We used a fantastic independent cabinet maker, Richard Sanca, to do a very large built-in bookcase in our brownstone. He is detail-oriented, a real artist, well priced and his work is impeccable. He does kitchens too. His website is linked below. Tell him Allison recommended him, if you call. Here is a link that might be useful: GREAT cabinet guy in NYC/Long Island

Relatives of mine had custom cabinets made by Piros, in Astoria. They had laminate slab doors. But they're beautifully and sturdily made. The folks at Piros order their doors from somewhere else, and his portfolio (I considered him for my kitchen, and often wish I'd gone w/ hime) included a lot of laminate doors, but a few others as well. They don't do the kind of incredible finish that folks think of w/ custom cabinets. But they do a really nice job, in custom sizes. Their prices are pretty good as well; they were about $6,000 for my 8x11 kitchen (w/ lots of doors) about 3 years ago, which was about the same price as my cabinets from the place that bragged about "wholesale pricing."

36" of clearance isn't near enough at the fridge end unless you're doing an integrated model like a SubZero. Even counterdepth fridges are around 30" deep with the handles, making your 36" aisle only 30", and that's before you put a countertop on the island. Now you're down to 28 1/2" for your aisle there. The island needs to be shortened up considerably. I'd actually ditch the peninsula in favor of creating a longer island and moving it down. That way, the appliance garage with the toaster and coffee maker could be next to the eating area. I might even think about putting in a small beverage fridge under them, the MW under the cab there instead of the island, and switching the prep sink to that end of the island for better access. Cabinets down to the counter are a neat look, but they can be less than practical in many ways. You will not be able to reach into that corner for appliances, for instance. If I were you, I'd explore moving a small pantry to be beside the fridge, and leaving the corner more open. Take the pantry space you've got over near the stairs and do the cabinets down to the counters and create a "hutch" look with some glass etc.

We also live in Omaha and had great luck with a company just across the river in CB called McClain's custom cabinets. They were awesome about deadlines, upfront about all costs, and are family owned, small, and very friendly. Their bid for cabinets was comparable (perhaps slightly better considering some of the add-ons we included at the last minute) than Kraftmaid or Diamond carried at Lowe's. They also gave us a 7% discount for paying with cash, which helped out quite a bit. Our kitchen isn't finished (please disregard the mess in the last pic, as we were installing the light fixtures), but hopefully these give you an idea of their product: