NORTH OMAHA

Buttered Marshmallow

2515 N. 48th Ave.

Mondays Sundays, 9am to 11am butteredmar shmallow.com

With a tempting mélange of flavors like pink champagne, chocolate Zinfandel, orange coconut, pumpkin and cream, and of course, the eponymous buttered marshmallow, choosing just one type of cake is a true challenge in this modest bakery. Fortunately, there are “charcakerie” boards, which serve cake wedges, fillings, buttercreams, and garnishes for dipping, spreading, and sprinkling. Dessert boards similarly provide an opportunity to sample items like cookies, profiteroles, tarts, cake bombs, and sign ature cakes.

Decorated sugar cookies, sandwich cookies, and brownies provide for standard delights, while breakfast treats like apple strudel, poppyseed bread, and crumb cake offer perfect complements to morning tea or coffee. Then, there are pies (apple, cherry, key lime, and pecan, for starters) and tarts (chocolate, lemon, and cranberry.) The daily hours may be limited to mornings, but this is the kind of place that demands repeat visits for a representati ve sampling.

D&D FROZEN CAKES

262 6 Dewey Ave.

Friday, 2pm to 7pm; Saturday, 1pm to 5pm ddfro zencakes.com

This “daddy-daughter” -owned business started so that Freddy and Rose Perry could spend more time together. In doing so, they’ve also provided a way for more people to gather and linger over artful frozen cakes made from smooth, creamy premium ice cream. Cake flavors to order are limited to four, but what a rich four they are! Big brownie features vanilla and chocolate with a brownie top and bottom. Cookie dough and cookie and cream are each loaded with drizzle and chunks of their dominant c ookie types.

And the strawberry dream cake? It’s a fruity overload with strawberry ice cream, syrup, and crumble all paired with fresh strawberries a fitting way to celebrate the start to summer and strawberry picki ng season .

South Omaha International Bakery

5106 S. 24th St.

Monday Sunday, 7am to 9pm internationalbakery-bakery.business.site

The moment you cross the threshold into this neighborhood bakery, you’re greeted with the aroma of freshly baked, straightout-of-oven pastries and breads. Grab a tray and pair of tongs to serve yourself as your make your way to to the register, cafeteria style. (Keeping your tray reasonably piled is a challenge.) Prices start around 55 cents for single items, so the surprise at the register is usually how little so much costs.

Variety is the name of the game with everything from cakes, cookies, and pastries to doughnuts, stuffed breads, and croissants, and of course, Mexican baked specialties. Don’t miss the pay de queso (cheesecake) and marranitos (soft gingerbread pigshaped cookies). Unexpected sweet treats also include jalapeño and cream cheese rolls. This is a South O staple for a very dese rved reason.

Tipico Helado

5210 S. 21st St.

Monday, 1pm to 10pm; Tuesday Sunday, 11am to 10pm facebook.com/ TipicoHelado

This family-owned small business offers a variety of Mexican ice cream and sorbets in flavors that delight and refresh. The mangonadas, made with fresh mangos, are a perennial favorite and perfection on a steamy summer day, as is the cucumber ice cream not sweet, but hydrating. Fruit cups comprised of mango, melon, and watermelon are spiced with tajin and chamoy. The paletas are also a perennially popular option. These Mexican popsicles are made from fresh fruits such as strawberry and mango or rich ingredients like pistachio an d chocolate.

If you’re on the thirsty side, sample an agua fresca, or refreshing fruit beverage made from water, fruit, lime juice, and sweetener like sugar or agave. Other favorites include the piñon (pine nut) ice cream and the fresas con crema (strawberries and cream).

West Omaha Grand Patisserie

14451 W. Center Rd.

Monday Saturday, 10am to 7pm; Sunday, 10am to 4pm facebook.com/Omahagra ndpatisserie

Chocolate mousse and pistachio raspberry cake. Banana hazelnut mousse and almond pear tarts. And of course macarons upon macarons upon macarons all in vibrant primary colors and a variety of flavors. The French approach to pastries doesn’t just come from the business name; it’s evident in every flaky pastry and cakey crumb on display in this bakery’s glass cases. The swan choux, golden cream puffs filled with sweet cream, or galettes des rois, (“cakes of kings”), made from delicate puff pastry filled with frangipane almond cream, are just two examples of traditional French pâtisserie regular ly on offer.

