In this week’s Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we talk with Ariel Husband, co-owner of the Gelatissimo gelato shop in downtown Rogers, but before we talk with her!!!

FOOD NEWS!!!

• Benny’s Bagels is about a month away from opening in Fayetteville. Hear how they’re different!
• Sweetgreen officially opens in Fayetteville.
• Wright’s Barbecue opened last week on the Walmart Campus.
• Clementine’s Ice Cream opens later this week on the Walmart Campus
• BLU in downtown Rogers is expanding!
• Happy anniversary to Shirley’s!
• ChoKolata is coming to Springdale!
• In this week’s Flavors Flashback, we hear from the owners of the soon-to-be new Northern Italian Restaurant in downtown Rogers, Cura. They used to have Cura Culinary in Bentonville Provisions, and they talk about their Northern Italian food from our interview in the summer of 2024.

Ariel and Daniel Husband have known each other since they were 16 years old. They started dating in high school and delivered newspapers together from a hollowed-out school bus around downtown Dallas on the weekends. Their first date was to Braum’s, so you had to know they’d get into frozen desserts at some point! After marriage and kids, they’d always look for local ice cream-type shops in their travels. About 6 years ago, they went to a wedding out of town and noticed that a frozen treat shop they went to was absolutely packed. They wondered why there wasn’t anything like that in Northwest Arkansas... When they did decide to open a shop, how did they decide on Gelatissimo? Being all natural and made in-house surely didn’t hurt. Ariel will tell you the story. Also, hear about their grand opening- it was non-stop! We talk with Ariel Husband of Gelatissimo next here on the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas.

Happy New Year!!! In this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we talk to Natural State Rabbit President & CEO Brian Bonk. He runs what’s basically 2 companies in one – selling rabbit meat for food and the biologics side where parts of the rabbit are used in medicine and other things. Also with us are rabbit evangelists Mike Robertshaw and Meredith Butler of Pizzeria Ruby... but first!?!

FOOD NEWS!!!

• Black Apple Hard Cider closed at the start the year
• Crabby’s in Rogers also closed at the start of the year and are offering refunds for gift cards sold during their December promotion.
• KDK’s Chicken & Waffles in Fayetteville will open later than planned.
• Hear when the Botanical in Fayetteville will open! Also, Artemis next door is soon-to-open!
• Rendezvous Junction Brewing is holding a chili cookoff. We tell you how to compete in it.
• Buster Belly’s old location on Dickson is getting a new tenant.
• On this week’s Flavors Flashback, hear the horror that was the week leading up to the opening of Gaskins on Emma.

Natural State Rabbits resides in downtown Rogers and is the largest supplier of rabbit to restaurants in the country. They’re also a biologics company. They use parts of rabbits for medicine and other things around the nation and the world. It’s a pretty amazing story and FULL of history as the company started in 1911. We had the conversation at Pizzeria Ruby, as their relationship with Natural State Rabbit started before it was even called that. In fact, there was no Pizzeria Ruby at that point, and they were operating a food truck! How they got connected is a fun story. By the way, we were feasting on rabbit tenders during the interview and they were so good. I’ve recently become a fan of rabbit – if you haven’t tried it yet, think chicken but grass-fed and leaner. It’s SO GOOD.

They’re offering OUR listeners and followers 15% off their starter variety box, just use “FLAVORS” as the discount code at nsrabbitmeat.com. That includes free shipping, or you can hop over to downtown Rogers and pick it up if you’d like.

We hear from Natural State Rabbit President & CEO Brian Bonk, and Pizzeria Ruby’s Mike Robertshaw and Meredith Butler in today's edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas.

Welcome to the End-of-Year Special of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast!!

Juuuuuust when you thought there wouldn’t be a podcast today (amirite?!?!). It’s been a series of technical snafus the past few days, but it’s finally done!

In this End-of-Year Special, we picked out some of our favorite stories of the year. We couldn’t do them all, because the episode would be too long and consequently, I found out that I didn’t have enough storage to make the episode any longer anyway.

We didn’t include Food News in this episode, either. I didn’t want to make it a focus of the episode, but some news came down that we couldn’t just put off.

