THE IDLE CLASS - THE FOOD & DRINK ISSUE 2017

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For good food, cocktails & music...

HEAD SOUTH WWW.SOUTHONMAIN.COM Follow our story @southonmainlr

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“Working Class” by Dennis McCann

“Marshayla” by Jason McCann

Congratulations to all of our artists showing in the 59th Delta Exhibition at the Arkansas Arts Center on display June 9 - August 27. Visit us at 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd in Little Rock if you would like to see more of their art for purchase.

BoswellMourot.com

501.664.0030

“Faded Hoodie” by Ray Parker

“Halloween” by David Bailin

“Williamsburg Bridge #2” by Jeff Horton

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Arkansas’ Arts + Nature Festival Presented by Walton Arts Center

MAY 4-20

MOMIX Opus Cactus

Artosphere Festival Orchestra

Trail Mix

Chapel Music Series

MUSEUM QUALITY ART ON THE FAYETTEVILLE SQUARE

Sunday Salon Artist Talks & Weekly Studio Art Sessions

101 W. Mountain St. Fayetteville, AR 72701 FayettevilleUnderground.org /fayettevilleunderground @fu.underground

Experience art, music and nature at locations throughout NWA. Download the Artosphere App for full lineup.

@thefayettevilleunderground

Manual Cinema’s Lula del Ray May 4 | Walton Arts Center | $10

Compagnia TPO’s The Painted Garden May 6 | Walton Arts Center | $10

MOMIX Opus Cactus

May 7 | Walton Arts Center | $15-45

Chapel Music Series

May 9, 11, 13, 16 | Locations throughout NWA | $10-25

Trail Mix

May 13 | Razorback Regional Greenway May 14 | Fayetteville’s Walker Park

Free

Artosphere Festival Orchestra Corrado Rovaris, Music Director Walton Arts Center | $10 May 17 | Mendelssohn in Scotland May 20 | Artosphere Festival Finale

Tickets On Sale Now!

D OW N LOA D T H E ARTOSPHERE APP!

Available on Google Play™ or in the Apple® App Store℠

artospherefestival.org | 479.443.5600 Thanks to Visit Bentonville, Fayetteville A&P, Springdale A&P, Coca-Cola, Tyson Foods Inc., Greenwood Gearhart Inc., Walton Family Foundation and local funders for their support. Support for AFO Music Director Corrado Rovaris provided by Mary Ann & Reed Greenwood. Additional support provided by Lee & Linda Scott. The Artosphere App is compatible with all standard smartphones and tablets. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc.

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13467 Lookout Dr. Bella Vista, AR 72714 (479) 268-6463 artistretreatcenter.com

2017 Upcoming Events THIRD THURSDAY HOUSE CONCERTS May 18 - the matchsellers June 15 - Joshin The Giants July 20 - Trey Johnson & Jason Willmon

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EDITOR’S

NOTE

PUBLISHER Cannon McNair EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kody Ford MANAGING EDITOR Jenny Vos Photograph by Meredith Mashburn

I

f you hopped in your DeLorean and went back to 2005, the culinary landscape of Arkansas would be vastly different. You’d be transported to a time when your main choices were Applebee’s, Bud Light and pink slime burgers. (While you’re there, maybe warn them about Biff getting elected President.) Fast forward to today and you’ll find coffee and chocolate being produced by local companies. There’s nearly a craft brewery on every corner. And some of the top chefs in the region, if not the country, can be found in the Natural State. So what happened? Entrepreneurship did. People of means backed people with dreams and the game changed. Recently, Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food opened in Bentonville. It is an expansion and rebranding of the Northwest Arkansas Community College culinary program. It is also a phenomenal opportunity for people

to learn from top talent in the area. Perhaps some current students will be the superstar chefs with their own restaurants a decade from now. We celebrated food and drink in The Idle Class two years ago, but even in that short time, our foodie culture has transformed immensely. The hardest part of making this issue was that we couldn’t include everything we wanted, but I feel you’ll enjoy what we did. Especially the delectable imagery of “The Art of the Plate,” a photo essay by Meredith Mashburn featuring chefs from around the state. As always, thanks for reading and please support our advertisers. Bon Appétit,

Kody Ford

Editor editorial@idleclassmag.com

EDITOR-AT-large Jeremy Glover COPY EDITORS Ashton Eley GUEST EDITOR Greg Henderson DESIGNER Marc Laney CONTRIBUTORS David Artega Heather Canterbury Laura Donovan Ashton Eley Nima Eshragh Shayne Gray Henry O. Head Katy Henriksen Alexander Jeffery Yang Luo-Branch Brandon Markin Meredith Mashburn Luke Pruitt K. Samantha Sigmon Donna Smith Sandra Spots Julia Trupp Melissa Tucker Kat Wilson COVERS Guy Bell Ana Maria

82 Taps of Craft Beers Chef-Inspired Menu On-site Microbrewery Patio Seating Happy Hour 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. (Mon. - Fri.) Tuesday Pint Night Wine Wednesday 2001 S. Bellview Rd., STE 2 Rogers, AR 72758 479-621-0093

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www.fosterspintandplate.com


THE FOOD & DRINK ISSUE SPRING 2017

ALL THAT GLISTENS PAGES 16 - 17

George Dombek moves beyond watercolor for latest project.

THERE SHE IS PAGES 18 - 19

Miss America Savvy Shields finds her true passion in art.

LOOKING BRIGHT PAGES 34 - 35

Brightwater gives students the opportunity to work with top chefs.

PREACHER'S SON PAGES 42 - 43

Bentonville’s latest must-see restaurant does skip the details.

THE ART OF THE PLATE PAGES 44 - 57

Meredith Mashburn turns her lens on culinary masterpieces. Apple Pie, by Fork & Crust photo by Meredith Mashburn

Breakfast * Lunch * Dinner * Catering Tuesday-Sunday 7a.m. - 3 p.m. Friday & Saturday night 5 - 9 p.m. 1079 S. School Ave, Fayetteville 479.966.4125

Where Locals Meet and Eat SPRING 2017 idleclassmag.com

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EVENTS

FIRST THURSDAY RETURNS WORDS / LAURA DONOVAN PHOTO / HENRY O. HEAD

The fun returns to downtown Fayetteville with “First Thursday” every month this season. The festivities are centered around family friendly entertainment with various forms music, food, art, and fun. The Town square will be hosting Northwest Arkansas locals to kick on off the warmer summer season. Dacre Whitaker, director of community engagement of Ex-

ARTOSPHERE

RINGS IN SPRING WORDS / KODY FORD Spring is the perfect time to experience nature as the days get longer and warmer. For eight years, Walton Arts Center has provided the perfect opportunity to take advantage of these things with Artopshere: Arkansas' Arts and Nature Festival on May 4 to 20. Featuring both free and ticketed performances, events and activities at locations across Northwest Arkansas, Artosphere celebrates artists influenced by nature and provides a creative framework to discuss issues of sustainability. “Artosphere celebrates the intersection of art and nature and encourages all of us to explore new art and new ways to interact with our beautiful region,” said Jennifer Ross, director of programming at Walton Arts Center. “Not only does the festival provide a platform for

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EVENTS perience Fayetteville, said, “This year we are experimenting with ways to rejuvenate First Thursday, while still offering all of the elements that make it popular. One way we are doing that is by alternating the large, themed festivals that take over the entire square with smaller, more intimate events. We hope this will encourage folks to visit the shops and galleries downtown.” After a low key event in May, the full festival returns to the entire square in June when with a theme that is all about pie! You can find several different takes on a fried pie from southern fried pies to empanadas. Local art, craft beer, interactive kid-centered activities and live music from Mike Hosty will offer the public a chance to welcome the summer season and celebrate Fayetteville in a multi-sensory way. “Fayetteville’s tradition of having something for fun all ages - whether that be art, food, education, music, sport, or the prevalent craft culture - is what makes this community strong,” Whitaker said. “Rooted on the square, First Thursday will offer

local talent at its finest, but for outstanding national and international artists as well. Each year we take pride in presenting authentic artistic experiences through dozens of events and activities for kids, families and the entire community of Northwest Arkansas to enjoy.” A centerpiece of the festival is Trail Mix Weekend, May 13 to 14. Capturing the very essence of Artosphere, Trail Mix allows the community to enjoy music, art, hiking and biking along local trails and the Razorback Regional Greenway. Creating a one-of-a-kind experience, audiences can visit trailside stages throughout the region and enjoy performances by regional artists and musicians from across the country. On Sunday, Trail Mix comes to Fayetteville’s Walker Park. The musical cornerstone of Artosphere is the esteemed Artosphere Festival Orchestra (AFO). Now in its seventh year and comprised of more than 90 musicians from prestigious ensembles, orchestras and music programs from around the world, the AFO once again

those ages 2 - 92 something to enjoy with their families. It’s also an opportunity to reconnect with old friends, make some new ones and experience the summer season once again.” First Thursday first began as a grassroots effort by the Fayetteville Underground and the now-closed ddp gallery. During that time both galleries featured new art exhibitions and receptions. The event grew and by 2009, FirstThursday included outdoor live music and movie on the square. In March 2010, Experience Fayetteville, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, began to manage the event and expanded it to include an outdoor art walk with artists set up along the square along with live music, food and beer. Free parking is allotted in the Town Center Parking lot, and in case of rain First Thursday will move inside the Town Center. The hope for these revamped events, is that people will be able to enjoy all the unique local businesses Fayetteville has to offer.

