30 Nebraskaland • April 2022
he year was 1958. "Volare"
dominated the Billboard Hot 100.
NASA got its start, and the fi rst
Intel microchip was created. In
Nebraska, the Blackstone Hotel made
its own history. Primarily known for
its invention of the famous Reuben
sandwich, the Omaha landmark
also bears a vibrant, storied past. Black
and white photographs hanging in
the renamed Kimpton Cottonwood
Hotel pique interest, especially among
hunters.
"The photos kind of remind me of The
Shining, when they fl ash back to the
old photo of the people in the hotel,"
said Executive Chef Jason Sirois. "We
learned early on that they used to do
a wild game dinner here back when
it was a Schimmel hotel, called the
Blackstone. We wanted to recreate that
and bring it back to life."
The Past
Several photos were taken in 1958,
evidence of one of the most premier
social and culinary gatherings of the
season. Beyond a sea of unknown,
monochromatic faces, meal identifi ers
on the buff et line included antelope,
venison, raccoon and bear. The party
took place in the rooftop Schimmel
Ballroom, and guests appeared to be
bucks only — an elite group of well-to-
do men who were dressed to the nines.
The wild game dinner was a highly-
anticipated annual event, one that
existed during the lifetime of the hotel.
"The Midwest was in its heyday
then," wrote Elizabeth Weil for Saveur
magazine. Weil's grandfather, Charles
Schimmel, founded the Blackstone
Hunter's
Harvest
Story by Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Photos by Jesse Deuring
T
Bison tartare with pickled okra, cured egg yolk, garlic aioli and fry bread.
