Tie Dye Travels with Kat Robinson

Peas are in! First PurpleHull Peas of the Season Harvested Near Emerson.

2012-05-29T09:59:00.000-05:00

The Arkansas standard for crowder peas, the majestic PurpleHull Pea, is a celebrated plant in my family. Seasons can be marked by them. The beginning of true summer, that is to say mid-June, is met with the first harvest of peas on the plate, usually boiled up with a bit of animal fat and served with fresh onion slices. New Year’s is celebrated with them (rather than the Yankee tradition of blackeyed peas), and the remainder of the saved-back crop gets used up usually before Lent begins. For me, May is pea-free, unless I am fortunate enough to come across them in one of my favorite home cookin’ restaurants.

Jerry Freppon of Emerson holds the first
"mess" of Emerson Purple Hull Peas of
the 2012 season. Freppon enjoyed a meal
of fresh purple hulls on Memorial Day
evening.

This year will be different. I just heard from Bill Daily, the PurpleHull pea guy. Bill’s big schtick is promoting the heck out of the Emerson PurpleHull Pea Festival, which is held the last weekend of June. I opened my messages this morning to see the smiling face of one Jerry Freppon... proudly holding a mess of prepared peas... fresh peas. Oh my.

Bill relates the following:

“Jerry Freppon of Emerson and his wife Jane enjoyed a meal of fresh purple hull peas Memorial Day evening. That’s because, to be best of anyone’s knowledge, he once again produced the season’s first ‘mess’ of Emerson Purple Hull Peas.”

Now, Jerry’s done this before in a way... he plants early, watches the crop closely and can usually be counted upon to be the first farmer in the area to harvest peas from the vine. Last year he pulled in that first crop on June 4th. This year, though -- May 28th.

PurpleHull peas in May? That’s unheard of. I mean, my south Arkansas relations usually start shelling (not shucking, shelling -- there’s an important distinction there) around mid-June. But to proudly bear a purple-tinted thumb in May? Inconceivable?

“It’s pretty remarkable,” Bill says. “We often have trouble getting enough peas ripe in time for the festival, and here he is with ripe peas a full month before the festival.”

Freppon says his motivation to raise the first peas is simple. “Nothing tastes better than a plate of good ole fresh purple hull peas.” He planted this batch on March 14th, in the middle of those strange near-90 temperatures we experienced at the tail-end of winter. He also plastic-sheeted his peas at the start of germination to protect them from birds and to keep the ground warm. Bill says peas don’t do well unless the ground is at least 60 degrees.

I am tempted to head south and see who else has themselves some peas ready to go. I still have a couple of Burge’s smoked turkey thigh bones and some homemade stock and I sure wouldn’t mind putting them to use bubbling about in a simmering pot of peas. That’d about make me plum happy today.

It’ll be interesting to see when the grand old PurpleHull pea makes it to our local farmers markets. I’m also curious to see if they beat the blackberries. I’ve already sighted some Johnson County and Pope County peaches, and they have been on the juicy side, much like the already-gone strawberries we got in early this year.

If you’re interested in celebrating the PurpleHull pea properly, make plans to attend the Emerson PurpleHull Pea Festival and World Championship Rotary Tillar Races June 29th-30th.

Burger Joint of the Week: Ed Walker's Drive-In.

2012-05-24T08:37:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of places around the state that proclaim the largest this-or-that. When it comes to single-patty burgers, you won’t find one larger than the Giant Hamburger at Ed Walker’s Drive-In in Fort Smith.

Ed Walker’s is known for a lot of reasons. It’s the only place in Arkansas where you can drive up and have an ice cold beer delivered to your car, for one -- thanks to the double threat of being grandfathered in for an old rule and being in a border city. For service, you just pull up and flash your lights when you’re ready to order. The restaurant is also home of the Ed Walker’s French Dip Sandwich -- a nice, tender mess of fall-apart good roast beef on a tight French roll that’s served with a savory jus for dipping.

The restaurant started out in 1943 as a little place to catch one of those great French dips. There are some who claim moonshine also came out of this location, but lips are sealed with a wink on that account. In the 50s the restaurant was expanded, and Ed Walker himself had a bedroom on the back side of the place... right where the center dining room is today.

At 69 years old, Ed Walker’s is one of Arkansas’s oldest restaurants; it’s one of the few that still sits in its original location. The restaurant has been expanded several times and now even has a small in-house bakery in the back that supplies bread and buns to the restaurant and to the recently purchased sister restaurant down the street, Miss Anna’s on Towson. In fact, the famed pies from Miss Anna’s (formerly Goodson’s on Towson) are now sold at Ed Walker’s.

I’ve enjoyed the French dip sandwich before. I’ve also tried this massive burger on numerous occasions, starting with my first encounter in December 2007. It’s not a small burger by any means, and in my personal opinion it’s meant for sharing.

My dining companions and I placed our order by phone in advance -- and for good reason. A mammoth single patty burger containing five pounds of meat takes a while to cook through -- and the whole shebang can be 30 minutes from when you order it to when it comes to the table. We arrived 20 minutes after we ordered, so we asked for some Texas toothpicks (battered and fried jalapeno and onion strips) and nibbled on them with some Ranch dressing. We also had second thoughts and ordered a simple regular ⅓ pound cheeseburger and fries to have a means of comparison.

And then out came the burger. Now, it’s a little different from what I had experienced before, in that it had a different sort of bun. Used to be, those buns were made by Craig Family Bakery in Van Buren; these days, Ed Walker’s bakes its own sourdough type buns. This time we’d had all the toppings put on the burger (the default is to order them on the side so different members of the party can add what they want). The massive burger had been sliced into eight pieces and was served up with a pie server.

To give you an idea of the burger’s size, you have to see it with the smaller burger. Grav Weldon took this photo of the regular ⅓ pound burger perched atop the larger, Giant Cheeseburger we had ordered. More scope? Each of the eight slices contained roughly 10 ounces of meat -- that’s nearly 2/3rds of a pound!

But the bigger question is -- how did it taste? Well, that's the thing. This burger isn't just big, it's tasty. The meat on both burgers was nicely salt and peppered with a little onion powder flavor. But the thicker patty managed to come out far more juicy. That's not the only difference. While the regular 1/3 pound burger had the right amount of drive-in smash-patty flavor with crispy edges to the meat and a nice melt from the cheese, it was on a typical bun and served with typical toppings (the default is mayo and mustard, both). The larger burger's more ovoid construction (face it, you cannot really adequately smash five pounds of meat and still have it fit on a 12" bun -- that much meat would be the size of a tabletop), paired with a texturally complex yeast pulled and airy bun and a generous application of American cheese... the bigger burger is better.

There's also the financial application here. The meat equivalency would be 15 burgers -- since a regular burger is 1/3 a pound. A regular cheeseburger and fries is $6.25 -- which means for the same amount of meat you'd have to pay a whopping $93.75! Of course, if you factor in the French fries, it'd be likely half that, but still. My recommendation? If you take a crowd, just order the dang giant cheeseburger and some side items. That'll do it, and you'll end up saving money.

Did we finish the burger? No. The four people who dined on that burger that day didn’t get through but about half of it, and there were leftovers shared around. Now, you can, if you’re crazy enough, get that burger for free if you eat it with all the fixings, with an order of fries or onion rings and with a beverage in 45 minutes or less. I hear it’s been done, but I don’t see how.

If you’re in Fort Smith and want to experience this big burger, bring a crowd and head to Towson Avenue for a bite. Ed Walker’s is open every day from 10 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. For more information, call (479) 783-3352.

Go Early, Go Often to the Greek Food Festival.

2012-05-18T17:14:00.000-05:00

This weekend is the annual International Greek Food Festival at Little Rock's Greek Annunciation Church out on Napa Valley Road. It's the 28th year for the event. I've been going since it was pretty darn small -- and since I was pretty darn small. And I've learned a few things.

The biggest thing about going to the Greek Food Festival is to get there early. That's not to say you' won't have a good time whenever you go, but you'll do better to find those Greek dishes you really want if you head over there on Friday afternoon. That's because the baklava, butter cookies and such will all sell out before Sunday afternoon, mark my words. It's not that the folks at the Greek Annunciation Church aren't trying to meet the demand -- after all, they start working on those pastries six months before the event! -- but that they're so popular there's no way to make enough for everyone to take home so much. I try to visit early, usually Friday around noon, so I can go on in to the air conditioned hall on the property, peruse the wares and pick up my sourota. That way I know I'll be able to take home those fabulous pastries.

The next thing to know about is the parking. It's free. It's not just free across the street, it's free down the block. There's parking at several locations and trolleys to get you to the front door of the festival. Still not comfortable enough? As far as I know, the International Greek Food Festival is Arkansas's only food festival that offers valet parking. I kid you not! For $10, follow the signs to the festival and let someone else do the parking while you go about your eating and relaxing.

A third thing to know about: the festival is a great place to shop. There's the market, which offers Greek cooking specialties such as oil, vinegar and olives. There are Greek costumes, toys, those fascinating little dolls that live inside other dolls, scarfs, lamps, paintings, jewelry and more. This is a great place to shop for that person in your life who has everything.

Another thing to note -- while there's a lot of food available to eat right there, you can also take home frozen pastichio (think Greek lasagna), tirapetes (cheese-filled triangles) and spanikopita (spinach and cheese filled triangles). Over by the end of the pastry section there's a man with a cooler who will sell you frozen goodies to put in your freezer and cook up later. The kids will never know how you managed that fancy Greek cooking months from now!
There's also the drive-thru. See, the International Greek Food Festival is the state's largest food festival, and there's a big demand on what's available. For some, the only reason they go is for a hot gyro plate. You can get a gyro, a k-bob, hummus or pastries without ever leaving your car.

My last bit of advice -- go often. There are so many things to see and do at the festival, it's hard to choose just a few. Go shopping. Come back and eat and enjoy the entertainment. Return the next day. It's a unique experience and it's tasty, too.

I just gotta mention -- that pastichio platter is $10, comes with a block of pastichio, a square of spanikopita and some Greek salad and a half a pita. The pastichio? It's light and airy on top and full of flavor, thanks to a homemade bechemel sauce that ties cheese, ground beef and pasta together.

For more information on the International Greek Food Festival, check out the event website.

Burger Joint of the Week: Wink's Malt Stand

2012-05-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of dairy bars and drive-ins out there that could be interchangeable. That’s not to say the burgers from such a place aren’t any good -- they usually are. Those sort of burgers are marked by good quality meat, a nicely seasoned grill, a smashed patty, fresh toppings and a traditional bun wrapped in wax paper.

Wink’s does all that and more. The burger stand, which has been around since 1968, serves up a series of amusingly-named burgers, plate lunches, tamales and such with pie, shakes and malts and whatnot for dessert. It’s located in an old yellow building at the corner of Washington and Redwood in North Little Rock. I ventured there on a Monday afternoon looking for something good to eat.

Wink’s only does walk-up service, the sort that comes with a number on a small tab of paper. If you stand at the front of the building after you order, others are likely going to think you are in line. In fact, I was the only person who sat outside my car waiting on my order. The day was too pretty to waste in my opinion. That lead me to stare directly at a coconut meringue pie set exactly at eye level on the other side of the glass. Until this point in time I was unaware that Wink’s did pie; I knew only of the legendary malts, and thanks to my current diet that wasn’t on my menu for the day.

My order took about 15 minutes to prepare. My number was called, I picked up my white paper bag and headed for the car -- where I pulled out my burger and fries and photographed them before dumping half of said fries all over the passenger side seat. Well, there you go.

Now, Wink’s sells burgers and cheeseburgers by name -- Small, Jumbo, Elephant and Whimpy. The Elephant, with its three four-ounce patties, is actually heavier than the half-pound Whimpy, so I chose that. I mean, let’s go with the visual appeal here. The Elephant with cheese cost me $4.80, while a small order of fries ran $1.90.
I could have gone with tator tots, onion rings, fried okra, slaw, bean, spicy corn nuggets or fried green beans instead. The fries are crinkle-cut and golden brown. I have a soft spot for crinkle-cut fries, even though I know they come frozen. Something about the extra surface area gives them the perfect blend of crisp and soft, and these were good examples. They came with four ketchup packets and a packet of salt, the latter of which was completely unnecessary.

The burger? The wax paper was already shining from the grease within. Once I released its toothpick I could see three patties that weren’t quite the width of the bun, organized to cover that bun-space. They sorta looked like sausage patties when you flatten them with a spatula. There was a slice of American cheese melted onto one of them, and they sat between buttered toasted seedless whitebread buns on top of an ample bed of lettuce, tomato, pickle and white onion. Mayo was the default condiment.

It looked like a burger that could have been conjured elsewhere -- but it was not. There was a flavor to the patties, a nicely varied but not overdone spice heavy on the onion powder and reminiscent of Cavender’s Greek Seasoning -- but still not Cavender’s. I suspect, being a 44 year old dining establishment, that Wink’s has its own proprietary spice blend. It was marvelous.

Still, the Elephant Burger lived up to its name. I got through a third of it and wrapped the rest for a later date. I’m going to have to go back some other time for my chocolate malt, and perhaps a piece of pie -- Wink’s sells coconut meringue and lemon icebox every day, and sometimes it sells egg custard, peanut butter, caramel and something called peanut butter luster.

You’ll find Wink’s at 2900 East Washington in North Little Rock. It’s open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:30am to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. (501) 945-9025.

Osage Clayworks: The Potter in the Old General Store.

2012-05-14T11:36:00.000-05:00

Just off U.S. 412 between Alpena and Huntsville, you’ll see an old building standing to the south. The old Stamps General Store has been located there since 1901, but the business closed down decades ago. Still, the store is busy today as home of the Osage Clayworks, a thriving pottery business.

When you first drive up, you may see a dog or cat on the porch. There’s a sign on the door letting you know it’s okay to let them in. The place has its own cats and a friendly dog, too. Newt Lale will be the first to tell you that the cats won’t knock anything over. They’ve grown up between the stoneware mugs and plates on the shelves. They grace the building like ghosts in an old house.

I dropped by a few weeks ago to learn more about the place. I made my first visit back in December, when I was searching out Arkansas-made products for my friends for Christmas. Several of the folks in my circle received hand-cast sponge dishes that had been molded on leaves found around the property.

Though it was early in the afternoon, there wasn't a soul outside enjoying the pretty April day. When I walked up the steps I saw the sign that said "It's OK to let the dog in." This time around, there was no dog (there had been in December) but there was amongst the dishes in the window a longhaired cat, enjoying the sunlight.

I browsed quietly after greeting Newt. He left me to my own devices, which was peering at and taking photos of all these clay creations. He's told me before, and he told me again -- everything in that store is original. See, when he was looking at the property, he saw it was full of old stuff. Many of the items the general store sold still sat on the counters, and the cabinets and furniture hadn’t been moved since the last day of operation. Turns out, the family was willing to leave every antique, every oddity and cereal box and glass-front curio – as long as they were left there like a living museum. Newt agreed, and moved his potter’s wheel in. That’s been decades ago, and today every countertop and every shelf is covered with objects wheelspun and fired and glazed right in the old building.

Those cats? They’re experts at dusting. And there’s lots to dust – from gigantic tureens with lids and handles to tiny pinch-pots and rag holders. There are mugs of all shapes and sizes, plates and bowls and spoon rests and saucers. There are art objects and vases and lambs and just about anything you can imagine made out of clay.

I'd made it around to the other side of the store and was still trying to decide on a gift for a dear friend of mine. Meanwhile, the fluffy cat from the window had carefully made his way across the floor, silently stalking about before taking two leaps and landing atop an old glass case on the main counter. He stretched and spread out, king of his jurisdiction.