EXPERIENCEFAYETTEVILLE.COM

gathers in the Ozarks for a professional music-making experience that is unique to Artosphere. Led by acclaimed Music Director Corrado Rovaris, the full orchestra will perform three concerts: Live from Crystal Bridges: Mozart in the Museum (Friday, May 12 in the Great Hall); Mendelssohn In Scotland (Wednesday, May 17 in Walton Arts Center Baum Walker Hall); and the finale concert (Saturday, May 20 in Baum Walker Hall). This is just scratching the surface as many more phenomenal music and art events will take place throughout the month. Rather than print out programs and waste paper, Artosphere has launched an app that will be updated throughout the festival with the latest news on featured artists, performances and events. Many more events can be found on the app. Some events are free while others require a ticket purchase, which you can do in-person at the Walton Arts Center Box Office or by calling 479.443.5600.

WALTONARTSCENTER.ORG/ ARTOSPHERE

FAYETTEVILLE ROOTS FEST

LOOKS TO EXPAND CULINARY LINE UP IN 2017 WORDS / KODY FORD PHOTO / MEREDITH MASHBURN Fayetteville Roots Fest has grown exponentially since its humble beginnings at Greenhouse Grille just a few years ago. This year’s line-up will certainly not disappoint with acts like The Wood Brothers, Nick Offerman and Iron and Wine. Over the last two years, the organizers added an exciting and tasty addition to the festival by expanding the focus on food. Co-founder Jeremy Gawthrop owns Greenhouse and Wood Stone Pizza, so it was a natural extension of his personal passion. “From the beginning, food played a role in the event,” he said. “Back in the day, it was simply the VIP party spread of locally sourced/locally chef'd up food for 350 to 450 people. Then, at the event, the same three chefs would have vending stations with ‘gourmet festival fare’ as we dubbed it. Putting more focus on the food has been a goal for years, having a steady growth towards more events, more tastings, more chefs, just more. In the last two years we've had the ability to not only facilitate this, but allow more to come to fruition. Kind of like, I opened the can of worms and now it's hard to know where to stop.” In 2016 culinary highlights included new themed chef collaborations at the VIP dinner, an amplified Farmer's Market Chef Cook Off, all of the DIG IN! programming at the library

including the Taste & Talk Series and the pop up cafe and the street food competition outside the Fayetteville Town Center. All of these were highly attended, Gawthrop says. So what should you look for in 2017? Gawthrop says they will repeat all of the previous year’s programs and add a kick-off during Crystal Bridges W.O.W. program to spotlight the six to eight nationally acclaimed guest chefs, a master class chef series at Brightwater, a pancake breakfast at Maxine’s Taproom on Sunday morning, Light Night Tapas at the Late Night Stage with Chef Jason Paul and more. The food is a natural complement to the music in Gawthrop’s opinion. “We aim for the chefs to be on the ‘stage’ like the musicians and treated like rock stars -showcasing their skill and performance,” he said. “Sometimes it is on an actual stage setting, but always getting a pseudo spotlight of culinary respect and love. In an overall attempt to complement or accompany the music, this year's culinary programming is being showcased to the level we've dreamed of and giving the musicians the opportunity to attend and be ‘wowed’ just like the chefs watching the musical performances.”

FAYETTEVILLEROOTS.COM SPRING 2017 idleclassmag.com

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EVENTS

Eureka Springs May Arts Festival Celebrates 30 TH Year Every May, the city of Eureka Springs shines a spotlight on the arts with a monthlong festival that celebrates the visual and performing arts. May Festival of the Arts showcases the works of more than 350 artists that live in the community, and because of the length of the festival and the many venues available, every artist in Eureka Springs has an opportunity to show. Colorful, quirky, energetic and sometimes surprising, the ArtRageous Parade is the traditional kick-off of the May Festival of the Arts. Enjoy the stream of floats, art cars, walkers, dancers, musicians, jugglers and dance groups on Saturday, May 6 at 2 p.m. This year’s posthumous parade Grand Marshal is artist Max Elbo. One of the month-long exhibits will be The Four Seasons Project installed in Basin Spring Park. The project consists of four separate mobiles, each representing the beauty of our four seasons. Each mobile is unique structurally, representational of the season it depicts and each an estimated 6 - 8 feet in diameter. Eureka Janet Alexander is the producer, designer, and constructor of the mobiles. John Stallings is the engineer, designer, and constructor of the structures. The Four 12 idleclassmag.com SPRING 2017

Seasons Project will be unveiled on Friday, May 5 in Basin Spring Park at 6 p.m. and the sculptures will be on display for the entire month of May. On Saturday, May 13, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eureka Janet will be in Basin Spring Park. Stop by and learn all about her mobiles and build your own miniature to take home. The Eureka Springs Gallery Association has revived the always popular Yard Art Competition that has been dormant for several years. It began in the early ‘00s with a call for artists to create a work of yard art, anything from the whimsical to the absurd to serious art forms. “It's all about self expression and it's all part of the May Festival of the Arts. It's an outdoor gallery spread through yards all over town,” said Fran Carlin, gallery association member. Eighteen artists have entered, and their work can be viewed throughout the month of May on the yards of residences and Bed and Breakfasts throughout the city. The top three winners will be chosen by local celebrity judges. Maps can be found at any of the Galleries or at the Chamber of Commerce in Pine Mountain Village. The Eurekan Spectacle, another featured

May Fest project, is an augmented reality based experiential app that allows users to witness a Shakespearean play at various real-world locations around Eureka Springs. The Eurekan Spectacle will go live May 1 with a launch party to follow on Thursday, May 4 at 6 p.m. in Basin Spring Park. Visitors will be directed to www.eurekanspectacle. com for download instructions and a walking tour map. The producer and director of The Eurekan Spectacle is MacKenzie Doss and technical director is Edward Robison. Photographer John Rankine will show a retrospective exhibit of his Eureka Springs artist portrait series at Brews, May 1 to June 14, with an opening reception will be held Thursday, May 4, 5 - 8 p.m. The 2004 series consists of 60-framed photographs depicting 75 local artists. Art 4 Spirit Gallery will feature the award-winning still life paintings of Diana Harvey with an opening reception on Saturday, May 6th, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Gallery owner Cynthia Ré Robbins is also showing her paintings of Eureka Springs, dreams, visions, and the tropics. She will be offering Mehti painting for the first time, inspired by a recent journey to India, on May 11.


EVENTS Throughout the month Plein Air Painters of Eureka Springs (P.A.P.E.S.) will exhibit their latest works at Main Stage with a reception on Friday, May 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. Participating artists include John Robert Willer, Jody Stephenson, Paul O’Neill, Betty Johnson, Jae Avenoso, Barb Robinson, Mariellen Griffith, Bridgett Shupp, Cynthia Re Robbins, Sabina Miller, Dixie Westerman and Sara Russell. On May 21 to 25, the 2nd annual Eureka Springs Plein Air Festival will be held around town. An opening reception will take place at the Eureka Springs School of the Arts campus. Spencer Meagher and Marty Coulter will host pre- and post-Festival workshops for aspiring plein air painters. Studio 62 will also feature the plein air paintings of resident artist Jody Stephenson and photography of Eureka Springs by Ron Lutz. A former tradition of May Festival of the Arts returns to Zark’s Gallery as new owner Timm Hilty revamps the invitation-only show with a new theme - “The Homecoming Queen.” This year, the winner of the juried show will receive a $500 purse, a first for this event. Partial proceeds will benefit the Eureka Springs School of the Arts. The reception takes place on Friday, May 12, from 6 - 9 p.m. Guests are encouraged to wear their finest Homecoming Queen attire. A photographer for Eureka Springs High School yearbook photographer will be on-hand snapping memories throughout the evening. On May 13, be sure to attend the The Eureka Spring Gallery Association’s Grand Gallery Stroll. Several galleries that will be producing specialized exhibits specifically for this event, which takes place around town from 6 to 9 p.m. The Green Gourd will host their second Saturday art trading card swap during the Grand Gallery Stroll. Mosaic Studio, the gallery and working studio of Fran Carlin, has several events planned as well including a “mosaic mirror” workshop in conjunction with Eureka Springs School of the Arts (May 10-12) and a a show with Edwige Denyszyn featuring unique beadwork (May 20). One of the month’s most festive and well-attended events is the annual White Street Studio Walk, which takes place May 19, from 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. Historic White Street is the working address of a large number of local artists who welcome the public into their homes and studios to view their latest works. On May 20, The Birdcage will host an art bazaar with over 31 local artists. Purchase their wares at different booths and watch demonstrations by Eurekan local artists. Other highlights include the Phunkberry Music Festival (May 4 to 7), the Second Annual Nuits Rosé Eureka Springs Wine Fest (May 12 to 14), and Art in the Park (May 20). May Festival of the Arts also includes concerts by the Ozarks Chorale, John Two-Hawks and Grady Nichols. Many more events including classes, art fairs, and gallery receptions fill up the calendar for the month.

eurekaspringsfestivalofthearts.com artofeurekasprings.com

BOOKS IN BLOOM Brings Amazing Authors to Eureka Springs

The buzz surrounding this year’s Books in Bloom literary festival kicked off with news that one of the most talked about authors to ever take part will be back by popular demand: Craig Johnson, creator of the Longmire mystery series about a lawman in a small Western town. He will be joined by Laurie R. King, a prolific author whose work includes the Mary Russell mystery series in which Sherlock Holmes finds an unexpected equal and protégé in a brilliant young woman. Also taking the conservatory stage will be S.C. Gwynne, whose highly acclaimed historical biographies include Rebel Yell and Empire of the Summer Moon, and Nathalia Holt, whose timely book The Rise of the Rocket Girls tells the story of women in the space program. The gardens of Crescent Hotel will be filled with another dozen authors. Each will have a turn in the writer's tent, with readings and talks taking place throughout the afternoon. Books in Bloom Co-chair Jennifer Hudspeth describes the author search this year as focused on broadening the scope of topics, genres and content at the festival.

