'A full circle experience'

William McCormick is excited about his new position as executive chef at Eleven, the restaurant inside Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville.

"It is the pinnacle of art, culture and the transformational revolution that's happening in Northwest Arkansas," the eighth generation Arkansan said. "It's pretty special to come to a place that's as special and unique. It's magical to be inspired by all of the art and the people who work here. It's a great thing."

William, a New England Culinary Institute trained chef, earned an internship at New England's L'Espalier, worked at Abacus, a fine dining restaurant in Dallas and led the opening teams of several local restaurants. He's now found a new home at Eleven. After only a few months he's already left his mark. He recently debuted a new menu and is ready for area friends and families to join him in celebrating life, nature, art, and cuisine inspired by Northwest Arkansas.

"The pillars of the museum are art, architecture and nature," the young chef explained. "We are working around nature, connecting to the art, and working in a beautiful architectural setting. When you walk through the galleries, grounds and trails, you feel such a connection to the earth. I want to bring the feel of nature into the dining room and connect on an edible level."

Connections

Making that edible connection was his full focus when he created the new menu at Eleven. To do that William needed to make some local connections himself. He has partnered with area and regional producers of cheese, baked goods and cooperatives to bring the freshest local ingredients into his kitchen and onto the tables of Eleven. Many of his new signature dishes showcase regional ingredients. The Chopped wedge salad is one.

"It's a delicious classic salad," he said. "The way we connect it to the community is using Petit Jean Meats out of Northwest Arkansas and Edgewood Creamery cheese from Purdy, Mo. Edgewood supplies the blue cheese that we use for the dressing and the crumbles. You get this refined version of a true classic salad, and it's created using local ingredients."

Eleven's Ozark Mountain Mix - a Arkansas twist on trail mix - has already been a hit with Eleven's guests.

"That's a really fun one," he said. "There are soybeans, black eyed peas, freeze dried corn and popped sorghum in it. We've taken the staples of Arkansas and created this beautiful mix of delicious chunky bits."

Several of Edgewood Creamery's cheeses make it to the tables at Eleven during lunch, brunch, dinner and the restaurant's Culture Hour, the museum's happy hour. A shareable cheese and fruit plate is proving to be a popular menu item for friends wanting to sip and share.

"I want Eleven to be a gathering place for friends and families," he said. "I want it to be a place to sit and have this communal experience where dishes and drinks are passed around and shared among friends. The Edgewood Creamery cheese is our current offering. The fruit garnishes are there to highlight the cheeses that are available. There are great family dairies and cheese makers around the region. I want to utilize the bounty around our region and serve it in the simplest form."

One bounty from the region is trout, and William makes unique use of it in a trout rillette, a warm dip served with Eleven's signature hot and sour saltines.

"It's a beautiful rainbow trout that's been smoked, dried and cured," he explained. "We puree it with different kinds of herbs, spices and butter and a little bit of cream to it. You get this smoky trout dip that's really delicious."

Friends and family

As William worked up his menu and created the culinary journey he wanted his guests to take, creating show-stopping entrees was a priority. To do that he concentrated on putting a modern twist on classic American comfort food, such as fried chicken and pork chops. To do that some classic cooking techniques were required.

"I like to take a classic dish that you find every Sunday night on supper tables around the region and put a spin on it," William said. "We take some beautiful chicken and brine it and cook it sous vide and then we braze it in its own fat. We use creamer potatoes that are slow cooked, smashed and finished in a hot skillet. It is served with a French version of a southern gravy flavored with pink pepper corns."

Eleven's twist on classic supper table entrees includes a grilled pork chop. But, as with many of the menu's offerings, it's not your grandma's chop. No offence meant to grandmas.

"We use a Grass Roots Cooperative pork chop," he said. "They are a local community of farmers and ranchers. It's served with a rutabaga puree and some pickled mustard seeds. We finish the chop with a carrot caramel. We juice carrots, reduce the juice and brush the chop the last second. It adds that smoky flavor."

For dessert, William suggests trying the Griddled Pound Cake, a pineapple upside-down cake inspired creation. The fruit is slowly cooked with white wine, simple syrup, clove and some black pepper, finished on a cast iron griddle and served with a Black Apple Crossing Hard Cider infused whipped cream. A semifreddo, a mousse-like dessert is frozen and plated with the pound cake.

"We make it and freeze it to 100-degrees below zero," he said. "When you break it, it's like dropping a ball of ice. You end up with these different irregular pieces of semifreddo. Freezing alters the texture and creates different levels of texture in a single bite."

You can tell William is serious about his job and brings his personal twist to the dining experience at eleven. It's also evident he cares about his guests and optimizing their dining experience.

"I want guests to come in and share a great meal with friends and family in this beautiful space," he said. "The museum has so many offerings inside and outside. You are not just going to dine out. You are going to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. It's a full circle experience."