[food adventures] Good Eats Lately: NWA

D and I have been here in Fayetteville going on four months and we've eaten our way through a good portion of the food trucks and restaurants around town. We have our favorites and we have a long list of spots still left to check out. Here are some places we've tried and love.

Apple Blossom Brewing Company
Fayetteville
Grilled polenta: tomato, squash, corn salad, buffalo mozzarella, balsamic pesto viniagrette over grilled polenta. Seems to be a strange choice for an order at a brewpub, but trust. This dish is awesome. We order it EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.
Going back for...
Fayettechille Weiss on the patio after a full day of sand volleyball at Veterans Memorial Park.

Grub's Bar and Grille
Fayetteville
Buffalo chicken sandwich: absolutely huge - so share or come hungry. Fried to perfection and smothered in blue cheese dressing, what's not to love?!?
Pizza dip: good, but could easily whip this up at home. And probably will thanks to lots of Pinterest posts.
Going back for...
Trivia (now that the students are gone!), fried pickles and half price patty melts on Tuesdays (AFTER the gym).

// photocredit: my own and allrecipes.com //

Meiji
Fayetteville
Chirashi: the premium platter serves up a selection of super fresh fish on top of sushi rice (Meiji's is cooked to perfection - mushy rice seems to be the norm around here). Also comes with with squid and seaweed salad. Fish selection of the day was octopus, salmon, yellowtail, superwhite, maguro.
Grilled Shishito Peppers: basted in soy, these semi-spicy skewers of peppers were perfection. Hoping that we can find some at one of the local Asian Supermarkets.
Going back for...
The exact same meal, plus a bottle of sake. And the Tune Poke...see the next listing.

Wasabi
Fayetteville
Hawaiian Poke: spring mix tossed in a spicy ponzu, topped with a generous amount of maguro pieces,  seaweed salad and roe. I have a love for poke thanks to our trips to the Hawaiian Islands - such an easy way to eat fresh fish! And a refreshing change from the heavy rolls of NWA...where cream cheese, tempura crumbs, spicy mayo and eel sauce are king.
Going back for...
The patio! And a tall glass of Sapporo on a summer night.

// photo credit: luvmetender and my own //

Cafe Rue Orleans - Avenue Seafood Lounge
Fayetteville
Oysters: the meatiest, freshest, most delicious (seriously) Gulf oysters I've ever had. Briny and soooo good - we just kept ordering more. We lucked out stopping in here after a few hours sampling beer with Hogshead Tours. *UPDATE* We went again on a Friday night and had THE BEST oysters...AGAIN. Turns out they get them in fresh on Thursdays.
Going back for...
Brunch upstairs in their dining room (although the building is strangely in the center of a run-down motel). Eggplant Napolean, Shrimp and Grits, mimosas - sounds like a perfect nap-inducing Sunday brunch.

Arsaga's at the Depot
Fayetteville
Salted caramel chocolate chunk cookie: Self-explanatory. If you like salty and sweet, this is the treat for you.
Ethiopian Michele Yirgacheffe: French pressed for a deeper flavor. Medium, but complex - fruity with a touch of cocoa. My go-to is the Farmer's Market Blend when I'm drinking a whole pot, but this is perfect for a one-cup sitting.
Going back for*...
Salad Nicoise (had this for brunch a few weeks back...delish!) and the Butterbean - espresso pulled over butter?! Sign me up. *Arsaga's has never disappointed, everything we've had, we've loved! I'd go back for it all.

La Hacienda
Fayetteville
Stuffed, fried avocado: This is an off-menu special, so make sure you ask for it! It's a grenade...avocado stuffed with steak and cheese, battered and fried. AND smothered with queso. Voila! Three day's worth of calories and worth every bite. But the queso served with the chips was goopy, and room temp, ick. And margaritas were pre-mixed and weak. Sticking with la cerveza next time.
Going back for...
Fried avocado, chips and salsa, and Pacifico on the covered second-story deck. 