"Well-known authors definitely create excitement for our event, but attendees also appreciate hearing from new voices, and tell us they enjoy the more informal presentations in the garden as well. We've tried to include authors for every taste," she said. This is the 12th iteration of the annual free literary event hosted by the Carroll and Madison Public Library Foundation. Library patrons and book lovers from a four-state region look forward to meeting accomplished authors, hearing engaging presentations and readings and, perhaps, even having the opportunity to chat for a few minutes with an iconic writer. It all takes place on May 21 from noon - 5 p.m. in the gardens and in the conservatory of the festival underwriter, the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa. In case of rain, the festivities move into the hotel. Shuttle service is provided from additional parking at Harmon Park. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early.

BooksinBloom.org

SPEND THE SUMMER WITH

ARKANSAS SHAKESPEARE THEATRE Every summer, fans of the Bard gather for performances by the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre (AST), the state's only professional Shakespeare company. The group brings top talent from around the globe to the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. The 2017 summer season runs June 9 to July 9. Each year, they perform a selection of three of Shakespeare’s plays along with a work by another playwright. They will kick off the season with Love’s Labour’s Lost, directed by Rebekah Scallet, on June 9-July 7, 2017 on the lawn of McAlister Hall at the University of Central Arkansas. This classic comedy proves that love is a battlefield in this play that pits traditional academic learning against lessons of the real world in a raucous royal romantic comedy. Be sure to see Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, directed and choreographed by Ann Cooley, on June 16 - July 8 on-stage in Reynolds Performance Hall. This Broadway

classic tells the story of smooth-talking Harold Hill and his efforts to bring joy to a community and the heart of skeptical librarian and music teacher Marian Paroo. Shakespeare’s legendary tale of intrigue and betrayal, Julius Cesar, directed by Robert Ramirez, graces the stage of Reynolds Performance Hall on June 23 - July 9. The historical events are reimagined as taking place in a world not unlike our own, with women taking on leading roles in the conspiracy to overthrow a beloved, but possibly corrupt, leader. Travel to old world Italy and witness the spectacle as the rambunctious and arrogant Petruchio in his quest to woo the unimpressed and headstrong "Kate the Cursed” in "The Taming of the Shrew", adapted and directed by Chad Bradford, on June 29 - July 9 on-stage in Reynolds Performance Hall and touring across the state.

arkshakes.com SPRING 2017 idleclassmag.com

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MUSIC Your bandmate Bonnie Montgomery has described you as a “peace-loving outlaw trio,” which I love. I’m interested in an elaboration on how it fits for you. We are a bunch of hippies really. We’re really peace loving and we love the Trio-Emmylou, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt. Honestly I think our group dynamic is a lot like a female Highwaymen kind of thing. We’re all really inspired by country music outlaws, the pioneers in that genre. I guess we’re kind of like a female version of some of those outlaws who came together on the Little Red River, so we’re also very peaceful folks. I love that description too.

WILDFLOWER REVUE WORDS / KATY HENRIKSEN The women who comprise the three-part harmonies of Wildflower Revue, a self-described peace-loving outlaw trio, first solidified through porch jamming. Bonnie Montgomery, Mandy McBryde and Amy Garland, each musicians in their own right, loved strumming and singing around the campfire or the back deck, bonding over an Emmylou tune or an old standard like “Wayfaring Stranger.” The magical jam sessions eventually led to the 10 original songs and three covers on their debut album of the same name, released in January. We caught up with McBryde who elaborates on the trio’s close musical bond, why the “peace-loving outlaw trio” label stuck, and how unexpected covers of “Psycho Killer” and “Heart of Glass” ended up on a country album. The three of you share a close musical bond. What does it feel like to come together to create music? Well there’s definitely something transformative about our particular group dynamic. From the beginning when we started singing together it was very much one entity, almost like we were family or had been singing together forever. Right from the start was a very powerful moving thing.

I love your reinvention of “Psycho Killer” and “Heart of Glass.” I think covers are rewarding when they’re completely interpreted anew. I agree 100 percent. I don’t think there’s a reason to do a cover song unless you’re going to put a unique personal spin on it or else you could do karaoke. “Psycho Killer” and “Heart of Glass” first came together when we went up to the cabin for a pre-album songwriting retreat. Amy whipped out this old notebook from, I think,1995. When she was out and abot playing music she wrote a note to herself: “Amy, cover these songs.” It included “Heart of Glass,” “Psycho Killer,” and I think “Concrete Jungle” by Bob Marley. We didn’t get to cover that one, but maybe on the next album. One of the funniest parts about working on these covers was when we were out in the middle of nowhere Ozarks with no service up in Stone County. With “Heart of Glass” we immediately loved Bonnie’s picking on guitar and we started singing through it but didn’t have the lyrics. There was no internet service, so we couldn’t Google it, so our interpretation of the lyrics were misheard. We were just going around thinking what is she singing. You know that part “you treat me like you do” before the chorus? We thought she was saying “you treat me like a damn girl.” It was really funny trying to figure out the lyrics. We worked it out with whatever interpretation of the song was lyrically at the time and figured out the words when we got back into civilization. With “Psycho Killer” we immediately loved the idea of covering it. From the beginning we thought of this wild fiddle line and different elements that really inspired us to move forward with the song. It wasn’t until we sat down with the band the first time that that one was a go for sure because we weren’t sure how to do it just the three of us. The first time we sat down with the band it was over. They killed it from the very beginning so we knew that would be a fun one to do.

SOUNDCLOUD.COM/THEWILDFLOWERREVUE

THURSDAY NIGHTS IN JUNE 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM “As he tries his hand at baking, brewing, and braising, acclaimed food writer Michael Pollan explores how cooking transforms food and shapes our world.” Join us for our Cooked Series throughout the month of June. Cooked is an enlightening and compelling look at what foods means to us as well as how it has changed throughout history. The series is in 4 part episodes, Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. Each week we will show an episode as well as have food to sample and discussion afterwards.

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MUSIC Describe your relationship with Greenway Records. We wanted a label to release our last EP and found Greenway Records on Instagram. They've put out White Mystery, LA Witch and Rachel Haden (she's played and performed with Weezer, Beck and others). It feels like we're part of a family. We plan on doing a full length with them, at some point. Where can we get a physical copy? We have a few physical copies left at a shows or at www.greenwayrecords.com. We have the full EP (including the 2 from the 7''), on Bandcamp. Vinyl's more fun and they're pretty records.

TEN HIGH WORDS / SHAYNE GRAY Ten High is an adrenaline shot in the heart. They’re a serving of rock, punk, psychedelia, and some metal. Ten High are raw, aggressive and non-pretentious. Their music is beautifully trashy and not overproduced. Greenway Records (NYC) released two versions of their new 7” vinyl entitled This Is A Pipe Dream. The band blazes out two great vinyl tracks that will leave you wanting more. Members include: Catlin Owens (gtr/lead vox), Aaron Smith (bass/ vox), Devan Theos (drums/vox) and

Matthew Thornton (gtr/vox). Side A vocals start with Catlin growling “This is a pipe dream!” somewhat like the beginning of Iron Man by Black Sabbath. There are twisted and squelching guitars. The verses are like a yell-rap and the chorus will catch you off guard with harmonies and their aloof attitude. Side B is "Get it Together." It’s like a garage punk anthem. The drums remind me of a less campy Adam Ant song. Devan starts up the drums and vocals.

Tell us about the the 7” versions. They put out two different versions - a green/black splatter with a cover by Dan Curran and a coke bottle clear with a cover from Etienne Puaux. Curran is amazing and does artwork for King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Thee Oh Sees and Ty Segall. He does all the artwork for the label. He hand carved the cover through a process called linocut. They're hand spray painted, too, so each one is slightly different. Etienne Puaux did the other cover, he's amazing. He lives in Paris, France and just finished the cover of our next record, too.

