Dante’s Nick Strawhecker shares passion for food, culture and travel
Dante’s Nick Strawhecker shares passion for food, culture and travel ahead of celebrity chef cook-off
Chef, founder and owner of Dante, Nick Strawhecker, sits down with KETV for a wide-ranging interview covering his love of local Omaha restaurants, culinary start, training in Italy, and excitement for Food Bank for the Heartland’s Celebrity Cook-off Challenge.
Updated: 9:33 AM CST Feb 12, 2025
TUNED. WELL, FOOD BANK FOR THE HEARTLAND CELEBRITY CHEF COOK-OFF IS ABOUT A MONTH AWAY. AND THIS MORNING WE’RE MEETING THE MAN BEHIND WEST OMAHA’S DANTE. HOPE THIS WARMS YOU UP. THIS MORNING, NICK STROHECKER SHARES WHAT FUELS HIS LOVE FOR OMAHA THE WORLD OF RESTAURANTS, AND WHY HE HOPES YOU’LL COME OUT TO SUPPORT HEARTLAND. FROM PREPPING PIZZA, FRESH MOZZARELLA TO ENJOYING OMAHA’S DIVERSE FOOD SCENE, I LOVE YOSHITOMO. I LOVE BOILER ROOM. I LOVE LA BOUILLON, DANTE’S. NICK STROHECKER KNEW FROM A YOUNG AGE FOOD, TRAVEL AND CULTURE WERE BURNING PASSIONS. SO MY MOTHER’S SIDE OF OF THE FAMILY IS ITALIAN, SO LOTS OF COOKING, DUCK CONFIT OR, YOU KNOW, IN PARIS THAT’S A PART OF PARIS, THAT’S A PART OF THE CULTURE. BOLOGNESE AND BOLOGNA IN ITALY IS A PART OF THE CULTURE. BUT I KNEW I LOVED THOSE THINGS, AND I KNEW I HAD TO BE AT THOSE PLACES OR IN THOSE TOWNS TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY THOSE THINGS. AFTER EXTENSIVE TRAINING AND TRAVEL, IN 2009, THE OMAHA NATIVE OPENED DANTE TO ITS CORE. ALMOST ALL CUISINE IS BASED ON LOCALITY AND SEASONALITY. DANTE’S SPECIALTIES. AUTHENTIC WOOD FIRED NEAPOLITAN PIZZA. I TRY TO BE AUTHENTIC. ARE YOU GUYS HUNGRY? RUSTIC ITALIAN CUISINE. WHAT I LEARNED DURING MY TIME IN ITALY WAS THAT WE COOK WITH WHAT WE HAVE, WHAT’S AROUND US, WHAT THE SEASON PROVIDES TO US, AND LOOKING OUT FOR ITS WORKERS. WHAT DO YOU LOOK BACK ON AND SAY? THAT IS THE TOP MOST PROUD MOMENT? MY TEAM MEMBERS BEING ABLE TO GET MORTGAGES FOR THE HOME, IMMIGRANTS THAT WORK FOR ME, THAT HAVE WORKED FOR ME FOR A VERY LONG TIME, THAT MEAN A LOT TO ME. THAT WOULD MAKE MY BUSINESS A LOT HARDER WITHOUT THEM, AND BECAUSE OF THEIR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION AND PUSHING AND PUSHING AND PUSHING, THEY’VE THEY’VE BEEN ABLE TO BUY A HOME IN OMAHA. ON MARCH 6TH, NICK’S COOKING FOR A FRESH MISSION TO HELP FOOD BANK FOR THE HEARTLAND RAISE 2.1 MILLION MEALS FOR FAMILIES IN NEED. OMAHA IS A VERY PROSPEROUS CITY, AS YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY PROSPEROUS. CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE GOING TO BED HUNGRY IN OUR IN OUR FAIR CITY. AND THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT, IS FEEDING FOLKS THAT CAN’T TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES AT THE MOMENT, NEED HELP, NEED ASSISTANCE. THEY’RE WORKING TOWARDS SOMETHING BETTER. ALONGSIDE TIM NICHOLSON OF THE BOILER ROOM AND DAVID UTTERBACK OF YOSHITOMO. I’M SUPER EXCITED TO BE A PART OF IT. LIKE, YES, IT’S GOING AGAINST FRIENDS AND GUYS. I RESPECT. NICK SAYS HE LOOKS FORWARD TO SEEING YOU FOR A NIGHT OF FOOD, FUN AND FEEDING OUR COMMUNITY. I WHOLLY BELIEVE IN THE MISSION THAT THE FOOD BANK IS PROVIDING. WE ALL NEED EACH OTHER TO BE ABLE TO EXIST TOGETHER AND THERE NEEDS TO BE MUTUAL RESPECT AND LOVE. IT’S AWESOME AND I LOVE TALKING WITH CHEF NICK. AND AGAIN, THE HARLAN CELEBRITY CHEF EVENT SATURDAY, MARCH 6TH. TICKETS ARE GOING QUICK. WE HAVE A LINK ON KETV.COM WITH ALL THE INFO. HEY, WHILE YOU’RE THERE, CHECK OUT OUR FULL UNEDITED INTERVIEW WITH NICK STROHECKER. WE ASKED HIM HIS FAVORITE OMAHA RESTAURANTS. GOT A LOT TO ANSWER THERE. HIS CHEAT MEAL AND HE COOKS U
Dante’s Nick Strawhecker shares passion for food, culture and travel ahead of celebrity chef cook-off
Chef, founder and owner of Dante, Nick Strawhecker, sits down with KETV for a wide-ranging interview covering his love of local Omaha restaurants, culinary start, training in Italy, and excitement for Food Bank for the Heartland’s Celebrity Cook-off Challenge.
Updated: 9:33 AM CST Feb 12, 2025
Chef, founder and owner of Dante, Nick Strawhecker, sits down with KETV for a wide-ranging interview covering his love of local Omaha restaurants, culinary start, training in Italy, and excitement for Food Bank for the Heartland’s Celebrity Cook-off Challenge.Click here to purchase tickets and find out more information on the cook-off challenge, featuring celebrity chef Tom Colicchio of Bravo’s Top Chef, happening March 6 at CHI Health Center.Watch below as chef Strawhecker answers more cooking questions while crafting an authentic Neapolitan Margherita pizza right in the Dante kitchen.WATCH: The Boiler Room’s Tim Nicholson shares culinary journey ahead of celebrity chef cook-off
Chef, founder and owner of Dante, Nick Strawhecker, sits down with KETV for a wide-ranging interview covering his love of local Omaha restaurants, culinary start, training in Italy, and excitement for Food Bank for the Heartland’s Celebrity Cook-off Challenge.
Click here to purchase tickets and find out more information on the cook-off challenge, featuring celebrity chef Tom Colicchio of Bravo’s Top Chef, happening March 6 at CHI Health Center.
Watch below as chef Strawhecker answers more cooking questions while crafting an authentic Neapolitan Margherita pizza right in the Dante kitchen.
WATCH: The Boiler Room’s Tim Nicholson shares culinary journey ahead of celebrity chef cook-off
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