Twelve restaurants, four proprietors and six food events have been chosen from nearly 300 nominations as finalists for the first Arkansas Food Hall of Fame Awards. Four awards will be presented, for the winner of the categories mentioned above and for a People’s Choice Award, to be announced at the induction ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at The Ron Robinson Theater.

The 12 restaurant finalists include Jones Bar-B-Q Diner in Marianna; Craig’s Bar-B-Q in DeValls Bluff; McClard’s Bar-B-Q in Hot Springs (notice a theme here?); Feltner’s Whatta-Burger in Russellville; Neal’s Cafe in Springdale; Kreme Kastle in Blytheville; Rhoda’s Famous Hot Tamales in Lake Village; and Bruno’s Little Italy, Sims Bar-B-Que, Lassis Inn and Franke’s Cafeteria in Little Rock.

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Joe St. Columbia of Helena/West Helena (Pasquale’s Tamales) and Capi Peck (Trio’s Restaurant), Scott McGehee (Yellow Rocket Concepts) and the Continental Cuisine Partnership of Paul Bash, Ed Moore, Louis Petit and Denis Seyer were finalists nominated for the proprietor award.

Finalist events were the annual Bean Fest and Great Arkansas Championship Outhouse Races in Mountain View, the Gillett Coon Supper, the World Championship Duck Gumbo Cook-Off in Stuttgart, the World Cheese Dip Championship in Little Rock and the Cave City Watermelon Festival in Sharp County.

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The finalists were chosen by a selection committee of 12 food writers and others.
Predictions for the first inductees: Jones Bar-B-Q, Joe St. Columbia, the Gillette Coon Supper and … it’s anyone’s guess for People’s Choice.

The Food Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

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