Visit: facebook.com/tenhighband

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ART

All That Glistens George Dombek steps away from watercolor to create gorgeous art-glass windows at Preacher’s Son in Bentonville. WORDS / JULIA TRUPP PHOTOS / KAT WILSON

W

hen the glistening sun comes in through the windows that portray George Dombek’s paintings, the experience is a spiritual one. Warmth and color fill the space, inhabiting the souls of the people inside. The First Christian Church in downtown Bentonville took their stained glass windows with them when they relocated. After Bentonville-based hospitality company Ropeswing Group purchased the building in 2015, they decided that the 115-year-old building would be transformed into a restaurant, but renovations were essential. Ropeswing reached out to one of Arkansas’ most acclaimed artists, George Dombek, to design 11 new windows for the church-turned-restaurant Preacher’s Son. “The original church had beautiful stained glass windows. We wanted to bring that experience back into the space while being sensitive to the fact that this was no longer a church. We all felt that George's work would translate into glass beautifully,” said Rob Apple, Ropeswing’s managing director. Dombek immediately got in touch with David Soos, a Little Rock firm, that designs and produces stained glass. Together they worked to figure out how to transfer his paintings onto glass, but the mediums were entirely different. “I came to a conclusion that it couldn’t be done,” Dombek said. “I was about ready to give up.” But the hindrance of combining two crafts was not enough to doom the project. One of the associates from the Little Rock firm informed Dombek that there was a 125-year-old company in Germany called Glasmalerei Peters Studios that specializes in a common stained glass style in Europe, Dombek said. At first he was skeptical of them, but he went through with the process after getting the names and addresses of who to work with from Germany. A 2-by-2-foot sample piece was made for him to approve before he agreed to take on the project. “They sent [the glass example] back in about a month, and I was amazed. It’s not my painting, obviously, because it wasn’t watercolor, but it was something else,” Dombek said. “It loses something in that, but it gains something, too.” He was hooked. Dombek made arrangements to fly to Germany and stay for a week in order to supervise the master craftsmen over

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the transition of his mystical forest-like paintings into glass windows, but also to learn more about the process. The technique used isn’t traditional stained glass but instead the master craftsmen of the glass company paint with enamel and then fire the piece in a kiln for permanency. With 11 windows to surround Preacher’s Son, there were many techniques that went into planning the designs. In total, it took the company, with Dombek’s supervision, four to five months to complete. Now with colorful birds and tree branchfilled windows throughout The Preacher’s Son, the building that was once a church has become re-enlightened. Dombek first worked with watercolor during his sophomore year of high school in 1960. It was the first project his class did, and while his classmates chose other paints to work with, he stuck with the initial assignment. Soon, he realized it was something he liked and was good at. He received his Bachelor of Architecture in 1974 and went onto graduate school for a master’s in painting, where he earned 38 awards for his artwork and thought it would be easy to make a career out of art. Little did he know, it would take him another 17 years after graduate school working in either architecture at various firms or teaching art before he was able to make money from his paintings. He had galleries in Dallas, San Francisco and New York. Years later, after receiving a tenured position at a Florida university, he decided to give it up to move back to the Ozarks in 1995 to continue his work. “[Giving up the tenured position] was one of the hardest decisions, but the very best decision I have ever made,” he said. He returned to Arkansas and bought 8 acres of hay fields where he would plant trees, build a house and adjoined studio and later acquire a further 26 acres of property. “I wanted my own private space and [to] landscape these spaces,” he said of his land, which includes an old, rickety barn that was built in the late 19th century and has been restored by Dombek and his team into a studio space––an upper level even has glass walls. Because the Preacher’s Son project was the first time he had worked with art glass, he decided to take what he had learned, like with anything, and integrate his new knowledge into his future works. “Glass is always changing because of the light; it has a certain sparkle,” Dombek said. “I’m trying to get that sparkle into my paintings.”

GEORGEDOMBEK.COM


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e Ther

. . . s i she

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Mis

When she's not serving as Miss America, Savvy Shields pursues her true love - art. WORDS / DONNA SMITH

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s the Fine Arts advisor in the Fulbright College, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of meeting with Art major, native Arkansan and recently crowned Miss America Savvy Shields on a regular basis. I was very excited to catch up with her about life now that she living this incredible year meeting with charity organizations, visiting troops overseas, and basically being, even before her title, an amazing representative for our state and country. What was your first exposure to Art? When did you recognize that you enjoyed it and wanted to actively create work? My aunt is an artist. I have vivid memories of watching her paint and

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draw the world around her and it always fascinated me that someone could capture beauty in that way! However, I didn't realize it was my passion until my freshman year of college. I had declared another major, and it wasn't until I was staying up every night until 3am that I realized I was on the wrong path. It was a scary decision for me but hands down one of the best choices I made. As an art major I am able to live my truth and it has completely shaped who I am today. How would you say the skills you’ve acquired as an Art major have driven you or affected your life? In every way. It has made me a harder worker. The teachers I’ve had have done everything to encourage my creativity while at the same time challenging me to push myself to

the best of my ability. I've been pushed out of my comfort zone and from that I learned how to always strive for more. It has also made me more open. Hearing about so many other life styles, ways of life, and ideas different from my own have made me much more open minded and also curious. I am always seeking to learn more about the world around me. How did you define success as a student and now, how has that definition changed as you've developed into your new role as Miss America? My definition of success has actually stayed the same. I've always thought that as long as I am giving my all to what I am passionate about, growing and blooming where I am planted, then


I will consider myself successful. You travel so much of the time, which I've enjoyed watching via your humorous posts of slightly off Starbucks cup spellings of your name. Are you able to find time to create work while traveling? Creating art looks a lot different when you're in a different state every 48 hours. So, I've tried to find beauty and creativity in motifs I find in my travels. Such as the misspelling of my name, I’m still on a search for the most outrageous, or seeing how many different styles there are of airplane interiors. No matter what, I always carry around my notebook so I can document my travels with drawings and not just pictures.

& Wine Bar 225 South Main Bentonville AR 479.464.9463

For students interested in art, what would you say your best piece of advice is? Find what sets your soul on fire and run with it. I'm a firm believer that we are all given our desires and dreams to somehow make a difference, share a new perspective, and in the cheesiest way possible, change the world. A life without passion is a life without magic. Do you have a favorite artist? I love the paintings of Manet, the colors he chose, and the way that he depicts moments in time make me beyond giddy. I pull a lot of inspiration from his work, and the passion of Marina Abramović. The love and questioning of life is something I love to pull from.

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RAY PARKER WORDS / SANDRA SPOTTS

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orn in 1951 to a father in the U.S. Navy, Ray Allen Parker had a nomadic childhood, attending 10 different schools before the seventh grade, until his parents returned to their Northeast Arkansas roots and settled in the tiny community of Egypt. Parker attended the University of Arkansas to earn both a B.A. and an M.A. in English and to experience painting classes for the first time. After graduation, Parker built a career in retail communications and advertising before returning to his lifelong interests: portrait and figure painting. He currently lives and works in Fayetteville.

What lead you to portraiture? I've never considered anything else in painting. On the first day of the first grade, I remember secretly drawing a portrait of my teacher, which she snatched away and hung in the front of the class. Years later, when I was bumming around Europe right after college, I was thrilled by the figurative works of da Vinci, Rembrandt and David. For me, it's always been the portrait and the figure, always. You had a career in retail communications and advertising. Does this background play into your art? Unbeknownst to me at the time, working as a creative project manager

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and photo studio director couldn't have been a better artistic training ground. I still favor the extreme image crops used in features editing. I learned how to light a photographic set and how to appreciate color nuances. And there was always the emphasis on lighted faces. I took an almost 40-year hiatus for career and kids. When I returned to painting, it was right back to the figure.

Top: Due South Above Left: Bending Backwards Above Right: Great Scott


ART Your subjects are usually friend or family members. Does your perception or your relationship change after you have painted them? If so, in what way? I paint family, friends and fellow artists because they're usually the only ones who'll pose for me. I feel I know them and I seek poses or looks that reveal and confirm the impressions I have of them. My perceptions don't really change so much as deepen in the course of a painting. I'm not trying to depict my subjects as much as recreate them, bring them to life, in other words. Which is something that can't literally ever happen but which is something you always strive for and inevitably fail to do. Which leads you to the next painting. Do you currently have a series in the works? I'm working on a group of 7- and 8-foot portraits influenced by the great photographic works of Richard Avedon and Richard Learoyd. These are massive waist-up figures or extreme close ups that directly confront the gaze of the viewer. I want these to be visual biographies we can't turn away from, that tell us everything about these people and their lives. Who represents you and your work? I am represented by Boswell-Mourot Fine Art in Little Rock.

RAYPARKERART.COM @RAYAPARKER

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THE LOCAL UNIVERSAL Artist Ana Maria Gives Back to Her New Home with an Art School in Fort Smith with a Backstory. WORDS / K. SAMANTHA SIGMON PHOTO / DAVID ARTEGA

