Au Courant opened in 2016 in the former España location at 6064 Maple Street in the heart of Benson. España was a Spanish restaurant and tapas bar, owned and operated by Carlos Mendez. Au Courant has spent a decade making fine dining feel accessible without losing its sense of occasion. It’s certainly upscale, and it’s most definitely not pretentious. Mendez owns the restaurant with chef Ben Maides.
The neighborhood restaurant serves thoughtful food in a warm, narrow dining room with exposed brick, dark wood, soft lighting and enough energy to keep the experience from feeling stuffy. The menu changes weekly, built around ingredients from local farmers and suppliers.
Au Courant dining area
Photo by Jennifer Corey
Mendez says Au Courant has endured by continuing to change its menu, adapt new techniques and stay as current as possible.
“Ten years nowadays is a long time for restaurants,” Mendez said. “We’re literally almost opening a new restaurant every Thursday.”
The constant menu change ties into the restaurant’s name. Au Courant roughly translates to “in the current.” The restaurant’s name speaks not just to the present moment, but to staying current with ingredients, techniques and the seasons.
Au Courant bar and dining area
Photo by Jennifer Corey
Mendez came to Omaha from Caracas, Venezuela, 26 years ago to study English at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He went on to earn degrees in accounting and business management. He grew up around business in his family’s accounting firm and did bookkeeping for a fast-casual restaurant early in his career. Today, he operates behind the scenes, connecting culinary ambition with the business discipline needed to sustain it.
Au Courant offers both an à la carte menu and a tasting menu. Mendez said that when they first opened, diners were less comfortable ordering a chef’s tasting menu. Today, he estimates that close to 60 percent choose that experience. What made Au Courant unusual was that it didn’t limit the tasting menu to a chef’s table. Instead, the restaurant was designed so the experience could happen at every seat, whether guests were at the bar or in the dining room.
Tasting menu shared table
Photo by Jennifer Corey
“The chef tasting menu was always scary,” Mendez said. “But that was a challenge we wanted to put on the table. It was that ideal place where you go and try a new meal every single time you go.”
One menu item is always there in name and basic concept only. Chovy’s Egg is a nod to a former chef whose nickname was Chovy. Before service, he would bring boiled eggs to work and boast that he made the perfect egg. When Au Courant opened, they made an egg dish part of the menu in his honor. Like the rest of the menu, its preparation changes weekly. While Chovy is no longer at Au Courant, he remains a part of the restaurant’s extended family.
Hey Ya!
Photo by Jennifer Corey
Hey Ya! is a bourbon cocktail with Alpeggio Hay Liqueur and strawberry liqueur. It lands somewhere between an old fashioned and a Manhattan, with a delightful note of strawberry. It’s an excellent mix of bitter and sweet, making it a dangerously delicious sipper.
Cruel Summer
Photo by Jennifer Corey
Cruel Summer is aged rum with coconut milk, mango liqueur, lime and Calabrian chili. The mango and coconut milk make their presence known right away, then give way to refreshingly sharp lime citrus. The Calabrian chili adds a gentle heat on the finish. It’s tropical, moderately sweet, well-balanced and delicious.
Half-dozen Mookiemoto oysters
Photo by Jennifer Corey
The half-dozen Mookiemoto oysters come topped with ramp (wild leek) mignonette. The oysters are straight-from-the-shore fresh, tender and delicious. The mignonette is slightly vinegary and refreshing. The ramp brings its own kick. Altogether, everything works—fresh, briny and invigorating. These aren’t just good oysters for Omaha—they’re good anywhere.
Covy’s Egg
Photo by Jennifer Corey
The version of Chovy’s Egg during our visit was soft-boiled with asparagus, spring peas, hollandaise and trout roe. The hollandaise is exquisite—creamy, savory and a perfect pairing with the custard silkiness of the soft-boiled egg. The asparagus was cooked perfectly, and the trout roe added the right accent—fresh and popping with flavor.
Wagyu tartare
Photo by Jennifer Corey
Wagyu tartare comes with harissa, radish and two pita triangles. The Wagyu comes from North Forty Farms and was fresh, melt-in-your-mouth tender and delicate. The blend of harissa and radish adds a touch of heat and gentle Mediterranean flavor. My only wish was for a bit more pita, but otherwise this was one wonderful bite after another.
Fagottini
Photo by Jennifer Corey
The fagottini is pasta wrapped around short rib—sort of like a dumpling—with caramelized onion atop a bed of purple sweet potato puree. The pasta was slightly underdone, while the short ribs inside were tender and hearty. The sweet potato added a lightly sweet, earthy flavor that paired well with the short rib-stuffed pasta. Altogether, it was a very satisfying dish.
Pork cheek
Photo by Jennifer Corey
The pork cheek comes with cabbage, mushroom and spinach, topped with a bone marrow jus. The pork cheek is fall-apart tender, moist and completely delectable. The cabbage and mushroom add an earthy counterpoint that cuts through the richness of the pork, while the bone marrow jus brings a delightfully savory finish. Everything in the bowl made sense and worked together in delicious harmony.
Dark chocolate torte
Photo by Jennifer Corey
The dark chocolate torte is a flourless cake topped with ganache and served with orange, fennel and olive oil ice cream atop an olive oil crumble. A cocoa nib tuile sits atop the ice cream, adding a chocolaty crunch. The cake is richly dense and abundantly chocolate—sure to satisfy any chocolate lover. The ice cream is silky and smooth, a great complement to the cake. The crumble adds a sweet, salty crunch, and the orange citrus pairs beautifully with the chocolate. Every element works exquisitely together in this after-dinner indulgence.
The thing that struck me most about the menu, beyond the near-flawless execution of the dishes, was the affordability. Mendez wants Au Courant to deliver high-level food without making the experience financially out of reach.
Au Courant dining area
Photo by Jennifer Corey
“We manage a very tight food cost, and we try to utilize the whole part of the product,” Mendez said. “My main focus is to serve quality food with the best service that we can and provide the best experience possible for the best price.”
Mendez quickly credits Omaha for Au Courant’s staying power. The success comes from customers who continue to believe in the concept, along with a staff that works toward the same goal every night. His gratitude extends beyond the restaurant to the broader community that has embraced each of his restaurant concepts and helped make Omaha’s food scene stronger.
Au Courant bar
Photo by Jennifer Corey
“The first thing I would say is thank you to Omaha and our customers for believing in every single one of the concepts and restaurants that we create,” Mendez said. “And this great crew that we have, they’re the ones who do it day in and day out.”
Au Courant is the kind of place where you can feel comfortable in jeans and loafers or get a little dressed up. During our visit, there was a groom in a tux and a bride in a beautiful white wedding dress among diners who were more casual or professionally dressed. Fine dining doesn’t have to be pretentious or snooty. Au Courant is a come-as-you-are restaurant that invites you to taste some of the best Omaha has to offer.
