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A Restaurant for Food Lovers
By: Tim Riley

Open since December 2007, Mia’s Bongo Room is a restaurant for everyone. It is a place that serves hearty soups, fish, meat and potatoes, and vegetarian and vegan dishes. Owner Mark Lund envisioned a restaurant with a Central and South American flare and the Bongo Room depicts that perfectly.

“I could have opened this restaurant anywhere, but my priority was finding something that would help support the Benson neighborhood and business community,” Lund said. “I wanted to give the community something to be proud of.”

In deciding on a name Lund wanted something festive and fun with a classic connotation to it, and Mia is his daughter’s name, hence Mia’s Bongo Room.

Lund knew the restaurant was going to have a Central/South American feel, which is present in the atmosphere, the colors and the ingredients.

He explained that in Central and South American food fresh fruits and vegetables are predominately used and that is what Mia’s dishes are designed around.

“Even with our meats we are very particular in what we use and how we use it. You will not see dishes that are heavy with sauces or gravies, but rather marinades and light seasonings. We generally do not salt or fry our dishes. Everything is baked or broiled. We want the natural flavors of the ingredients to come out on their own.”

Another unique feature of Mia’s is their number of dishes that are appropriate for vegetarians and vegans. And even if a menu item is not listed as vegetarian or vegan it can be adjusted upon request. Mia’s is not strictly a vegetarian restaurant, but Lund believes that preparing vegetarian and vegan dishes is not hard to do.

“Making a vegetarian dish is a piece of cake,” he said. “I designed the kitchen around having two separate stoves. On one we fix vegetarian dishes and on the other we prepare the meat lovers dishes. The beauty of being independently owned is that we have no corporate manual that has to be followed. We can really cook.”

Lund also emphasized that being independently owned also means that if something is in season there is nothing that keeps them from buying what they want and from who they want. “I buy 50 percent of my produce through a farmers market in California that’s trucked in every week. If you have a pineapple on your plate I can promise you that it is fresh because it came from a region of the world where it’s in season.”

Mia’s centralized idea is to make fresh dishes with fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. Lund does not buy ingredients from corporations, he buys directly from farmers.

“We do it because the product is fresher, it’s paid more attention to, and it is just better. I take a lot of satisfaction in knowing that I am helping a specific person make a living.”

This summer on each of Mia’s four menus customers can expect to see a diversity of colors and flavors.

“I want my customers to be WOW’ed when they come in, and when they get their food I want them to say, I’ve never had anything like this before. This is the best food I’ve ever had. I want people to feel comfortable, and in all honesty that’s what’s happening.”

For more information on Mia’s Bongo Room, 6113 Maple St., please contact them directly at 553-1266 or visit their Web site at www.miasbongoroom.com.
Omaha Jeweler Adds Perspective to the Old Market
By: J.D. Brewer

Designated on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district, many say that the Old Market is Omaha’s unique feature; however, for some residents, especially those that live on Omaha’s western shores, it can seem as remote as Gilligan’s Island. Galloping gas prices also contribute to the notion that it is probably not worth piling the family into the Expedition or Mountaineer to make the 15 to 20 minute ribbony trek east on I-80 or arrow-straight down the directionally challenged Dodge Street (more interesting, but takes longer). But many people, including the millions of tourists that visit Omaha annually, find the Old Market’s brick streets appealing, with some of the best shops and restaurants in Omaha. The area offers a diversity of food choices ranging from Italian at Vivace, continental cuisine at The French Cafe or the trendy fare at M’s Pub. Small one-of-a-kind shops offer a variety of interesting goods including alternative music, antiques, baked goods, cultural clothing, even a year-round selection of holiday decorations. A number of art galleries and cooperatives and distinctive stores are also located in the area.

Perspective Jewelry Design Studio is one such gem tucked behind the decorative facades of old Harney Street. Matthew Powell with his wife Sheila, and son Chad, opened Perspective Jewelry Design Studio the in Old Market about two years ago. Matt realized that the resurgence of downtown development offered perfect timing and the eclectic and dynamic essence within the Old Market matched perfectly the unique character of his jewelry design studio. With over 25 years in the high-end jewelry business, Matt knows the importance of location. In addition, his knowledge and creative expertise, honed by working with some of the most exclusive jewelers in the Midwest, gives him a distinct advantage in designing one-of-a-kind pieces for his clients. “Working for jewelers like Ike Friedman and Harold Tivol has been such a distinct privilege, I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity,” Matt explains.