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lot has happened since artist Ana Maria was first introduced to Fort Smith a few years ago when she painted a mural for The Unexpected in 2015. By early 2017, she opened an art school in the vibrantly painted building Spanish artist Okuda San Miguel created for the 2016 festival and named “The Universal Chapel.” The school inside the space, named La Colmena (the Beehive), is a all-ages community space for burgeoning creatives. The project is a collaboration with 64:6 Downtown, the organization behind the Unexpected festival dedicated to revitalizing Fort Smith’s downtown with creative projects. A perfect example of realizing this mission is in “The Universal Chapel,” a transformed abandoned house on the corner of Rogers and Garrison Avenues. Bright geometric abstractions blend with symbols and figures, representing multifaceted themes of the universe. This is an apt place for an art school not only because of its artistic facade, but because the school is, at its core, a place about being welcoming for everyone. The school features classes for all ages and skill-sets, creating an atmosphere where students learn in a collaborative environment. Classes are taught in both English and Spanish. The first cycle of six-week courses started in early February, with the next classes starting in April. The first cycle covers drawing broadly with a final art piece to be exhibited at its end. La Colmena is an apt name because the artist wants it to become a thriving creative colony that will be able to contribute to the local art scene. Ana Maria, the vision behind this project, stood out to people in Fort Smith as a community organizer from the beginning of her involvement with The Unexpected. “Working with Ana Maria during the first event in 2015 validated many things for me, the most important being that Ana Maria is a connector. She is one of those individuals that you are first drawn to through her art, then because of who she is,” said Claire Kolberg, the Project Director at 64.6 Downtown and Director of The Unexpected. “She encompasses generosity,

thoughtfulness, and kindness. Naturally I was beyond excited when she decided to make Arkansas her home after her second visit during her artist in residency in 2016. She continues to establish herself as a leader in the urban contemporary genre, and continues to find ways to share her talents with our community.” Charlotte Dutoit, curator of the Unexpected and many other international exhibitions, feels the same about Ana Maria’s contribution. “Beside of course her immense talent, originality and powerful style, what I really admire and I think makes the difference is that Ana is a hard worker and therefore a very prolific artist. When it’s not a large scale murals, it’s a sculpture, or a tiny drawing, or videos. She never stops creating. The school is another example of her insatiable energy,” she said. Ana Maria, originally from a small town in the center of Puerto Rico called Barranquitas, has been painting for over 15 years, creating murals for 10 years, and has only recently become a full-time artist in 2015. How, you might wonder, did she come to reside in Fort Smith and take on establishing a community art school? Like many artists, art was at first a side project for her. Before her artistic career, she studied Animal Sciences and worked as a Licensed Field Agronomist and Veterinary Technician for many years in Puerto Rico and Houston, Texas. In her

spare

time she would ask the city she lived in for walls to paint with her friends. Perhaps it’s not so shocking that she used to work with animals; the subject matter of her murals is often whimsical humanoid creatures the artist describes as having “animal features that show strong emotions or interact in a peaceful way,” Dutoit said she first ran into Ana Maria’s work--a small mural of a fantastical sea creature--in 2011, and then showed some pieces at a fine art gallery in Puerto Rico where everything sold out opening night. From then, Dutoit said, “I have been selecting Ana on most of my curation projects all around--Miami, Las Vegas, London, Hawaii, Italy, Mexico--from gallery shows, brand collaboration to festivals. It’s really inspiring to work with an artist like Ana that is so polyvalent and always bring something new to each project.” Ana Maria first heard of Arkansas when she was asked to participate in the first year of The Unexpected festival. “Every city has it’s own way to surprise you,” she said of her first time to Fort Smith. “As soon as they drove us to the hotel, I felt the calm of this city in comparison with other cities I’ve been.” She has created two murals in Fort Smith, the first one by Garrison Avenue and a second one, called The Birds, on Rogers Avenue that was finished for her residency last year. Of her first mural for the city, she said, “I felt like creating a mural where we could have two different types of characters trying to interact with each other,

defying the laws of nature. One of the characters is inspired by land animals like insects, worms, and the other one is inspired by an ocean creature. I wanted to symbolize my appreciation for diversity, and create consciousness about the fact that we are all the same, and we all deserved to be loved and

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ART

Above: "Pensandote" part of Amorfo solo exhibition Right: "El César​" part of Amorfo solo exhibition​2016

Opposite Top: “El Abrazo del Sosiego” (Embrace of Peace) Kiev, Ukraine 2016 Photographer: Geo Leros Opposite Bottom: “Scratch and Win” Las Vegas, Nevada 2013 Photographer: Justkids

respected. It’s a subject that always inspires me and helps me connect with people through my work.” Ana Maria moved to Fort Smith in 2016 to pursue a residency and has stuck around since, saying that her new home speaks to her in a way she wouldn’t have thought possible. “I really felt connected to this place and met some amazing people. I always wanted to have the chance to create and teach others, and this city has given me that opportunity. . . . I didn’t know how much I needed a place like this until I moved here," she said.

Kolberg believes Ana Maria’s contribution to Fort Smith is especially impactful today. “We hear so often about educational art programs being cut or completely removed from schools, so having Ana Maria open a school whose only purpose is to teach art is important. Her school is important for downtown Fort Smith because it brings awareness to the area and the many exciting things happening, but also it’s meaningful for the children and adults who desire to seek out something they might not be getting in their traditional educational setting.”

Ana Maria is thoroughly happy in her new home. “I like Arkansas just the way it is. I wouldn’t change anything. I enjoy adapting myself to new places, and it wasn’t hard to do it here.” It seems like the community has returned Ana Maria’s sentiment as well, and has fully embraced her as part of the neighborhood. @ANAMARIETTA @COLMENAFS

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ART

ON THE HORIZON Guy Bell captures Arkansas’ natural beauty in his work. WORDS / MELISSA TUCKER PHOTO / HEATHER CANTERBURY

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s a child travelling with his family from Florida to visit relatives, Guy Bell was fascinated by the sweeping landscapes of the Arkansas Delta. They’d usually hit Arkansas around late afternoon, open skies ablaze over the flat stretches of farmland. “I always thought of Arkansas as being this place with gorgeous skies,” he said. Such vibrant sunsets left an impression on Bell, and he has devoted many a canvas to re-creating that magical dance between sun, clouds and the horizon. Though Bell’s interest in art never waned, his parents did not consider it a viable option for college. He graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a major in liberal studies, business emphasis. He pursued art in his free time and, in 2005, his first exhibition was a smashing success. He sold 20 of the 25 paintings, and that encouraged him to consider art as a feasible full-time job. In 2014, Bell was featured in the Crystal Bridges State of the Art exhibition, a hand-picked collection of approximately 100 artists yet to gain national recognition. He was chosen for his piece “Cain and Abel,” a portrait of a black dog and a white dog locked in combat. The piece and its narrative does exactly what Bell thinks art should do: spark a conversation. “I won’t moralize or tell someone what to think, but I want to create a structure by which someone can hang their thoughts,” Bell said. “It’s a conversation, and when I create something, what I imbue in it is not what they’re going to get out of it.” In October 2015, Bell and his wife Mary opened Drawl Southern Contemporary Art Gallery in Little Rock as a way to give more exposure to regional and emerging artists. “There’s a real glut of talent here in the area, but those artists didn’t have a venue to get their work out there. If they did, they were limited by location,” he said. “So, the goal was to get more regional exposure for those artists, and as it’s gone on, we’ve ended up taking on bigger names and having more presence in the region.” The name, Drawl, hints at Southern tastes but also purposefully adds a sense of playfulness and approachability to the gallery. “The traditional gallery model is designed to be aloof,” he said. “I believe everyone should be able to view and enjoy artwork. I understand it’s a luxury item on the whole, and it’s not always priced to own in the original form. But in much the way a museum is, it should be accessible to everyone and allow for everyone to participate and enjoy the discussion surrounding the art.” As those conversations continue, Bell and the gallery will continue to grow and change the types of art on display. Bell noted that curation is a delicate balance. “We want to be approachable, but we don’t want to pander. We do want to find things the audience will enjoy and things they can relate to, but we’re not going to limit ourselves to what we talk about,” he said. Later this year, Bell plans to relocate to Bentonville and open a second gallery there. He says the art markets are

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Above: Iconoclasm Left Opposite: Haiku Right Opposite: Give Me A Home Bottom Opposite: Nec Spe, Nec Metu

very different in Northwest Arkansas and opening another gallery will allow artists to show their work in multiple locations. He plans to keep Drawl open, but bring in someone to manage the gallery after his family moves. He sees it all as part of the process of evolution. “I think it’s important as an artist to continue trying new paths, trying new materials to see what’s possible,” he said. “It’s an artist’s responsibility to keep pushing their own limits, and if they’re fortunate, they may end up pushing limits in the overall conversation about contemporary art.” @GUYWBELL

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FOOD & DRINK

THE

STATE OF THE PLATE

Our guest editor, Greg Henderson, founder of Rock City Eats, has some thoughts on Arkansas' growing culinary scene.

LETTER FROM THE GUEST EDITOR

GREG HENDERSON Over the past five years of Rock City Eats, we have watched the local food scene grow and thrive. The biggest area of growth has been in the amazing diversity of local food. The landscape was

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once dominated by pizza joints and burger places, with a little tex-mex sprinkled in. Now, across the state, there has been a move toward diverse flavors and the growth of Latin-American, Asian, and Eastern European cuisine. Even better has been the melding of these with traditional Southern style dishes to create something completely unique, and uniquely Arkansan.

