To explore both traditional and modern takes on Ozarks cuisine, head to Bentonville, Arkansas
Seemingly overnight, Bentonville, Arkansas, has become a bustling culinary hotspot, with dedicated chefs and bakers serving traditional and modern takes on High South cuisine. A quick road trip down south will satisfy your hankering for Ozarks food, whether you’re looking for a moonshine cocktail, a fried bologna sandwich or freshwater fish. Even if you didn’t grow up on High South cuisine, there’s still something nostalgic and familiar about digging into a dish full of local ingredients such as black walnuts, freshly milled cornmeal, okra, sweet onions and sorghum.
Eleven
Located at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Eleven feels like a continuation of the artwork on display. Inside the stunning setting, diners can enjoy locally sourced ingredients and beautifully plated dishes that might remind you of something your grandparents used to cook. The fried bologna panini, a favorite among guests and staff, boasts thinly sliced, caramelized craft bologna and piccalilli, a relish from the U.K. strewn with cauliflower, onions and gherkins. Looking for something heartier? Try the heirloom beans slow-simmered with ham hock, vegetables and spices and served with thick-sliced cornbread and honey butter.
600 Museum Way, Bentonville, Arkansas, crystalbridges.org/eleven-restaurant
Gooseberry Handmade Pies
The housemade crust and extensive flavors at Gooseberry Handmade Pies attract pie-lovers from near and far. Owners Paul and Abbie Frintrup make one pie, in particular, that spotlights a special ingredient from the region: Ozark Mountain Grape made with Concord grapes grown in Altus, Arkansas, between Ozark-St. Francis National Forest and the Arkansas River. The couple deseeds the grapes by hand, mixes them with bright citrus and wraps everything up in a flaky crust for a little slice of heaven.
2210 S. Walton Blvd., Suite 12, Bentonville, Arkansas, gooseberrypies.com
The Hive
Matthew McClure’s approach to refined country cuisine pays homage to the humble origins of High South food while showcasing the evolving culinary identity of the area. Executive chef of The Hive and an Arkansas native, McClure suggests sharing the tangy pimento cheese served with bacon jam and locally made white bread. Then dig into the popular Berkshire pork chop, which comes with roasted squash and salsa verde. Wash the rich dish down with the seasonal Bad Moon Rising cocktail, featuring hickory wood-softened moonshine, to round out this elevated Ozarks experience.
200 NE. A St., Bentonville, Arkansas, thehivebentonville.com
Tusk and Trotter
The menu at Tusk and Trotter is steeped in Ozarks tradition. Executive chef Rob Nelson looks at age-old family recipes through a modern lens, creating dishes such as the small plate of boiled peanuts, which are boiled with vegetable stock and Trinidad Scorpion peppers – one of the spiciest chiles on the planet – for 17 to 36 hours. Another standout includes the rice-encrusted trout paired with house-cured bacon, rice grits and edamame, and from the bar, mixologist Scott Baker recommends the seasonal Walnut Old Fashioned.
110 SE. A St., Bentonville, Arkansas, tuskandtrotter.com
