Believe It or Not...

I had great service and the most delicious grilled veggie panini the other day as I stopped in at an old Arkansas favorite, Community Bakery on Main Street in Little Rock. The restaurant staff were in a pretty agreeable mood so everything went well with my order. Service has been a little sketchy in past visits and I must say it could be due to customer overload! However, I really don't care how busy they are, I just want to be treated nicely. Not too much to ask for. But, I do tend to get my meal and run...the grilled veggie panini on Ciabatta bread is to Di for!!!! Cookies were good, too!

Delicioso Cocktel de Camarones a Los 3 Potrillos Mexican Restaurant!

Mixed Reviews About Dogtown Coffee and Cookery

I have been going to Dogtown Coffee and Cookery ever since they opened the doors a couple of years ago as Java Roasting. I have loved the pleasant atmosphere and friendly, gracious staff however, I have had a bit of trouble liking their lattés and food. I actually had to quit stopping by for my morning latté because their coffee became way too bitter. Then they regrouped, changed their format and menu, and remodeled into a nice little coffee and cookery café so, I gave them another shot. The lattés are simply wonderful these days, but...the food is gonna need some work. Had the Chicken Spaghetti and Side Salad a while back and it was OK with chunks of chicken and Penne pasta for a different twist. The salad and dressing on the side needed help! Never did like those fancy tasteless bagged greens even when they are served at topnotch restaurants. Today, I stopped in for the Pimento Cheese and Potato Chips. Too garlicky and where the heck was the mayo? The finely shredded cheddar cheese did not work for my true Southern taste buds. A creamy Velveeta type would have been better. Chips were nice and crispy, though. And, service still wonderful. But, can this place stand on it's great service, luscious lattés, and cozy atmosphere as it continues to serve not so great food? Time will tell...oh, and I would pass on the biscuit and gravy, too. I do wish this place well and I sure hope they get a down home Southern cook into their cozy kitchen real soon! I think that's all it needs...

Homemade Pork Taquitos

Me & #3 went to a super Super Bowl party this year (yes, my team won)and, as usual, enjoyed lots of great food and terrific company! The beer was pretty good, too. This was my contribution to the menu...

Homemade Pork Taquitos

Ingredients:
1 lb Pork Tenderloin
1 large onion, sliced
2 large bell peppers, sliced
1-2 Jalapeño peppers, seeded, sliced
2 tablespoons oil
Salt & pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
24 Corn tortillas
Oil for frying

Directions:
1. Bake uncovered tenderloin in 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Let sit and cool.
2. Slice onion, peppers, and jalapeño into strips. In a sauté skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium/low temp. Add veggie strips and spices, cook for about 20 minutes or until a nice caramelized appearance.
3, Wrap the stack of corn tortillas in a paper towel and microwave for about 1 minute so they are pliable.
4. Shred or cut up pork and mix with the veggies. Place a heaping tablespoonful onto each tortilla and roll up.
5. Heat oil for frying in a deep sauce pan and fry taguitos seam side down, turning to get all sides golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot, warm, or room temp with Rotel cheese dip.

These are soooo delicious and easy. They are sure to 'win friends and influence anybody' at your next special get together!

"Fill Your Tummys You Sons-of- Bitches" @ Roper's Restaurant

Big food, small town, high hopes for Roper's Restaurant in Gravel Ridge. Had lunch there the other day(gazin' at the Duke) and enjoyed a monster Chef's Salad with homemade 1000 Island Dressing. Plenty of ham, eggs, cheese, tomatoes, and whatever else you expect of a classic chef's salad. Secret ingredient was the pepperoni! Some Pinto Beans and Fried Onion Rings rounded out our meal. Rings were a little greasy for my tastes buds and the beans were a little bland. Overall, the experience was good and will return. Don't know how the pricey steaks on the menu will turn out, but it's nice to be able to take the little Missy out to get a steak with fix-ins' (if you eat steak) at a small town restaurant.  Seems like we have lost most of the steak houses in the NLR/JAX area. Oops, forgot about the long standing Western Sizzlin' in Jax.

Curries and Catfish at Thai City in Siloam Springs

You can get really great ethnic food in the NWArkansas area and Thai City in Siloam Springs is just the place for some really good Thai food.  Located at 110 Hwy 412 East this small restaurant is nestled in a location that has served many restaurants in the last few years. Maybe Thai City is here to stay since they serve a delicious array of spicy and nicey ethnic dishes that agree with most palates. Being on the vegan wagon is easy with their delicious veggie curry. The baby eggplants are so tender and savory! Also, a must try is the crispy catfish dish...a perfect crunch with lots of veggies and rice. Prices are reasonable with the catfish coming in at around $10(easily serves two)and service is great! Just a short distance from the Cherokee Casino located on the OK/AR border. While you may lose your booty at the casino, you will certainly consider yourself a winner if you stop in at Thai City! Seems like the only sit down restaurant in Siloam open till around 8:00pm!

Beans & Cornbread...A Southern and Grandma Kinda Thing

If you are ever in Eureka Springs and want to taste a true Southern tradition, you must visit Grandma's Beans & Cornbread. For just under 5 dollars you can gobble up a heaping bowl of beans of choice, yellow and delicious golden baked cornbread, and all the necessary fixins! In case you don't know about cornbread fixins', then mosey over to the fixin bar and see what I mean. A bountiful array of sauces, butter, sweet pickle relish, hot peppers, and ONIONS! Can't have beans & cb without a side or two of plain ole sliced white onions. Sorry if I'm talking above your head...it's a Southern thing...

Grandma's was facilitated by a pop and daughter who were working hard at trying to be nice to each other as I placed my order. Seems like Grandma's can accommodate up to a bus load of folks all at one sitting and a bus load had just stopped by about thirty minutes earlier. Luckily the multiple orders had been taken and served, however the daughter was at her wits' end (Southern talk for sick and tired of nobody helping) accommodating all the elderly folk with their refills and such.  But, I got my order right on target and all was well with me and #3 as we munched away. (It was heck trying to get into the bathroom later, though.) Click the link above if you wish to check the other menu items at Grandma's but, that's like ordering fish at a fine steakhouse. Anyway, the beans were correctly cooked and seasoned (yes, there is a correct way of cooking beans). No ham or meat was to be found...fine with me. And the scrumptious piece of cornbread was simply...to Di for! We also enjoyed side orders of coleslaw and topped it all off with the Cran-Apple Pie.  Simple, yummy, and down home delicious...squabbling cooks in the kitchen and all.