The rapid growth of Northwest Arkansas combined with the maturity of the Central Arkansas market has created a strong culture of food across the state. Combine that with the rise of culinary programs from Pulaski Tech and Brightwater, and the food scene is only going to continue to grow and develop. ROCKCITYEATS.COM


FOOD & DRINK

ZARA MADE IT

Little Rock’s Zara Abassi Wilkerson creates sweets that are almost too pretty to eat. WORDS & PHOTOS / BRANDON MARKIN

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n ideal cake is a thing of beauty and, given the fact that we are exposed to so much mediocrity, a good cake is a revelation. Achieving a perfect balance of moist, airy texture with a light, creamy icing and a combination of richness and subtlety that doesn’t overpower takes a skilled hand and countless hours of experimentation. It is obvious from her reputation that Zara Abassi Wilkerson has paid her dues and struck that perfect balance. When we meet, she has two cakes prepared for special orders. One is a chocolate

ganache dusted with gold flakes, simple and elegant. The other is a riot of color, a Jackson Pollock piece in sugar and cream. Building from a solid foundation of baking fundamentals and a spirit of adventurousness, Wilkerson crafts cakes that are delicious as well as visually stunning. While she has worked with many different local restaurants in the past, a desire for independence led her to branch out on her own. “I love to experiment...with different ingredients and flavors,” she explained. “When I worked for other people, they just gave me a

list of things to make, and that was it.” Not having to spend her day rushing to meet the high demand of a thriving local market has allowed her to focus on creating unique cakes at her own pace. As the mother of two young children (with a third on the way) and occasionally practicing law, I can imagine that being able to set her own schedule is the ultimate perk of independence. Baking a good cake is an art, and it’s worth your while to seek out a fine practitioner. While Wilkerson admits that most people

stick to the tried and true flavors like chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, and lemon, she is not afraid of a challenge. See loves to incorporate flavors such as rosewater and passion fruit to create complex palates. Wilkerson takes requests for orders via email (zza1024@ yahoo.com) and no matter your tastes, when you call on Zara you can count on receiving a unique and delectable cake made by a talented artist. @ZARAMADEIT

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SOUP for the AMERICAN SOUL Pho Vietnam is Immigrant Food in the Political Age WORDS / LUKE PRUITT PHOTOS / KAT WILSON

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he restaurants of Fort Smith are a shrine to its diversity—no surprise for a town in which over 40 languages are spoken—but none have left a footprint on the culinary identity of Fort Smith as significant as that of Pho Vietnam. With over 30 years in business, Pho Vietnam, owned and run by Eric and Lily Nguyen, has become a mainstay of Fort Smith life. Eric and Lily start the day early and end late. Lily starts the broth at 8 a.m. while Eric preps the sauces and sandwich station before they open at 10:30 a.m. for lunch. With the exception of occasional help from their children, it’s just Eric and Lily. Lily works the kitchen, Eric serves and makes the baánh miì sandwiches. The pho that the restaurant is named for is a staple dish. Lily’s recipe has subtle anise and clove flavors, well balanced with a light sweetness set off by adding fresh jalapeños and a squeeze of lime.

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There is a healing element to the soup—the way the spice of the jalapeño and the steam of the broth can clear the sinuses—and a communal history. When pho was created in the early 20th century the dish was often cooked outdoors, stools placed around a big pot where strangers and friends could come together for a meal. The condiments and sauces here deserve their own praise. Lily adds her unique touch to each of them. “It’s a secret,” she said with a laugh. The hoisin, served in emptied out Sriracha bottles, is thin and subtly sweet, not the thick paste I often see at restaurants. The chili paste has a bright acidity to it that fits every dish in the house excellently, and if you order the bean crepe or the vermicelli bowls, you’ll soak the pork, egg rolls, and noodles in a deep golden colored fish sauce. Lily was 10 when she first began cooking at the grocery

store and restaurant owned by her parents. She was 15 when she and Eric fled Vietnam, and their story is a testament to the violence that refugees often face, and the scars left with those who are wounded in the rubble of political collapse. The oldest of eight children, she grew up cooking. After the fall of Saigon, at a temporary refugee camp in Guam, she worked in the kitchen before coming to the United States and eventually Fort Smith. Eric was shot in the neck while fleeing Saigon; the bullet exited through his jaw. Eric spent months in surgery and years in speech therapy recovering. While his injuries can be heard in his voice, that he has lived his American Dream communicating with the public is a testament to overcoming adversity.


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FOOD & DRINK

RIGHTWATER A Beacon for a Budding Culinary Region

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WORDS / ASHTON ELEY PHOTOS / MEREDITH MASHBURN


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orthwest Arkansas is blossoming as a culinary region, but until now one thing was missing––a worldclass culinary school. Enter Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food. Brightwater began offering classes this semester in its new 8th Street Market location in Bentonville, but the center is poised play a much larger role. “We really see ourselves as the connector around food, and not only for the high-end restaurants,” said Executive Director Glenn Mack. “It’s really about a much larger world, from the people who grow it to those distribute, produce, sell and then reuse.” Brightwater focuses on four main areas: food entrepreneurship, the whole-animal butchery, culinary nutrition and food waste and food recovery. These distinguish the center from other cooking schools and create opportunities for community collaboration. The center will not only teach its students how to cook well, but also provide an avenue to test out ideas and innovations, fueling the region’s growing workforce. While degrees are available through the Northwest Arkansas Community College, Brightwater also opens its door for enthusiasts to take non-credited classes, high school students to work on concurrent credits and businesses to rent space for training. “Not everybody comes in thinking they are going to be a 60-hour a week chef that runs a restaurant––maybe they want to run a co-op or go into a speciality cheese market or own a juice bar. Just

because you want to go to culinary school doesn’t mean you want to work on the line,” Chef Jason Rothstein said. “A lot of culinary schools have a one-track program; Dr. Mack has really instilled in us that we need to have a holistic view of our program.” When walking down the halls of Brightwater, the visible piping and concrete floors emanates a futuristic yet rugged industrial feel. Natural light fills almost every room and the the wall-length mural of the center’s native apple namesake invites visitors into the main lobby. The four large, top-of-the-line kitchens and 54-seat demo theater are sure to impress. However, what will stand out—for those fortunate enough to take full tour—is the butchery. Behind a 4-inch aluminum door and Vinyl strips of the meat cooler lies a chilled, spotless room built of stainless steel walls capable of breaking down whole-animal butchery, “which is pretty crazy and super cool,” Rothstein said. Brightwater will be the only culinary school with a USDA certified butchery in the United States, which will further its involvement with local ranchers and restaurants, Mach said. “Nobody else has an actual proficiency certificate for butchery. I went there specifically to learn these particular things in the butchery, and mainly, because I want to take that and make summer sausages, salamis and pattes for our gallery,” said David Tipton, who is the owner of Two25 Gallery & Wine

Bar in Bentonville and took the spring semester butchery and charcuterie class at Brightwater. “To me, I just love going and am learning something every day from it.” One of the most important fundamental concepts, and required courses, at the school is a culinary nutrition program written by the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University. Brightwater is the first community college and nursing program to adopt this curriculum, which will allow better nutrition education for and partnership with those in the medical community, the public and grade schools. Brightwater also stands out with their food systems-based training approach. “We want to expose our students to the entire food system so they know about the soil health, the importance of water and conserving our resources, the distribution of food and how much is wasted along the way,” Mack said. “Every time you throw away a piece of fruit, it’s not just the fruit; it’s a long, long chain of waste: water and electricity and gas and labor.” At Brightwater’s core, it’s all about connections—connections with the industry, connections with the people and connections with the food—and the connections are endless. Brightwater.org @NWACCculinary @BrightwaterNWA

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FOOD & DRINK

The Rich History and Future Opportunity of Arkansas Wine

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he history of Arkansas wine dates back to the first French Catholic settlers and grows richer over time, making the natural state the oldest and largest grape juice and wine producer in the South. "Most of the wineries were run by immigrants and with them they brought their ethnic traditions, one of them being winemaking,” said Robert Cowie, vintner and owner of the Arkansas Historic Wine Museum. “They didn’t give a damn that the Americans didn’t believe in drinking. They did.” Commercial business started with the German-Swiss immigrants who settled in Altus in the late 1800’s and

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realized the foothills of the Ozark Mountains had wine grape production potential. Among those families were the Posts. For six generations the Post family has upheld their traditions with pride, through prohibition and onward. Though they have made many innovations along the way, they have never forgotten the practices of their German forefather, Jacob Post, who emigrated in 1872. The Post family has been working hand in hand with the University of Arkansas for nearly a century to help develop new grapes and harvesting technology. Like most great pursuits, the job

WORDS / ASHTON ELEY PHOTOS / MEREDITH MASHBURN

of these winemakers is more than a profession: it’s a way of life. Based in Paris, Cowie dove into winemaking at the age of 15. Over 60 years and seven children later, he has all but perfected his craft of transforming state-grown grapes, like Cynthiana, into masterful wine blends. He owns the fourth oldest running winery after Wiederkehr, Post and Mount Bethel, which are all based in Altus. At it’s height, the Arkansas wine industry boasted about 160 wineries and produced more wine and grapes than any other state in the union. But prohibition and subsequent rise of dry


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counties contributed to a drastic decline. Now, only a few remain. New wineries and vineyards, however, are popping up every year. “They’re going to struggle for a while,” Cowie said, “like a young kid. We need more wineries. If somebody wanted to put a winery across the street from me, I’d do anything to help them. I don’t see it as a competition.” A trailblazer in the industry, the audacious and fierce Audrey House has taken what she learned from her childhood in Oklahoma and travels to California to begin her own venture in Altus in 1999. She opened Chateau aux Arc Winery, and said she looks to other Arkansan winemakers, like Cowie, for inspiration. She prides herself in being a winegrower as well as a vintner. “It’s a lot of hard work to start from the ground up, to plant the vines, to buy the land and then you do not get a crop for three to five years – and that’s if you’re a very good grower,” she said. “From the time you plant the vine until the time you have the wine on your table is seven years. How much patience do you think people have for that? It’s easier to pass a bill through legislation than to make a bottle of wine.” Growing wine grapes in Arkansas does not come without its difficulties. The region presents natural challenges like humidity, said John Clark, a University of Arkansas horticulture professor. Clark and his team have worked for about 20 years to cultivate grapes that would grow well in the Arkansas climate and also hold the potential for palatable wines. While the true success of their creations are a few years of harvests away, Enchantment – whose potential lies in red blendings – and Opportunity – for white wines – have the potential to add new, exciting flavors to the future of the Arkansan wine market. chateauauxarc.com cowiewinecellars.com postfamilie.com

MFA Exhibit and Open Studio Night! Join us on 1st Thursday May 4th 6pm to 8pm New location opening this fall in the Bentonville Arts District.