// photo credit: my own and freeweekly.com //

Crepes Paulette
Bentonville Food Trucks
Elvis: bananas, bacon, peanut butter, dark chocolate ganache
Thai: chicken, cabbage, cilantro, sunflower seeds, peanut sauce
Going back for...
EVERYTHING, but have my eye on the sweet and salty caramel with pecans.

Big Rub BBQ
Bentonville Food Trucks
Jordan sandwich: Costini bun, burnt ends, shredded cheese, blue cheese, bacon and brisket sauce. Best thing we've eaten in a long time. I mean it's essentially a maxed out burnt ends sandwich, can't go wrong.
Going back for...
A repeat of the Jordan sandwich and Hero taco (brisket, Doritos, avocado, cheese...sounds like a yummier Doritos Locos).

Trick Dilly Tacos - "no son los tacos de tu papa"
Bentonville Food Trucks
PorkDilly taco: smoked pork belly, queso fresco, shaved radish, green apple. Super rich and meaty pork belly - cooked perfectly with a little crunch. Yum!
Smoked brisket taco: brisket, pickled watermeloon, daikon sprouts, stonefruit bbq sauce. This was just *meh*. Flavorless brisket, but good crunch and zest to watermelon and sauce.
Going back for...
Finger-lickin' tater salad made with bacon lardons, oh and it's the warm German style. Just grill me up a brat and I'm in heaven (brat taco in the works?).

// photo credit: my own and yachtcluboncollege.com //

Zuppa Zuppa Soup Kitchen
Yacht Club Food Trucks, Fayetteville
Corn chowder: rich, creamy and spicy take on corn chowder. And man is it GOOD. Sweet corn is a fave of mine, so naturally corn chowder is right up there with elote on my Top Ten list. Order this, you won't be disappointed.
Ensalate erotica: greens, strawberries, sunflower seeds, red onion, cucumber, avocado and feta. Topped with the most flavorful and delicious balsamic-y viniagrette dressing you've ever had. I think we licked the bowl.
Going back for...
The chowder of course. But gotta try the crostinis and dumplings.

Baller Food Truck
Fayetteville
Bacon cheeseburger: hamburger meat blended with melty velveeta, breaded with bacon, fried and topped with all the fixin's. Why grill when you can fry?
Mac n' cheese: Just like it sounds, but better. Batter a ball of super rich (not mushy!) mac n' cheese and throw it in the fryer. Soooo gooood.
Buffalo chicken: shredded chicken with buffalo sauce, rolled in Doritos and fried and served with ranch. Yummy, but not as yummy as the top two.
Going back for...
Banana + nutella. Is there any way this won't be amazing?

The Pie Hole
Food Truck, Little Rock (at Block Street Block Party)
Ice box lemon pie: tart and creamy with a not-too-sweet graham cracker crust.
Going back for...
Oatmeal creme pie. Have always been a sucker for the Lil' Debbie version, Pie Hole's looks divine.

// photo credit: my own and freeweekly.com //

Burton's Creamery
Shulertown Food Trucks, Fayetteville
Mocha Lisa: soft-serve shake blended with fudge and Onyx cold brew/grounds
Salty Dog: waffle cone, vanilla soft-serve, rolled in crushed pretzels, injected with caramel
Going back for...
"Pup cups" the friendly folks at Burton's have on-hand so our furry friends can have a treat too.

[sightseeing] + [outdoors] + [history] NWA Exploring

Still so much to see in our new home state! Got the chance to take in more of NWA and explored a bit around Beaver Lake - a man-made lake formed by damming the White River in the 1960s. The lake itself is big - almost 500 miles of shoreline - and has beautiful limestone bluffs, lots of fishing (not so much my bag) and recreational boating (can you say pontoon?!). Can't wait to spend more time here as the weather warms up.

capturearkansas.com //eric studer

We stopped by the dam that forms the river - Beaver Dam - built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Learned a bit about the dam's construction, made a few "dam" jokes and took in the view.

