Flavors of Northwest Arkansas

Butter/Scotch Bakery & Bar- Sam Gibson

On this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we’re at Butterscotch in the Bentonville Square- you know the place- part bakery, part bar. We get into that, but first! FOOD NEWS!
Applications are open for the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame...
The original location of Slim Chickens is closed until summer, we think. We took video yesterday and, well, the original building is gone.
Cobblestone Farms in Fayetteville is now reserving 2025 Spring/Summer CSA shares....
The 2nd annual NWA’s shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade has been announced. We have the particulars.
Fayetteville’s Spoon Fusion Korea Oh-K Dog on Dickson Street will temporarily close starting today and will re-open the 24th, according to their social media post. (*)
Some sad news to report. Popular Fayetteville Food Truck Swag Banh Mi announced yesterday that they’ll be closing down in 3 months. We’ll hear why from a co-owner.
Sam Gibson is the Director of Operations and Bar Manager of Butterscotch Bakery and Bar in the Bentonville Square. He’s been there since he helped concept it with longtime friends and owners Sam and Larissa KcKenzie. He’ll tell us why it’s a bakery and bar, of course, a unique pairing..
Also, how did they wrangle prime real estate on the Bentonville square?!?! We’ll hear that story as well.
We’ll talk about the bakery and what Sam wants to see on store shelves nation-wide from there, and he makes us some EXCEPTIONAL Butterscotch Old Fashions, I can say that it’s the best Old Fashion that I’ve ever had...
Sidenote- a bit of explicit language in this one, so plan accordingly.
Thanks for listening- listen wherever you get your podcasts, and watch now on YouTube!

Crystal Bridges & The Momentary- Tim Ordway

On this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we head to Crystal Bridges where we talk to Chef Tim Ordway, Associate Director of Culinary Operations at Crystal Bridges & the Momentary... But before we get to Tim, we have food news!
The Akira Ramen and Bowl food truck in Fayetteville is adding a brick and mortar location.
The quickly popular Stonebreaker Hotel restaurant has new hours
Sadly, we have 2 restaurant closures to talk about
Chef Tim Ordway started his culinary career like so many- as a teenager working in fast food (Chik-Fil-A, actually), and knew pretty early-on that he wanted to work in food. But it wasn’t just for the food aspect. Tim will explain.
He credits his college education at Johnson & Wales for giving him a head start in the culinary industry, where he moved up quickly.
He became a sous chef quickly in his early 20’s at a restaurant where he met his wife.  Chef Tim tells us why they moved from Charlotte to Northwest Arkansas.
And there are many folks out there wondering why Crystal Bridges has a chef. They have several, and Chef Tim will tell you what all they’re responsible for- it’s a BIG list. For those that don’t know, there are MANY culinary adventures are offered at Crystal Bridges, and that list is about to grow.
***Sidenote- if you haven’t seen or heard, we’ve added video to Flavors and you can now watch on YouTube (just search for Flavors of Northwest Arkansas, or find the link on our Facebook or Instagram). 

*BONUS EPISODE* Celebrity Chef Rocco DiSpirito

*SPECIAL BONUS EDITION*
One of my favorite celebrity chefs of all time is Rocco DiSpirito, and I had the chance to interview him! I just couldn’t believe it.
He’s holding a restaurant takeover at Choctaw Casino in Pocola on February 7 & 8, and we got a preview of the menu (that he called his favorites) and for those going, prepare for a treat.
Team Flavors of Northwest Arkansas will be at Friday night’s 8pm service, because, how often are you going to get to eat a Rocco DiSpirito 5-course dinner?
We also talked to Britta Erickson, who came up with the idea of celebrity chefs coming in and hosting the restaurant takeovers and she was with Choctaw Casino’s Executive Chef Shawn Berry, who pulled back the curtain for us a bit about these takeovers.
It’s a quick episode, but it was one of my faves.
Hope you enjoy!

The River Grill- Brenda Swango

On this edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we’re up in Bentonville at The River Grille talking to Brenda Swango, but before we get to that... we talk Food News!
Some good news:
The Feral Pig is finally open in Fayetteville. We hear what items owner Julie Sill has brought over from the legendary Common Grounds
Chef Rafael Rios has announced the grand opening date for his newest venture, Casa Magnolia in downtown Springdale
Some not-so-good news:
The Blackberry Brasserie has closed
Bentonville Provisions will be closing soon.
Brenda Swango practically ran a café at a gas station as a 14-year-old. She worked in restaurants through college, which included pounding ice at 6 in the morning. She’ll tell that story.
After college, she worked in retail and travel, but the pull of restaurant life never left her, and she wanted back in. She worked for a restaurant group in Oklahoma and wanted a project where she was a partner, and it finally came. A steakhouse in Bentonville in the year 2000? Hear what she thought at the time.
Brenda also tells us about their event called Dining in the Dark. What is it, how do folks participate, and what does it have to do with Chelsea Handler?
We hear about it all with River Grille’s Brenda Swango, on this edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas!
Listen wherever you get your podcasts!