• I got word that Black Apple Hard Cider will be closing their taproom for good after today. That’s right, the last day will be today, December 31, 2025. Get out there if you can!
• Fridha’s Mexican Kitchen and Mezcal officially closed their doors for good last night (12/30). They’ll transition into a catering business, mobile bartenders and event space.
• Jaclyn’s Kitchen announced today that they’ll be opening at their new location at Prairie Creek Marina on March 1.
• Black Crown Social closed their doors, and it’s for an exciting reason. They’re growing and they’re moving to a bigger spot. It’s currently under construction. No word on where the spot is or when it will open

We round out 2025 with stories from Junto, MJs Pizzeria, San Miguel Mexican Grill, Lasang Pinoy, Marsouls, Sassafras Winery, The Odd Soul, Pizzeria Ruby, KYYA, The River Grille, Eleven at Crystal Bridges, The Stonebreaker, Erin Rowe, The Venesian Inn, The Hive, Leverett Lounge, Heirloom at the 1907, The Wooden Spoon, Menya Kitakara, New Province, Goat Lab, Bocca, R.G. Mason & Carson Apple Brandy, Chefs Matthew Cooper and Rafael Rios, Dot’s Hot Chicken, Uptown Kitchen & Taphouse, Atlas the Restaurant, Onyx Coffee Lab, Casa Alejo, Bistro 16, Bentonville Brewing Company, UA Football player and pitmaster Cam Ball, Kilroy Public House, Rendezvous Junction, Callisto, Nosh Nola, Geraldi’s & Pizza Navona, Baked by Kori, Mockingbird Kitchen, Bloom Cheese Collective and Archie’s Sandwichery.

Available on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and welcome to this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, as we’re in Bentonville talking to Kevin Girkins, owner of the super-popular Archie’s Sandwichery, but first?!?!

FOOD NEWS!!

• We learned yesterday that a popular spot will be closing its doors at the start of the New Year.
• Desi Fusion has announced when they’ll close their Ft. Smith food truck and open their brick and mortar in Springdale!
• Potbelly Sandwich Works opens in Springdale, and owner Tiffany Montgomery talks about building two restaurants at once!
• PJ’s Coffee has started construction in Rogers.
• Few tickets remain for Sunday night’s restaurant takeover by Super-chef Marcus Samuelsson. We’ll tell you what he’s making!
• This week’s Flavor’s Flashback is one of my favorite Mike Engleman Home Pro Tip’s of the Week of all time and it comes from Darwin Beyer at Meiji in Fayetteville.

Kevin Girkins got in the restaurant business initially because his dad caught him red-handed doing something illegal. Seriously. It’s a funny story.

He’s from Austin and moved to Northwest Arkansas to help build and run a popular franchise in Bentonville. It took a fortuitous turn at his next stop which gave him the confidence to start his own spot, which is what he eventually did with Archie’s.

Why a sandwich shop in Bentonville? Kevin will tell you why. Also, where did the name Archie’s come from? There’s a portrait on the wall at Archie’s that’ll explain it. We talk with Archie’s owner/operator Kevin Girkins next, here on the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast.

In this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we’re at Lasang Pinoy, with owner Maria Smith and her brother, executive chef Bill Martfeld – But you start how we start it around here...

FOOD NEWS!!

• Chick’n Headz opened in Bentonville
• Fuego Tortilla is now open in Fayetteville
• Crisp & Green opened their second location. We’ll hear from owner Tony Airoso.
• Potbelly’s opens in Springdale this week
• Pizza Lotties will be opening in 2026 – we’ll tell you when!
• Celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson will be preparing you a lavish dinner before the New Year if you act fast!
• Feroz the Afghan Restaurant will open next year. We’ll tell you when and where!
• Hideaway Pizza is coming to NWA!!
• Downtown Rogers is holding a restaurant weekend. We’ll tell you when!
• HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, Puritan Coffee & Beer!
• In this week’s Flavors Flashback, you’ll hear the hilarious way that co-owners and spouses Trae and Weisi Basore met!

Lasang Pinoy Owner Maria Smith owns and runs a family restaurant. Her brother Bill Martfeld is the executive chef, her husband will work there sometimes, her mom is always there. It’s their home away from home. Maria and Chef Bill talk about being born in the Philippines and their path to Rogers. They’ve been EVERYWHERE, and you’ll hear the stories. Also, though they’re just over a year old, they were affected by the Rogers tornado. You won’t believe that story. And the food. If you’ve not had it, you’ll be in for a treat when you go. They JUST released their new menu. You’ll hear what’s brand new on the menu, and what’s a staple... and it’s all next here on the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas.

In this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we’re at the Bloom Cheese Collective in Fayetteville talking with the supremely energetic co-owner Ali Kay Hammer Cameron, but first!!!

FOOD NEWS!!

