Visit My Arkansas every Thursday for information on festivals and events.

 

 

If you’re looking to serenade your sweetie, but don’t have the musical talent to do it yourself, you can head to Harrison for the Ozark Mountain Music Concert featuring Still on the Hill, and 3 Penny Acre on Saturday, Feb. 11. They play at 8 p.m. at the 1929 Lyric Theater, located in the historic downtown.

Still on the Hill is pure originality. The duo not only uses traditional instruments – mandolin, banjo, fiddle, guitar, harmonica and scrub board – but also other exotic offerings such a Moon guitar from Japan, African Mbira and Tenor Ukulele. They are a favorite at many prestigious festivals and venues, including the Kerrville Folk Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival, The Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in Winfield, Kansas, and many others. From Fayetteville, they have produced seven widely acclaimed CD’s, and three years ago signed with Swiss record label Brambus Records for the European release of the CD “Chaos & Calm.”

A trio, also from Fayetteville, 3 Penny Acre’s name comes from the cost of the Louisiana Purchase, a fitting name for a band whose members were all raised inside its borders. It’s a musical collaboration that makes for an Ozark-inspired sound that is distinct and universally appealing.

Harrison has plenty of great places to stay and eat. Within walking distance of the theater, the Hotel Seville has lodging and ticket packages for the weekend. The hotel’s restaurant, John Paul’s, is serving up a special Valentine’s meal too.

Well, brittle fans have probably heard the news that Andrews Candy Company, a staple of Arkadelphia since 1955, is heading to Colorado. However, the good news is you can still order from them online.

Also, Juanita’s Candy Kitchen is still in town.

“My mother (Juanita) started business in 1974,” said owner Gary Gaither. “We used to be over on corner of 12^th and Walnut Street.  And then the tornado came through in 1997.  And mother owned property over here and everything over there was pretty much destroyed. So she decided to rebuild over here. So we’ve been here [at 47 Stephenwood Drive] since then.”

Juanita’s is known for their peanut, pecan, and cashew brittle.

The peanut brittle (Gaither’s favorite) is the best seller of the trio but all of them have a fan base.

“We ship all over,” said Gaither. “A lot of people send to their relatives in the military. We send a lot over to Afghanistan and we  used to send a lot to Iraq.”

People can order the brittle or pick up a bucket from the company’s headquarters and showroom. News of the candy has spread via word of mouth and Gaither said they’ve had visitors from all over the world swing by including one time when  three women from South Africa and a couple from Australia came by in the same week.

From the beginning, Juanita’s has always tried to make their candy really thin. “It’s probably thinner than any candy you’ll find as far as brittle goes,” he said.  “We are conscience about how the candy is made and want everything to be consistent. If someone doesn’t buy a bucket of candy but every 5 years, we want them to go ‘Yeah this is exactly how I remember it’.”

More details about Juanita’s Candy Kitchen can be found by calling 870-246-8542 or by checking out juanitascandykitchen.com. The showroom is open M-Saturday from 8:30-5.

Fountains of chocolate overflow at the 8th annual Chocolate Lovers’ Festival on Feb. 11 in Eureka Springs, which is why my two boys are sure we should go. I have to admit that I went to the Chocolate Festival a few years ago to take photos for work and I felt really guilty that my husband and kids weren’t with me (although, let the record show, I did bring home a goodie box).

If you haven’t been, I promise it’s worth the trip. Pretzels, marshmallows, fresh strawberries, pineapples, and more are available for dipping in the four chocolate fountains. You can expect more than 16,000 pieces of chocolate to satiate your sweet tooth, and 34 vendors. You get a five-by-five box (like a personal pan pizza box) to take goodies home with you to savor the experience even longer.

Chocolate sampling takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $10 and $6 for children age 6 and younger. It’s a great way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the family or just with your special sweetheart. A guitarist and a barbershop quartet will entertain.

Competitions in amateur and professional categories are also featured. You can enter a contest for Best Decorated Cake, Best Candy and Best Dessert in the professional category. The adult amateur divisions are Best Decorated Cake and Most Creative Dessert. The amateur contest youth division is Best Brownie, Best Candy and Best Cookies. Judging by celebrity judges Judi Hicks, Kat Robinson, Mike Bishop, Steve Grant, and Tim Tibbs, starts at 9 a.m. with winners announced at noon. You get a say too in the People’s Choice Award for Best Exhibitor Chocolate.

I have a weakness for cookbooks in addition to chocolate. So there’s no doubt I’ll want to purchase the Chocolate Lovers’ Festival Cookbook, which features 504 chocolate recipes, and will be available for purchase for $15. You can buy the cookbook on the festival Facebook page as well.

Tickets may be purchased by calling 888-465-4753, by emailing info@eurekachocfest.org, or by visiting the Chocolate Lovers’ Festival Facebook page. The event takes place at the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center.

And if you feel bad for eating all that chocolate, give yourself a break because you’re also doing a good thing. The proceeds benefit these local non-profit organizations: The Academy of Excellence, Eureka Springs School/Main Stage After School Kids, Galena High School Family and consumer Science, and Exeter High School FFA.