DRAWLGALLERY.COM

1 East Center St. Basement Level Fayetteville, AR

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All across Arkansas, you'll find delicious local eats in the places you least expect it. ILLUSTRATIONS /YANG LUO BRANCH

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KOUNTRY XPRESS 1107 Georgia Ridge Dr, Mulberry Open 24 hours daily

Indian drivers, from places like California,” Sharma said. “Some of them ask why I don’t do it since everything is already there, so that’s the idea.” Sharma emigrated to the United States over three decades ago from Jalandhar – an Indian city of almost one million people – and considers himself a Chicagoan. It is from a friend’s restaurant in Chicago that he borrowed the highquality North Indian recipes before he began serving up

traditional dishes in 2013. Sharma modestly calls the Kountry Xpress food good, but it could arguably be the best Indian food in Arkansas. The most popular on the menu is the chicken tikka masala and chicken curry. Lamb is also popular among American visitors, but goat is a favorite for Indian customers, Sharma said. No matter who you are, no one can leave without trying some of the fresh naan, made in a round clay tandoori oven. Sharma and his wife are considering opening up a gas station and Indian restaurant in Fayetteville, but he said business is good and they’re in no rush. “I’ve found if food is good, people don’t mind to travel.” - Ashton Eley

The Indian food at Kountry Xpress was not the idea of Owner Satish Sharma, but of his customers. Traveling on I-40, cross-country truckers often make pit stops at Sharma’s gas station in Mulberry to refuel and grab a quick bite to eat. Many of the drivers are of Indian descent, and requested that Sharma add some traditional dishes to the menu of American fried chicken and mashed potatoes. “We had the American food, you know, and then I see a lot of drivers, especially the

GREEN GOAT 617 N College Ave, Fayetteville Mon - Wed 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Th, Fri 11a.m. - 8 p.m.; Sat 11a.m. - 6 p.m.

It is hard to find good Cuban food outside Florida and, of course, Cuba. Thankfully, however hard it may be, it is not impossible. I am not alone in my love for local cuban food truck, the Green Goat. The local enterprise was nominated

for best food truck in the December 2016 edition of Celebrate Arkansas magazine, and awarded runner up for best food truck in both Citiscapes magazine and the Idle Class' Black Apple Awards. Owner Erin Walsh named the truck after the year of prosperity in the Chinese Zodiac, the same year in which she began her business. She has a colorful résumé, having cooked at places such as at a 5-star restaurant at the Grand Canyon, an Alaskan Wildlife excursion boat, and finally several years at a Cuban fine dining restaurant Florida. This eclectic breadth of experience is evident in her menu, which ranges from traditional Cuban sandwiches, such as the classic Cubano, to delicious twists on it like the Off the Rail’s, which includes goat cheese, and a delectable jam made from mango, jalapeno and pineapple. The menu also includes platter dishes, vegan and vegetarian options. Currently located in the Yacht Club off College Avenue in Fayetteville, the Green Goat will soon be moving to 583 Wood Street where Erin has two other food trucks and more ventures on the way. - Nima Eshragh SPRING 2017 idleclassmag.com

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LA SIRENITA 505 Thomas Blvd, Springdale Mon - Th: 9 a.m. - 11 p.m. Fri - Sun: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. For those in the know, Springdale is considered the capital of authentic Latin food. But La Sirenita, located on Thomas Boulevard, rises to the top in the niche market with its from-scratch Salvadoran dishes. Newcomers will feel at home with the warm greetings and service as soccer plays in the background. Artwork of vines and la sirenita – the little mermaid, in English – cover the walls of this seafood paradise.

MINUTE MAN 318 W Main St, El Dorado Mon - Tues, Thurs - Fri: 8:15 a.m. - 8:50 p.m. 40 idleclassmag.com SPRING 2017

The menu offers something for everyone, from traditional pork and steak tacos to oysters and delicious pupusas. Not sure what to order? No problem. The waiters have suggestions on hand with thorough explanations for anyone not familiar with Salvadoran cuisine. The pupusas are a great place to start. Best compared to the American calzone, the homemade dough is filled with mozza-

The sign out front says it all: “Charcoal hamburgers. Mexican food.” Minute Man is a humble, hole-in-the-wall joint with fair prices and to-the-point service in El Dorado, Arkansas. It is the last of what was once a thriving Little Rock chain that

rella and the customer's choice of meat and served with traditional sauces and curtido, which is somewhere between coleslaw and kimchi. If you’re feeling adventurous, go with the chicharrón. At only $2 each, pupusas are great choose for an inexpensive, filling meal. La Sirenita also cooks up a delicious brunch. For a special treat with coffee, try the Antojitos Salvadoreno or the Plantanos Fritos with cream. - Ashton Eley

came to El Dorado in the 1960s, beating large corporate chains like McDonald’s by a few years. In fact, according to Encyclopedia of Arkansas, Minute Man was the first franchise to offer a special meal for children, coining the phrase “Magic Meal” which Burger King bought and promoted. The menu offers up an array of hamburgers, cheeseburgers and burritos -- the most common combination: burger, cheese dip, and a drink. The restaurant itself is all purpose and functionality. Nevertheless, natural light pours in from the large windows and I’m told to take a seat, my food will be ready shortly. A few late eaters polish off the famous cheese dip and ask for refills on their Dr. Pepper. That’ll be fifty cents. My lunch arrives on a tray, high school style, and my burger is wrapped in wax paper with all the fixins. It is, by all accounts, delicious. There is an unassuming nature to the whole experience: friends behind the counter chattering away, loyal patrons coming and going sans embellishment. Before I leave, the phone rings, and I hear the phrase everyone in El Dorado knows all too well: “Minute Man, hold.” I am told to leave my tray right where it is. They will deal with it. They thank me for coming and ask––no, insist––that I come back.

- Alexander Jeffery


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TINY THAI PLACE 1039 HWY 278 W, Monticello Tues - Sat 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., 5 - 9 p.m. Tucked away in the timberland town of Monticello is a small lime green building with a red door. This is the Tiny Thai Place, and inside Chef Paul makes up mean pad thai, fresh sushi and scrumptious pot stickers––all prepared upon order. Tiny Thai Place stands out in the area for more than just its cultural style of food. The restaurant focuses on healthy, organic meals, offering plenty of delicious vegetarian and vegan options. While the atmosphere is inviting and the food is bursting with flavor (check out the Sambal chicken), picky eaters beware. “This is not Burger King,” the menu clearly states. “You may not have it your way.” If you ask for salt and pepper, you won’t get it. If you ask for sauce on the side, you will be refused. But rest assured, you want it their way. Anyone headed through Southeast Arkansas on Highway 278, or willing to travel about an hour from Little Rock for some authentic Thai, should stop by Tiny Thai Place. Again, all sushi and pot stickers come highly recommended. - Ashton Eley

JONES BBQ 219 W Louisiana St, Marianna Mon - Sat: 9 a.m. - 9:15 p.m. Sun: 10:45 a.m. - 9:15 p.m. Jones BBQ is one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants in the state. The brothers Walter and Joe Jones began selling BBQ over 100 years ago in the same general place their descendants sell it now. In the early days they raised pigs in the area and built pits just on the other side of the fence to smoke. They built the current building in 1964 and have smoked and served their legendary pork there ever since. It is now operated by the third generation owner, Harold Jones. The food at Jones' is no frills, but many make pilgrimage to Marianna frequently just to partake of it. Meat is sold by the sandwich or by the pound at an unbelievably low price. The meat has been slow roasted overnight, and it is some of the juiciest, most flavorful pork in the state. Get there early––the meat sometimes sells out by 10:30 a.m. on a busy Saturday morning. Do Mr. Jones a favor call ahead if you're bringing friends, and grab a few pounds to go along with your sandwich. - Greg Henderson

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The Devil's in the Details Bentonville's Ropeswing Group transforms an empty church into culinary heaven with Preacher's Son. WORDS / JULIA TRUPP PHOTOS / MEREDITH MASHBURN 42 idleclassmag.com SPRING 2017