A couple had come in by this point, and Newt had started up a conversation, sharing the story once again about the store and its contents. The folks, who were from out of state, showed great interest, especially when Newt sat down at the wheel to throw a pot. It doesn’t take him long to make a pot, that's for sure. He’s been at the wheelthrowing for nearly 30 years. It's fun to watch. He'll sit down right at the wheel in the middle of the store and thump a lump of red clay onto the turntable in front of him. Then away the wheel goes, and he smacks the clay with water and works it up with his hands, first forming a depression in the center and then shaping the outsides with his palms. As he presses, the clay rises up above his fingers, and he expertly turns it down again. Within a minute a pot is formed, and he stops the wheel, cuts it from its base with a piece of wire and sets it to drying. These pots will cure for a while until he has enough to run the kiln. They’ll then receive a glaze and go back in the kiln. The final product is hardy, dishwasher and microwave safe and surprisingly hard to break.

He made a joke with the tourists about how people will ask him how much he charges -- and when he says that pot will sell for $35, they'll poke their mates and say something along the lines of "hey, he makes $35 a minute." Which of course Newt responds to with a mention that yeah, that's all it takes to throw them, but they require a lot more work... and then there's the selling.

The old general store is the perfect place to display his pottery. The unique mugs fit separately each in its own cubby that used to be the postal boxes that served the town. Every surface is utilized for something. And where there aren't pots and plates, there are items from the old general store, cereal boxes and implements of whatnot and an air of being placed out of time.

After making my selection, Newt expertly wrapped the piece in a slice of local newspaper, dropped in a postcard and took my money. When I went out, I let in a shorthaired cat that seemed to know where he was going.

Osage Clayworks is located at 22 CR 966 in Osage – though the mailing address is Alpena, which is actually 11 miles to the east. It’s open now and then with varying hours; best thing to do is either call ahead or call when you get there and Newt will come on over and open the door. (870) 553-2513. Don’t forget to let the cat in -- and to check out the website.

Huzzah! Yarnell's is back!

2012-04-19T11:24:00.001-05:00

It’s been a saga that perhaps my friends in other states haven’t quite understood. How could one state get so worked up over one ice cream manufacturer?

When the Yarnell family announced suddenly on June 30th of last year that they were closing the doors to the 80 year old Searcy plant, there was much wringing of hands and breaking of hearts. Just days before the most ice cream-friendly holiday of the year, Yarnell’s ceased to exist. The doors were locked, the employees told to go home, and all that ice cream already produced was left in a freezer.

Someone distributed it -- while it disappeared from shelves in Little Rock within hours, I found cartons at CVs and Wal-Mart in Fort Smith through early September, and purchased my last carton of Ozark Black Walnut at a Mountain Home Wal-Mart in October. That carton has been carefully preserved and saved.

Thing is, Searcy and Arkansas both love Yarnell’s, and through the work of a whole lot of people, Yarnell’s has come back. The legendary Schulze & Burch Biscuit Company -- which already owns a snack manufacturing plant in town -- purchased the whole kit and kaboodle of the Yarnell’s empire: name, logo, plant, equipment, truck fleet and recipes.

Today I attended a press conference at the State Capitol where Schulze & Burch CEO Kevin Boyle, Searcy Mayor David Morris and Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe celebrated the return. Governor Beebe got the first bite of Homemade Vanilla from off the line -- presented to him by Scoop, the new ice cream dude that will represent the Yarnell’s brand.

So, best news? Yarnell's is back! The introductory flavors: Butter Pecan, Cookies and Cream, Death by Chocolate, Homemade Chocolate, Homemade Vanilla, Homemade Strawberry, Real Vanilla, Rocky Road and my favorite -- Ozark Black Walnut! Yarnell's will also offer frozen yogurt in five flavors -- Blueberries & Cream, Peaches & Cream, Strawberry, Chocolate and Vanilla -- and Guilt Free in Butter Pecan, Chocolate and Vanilla. Plus, the chocolate and vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches are coming back, too!

The ice cream carton is different. Though the cartons retain that fabulous familiar deep red color, they’re now sqround -- both square and round, with a plastic top on them. The new cartons are bigger -- 56 ounces compared to 48 -- and they seal better, which is good news for you if you actually manage to keep ice cream in your freezer for more than a day or two.

The new package also extends the shelf life... which, you know, I’m thinking might mean an eventual push outside the MidSouth for the ice cream. Can you imagine -- Yarnell’s in Chicago, San Francisco, China? Who knows? It’s also more “scoopable,” I’m told. I’ll take their word on it.

So, after the announcement, folks lined up for cups of chocolate and vanilla. I tried both -- the vanilla first, which that very moment brought back so many memories. It is indeed the exact same homemade Vanilla I remember, though several people I saw there swore it was better. The chocolate? Yep, still the same. Same, though, is such a good thing. I am so glad they kept to the standard recipes.

And then... well, I was getting ready to leave and realized that while everyone was flocking to the ice cream cups being filled from giant tubs, that there were actual cartons of the other great flavors up on a table up front -- being ministered to by a crew of dignitaries who were sort of halfway making their way through samples while being interviewed by the press.

I stood up there with my puppydog eyes looking longingly at the Ozark Black Walnut until one of the Yarnell’s employees noticed me and graciously doled up a scoop for me. Oh, sweet heaven, thy middle name is walnutty goodness.

They'll be available at Wal-Mart next week and within the next month at Kroger, Harp's and many independent Arkansas grocers. Keep your eyes open!Now to go work off my ice cream-induced sugar high....

Burger joint of the week: Mojo's #1

2012-04-19T10:15:00.001-05:00

Some sailors have a girl in every port. I have a burger in every neighborhood, and years ago my MacArthur Drive burger was the burger served up at Andy’s Drive-In. Well, times have changed and so has the name, but there are still great burgers to be found at that old location -- now home to MoJo’s #1.

Yes, there is a MoJo’s #2, in Rose City. Both of them serve up soft serve ice cream, burgers and fries, and both are dependable for smashburgers served up on toasted buns with lots of melted cheese.

I ran over to MoJo’s #1 for lunch the other day. The weather was perfect and I wanted to eat on a patio. What I didn’t know was that the little dairy shack has expanded and now has a tiny indoor seating area -- that you have to go through to get to the patio.

I placed my order up front, waited for my number to be called and took my bag-o-burger with me to a nice comfortable seat at the end of the patio where I could watch the line of cars pull up and pull out as the lunch rush ebbed on. When I took my seat there were seven cars parked nose-in along the front perimeter. Windows were down, radios were on and the scent of hot meat on a griddle permeated the air.

The bag felt heavier than I had anticipated; I’d gone for a #1 special, the Jumbo Double Cheeseburger with French Fries and a Drink for $5.99 advertised on the front of the building. I figured since it was a dollar more than the regular double cheeseburger that I’d be getting my money’s worth. Still, I guess I wasn’t thinking how heavy that bag might be for the price.

The fries were on top -- yes, pre-cut fries, but salt-dipped fries that were extraordinarily crispy on the outside and mellow on the inside, addictive sturdy fries that could be appetite busters. It took all my self-control not to eat them as I photographed them alongside the burger and the cup of Hunt’s ketchup that went along with them.

And that burger... a heavy burger. I would estimate ⅔ lb. of beef between those seedless, toasted buns, wrapped tight the old-fashioned way with wax paper. The default for the burger was a butter-sweated bun, a nice toasting, a slick of mayo, a smattering of iceberg lettuce and white onion pieces under a round of tomato. No pickles here, a small surprise.

The twin third-of-a-pound patties were likely pre-formed but of a top quality beef that didn’t need much seasoning. What little it had, it had undoubtably picked up from the griddle itself, with a bare background taste of long-charred cheese and a crusting that belied a little salt in its makeup. Speaking of cheese, it was American, and the melted-on slices glued the patties and bun together delightfully.

This burger was of the juicy/greasy quality you’d expect from a good drive-in, and required every bit of that wax paper to keep the wetness from rolling down one’s arms. Moreso, napkins were required (and provided in-bag) for sopping up the runaway juices that formed just about everywhere.

An enjoyable, unfinishable by the normal person burger, once the fries were added in. I walked away from the rest of my fries and the burger remnants guiltily. They were good, but I was unwilling to injure myself to consume it all.

You’ll find Mojo’s #1 at 3801 MacArthur Drive in North Little Rock -- and Mojo’s #2 in Rose City. I will have to go back for a banana split someday. (501) 753-4445.

Burger joint of the week: Grand Kibb's BBQ

2012-04-12T10:15:00.000-05:00

On some occasions in my burger quest, I’ve headed out to cover one story and ended up with another. In this case, I went to the exact place I needed to be -- 6230 Baucum Pike in North Little Rock -- and came across a completely different restaurant.

I was heading out to investigate whether Dub’s Hamburger Heaven still offered this Fundamental Burger that was supposedly made of bacon (at least, that’s what the Times review, which I did not write, said). It had a long standing following, and knowing it was offered at a drive-in I knew it had to be decent.

Dub’s is gone, but don’t you wail. The folks from Kibb’s BBQ in Pine Bluff have bought the place, and now the little beige drive-in is Grand Kibb’s BBQ... and you need to mark it on your map.

I stopped in for lunch the other day... as I mentioned, looking for Dub’s. Passed it up and ended up at I-440 first, then turned back around and double checked the address. Before I could even confirm that, I knew I had to get out of the car. The air smelled lovely, with nice sweet and piquant barbecue notes hanging in the air.

There were a number of different signs upon the building -- and the old arched letters proclaiming the place “Hamburger Heaven.” The mass bit of the menu was posted quite clearly on brand new signs on the front of the building: “Cheeseburgers and Hamburgers With or Without Fries;“Smoked Beef or Pork Sandwiches With Mustard or Mayo, Pickle, Lettuce and Onion, No Sauce;” “Bar-B-Que Beef or Pork Sandwiches Hot, Mild or Medium Sauce;” and “Bar-B-Que Ribs and Rib Tips Large or Small Orders, Hot, Medium or Mild Sauce.”

Inside the windows, it’s clean and a little empty, most of the smoking work being done in the back, presumably on a smoker such as this one spied around the side of the building. There was a help wanted sign in the window and all sorts of sheets of paper written on here and there with the prices of different things. A cheeseburger and an order of fries, for your information, came out to $6.11 with tax. There’s no fountain, just a cooler full of 20 ounce beverages.

I placed my order and went and sat in my car. Others were also waiting in cars, windows down on the delightfully perfect 68 degree spring day. A Coke truck pulled up and started unloading bottles.

When my order came out, It came out with a smile, and I walked back to the car excited to see whether that smoky scent would follow me when I left the property.

It did. I drove out to a park and pulled out my bagged noontime bounty for photographing and consumption. First thing I noticed were the fries -- skin-off handcuts that seemed to have more of a Yukon gold sort of flesh than the traditional Idaho, Russet Burbank. They were just crisp on the outside but nice and soft inside, good with the Hunt’s ketchup provided. They were barely salted, and the flavor tasted a little reminiscent of peanut oil. Best of all, they were plentiful, and I couldn’t finish my order.

But that smoky scent wasn’t coming from the fries. It was coming from the burger -- which, unlike most burgers I have encountered, came on a bun that had been toasted both inside and out. In fact, there was a nice sheen to the whole affair, a big flat white bun buttered and toasted to a golden hue, almost crusty on the inside and a bit mushed all the way around. Under the bun, a layer of salad dressing (think Miracle Whip) and then the loosely packed half pound of burger. The black pepper spiced round carried with it the scent of a good sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, yet that sweetness wasn’t in the taste itself, just the smoke. It was a juicy burger, though cooked to medium well, with hints of paprika and maybe even honey to it. It was quite excellent.

The patty rested atop a pile of shredded lettuce, a little pickle and some hair-thin ringlets of white onion. There’s no tomato on this burger, but that’s all right. Every ingredient just added to the whole barbecue sandwich feel of the thing. the lettuce took the place of that slaw we’re so used to here in Arkansas; the salad dressing gave a tiny bit of barbecue sauce-like tang.

It’s one of the most memorable burgers I have encountered in a while, and that’s saying something, considering all the burgers I consume.

Oh, I mentioned I had acquired a cheeseburger, right? The expertly melted American cheese was barely evident on inspection, thanks to an application while the meat was still on the grill. It had fully incorporated into the burger itself, and brought the whole concoction up to the level of extremely satisfying.

Grand Kibb’s BBQ has been open now since November. They keep putting out that good food, they’re going to be there a while! It’s open 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Like all good barbecue restaurants, it’s closed on Sunday. You’ll find it between Rose City and I-440 on Highway 165. (501) 955-1110.

Seoul no more; Early Bird will offer fresh Southern cuisine.

2012-04-10T16:14:00.000-05:00

A new breakfast enterprise is shaping up on Kavanaugh in the Heights. Early Bird will become the latest entry into the breakfast market here in Little Rock. Soon to be opened by Boulevard Bread alumni Carson Runnells, Early Bird will feature Southern cuisine cooked with local, fresh ingredients, or as the chef says, “Southern cuisine with a culinary palate.”

With the failure of Seoul (a Korean restaurant operated by the former owners of Eastern Flames), the spot at Kavanaugh and University has sat dark and closed. The chef plans to open up the kitchen, remove the bamboo and take out dividers to let the air and light in. I would suspect that it’ll be more reminiscent of the old Satellite Cafe, with its large open room.

What’ll be offered? A laundry list of great Southern standards, starting with fresh made biscuits and Arkansas white gravy made from scratch, mimosas, Bloody Marys and a slew of coffee beverages in the morning; three lunch specials offered on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; a variety of beans and rice dishes, including the Southern favorite of red beans and rice as well as a Brazilian black bean version; fresh made cornbread, greens and such; pickled eggs and okra; cobblers and pies; fresh soups each day and a selection of homemade ice creams, gelatos and Italian ices.

Sounds like a dream? Does to me. Early Bird will be open daily from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. The earliest possible opening date is April 16th, but chances are it’s going to take a wee bit more time to make the changeover from one cuisine and dining style to another.

Burger joint of the week: Doe's Eat Place

2012-04-05T11:30:00.004-05:00

It must have been 20 years since I set foot in Doe’s Eat Place in Little Rock -- or close to it. I was a young ‘un, nearly 19, 10 feet tall and bulletproof and hanging with the young bloods that wanted to see the Guv’n’r go to Washington. I can recall sitting elbow to elbow with five or six other people, mostly in shirtsleeves, packed around a four-top table one evening. I was too young to drink but I was the only one not partaking of brew that night. I listened to stories told as I sucked down a Dr. Pepper and picked at the rather greasy-wet steak dropped in front of me. The one thing I really took away from that night was that if you ordered a salad there, you were a sissy.

I’ve dined in most all of the city’s establishments since then, excepting a few of the more uppity places, and I’ve made friends with folks who work at Doe’s and who frequent the place. Yet it did not occur to me recently that my burger trek should have me heading that general direction.

I went on a hot, sweltering March afternoon -- those words should NEVER be put together, but such are the weather patterns of late -- to feast upon a burger and enjoy some memories. I was stricken right away by how damn bright the place was. I guess not having entered during daylight hours, I had the preconception that it was one of those great back-lit night spots where rumors were started and beef was consumed. And that it may be.

Every wall is decked with memorabilia -- from Clintonesque things to general bits here and there about the food, a Reader’s Digest of grub lit to partake of if one is just a-standin’ around. I... was not. I found my table with its slightly torn plastic red and white checked tablecloth and sat my butt down. Eventually a waitress found me and asked what I wanted to drink.

Click to see a large menu

The menu for lunch at Doe’s is simple -- hamburger, cheeseburger, chili dog, catfish, ham & cheese sandwich, grilled cheese, broiled chicken breast sandwich, grilled turkey and swiss. The “world famous” hot tamales are $4.25 for three with chili, $7.25 with a salad and $6.75 with fries. And then there are the legendary steaks -- a 2-3lb. T-bone for $16.50 a pound, a 2 ½-3lb. Porterhouse for $19.50 a pound and a 3 ½-6lb. sirloin at $15.50 a pound. They’re served up with marinated salad, French fries and Texas toast. I can’t even comprehend eating that much meat in a sitting.