KYYA Chocolate- Rick Boosey

On this edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we’re talking CHOCOLATE and all sorts of stories with KYYA Founder Rick Boosey, but first in Food News:
Zelli Pasta is now... a deli? Yes, hear about Zelli deli from one of the owners.
House 1830 is celebrating the Lunar New Year, and you can too.
Another longtime Fayetteville bar will be shutting its doors.
It’s Bentonville Restaurant Week!
Get your tickets now to the AACF Soup Sunday!
Rick Boosey started KYYA Chocolate after a trip to Uganda where he saw how underprivileged kids in an orphanage were living. He’s a serial entrepreneur and decided that was how he was going to help that orphanage.
Among other things, cacao (or cocoa beans) is a natural resource in Uganda, and that’s how KYYA Chocolate was born. But it wasn’t that simple- Rick had to learn to make chocolate and YouTube videos weren’t cutting it.
Speaking of KYYA Chocolate, how did they come up with that name?
After many tries, they started making good chocolate. Hear who bought Rick’s first order and for how much!
Rick has made several trips to source cacao straight from the farmers to cut out the middleman, and in doing so, has had some close calls and harrowing experiences in South America. He tells those stories.
KYYA went from making 25 chocolate bars in a week to having over 300 items and making 5,000 items in a day. Hear about that progression.
Rick talks about learning from missteps and even a funny story about buying barcodes from barcodes.com... or eBay (we think).
So much storytelling, and you’ll hear it on this episode of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas.

Stonebreaker Hotel- Chef Tyler Rogers

On this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we’re at the soon-to-open Stonebreaker Hotel in Fayetteville where they have already opened for restaurant dinner service and we talk to Executive Chef Tyler Rogers. I had a GREAT interview with him and can’t wait for you to hear it!
In food news:
Café Rue Orleans celebrates 24 years. Co-owner Maudie Schmitt re-lives the final moments before they opened back then.
After soft opening for a week, TOCA held their grand opening in downtown Springdale yesterday.
Osaka House will soon be opening in Fayetteville, according to the Fayetteville Flyer.
Los Compas Margarita Town opens in Rogers.
A new pop-up is kicking off tonight at Arsaga’s Mill District from Rabbit Hole NWA.
Tyler Rogers is from south Arkansas, and it was a book that carved the course for his professional life... He was a fry cook in high school for gas-money and between then and now, he’s worked at a couple of 3-Michelin Star restaurants, and a single star Michelin restaurant where he became sous chef, and that helped define what he does today.
Tyler’s fried catfish, made edible balloons, had a night where each course was based on a Wes Anderson Movie and much more... He’s Big on creativity, and so is his menu.
Listen to Chef Tyler Rogers right here on the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas!

Ozark Culinary History- Chef Erin Rowe

On this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas Podcast, we have the definitive storyteller of Ozark Culinary History on with us, and she’s a very gifted storyteller at that, her name is Chef Erin Rowe.
But first in Food News, we talk about the soft opening of Toca in downtown Springdale. General Manager Samantha Chavez will give us the rundown of what kind of restaurant they are. We also have an update on former Proof restaurant Lasang Pinoy as they plan to open in their new place soon. Finally, congrats to the Botanical team, as they've added to their portfolio. We’ll explain.
They say that a cat lives 9 lives. Chef Erin Rowe is living all 9 right now once you see what she’s done and what she’s doing.
From teaching, to selling art, to culinary school, to singing, to giving food tours- we get to it all with a special focus on Ozark Culinary History, where she wrote what’s basically textbook for it, titled: An Ozark Culinary History: Northwest Arkansas Traditions from Corn Dodgers to Squirrel Meatloaf.
She tells us some of her favorite stories, interviews and recipes from the book- she’s such a great storyteller that I got lost on my questions a few times as I got completely sucked in. You will too, and we’ll hear from her next here on the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sassafras Springs Vineyard & Winery - Co-owner Cheryl Long and General Manager Drew Gorton

