That's what Argenta News says this morning.  I'm hoping it's just a rumor; the cute little eatery's been offering some great and reasonably priced lunches, including gyros and pita pizzas.   

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Love gardening but hate the winter down-time? Foundation Farm in Eureka Springs is offering two workshops next month that could ensure year-round crops for your garden plot. These workshops not only share what sort of things you can grow during the winter months, they also show you how to build the structure in which to grow said crops.

On Saturday, December 5th, there will be a class on Low Cost Hoop-House Construction.  Participants will receive hands-on instruction in how to build a 100' hoop house complete with plastic covering.  Workshop starts at 10 a.m.; lunch is provided and the cost is $50 per person or $60 per household.

A followup class, Hoop-House Year Round Production Overview, will be held Saturday, December 19th.  It'll cover crop choices, time tables, income potential and how much the project costs.  This workshop will run 1-3:30 p.m. and is $35 per household.

For more information, check out the Foundation Farm website.

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Frequent contributor Joel DiPippa sent along this tasty little morsel... with notes.

After seeing the story in this week's Arkansas Times about the Arkansas Black Apple, I remembered a dessert from a dinner party at Ciao Baci a few years ago.

A caramelized Arkansas Black Apple with pumpkin cookies paired with Daron Fine Calvados.  I'm not normally a big dessert person, but this one stuck in my memory.

I've seen a lot of people hawking the popular dark skinned fruit this fall... looks like a bumper crop.  I'll have to grab some more... once I'm done with the ones already in my kitchen. 

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It's that time of the year, when the trees give up their nutty fruit and hulls crunch underfoot.  With us, we miss out on the meaty goodness of pecans; the squirrels having long exhausted their supply of ammunition aimed at our dog.  But we know somewhere we'll find a roadside vendor who happens to have a bushel or bag full of cylindrical brown spheres ready for the nutcracker.

Nao over at GreenAR By The Day has a great post up on how to preserve your pecans.  The steps are easy.  I'd add that pecan shelling is an exercise best done on a back deck next to an outdoor furnace, preferably with a canine companion who doesn't mind a little bit of shell in the bits he might get. 

UPDATE:  Reader slydog's gifted us with four great spiced nut recipes.  Yum.

Posted by Kat Robinson | Permalink | Comments (4)

Ah, romance. There are things in this world that just cry out romantic… roses, Valentines, those cute teddy bears with magnets in their noses that look like they’re kissing. And Italian food.

It’s ingrained into us through film and television. Those proposals in a dark restaurant when someone’s playing a violin and Chianti pours from a wicker-clad bottle. Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra and “That’s Amore” and even the scene from Lady and the Tramp where they’re eating spaghetti. Italian food means love.

That’s exactly the sort of vibe I got when I walked into Café Amore in Eureka Springs. We’d headed up there for a variety of reasons, including the chance to enjoy the Food and Wine Weekend (which was incredible). But the bigger reason was the celebration of our 10^th wedding anniversary. The restaurant was comfortable inside, not too dark but with plenty of accent lighting and little lamps on tables. There was some local artwork and framed signed photographs here and there. We were told to sit anywhere we wanted and found a nice booth tucked back in a corner.

Continue reading "That Really Is Amore." »

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Tomorrow night, delve into a round of reds at Lilly's DimSum Then Some.  

Expert Nancy Tesmer will be evaluating and sharing the nine red wines on the restaurant's menu. Kathy Webb chose each of those wines for a special reason.  For $10, that's a hard bargain to beat. 

Give Nancy a call if you are interested -- (501) 258-2504.  That's Thursday, 7-9 p.m. 

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I get a lot of recommendations in this job, and sometimes it takes me a while to get out and try them all. Part of that is just simple logic -- there's just so much a person should eat in a day. There's economy -- can't afford to eat out for every meal. And there's healthy eating as well... I can't guarantee that what I might find at a restaurant I've never been to before is going to serve up food that's reasonable in fat and fiber and calories, much less palatable.

So it's taken me a couple of months to get out to Dan's I-30 Diner. Actually, I did try a couple of weeks ago, but didn't realize they closed at 2pm. Glad I went, though.

Continue reading "Benton Eatin'." »

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It's Veteran's Day, which means veterans from World War II through the Persian Gulf conflict will be gathering at Ed's Custom Bakery in Conway to reminisce and share.  If you get a chance, drop by and give them your thanks.

And speaking of thanks, there are many places offering their thanks through free items for the Vets... Arby's is doing a free roast beef sandwich for all active duty and veterans.  Krispy Kreme is giving away a free doughnut.  Applebee's gives a free meal with proof of service. 

And come Monday, Golden Corral in North Little Rock will host its Military Appreciation Night 5-9 p.m.  That's always a huge turnout.

Thanks, vets, for all you've done.  And to anyone currently serving in our Armed Forces, much appreciation for you as well.   

Posted by Kat Robinson | Permalink | Comments (0)

Went by Frontier Diner out on I-30 at Baseline yesterday.  I was looking for comfort food, and knew I'd found it when I saw "purple hull peas" listed as the vegetable of the day.  Can't go wrong with that.

