Tom and Chee Omaha

Okay, I'm kinda liking my "job" when it involves going out to eat with friends and then giving away free stuff to you!  Just this last year I've been discovering all the great things about living in Omaha and even better restaurants that are making their way here.  A local family that lives right down the road from me called to get a Tom and Chee franchise within days of seeing it on Shark Tank.

And they kindly opened it nice and close (if you are in Omaha, its at 144 & Maple in front of Lowe's).  I've watched a few episodes of Shark Tank but I hadn't seen this one, so I was glad they invited me in to see what it was all about.

these are our local owners - seriously nice people

My local blogging friends had given me hints about this place and that the focus was on grilled cheese donuts.  So I was expecting greasy, indulgent state fair food.  I think that's why this restaurant review experience really blew me away.  I am picky about my ingredients and I don't like fake (fake butter, fake cheese, etc.).  They make everything homemade.  They have no fryers or freezers. They make their own CHEESES!  No joke.  And the cheese and light vinaigrette on this salad sung with flavor.  It was such a fresh salad I would go just for that if I had a salad craving.

Their specialty, though, is grilled cheese.  The best part about this (for me) is all the things you can add on...from freshly roasted chicken to hummus, to veggies of all kinds -- this is not your greasy diner grilled cheese.  There are specialty breads (including gluten free!) and of course their gourmet cheese that melts so smoothly.

The thing that made them famous is here:

The grilled cheese donut.  Now this is not a sweet glazed bakery donut.  The flavor to me was much less sweet and reminded me more of french toast.  So with the savory and sweet mix of cheese and fruit it was much more like a brunch type treat in my opinion.  The sugar overload I was expecting didn't happen, and the biggest reaction from me was -- with amazing ingredients, I LOVE grilled cheese.

I didn't even write anything up on the soups because I spent more time just savoring that one.  Creamy tomato is my all-time comfort food when I'm sick so I really wanted to take time to test their soup to see how it stacked up to my old stand-by.  My conclusion was that I'm really sad I didn't know about this place until now.  Our sick bodies would have appreciated that place so much.  It is made fresh there in the store and you can taste and feel it as it goes down.  Especially the fresh onion and garlic that is so soothing and healing to a sick throat.

Anyway, I've written enough that now I want to drive right back for more soup.  And my intention in writing this wasn't to make myself slobber :), it was to give stuff away!  I want you to go try Tom and Chee for yourself!  

I've got stacks of these cards to get you fully addicted to this place!  Its a $50 value.  Enter today!

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