6 States
7 Days
2,989 Miles
83 Hours 26 minutes driving time
52 Restaurants
28 Bakeries
4 Ice cream stops
15 Sonics
In the before picture that Sharpie line into NW Arkansas represents 2 days in 1991; including lunch at Sam Walton’s house. Even with this time in “The Natural State” I’ve felt like I’ve been cheating saying I’ve been to 49 states. So it was time to see ALL of Arkansas.
Sunday, April 11th, 2010
The highlight of Little Rock’s small downtown is the RiverMarket District of gentrified warehouses.
While placing the self-timer set camera on a pillar I heard, “Y’all want someone to take your picture?” “No thanks, its part of the tradition.”
One of the rare Sonics with indoor dining. Although the front doors open to make it al fresco.
Strawberry Limeade Chiller
492 calories, 83 calories from fat, 86 grams of sugar
The 34th Whole Foods Market I’ve visited, and second smallest. (Madison, WI is 1st.) Enjoyed a kale salad on their patio in ideal weather.
Just north of Little Rock, Conway’s downtown is populated with active and homey shops. In contrast in the NE corner of the state Blytheville's long Main Street’s busiest days are well past.
Pure bliss. Cranberry scone. Stupefying dense, moist and crammed with flavor.
Perched on a bluff Pocahontas’ town square immediately evokes decades of life.
Monday, April 12th, 2010
Batesville- Gateway to the Ozarks. And they have a Daylight Donuts.
Handsome historic Hardy presents an impression of canopies.
Even though it was too early for shops to be open window shopping made it obvious they were proud of their wares.
On the Missouri border near the park of the same name is the town of Mammoth Springs.
Alton, Missouri
Back in Arkansas after a 5 hour loop through Missouri.
Sniff, sniff, aren’t Sonics beautiful?
An ample use of stone gives Mountain View a stoic poise.
A refreshing departure from the accustomed nondescript chain hotel tonight’s accommodations were in downtown Harrison. The Hotel Seville was built in 1929.
Last year it was gutted and rehabbed bringing the public spaces back to their former glory.
And the rooms were transformed to a boutique level with contemporary furnishings, plush mattresses, fine tile work, rain showerheads and plasma TVs.
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
That’s right- Cattleman’s Restaurant is sandwiched between 2 stockyards.
Berryville’s lack of polish made their old town square all that more appealing.
They call this a Pine Cone. I call it fat, sugar and refined carbs. And maple good.
Eureka Springs became and remained my favorite town in Arkansas.
This Victorian era resort town has been attracting tourists since the late 1800s. The steep winding streets lined with cottages, galleries and manors provide the most enchanting sensation.
After leaving the county highway it required negotiating 45 minutes of narrow twisting roads amid flourishing scenery to reach the 1832 era War Eagle Grist Mill.
The first floor mill was in operation providing product for the third floor restaurant. The Buckwheat Waffle’s crisp crust yielded a steaming interior packed with that flour’s robust flavor.
Since I was last there in 1991 Bentonville’s town square has been rehabbed to the point of it being brand new. With retail juggernaut Walmart’s headquarters in this town (employing 9,000) it wasn’t hard to imagine were that money came from.
At that time I didn’t go into the Walmart Visitors' Center housed in their first store.
It has a respectable series of displays documenting their history, Mr. Sam’s philosophy, international presence and other Walmart store concepts.
This nationwide craze for (expensive) cupcakes is getting almost silly. At Kupcakes and More the Berry Berry Strawberry was…dare he….don’t say it…..please no….berry, berry good.
A sunny afternoon was perfect to walk around the town square.
In the Arkansas Air Museum I was more captivated by the arching trusses!
The Ozark Military Museum has a decent collection of aircraft and vehicles. What was impressive was watching the group of volunteers rehabbing this equipment and admiring their dedication and passion.
See, Sonic does have some healthier options. Grilled Chicken Sandwich on Wheat.
Van Buren had me at their county courthouse.
And then it got better with the charming Main Street melding Old West and Victorian.
Come on! Who’s going to pass up this sign?!
These graceful arches have been spanning the Arkansas River south of Ozark since 1930.
Foodies always declare the best burgers are in Russellville at Felton’s Whatta-burger. Maybe it was this high expectation that made it all that more below average.
The usual tactic for panaderias was applied entering San Marco’s Bakery- find something I haven’t had before. This 1 pound square can best be described as banana bread on steroids and it was this density that made it alarmingly addictive.