There’s also a hamburger steak, spaghetti and meatballs, spaghetti with chicken, a catfish platter and chicken pasta -- and, a surprise to me, a Garden Chicken Salad. Well, I guess you can order a salad at Doe’s. How about that.

But as I mentioned, I only had eyes for burgers, and I ordered my cheeseburger ($6.25 with fries) straight-up how they make it. Took about 10 minutes to get it, in which time I watched a fellow diner consume an abnormally fat packed ham and cheese sandwich and another pick at a salad while she talked to that dude. No one ordered a steak while I was there, but I did notice several chili-stained tamale plates.

While I was waiting, I had myself a fine selection of Arkansas appetizers to choose from. This is a joke, of course. For some reason -- and I have commented on this before -- the older eating establishments around these parts feel compelled to bring out a basket of crackers -- sometimes Saltines, sometimes club -- to sate your appetite while you wait for your food. It’s no different at Doe’s, except this time there was no butter or salsa offered. Which was fine. I wasn’t there for the crackers.

I was there for the fine cheeseburger that was delivered to my table, a half pound of medium-well cooked beef on a white seedless untoasted bun, pasted to that top bun with a slice of American (not pasteurized-processed) cheese. The bun was chilly, the meat was hot and the big pile of iceberg lettuce on the bottom was cool and crispy and coated with the mayonnaise that also covered the bottom bun. A hearty slice of tomato and some somewhat thick ridgy dills accompanied. There was nary an onion slice to be found.

That, I assume, is because there are tidbits of onion in the meat, the only spicing I could determine in that nicely crusted beef patty. Nay, mayhaps there was just a slug of Worchestershire sauce in its inception, but the patty itself was devoid of all but the slightest enhancement with salt, pepper or spices. In fact, the high quality of the beef itself was the star, unencumbered by the fine quality American cheese that it carried. A fine burger, even if the bun did become smushy from its lack of toasting.

The fries bore their own need of mention -- firm, fresh-cut fries brought up to a defiant golden brown and enhanced with only a little table salt. They were nice and mushy in the center and firm on the outside, just a bit crispy, ketchup-soaking fries that were irresistable, a whole Idaho potato cut skin-on and, I am guessing, double-fried. I’d go back just for those fries.

So, the verdict? Good burger, good fries, and there’s a lot more light in the daytime than at night when you’re packed shoulder-to-shoulder with a bunch of twenty-somethings with big dreams. Though, for the true evaluation of that last bit, I need to make a night visit.

You’ll find Doe’s Eat Place down from City Hall and the police station in downtown Little Rock at 1023 West Markham. It’s open for lunch Monday through Friday and dinner Monday through Saturday. Check out the website or call (501) 376-1195.

Burger joint of the week: Tidwell's Dairy Bar

2012-03-29T12:27:00.001-05:00

A reader’s recommendation took me out to Lonoke for a bite -- out to Tidwell’s Dairy Bar, a community standard. It’s been there at least as long as my contemporaries recall, and it’s been highly recommended as a burger joint.

Now, it’s a dairy bar, not a bar bar, so there’s no alcohol. No dining room, either, just a smattering of picnic tables. There is a pretty large interior... and considering all the different things on the menu like salads and catfish and stuff, I had to agree -- the room inside was justified.

Fortunately, it was one of those perfect spring days where the thermometer was just touching 80 degrees at one in the afternoon. We pulled up and headed for one of the two service windows, looking for burgers.

Cheeseburgers were definitely on our agenda, but a quick glance at the menu revealed a childhood favorite of mine -- a brown derby for just 99 cents. I ordered my chocolate dipped cone when I ordered my meal and enjoyed it first. There’s just something about smooth and creamy soft serve encased in a chocolate shell that’s perfect for eating outdoors.

Our hot items would take a while to prepare, so we found seating over beside the restaurant. We enjoyed our ice cream and watched other customers: a couple of women who apparently walked over with their small children in strollers; a group of three blue collar workers taking a late lunch; a man and his young daughter and her tiny puppy. It was a varied crowd.

Our orders came out in the order they had been received. The first, one of my dining companions had chosen a cheeseburger with nothing but pickle and ketchup, “junior burger” style. His burger basket came with French fries and cheese dip. The fries were thick and

substantial but not out of the ordinary; the cheese dip served with the fries, was. Cheese dip and fries is a favorite of mine! And they worked well together, though the dip was just a smidge runny to go with the fries. It was a Velveeta-type dip, though the tomato or Rotel within had apparently been pureed so that only the slightest bit of tomato matter was still cohesive. It was spiced with chili powder, and I believe there was an element of sour cream in its making. A nice dip I’ll have to add to the Arkansas Cheese Dip Primer.

His burger came with a slab of processed American cheese, likely Velveeta or one of its substitutes, apparently hand-cut. As he knoshed his meal I grew more hungry for my own.

My other traveling companion had chosen a footlong dog with the works, minus chili. We were glad for this -- we were on a long car ride and beans... well, beans just didn’t need to be part of the equation. The footlong came with a sweet slaw similar to KFC’s but chopped much finer. It came topped with that slaw, finely chopped red onions, sliced jalapenos and a slathering of cheese dip. The combination of ingredients produced a complex flavor, very wet on the bun. It was indeed a fork-and-knife footlong. The weiner itself? About average.

So I had been waiting all this time, and finally my burger basket was done. And as I opened it my heart raced with joy -- or anticipation of the cholesterol it was about to endure. The third-of-a-pound patty was nicely smashed and charred, a lovely bit of caramelization apparent on one bare edge. Every other edge was consumed with a copious amount of melted Velveeta-type cheese. It glued everything together -- the lightly toasted sesame seed-encrusted bun, two big ring sections of red onion, a handful of dill pickle slices, a hearty slice of tomato and some hand-shredded lettuce. The default condiment, mayonnaise, was barely apparent thanks to the slathering of cheese.

Thank goodness for that wax paper binding -- since without it my hands would have become coated with all that cheese. It was everywhere. And even though I am not usually a proponent of pasteurized processed cheese, it worked here. The meat was salted just enough to complement the cheese and other components, and there was just a hint of black pepper in it.

I ate the entire burger and got about halfway through my fries. I found the best method for those was to wait until the cheese dip developed a light skin and then pick the skin up with a fry. That happened quickly on the windy day.

You’ll find Tidwell’s Dairy Barn in Lonoke on US Highway 70 on the west side of town. It’s open 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and until 7 p.m. on Saturday. It’s closed on Sunday. (501) 676-2812.

Burger joint of the week: Daisy Queen.

2012-03-22T10:15:00.001-05:00

I have friends and family all over Arkansas, and one side of my brother’s family comes from Searcy County. So I have been familiar with the Daisy Queen since my adolescence.

The little dairy shack on the east side of Highway 65 in Marshall has received a little facelift here and there over the years, but it’s still serving up burgers, shakes and all the things a little community like Marshall might want to eat.

I stopped in on my way back from a trip further north recently to enjoy a classic burger and kick a little road dust off my shoes. Almost changed my mind when I saw the men. It’s been a little while since I dropped in, but I had forgotten about the variety of items at the place. The menu is posted overhead on these old yellow signs, completely packed with dining options. And then there are whiteboards below with even more options. What’s offered?

All these things: sandwiches (BLT, BBQ Beef, Turkey Club, ham Club, four types of chicken sandwiches, a Pizza Burger (a local favorite), a veggie sandwich, Chicken Fried Steak, a grilled chicken wrap, Catfish, Chicken Strip, Fish, Ham, Ham & Cheese, a Patty Melt, Swiss Steak), hot dogs (short or footlong, with or without chili, cheese or slaw), stuffed jalapenos, fried pickles, nachos, Bosco sticks (what?), chicken nuggets, broccoli bites, cheesesticks, chili, burrito, popcorn chicken, corn dogs, french fries, tator tots, mushrooms, seasoned fries, onion rings, hush puppies, pork tenderloin, a taco salad deluxe, more sandwiches (grilled turkey hotrise, grilled turkey club, grilled chicken club, grilled chicken hotrise), baskets (chicken fillet, shrimp, catfish), salads (taco, chef, turkey chef, chicken strip, grilled chicken, combo)

-- and then there are the ice cream offerings -- shakes, malts, floats, frosties, sundaes, cones, Oreo cake sundae, Sundae Delight, a banana split and an apple pie a la mode. Shakes and malts and sundaes come in strawberry, cherry, pineapple, butterscotch, blueberry, chocolate, hot fudge and vanilla.

I haven’t even made it to the burgers. They come in single, double or triple sizes, with or without cheese, bacon or chili. And there’s something called Jeff’s Bigmouth Burger (8 ounces of Fresh Angus for $4). I won’t even go into the kids’ meals, the chips, the beverages (except to say they carry a large number of diet beverages) or such. Lots of options.

I bet the menu is so large because Marshall doesn’t have a whole lot to choose from when it comes to dining. There’s a Pizza Hut and a Subway north up the road, and a little diner south a bit. And there’s the Harp’s grocery store and a couple of convenience store. All these things have come and some other things have gone since the Daisy Queen opened in 1966.

So, about my lunch. I ordered and had a seat, relaxing a bit. It was a Sunday afternoon and there were a few people in the place, including a family of four that were sharing burgers and onion riings at the next table over. The lady I’d ordered from at the counter called me over and handed me my iced tea and I enjoyed a few more moments soaking up sunlight coming in the west-facing window.

And then she got my attention again and passed over a red tray. On that tray were two wax-paper wrapped bundles. One of them contained some hot fresh battered and deep fried mushrooms with some Ranch dressing in a little cup. I knew the mushrooms were likely from frozen, but they were good and hot. And they were cheap, too -- $1.40 for a tray of eight.

And then there was the burger, pretty much unchanged from the sort I’d had as a teenager. The seedless bun had been lightly toasted on the griddle, the salt-and-pepper seasoned patty topped with a slice of American cheese and allowed to melt before being placed on top of the stack of vegetation on the bottom bun -- top to bottom dill pickle slice, tomato slice, iceberg lettuce and white onion. Mayo was the default condiment.

And that burger had the flavor of a consistent favorite, with just the right amount of griddle char on the meat and the right amount of mayo skimmed onto the bottom bun. The folks who make these burgers could probably make them in their sleep. It’s a classic quarter pound of drive-in delight.

If I had not been watching my calories, I might have made it out of there with a chocolate malt, which I also remember as being quite splendid from my younger years. As it was, I took part of my meal on the road with me.

Daisy Queen is located on highway 65 North in Marshall, within spitting distance of Harp’s. It’s open 8:30 a.m.- 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. on the weekends. (870) 448-2180.

Burger joint of the week: The Spot

2012-03-15T10:15:00.004-05:00

I grew up in southwest Little Rock. During the week, it was the central portion of my world. I went to Geyer Springs Elementary, lived off Gum Springs and had friends that lived from about where I did out down south to far out on Arch Street.

Now, we’re not talking about the downtown portion of Arch Street that passes some of the most important real estate in the city. We’re talking Arch Street that used to be “out in the county;” i.e., the area beyond the gravel operations. Arch Street did and still does meander from 65th Street down past Baseline and way out to the edge of the county, through some of the more scenic rolling hills and timberlands.

Most of the businesses that lined the thoroughfare in the 70s and 80s have dried up and disappeared, but one place we grabbed many a milkshake at still stands, changed very little since those times of my youth. That’s The Spot.

Indeed, people still hit The Spot to this day, as I did one day this week, just to see if the place was still serving up shakes and burgers like it used to. It was a remarkably warm March day with temperatures nudging 80, and as I pulled up I discovered finding a parking spot would be a challenge. There were more than a dozen cars on the lot.

That’s saying something for a place with no indoor seating and very little outdoor seating. In fact, the only places to sit besides the ground are on one of two weathered benches (assumingly reserved for people waiting for their orders) and a couple of picnic tables way off to the side. It’s a red building with two windows, a pull-up and a sign out front, situated on a gravelled lot. And it smells like burgers when you drive up.

I found my parking spot, got out and went to the front, where I was able to walk right up to the window. There were at least a dozen people quietly waiting on their orders, some in cars and some standing around. Numbers were called, orders were collected and people left. Other people came.

I barely glanced at the menu, just ordered a Jumbo Cheeseburger ($4.05), onion rings ($2.30) and a small Pineapple Shake ($2.25, medium $2.85, large $3.35). I walked around in the spring air, took some photos and looked around. Outside of the new sign out front and the new paint job (which is probably a few years old), nothing had really changed.

Not even the menu. It’s still burgers, a chicken sandwich, a steak sandwich, barbecue sandwich (the sort that comes from a bucket) and ham sandwich. They still sell chicken and fish dinners, too -- though no one I saw that day ordered one. They still do a taco salad too, and nachos, and a super salad with all sorts of stuff on it. I think they’ve added the cheese sticks and stuffed peppers in the 20 or so years since I last dropped by, though.

While I was waiting, a woman went up to one of the windows and asked if they had steak sandwiches that day. She ordered it with a large banana shake.

Right after she’d placed her order, they called me to come get my pineapple shake while they finished the rest. My small shake was 16 ounces (medium is 20, large 24) and thick, but not too sweet, a blend of soft serve and canned pineapple. I was really ready for that. I wish I hadn’t given up cola for Lent, because they do fountain Cokes there and they add cherry or vanilla or both if you want them.

Wasn’t too long until my number was called. I took my bag and headed for the car, there to unwrap my spoils and check out the consumables.

What I discovered was a large wax paper-wrapped bundle of onion rings that had been set closed with one staple and a wax paper wrapped burger secured with a toothpick. The onion ring bundle was huge, larger than the burger and heavy. The onion rings inside were thickly battered and deep golden brown. The onion bits within that battered coating were translucent and soft, pliant and juicy. If I could fault them anything, it would be that they could have used a touch more salt -- but then again, I could have asked for ketchup to dip them in. That would have worked, too.

The burger... a half pound griddle smashed patty with an impossibly crispy crust. That’s right -- the surface of the burger was crispy, as if it had been cooked in a perfect layer of grease on a hot griddle. Which, I’m sure, it was. Surprisingly, it was very low on seasoning, with just a hint of salt to it. But the beef was high quality, which made all the difference.

The barely toasted top bun rested directly on top of the patty, which was oval-shaped and quite certainly hand patted. Under the patty, in order: a slice of American cheese, ridgy dill pickle slices, a tomato slice, iceberg lettuce, very fresh white onion and a slight slathering of mayonnaise. The bottom bun was buttery toasted.

Even without mustard (mayo is the default), this burger retained a tartness in its complexity, thanks to the liberal application of the pickle slices. Furthermore, it had a nice meaty bite to it, with a strong assist from the pungent onions. The cheese was just overwhelmed -- though I suspect that has something to do with the lack of meltage.

All in all, a good burger. And the rings were good, but I could not finish them -- not because they lacked in their goodness, but because of their plentitude. There were easily a dozen big fat rings in that wax paper.

The Spot has been on Arch Street there for more than 50 years. It has a steady clientele and a lot of character. Glad it came to mind the other day... that’s the good kind of trip down memory lane.

You’ll find The Spot at 11320 Arch Street. It’s south of Dixon Road, so you can either get there from I-530 via Dixon, take Baseline out as far east as it goes or take 65th Street as east as it goes and head south. It’s open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. except Tuesday, when it closes at 2 p.m. Closed on Sunday. (501) 888-5333.

Burger joint of the week: Lulav, a Modern Eatery

2012-03-08T10:15:00.003-06:00

The Cheesy Wheesy Burger at Lulav is pretty darn good. However, I don’t think I’ll be going back to eat there for lunch on a weekday. And I’ll tell you why -- on the jump.

It’s all a matter of timing. I have in the past been quite patient with waiting for my meal before at different locations; being my own boss meant I made the schedule and I could budget extra time to go eat lunch and shoot the food.

