Kris and Emily Raasch admit their new restaurant is more than the gourmet sandwich shop they originally envisioned. But now that it’s up and running, they can’t imagine Krem Le Bistro as anything else.

“For the last two weeks, I’ve had people come in here and tell me there is no other place like this in town,” Kris Raasch said.

“It’s been working out wonderfully.”

Raasch is right. Krem Le Bistro really is unlike anything in Lincoln.

By day, it’s a walk-up sandwich shop, where diners can sample a variety of interesting — and scrumptious — entrees such as Mamie’s Armenian roast beef roll-up — a wrap with roast beef, spinach, black olives, red onions, cheddar cheese, cream cheese and horseradish on Armenian cracker bread.

At night, Krem is a full-service restaurant with a small but enticing menu of appetizers, entrees and desserts and live jazz or classical music on Friday and Saturday nights.

Other Lincoln restaurants — notably The Oven and Tam O’Shanter — have experimented with live music, but none have hung their hats on it.

“We’re trying to be different, but not over the edge,” Raasch said.

The Raasches opened Krem — the moniker was derived from combining the first two letters of Kris and Emily’s names — on Nov. 1.

Kris Raasch has 21 years in food service, including a recent stint running the coffeehouse in the student center at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Emily Raasch is a private voice teacher whose Armenian background is the reason for many of the menu items.

Krem Le Bistro is located on the second floor of the Creamery Building in the Haymarket.  The semi-casual restaurant opens into an intimate dining room that can seat around 60 guests.

A baby grand piano sits in one corner. Two couches are near the entrance for people waiting for tables or wanting to relax with a glass of wine and listen to music. Paintings by local artist Sara Kovanda fill the walls.

Kris, Emily, Jonna Hellbusch, who worked with Kris at NWU, and Emily’s family developed the menu, which will appeal to meat and non-meat (including vegans) eaters.

There are 10 sandwiches, ranging in price from $5.45 (Gramma’s grilled cheese) to $7.49 (French dip wrap and chicken portabella), and five salads ($5.95 to $7.25).

The evening menu features four appetizers and five entrees. There are two evening specials as well on Friday and Saturday nights.

Notable dinner selections include the beef stroganoff ($15.95) made with whole medallion filets rather than beef tips and the Near East stuffed pepper ($11.25), a vegan dish with bulgur, raisins, pine nuts and spinach stuffed and baked inside a green pepper.

All entrees are served with homemade sourdough bread, sauteed veggies and choice of rice pilaf, rosemary potatoes or angel hair pasta tossed in pesto.

I ventured to Krem for lunch with four co-workers who couldn’t stop talking about the place after our visit.

Two had the roast beef roll-ups ($6.99 each), one had the grilled turkey and provolone sandwich ($6.75) and another the grilled portabella sandwich ($6.99).

I tried the chicken portabella and would order it again. The sandwich featured grilled chicken breast covered in sauteed portabella mushrooms and onions and topped with my favorite cheese, havarti, on grilled oat-nut bread.

Sandwiches come with a choice of unique sides. The potato salad, for example, is made with a vinaigrette. Soup or side salad also are available for $1.50 more. The creamy garlic soup is the house special. It’s memorable for its unusual texture and garlic taste.

The Raasches let us sample two of their appetizers, which are available after 5 p.m. We tried the Armenian chicken and vegetable pizza ($7.45 and $9.25), which earned raves for its roasted peppers and garlic-cream cheese spread, and Maryland crab cakes ($7.95) that came with sweet-glaze and wasabi dipping sauces.

Our food came out in a timely manner, but I could see Krem possibly getting in a bind if it’s swamped because the kitchen is small. If it’s busy when you go, be patient and enjoy the ambiance, especially the music on weekends.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.

Dining out

Krem Le Bistro
701 P St., Suite #203
Phone: (402) 435-4422

Atmosphere: Casual to upscale
Specialty: Sandwiches, salads
Payment: Cash, checks, credit cards

Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday


Notes: On-street, lot or nearby garage parking; wine and beer; takeout; catering; children’s menu; live music Friday and Saturday evenings; reservations NOT accepted