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I

n the heart of the Bentonville City Square sits a 115-year-old building that at one point in time hosted its community every Sunday with prayers and sermons. Today, that building has been transformed into American-rustic restaurant Preacher’s Son, where forks meet mouths in a different kind of spiritual experience five days a week. When the Christian church that inhabited the space relocated, they took their stained glass windows with them, so the building was left with its frame and distant past. When it was decided a new restaurant would take over the space two years ago by Bentonville-based hospitality company Ropeswing Group, the architect and design team got to work reconcepting the space. “A lot of things were moved around,” said Mary Hargraves, public relations specialist for Ropeswing. “The bell tower never received a bell over the years, so the team installed 288 five-inch bells. The design team tried to leave evidence of what the building used to be while also adding new functions into it.” Preacher’s Son features a Byzantine floor plan in an octagonal shape and Gothic Revival architecture. A lot of design decisions were made to preserve as much of the original architecture as the group could, while still allowing it to become a bit more modern, Hargraves said. That’s where local artist George Dombek came in. “His paintings already existed, and as we were thinking about the design… He did a lot of cool work with his ‘In the trees’ series. There used to be beautiful stained glass windows there. So how do we stay true to the style of the building and the memory of it being a church and its history? It just came to us as a perfect combination,” said Rob Apple, managing director for RopeSwing. Apple and his team had a restaurant design that they weren’t wild about, so when the idea of having Dombek’s

watercolor art become the 11 stained glass windows around Preacher’s Son, the design team started the process of getting Dombek on board. Jett Butler, the founder of Föda Studio in Austin, Texas, helped the team design a space that would complement the windows. He made the observation that Dombek’s “In the Trees” series actually provoked feelings of being under a tree at dusk and surrounded by fireflies, which is the interior design direction they ended up taking, Apple said. From there, Butler and Föda worked with RopeSwing’s architects to select appropriate colors to bring it all to life. “Aside from the windows, my favorite area is the gold wall behind the bar on the main floor. During the day, the wall lights up and and casts a gold light back into the dining room. If you get there early you can catch a glimpse,” Apple said. “Stained glass windows are made for Sunday mornings, so at night it doesn’t necessarily bring the same feeling.” Underneath Preacher’s Son is a nice speakeasy-type bar, The Undercroft, which is meant to be a completely different experience from the lightfilled space above. It's dark, it's downstairs, and it usually has some great music going, Apple said. The word “undercroft” is Old English and means “any space under a church.” Everything in The Undercroft, another Ropeswing-run establishment, is designed to reinforce the idea that it can carry more weight than it needs to, Hargraves said. Although The Undercroft is not technically related to Preacher’s Son in terms of atmosphere, it still connects to the community tree idea in the restaurant -- it’s underground and dark, like the roots of a tree. The rustic American menu of Preacher’s Son changes seasonally. Everything is gluten-free -- which isn’t advertised by Executive Chef Matthew Cooper and his kitchen staff -- and features local Arkansas produce as well as

organic produce and seafood from the Pacific Northwest where Cooper spent six years training. “If I’m going to be the chef, I want to be able to try everything. Because I’m celiac, I have to know everything that goes into the ingredients. All being gluten-free does is makes us buy better ingredients and produce, basically,” Cooper said. “I, of course, want to be a part of the community, so (a big part of produce comes from) local farmers… And we focus on sustainability at a national level.” Because of Cooper’s training and restaurant managing near the southwest waterfront in Portland, Oregon, he has maintained his connections with fishing companies and their boats, which means it usually doesn’t take longer than a day for freshly caught fish from the west coast to make its way to the Preacher’s Son kitchen. The menu features items that are influenced by Cooper’s training in French, German, and Italian dining, such as seasonal gnocchi, schnitzel, and one of Cooper’s favorites: braised pork shank. “Braises are just my thing,” he said. “It’s a nod to every Sunday roast we had coming home. An older gentleman came in and got the pork shank, and he told us ‘This reminds me of my grandmother,’ and now he’s here all the time. Food ties us to our family, and family is important.” Although the menu has high-end options, Cooper emphasized Preacher’s Son is a “casual, come-in-shorts-and-abaseball-hat kind of place,” and with a rooftop garden and bar in the works, casual, everyday dining downtown is a great option for city-goers. “We wanted people to go into it and sit and be social and have some sort of convivial experience,” Apple said, “and we felt like it was a restaurant that we wanted to be intentional about our design and a historical building downtown. Lots of socializing, a lot like you did in church.”

THEPREACHERSSON.COM @PREACHERS_SON_BENTONVILLE

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Meredith Mashburn www.mashburnphoto.com

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s we anticipate the ever-changing seasons, we react instinctively with our creations and offerings. Artists of every field are inspired by the seasons. Spring brings about an abundance of inspiration and joy for me. The farmer’s markets are full of flavor and color, and everyone is out and about. It’s a real feast for the lifestyle photographer to sit back and observe. Watching the local chefs buy their produce early in the day has always been so fascinating to me. I giggle to myself as I follow the leader behind them, curious about what they will be creating later that day. I even try to buy the same produce in hopes that my creativity can expand past my field into the culinary. My talents are very much stuck in the visual, as much as I hope and try. I don’t have the patience, knowledge or passion to create masterpieces of culinary art. Only people with salt can live the lives of a chef. It takes long hours, hot stoves, trial and error and an artistic nature to thrive in this field. They work to facilitate special moments and celebration. In the end it's all about gathering around a table to break bread, to share in a meal, to celebrate the world that surrounds, to engage in lively conversation - ultimately, to eat, drink and be merry. Art of the Plate began as a collaboration between myself and Chef Jason Paul, of Heirloom, to explore how food styling and high-end culinary plating can be captured in a photograph to create a memorable piece of art. Eventually, it became much more than that for me. It became a study of the artistic and collaborative process. I plan on expanding this series across the South and incorporating the art and experiences into a travel and lifestyle blog, Southwordlens.com, launching in May.


BREAKFAST

Chef Patrick Lane Arsaga's - Fayetteville The Arsaga

Chef Cash Ashley

Lost Forty - Little Rock Home Skillet SPRING 2017 idleclassmag.com

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LUNCH Chef Liv Thompson� Raduno - Little Rock Burrata

Chef Anne Carroll The Farmer's Table Fayetteville

Across the Creek Chicken, New South Co--op Squash & Funny Farm Spinach

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Chef Darwin Beyer Meiji - Fayetteville At Bay

“Every year I do this, I learn more and will continue to do so until I can do it no more. My original passion of simplicity and the quality of bringing recipes to life from scratch is still just as true, but the tweaking and infusion of other cuisines and cultures into our model is the chapter I'm currently exploring. I would have to say that my inspiration in a nutshell would be knowledge and trial and error.�

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Chef Miles James

MJ Pizzeria - Springdale Tart FlambĂŠ with Fingerling Potatoes and Arkansas Farm Fresh Egg

Chef Jerrmy Gawthrop

Greenhouse Grille - Fayettevile Beet-cured Salmon, Celeriac Latke, Creme Fraiche & Sun-dried Tomato Chimichurri

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LUNCH


Chef Jason Paul

Heirloom - Rogers≠≠ MIREPOIX | Carrot. Celery. Onion.

"My creative process is very organic and free-form. I'm constantly influenced by the world around me, my current situation, ingredients, and most of all, music, especially hip-hop.”

Chef Matthew Bell

South On Main - Little Rock Sunburst Trout with Peanut Romesco, Creamed Spinach and Fingerling Potato Chips

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Maxine's Taproom

Fayetteville

HAPPY HOUR Here's a selection of some of our favorite cocktails, appetizers, and charcuterie.

Foxhole Bentonville

Stage 18 Fayetteville

Nomad's Music Lounge Fayetteville

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DeLuca's Pizzeria Napoletana Hot Springs

The Fold Little Rock

The Pantry Little Rock

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Chef Chris McMillan

Boulevard Bread Co. - Little Rock Smoked Pork Chop with White Wine Risotto, Basted Mushrooms, Roasted Fennel & Honey-bourbon Reduction

“I try to keep it simple, seasonal, relatively rustic with influences of the smoke and the bourbon. Lots of good, old-fashioned, French technique with Southern ingredients and southern heritage. It’s pretty much what I do on the reg.”

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DINNER

Chef Rodney Slane

Grotto Wood Fired Grille & Wine Cave Eureka Springs

Smoked duck with blood orange reduction, burnt carrots and goat cheese foam served with a smoked corn medley

Chef William Mauk

Foster's Pint & Plate - Rogers Caramelized Brussel Sprouts

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Chef William McCormick

MOD - Bentonville Char Siu Pork Belly, Popcorn Grits, Artichoke, Leek & Mushroom

Chef Elliot Hunt Theo's - Fayetteville Pan seared striped bass, radish, fennel, grilled scallion, avocado purĂŠe, chili aioli, red cabbage & cilantro salad

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Chef Justus Moll

River Grille Steakhouse Bentonville Beef Tenderloin, Diver Scallops & Jumbo Shrimp

Chef Amanda Ivy 1836 Club - Little Rock Shrimp & grits

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DESSERT

Chef William Lyle

Eleven - Bentonville Blue Haven Blueberry & White River Chevre Cheesecake (Deconstructed)

“Pairing food to art and finding meaningful connections between the two is one of the most rewarding parts of my job as the executive chef at Crystal Bridges Museum. I enjoy photographing raw ingredients for many of our culinary centric events here at the museum. I do this to bring back some of the mystery and excitement that we are lacking today with food reviews, photos and menus available at the click of a button.�

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Sally Mengel

Loblolly Creamery Little Rock Ice Cream Sundae

Heather Artripe

Ozark Natural Foods Fayetteville Dark Chocolate Orange Cake with Handmade Salted Bourbon Caramel

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What is your dream creative career ? animator.designer.director.vizdev.artist.leader developer.creator.storyteller.graphicdesigner webdeveloper.contentcreator.enterpreneur superhero.believer.explorer.navigator.innovator gamechanger.professional.passiongenerator Academy Award winning digital artist David Kersey brings ANIMATION to New Design School!

Enrolling Today! Fall 2017 newdesignschool.org

onemanband. etsy.com/shop/emilysonemanband @theonemanbandit

vintage. photos. art.

eat your veggies.

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FOOD & DRINK

479.871.5374 mashburnphoto.com

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