But now that I have a “real job” (as I have been told; this is not the time or place for that particular rant) I have a limited lunch hour, and I don’t have wiggle room. I make up for that by looking for locations within a quick drive from work, and by asking when I first enter a restaurant if I will receive my food within 15 minutes. Just about every place complies with that request -- and for the two which couldn’t guarantee that, I was cordially invited to come back when I had more time. Fair enough.

On this particular day I was able to get a whole 50 minutes budgeted for dining time, a bit longer than usual. I had heard about the menu change at Lulav and, knowing that the tiny bistro burgers I had talked about before were no longer available. I chose to venture there for lunch.

I entered and asked my question -- would my food be out at a certain time? I was assured that it shouldn’t be a problem. My dining companion showed a little apprehension, eyeballing the crowd that was coming in right after us.

We were shown to the side room and seated, with nary a soul there. I already knew what I would be eating; my companion had his choice in less than a minute. And we waited for about five minutes for a waiter, who took our drink orders and disappeared again.

I checked my watch. I now had 42 minutes for lunch. Well, no sweating yet.

Our waiter returned, took our orders and was gone again. The crowd in the other room was pretty loud. Another couple were seated in the same room with us.

I checked the time again. T minus 38 minutes now… T being the absolute latest I could leave to head back to work.

Our waiter came by and refreshed our drinks while my companion and I chatted. He assured us we’d be all right, that the orders were in and it’d be nothing at all before they got there. T minus 32 minutes.

The couple across from us were waited on. The crowd in the next room increased in volume again. T minus 28 minutes.

Now, I don’t expect a high-end restaurant like Lulav to offer an express lunch. But I had a feeling I was in trouble.

Our waiter came by to refill our beverages again. I pondered the location of the restroom, then nixed it and resolved to stop drinking quite so much tea. Knowing my luck, my lunch would arrive while I was utilizing the facilities. T minus 23 minutes. It had now been 15 minutes since I had ordered my burger.

A waitress came by and asked if we needed anything. I explained my growing distress. She told me she was sorry, but that the order AFTER ours, the order from the crowd that had come in after we had entered, might be holding our order up.

“But it’s in ahead of that crowd?” I asked.

“Yes, but there might be a hold-up.”

“Could you check?”

“Sure.”

I now had 15 minutes left before I absolutely had to leave, and had no food. I handed money to my dining companion, asking that if I had to leave before it got there to box it up and bring it to me later. He agreed and then complained loudly. I tried not to be embarrassed by that.

T minus 12 minutes -- and my dining companion’s food arrived. He stared at it for a minute. I think he was expecting a little bit more with his $9.95 Heirloom Mushroom Flatbread Pizza, described as “seasonal exotic mushrooms, caramelized onions and garlic, Fontina cheese, LULAV signature white sauce” on the menu. We debated the
"exoticness" of the mushrooms for a moment.

And then… with 10 minutes left, I received my Cheesy Wheesy Burger ($8.50) with its side of LULAV House Salad (other options are fresh fruit, Loaded Baked Potato Salad or roasted Kennebec potatoes). And it was a nice, tall burger.

You have the option of having condiments added to your burger when you order; I chose not to, and I am glad to say that was the right decision. The burger was quite good.

The half pound of ground sirloin was pleasantly lean but had formed a nice crust while being char-grilled and had reached somewhere between medium and medium rare inside. It was juicy and flavored lightly with salt and pepper. I was ambivalent to the field greens on it but just right with the tomato chunk.

And then there was the cheese, which is what make this burger so good. The blend of American, Swiss and Cheddar was perfectly balanced to give the entire burger the edge of saltiness it craved, a blend of pungent and creamy that clung to the patty and to every bite.

The whole shebang was book-ended by grilled sourdough bun halves. It took some pressing to get it short enough to place in the mouth without unhinging the jaw.

The Cheesy Wheesy is a good burger, but as I said, I won’t be ordering one for lunch during the week. I asked for a ticket and a box when we received our food. I was able to eat a third of the burger and about half the salad before I had to pardon myself and leave; my dining companion faithfully packaged the leftovers for later consumption and took care of the bill. I just made it back in time.

Lulav has some nice and delightful highpoints. But I think it’d be a lot more popular with the lunch crowd if it set up some sort of work plan for quicker diners. Alternatively, it could market itself as a relaxed lunch spot, particularly for those who aren’t constrained by the clock. But that’s just my suggestion.

You’ll find Lulav at 220 West Sixth Street, next door to EJ’s Eats and Drinks (which does another marvelous burger, handles crowds well and has a quick lunch turnaround). It’s open for lunch Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and every day for dinner. Check out the restaurant’s website or call (501) 374-5100 for more information.

An Arkansas Cheese Dip Primer.

2012-03-04T10:05:00.001-06:00

I'm a lucky girl. I've been able to try so many neat and unique dishes over these past several years. And there are few dishes that represent Arkansas better than cheese dip.

Created here in the 40s by a man named Blackie Donnelly, credited to his restaurant Mexico Chiquito, the dish has become a Southern staple. The simplest version marries Velveeta and Rotel together, two simple ingredients that dance well together. The recipes for the more complex recipes are hoarded away. Restauranteurs and families alike keep the secret to their cheese concoction to themselves.

I've never found another state that offers so much, so many and so widely varied offerings of cheese dip as Arkansas. Strangely enough, I have yet to try a few on this list... but I'll update it when I do. Here's to dipping your chip.

American Pie. A non-traditional white, Kyle's Spicy Chicken Cheese Dip is an imulsion of roasted and spiced chicken chunks in a white queso. America Pie does gluten free evenings, by the way. Check out one of these three locations:

9709 Maumelle Blvd./(501) 758-8800
4830 North Hills in NLR /(501) 753-0081
10902 Colonel Glenn in Little Rock/(501) 225-1900

And the website.

Arkansas Burger Company. Known best for its burgers (especially The Rock), ABC's cheese dip is consistently ranked among Central Arkansas favorites. It's a white queso flaked with green jalapeno pepper bits, smooth with a bit of heat and well salted. It's served up with thick yellow tortilla chips; alternately, you can use the Lay's potato chips that go with your burger. It's located at 7410 Cantrell Road in Little Rock. (501) 663-0600 -- and check out the Facebook page. Yup, those are my photos, used with permission.

Balcony Restaurant. The chips and queso at this restaurant inside Eureka Springs' Basin Park Hotel is smoky, a little salty and quite yellow -- and it's accompanied by homemade salsa. The 1905 Basin Park Hotel is at 12 Spring Street, right next to (you guessed it) Basin Park. (479) 253-7837 or check out the restaurant website.

Buffalo Grill. One of Little Rock's classic dips, the yellow dip is calm and mild and served up with big round yellow tortilla chips. For some reason they now serve the dip on the signature Tortilla Flats instead of cheese... but that's all right. Perfect for dipping that quesadilla.

In Little Rock:

1611 Rebsamen Park Rd./(501) 296-9535
400 North Bowman Road #9/(501) 224-0012

And check out the restaurant website.

Cactus Jack's. This average white dip comes close to white Velveeta, but somehow it's gained a following. Mild, creamy, completely expected, at least Cactus Jack's serves up thin and crispy yellow tortilla chips to go along with it.

4120 East McCain, NLR/(501) 945-5888
11414 West Markham, LR/(501) 227-7556

Casa Manana. Can a cheese dip go well with coffee? This one does. Casa Manana's reliable thick and creamy white dip has nice friendly notes of queso anejo and queso Chihuahua. It's also good poured over Huevos Rancheros. Served up with fresh-fried-daily corn tortilla chips and a salsa redolent of red bell pepper and cumin.
Three Little Rock locations:
6820 Cantrell Road/(501) 280-9888
18321 Cantrell Road/(501) 868-8822
Oppenheimer Market Hall at the River Market/(501) 372-6637.
Check out the restaurant website.

Cheddar's. Yes, it's a national chain. Yes, it's a Velveeta meets Rotel yellow. But they throw in ground beef for free... surprisingly, it's not strong on Cheddar, as you might think from the restaurant name. The chips are thin yellow tortilla, and the salsa is fresh and strong with cumin and onion notes. I'm just going to give you the website -- there are several locations in Arkansas with more as time goes past.

Chip’s Barbecue. Chip's used to put smoked meat in their cheese dip, which was pretty good. They stopped doing that, but that's all right. It's a Mexico Chiquito style dip with lots of cumin and paprika and strong Cheddar flavors, with good cling for the house-fried thick tortilla chips served with it. I adore the fresh tomato salsa that comes with each order. Also great on fries, which is usually how I have it there. 9801 West Markham. Check out the restaurant website, too.

Cow Pen. I don't know what's the better deal -- the cheese dip, the bean dip or the salsa that comes in the Chip & Dip ($6.95) at The Cow Pen in Lake Village. The yellow cheese dip is a Velveeta-Rotel blend but has an additional dairy element that makes it creamy. Spice is just right. The salsa is sweet and the bean dip is garlicky, and the whole affair comes with a picnic sized basket of thin tortilla chips. Highway 82 Bridge (Lake Village). (870) 265-9992. Check out the restaurant website.

Cozymel's. The chain operation has a location in Little Rock off Markham at Shackleford. They call their cheese dip Chile con Queso, and describe it as a blend of mexican cheeses topped with pico de gallo. What they serve up is a strong yellowish-pink dip full of spices, very strong in flavor. It's pretty good. (501) 954-7100 or check out the website.

Dizzy’s. The restaurant's three-part dip won the first ever World Cheese Dip Championship; it went over so well, they replaced their old dip with it. It's a yellow dip chunky with onions and peppers and it's served up large. Dizzy's is in the River Market at 200 River Market Avenue #150. (501) 375-3500. They too have a website.

Dogtown Coffee and Cookery. The 2011 winner of Best Cheese Dip at the World Cheese Dip Competition. In fact, Dogtown had just opened up when they entered this dip, which is reminiscent of the famed Mexico Chiquito dip, full of spices and different cheese flavors. Definitely meant to be a classic. You'll find Dogtown Coffee and Cookery in Dogtown - er, Argenta, er, North Little Rock at 6725 John F. Kennedy. (501) 833-3850 or check them out on Facebook.

Faby’s. The dip at Faby's is so thick, it almost doesn't qualify as cheese dip. Instead, what you get is a queso fundido, thick enough to eat with a fork, the sort of hot cheese sauce you want on a cold day. It's a blend of white Mexican cheeses that stands well on its own but is even better when ordered as fajita queso with chunks of beef or chicken. 2915 Dave Ward Drive in Conway, (501) 329-5151 -- and 1023 Front Street, also in Conway, (501) 513-1199.

Flying Burrito. Jill, one of my travel writers, swears the cheese dip served up at the Flying Burrito in Fayetteville and Springdale is the best she's tried. Since the one in Little Rock has closed, I am going to have to place a marker here for when I go try it in April. For now, go look at their website.

Godsey’s Grill. Godsey’s actually sells a traditional Rotel and Velveeta dip, along with about eight other dips. The Drunken Chicken dip includes smoked chicken -- and the Chicken Enchilada dip that comes so heavy on the spices you won’t be able to tell there’s Velveeta under the surface on those homemade potato chips. 226 South Main St. in Jonesboro. (870) 336-1988. And of course, there's a website.

Hamburger Barn. The Arkadelphia mainstay still serves up the same sort of cheese dip you'd come to expect at any backyard barbecue -- the traditional straight-up Velveeta and Rotel dip. Goes well with the charbroiled burgers, tortilla chips, fries and onion rings. 2813 West Pine Street, (870) 246-5556. They're on Facebook.

Izzy’s. You have to drive way out Cantrell Road to after it turns into Highway 10 to get out to Izzy's, but it's worth it. The dip is packed with white Cheddar, fresh tomatoes and spices, and manages to be pretty light. I like to order it up with the Big Tamale and salsa... and strangely enough, it's very good on saltine crackers, go figure. Izzy's is out at 5601 Ranch Road. (501) 868-4311. Check out the website. And have some tea there, too.

Juanita’s. Remember that great white cheese dip from the Blue Mesa Grill? You can get it at Juanita's... it's almost as good as it was at Blue Mesa. Of course, Juanita's has its own yellow Chili con Queso... which is decent. Just beware -- service at Juanita's sometimes seems to take a backseat to the venue's other attraction -- live concerts. You'll find Juanita's at 614 President Clinton Avenue in the River Market.. (501) 372-1228. And here's that website.

Loca Luna. The Roasted Green Chile Con Queso is starting to gather a real following. It's sharp, spicy, fresh and served up with tricolor chips that somehow aren’t as colorful as that great queso flavor. You'll find Local Luna at 3519 Old Cantrell Road. (501) 663-4666. Here's the website.

Maria’s. The smooth mild creamy Queso Blanco is the best cheese dip I've had in Fort Smith, with lovely complex flavors of Queso Asadero and, we suspect, some Jack cheese too. Just a tiny bit better than the Chile “Coin” Queso they also do. In addition to Fort Smith, Rogers, Bentonville and elsewhere.

Maria's locations:

2503 S. Walton in Bentonville, (479) 271-0920
2813 W. Walnut in Rogers, (479) 986-9276
8640 Rogers Avenue in Fort Smith, (479) 452-2328

And then there's a website.

Mean Pig BBQ. The barbecue joint best known for its Shut Up Sauce has one of the better quesos in the state -- a deep yellow dip inundated with shredded smoked beef brisket throughout, served with a zip-top bag of tortilla chips on a big plate. It is indeed a meal in itself. Still, make it healthy -- ask for a salad, too. Highway 321 just east of Highway 67-167 in Cabot. (501) 941-5489 or go to the website.

Mexico Chiquito. Of course, it's the standard by which all other cheese dips are judged, the first and still the most elusive to pin down. Created after a visit to Mexico and based on real American and Mexican cheese, the deep spice mix marks the uniqueness of its flavor with lots of paprika, cumin and heaven knows what else. Still as addictive as always. I'm just going to give you the website, since there are Mex-To-Gos everywhere now.

Nick's Barbecue and Catfish. Kerry, one of my other travel writers, swears by Nick's. And it's a dang good cheese dip. On the surface it appears to be of the Mexico Chiquito variety. But there's something additional that you won't find in any other dip, an undertone that's both mellow and sharp at the same time. I suspect there's a little Jack cheese and maybe a little Colby in the blend. Served with thin and crispy tortilla chips. Oh, the salsa? Sweet, cumin-infused and fresh... I like it even better than the cheese dip! Located

south off I-40 exit 183 on Bankhead Drive in Carlisle. And here's that website.

Pancho's. The only restaurant on my cheese dip list that serves their queso at room temperature. The creamy dip is extraordinarily mild; "hot dip" (a pepper sauce laced salsa puree) is brought to the table to add to get the right consistency. The hot dip is as spicy as the cheese dip isn't. Served up with tortilla rounds; you'll also find Pancho's cheese dip sold in original and white versions in some grocery stores. Pancho's is at 3600 East Broadway in West Memphis. (870) 735-6466 -- or get the dip here.

River Rock Grill. Part of a dip trio, the chefs at River Rock Grill at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute atop Petit Jean Mountain have created the closest dip to the famed Mexico Chiquito cheese dip I've found anywhere. The salsa is chunky and spicy, the guacamole fresh and the chips thin. The problem is, the restaurant rarely seems open any more. 1 Rockefeller Drive (Morrilton). (501) 727-5435. Might check out the website or call first.

Rolando’s. The Queso Flamado at Rolando’s is not only thick and hot, it’s on fire. As in, it's served flaming. With or without chorizo, this Monterey Jack cheese confection has amazing pull -- not just for its fabulous flavor but for the lengths you can pull the stringy cheese.
Three locations:

210 Central Avenue (Hot Springs), (501) 318-6054.
223 Garrison Avenue (Fort Smith), (479) 573-0404.
224 South 2nd St. (Rogers), (479) 621-1002.