“Perspective is a custom design jewelry studio,” notes Matt. “Our core business is designing and making all of our pieces in-house.” Perhaps the most unusual aspect of Perspective’s design process is the use of CAD (computer aided design) to produce custom pieces. “What truly sets us apart from other jewelry designers is our marriage of traditional craftsmanship and advanced computer technology,” says Matt. “Our methods allow the client to be directly involved in the design process thereby assuring that the pieces are built to the customer’s vision and are truly one-of-a-kind.”

Perspective Jewelry Design Studio uses a multi-step process to achieve their spectacular results. They use an initial consultation to determine the basic design. Perspective’s designers work one-on-one with clients to incorporate their ideas into the creation of each piece. Next, Perspective makes a CAD/3D model of the piece. From the 3D model, designers generate a realistic photograph of the piece that allows the customer to visualize it and make alterations as needed before building a wax model. Notably, this stage of the design process is the most impressive. With state-of-the-art technology, not available anywhere else in the Omaha area, Perspective uses a Solidscape R66, which is a 3D printing system capable of producing high quality wax mock-ups. The mock-ups are used to cast rings, necklaces and other jewelry pieces. This remarkable piece of equipment resides near the front door of Perspective’s studio offering customers and curious onlookers the opportunity to witness the “growing” process.

Perspective’s craftspersons do not rely entirely on technology and often employ hand carving to achieve the best results. Once approved by the customer, the piece is cast using 14 or 18 carat gold alloy or platinum. Once casting is complete, Perspective’s craftsperson sets the stones and finishes the piece.

“About half of our work is done for high-end retailers and referrals from other jewelers that are unable to provide our level of complex design services,” notes Matt. “And, a significant portion of our business is remounting or reworking older pieces. It can be very satisfying to bring new life to older stones, especially those with sentimental value.”

Perspective Jewelry Design Studio is located at 1209 Harney St., Suite 100. To learn more about the unlimited jewelry design possibilities, contact them at 402-934-4416, info@perspectivejewelry.com, or visit their Web site at www.perspectivejewelry.com.
2008 Heart Walk Raises Record Ammount
By: Matthew T. Ronco

The American Heart Association held its 7th Annual Heart Walk Saturday, May 17 at the scenic ConAgra Campus in downtown Omaha. According to the Omaha Police Department, a combination of nearly 8,000 Nebraska and Iowa residents attended the 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. event to show their support for the fight against heart disease.

Walkers gathering before the 10 a.m. start of the walk were treated to a myriad of booths set up by local businesses and organizations in one of three themed communities: Create Hope, Inspire Change and Celebrate Success. Both education and entertainment were provided at the event, with the focal point being a stage that provided live performances and award presentations. A Deloitte-sponsored kid zone offered heart healthy activity for the little ones in the form of a rock-climbing wall, clowns, face painting, temporary tattoos, and an autograph table with local celebrities including Nebraska football players and Miss Nebraska contestants. A tribute wall also honored those touched by heart disease.

Man’s best friend was not forgotten at the event, with Purina and No-Frills offering pet friendly areas featuring water and healthy snacks for a member of the family that often helps keep us walking and healthy. Free healthy food and drink samples for hungry walkers were provided by Healthy Choice and Robert’s Dairy.

A lifestyle change award was given on behalf of the American Heart Association and Alegent Health to Therese Vavra of First National Bank for her commitment to heart healthy living. Individual fundraising awards were given to Jack Koraleski and Mary Kay Miller, with company awards going to Union Pacific (top non-medical institution), Creighton University Medical Center (top medical institution) and TD Ameritrade (top new company). Emcees John Oakey and Allison Steele awarded Curves the award for best t-shirt. Thanks to these companies and individuals throughout the Metro, the American Heart Association was able to raise nearly $700,000 through the event, which is the highest raised in a Nebraska event to date.

This year’s walkers were treated to a walk over three miles long that started at Conagra Campus and looped onto Omaha’s beautiful Riverfront Drive, passing Gallup and Miller’s Landing before returning back to ConAgra via Abbott Drive and 10th Street. The weather cooperated to make the walk a pleasant and healthy experience for those involved, which helped the American Heart Association remind us all of the importance of activity as a deterrent to heart problems.

The American Heart Association’s Omaha Chapter works to raise money for research, prevention and care – money that stays in Nebraska to help Nebraskans. According to the association’s Web site, cardiovascular diseases and stroke are the number one cause of death in Nebraska. To learn more about heart disease or to become part of the fight, visit www.americanheartassociation.com.
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