The warm waters in Hot Springs have lured tourists since the 1800s.
Today this past, the park, shopping, grand hotels and eateries still attract hordes of visitors.
Today Hot Springs has a seedier side which we can assume was better when McClard’s Bar-B-Q opened in 1948.
The Chopped Pork Sandwich had a thin spread of mayo cutting the spicy sauce in those juicy chunks of pig.
A climbing serpentine road in Hot Springs National Park culminates with this view.
Dusk gave the Grand Promendade a special atmosphere as I admired the variety of architecture of Bathhouse Row.
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
Would you believe the day started with a bakery?
The breakfast spot formula worked in Mt. Ida: remote small town with a full parking lot, preferably of pick-up trucks.
Double whammy of donuts about an hour apart in Mena and then De Queen. You know that dissolve in your mouth concept? That glazed did that.
Bryce’s Cafeteria in Texarkana, Texas has been lining them up with trays for 8 decades. Even my 39 years of age didn’t do anything to change the average age in the dining room! Appeared their clientele has been the same since 1931.
Over to Texarkana, Arkansas for bakery and then a SPINACH SALAD for lunch.
Plain Dealing, Louisiana
Still in Louisiana at the isolated Sarepta Hornet Drive-In a Pineapple Sundae hit the spot with tropical sweet coolness.
Springhill, Louisiana
Magnolia Bake Shop distracted attention from their town square.
Backyard Bar-B-Q was sourced from the indispensible roadfood.com. I solicited the young ladies opinion on their best BBQ and they recommended Beef Brisket. After cherishing this mound of meaty goodness I acknowledged their stellar choice and bestowed gratitude.
They are also known for towering pies and the Fresh Strawberry seemed the logical choice. It was.
Thursday, April 15th, 2010
4 Dice Restaurant in Fordyce . Get it? Anyway, it was like eating in someone’s home.
Yep, same town had a bakery.
Loved El Dorado’s town square for having one foot in the past and the other firmly planted in the present.
Elm Street Bakery’s interior competes for attention from the plates of goodies scattered about.
I was able to stop gazing at the tin ceiling, cabinetry and marble counter long enough to select a gooey yet crunchy Hello Dolly.
The Old Towne Store is a health food shop with a bakery. This is a sugar free Pineapple Oatmeal Muffin.
Sonic Sausage Biscuit Dippers with Warm Gravy
Town of Crossett
692 calories, 399 calories from fat, 18.3 grams of saturated fat
I had one. Oink.
Southeast Arkansas is part of Delta country also encompassing Mississippi and Louisiana marked by flat terrain, poorness, the blues and distinctive cuisine. I first checked out Lake Village’s location along a ’C’ shaped lake and then went to the highly anticipated, roadfood.com supplied eating destination.
Rhoda’s Famous Hot Tamales proved to be a local favorite. Looking at this building it is surprising it hasn’t fallen down yet!
With a bustling inside I was disappointed not be able to discretely take pictures of the sloping floor, homey tables, counter of pies and cramped kitchen. Feeling self-conscious recognizing I was among regulars it was a relief to have them nicely ask, “How are y’all doing” or “What are you having today?” An older lady sitting along the wall kept chatting me up and soon my suspicion was confirmed she was Rhoda herself. Very nice and cordial lady!
Then it cleared out long enough to quickly snap some pictures.
One bite declared why these are labeled famous. Dense mesa dough enveloped a mixture of pork and beef all transporting a masterful blend of seasoning.
Deftly seasoned Green Beans were scrumptious presumably from being cooked in bacon fat and butter. The Cornbread served directly from the cast iron pan carried a crust only allowed from ages of seasoning of that ferrous metal.
The Sweet Potato Pie was all about an assembly of assertive spices.
Well, a food truck in the tiny remote town of Warren was hard to pass up, then impossible seeing them serving that Southern staple of catfish.
Imagine this juxtaposition of tastes and textures: soft white bread; creamy mayo brightened with fresh dill; crunchy cornmeal crust; moist, flaky catfish and sweet, crisp pickle chips.
Back in southcentral Arkansas.
Pineapple Limeade Chiller. Limited time only flavor.
Rolled into Pine Bluff first for a Blueberry Muffin and then found their downtown was dead. Empty hulks of buildings. Sad.