And of course, the website.

Santo Coyote. Thin but packed with flavor, Santo Coyote’s light cheese dip matches its light and crispy housemade tortilla chips. And you can get your dip full of stuff, like the El Santo Dip that's full of shrimp, chicken and beef chunks. You'll need a fork with that. They also have about 100 tequilas on board. 2513 McCain Blvd. (501) 753-9800.

Senor Tequila. This cloying, almost sticky queso likes to grab your chip. With excellent cling, it’s the perfect pungent dip for mixing with the restaurant’s lightly spicy cilantro-heavy salsa. Also good on the enchiladas. Multiple locations.

Sparky’s Roadhouse Café. You can’t really call Sparky’s dip a yellow dip -- it’s actually Queso Rojo, a blend of cheese and spices so concentrated it actually appears an orangish-red, even redder the longer it sits. Sweet, salty, cheesy, complicated, it’s just about my favorite cheese dip in the state. Of course, I eat it with French fries. It's at 147 E. Van Buren in Eureka Springs. (479) 253-6001 -- and yes, there's a website.

Stoby’s. The restaurant’s eponymous yellow cheese dip is a smooth, creamy blend of cheeses that’s almost sissy mild but also heavily addictive. It's so dang famous, American Idol star Kris Allen did a big call-out on it on that show -- and got free cheese dip for life. The newer white dip is spicier, with a long-growing heat from jalapenos under its smooth deceptive surface. Served on big round yellow tortilla chips.

805 Donaghey (Conway), (501) 327-5447.
405 West Parkway (Russellville), (479) 968-3816.

Check out that website, too.

Taco Villa. My old college favorite keeps winning more fans, thanks to consistent low prices and a family attitude. The smooth yellow cheese dip has a strong garlic flavor; thick tortilla chips are always on hand for dipping. Also good on the apple sticks, strangely enough. 420 East 4th Street in Russellville. (479) 968-1191.

U.S. Pizza Company. Judy’s White Cheese Dip isn’t just great on the thick tortilla chips that regularly accompany the bowl. It’s also popular with some customers served over salad instead of dressing. Creamy, mild and inoffensive -- it's a great white dip . Multiple locations. Check for them all on the website.

If you have an Arkansas cheese dip you feel should be on this list, drop me a line at kat@tiedyetravels.com or leave a remark in the comment section.

Ranger Boats: The Little Flippin Shop Makes Most of the World's Bass Boats.

2012-02-07T20:26:00.000-06:00

Getting ready to purchase that boat at one of the big shows this season? Chances are, if you’re buying a bass boat, you’re about to buy a Ranger -- or one of the other brands that come out of the Ranger Boat plant up in Flippin. The plant makes 72 percent of the bass boats sold in the world, plus walleye and pleasure boats, every one of them custom made by hand. Take a tour with us and learn more about this north Arkansas enterprise.

It started in 1968 in a garage on Main Street. Forrest and Nina Wood ran a guide service on nearby Bull Shoals lake. The Woods saw the value in making the then heavy, clunky wooden boats used on the lake and on the White River less weighty, more maneuverable and easier to handle. They and his brother Mickey set up shop in a garage on Main Street and made six fiberglass boats that would be the first boats to carry the Ranger name.

The Woods bought an old nightclub on the outskirts of town, the Silver Star, a former stop-in popular with the workers who built Bull Shoals Dam back in the fifties. There they expanded the operation, building 600 boats in 1969 and doubling that in 1970. Boats were $1000, complete with lights and steering.

On May 4th, 1971 fire consumed the plant. The next day some 40 orders were salvaged from an old desk. Several dealers offered to pay for their boats in advance to help fund reconstruction, and friends and family helped clear the slabs. 40 days later, the new plant was in operation.

Ranger Boats started at a time when Americans were turning to the water for fun and pleasure. The innovations that came out of Flippin became industry standards. Ranger became the go-to boat for tournament fishing, especially with Bassmasters and with the operation previously known as Operation Bass -- which was renamed FLW for Forrest L. Wood’s initials.

Mickey Wood

Wood sold Ranger Boats in 1987, but the family remains tight with the company. I took a tour of the facility with Mickey Wood, Forrest Wood’s younger brother, and learned a lot more than I thought I would ever know about bass boats than I ever thought I might absorb.

***

Mickey Wood was at the front desk of the headquarters building when I walked in the door. We shook hands and he asked me what I wanted to know. I told him I was along for the ride and to share whatever he thought was pertinent.

We headed over to the plant next door in his truck. Past the break room up front we went right into the plant, an operation that seemed to span out a mile in every direction. I followed him through the noise straight back to a section where there were a sea of boat hulls on rolling racks.

This is where boats begin. Each one begins as two parts, a fiberglass hull and a fiberglass deck. The paint and fiberglass process takes 48 hours to complete. The molds themselves take six days to make. They’re created from wooden plugs and are designed these days by CADCAM designers, though back in the day they were carved by hand. The plug is then cast in fiberglass, which becomes a mold. Each model requires a hull and deck mold to be made, and the process to bring that concept to reality can cost a half million dollars before the first boat is even assembled.

First thing into the mold is the color, a blend of glitter and clear gel coat that’s layered in to create the particular color for each boat. There are dozens of different sorts of gel coats, from primary colors to golds and silvers and coppers to teals and ambers and all sorts of blends. They’re sprayed

The "Indian Hand Signals" left by workers.

directly into the molds, layer after layer, the details of the custom design taped off and sprayed down. You’ll never have to worry about that trim coming off, either -- since it’s part of the actual coat of the boat.

“We build the boats directly into the mold like this,” Wood told me, “then when we pull it out it will be a colored hull.”

The deck is the same way, and those deep and shiny bright colors are also sprayed into a mold that will eventually be reversed and attached to a hull. Every layer of paint goes into the mold before the fiberglass is applied, to give the best definition of every detail.

The next step is the first application of fiberglass. Inch-long fiberglass threads are mixed with a catalyzing agent and a resin and applied to the mold. The cobalt and peroxide resin covers the inside of the mold, dries and becomes a virtually unbreakable solid in a matter of hours. The plant will utilize about 7.5 million pounds of fiberglass thread this year to create these boats.

We watched as a series of crews handled several boats. One team sprayed down a deck with the fiberglass mixture from a special nozzle. The next team went over the deck with brushes and fine tools to make sure the mixture had made it into every nook and cranny in the mold. Another crew was fitting yet another deck with reinforcements, which were in turn sealed in with another layer of fiberglass and gone over by a team with more fine tools.

“The fiberglass is 3/16ths of an inch thick when it goes on,” Wood said. “20 minutes later, they’ll roll the fiberglass and make it smooth. More fiberglass goes on, and it’s made smooth. Each different model gets different guts and different reinforcements, but they all surpass Coast Guard requirements.”

They’re not all Ranger brand boats. Four brands are built here. Ranger, of course, but also Triton, Stratus and Champion. When the boat market began to sink a few years ago, Ranger acquired these other brands and brought them to Flippin. Each one has its own specifications, but every one has to meet the high quality standards set by the Woods.

We passed alongside more boats in further states of construction, with even more layers of reinforcement and fiberglass added. Some already had tanks attached, live wells that allow circulating water to keep fish from expiring before they’re brought in to shore. At the end of the third line, there’s a big metal frame overhead. Workers attach each deck to the frame, pull it out of the mold and invert it. It goes back on a rack and keeps being moved along the line.

Ranger only makes fishing boats -- bass, walleye and multi-species. Some boats are strictly for fishing, others for pleasure… really, it’s up to the consumer. Each one is custom made. If you want a Ranger Boat, you go to the dealership and place your order. There may be a floor sample that the dealership ordered -- but even that boat was custom made for that location.

But why all that fiberglass? Why the emphasis on reinforcements? Wood says it’s to fit the needs of tournament fishermen. “Our boats are meant to go up to 60 to 80 miles an hour on the water,” he told me. “Bass fishermen in tournaments want to get from point A to point B as quickly as they can. They’ll practice for weeks before the tournament on the lake to see where they can find fish.”

“What’s the fastest you’ve recorded a boat at?”

“An eighteen and a half footer with a 250 horsepower motor, with two people and tackle? 78 miles an hour,” Wood said.

We came at that point to the only robot in the entire plant -- a special machine that cuts out every little indentation, every live well access, every place a hose or a tank goes in with water shot from a high force nozzle at 6400 psi. It’s all programmed into a computer by one of the guys at the plant… and it’s done this way for the utmost accuracy.

From there, we walked back further into the plant, to an area where the hulls are painted and processed. Though the type of fiberglass is different here, the hulls go through the same sort of process as the decks over a 48 hour time period. The biggest difference is in the type of fiberglass strands employed in the composite construction. Within the fiberglass layers in the hull molds, woven robing is placed. This 24 ounce dry fiberglass fabric is impregnated with resin to create an almost impenetrable hard coat.

After several applications of fiberglass and several finishing rounds, the hull is completed. Once it’s dry, it’s paired with its deck. A big yellow frame is used to pick up the deck, slide it over to the hull and carefully drop it into place to be permanently joined. This is when any additional component between the hull and deck is added. For instance, in the Ranger brand boats, there’s a certain type of foam that’s pumped between hull and deck to make it even more unsinkable. The other boats made at the plant have different procedures and different materials -- but once again, it’s all made to far surpass Coast Guard regulations.

The gas tanks are added at this point. Each gas tank holds between 30 and 60 gallons of gas -- which may seem like a lot, until you realize that the average boat won’t get you the sort of mileage on the water you get on the road. You think your car gets bad gas mileage? Boat motors tend to get fewer miles to the gallon than automotive motors. Factor in the resistance of the water and it all makes sense. A two stroke motor gets about four miles to the gallon, while a four stroke gets about six. There are also kicker motors -- smaller motors useful in hitting the exact spot or maneuvering once you find your exact location.

Speaking of motors, they’re attached at this point, too -- whichever type the model calls for or the customer asks for -- be it Mercury, Yamaha, Evinrude, Honda or Suzuki. Other bits are added at this point too -- rub rails, dials and fittings all go in before the boat is sent on to the finishing room next door.

Boats aren’t just a means to get where you’re going on a lake any more. Ranger Boats are fully integrated into the 21st Century with top of the line fish finders, GPS onboard satellite locators and all sorts of computers. You can easily sink thousands of dollars into your boat with these custom additions. But people order them.

The Department of the Interior for the State

of Louisiana ordered 75 of these special

made boats to perform patrols. Once

they’re shipped down south, they’ll be

fitted with the appropriate artillery

and munitions.

There are other add-ons, too, like these boat anchors that sit on the back of the boat on either side of the motor. Instead of the traditional weight-on-a-rope, these are long fiberglass poles that telescope downward to the bottom of the waterway. There are two so you can also hold your position at the same time.

Then there are roofs -- yes, boat roofs, T-tops to keep the sun off your face and neck. They’re more often added to pleasure crafts, but I saw a few being fitted to tournament boats as well.

After each boat has been assembled and before they leave the plant, each boat is subject to a water test. They’re submerged in a water tank and the pumps and electrical are tested. If there’s anything wrong, the boat will be deconstructed back to the point where the error can be fixed, and then they’re rebuilt. Wood says they’ll go as far as they have to, to fix a problem before a boat is sent out. Everything is checked -- the clamps, the live well, even the radio.

Once the boat is finished and checked over, it’s introduced to its custom built trailer. The trailers are built to accommodate each boat -- aluminum trailers for saltwater boats and channel tube for freshwater boats. They’re designed to perform well at any speed limit and come with similar gel coat and flair to each boat. Once the boat’s on the trailer, a shrink wrap is applied and the boat is ready to go.

Most of the boats are sent to the dealership from whence they were ordered by one of the trucks in Ranger’s fleet -- but sometimes a customer wants to come pick up a boat himself. Mickey Wood told me about a gentleman from New Jersey who drove down to the plant to pick up his boat. He says the guy had just arrived about the same time the boat came off the line. It’s like getting a new car, or even better.

The plant will make about 4500 boats this year. That may not seem like a lot -- until you consider the number of people who own a boat. Most folks who purchase a boat purchase it for a lifetime. Boats are handed down through families. Few buy more than one boat -- with the exception of pro fishermen, of course. It’s an investment, but if you take care of a boat it can easily last you a lifetime. That means waxing the hull, properly winterizing the boat and just being smart about boat care.

4500 boats may seem like a lot, but the market has shrank significantly. While some
64,000 boats were made market-wide five years ago, there will be just 9000 new boats made this year. Half of those boats come from Flippin, and Ranger Boats comprise 72 percent of the bass boat market worldwide.

The recession has taken its hit here. Just a few years ago the plant was running 24 hours a day, three shifts of workers hauling tail seven days a week to keep up with the demand. But then the bottom fell out of the market.

Ranger was lucky -- and smart. By acquiring other brands the plant has been kept busy, and layoffs have been stymied. Today workers operate in two shifts over five days a week and are just able to keep up with the demand.

The little boat-making operation has come a long way, and it’s guaranteed a great future for the Flippin community. Thanks to good decisions and a great product, Ranger Boats should be around for a long time to come.

***

At every major bass tournament -- and a lot of the smaller ones, too -- you’ll find the Ranger repair team. Mickey Wood says the team helps get every boat -- not just Ranger Boats -- back on the water. He says it’s a simple philosophy.

“You never want to burn bridges, because you never know when that guy might want to fish from your boat.”

A good number of Ranger Boat owners were introduced to the vessel thanks to the old
TV show “The Fishing Hole,” the longest running fishing program in television history. Today the boat Jerry McKinnis used in the early days of that program resides at the Forrest L. Wood Outdoor Sports Gallery, just south of the Ranger Boat facility in Flippin.

“The Fishing Hole” went from being a Little Rock television staple to a nationwide
program in 1979, when the then-fledgling ESPN network picked it up. McKinnis still
lives in Flippin, having fallen in love with the area. Each year, thousands of Ranger Boat fans pass through the museum while they’re in the area, whether it be for vacation or a tournament. It’s open Tuesdays and Thursdays. The two-story gallery features hundreds of magazine covers heralding Ranger Boats, plus all sorts of memorabilia and a taxidermy collection. It’s something to see.

For more information on Ranger Boats, check out the website. There's also a website for the museum.

My 5 Top Posts in 2011.

2011-12-31T16:59:00.000-06:00

I shouldn't be surprised that food was what y'all wanted to read about in this last year -- after all, it does comprise a lot of what you see on this site as well of all of what I talk about over at Eat Arkansas. What I did figure out was that y'all love fair food, ice cream and cruises... or at least, that's what the stats say.

5. Ice Cold Creamy Treats: An Arkansas Tradition.
The fifth most viewed post on Tie Dye Travels this year was actually penned last May, when I finally convinced the folks at Yarnell's in Searcy that I would be a good girl and not reveal any trade secrets if they'd let me bring my camera into the plant for a tour. Turns out I became the only person to ever do what I did, take photos and videos inside the plant and share them with the world. When the plant closed down this past June, folks came out of the woodwork to read about what went on inside. The good part about it is that a new company will reopen it soon and hire back a lot of those workers to make those original recipes. Awesome.

4. A Texas State Fair Primer.
This job calls from some hard and dirty work from time to time. Never is it more apparent than when I hit the state fair circuit. The biggest is the State Fair of Texas, and my photographer and I went down on opening day and spent eight hours chronicling dozens of foods there. Between my post here and over on Serious Eats, I quickly rose to a little internet fame by becoming the Google Image answer to "the girl who ate fried bubblegum." Well, you never know, right?

3. The Best Thing I Ate.
Not an actual post but a collection of different dining delights I have found, it's the best food item I have discovered each month. I am surprised how interested people are to find this.

