You'll see their options in red, and we've gone ahead and listed our counterpoints in blue.

So without further adieu, here are our counter-suggestions of what to do in Omaha when you need a break from this week's Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meeting:

1. Don't eat a steak at Warren Buffett's supposedly favorite steakhouse Gorat's. Instead, get an amazingly delicious Omaha-legendary "Whiskey marinaded" steak at the Drover (pictured above). You won't be disappointed.

Kara by Kara Ross drusy chandelier earrings at Trocadero

2. Don't buy a pair of earrings at Borsheim's, the jewelry store owned by BRK. Instead, get a pair of drusy earrings from Kara by Kara Ross at Trocadero, a boutique owned by the former Accessories Director of In Style.

3. Don't hit the links at Indian Creek Golf Course. Instead, hit the links at Elmwood Park, an easy 18 hole course that is a stone's throw (ok, more than a real stone's throw) away from Warren Buffett's house.


4. Don't check into the Hilton Omaha downtown where the conference is. Instead, check out and check into the Westin Group's Element Hotel, an-eco-friendly and modern option. 

The Boiler Room in Omaha

5. Don't eat beef stuffed pasta at the greenest restaurant in America, The Grey Plume. Instead, dine at one of the best restaurants in Omaha, The Boiler Room, or the newest, J. Coco. 


6. Don't pay homage to the oracle of Omaha's longtime home (that's creepy!). Instead, drive by the Omaha Community Playhouse, the theater home of Omaha natives Henry Fonda and Marlon Brando, and coincidentally see the current production of A Streetcar Named Desire.


7. Don't sample local microbrews at Upstream Brewing Company. Instead enjoy craft cocktails, bloody marys  and an amazing list of draught beers at Krug Park.


8. Don't visit the General Crook House Museum, a truly historical bizarre monument. Instead, well, actually I think this sounds pretty awesome! Never heard of it and love that it's something different. Go for it!

What's more Americana than Omaha and a baseball game?

9. Don't catch a baseball game at Werner Park and receive your own Warren Buffett bobblehead. Instead, I cannot really complain about this one either. Go get tickets to this Triple-A league because Omaha, baseball and Warren Buffett is as all American as you can get -- a true triple threat!









10. Don't play a hand of Buffett's favorite game at the Omaha Bridge Studio. Instead, head across state lines to Council Bluffs, Iowa and go play some Texas Hold 'Em at the Horseshoe. (I can't resist, as I'm an ex-poker player myself.)


11. Don't see the fastest jet-powered aircraft in the world and other awesome planes at the Strategic Air & Space Museum. Instead, see some of the fastest moving fish at the newly renovated and reopened aquarium at the Henry Doorly Zoo.






source: The Drover

source: The Boiler Room

source: Omaha Storm Chasers logo

36 Hours in Omaha, Nebraska

Here at the Troc, we're all about the Nebraska state motto of "The Good Life." To those customers and the browsers that stop in, we often are asked our advice of where to eat, what to do for the afternoon, where else to shop. With the ICAN Women's Leadership Conference taking place in Omaha this Wednesday, April 4th at the Century Link Center, I decided to take this opportunity to showcase what I would do in the approximate 24 hour period that I was in Omaha.

Trocadero welcomes the following women who will be headlining and speaking at this year's ICAN Conference! Thanks to Arianna Huffington, Mallika Chopra, Jeannette Walls, Karen Watson, Julia Moulden, Karen Lisko, Alexandra Levit, Sangeeta Badal, Beverly Kracher, Dawn Gelderloos, Karen Baldwin and Karen A. Watson for coming to Omaha and we hope you get a chance to enjoy some of our recommendations.

I figure that most people will be arriving on Tuesday as the all-day conference on Wednesday begins at 7am with registration and 8am for opening remarks. The conference ends around 4:30pm on Wednesday and some may spend another night and others may fly out that same evening.

Tuesday night, April 3, 2012:
Depending on what time you arrive in Omaha, I would definitely stop by La Buvette and sit outside at a café table with a bottle of wine, a charcuterie and cheese plate and enjoy the mild, springtime weather we are expecting. Enjoy the cobblestone streets (beware stilettos!) and pop into Jackson Street Booksellers (a favorite of Kurt Andersen's and Alexander Payne's) and Second Chance Antiques, where you may find a couple of gems to bring home to your loved ones. I would say stop by my boutique Trocadero but we are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays at the moment.

I recommend the following places to eat dinner either Tuesday or Wednesday evenings. The asterisk (*) means a taxi is required from downtown (where the conference is being held/most hotel accommodations I presume).


Beautiful space, beautiful food: The Boiler Room -- one of the best places in town, hands down. Farm-to-table cuisine, inventive but not precious. Craft cocktails, great wine list.


* Best steak in town: The Drover -- it is my personal favorite. Known for its whiskey marinade on everything from sirloin, bone-in rib-eyes, filet mignon. Great retro salad bar with metal plates. It's very kitsch-y but tasty.

* New and noteworthy: J. Coco -- the newest place in town, it has a James Beard nominated chef and is serving delicious solid food. Everything from osso bucco to seared salmon.

Sushi and Asian-fusion dishes: Hiro 88 -- fresh sushi and sashimi in addition to updated classic Chinese and Japanese dishes. Very hip, urban designed space.

Wednesday, April 4th, 2012:
I noticed there is a break period on Wednesday for lunch. Or for those who may want to skip the first afternoon session, they can have an extended lunch period. I recommend heading to the Old Market (about a 10 minute walk from the Century Link Center) and eating at the various restaurants that cater to any appetite. There is Stokes for Southwestern, Blue Sushi for Japanese, Upstream Brewery for all-American pub fare. But the following two places are the ones I would recommend for a lunch bite:

Saigon Surface -- modern Vietnamese cuisine
M's Pub -- a classic, Omaha institution with great food

Dinner recommendations remain the same as the Tuesday night dinner places.

And of course, if you're not completely wiped out, be sure to stop into Trocadero, my shop, located at 1208 1/2 Howard Street in the heart of the Old Market of Omaha. My store specializes in women's accessories, shoes, handbags, jewelry, books, gifts for the home and babies. It's a one-stop shopping destination (I used to head up accessories at In Style). We are open Wednesday from 11am-7pm. Hope to see you there!