For those who want something a little less grand, try the pains au chocolat, or chocolate croissants, the plain croissants, or the straightforward fruit tarts. Simple and uncomplicated, these items have a devout following, including among Omaha’s transplanted French community.

The Cordial Cherry

16939 Wright Plaza/The Sho ps of Legacy

Tuesday Friday, 12pm to 6pm; Saturday, 12pm to 4pm thecordi alcherry.com

As the name suggests, the business offers handmade cordial cherries and chocolate truffles created with breathtaking details that make these treats seem more like miniature works of art than something edible. Whether choosing a cherry dipped in chocolate for a special occasion like a birthday or Valentine’s Day or treating yourself simply “because,” a box from the Cordial Cherry is certain to delight.

Designer cherries, filled with made-from-scratch liquid syrup, are often holiday or season-themed, such as as the miniature baby rattles ideal for baby showers. Designer truffles, too, demonstrate the level of expertise that goes into every morsel of chocolate produced in the shop. The whimsical “Bee’s Knees” collection, for example, includes truffles crafted with rich, brown butter ganache that resemble bumble bee s and hives.

Central Omaha

CAMILLE’S BAKERY

8717 Countryside Plaza/Country side Village

Monday, 9am to 2pm; Tuesday Friday, 9am to 4pm; Saturday, 9am to 3pm camill esbakery.com

Coconut macaroons, Russian teacakes, and chocolate meringues oh, my! Camille’s offers a delectable assortment of sweets that run the gamut from mousse cups and chocolate almond tortes to raspberry scones and lemon tartlets. A staple in Countryside Village, the business draws people from around the metro thanks to its eclectic range of baked goods.

The ever-changing selection of confections comes down to the bakery’s namesake, Camille, who draws inspiration from far and wide. Items might be as traditional as a basic pineapple upside down cake or cinnamon rolls the kinds your grandmother used to make or more elevated baked goods like German chocolate cakes and pro fiteroles

LITHUANIAN BAKERY & KAFE

7427 Pacific St.

Monday Friday, 9:30am to 5pm; Saturday, 9am to 4pm

Lithuanian B akery & Deli

5217 S. 33rd Ave.

Monday Friday, 8am to 6pm; Saturday, 8am to 4pm lithuani anbakery.biz

Founded in 1962 by Lithuanian immigrants Vytautas Mackevicius and his wife, Stefanija, the Lithuanian Bakery has been baking its specialty tortes for over 40 years. Known for only two items the Napoleon and chocolate tortes the bakery consistently delivers a heritage product that has become beloved among generations of Omahans.

Why only two? The Napoleon torte takes three painstaking days to meld eight wafer layers with butter creams made from vanilla and lemon extracts, while the middle one contains a whisper of apricot. The chocolate, based on the original Napoleon and introduced to satisfy chocolate lovers, is similarly demanding to create and boasts mixed nuts and chocolat e sprinkles.

Papillion

GRALEY’S CREAMERY & CONFECTIONS

147 N. Wa shington St.

Monday Thursday, 11:30am to 8pm; Friday Saturday, 11:30am to 9pm; Sunday, 3pm to 8pm graleys creamery.com

Stopping into this old-fashioned ice cream parlor feels like a visit to the 1800s. From cones to floats, sundaes to banana splits, there’s a charm to enjoying one of the 24 flavors of home-churned super premium ice cream served by staff sporting kerchiefs, aprons, bowties, and spitfire caps. Flavors, blended from fresh, all-natural ingredients, are as traditional as butter brickle and butter pecan to more contemporary selections like piña colada and blood orange.

The creamery also specializes in old-fashioned sodas like brown and black cows. Nothing brings back childhood memories quite like combining root beer or cola with ice cream and a shot or two of choc olate syrup.