2. The 2011 Arkansas State Fair Food Preview.
I received thousands of hits on this page in a single day, the day before the start of this year's fair. Mind you, I did pick a bit of a fight with another publication, seeing as how they printed that several items that didn't actually appear at the fair were gonna. I suppose I have become the go-to gal for things you should eat at our largest fair.

1. Dining Aboard The Carnival Triumph.
I didn't realize just how much of a need there was to cover the food aboard a cruise until I went looking for information for my cruise this past January. I found a few menus here and there, but I certainly didn't see any photos (except for the Lava Cake, which is famous). When I returned, I posted my photos containing shots of just about everything myself and my five dining companions consumed -- and it was an instant hit. It even inspired my photographer to photograph all the food on his two week Holland American cruise this year.

Impressive? Maybe. It's heartening to see there's an interest in what I have to say, but I think all blog authors feel a bit that way.

And as far as the non-food posts go, well... I think about that, too. Most of the posts that appear on Tie Dye Travels that aren't food related are either reprinted from their first run in another publication (this year Arkansas Wild, 2njoy Magazine and Sync Weekly) and they've been looked at and read over already. And other posts are continuing to go.

And considering more than a thousand people have already looked at The 50 Best Arkansas Burgers I Tried in 2011 and how close it is to the end of the year, I suspect it may make next year's list.

The 50 Best Arkansas Burgers I Tried in 2011.

2011-12-29T18:47:00.002-06:00

I eat a LOT of burgers. I write about them, too. I feature one each week in my Burger Joint of the Week piece for Eat Arkansas, the Arkansas Times blog for food lovers. I write about burgers inside and outside of Arkansas for Serious Eats: A Hamburger Today. And in general, I just like burgers. They are the quintessential American sandwich.

With the coming new year, and with everyone and their dogs doing these big end of the year wrap-up stories, I thought I’d do one of my own. Now, mind you, this doesn’t include all the burgers I had BEFORE this year, or any of the burgers I ate out of state. So if you’re lamenting the lack of places like CJ’s Butcher Boy Burgers, Feltner’s Whatta-Burger or Burge’s on my list, stop fretting. I still love those burgers, too.

So here you go, the 50 best burgers I tried in 2011. Enjoy!

50. Thirst N Howl. The half pound Skipper Burger’s saving grace is the stoneground mustard that accompanies the griddle-fried beef and plethora of vegetation between its yellow seedless buns. The fire-roasted ketchup on the Thirst N Burger is even better.

49. Ed & Kay’s. It’s a burger that doesn’t look like a burger! The Pony Burger is a half pound patty on a bun smothered in French fries onions and nacho cheese sauce. So totally wrong, but so totally right at the same time. If you eat it all at once, you’re a real glutton.

48. Bayou Bistro. Crawfish? On a cheeseburger? Yes indeed, the Cajun Burger at the new Italian/Creole fusion place in El Dorado comes dressed in Mozzarella cheese and crawfish sauce. And dang if it isn’t tasty on its ciabatta-type bun.

47. Starlite Diner. Alas, the one burger on this virtual menu that’s no longer available, the buttered bun griddle fried classic Original was worthy of a stop-in at the Streamliner on MacArthur. Today, Hunka Pie has taken over the space with its own unique, remarkable burgers.

46. Chopping Block. A big fat onion-and-pepper seasoned steakhouse burger on a toasted sourdough bun served up with handcut fries, this cooked-over-open-flame Mena burger is memorable. The Blue Cheese and Bacon version is apparently even more so.

45. Boss BBQ. While the Boss Burger offered at this Benton barbecue joint isn’t really a burger (it lacks a patty), the regular Jumbo Cheeseburger quite qualifies: a smoke and salt flavored burger that’s a little heavy on the seasoning and which requires both fists to negotiate properly to the mouth. The jalapeno onion rings should be your side order of choice.

44. Red Door. The Really Good Burger at this Old Cantrell Road stop is far more impressive in taste than appearance. This double-stacked small-patty burger served up on a Mama’s Manna bun comes char grilled to medium or more done, no less, but with such tight small patties there’s really no way to get a rare without being raw. Still, the texture of this burger is amazing.

43. Dairy Shack. Waldenburg’s lunch stop, how about a great American classic for lunch? The cheap side of Josie’s, Dairy Shack serves up great juicy burgers wrapped in wax paper with crinkle-cut fries on the side. Cheap and fulfilling.

42. Stoby’s. Ah, what Stoby’s does for a burger… the Hickory Burger with its sauce and bacon is good enough for most. The Jamaican Jerk Burger is an experience in oral fire. But the Mushroom Swiss Burger is simple magic, savory and salty in all the right ways. Get some of that famous cheese dip for your potato chips -- I think potato chips and even the fries are better with the dip than the traditional tortillas.

41. Bonnie’s. Such a humble home for such a classic burger. Bonnie’s serves up a traditional smashburger made in a skillet on a stove in the back, serves up your iced tea in a Mason jar and always has a great dessert available each day. Shame you have to drive all the way to Watson to get it!

40. Cheers in the Heights. The Old Fashioned Cheeseburger is a great lean-meat burger served up on a yeasty Kaiser roll with vegetation and mustard. Get yours with fries and don’t skip dessert.

39. Front Porch Family Diner. The $7 burger comes with American cheese atop the peppered grilled patty, with a strong smattering of grilled but still slightly crunchy onions on the bottom of the sourdough bun. Get some Awesome Possum Pie while you are it.

38. Buffalo Grill. The mustard-slathered classic comes tall on a seeded bun with shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato and onion with the pickle spear on the side, a lightly charred medium-packed salt-and-pepper patty with the cheese cooked right in. Cheddar’s good -- hot cheese even better and for a real treat get some cheese dip to dip the whole mess in.

37. Morrilton Drive-Inn Restaurant. The I-40 family place is known for a gigantically massive Super Double Cheeseburger that weighs in at more than two pounds. Yet I found I far better enjoyed the simple regular cheeseburger… a buttery, salty, cheese-glued mess that’s even better if you allow it to steam itself in its wrapper a few minutes.

36. Bulldog Restaurant. Square rolled onion and garlic studded salt and peppered patties make for a signature flavor worthy of the nation’s great longstanding burger chains -- but it’s done so much better at this Bald Knob family restaurant. Get a double, share it and split some strawberry shortcake while you’re at it.

35. Razorback Ribs. Known best for its ribs and for something called the Slop Bucket (I am not kidding here), this little place in Yellville serves up the Ernie Burger, a third of a pound of Black Angus that’s picked up a lot of the flavor from the smokehouse. Get yours with some waffle fries and fried mushrooms, and skip the Personal Fowl (I kid you not, also on the menu).

34. Herman’s Ribhouse. A nicely turned slightly smoke-enhanced onion-tinted griddle-fried chuck burger glued to the bottom bun with white American cheese, cooked perfectly to order. You’re going to get some salsa and crackers first and Tootsie Rolls are dessert -- and you may kick yourself for skipping the ribs. But that burger’s one of Fayetteville’s most noteworthy.

33. Burger Mama’s. The cheese is shredded, the bun is buttered, the burger is juicy and the onion rings are legendary at the little gray shack at Kanis and Shackleford. It’s all about excess here -- too much onion, too much lettuce and tomato, too much beef and too much to take in all at once. But damn, it’s mighty fine.

32. Benson’s Grill. The best patty melt I love -- indeed a burger in my opinion -- smacked down grilled onions right on the patty with Swiss cheese all assembled on the griddle and slapped on rye bread. I still gotta go back and have the Mount Kilimanjaro at this Fort Smith 24 hour diner sometime.

31. Greenhouse Grille. I felt I gave the Fayetteville restaurant short shrift when I wrote this October’s burger joint piece; I couldn’t quite share how good the whole restaurant was before my review posted in the Times, nor could I really reveal that the Bourbon Chocolate Chunk Pecan Pie was my favorite pie in the state. However, I can gladly say I’d order this locally farmed pasture raised beef delicacy again, either with the goat cheese and garlic aioli like I did before or more likely with the bleu cheese and sautéed organic Shiitake mushrooms I have yet to try. You MUST get the Shiitake fries… with Magic Catsup. They shouldn’t be optional, they are that good.

30. Salem Dairy Bar. The Jumbo Cheeseburger is drive-in divinity -- half a pound of smashed on the griddle salt and peppered beef with cheese melted directly onto the patty, served wrapped in wax paper with a toothpick. Hasn’t changed in decades. Worth driving beyond Benton for.

29. Hibernia Irish Tavern. If you can drag yourself away from the excellent Fish & Chips or the more impressive Oscar Wilde Mushrooms, you have to get this Build Your Own Burger, complete with choice of cheese and choice of six condiments. Choose the egg and you have a cholesterol bomb of terrorism available for your consumption. I suspect the strongly flavored burger owes its taste to some classic British HP sauce, but I could be mistaken. The closest thing to a neighborhood bar for my crowd.

28. 302 on the Square. What do you mean, you baked the burger? That’s exactly the case at the Berryville restaurant, which doesn’t actually own a griddle, get that? Doesn’t matter -- Will’s Monster Burger is a Cavendar’s-type spiced burger with two patties served tall and proud with Cheddar cheese on a seeded bun. Tastes like a freaking steak.

27. Dairyette. Salty and buttery, the smashed patty comes on a classic drive-in bun with the traditional toppings. Get a cherry shake while you’re in Mt. Ida, and don’t stress if the dining rooms are full -- there’s window service, too.

26. Hamburger Station. Paragould’s answer to “where do you get a burger around here?” -- the Humburger is still just as good as it was 15, 20 years ago, the loosely packed onion grilled burger comes either with or without cheese drapped over the patty, never drained, just plopped onto a mustard-smeared bun with pickles and wrapped tight. Don’t forget a napkin.

25. Crazee’s Cool Café. The caramelized onion flavor manages to poke through even on the massively topped Mushroom Burger, with its mess of sautéed button mushrooms, grilled onions and Swiss cheese on a toasted bun. Plus, more fries than one person should reasonably be able to consume in a sitting.

24. Back Forty. A mean burger seared over an open flame, the Barnbuster is a cooked-to-order char-grilled classic served up on a seeded bun with attitude. This Mountain Home hangout should be your North Central Arkansas burger destination.

23. Myer’s Cruizzers. The quintessential American drive-in burger, the double is two smashed flat patties of American cheese-glued goodness on a buttered bun, meant to be eaten out of a foil wrapper. Every burger at this Mena hotspot comes with a mint-tagged toothpick to hold it together. Miss the shake with his burger and you are making a huge mistake.

22. The House. The Great American Burger is a Wynn Farms beef patty on a Boulevard Bread Company bun with herbed butter and fresh produce. Choose the Chevre cheese for a fantastic experience. You can get a salad with that, too, which fits in well with the ultra cool surroundings of the best burger place in Hillcrest.

21. Frostop. The Big Daddy Burger is the sort of burger meant for sharing; it’s the largest smashburger patty I’ve encountered, hands down. The Greek seasoned patty is sandwiched onto a large buttered sesame seeded bun with shredded lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion. Pony up the 75 cents for cheese and enjoy some fries. And of course, the root beer.

20. Sushi Café. A sushi bar that does burgers? Really? Yah really. And oh so well. The triple-patty Titanic Burger with its caramelized onions, layers of Swiss cheese and field greens is far too good to be relegated to the “other” menu… and tempura battered sweet potato fries should be the new norm for all sweet potato fries ever served from here on out. Great with a little soy sauce.

19. Sparky’s Roadhouse. Want your burger covered in fancy French cheese? Don’t worry about dressing up and heading for a fancy restaurant. Head to the place that’s the Eureka Springs equivalent of Cheers (the TV show bar, obviously) and get one of the dozen burgers on the menu. Have some cheese dip and a chocolate truffle while you’re at it, and don’t skip a good brew; the place is proud of its 99 available beers.

18. Town Pump. Black olives? On a burger? Indeed, they are what makes the Pump Burger at the Town Pump in Little Rock that extra bit of special -- saltier, more savory and definitely memorable.

17. Boardwalk Café. The only buffalo burger on the list, this fresh burger is created from ingredients all within 100 miles of Jasper -- from the bun made near Fayetteville to the tomatoes and lettuce grown in Newton County to the Ratchford Farm buffalo (beef is also available). Comes with pan fried potatoes spiced with herbs right out of the Morgans’ garden.

16. Pig N’ Chik. No matter how you spell the name of the Sherwood restaurant, its eight ounce Hubcap Burger is a winner -- smoky, salt and peppered and served up with pencil-thin fries. I’d suggest wiping a little of that hickory flavored barbecue sauce on the table right on the meat.

15. Viola Stampede. Did you miss it? You wouldn’t be the first person to speed past the unassuming little building on Highway 62. Inside, great burgers can be found, including the Double, two thick patties of ground beef sandwiched between seedless buns, glued together with American cheese, mayo on the bottom, mustard on the top and vegetation in-between. Could be one of the best unheralded burgers of our state.

14. Reno’s Argenta Café. Tiny bits of onion and black pepper in the patty, big hunk of tomato, fresh lettuce, even fresher onion -- this burger should be the pride of North Little Rock. Underrated and memorable, get yours with some pasta salad.

13. Hamburger Barn. The closest thing you’ll get to a burger cooked on a backyard grill, the Bubba Burger is a half pound, two fisted Angus beef char-grilled wonder served up with your choice of cheese on a seedless bun. Get the half-and-half fries and onion rings on the side when you order at this Arkadelphia mainstay.

12. Hunka Pie. Chris Monroe does a good burger, whether it’s the Asian Turkey Burger or just a Hunka Burger -- but my favorite has turned out to be the Bombay Burger, a big fresh ground patty of beef mixed with a garam masala flavor and served up with a side of cilantro mint chutney on a Boulevard Bread Company bun. Yeah, buddy! I just hope it’s just as good at the new North Little Rock location.

11. Wimpy’s. The second Wimpy’s set up shop in Conway this year (the first is in Southaven, MS). This place brings the idea of challenge burger to the table. The French onion-flavored patties come with a dozen different choices of toppings. I loved the grilled onions and mushrooms, but man, wrap that aluminum foil tight! Get a raspberry shake while you’re at it -- and if you’re in Joneboro, you got one opening up there, too.

10. Arkansas Burger Company. The Rock just might be the best tall burger in the state -- it‘s certainly the best tall burger I encountered in Little Rock this year. Two half pound loose packed Greek seasoned patties covered in American cheese with all the fixings makes for a two-fisted wonder that’s so good you don’t even need condiments. Get some cheese dip while you’re at it.

9. Cotham’s Merchantile. All that hype… well, it’s worth the drive to Scott. The famed one pound Hubcap Burger draws thousands in from all over, and there’s a good reason for that. The Cothams have this special spice that’s better than even Cavendar’s for flavoring a burger, and they’re not shy about it. Next time I go, though, I won’t make the mistake of turning away some onion rings.

8. Johnny B’s Grill. If you want to get right down to it, it’s the sweet Texas Gold onions that set this smashburger apart from the rest. It’s half a pound of griddle-fried goodness on a seedless bun. Gotta try one when you’re in El Dorado.

7. Midtown Billiards. I’m a convert. If you dare to venture into this downtown Little Rock dive at 4 a.m., you’ll be able to enjoy one of the best smashburgers I’ve ever encountered. Fortunately for day dwellers, Midtown’s open at 4 p.m., too.

6. David’s Butcher Boy Burgers. The family that started CJ’s Butcher Boy Burgers in Russellville a few years back have spread out with two David’s -- one that opened in Conway late last fall and one that opened at Bowman and Markham here in Little Rock this year. The principle -- burgers and fries made from scratch while you wait -- still holds true, and the burgers are tasty.

5. Feltner Brothers. Old Man Feltner would be proud. Three of his grandsons have opened up a pair of great burger restaurants in Fayetteville that, I swear, serves up the EXACT SAME BURGER I became enamored with in my college days. Even Feltner’s Whatta-Burger in Russellville, the origins of said burger, can’t come closer.

