An Encounter With A Top Chef

a man standing next to a statueWhile looking into things to do during Our Mid-West Mini Road Trip, I came across a site that I had to make a quick stop at. It has no admission fees and you’ll likely only need a couple of minutes there, but to me it is well worth it.

The site isn’t much to talk about, it’s a statue of a very famous chef- Chef Boyardee!

When I first heard about the Chef Boyardee statue, I thought of our visit last year to Milwaukee where we had a lot of fun visiting the Bronze Fonz. (If you click the link make sure to scroll down the page to find out about it.)

I figured if  the Chef Boyardee statue could be almost as fun as checking out the Bronze Fonz, then it was well worth our time.

a sign in front of a buildingThe statue is located across the street from the Omaha Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. After stopping by, we crossed over to check out the chef.

Chef Boyardee is parked just behind the sign for ConAgra Foods in ConAgra Plaza (which is just in front of their headquarters). My guess is that the food company chose him to be their representative for all who walk by.

I checked out their site and from all of their brands I’d say he has to be their most recognizable character. The only other option they have is Orville Redenbacher so I think they chose the right man for the job!

a close-up of a street signThe company must be very important to Omaha. This was evident by the street named after it.

a man standing next to a statueOnce we got to the statue I decided it was time to have some fun and entertain Lucas.

I had a few things on the agenda for this quick visit. I figured some silly photos were necessary. I did a few poses, took some jumping shots and even decided to try to hide from Lucas behind the famous chef, although he found me before I could fully hide!

Check out some of the photos:

a man jumping in the air with a statue in front of him
Great place for a jump!
a statue of a chef
Chef Boyardee
a statue of a man in front of a sign
Me: Peek-A-Boo
a child touching a statue
Lucas: I see you!

When it comes to Chef Boyardee I can’t say that I ever really liked his food. I could probably count the amount of times I’ve tried it on one hand!

After checking out the statue, I was curious about how the character came about. I was surprised to learn that he was a real person, Hector Boiardi. Rather than go into the story (if you’re interested), check out the Wikipedia page about Chef Boyardee here.

Who knew that so much fun could be had by a statue? Oh the things we do to entertain our kids! (OK maybe this is an excuse as to why I had to stop by to see Chef Boyardee!)

Do you like to visit odd and quirky sites when traveling?

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