Mission to Marz Bar

by Dennis Kornbluh

On a recent evening, I emerged from the Lincoln Grand cinema with my wife, daughter and friends into a bitter cold wind that was blowing down “O” Street.  Somehow I had left my gloves and hat at home, even though I knew the mercury was hovering around the single digits.  A friend suggested that we pop into the Marz Bar near the corner of 12th and “O” Streets for a bite to eat.  She had apparently been there before and was eager to return.  I had never been, but at that moment I would have gladly entered any warm space.

When I opened the door, I was rewarded with a rush of warm air and was immediately struck by the other-worldly appearance of the interior.  A self-supported set of doors stood before me.  I walked through them and took in a large, softly lit room with brick walls and a high ceiling that was decorated with sparkling, multi-colored globes.  A long, elegant bar extended along the right, backlit bottle racks and flat-screen televisions hovering on the walls.  A series of half-moon shaped booths resided along the left wall.  At the north end, a balcony decorated with a large mural overlooked the interior.  It was an unexpectedly dramatic setting, and I was intrigued.

We weren’t inside more than a minute before we were greeted by the host, who presented us with menus to peruse.  The fare looked interesting and the prices reasonable, so we requested a booth.  The semi-circular faux leather seat was firm and roomy enough for four adults.  An unpadded piano-bench placed next to the table provided seating for two more adults.  Our party of five fit at the booth quite comfortably.

I went on an excursion to the washroom, mostly as an excuse to explore the surface of Marz. I found two single occupant bathrooms on the ground floor, and larger bathrooms upstairs. Upon leaving the men’s room, I decided to venture over to the balcony, where I discovered two rooms.  The larger room, which overlooks the restaurant, was furnished with low, fixed stools arranged around coffee tables. A smaller, adjoining room appeared to be a sound & lighting booth, also with an overlook. It seemed like an excellent spot for a private party.

I soon returned to the table and got down to the serious business of ordering food.  I wasn’t that hungry (too much popcorn), until I started looking at the menu, which was divided into three sections: Tapas (15 items), Pizzas (1 item) and Light Entrees (10 items).  The tapas were all pretty reasonably priced, ranging from $5 to $9.  The Light Entrees were a bit pricier, but still quite reasonable, in the range of $9 to $13.

Our server was never far from our table.  She took our drink order first, then returned promptly to take our food order.  [For beer drinkers, I should point out that Marz Bar serves Hopluia, my favorite Nebraska beer, on tap, plus several other beers.  A well-known Indian restaurant in the Haymarket used to serve Hopluia, but decided to discontinue it. I have nearly forgiven them.] We decided on two orders of Curried Chicken Quesadillas, the Pork Sliders, Fish and Chips and the Seared Rare Beef “with horseradish & foam” (whipped cream infused with horseradish).

The food arrived quickly and almost all at once.  One exception was the Seared Rare Beef, which arrived a minute or two later, but this was easy to forgive because rare beef must be timed perfectly to be both hot and rare.  All of the food was served hot and was attractively presented.

We decided to share our food, so everyone got to taste multiple dishes:

• The pork sliders were very good, although the barbecue sauce was a little sweet for my taste.  This dish came with a side of coleslaw that was unusually good.  It’s not your typical mayonnaise-laden, limp cabbage, but a fresh, crunchy and colorful mixture that had more of a vinegar and spice flavor.
• The curried chicken quesadillas were served with a dollop of sour cream that contained a spoonful of chipotle salsa.  The tortilla was slightly crunchy, the chicken was tender, and the curry flavor was bold, but not overpowering, nor excessively spicy.
• The Seared Rare Beef was tender and cooked to perfection.  It was pretty heavily spiced with pepper, which I enjoyed.  My daughter found it to be a bit strong, but she is very sensitive to spice. The horseradish & foam was creamy and rich, but I would have liked a bit more horseradish.
• My favorite dish was the Fish & Chips, which was masterfully prepared and served with aioli (a garlic and olive oil sauce held together by an egg emulsion).  The fish had a delicate brown crust and the meat was hot, tender and tasty, and went well with the aioli.  The homemade steak fries were thick-cut, hot and well seasoned.

So here’s my assessment: Wow! I enjoyed the atmosphere of Marz Bar very much. I found the service to be prompt, courteous and transparent (i.e. things happen automatically and without you noticing, like water glasses being quietly refilled).  The menu contained a variety of imaginative, reasonably priced dishes.  The tapas menu is a great way to experience a variety of foods without having to spend too much.  All of the food we ordered was of high quality. Kudos to the restaurateur, Nader Sepahpur, owner of Yia Yia’s and Oso Burrito located two blocks east  on “O”, who obviously knows his business.  For me, Marz Bar achieved what every restaurant should strive for: it left me with a desire to return.

Bar Hours: Monday – Saturday, 4:30pm – 1am
Kitchen Hours: Monday – Thursday, 5pm -10pm, Friday & Saturday 5pm -11pm

Marz Bar
1140 “O” Street (corner of 12th and “O”)
Lincoln, NE 68508
(402) 474-MARZ (6279)
jason@marzbarlincoln.com
www.marzbarlincoln.com