Continued to drive for a few hours though the sparsely populated environs SE of Pine Bluff.
It was a haul to Barton in the east central part of the state to follow in Alton Brown’s footsteps. He had pie at Ray’s Diary Maid during his 6 episode Feasting on Asphalt The River Run series aired on Food Network in 2007.
From 4 choices I narrowed it down to 2 and then decided on the lemon. Hesitating, I sheepishly asked the nice lady, “What did Alton have when he was here?” Turns out it was the 2 I was debating on. “I’ll take both please.”
Lemon Coconut Cream Pie
Nana Deane’s Pecan Coconut Pie
Friday, April 16th, 2010
During the routine morning run in Brinkley the patriotic theme at Gene’s Restaurant & Barbeque made the breakfast destination a no-brainer. Put their barbeque sauce on my eggs. Could have drank it right from the bottle.
In NE Arkansas it was miles and miles of farmland with the occasional cluster of towering concrete silos. Suddenly, situated along train tracks there was a ramshackle building with red letters on the porch posts spelling D O N U T. Gee, they must be proud of their donuts. Must find out.
One of the best donuts EVER. Look at that thick ring of craggy crust. This gave a delightful and sugary crunch and encapsulated a unique and delicious flavor.
Jonesboro
By design I had enough time to cross the Mississippi into Memphis to hit up a restaurant I was disappointed to find closed during last year’s trip there.
While Charles Vergo’s Rendezvous has a storefront on 3rd St. the entrance is in a back alley making the experience all that more charismatic.
Entering the dim of their subterranean mosaic of dining rooms the odor heightens a need to chow.
Rendezvous is known for a dry rub rib cooked over charcoal. It is that magically seasoned crust that makes these a gnaw to the bone requirement. On the left is chopped chicken covered with that same magical seasoning and, unlike the ribs, has BBQ sauce. The Baked Beans will teach you a lesson of what they should taste like. Even their Red Beans & Rice (not pictured) were an exercise in depth and intricacies of flavor.
Can’t go to Memphis without a stroll down the nighttime boisterous Beale Street.
Before leaving Memphis there were two more food stops. At The Peanut Shop they’ve been using the same roaster since 1949. Gigantic Blueberry Scone at Big Ono Bake Shop.
Back in Arkansas and well off the interstate into the real America the Hughes Drive Inn is another slice of that reality.
De Valls Bluff had another two highly anticipated food stops thanks to Road Food.
Staring down at the worn floor I counted 4 layers of linoleum at Craig’s Bar-B-Q.
Their Pork Sandwich uses thick slices rather than the Arkansas tradition of chopped.
Across the street behind a forlorn ranch house is an even more forlorn Pie Shop.
Mrs. Thomas has been creating pies since 1977 evidenced by the clutter of baking tools scattered about. What this building lacks in refinement it makes up with love of pie creation!
Lemon Cream Pie
Back in Little Rock for dinner- just to prove much of the daily eats are healthy!
Saturday, April 17th, 2010
With some extra time I was able to return to RiverMarket which was closed the Sunday I got into Little Rock. (It would be nice if they had this on their site.)
Food included a Berry Muffin and Baklava.
Headed out of Little Rock in a NE direction. Another charming town square in Searcy.
Sonic Sausage Breakfast Burrito.
Up in the rolling hills of northcentral Arkansas this quaint country market could not be passed up. Neither could a hand lettered sign: HOMEMADE CINNAMON ROLLS.
Another Road Food discovery, Wagon Wheel was an anticipated event for the southern standard of Meat + 3.
Except, for maybe obvious reasons, I went with just the veggies. That is Pintos, Turnip Greens, Carrots and Corn. AKA meaty and salty, well seasoned, garden fresh and crisp.
Having been to my fair share of car museums The Museum of Automobiles was the most inaccessible being tucked along a twisting mountain road deep into Petit Jean State Park.
Their collection was heavy on 1910s to 1940s with more than half representing long defunct regional manufacturers.
Perryville, Arkansas
Ched 'R' Pepper SuperSONIC Cheeseburger
1,253 calories, 724 calories from fat, 31.1 grams of saturated fat. I barely made a dent in it. Good thing.
This marked the last Sonic of the trip bringing the grand total to 128 Sonics in 20 states with 134 menu items savored.
Sunday, April 18th, 2010
Up early to get a workout in, off to the airport at 5AM, short flight to Memphis, an hour 20 minutes to home.