Celebrating At Hiro 88 With Sushi, Cupcakes

The Omaha Bloggers Network – #blogomaha – celebrated its first birthday over the weekend.

We celebrated at Hiro 88 in the Old Market – timing it nicely with their Sunday Happy Hour. I’ve been there during a weekday Happy Hour and loved the chill vibe (and the inexpensive food and drinks).

The restaurant provided the sushi for us to sample – boat loads of delicious sushi. Cooked sushi. Raw sushi. Vegetarian sushi. Cream cheese filled sushi.

I love trying new foods, so I went right for the new-to-me rolls like Hiro’s Crunch Roll and the Spider Roll (first time trying fried soft shell crab). I’m usually content with the sushi standards like tuna rolls, but that Hiro’s Crunch Roll was fantastic.

There were a few in our group who shied from the raw fish. For them, they were satisfied with the variety of pickled vegetable rolls and avocado and cucumber rolls.

There were also other appetizers on the happy hour menu – I’d recommend the crab rangoon and edamame (salted soybeans in the pod). If you bring kids here, those two are easy foods to introduce to them first.

And, being Happy Hour, some of us ordered cocktails off the Happy Hour menu. I tried the mango mojito. Not bad, but I think next time I’ll stick to a regular mojito or a Kirin beer. I’m not as frou frou with my drinks as I thought I was.

A birthday party isn’t complete without a sweet dessert at the end. CupCake Omaha provided the delicious treats.

It was hard to choose. But not really. I always go with chocolate. (list of all of their cupcakes)

This Oreo cookies and cream cupcake had a delicious, not-too-sweet filling. I recommend it. Be forewarned, it is messy to eat. I’d cover my kids with a drop cloth before letting them eat one of these.

I ended up bringing a salted nut roll cupcake home to share with my husband. I didn’t want to share it. It was that good.

 

If You Go

Hiro 88

Where: 1308 Jackson St. and 3655 N. 129th St. (the original location)

Connect: Website Facebook Twitter

 

CupCake Omaha

Where: 501 S. 11th St.

Connect: Website Facebook Instagram

 

History of #blogOmaha

When I started thinking about blogging, long ago, I didn’t know of many Omaha-based bloggers. I certainly didn’t know any of them personally.

I began my homework: Pinning links to different Omaha-based blogs as I stumbled across them – it took some “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego” sleuthing to find some of them (Curious what I found? Here’s the Pinterest Board of Omaha Bloggers). Then, one day in the summer of 2013, Erin from Her Heartland Soul (back then, she was Girl Gone Veggie) contacted me – and the Omaha Bloggers Networks began to take shape.

One day in August 2013, a small group of ladies gathered at Ingredient at Midtown Crossing to put faces to blog names. We had some mommy bloggers, foodie bloggers, fitness bloggers, makeup bloggers and humor bloggers. Many were seasoned bloggers; others were like me – just figuring things out.

The group has grown! There are more than 100 in our social network – find a sample of who’s out there at OmahaBloggers.com.

Long ago, I’d read that it didn’t pay to be competitive among bloggers. That if we lifted each other up, we’d all benefit. So, I’ve tried to be mindful of that – sharing opportunities when I could, sharing tips, encouraging others. And it has paid off. I’ve gotten so much from the group, growing as a blogger and as a person.

I’m not going to lie, though, it is hard not to compare myself to others in the group. There are seriously talented writers among the Omaha bloggers, incredible photographers, social butterflies with huge followings … and they all motivate me to do better.

More From Oh My! Omaha:

Omaha Food Trucks – An Introduction

Fall Foods In Omaha Restaurants

Girls Night Out In Omaha