We’ve had guests on our podcast from all walks of life, but this week’s episode was our first county official. Dan Esch is an old friend of Dee’s who also happens to be the Douglas County Clerk. His is one of those roles that no one knows exactly what he does, so it was a good opportunity to simply ask him to explain what a county clerk does.
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The episode is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify Podcasts. You can also watch the full episode on Youtube.
We talked about plenty of other things, of course, including what it’s like living in Downtown Omaha with his wife and dog. Both Dee and I have lived in Downtown Omaha ourselves, but even I learned a thing or two after talking with Dan. I, for one, had no idea of about a particular shop that downtown residents have kept secret about for years. OK, I’m kidding about that, but still…I had no idea this shop existed (and that it had such cheap candy).
Until I re-listened to this episode, I didn’t realize how many other neighborhoods we talked about! And it seems like in each neighborhood, Dee was able to recommend a karaoke bar, so if that’s something you’re looking for, take notes.
Helpful links
We talked about a lot of places on the episode, so if you’re curious about them, and want to learn more, click on the links below!
- The Fowling Warehouse
- Some of the boards Dan serves on: Rotary Club of Omaha Downtown, Cheer Up Omaha (“the organization for making people happy”), Douglas County Health Foundation.
- The Omaha Rotary Club’s 9/11 Tribute of Flags (2,977 flags) are on display at Memorial Park through mid-September. These are put up every year. I took pictures of the flags in 2022 if you can’t see them in person this year.
- Zooland animals at Omaha Children’s Museum
- Gene Leahy Mall (and the dog parks there) and the Skate Ribbon
- Gondola Rides at Heartland of America Park
- 16th Street in Omaha: The Green Room, Dollar General Express (Dee calls it “the best Dollar General in town”)
- Where to get supermarket-type goods in Downtown Omaha: Cubby’s, Dollar General Express, Godega Market & Coffee Bar
- Douglas County Clerk’s Office
- Downtown restaurants that Dan recommends: Bangkok Kitchen, Panda House, Block 16, Addy’s Sports Bar & Grill, Let It Fly, Zio’s Pizzeria
- Dee’s Block 16 tip: Order online for pick-up and then you can bypass the line to get your food to-go, but you need to place your order right after the open (so around 11 or 11:30 a.m.)
- Capitol District finds: Mo & Curly’s for karaoke, Frank’s Pizzeria, Epoca Cantina
- Aksarben Village: Inner Rail Food Hall, Omaha Farmers Market, Aksarben Cinema
- Taste of Omaha
- Blackstone District: Sullivan’s Bar, Brother’s Lounge, Crescent Moon Ale House, Reno’s Karaoke, Blackstone Social, Coneflower Creamery, Noli’s Pizzeria, Red Lion Lounge
- Elkhorn Days (held in early June each year)
- Spruce Street Tavern in Valley, Neb. (“get loose at The Spruce)
- Ralston: The Granary, Bushwhackers Saloon, Winchester (Dee likes the gluten-free vegetarian burger there), WarHorse Casino
- SHARE Omaha’s Do Good Days