4. Root Café. Combine fresh small farm locally pastured beef, a little salt and pepper, fresh local tomatoes and greens, Honeysuckle Lane Cheddar cheese, a Boulevard Bread Company bun and house mayo, and you get the freshest burger in Central Arkansas. It doesn’t hurt that this burger comes standard with a seasonal salad; still, order yourself some skillet fries to go along with it.

3. JP’s Restaurant and Gathering Place. The great bar and grill on the first floor of Harrison’s 1929 Hotel Seville is the most happening place downtown. The John Paul is a great hand patted burger cooked to order served up on a toasted buttered bun with a choice of fries or those amazingly decadent sweet potato chips.

2. Big Orange. The Za Za guys came up with another big winner this year, the newly opened Big Orange at the Promenade on Chenal. It quickly became one of the hottest restaurants in town, with lunchtime wait’s the norm. John Beachboard and Scott McGehee keep upping the ante, too -- with new great burgers offered every single time I go. Still, my favorite is the first burger I ever tried there, the Maytag Blue with its sharp cheese, sweet and tangy pepper jelly and fresh Creekstone beef cooked to order.

1. Capital Bar and Grill. I have literally spent an entire year trying to find a better burger. A few have come close, but there’s still nothing quite like the fresh ground sirloin, the housemade pickles and the pimento cheese on top for this remarkable burger. This is the burger to beat in the state of Arkansas. Will anyone top it this coming year? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Christmas at Moss Mountain Farm

2011-12-22T10:20:00.001-06:00

Christmas has come to Moss Mountain Farm. The first winter gusts are frosty coming off the Arkansas River below, rattling the leaves of Big Sister, the largest of seven pin oak trees on the property.

On one’s first visit to Moss Mountain Farm, one is likely struck with the sense of antiquity, a farm meticulously kept over time. This isn’t actually the case. The house itself is just four years old, built with an emphasis on green efforts and on portraying a sense of place, built in the shadow of the largest of the Seven Sisters, the seven pin oak trees that grace the property. They’re all 300 to 350 years old.

Most of the furnishings in the house date back to the 1830s or earlier. Smith is an avid collector of pre-industrialized furniture. The pieces he showcases from that collection are all handcrafted and unique. They lend a feel to this house, aging it considerably. In the front room there’s a Kentucky sugar chest that dates back to 1810. A Maryland sideboard graces the foyer. There’s an 1800s piece from Mason County,
Kentucky.

The oldest piece in Smith’s collection is a 1794 corner cabinet made in North Carolina. Smith can give you the stories of most of the pieces. He appears to enjoy sharing the details of these very personal pieces; in a way, the craftsmen that created them live on through their works.

Throughout the house you’ll find a combination of artworks, many of which are changed out with the season. Many of these are sketches and paintings done by Smith himself. There’s a gorgeous oil painting on the wall opposite the fireplace in his front room of the family farm in Tennessee where Smith spent much of his boyhood.

For the holidays, it’s all about two things -- natural and red. This year’s holiday decorations were inspired by the colors in the print of Osage chief Black Dog, a Native American whose image overlooks the den. George Catlin painted the chief's portrait in 1834.

Smith obtained a postcard at the Old Statehouse Museum in Little Rock when he was younger and was fascinated. He had it blown up just for this particular room, large enough to show Black Dog’s seven feet of stature.

The reds, especially in this room and throughout the house, come back to the red of this print. Smith’s tree is decorated simply and lushly with red glass ornaments and soft white lights, with muted globes of color and bits of red and gold ribbon. The red of nandina berries and crabapples from the farm peeks out from the mantle amidst bundles of cinnamon sticks and branches of evergreen. Simple red and white table settings are accented with the tiny crabapples.

There is this pleasant evergreen scent that permeates the house during the Yuletide… tied into the scent of cinnamon and fresh brewed apple cider. It is a comforting scent.

Slipcovers are used on furniture in the house to change the mood of the room with the season. For instance, right now the formal living and dining space features brown couches (their normal non-slip covered appearance) and other chairs and couches in the house bear reds and golds. The sofa in the den appears to be a burlap-ish sort of cover, but it is very soft. The floors are all pine oiled with tung oil, somehow both ancient and new at the same time.

The holidays are celebrated in the kitchen, too. Smith’s white cupboards, gray marble and nickel-plated fixtures are accented with the fruits of the season. Baskets of nuts, kumquats and red peppers picked on the farm bring deep color amongst the evergreen boughs and berries. Fresh made cookies are just out of reach under a fancy glass dome, an edible work of art.

The back porch connects the outdoors with inside, with muted browns and greens for slipcovers, potted evergreens, tablecloths and burnished lamp fixtures. This is the place to capture the last Southern warmth, those final few mornings before winter sets in for good. I suspect it is also a grand place to bring out a hot cup of coffee or cocoa on a frosty morning to feel the brace of the cold and
see one’s breath form into a foggy lace before oneself.

The foyer is decorated whimsically with pheasants in a variety of poses, sitting atop the Maryland sideboard, perched atop the light fixture and balanced on stair railings. Smith loves the natural beauty of birds like this. The pheasants are whimsical and delightful.

They also tie in the first and second floors of the home, where the stairwell connects the foyer with the library. Here the pheasants have taken roost amidst Smith’s books, shells, fossils and knickknacks. It is here he looks the most comfortable, fielding questions about his home and sharing bits of his knowledge about antiques, gardens and life on the farm.

When it comes to the stuffed pheasants, the animal skulls and the shells, Smith says “I know it’s not PC, but I like it.” There’s an early Victorian ethic and feel to this room, a quiet place for reflection.

Smith’s bedroom sprawls forward from the library, a quiet retreat for the busy gardener and entrepreneur. The bed is the star of the room; it once belonged to the last territorial governor of Arkansas, William Fulton, who served our state from 1836 until his death in 1844. It’s an impressive rosewood bed, built by hand in New Orleans, tall and lavish yet startlingly simple. The pheasants and game birds celebrated elsewhere in the house are evidenced on fat accent pillows.

Even here there is a cele-
bration of the season with fresh seasonal boughs of evergreen from the property. The muted golds in the room are mirrored with simple ribbon. Reading chairs and plenty of reading material are on hand.

Smith’s love of a good book is well known. “I like to read when I can, when I go to bed. Sometimes I read downstairs on the couch. I take a stack of books and have a fire in the fireplace. I have thousands of books at my house in the Quarter.”

The winter months ahead might bring for good reading, if one wasn’t as active as Smith. Currently there’s work downhill from the house on a special Google/YouTube production, where Smith and his crews are building a 1600+ square foot house for $150,000 in just 150 days.

Further along, out towards the back end of the property, we found more livestock… the Dorper sheep that serve as organic lawnmowers for the property. These sheep were quite fat with lambs, and a few very young lambs stood amongst their mothers, bleating softly in the crisp air.

Dorpers are succulent sheep, bred for their excellent flavor. They don’t require shearing like most sheep, and as we discovered crossing the land they do an excellent job of shearing down the grass… and providing fertilizer!

Thanks to the warm Arkansas December, the chickens are still out and about, providing pest control and feeding loose on the lands. These beautiful Buff Orpington chickens are excellent egg layers, and each is fat and happy. The heavy breed chickens tend to be in the eight to nine pound range, and there’s no squeamishness about what they’re around for. We heard about an old rooster that had become coq au vin the previous night.

Moss Mountain Farm is a tranquil place, despite all the business that goes on about it. Even with a large crowd of visitors to the farm we were taken by its pastoral nature. With its mile and a half of Arkansas River shoreline, its 600 acres of rural seclusion and its ancient pin oaks, it feels like something out of antiquity, a perfect retreat for a comfortable holiday observance. I’m looking forward to seeing what it looks like in spring, when thousands of daffodil blossoms will bloom and the first blossoms will appear in the rose garden.

Entranced with the idea of a visit? You can! You can schedule a tour by either joining an existing tour or gathering up a bunch of folks to go out and make a day of it, by visiting the P. Allen Smith Garden Home website. Smith makes sure there’s some good old fashioned Southern hospitality to your visit; those visits are arranged either around lunch or dinner and include dishes in his cookbook, Seasonal Recipes from the Garden. Check out Eat Arkansas for a sampling of what we discovered there.

Cats at the Crescent.

2011-12-08T10:18:00.001-06:00

The 1886 Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs is well known for many things. It’s been listed by many authorities as the most haunted hotel in America. I’ve taken you to dinner vicariously at the Crystal Dining Room within the hotel. And we’ll talk more soon about the cabins at the Crescent -- Frank Lloyd Wright style constructions built under the eye of David McKee, the protégé to Wright’s Arkansas protégé Faye Jones. But what most folks who haven’t visited the Crescent yet don’t know about -- are the cats.

There have been cats on an off at the Crescent for decades. The most famous of these was Morris, a yellow tabby who came to the Crescent in 1979 and remained there until his death in 2000. He came to the hotel at a time when the hotel wasn’t at its finest. In fact, for a while the hotel was boarded up, but Morris stayed. Folks called him the General Manager. 21 years is a long time for any cat, and today people still report seeing his ghost roaming the halls.

Morris was a staple at the hotel, and there’s a special cat door that was made just for him on the back side of the lobby out to the verandah, complete with steps. When he died, there was a gap that could really only be filled by a cat. At first, that cat was Tiddles, a brown Siamese mix who came to the hotel and stayed for a couple of years. There was also a white cat hotel owner Marty Roenigk brought in that lasted just a week. Some cats aren’t the hotel sort, I guess.

And then there were Frisco and Shadow. The two female cats were born at the Crescent in 2003. Frisco was a sweet cat who loved to sleep in the rooms with guests. She was a polydactyl cat -- having six toes on each front foot. She was comfortable around humans and had her share of run-ins with the hotel’s ghosts, often photographed with them. Shadow, the shy one of the two, was jet black all over. Shadow left the hotel in 2007, and Frisco was there until 2009.

Rufus followed. Now Rufus, he was a shutterbug -- which is strange, since I can’t find any photos of him. I may even have photographed him a few years back, but darn if I can find the photos. Rufus had a crooked tail, and he had to be shown out of the receptions of several weddings. He’s supposed to be in different photos here and there. One day I might find one. He came to the hotel in 2007 and left sometime in 2009.

So, there’s a history of cats at the Crescent. They’re just as much a part of the mystique and intrigue at the hotel as the ghosts, I’d reckon. But you don’t hear much about them until you go. That’s a shame, because they’re awesome cats.

The current feline residents of the 1886 Crescent Hotel are Casper and Jasper. Casper came to the hotel the week of Halloween 2009. He’s a big fluffy gray cat who loves to lounge around.
Casper is afraid of very little, and loves to stalk dogs that come to the hotel with their owners. On just about every visit I’ve made to the Crescent in the past couple of years, Casper has been camped out in some spot or another. When it’s cold or wet he’ll take over a chair in the lobby; when it’s sunny he likes to find a windowsill for sunning himself.

Jasper is a bit of a scoundrel. The black cat with white paws and belly can often be found crouched under a baggage trundle, taking a swipe at shoelaces as people pass. The staff has to watch out for him especially during receptions. Seems he’s fond of white tablecloths, punch bowls and wedding cakes. He’s been known to dip his paw into cake frosting and has been caught more than once in the act. Jasper also loves to hang out curled up in a flowerpot.

I’ve encountered the pair several times. There was one stormy night in March 2010 where I’d come to dinner with the hubster. We sighted them from the lobby -- Casper all nonchalant, walking the halls while Jasper peered in at the wedding reception being set up for the next day in the Conservatory.

My photographer even managed to pick Jasper up and carry him around a bit this past summer, taking him out for shots out by the hotel’s front entrance. Jasper was pretty copacetic about this, though afterwards he did have to take off for a quiet place and a bath.

Now, you can’t quite book a room with a cat for company; it’s up to them whether they’d like to spend the evening with you. But you can choose to share space with the two creatures in their native habitat.

You’ll find out more about the 1886 Crescent Hotel at this website, or by calling (877) 342-9766.

See Kat's interview about the Crescent Hotel's cats and cottages at www.arkansasmatters.com.

Almost Every Po'Boy at the Oak Street Po'Boy Festival.

2011-11-25T21:33:00.001-06:00

Ah, the humble po’boy sandwich. The meek little sandwich served up by Benny and Clovis Mavin to workers for free during a streetcar strike in 1929 has become the most regularly consumed item on the New Orleans diet. It comes in oh so many varieties, with just about any filling you can imagine.

We went to the Oak Street Po’Boy Festival on November 20th to see how the Crescent City celebrates this simple dish. While we were there, we photographed just about every different po’boy offered (Pascal’s Manale’s BBQ Shrimp Po’Boys were already long gone before we could shoot one). They ranged from the traditional cochon de lait and fried shrimp versions to turkey and cranberry and to Bananas Foster.

So, how about those po’boys? Here they all are:

Semolina's Italian Meatball and Marinara Po'Boy

Zen Rotisserie & Grill's Thai Rib Po Boy with Slaw and Thai Vinaigrette

Original New Orleans Fried Shrimp Po'Boy

Original New Orleans Meatball Po'Boy

Original New Orleans Po'Boy Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

Crescent Pig & Sausage Company's Hot Sausage with Collard Greens Po'Boy

Mahoney's Homemade Meatball Po'Boy

Mahoney's Mississippi Rabbit Sandwich with Pecans

Ninja Restaurant's Yakaniku (Beef) Po'Boy, dressed & undressed

Ninja Restaurant's Stir Fry King

Ninja Restaurant's Soft Shell Crab Po'Boy

Ninja Restaurant's Vegetable (Potato Patty) Po'Boy

Ninja Restaurant's Sashimi Po'Boy

Vincent's Godfather Po'Boy with meatballs, Italian sausage, brisket & marinara

Saltwater Grill's Cochon de Lait Po'Boy

Saltwater Grill's Crawfish and Spinach Boat

The Ridge Bistro's Shrimp Remoulade Po'Boy

The Ridge Bistro's Portabella Mushroom Po'Boy

Michael Joyner Catering's Crabmeat Cheesecake (fantastic!)

