Oven & Tap

photo courtesy of Luke Wetzel

You know it’s a good restaurant when the first Google review starts with “Love this place! Try the olives. Seriously. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.” (Norma, from 3 weeks ago). That’s just one of many rave reviews of Oven & Tap. Located on Main St. this from-scratch, farm-to-table restaurant is a feature in Bentonville, Ark.’s food and social scene.

Behind the must-try olives, you’ll find the Founder, Owner, Creative of Oven & Tap, Chef Luke Wetzel. “I started Oven & Tap to share my vision of hospitality with the Northwest Arkansas area,” said Luke. “I named the restaurant Oven & Tap because it’s exactly who we are; no strings attached.”

Oven & Tap is centered around wood-fired cooking and a vast selection of libations. Luke carried this style of cooking from his time in the San Francisco Bay Area working at Chez Panisse. “Wood-oven cookery encourages a simplistic and honest style of food, which aligns with my food philosophies.”

The menu can be described as “southern fare with an Italian flair”. As a native to Arkansas, Luke took his southern upbringing and mixed it with his passion for Italian food. “Italian cooking is the school of cooking I subscribe to as a cook/chef/restaurateur. It’s the essence and the soul of the two cuisines that inspire the restaurant.”

No matter which way you look at it, Southern or Italian, both inspirations have a commonality: local products. Luke seeks local resources to bring back to his eatery every chance that he can.

His passion for local sustenance led him to connect with a local Berkshire producer, “We partnered with Bansley Berkshire Ridge Farm on Day 1 and they are part of Oven & Tap’s uniqueness and success”. Sean and Carol Bansley’s registered Berkshires are the source of numerous Berkshire pork items on Oven & Tap’s menu.

Luke has used Berkshire pork everywhere that he’s cooked. “Berkshire pork has been in the cooking industry narrative for as long as I can remember,” said Luke. “Each kitchen shares the same sentiment of its meat-to-fat ratio”.

photo courtesy of Oven & Tap

“Berkshire pork has been in the cooking industry narrative for as long as I can remember” — Chef Luke Wetzel

When Luke was planning for the opening of Oven & Tap, he sought out the Bansley’s and with a 30-minute phone call, their four years and counting partnership began.

Berkshire pork is responsible for one of the flagship plates on the menu- Berkshire Pork Meatballs. Between this dish and the Meatball Pizza, Oven & Tap uses 12 whole shoulders and 12 whole bellies every four weeks to make meatballs.

In addition to Berkshire pork, Oven & Tap works features a myriad of Arkansas products on their menu. From tomatoes to sweet corn, to lamb, chicken, and okra, the list of partnerships goes on. To be mindful of the farmer’s self-distribution schedule, Luke tries to keep regular, reliable orders so that producers can plan.

When asked about Oven & Tap’s customer responses to Berkshire pork, Luke said, “I change the menu quite often whether it is seasonal or just because I feel like it. But one thing we won’t change or remove is our meatballs. There would be riots in the streets! People absolutely love them.” Luke says that working with local farmers and sourcing local resources is the only way to do it. “Cooking from scratch with local ingredients will highlight a kitchen’s personality and skill and care, creating a unique selling position,” he said. “It’s the key to telling a story”.

The latter half of that previously mentioned Google review highlights the “Fresh ingredients, well-rounded menu, and friendly staff”. This couldn’t equate to the sum of Oven & Tap any more. •

Oven & Tap ovenandtap.com