Omaha is certainly portrayed as a steak-and-potatoes town. It is a steak-and-potatoes town, to be sure. Its major industry used to beef, and citing Omaha Steaks usually provides a welcome reprieve from the blank stares of outsiders when you tell them that you're from Omaha.

But most outsiders would probably be surprised to know that Omaha has a thriving ethnic food scene. It's heartening to know that you can eat at some of the restaurants that your grandparents ate at when you visit the city, but also to realize that newer immigrant minorities can move to Omaha and open thriving businesses, as well. Let's take a look at some of the best ethnic restaurants that Omaha has to offer:

Bohemian Cafe. The Bohemian Cafe has been around since 1924, and has fed the city's huge Czech community ever since. The restaurant doesn't appear to have changed since 1924, either, with an outdoor building adorned with tiles painted with flowers and Czech girls. The food is big and delicious. Offerings include fried chicken, Bohemian goulash, sauerkraut and dumplings.

Jim & Jennie's Greek Village. I've been eating at Jim & Jennie's since I was a little kid, and it's still good. The special touches--grilled pita, tangy tzatziki sauce, crispy fried zucchini--mean that the joint is still in business. It doesn't hurt that the place is super cheap; you can eat a huge gyro lunch with appetizer for about $10.

Kimson Seafood Grill. Certainly the best pho in town, this Vietnamese restaurant used the Mexican and Southwestern decor already in place to create an environment not usually found when savoring Vietnamese vermicelli. Try the spring rolls and the young coconut drink, but never forget the pho in the cold Nebraska winter.

Indian Oven. The Indian Oven has long been a staple of the Old Market district, but recently it's undergone a modernizing twist. The loft restaurant has some street art-inspired paintings on the wall and a new menu that includes family favorites. I ordered the chicken cafreal, a dish that I've never heard of before that combined the tastes of cilantro, chicken, tomato, ginger and a slight spice that gave Indian food a Thai-tasting twist.

Thai Spice. Thai Spice was the first Thai restaurant that I ever went to as a kid, and I've been hooked ever since. A small and simple restaurant in a strip mall, Thai Spice serves up the best gai yang, a barbeque chicken dish served with sweet-and-sour dipping sauce and a papaya salad, that I've found anywhere. The chicken coconut soup is also worth a try.