Mind you, I was a bit late for the lunch rush -- the restaurant closes at 1 p.m., and this was around 12:20.  But most of the stuff on the lunch board was still available -- pork chop, chicken fried steak, meatloaf -- only the chicken spaghetti was gone. 

Continue reading "Lunch Special." »

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Tuesday night's the night for something special at the Statehouse Convention Center.  Leading local chefs will be preparing their signature dishes for a good cause, the March of Dimes, at the Signature Chefs Auction.  Dr. Debra Fiser, the Dean of Medicine at UAMS, will be recognized as the March of Dimes 2009 Citizen of the Year.  After cocktails and tastings, there will be a live auction with unique, extraordinary items such as specially prepared chef dinners and travel packages.  Here's a chance to grab that unusual gift for the culinarily inclined person in your life.  Begins at 6 p.m.  Tickets are still on sale -- call (501) 663-3100. 

Posted by Kat Robinson | Permalink | Comments (0)

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I haven't eaten everywhere in this county yet, but I do like to try new places.  So I poked on over to Crazee's Cool Cafe for lunch the other day.  Yes, it's one of those that allows smoking and doesn't allow anyone under 21.  Yes, it has pool tables.

But the lunch crowd I encountered were a friendly bunch -- filling most of the tables in the center of the room.  I came in, ordered the daily plate special, and watched.

There's a popcorn maker by the door that's apparently free to everyone.  A guy at the table next to me received the Half Pound Footlong Dog ($6.95) while I was waiting, and I momentarily lusted after it.  My waitress brought me an oversized cup of iced tea and I watched sports highlights.

The Daily Special ($8.25) was chicken spaghetti, and my plate contained a nice sized bowl of it along with a salad that contained tomatoes, lettuce and onions.  The Thousand Island dressing was pretty good.  The spaghetti?  Warmed me up and treated me like a lady.  I was very happy with it.

The other special offered any day at lunch is the Burger Special -- you can choose any of the burgers from the menu and it comes with fries and a drink for $7.50.  That includes hamburger, cheeseburger, BBQ burger with cheese and bacon, Mexican burger with jalapenos, Italian burger with Mozzarella and marinara and mushrooms, and Mushroom Swiss with, well, mushrooms and Swiss cheese. 

I like the fact that the price on the wall when I came in was what I paid -- the sales tax was already figured in.  No pennies to fiddle with.

Crazee's Cool Cafe is located at 7626 Cantrell Road, on the north side of the road west of Mississippi.  (501) 221-9696.

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I continue to indulge myself both by eating and by preserving the memories of my trip to Italy in a few photos. At top, an arugula pizza from a century-old pizzeria in Rome, Da Rici (or Est! Est! Est! -- it serves gallons of the mellow white wine known by the same name).

Then there's one of the best pizzas of the trip, the diavola from Da Rici, with spicy salami, somewhat like pepperoni and hot chili oil for added condiment. These pizzas cost around 7 euros.

Then, a break from pizza, with slices of roast veal, roasted potatoes, impossibly sweet steamed pearl onions and garnish at Sabatini, a venerable restaurant in the Trastavere neighborhood of Rome. Not cheap -- about 14 euros, but rich and filling.

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of food and wine.  Next week, Eureka Springs is hosting its annual Food and Wine Weekend - four days of fabulous wine pairings and meals offered by 18 different restaurants in the area. 

Some are extravagant -- like The Grand Tavern's $95 meal that includes House Cured Gravlox with Caviar, Lemon Lavendar Salad, Grilled Veal with a Fois Gras and Truffle Demiglas and Vol au Vent stuffed with Grand Marnier cream and strawberries.  Some are very reasonable, like Casa Colina's Tamale and Dry Aged Ribeye meal for $55.  There's even an incredible $395 per couple dinner being served at The Crescent Hotel that includes beef tenderloin, lobster tail, and wines that made my husband gasp such as a 1944 Royal Oporto Port and Grand Marnier 150 (I know, not a wine but I love Grand Marnier).

There are even classes.  Sharron McCarthy is doing classes at the Cottage Inn.  There's one on Saturday the 14th for $45 that not only includes a cooking class and wine seminar, but also a tasting of the dishes and chocolate truffles and... man, I need to stop writing about this while hungry. 

There's a lot more at the event website.  We're planning on heading up there ourselves (it's anniversary time) and can't wait.  Well, we have to, but we don't want to.  More information by phone at  (800) 344-6050.

Posted by Kat Robinson | Permalink | Comments (0)

I gotta tell ya, I love cookbooks.  Must have a couple hundred of them -- ranging from Apicius (ancient Rome) to Le Menagier de Paris (14th Century French) to Cake Doctor to The Joy of Cooking and about every little church and school cookbook I've been able to get my hands on.  I've kept up with a battered dogeared copy of the early '80s St. Vincent Infirmary cookbook Cornerstone Cookery with care and respect, have two copies of the gigantic tome The Best Recipe (the original and the update that came out last year) and jealously guard my mostly complete Time Life collection of The Cuisine of... books.  I keep close tabs on my signed copy of Alton Brown's Feasting on Asphalt and my autographed copy of Big Kevin, Little Kevin.  I even have the Favre family cookbook and Penn & Teller's How to Play With Your Food and Dom DeLuise's Eat This, It'll Make You Feel Better.