Bellevue

Chocolat Abeille

555 Co rnhusker Rd.

Monday Friday, 10am to 5pm; Saturday, 9am to 4pm chocola tabeille.com

French for “chocolate bee,” this retail establishment created a buzz from the moment it opened with its artisan-crafted chocolates. Hand-painted with colored cocoa to create chocolates that are miniature works of art, five of its 21 signature pieces are combined with wildflower honey from the establishment’s own bees. Fanciful shapes include items like horseshoes, coffee pots, mushrooms, and roses with nuanced flavors like rosemary almond, orange blossom, saffron, and hazelnut honey crunch.

Seasonal assortments and chocolate art are often fanciful with offerings like chocolate shoes captivating cocoa connoisseurs. After all, who needs to cram a foot into a glass slipper when you can savor a stiletto made from chocolate?

POP-UP/ONLINE

Yuvi ’s Bake Shop

Lo cations vary yuvis bakeshop.com ith the ground warming and planting season well upon us, Nebraska’s urban farmers are tending their plots, acreages, and gardens with gusto. While many have the privilege of simply walking into their backyard to find tenable soil to produce their favorite fruits and vegetables, it isn’t that simple for the majority of Omaha’s citizens. While food deserts have yawned across Omaha’s history, a growing number of organizations, foundations, and entrepreneurs are working to put everyone on equal, and ferti le, ground.

The brainchild of Yuval Kolbar, or “Yuvi” for short, this regular pop-up features dessert tables laden with artisan global desserts and other assorted sundry pastries. The owner’s passion for travel inspires her offerings, which have a distinctive European flair. Crème brûlée puffs, Paris Brest, Basque cheesecake, and macarons all figure prominently on her thoughtfully cu rated menus.

While pop-up locations vary (Aksarben Village’s Inner Rail Food Court is a common one), giving Yuvi's a follow is well worth the watch.

Hours of operation and menu listings are correct at time of publication but subject to change. Omaha Magazine encourages readers to visit websites and/or call in advance before visiting a business.

Healing and the Inheritanc e of History

Healing Roots founder Clarice Dombeck understands that gardening is about more than bringing her community closer to the earth. It’s about bringing the community itself closer. Closer to one another, to sustainable access to nutrient dense foods, and to the ir culture.

“Gardening and farming is ancestral to me,” Dombeck said. “Being a Black, biracial woman, my family was formerly enslaved. As enslaved people, we farmed. We kept gardens, raised animals, we foraged. I would say that Healing Roots really started with my ancestors, especially my grandmother. My grandmother was born in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, and was brought up as a sharecropper. My family worked land that someone else owned, and made a living doing so. Eventually, my grandmother moved to Chicago, and then Omaha. I would say she is the person who brought gardening into our family, and into my life. She always had a beautiful garden. She always grew peppers, tomatoes, peon y bushes.”

Omaha’s Community Gardens Cultivate Strong Cultural Roots

A Growi ng Solution

When COVID hit, Dombeck was earning an undergraduate degree and working as a server. When the restaurant where she worked shut down during quarantine, she used the opportunity to dig deep and get her hands dirty.

“I suddenly had all of this time on my hands I wasn’t used to having, and I thought, ‘Okay, if I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it big,’” she recalled.

She expanded her backyard garden to include a medley of flowers, vegetables, and watermelon vines learning to cultivate and nurture the vibrant additions on the fly. She put her habits as a student to excellent use and soon learned what it would take to yield a bountif ul harvest.

“All of my friends and neighbors saw my Facebook posts about my garden, growing all of this beautiful, fresh food. I always had an abundance, and it brought a lot of attention,” Dombeck said. “I decided this needed to be more than just for me I could do a commun ity garden.”

In 2021 Dombeck connected with Manuel Cook, director of urban planning and design at community development nonprofit Spark, who tipped her off to eight available garden beds peppering a historic stretch of North 2 4th street.