Happy New Year!!! Welcome to 2025, and thanks for listening to our first podcast of the year, we appreciate you being here!
I know that there are folks out there that are kicking off the year with a dry January, and we wish you all the success... However, here at the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas, we toast to the New Year with Sassafras Springs Vineyard and Winery... we’ll talk with them in a minute.
But first- Food News!
Wanted to start with the Yankabilly Smokehouse- the former food truck at the Boardwalk in Springdale is now open inside Mothership on Emma. They’ve been up and going for 3 weeks and co-owner Aaron Kemper told me that they have some big plans for the spring, and it might involve their outdoor stage.
2025 will also be bringing some new restaurants and concepts to our area, and there are plenty that we’re excited about:
We kick it off with the Handshake coming to South College in Fayetteville. It’s one of the 2 concepts coming from the Conifer team this year.. Former Conifer GM Hope Ray is a Fayetteville native and will be at the helm for this one. Just like Conifer, the menu will be gluten-free and have a heavy emphasis on being locally sourced. It will also have a market with locally sourced meat, veggies and more. The building is taking on a significant remodel, so it will take some time.
The other concept from Conifer was announced a month ago, RYN. It’ll be in Bentonville, and will be a farm-to-table tasting menu restaurant in a renovated farmhouse right next to their farm. They also plan to have events on their surrounding land.
Yeyo’s Executive Chef and Owner Rafael Rios got busier in 2024 as he became part-owner in downtown Springdale’s Bauhaus Biergarten... He’ll get even busier this year, as he’ll be opening Casa Magnolia directly across Allen Street from Bauhaus. According to their website, outside of the café, they’ll have a Two Friends Community Book kiosk, art, coffee, clubs, ice cream and more... We’ll let you know when we hear about a grand opening date.
Bentonville Chinese Restaurant Wu Zhao is projected to open later this month. It’ll be owned by Blu Fresh Fish Marketplace’s Barry Furuseth, Vincent Yao Lim, who’s executive chef and known as the Wolf of WOK Street in Australia with millions of social media followers, and former champion of Netflix’s Zumbo’s Just Desserts, Catherine Zhang. We talked with them on November 13th, if you want to hear that episode. They’ll be opening next door to Mezzaluna in downtown Bentonville.
Sadly, yesterday was the final day of service for Mermaids in their current location in Fayetteville. I did receive confirmation yesterday that they’re still targeting April for their opening date at their new location... still no confirmation yet on the location but will let you know once it’s set.
Sassafras Springs Vineyard and Winery is many things... a winery, a wedding venue, a retail space, a restaurant, a place to stay and more, but it certainly didn’t start out that way.
Co-owner Cheryl Long and GM Drew Gorton detail for us the journey to what it is today. They’re mother and son of a family-run business, and that cast continues to grow.
They have some wines that have won impressive awards in some of the biggest competitions in the US. How did they learn to make wine? You’ll hear that story.
Equally as important, how do they bottle it? They started off bottling by hand. It’s been an evolution for sure, and they recently made a huge investment in it.
Finally, we ask all of our guests what their last 24 hours was like- they had a great, albeit frazzling story!
Listen wherever you listen to podcasts!

2024 Year-End Edition; My Favorite Segments

What a year 2024 was! In this edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we check out my favorite segments of 2024. As you might imagine, we couldn’t fit to all the stories and episodes, as we had over 40 interviews this year!
That said, you’ll hear from chefs, bakers, brewers and owners as they talk about building out their dreams, and the roads taken to get there.
If you’re into giving Christmas presents this year, you don’t even have to wrap mine- just like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you all. See you in 2025!

Smokin' Oak Wood-Fired Pizza and Taproom- Ben Roberts

On this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we’re in Uptown Fayetteville at Smokin Oak Pizza interviewing the proprietor Ben Roberts as we were surrounded by the self-pour tap-wall there... we’ll get into it in a sec, but first, food news!!
The folks that own and operate Tusk & Trotter and Brother’s Meethouse are hosting their 14th annual Christmas Eve free community brunch. Of course, it’s happening on December 24th from 10am to 2pm at Tusk and Trotter in downtown Rogers and at Brother’s Meethouse in Bentonville.
Some big news for Grow NWA recently. Microgreen Queen Katie Helams of Grow NWA now offers a monthly microgreen subscription for only $20. You can see all about it at their beautiful new website, grow-dash-nwa.com. They’re also always stocked at Bentonville Provisions and at the Turnbuckle Farmstand in Bentonville.
A few new winter/holiday cocktail menus are out. Mezzaluna Pasteria in downtown Bentonville is one of them, and I’m eyeing the Boozy Hot Chocolate- it has Callebaut whole bean roasted Belgian dark chocolate, Grand Marnier, and Averna cinnamon whipped cream (yum). It comes garnished with Markham & Fitz artisanal chocolate shavings and a vanilla toasted marshmallow.
Black Apple in Springdale also has one, and I’m looking at a drink called Reindeer Games- it has gin, licor 43, orange, and cranberry juniper cider. Also eyeing that Irish coffee.
And finally, Episode 3 of Bien the Know came out Sunday and comes out every month on the 15th. If you’re not familiar with it, Bienvenue Owner and Executive Chef William Mauk and I interview someone on a topic and Chef Will also answers recipe questions from you. You can email him at chef@bienvenuerestaurant.com. This month, we talked with Chef Carrie Burse from Bentonville Provisions about kitchen items that actually work and make great holiday gifts. You have 2 chefs giving you their 2 cents on this! Check out Bien the Know, available wherever you get podcasts...
And now to Smokin Oak Pizza. Owner Ben Roberts has had several businesses over the years and also works in the marketing and tech sectors, but as a kid, he started in the restaurant business and did it into college.
When looking for a new venture, he went back to his roots and got back into the restaurant business and he’ll tell us why, and why he picked pizza.
They opened after covid and felt the effects of it while working to get the restaurant built out. There was some quick pivoting that had to be done.
And they’re Arkansas’ first legal self-pour tap wall. In fact, they helped get a bill passed so that they could be Arkansas’ first self-pour tap wall after a mix-up with the powers-that-be. It’s quite the story, check it out!