But when it comes down to talking about cooking here in Arkansas, I've been hard pressed to point someone in the right direction, one commercially available book that contains not only Arkansas favorites but information about this city I grew up in.  Something worthy of being a fantastic Christmas gift.

Guess what?  I found it.  More on the jump.

Continue reading "Sweet and Spicy." »

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Joel DiPippa shares more Italian pizza fare:

I've been on sabattical from my Eat Arkansas posts this year, but Max has inspired me to share.  From my family's Italian vacation to Puglia this summer, this is a 4 Seasons Pizza.  Each quarter has a different focus - Mushrooms, black olives, artichokes, and ham. This was in the whitewashed city of Ostuni on the southeastern coast coast. 

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Nothing Arkansas about this except the eaters, pair of Arkies the only English speakers in a joyous Neapolitan restaurant filled with families enjoying a Sunday evening repast. And I do mean evening. The restaurant did not even open until 8 p.m.

But what a way to end a trip in Naples -- an old school restaurant.

It was our best pizza in Naples, far better than the guidebook picks. The crust was blistered in the hot oven, but crisp on the bottom all over, no soggy center. The toppings were chopped tomatoes, a lavish amount of mozzarella, basil, fresh mushrooms and thinly sliced ham, cooked to the crispness of bacon. It was popular all over the restaurant Sunday evening.

I had the house special linguine, with shrimp, clams and fish in a red sauce atop firm strands of pasta. Garlicky, but not too much. Salty, but not too much.

In the background of the photo, you can also see remanants of a platter of battered and fried vegetables, including squash blossoms, cheese and fritters made variously with rice, potatoes and ham. The frying was impeccably crisp. A platter for one, 10 euros, was enough for about 4.

The house red from the region, Campana,washed everything down in fine fashion.

We were sorry we couldn't get around to more seafood. The fish, fresh from vendors on the boat dock across the street, was arrayed on ice in the middle of the restaurant, glistening and fresh. It smelled only of the sea. The shellfish wiggled when the waiter held them up for inspection.

I was stuffed, but I had a slice of baba, the rum-soaked Neapolitan sponge cake. We also had coffee and a shot of grappa.

All this, plus entertainment from a strolling guitar player and friendly service from veteran waiters clad in white jackets and black bow ties for $100. That covered everything -- food, drink, tax, tip, entertainment.

I'd do it again and again. Ciro's Mergellina. Go there if you find yourself in this sprawling, fascinating and, yes, somewhat gritty, place. There's a Ciro's cafe for just coffee, desserts and pizza on the waterfront, but the real thing is set back about a block from the water. Think of it as Gallatoire's Naples-style, but cheaper.

Posted by Max Brantley | Permalink | Comments (1)

One astute reader responded to yesterday's Facebook lunch suggestion with one of his own.  Wes Holden suggested I check out Morrilton's Blue Diamond Drive-In, and since I was headed that general direction I decided to take him up on it.

Good suggestion, Wes.

The menu contains a lot of what you might expect from a drive-in -- lots of burgers, hot dogs, fries.  But it also contains things like Pat's Patty Meltdown -- a patty melt with a heaping pile of grilled onions instead of bread -- and The Shaner, a club sandwich that apparently rivals The Stoby for its three meats, two cheeses, and all the fixings.  I went for the daily special and more... on the jump. 

Continue reading "You Ask, We Respond." »

Posted by Kat Robinson | Permalink | Comments (2)

On the suggestion of a reader, an open line talking about something pretty urbane... Halloween treat offerings.  The ghouls and goblins (and undoubtably the Scream masked and Hannah-Montana garbed) will be hitting the streets Saturday night looking for goodies to fill their bags.  Here at our place, we hand out individual bags of microwave popcorn and Playdoh; the neighbors tend to look at us as eccentrics, but that goes far beyond October 31st.

There was once a time, even within my lifetime, when you could ring a doorbell and be treated to a homemade popcorn ball or caramel apple.  The fear of razor blades and hypodermic needles ended that, even bringing some parents to taking their kids Halloween booty to the nearest ER for an X-ray before meagerly doling out sweets to the young'uns. 

I've been on the giving-out side of Halloween ever since my little brother got to the 'tweens and thought it was uncool to do the door-to-door thing any more (much less dressing up -- his loss).  Now that I have a child of my own, it'll be interesting to see what turns up in those goody bags -- which reminds me, there's still Boo at the Zoo (which Hunter very much enjoyed).

So here's your chance.  Want to talk about what you're giving out?  How about what you wish was still allowable?  And admit it, you've likely snuck a piece of candy out of your kid's overloaded bag -- what's your favorite?  Have fun, and remember to wear your reflective clothing. 

Posted by Kat Robinson | Permalink | Comments (4)

Continue reading "Big Rock Opening." »

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