Herman's Ribhouse of Fayetteville and Neal's Cafe of Springdale were among the finalists announced for the 2022 class of the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame.
Tusk and Trotter's Rob Nelson and James at the Mill of Johnson are up for the Proprietor of the Year and Gone But Not Forgotten awards, respectively, according to a news release.
The winners of the awards will be announced at a Feb. 7 ceremony at Central Arkansas Library System's Ron Robinson Theater in downtown Little Rock.
The Northwest Arkansas restaurants were chosen from more than 2,000 submissions by a panel of state historians, chefs, foodies and food authors.
The winner of the People's Choice Award, based on the number of nominations each restaurant received, will also be named during the ceremony.
Finalists for induction into the hall of fame include Colonial Steak House of Pine Bluff, Dairy King of Portia, Dixie Pig of Blytheville, Herman's Ribhouse of Fayetteville, K Hall & Sons Produce of Little Rock, Kream Kastle of Blytheville, Neal's Cafe of Springdale, Ohio Club of Hot Springs, The Faded Rose of Little Rock, Bulldog Restaurant of Bald Knob, Lindsey's Bar-B-Q & Hospitality House of North Little Rock, Bailey's Dairy Treat of Hot Springs, Stoby's Restaurant of Conway, Bruno's Little Italy of Little Rock and Daisy Queen of Marshall.
See the full list of finalists and purchase tickets to watch the awards ceremony at ArkFoodHOF.com.
The 120 A Tapas Bar
The 120 A Tapas Bar officially opened in downtown Rogers last week after weeks of limited dinner events.
The restaurant is a revamped and renovated version of owners Bob and Ashley Hiller's Comida Artesenal, which was formerly located across the street. It specializes in tapas, small plates in the tradition of Spanish cuisine.
Curious and hungry visitors can enjoy some tapas and churros at 120 S. Second St., next door to Arkansas Public Theatre, from 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.
Check out the menu and make a reservation at the120.com.
Wienerschnitzel
California-based hot dog franchise Wienerschnitzel has reached a development deal with Tejas Dogs, LLC, to bring 20 locations to Arkansas, according to a news release.
The plans include the construction of three locations in Northwest Arkansas.
"With personal roots in Arkansas paired with our extensive business experience, we found the perfect match with Wienerschnitzel and their unique franchise model," said Brian Shinall, business manager of Tejas Dogs, LLC.
The restaurants are expected to arrive gradually over the next 12 years.
Founded in 1961 as a hot dog stand in Wilmington, Calif., Wienerschnitzel has over 330 locations across the country and is looking to expand into new regions of the United States, according to the release. The company serves more than 120 million hot dogs annually.
Chick-fil-A
Springdale's first Chick-fil-A will open its doors Feb. 17., the restaurant announced on social media.
"It's official! We are so excited to announce our Grand Opening date," the restaurant posted last week on its Facebook page. "We look forward to serving you soon!"
The location at 5675 W. Sunset Ave. will be one of the first businesses at the Crossings commercial area, part of the city's ballpark development district.
A Burger King location is also under construction nearby at the corner of Sam's Club Place and Mathias Drive.
Longhorn Steakhouse
Chain restaurant Longhorn Steakhouse is under construction in the uptown area of Fayetteville.
The steakhouse at 3467 N. Shiloh Drive plans to open in the spring, according to Mario Roberts of Darden Restaurants.
The location in uptown Fayetteville previously housed Grub's Bar & Grille, which closed last summer.
Other nearby Longhorn Steakhouse locations are in operation on Promenade Boulevard in Rogers and on Phoenix Avenue in Fort Smith.
The Orlando, Fla.-based company Darden Restaurants owns and operates more than 1,800 restaurants and is one of the 50 largest private employers in the United States, according to its website.
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