It's fun to indulge every now and then and this is a good event for it. See you there! I'll be there early because my 6-year-old has a birthday party to go to that afternoon. Thank goodness it's at a gymnastics place, where he can work off his sugar high!

 

 

 

Everyone has their own definition of romantic. To me there’s nothing more romantic than being on the water. You can give your special someone a treat this St. Valentine’s Day by taking a cruise aboard the Arkansas Queen on the Arkansas River.

Plan your visits now or if you can’t make the road trips, order by phone or online. Remember, the Cupid’s Big Day is about a week and a half away!

River City Tea, Coffee and Cream (top photo courtesy River City) has been around for as long as I can remember. Located in Little Rock’s historic Hillcrest neighborhood, their homemade candy is to be savored. If you don’t try anything else, don’t miss the truffles. You can pick up some gourmet coffee to round out the experience.

 

People always remember the Two Dumb Dames Fudge Factory (photo left) in Eureka Springs because of the catchy name. After trying their products, the shop get remembered for its sweet treats which are offered in addition to their famous fudge. You can even get sugar free items. The store’s website says they are closed until February 6 but you can still place Valentine’s Day orders.  

Here are some other delicious sounding Arkansas candy-makers. So much to choose from…you’ve got Heart Day covered for the next few years!

 

Sweet

 

Sweet Temptations

 

 

 

Pass the potatoes please. Would you like more chicken? Slice me off another piece of bread, will ya? More green beans? Gravy? This might sound like a Sunday sit down meal at grandma’s house, and feel like it too, but it’s also representative of having supper at Monte Ne Inn Chicken in Monte Ne by Beaver Lake in northwest Arkansas.

 

Next the wait staff carry out bowls full of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, and cole slaw. Homemade bread with apple butter top it off for me. You pass the food around like you do at any good family dinner. If you run out of the something the wait staff is happy to bring you more.

I’m usually too full for dessert. No wait. That’s not true. I’m always too full for dessert, but most of the time I have it anyway. It just seems like the right thing to do. I mean, these people bake cobbler that rivals your grandma’s. Desserts to choose from include: blackberry or peach cobbler; strawberry, cherry, blueberry or chocolate cheesecake, hot fudge cake, vanilla ice cream, and sherbet. I often get the hot fudge cake because I am weak for chocolate.

Desserts range in price from $1.70 to $4.35 and are not included in the meal price. The cost for an adult meal is $9.99, and kids under 10 pay $4.50.

I have a lot of good memories connected to this place. My family has been eating at Monte Ne for as long as I can remember. It’s been serving families and friends for 37 years. It’s not a fancy place, but as you would expect has a down home feel. The walls are full of antique tools. We often have discussions about different items and wonder what the heck it is or would be used for.

The owners close every year from Dec. 23 to Jan. 31 to do maintenance and deep cleaning, and just take a vacation since they don’t get one all year. So, Monte Ne is on my mind today because it reopens tomorrow, Feb. 1!

 

A new spot focusing on events, camps and retreats has opened its doors in Warren. Chateau Sante was built as a private residence in the mid 1980s and sits on 105 acres surrounded by hardwood and pine trees. The residence has been revamped into a retreat and event center by Warren native Tammie Sayle Limoges. Limoges said they opened in October and are just now spreading the word about the place as they have been booked solid up until now hosting weddings. Tammie serves as acting director of Chateau Sante and her husband Paul, who is from Montreal, Quebec Canada, oversees the summer programs and is co-director.

The Chateau has around 12,000 square feet of living space (including a racquetball court and outdoor 25 meter long pool) and hosts the only weight loss camp for teens in the state. Retreats offered range from corporate retreats to yoga.  Chateau Sante is located at 431 Bradley 23 in Warren. For more details ( such as meeting space specs) visit www.chateausante.com.

Happy Thursday, my friends! If you’re not hungry, you’re about to be!

I had the opportunity to eat at the Bourbon Street Steakhouse and Grill in West Memphis last night. The restaurant is located on the second floor of Southland Park Gaming and Racing. It was a meal that I will not soon forget.

Chef Seth Harris is truly a talent. He’s been with the restaurant less than a year, and I hope it’s only the beginning of a long relationship with Southland Park. The chef started us off with the appetizer platter, featuring Lafayette Sizzling Blue Crab Cakes, Shrimp Brochette, beef kabobs, and crawfish Bayou Techè. He also added stuffed crab claws and shrimp au gratin. Every single item was stellar. The beef kabobs were seasoned wonderfully, tender and cooked perfectly. The crab cakes were the perfect mix of crab and seasonings. I could list each item and the description could be the same: delicious and perfect! But for me, there were two personal standouts. The crawfish Bayou Techè, fried green tomatoes served with bronzed crawfish tails and a spicy hollandaise sauce, were beyond belief. The sauce and the crawfish blended perfectly with the fried green tomatoes, creating, literally, a symphony of flavors. Then…there was the shrimp au gratin. The sauce of the shrimp was so flavorful and GOOD that we wouldn’t allow our server to take it from the table until we’d cleaned it completely. I’m not joking here…that shrimp au gratin is amazing! Click here to see the entire menu, although Chef Seth will be making some changes to the menu in the next few weeks.

