BRIAN CHILSON
AUTHENTIC: Mr. Chen’s waitress Nico Weng holds a plate of Ginger & Onion Lobster. Mr. Chen’s was a runner-up for best Chinese.
LET’S TALK FOOD
Times readers have spoken.
T
hirty-three years: It’s got to be some kind of record. That is the number of years that readers of the Arkansas Times have weighed in — sometimes a few pounds heavier after a delicious meal — on the best places to dine, sup, chow down, grab a bite, nibble, whatever, in Arkansas.
READERS CHOICE AWARDS 2014
A restaurant called The Hive is giving everyone an itch to get to Bentonville and experience the 21c Museum Hotel’s fine dining amid fascinatingly curious artwork. South on Main is getting rave reviews from the readership, proving that the Oxford American magazine’s notion to back good Southern eating as well as good Southern writing was a super idea.
OVERALL LITTLE ROCK: The Pantry RUNNERS-UP: South on Main, Brave New Restaurant, Trio’s AROUND THE STATE: The Hive (Bentonville) RUNNERS-UP: ZaZa (Conway), Mike’s Place (Conway), James at the Mill (Johnson) NEW LITTLE ROCK: South on Main RUNNERS-UP: Bruno’s Little Italy, Table 28, Big Orange Midtown AROUND THE STATE: The Hive (Bentonville) RUNNERS-UP: Tusk and Trotter (Bentonville), Umami Sushi and Grill Fusion (Conway), Table Mesa Bistro (Conway)
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MARCH 6, 2014
ARKANSAS TIMES
The chefs behind both, along with other products of the Capital Hotel kitchen, are profiled in one of our accompanying stories. Elsewhere, look for features on chicken and waffles in Central Arkansas, restaurants worth driving to Benton for (yes, you read that right), waitress extraordinaire Joann Sims, meat savant Rob Nelson of Bentonville’s Tusk and Trotter and the continuing evolution of Southern Gourmasian. Fair warning: You’re going to have a hard time reading on an empty stomach.
CHEF LITTLE ROCK: Matthew Bell (South on Main) RUNNERS-UP: Anthony Talley (Terry’s Restaurant), Peter Brave (Brave New Restaurant), Scott McGehee (ZaZa, Local Lime, Big Orange) AROUND ARKANSAS: Matthew McClure (The Hive) RUNNERS-UP: Mark Cook (Gaskins Cabin Steakhouse), Jerrmy Gawthrop (Greenhouse Grille) SERVER LITTLE ROCK: Joann Sims (Cache) RUNNERS-UP: Scott Roberts (Brave New Restaurant), Wayne Pyland (Trio’s Restaurant), Aimee Stockton (Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro) AROUND THE STATE: Brent Garrett (Gaskins Cabin Steakhouse, Eureka Springs)