Michael Joyner Catering's BBQ Pork and Coleslaw Po'Boy

O'Henry's Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Po'Boy

O'Henry's takes great humor with its Crawfish Balls

Squeal BBQ's Pulled Pork and Slaw Po'Boy

Robert Fresh Market's Roast Beef Debris Po'Boy

Robert Fresh Market's Boiled Shrimp

Robert Fresh Market's Cajun Jambalaya

Robert Fresh Market Bread Pudding with Hot Whiskey Sauce

Ya Ka Mein Shrimp and Crabmeat Po'Boy

Beef and Shrimp Ya Ka Mein

Ya Ka Mein Pork Chop Po'Boy

C and J Creole Stuffed Crab Po'Boy, naked

C and J Catering Creole Stuffed Crabmeat Po'Boy

Grand Isle's Roast Beef Po'Boy, fully dressed

Spitale's Dirty Turkey Po'Boy

Another view

WOW Cafe's Shanghai Shrimp Po'Boy

Martin Wine Cellar's Steamboat Po'Boy with corned beef, ham, bacon, Swiss

Coquette's Cochon de Lait with Collard Green Slaw

Lots of Croquette's Po'Boys

Bourbon House's Bourbon BBQ Shrimp Po'Boy

Dickie Brennan's Prime Rib Debris Po'Boy

Jack Dempsey's Stuffed Crab Po'Boy

Jack Dempsey's Shrimp Remoulade Po'Boy

Emeril's Delmonico's Confit Pork Cheek Po'Boy with Tangy Slaw

Sammy's Food Service's Homemade Garlic Stuffed Roast Beef Po'Boy

Sammy's Food Service's RayRay Po'Boys with fried chicken, Chisesi ham & Swiss

Katie's Crab Cake Po'Boys

Red Fish Grill's Oyster Po'Boy

Tracey's Smoked Sausage with Caramelized Kraut assembly

Tracey's Smoked Sausage and Caramelized Kraut Po'Boy with Coleslaw

Palace Cafe's Oysters Rockefeller Po'Boy

Palace Cafe uses a guide to cut its po'boys

Palace Cafe's White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Al's By The River's Roast Beef Po'Boy

Al's By The River's strange Catfish patty po'boy

Parkway Bakery Turkey Po'Boy with Giblet Gravy and Cranberry Sauce

Parkway Bakery Beef with Horseradish Po'Boy

Parkway Bakery Cajun Pork Tenderloin Po'Boy

Saltwater Grill Bananas Foster Po'Boy

GW Fins Lobster Po'Boy

Squeal BBQ's Pulled Pork BBQ sandwich naked and dressed

Le Citron Bistro Grits and Grillades Po'Boy

Jacques-Imo's Fried Green Tomato and Shrimp Remoulade Po'Boy

Jacques-Imo's Fried Chicken and Potato Salad

Jacques-Imo's Slow Roasted Duck Po'Boy

Chiba's Panko Crusted Oyster Po'Boy and Shrimp Tempura Po'Boy

A view of Grav shooting the Chiba sandwiches

Woody's Fish Tacos... er, tacos

Fish for Woody's Fish Tacos tacos

Castellor Pharmacy's Red Beans & Rice Po'Boy

O' Vegasm's BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Po'Boy

O' Vegasm's Vegenaise

One Restaurant's Pate and Pickled Vegetable Po'Boy

Barcelona's Garlic Shrimp Po'Boy

Oak Street Cafe's Muffaletta Po'Boy

Oak Street Cafe's General Lee Po'Boy with egg, cheese, gravy and sausage

Vaucresson's Hot Creole Sausage Po'Boy

Vaucresson's Creole Crawfish Sausage Po'Boy

Vaucresson's sausages

Gattuso's Sloppy Roast Beef Po'Boy

Another view of Gattuso's Sloppy Roast Beef Po'Boy

Gattuso's Fried Shrimp Po'Boy

Boucherie's BBQ Shrimp Po'Boy

Boucherie's Pulled Pork Po'Boy

Seither's Boiled Shrimp Remoulade Po'Boy

Another view of Seither's Boiled Shrimp Remoulade Po'Boy

Seither's Seafood Gumbo

Blue Dot Donuts' Thai Pulled Pork BBQ Po'Boy

Blue Dot Donuts' Vanilla Ice Cream Filled Dougnut Bananas Foster

Other shots taken at the festival:

Yes, there were beads thrown.

Blue Frog Chocolate's Icy Hot Chocolate

Bread for Seither's Po'Boys

This woman is passionate about Parkway Bakery

Brownies!

Shots of the crowd, early on. By 1pm it was packed for the entire length of the festival.

Some folks are crazier about their po'boys than others.

While there were tables here and there, there were few seats

What would the festival have been without the Bone Tones and a Grand Marshal?

We later discovered dude had eaten the meat out of his sandwich before the photo

Hubig's fabulous fried pies

Takes a lot of bread to pull in the dough

In addition to the three stages of music, smaller groups gathered on sidewalks.

And... we're done here.

Almost, that is.

So, which po'boys were the best? Check out this listing over at NewOrleans.com and see for yourself.

The Case for Possum Pie.

2011-11-23T08:46:00.000-06:00

Awesome Possum Pie at Front Porch Diner in Springdale.

I have been on a quest over this past year -- to discover the best pie in the state of Arkansas. Turns out, there’s no really good way to determine this. Our pies are as varied and unusual as our crops. You can’t compare a grain of rice to a watermelon, and you can’t really compare a fried pie to a meringue pie.

But you can bring together a list of pies that contain all those tasty items, as I have done for the Arkansas Times. The list contains five fried pies, over a dozen meringue pies and seven of the best possum pies I’ve found anywhere.

Sweet Treats in Lamar adds a vanilla pudding layer on top.

And it’s about this possum pie I want to speak. See, it’s everywhere… and how we do it here in Arkansas is different from how it’s done elsewhere. Elsewhere it can be any sort of white topping that obscures a layer of, well, anything -- peaches, pecans, apples, you name it.

In Arkansas, the Possum Pie consists of three layers -- a cream cheese layer (sometimes substituted with a sour cream or vanilla pudding instead), a chocolate custard layer and a whipped topping layer. Most places serve theirs up on a pecan sandy crust -- ie, an unsweetened flour crust dotted with pecans. Many scatter pecans over the top of their pies.

It’s served up in so many restaurants but is more prevalent in said restaurants in western Arkansas. For those who are interested in making their own, here’s an easy recipe for two pies. Yes, you’ll want two.

Stoby's classic Possum Pie.

Possum Pie (1 or 2 pies)

1 ½ stick butter
2 cups crushed pecans, separated
2 cups flour
1-8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
12 ounces Cool Whip, divided
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 box milk chocolate instant pudding
1 box chocolate fudge instant pudding
3 cups milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut butter into flour to make crumbly pastry dough. Add 1 cup crushed pecans. Press into two 8 or 9 inch pie pans or one 13"x9" casserole. Bake 15 minutes or until flour starts to brown. Remove and cool.

Cream together cream cheese and confectioners sugar. Add six ounces of Cool Whip and beat until fluffy. Spread over bottom of both pies.

Blend together both pudding mixes with milk. Pour in on top of the cream cheese mixture and allow to set.

Spread remaining Cool Whip over the top of both pies and sprinkle with pecans. Serves 16, if you’re lucky.

Barr's Junction's Chocolate Torte contains the same ingredients.

The pies can be frozen, though I recommend if you do so freeze them before you put on the Cool Whip and dot it on later. Just looks better.

One more thing. There is a case that can be made for the Possum Pie to become the state pie of Arkansas. We have a state dirt, a state grape wine, a state bird, a state slogan -- why not create the Possum Pie as our state pie? Comments welcome.

Do Up Your Deer.

2011-11-11T17:14:00.007-06:00

November is apparently the best month for me to share recipes, and on the request of KARN’s Dave Elswick I’d like to share some of the recipes I’ve used with venison. They’re a little off the beaten path, but they do offer a different take on the animal -- and after all, if you take a deer, you’ll have quite a lot to deal with. At Dave's request, I'm also including recipes called in by listeners.

I love this recipe for Venison Stew. It combines deer meat with red wine for a nice, deep flavor best served when the weather is cold. It also has mushrooms, which I love.

2 pounds cubed deer meat
1 pound mushrooms (any sort), sliced
1 cup red wine
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet French onion soup mix.

In a cast iron casserole or Dutch oven, sear the venison cubes. Add the mushrooms. Mix the remaining items and add them to the casserole. Set in the oven at 250 degrees and allow to cook for four or more hours until the venison cubes fall apart. Can also be made in a Crock-Pot, just sear your venison first.

Venison Philly Cheesesteaks
For this one, you want a meat slicer and a nearly frozen deer roast -- or when you get your deer butchered, ask that your deer roast be sliced wafer thin. You’re looking for cross-section slices no more than ¼ inch thick.

1 pound wafer-thin venison roast cutlets
2 bell peppers, seeded and sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, smashed
Salt and pepper to taste
Bread of choice (6 inch hoagies work well)
Provolone cheese slices

Slice open hoagie rolls or spread appropriate bread. Lay Provolone over the inside surface.

Bring skillet to medium high heat. Saute peppers, onions and garlic until onion is translucent. Add venison and Worchestershire sauce. Cook for one to two minutes or until cutlets are cooked through but still moist. Add salt and/or pepper if you like. Remove from heat but do not drain. With tongs, drop meat and vegetables into rolls on top of cheese. Serves 2-4, depending on how hungry you are.

I talked about cooking venison in a medieval fashion on the show. Here's a great recipe on the Gode Cookery website for Venyson in Broth, or more properly Venison Ribs in Wine.

John Philpot called in with this great venison recipe. He and Phyllis Speer hosted "Arkansas Outdoors" on AETN for 20 years, and they always had great things to share and eat. John says this is the most requested venison recipe they had.

Grilled Chili Crusted Venison Steak

1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
One venison steak, one to three and a half pounds, 1 ½ to 2 inches thick

Trim any fat off the meat and rub the mixture onto both sides of the steak. Place it in a shallow glass pan and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate it at least overnight. It's better if you give it a full day -- and 36 hours is still all right. Every 12 hours, turn the steak over.

Get a charcoal fire burning, and once the coals are covered with ash put that steak on the grill six inches from the heat. Flip it once while it's cooking. Give it 25 minutes for rare or 30 for medium. Slice it up and serve it.

John says you can slice it with a fork.

Not a deer recipe, but John also gave this recipe for Mexican Eggs.

A pound of sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 can Rotel
salt and pepper to taste
4 eggs
1 eight ounce package grated cheddar cheese

Crumble the sausage in skillet, brown it and drain it. Add the onion, pepper, garlic and cumin and cook until the onions are soft. Add Rotel and, if you like, salt and pepper and cook it all together.

With a large wooden spoon, make four little wells in the mix. Break an egg into each well. Cover tightly with a lid and cook until the egg is firm. Sprinkle the cheese over the whole mess and let it cook until the cheese is melted. Makes four servings.

John says Phyllis would crack the eggs in gently so they'd cook up where the yolks were still whole and runny -- but you can beat the eggs first if you wish.

One of our listeners, Fred, told us about a breakfast treatment for tough deer meat. Take cubed up meat and throw it in a crockpot with garlic, black pepper, onion and white gravy. Let it simmer all night long and serve it up the next morning over biscuits.

It's similar to what parts of my family has been doing for years for breakfast...

Skillet Fried Deer

1 pound deer minute steaks (1/2 inch thick)
2 cups + 1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 stick + 1 stick butter

Heat skillet to medium high. Drop in a stick of butter to coat the bottom.

Get yourself a meat mallet and pound the holy fire out of the deer steaks until they are less than a quarter inch thick. Sift together flour, salt and pepper. Dredge deer steaks in flour. Drop steaks into the browning butter and cook for a minute on each side or until golden on each side. Remove steaks.

Add second stick of butter. Whisk in remaining flour and continue to whisk until roux becomes the color of chocolate milk. Serve over biscuits or grits.

Listener James called in with a different recipe -- for duck rather than venison. Sounds good, too.

Stuffed Duck Breasts

2 duck breasts, butterflied
2 cups soy sauce
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 cup Worchestershire sauce
Cream cheese
Sliced jalapeno pepper
Bacon

Take duck breasts and butterfly them. Marinate them overnight in a combination of the soy sauce, Worchestershire sauce and vinegar. Next day tuck cream cheese and jalapeno slices inside, fold over and wrap in bacon. Cook to medium heat.

Alas, I didn't get the name of our last caller, but he gave us these instructions for Venison Tenderloin.

6 inches of venison tenderloin
Marinade of your choice (Cajun marinade prefered)
1 stalk celery, cut into sections
1 carrot, cut into sections

Pierce the tenderloin with a knife. Slide pieces of carrot and celery at intervals into the tenderloin. Add marinade, wrap tightly and marinate overnight. Bake in aluminum foil for three hours at 350 degrees.

And then there was the contribution from Grav Weldon, who has become pesce-vegetarian but who still loves to hunt. He referred me to this recipe for Venison Shepherd's Pie.

Have a venison recipe you'd like to share? Add it to the comments!

The Mecca.

2011-11-11T15:28:00.001-06:00

Mack’s Prairie Wings isn’t just another sporting goods store. It’s a destination for duck hunters across the country.

When you go to Wings Over The Prairie, you may hit a traffic jam in the vicinity of the intersection of Highways 165 and 63. People will pull off on the shoulder and leave their cars to walk half a mile or more… because there just isn’t any free parking anywhere near Mack’s Prairie Wings the weekend of Thanksgiving.

This sporting goods store has become a destination, the must-go place for duck hunters across Arkansas and across the country to gear up and get gone before hitting the swamps and fields for duck season. It’s geared especially for the duck hunter, with everything from waders to duck calls to duck blinds and insulated oversuits to keep you warm.

Mack’s Prairie Wings is the vision of the McCollum family. Back in the ‘30s, M.T. “Mack” McCollum had a hardware store in Stuttgart. About that time folks started to come to Stuttgart en masse for the bountiful duck hunting they’d heard about. McCollum found he had a lot more business for guns and whathaveyou than he did for his hardware, so in 1944 he opened a duck hunting store called “Mack’s Sports Shop” right next door to the hardware store.

In 1970 the McCollums moved out to Highway 79, and in 1993 that’s where “Mack’s Prairie Wings,” the mail order business, was born. It grew and even more people started to make the pilgrimage to Stuttgart to visit. In 2000 the operation moved to its current location on Highway 63 into a 50,000sf facility -- and that’s kept growing, too. Today the whole shebang is more than 104,00sf and packed top to bottom with anything a duck hunter might need.

And I’m not just talking about hunting. On my recent visit I walked in under the giant elephant head inside the front door and past cougars, bobcats, coyotes and all manners of ducks to explore the place. The center, of course, is one of the best gun shops you’ll find in the United States, with actual gunsmiths and armory experts on-hand to make sure you get what you need. To the left is everything you might ever need to gear up for going out to duck hunt -- waders, coveralls, headgear, socks and of course duck call after duck call.

The fun stuff is on the right hand side of the store. I wouldn’t be surprised to discover that this is where Stuttgart teenagers get decked out for

their Wings Over The Prairie socializing -- with all manners of designer jeans, coats and knee high boots in evidence. There are several aisles of T-shirts, belts and accessories. And then there’s that one special department -- you know, the one with home furnishing such as camouflage couches, the best knives for filleting your duck, salsa and sweet jalapenos in jars and camouflage lingerie.

The variety and good humor makes Mack’s Prairie Wings just about the best place you can go to shop for your family and friends who believe duck hunting is more than just a hobby.

Mack’s Prairie Wings
2335 Highway 63 North
Stuttgart, AR 72160
(870) 673-6960
www.mackspw.com

Everyone Has A Cornbread Recipe.

2011-11-03T06:51:00.000-05:00

With the Arkansas Cornbread Festival coming up, I thought I might share two of my favorite cornbread recipes. This first one is the closest thing I have to a Heritage recipe. Great with PurpleHull Peas and a little iced tea.

Arkansaw Cornbread

2 cups War Eagle Mill White Cornmeal
2 cups War Eagle Mill unbleached all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon honey, preferably local
2 eggs
4 cups buttermilk
1 cup butter, melted
Vegetable oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Blend together dry ingredients with a fork (or sift if you prefer) in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and add honey, buttermilk and melted butter. Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Let sit five minutes.

While the batter is sitting, heat up a 12 inch skillet on the stovetop. When it’s hot, pour in about an eighth of a cup of vegetable oil and roll it around the inside of the skillet. Pour in the batter and cook over high heat until the batter bubbles.

Place in oven and let cook 40-45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Place a cloth over a cutting board. Invert the pan over the cutting board and allow cornbread to fall out. Use the cloth to turn the cornbread right side up and wrap tightly until ready to serve, warm.

And for something a little different, this is a soft spoon bread type cornbread, almost a pudding bread, that serves up well with stews or chili. Add jalapeno pieces and a slug of garlic cayenne sauce if you want it spicy.

Sour Cream Cornbread

2 cups War Eagle Mill White Cornmeal
2 cups War Eagle Mill unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
2 eggs
2 cups sour cream
1 can creamed corn
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup Cheddar cheese
Vegetable oil

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, blend together dry ingredients with a fork. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and add melted butter, sour cream and creamed corn. Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

While the batter is sitting, heat a 12 inch cast iron skillet on the stovetop. When it’s hot, pour in about an eighth of a cup of vegetable oil and roll it around the inside of the skillet. Pour in half the batter, spread the cheese over it and pour over the rest of the batter.

Place in oven and let cook 40-45 minutes or until the cornbread is completely set. Serve directly from the pan.