Food-hearted (adj.): completely and sincerely devoted to the intersection of food and community
Used in a sentence: “Northwest Arkansas is a food-hearted region.”
Cover photo: @thehivebentonville on Instagram
Parade Magazine
Best Restaurants Across the U.S.
The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade recently rounded up 100 of the best restaurants across the US, choosing two from each state. Luckily for those in NW Arkansas, those two restaurants happen to be located in our corner of the state.
The Hive, located in downtown Bentonville, pays tribute to the High South while articulating Chef Matthew McClure’s approach to refined country cuisine. During his tenure at The Hive, McClure has been named the winner of FOOD + WINE The People’s Best New Chef award in the midwest region and is also a six-time James Beard Foundation Best Chef Semifinalist Nominee.
A little further out, located near the Buffalo River, The Ozark Cafe also made the list. The cafe has served the Ozarks for over 100 years and is listed on the National Register for Historic Places. A perfect stop to add to any outdoor adventure.
TripAdvisor
“Best of The Best” Restaurant Awards
It is hard to beat Eureka Springs when it comes to romantic vibes and no romantic getaway is complete without dinner.
Where to? Look no further than the most recent TripAdvisor’s 2021 “Best of The Best” awards. One of the award categories ranked the top 5 restaurants for date night in the United States, and Le Stick Nouveau, nestled in Eureka Springs below the Historic New Orleans Hotel, ranked third on the list. Le Stick Nouveau offers guests an immersive, French fine dining experience.
TripAdvisor
“Best of The Best” Restaurant Awards
It is hard to beat Eureka Springs when it comes to romantic vibes and no romantic getaway is complete without dinner.
Where to? Look no further than the most recent TripAdvisor’s 2021 “Best of The Best” awards. One of the award categories ranked the top 5 restaurants for date night in the United States, and Le Stick Nouveau, nestled in Eureka Springs below the Historic New Orleans Hotel, ranked third on the list. Le Stick Nouveau offers guests an immersive, French fine dining experience.
@pizzeriaruby on IG
Finding NWA
That New New
New restaurant buds for your taste buds:
- Sunny’s, the latest concept from Ropeswing Hospitality Group, is a new health-forward restaurant in downtown Bentonville. In addition to providing healthy food, Sunny’s aims to build community through its wellness programming.
- At Pizzeria Ruby, located on Johnson Square, owners Chef Michael Robertshaw and Meredith Butler are serving up big slices, 18″ pies, pasta, Mama’s meatballs, salads, grab-and-go lunch, soft gelato & root beer floats and more!
- Coming Soon: Bauhaus Biergarten, featuring Chef Jennifer Hill Booker, plans to bring a taste of Germany to downtown Springdale later this year. Also look out for the arrival of Street Iakwe Eulala, a Marshallese cuisine food truck by Chef Judy Tatios.
Finding NWA
Crafted by Northwest Arkansas
Food break. Now, drink up:
- Garden & Gun recently named Undercroft Bar in Bentonville one of the “Best Cocktail Bars of the South”. This intimate lounge is located in the basement of The Preacher’s Son.
- Located at Blowing Springs Park in Bella Vista and surrounded by miles of dirt and paved trails, the new beer garden with a bike theme, Gear Garden, offers those that walk, hike or bike a chance to relax and have a cold beverage with friends and enjoy the scenery. The garden also features the exclusive Trailhead Lager from Bentonville Brewery.
- Ozark Beer Co.’s American Pale Ale was recently named one of the “Best Pale Ales For Serious Fans of Hops” in Uproxx.
- You may or may not have attended the Phish concert at the Walmart AMP, either way, be sure to bookmark the Northwest Arkansas beer guide published by the Fayetteville Flyer leading up to the event.
Finding NWA
Crafted by Northwest Arkansas
Food break. Now, drink up:
- Garden & Gun recently named Undercroft Bar in Bentonville one of the “Best Cocktail Bars of the South”. This intimate lounge is located in the basement of The Preacher’s Son.
- Located at Blowing Springs Park in Bella Vista and surrounded by miles of dirt and paved trails, the new beer garden with a bike theme, Gear Garden, offers those that walk, hike or bike a chance to relax and have a cold beverage with friends and enjoy the scenery. The garden also features the exclusive Trailhead Lager from Bentonville Brewery.
- Ozark Beer Co.’s American Pale Ale was recently named one of the “Best Pale Ales For Serious Fans of Hops” in Uproxx.
- You may or may not have attended the Phish concert at the Walmart AMP, either way, be sure to bookmark the Northwest Arkansas beer guide published by the Fayetteville Flyer leading up to the event.
Bentonville, AR
Food, a drink, and a vote.
Bentonville SOUP, a micro-granting dinner celebrating and supporting creative projects in and around Bentonville, recently announced that applications are open now for their Fall dinner! The event will take place October 21, 2021, on the lawn at the Museum of Native American Art.
Four presenters with projects that benefit Bentonville will have 4 minutes to speak about their initiatives. All attendees pay $10 at the door for dinner and a vote. Each attendee will submit a vote for a presenter; the presenter with the most votes at the end of the night takes home all the money from the door to accomplish their project.
Cool Job Alert
NWA Regional Director, Small Business + Food & Beverage
FORGE, Inc., the oldest revolving loan fund in Arkansas, is seeking to hire a Regional Director to help provide technical assistance and access to financial capital for those impacted in our food and beverage community.
FORGE has partnered with Cureate, a woman-owned business building an empowered food & beverage supply to meet a changing consumer demand, to offer Cureate’s food & beverage (F&B) entrepreneurship education curriculum. The Regional Director will help facilitate the Cureate Courses.
Kim Bryden, Founder/CEO of Cureate
Kim Bryden, Founder/CEO of Cureate
Cool Job Alert
NWA Regional Director, Small Business + Food & Beverage
FORGE, Inc., the oldest revolving loan fund in Arkansas, is seeking to hire a Regional Director to help provide technical assistance and access to financial capital for those impacted in our food and beverage community.
FORGE has partnered with Cureate, a woman-owned business building an empowered food & beverage supply to meet a changing consumer demand, to offer Cureate’s food & beverage (F&B) entrepreneurship education curriculum. The Regional Director will help facilitate the Cureate Courses.
DYK there are over 450 job openings in the hospitality industry in Washington County alone? The Fayetteville Public Library has partnered with Fayetteville Independent Restaurant Alliance, Startup Junkie, Chef Wes Mickel, Chef Jerrmy Gawthrop (Woodstone Pizza), Chef Juan Albert (Margret’s), Chef Devon Gamache (Crystal Bridges), and Chef Adam Simmons (Brightwater) to launch a kitchen basics training program at its new state-of-the-art teaching kitchen. The first training cohort started on August 2, 2021. If you are interested in round 2, click below.