Because the White River was dammed to form Beaver Lake, there were areas of land that are now submerged. One of those is an early 1900's health resort called Monte Ne. The amphitheater and several buildings are now under water and the remaining others are on the National Historic Register. But thanks to growling stomachs and a poorly (or perfectly!) timed thunderstorm we opted to get some of the Monte Ne Inn's well-known broasted chicken. //great decision

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention my first experience eating crawfish! We popped into Ozark Brew Company to fill a growler and it just so happened they were setting up a crawfish boil. All in all, it's a lot of work and a lot of mess for a little nibble of tail meat. But hey, it's part of the fun! And as an added bonus, I got to try the local collab brew between Ozark and Onyx Coffee Labs - cream stout infused with Guatemalen french roast. //now that's a go together

We also squeezed in some military history at Pea Ridge National Military Park. Lucked out with a visit during National Park Week - all parks granting complimentary admission. The park itself sits on the site of a Civil War battle that took place in 1862, significant because it saved Missouri for the Union. The national park building shows a 20 minute film setting the stage for the battle before you take off on a seven-mile loop with points of interest around the battlefield. Absolutely worth the stop to take in this place and learn a little more about our country's history.

[cooking] Lasagna cupcakes

Working from home has it's perks. Aside from having the luxury of working from my kitchen table and living in yoga pants, getting the laundry done and spending some QT with the pup and kitties; I also have some time to cook, try out a few new recipes and listen to new tunes and latest Audible purchases (will share a couple book reviews as soon as I wrap up listening Dead Wake and reading All the Light We Cannot See.)

Back to food - yeah! An old faithful that's tried and true (and one of D's faves) are lasagna cupcakes. Sounds downright strange, but man are these delicious.

Start off with your preferred meat sauce. I opted for a jar of Prego, doctored up with a 1/2 pound of italian sausage, a 1/2 pound of ground beef a dash of allspice, cinnamon and red pepper flakes. Oh and some sauteed carrots, onions and celery that happened to be in the fridge. But, hey, this adds time. The extra stuff makes for a tastier lasagnas, but they will still be super yummy if you opt to used plain old jarred marinara sauce, promise. So its your choice!

While your sauce simmers, get your layers ready and prep your full-size muffin tins with a good coat of non-stick cooking spray. And now's the time to preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

(Always thought these would be fun to make in mini muffin tins too, but would be much fussier to assemble.)

Ricotta: 1 container of ricotta, some chopped fresh basil, a pinch of salt and pepper and a little bit of shredded parmesan - borrowed from the bag you're using for the cheese layer. 

"Pasta": Potsticker wrappers (round) work GREAT to layer the circular muffin tins. If you use wonton wrappers (square) you will need to use a juice glass to cut them into circles or just leave 'em as-is for a more unfinished lasagna. You can find both the wonton and potsticker wrappers in the grocer's produce area near the tofu and Shirataki noodles (my fave).

Cheese: 1 small bag of shredded parmesan and 1 large bag of shredded mozzarella. Or grate your own - I was feeling lazy! 

Now start assembling. First, push a potsticker wrap into the bottom of each muffin tin. Top with a tablespoon of tomato sauce, then ricotta, then cheese. Add another potsticker wrap on top of that and repeat sauce, ricotta, cheese. Voila! Make sure you're ending with the shredded cheese so you get a pretty, melty, cheesey top to the cupcake. Depending how much meat is in the sauce, you might have room in your muffin tins for three layers...mine just allowed for two.

Fill the empty muffin cups with a bit of water so they don't burn. Now pop them in the oven for about 20 minutes - check the tops to be sure they're not burning. That would be the worst //

Once they're out of the oven resist the temptation to dive right in with a big bite. Your mouth will suffer! Patience young grasshopper.

Once cooled a bit these are great eaten right away but they also reheat and freeze super well. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Bon appetit//