After all that, we still had an entrée coming our way! Our attendant, Nathan, described the filet with Oscar sauce so tantalizingly, we all chose the steak. In our case, “Oscar topped” featured asparagus, lump crab and bearnaise sauce with the filet. You can choose from two sizes of filet – 8 or 12 ounces. All the steaks on the menu are hand cut and seasoned with a special spice blend, then either cooked on a charcoal grill or blackened in a cast iron skillet. I also chose to have a lobster tail accompany my steak. I must say that I love steak. This steak put at least 99% of all other steaks I’ve eaten in my life “to shame!” The filet was perfectly cooked, tender and seasoned to the point where you expected your taste buds to start singing! Yes…it was THAT GOOD! I wish I had one right this minute! The steaks are served with a variety of side items, including sautéed spinach (which I chose), corn pudding, red beans and rice, and several potato choices. For wine lovers, there is a recommendation for each entrée, although you can choose your own from the restaurant’s selection. See the wine list here.

Then…it was time for dessert. We were are stuffed and argued that we just couldn’t eat a bite…but we did! We sampled carrot cake, Bananas Foster cheesecake and the Kitchen Sink sundae. The carrot cake was extremely tasty, featuring pieces of carrot, nuts and raisins. The Kitchen Sink sundae is just what it says…a sundae with everything but the proverbial kitchen sink. Banana, strawberries, walnuts, whipped cream and toffee made in kitchen. It was sweet and chocolaty and crunchy…yummy in a bowl. Then, there’s the Bananas Foster cheesecake. The freshly made caramel sauce…well, I don’t know if I can describe just how good it actually was. Really. I’d happily give up chocolate anytime for caramel. This sauce was warm and gooey and perfect. We were all blown away by that one! Click here for the dessert menu.

The folks at Southland Park Gaming and Racing always go above and beyond for their customers. I’d like to thank Troy, Bobbi, and Marshall for the help getting everything planned. A special note of appreciation to Jamie, Nathan, and Kim for making our meal a true dining experience. To Chef Seth…thank you for sharing your talent and passion for food with us! To say we enjoyed it is a massive understatement! Fabulous!

 

The Bourbon Street Steakhouse and Grill is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 5-10 p.m. and offers an Early Bird special each evening from 5-7 p.m. Click here for the special menu. Log on to www.SouthlandPark.com to learn more.

Visit my Arkansas every Monday for a look at what’s going on in the world of arts and culture. 

 

 

Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain near Morrilton has had a fabulous culinary program for the last few years. This year you’ll see some new workshops to take advantage of, and I plan to do just that with a group of girlfriends.

Here’s what’s coming up in January:

This culinary class is a date night experience for couples. Classes begin at 5 p.m. and include a culinary demonstration, 4-course dinner, 1 night lodging, and continental breakfast for $200 per couple.

The knife is the single most important tool in the kitchen. Guest Chef Robert Hall will introduce participants to kitchen knives and how to use and care for them. Our "Made from Scratch" Culinary Workshops offer every “cheficinado” an opportunity to test out and develop new skills and techniques by attending a wholesome, hands-on cooking class at Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. Classes are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are $80 per person.

In this culinary class, learn tips, tricks, and techniques to make healthy food fun, flavorful, and exciting. Locally produced ingredients will also be highlighted. This demonstration class will be from 10 a.m. to noon and cost $35 per person.

This culinary class will focus on Arkansas produced foods, how to prepare them in the season, and how to preserve them to enjoy out of season. Specific emphasis will be placed on the seasonal products available in the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute’s garden. Classes are from 10 a.m. to noon and cost $35 per person.

Guest Chef Jason Knapp will teach participants five basic sauces that can extend your culinary repertoire to new heights. Our "Made from Scratch" Culinary Workshops offer every “cheficinado” an opportunity to test out and develop new skills and techniques by attending a wholesome, hands-on cooking class at Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. Classes are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are $80 per person.

For more information: livethelegacy.org or call 501.727.5435. While you’re on the mountain, don’t forget to visit nearby Petit Jean State Park.

 

 

The black-eyed peas appetizer could replace peanuts for me. They were…in a word…outstanding! We sat there and tried to figure out how to make them though I doubt anything I could concoct would be anywhere near their recipe. I would have been very happy making a meal out of them though I would have to have fought my tablemates for them.

A friend and I decided to order separate dishes and split them so we could sample more than one item. I ordered the Cuban, which has roasted Mojo pork, smoked ham and Gruyere cheese with house-made pickles on a house-backed baguette. A huge sandwich, it was very tasty and the pork melted in my mouth, it was so tender.

 

She ordered a burger topped with one of the restaurant’s specialties…homemade pimento cheese. Oh my word! I have to admit I’m not a huge pimento cheese fan, I guess from having eaten so much of it growing up. But this stuff is awesome. The burger, made of all-natural Creekstone beef, was the juiciest burger I have ever eaten and had so much flavor. The Parmesan fries are so tasty you don’t even need a condiment.