• Handshake opens at the Fayetteville Public Library. We’ll tell you what to expect!
• Firecat Coffee opens in South Fayetteville.
• Cronut Donuts are opening their 3rd spot in south Fayetteville
• The 12th Annual Nog-Off was a supreme success at Maxine’s Taproom.
• Crisp & Green is opening in Fayetteville- we’ll tell you when.
• Potbelly’s Sandwiches is opening in Springdale in spitting distance from Crisp & Green (if you’re good at that sort of thing).
• Monte Ne Inn is close to the off-season. Go get your family-style chicken, pronto!
• The Honeycomb Kitchen Shop added the Honeycomb Wine Shop.
• Tonight is Occupy Odd Soul night in downtown Springdale. Come donate a pizza with me!
• Ria Pizza is coming to DTR!
• Happy Anniversary to Vetro 1925 and Envision Nutrition- y’all are getting old!
• This week’s Flavors Flashback takes us to the River Grille where we hear about bootlegging in the early days (true-ish story).

Ali Kay Hammer Cameron entered the cheese world initially due to locational happenstance. She lived near a cheese shop in Dallas that she fell in love with and eventually worked there. She’ll tell us about her budding love affair with cheese, and how she became a certified cheese professional...

After some time in North Carolina, she and her husband Brooks moved to Fayetteville to be closer to family, and build a family of their own... What made her want to start a cheese shop here? She tells the story about what it was that made her decide to do it.

Also, when putting together a cheese shop, what’s the most important part of it? And what cheeses do you start with? Finally, they have some big plans for 2026, and she lets us in on a fun one... that’s next here on the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas!

In this week’s episode of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas, we’re in Fayetteville at Mockingbird Kitchen talking to co-owners Chrissy Sanderson & Leigh Helm, but before we get to them?!?!

FOOD NEWS!!

• The Compton Hotel opened their three food and bev concepts, with Sestina, The Eddy, and Field Notes. We’ll hear about the concepts from Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Vision Officer of Indigo Road, Steve Palmer.
• Hear how to win free tickets to Downtown Fayetteville’s Holiday Haul Brunch Crawl!
• Speaking of Downtown Fayetteville, Maxine’s is hosting their 12th Annual Nog-Off. We’ll give you the deets!
• The Fry will be opening soon in downtown Bentonville. We’ll tell you when!
• Looks like we’re going to have three restaurant openings in January. We’ll tell you who’s close to opening their doors!
• Happy anniversary to Kosmos Greek Café. It’s a BIG one!
• We go back to last April for this week’s Flavors Flashback to hear from Nellie B’s about moving from California and learning about dirt road deliveries!!

This month is a very momentous one for Mockingbird Kitchen. Chef Chrissy Sanderson and Leigh Helm opened the restaurant a decade ago this month! They’ll talk about what it was like getting the doors open back then, and how they’ve been able to thrive this long.

They’ll also talk about having to turn on a dime because of Covid. In fact, they’ll tell us about the day it happened, what it was like having to deal with something that you can’t prepare for, and how the community stepped up for them. Some fun stories there.

Finally, the food. Upscale, approachable, fresh and scratch-made. I had my introduction to stir-fried farro with shrimp, and I’m an evangelist now- and that Mockingbird Pie? We talk about that and more next here on the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas.

In this Week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas, we’re sitting down with the lovely Kori Stanton of Baked by Kori in both Rogers and Fayetteville – but first?!?!

FOOD NEWS!!

We’ve got some openings to get to, more than usual, so let’s get to it!

• Fayetteville Tea House finally opened!
• Firebirds Wood Fired Grill opened on Monday. I recommend the aged ribeye and a certain wine!
• NWA’s first Potbelly Sandwich Shop opened on the Walmart Campus.
• NWA’s first Sweetgreen also opened on the Walmart Campus.
• You’ll be able to get Nellie B’s Bakery goods elsewhere now.
• Handel’s Ice Cream is coming to Fayetteville.
• NYC Express Deli is adding a location!
• Chick’n Headz announced their grand opening date
• Happy anniversary to Natural State Beer Company!
• Sad news to report. Levi’s Gastrolounge announced that they’ll be closing their doors. We’ll tell you when.
• Flavors Flashback to KYYA Chocolate’s Rick Boosey’s dangerous trip to Ecuador!

Kori Stanton wanted to be a lawyer when she went to college. After a few weeks working at a law firm, she decided that it wasn’t the route for her. After college, she and her husband moved to New York City where they would raise their family and be for several decades. That’s also where Kori started her baking business. And boy, she caught fire. Her cookies were the Snack of the Day on the Rachel Ray Show, and that was great – and not-so-great. Kori will tell us why.

Also, what was it like starting a bakery in New York City where spots are already so established? A hint here- it’s all who you know. Also, what was it like living in NYC during 9/11?

And lastly, how did they end up in Northwest Arkansas?? We talk with Kori Stanton from Baked by Kori next here on the Flavor of Northwest Arkansas!