“Manuel said that he was looking for someone to activate the community and to bring this project to life,” Dombeck said. “It was really divine that we connected in that way.”

Dombeck had just graduated with a degree in Black studies and sociology when the Spark team approached her with the project.

“That was when Healing Roots really started. It was a Facebook group, and as a group we were able to connect with The Big Garden,” she explained. “They donated a lot of plants, people were giving us seeds, and our group w as growing.”

Since then, Healing Roots has flourished offering canning and preservation workshops, working within the Hope Center’s after school program, and providing access to an online and in-person community that supports collaboration and communication through crop sharing, task delegation, and recip e swapping.

Ancest ral Harvests

Healing Roots is an African Diaspora Garden, connecting growers with the ingredients that have impacted their families and cultures as far back into history as can be traced.

“I have found there is a lot of misconception about soul food and African American cuisine,” Dombeck noted. “There’s this idea that our food is unhealthy or that it’s not nutritious. All of the greens (that are used in soul food) are superfoods. The greens we grow are just as healthy as kale and spinach. We grow mustard greens and collards, green tomatoes, and Paul Robeson tomatoes; all of our varieties are deeply connected with our history.”

Taylor Keen understands the importance of safeguarding ancestral practices, customs, and cuisine. A member of the Omaha Tribe and Cherokee Nation and Founder of Sacred Seeds Native American Garden Keen was compelled to act as the genes of heirloom and native seeds continued to dwindle, or disappear altogether.

“It’s about educating people about the long indigenous agricultural practices that have existed for thousands of years,” Keen said. “The way we ate, the way we planted is very different from European farming techniques. It’s about soil health, understanding the older indigenous agriculture systems, and the ‘Three Sisters’ planti ng systems.”

Keen has focused his efforts on propagating a number of native seeds including the ‘Three Sisters’ of corn, beans, and squash, which all nurture each other and reviving those on the brink of extinction. Through a partnership with local seed ambassadors, Sacred Seeds grows Arikara Sunflower (the fourth sister), Arikara Melon, Cherokee Okra and White Corn, Arikara Sunflower and melon, and Cherokee Trail of Tears Beans at farms and grow houses across the Gr eat Plains.

Understanding the medicinal, historical, and cultural significance of heirloom and native plants and growing techniques is only the first step in providing protections. While Keen and the Sacred Seeds team emphasize the importance of educating the public on the connection between seed and cultural preservation, maintaining the garden requires diligence and hard work and for those who offer their time and sweat, the experience reaches far deeper than the topsoil.

The Cost of Di gging Deeper

An annual grant competition aiming to support projects and initiatives that improve a neighborhood’s appearance and livability took note of the pivotal role community gardens are playing in how residents are eating, connecting, and contributing to one another. Blazing Star Seed Cooperative received a $3,303 grant to promote the preservation and distribution of locally relevant seeds in 2022. Westgate Neighborhood Association received $4,680 to support their community garden. The Union for Contemporary Art received $4,750 for The Abundance Garden, which provides a free farm stand and hosts regular workshops on garden planning for seed saving throughout the grow ing season.

Community gardens and the teams of planners, designers, educators, and workers who keep them bountiful are doing more than cultivating sustainable access to healthy resources; they’re creating social sustainability. Organizations like Healing Roots, City Sprouts, and The Big Garden are a collaborative growing effort, not only in terms of the abundance of freshly grown produce they generate, but in the opportunity to connect participants with the knowledge and support of a community that cares about making a positive impact.

Cultivating Community

For those who are new to gardening, or to the concept of breed preservation, the Omaha Public Library is the plac e to start. This year marks 10 years of the Omaha Public Library’s seed share program, the Common Soil Seed Library. The program allows all library patrons (that means library cardholders in good standing) the opportunity to “check out” up to 15 seed packets a month. A first-time growers packet has been curated to make growing easy, and the library contains hundreds of varieties, from amaranth to zinnia and everything in between. Patrons are encouraged to save and donate seeds back to the library at the end of the growing season, but donating seeds is completely voluntary.

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