Chewing the Fat

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat as they continue to travel the highways and byways of Arkansas in search of the best of Arkansas history, culture, and (most importantly) food.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat on their latest adventure travelling and eating across the state of Arkansas.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat on the morning after the third annual Arkansas Food Hall of Fame induction event. They carry on about how hard it is to be on the selection committee and all the wonderful food they get to eat and nice people they get to meet and try to make people feel sorry for them, contrast the red-carpet experience at the Food Hall of Fame event and the Academy Awards, describe the People's Choice winner and the full list of 2019 nominees and the winners in each juried category -- Gone but Not Forgotten, Food Festival, Proprietor, Restaurant (three inductees) -- talk a bit about old Orval Faubus, and set the record for the longest it ever took Paul to mention that he is from Imboden. That comes in at the 35-minute mark. Bonus: Rex does his impersonation, with sound effects, of the winner at the Hope Watermelon Festival watermelon-eating contest. Hint: It's part machine, part Sheriff.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about the recently released list of the 2019 finalists for induction into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame and talk about where to get great fried chicken, famous sons of Fordyce, how Rex certainly did not buy dirty books at a newsstand known for such, how classic restaurants and cafes got started, where to get the best fried pies in Arkansas, the joys of convenience-store livers and gizzards, the secret ingredient in the slaw at Craig’s Bar-B-Q, the time Paul cried over homemade sausage, and his warning about watermelon festivals.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about their sojourn in western Arkansas (part two), starting up Rich Mountain on a cold afternoon. And being dazzled by the drive up the mountain and rapidly dropping temperatures, checking in at the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism's wonderful Queen Wilhelmina Lodge, admiring Lum and Abner at theDepot Museum in Mena, spending a little time with Y City, Waldron, Mansfield, Greenwood, and Hackett, and winding up at the spectacular Ed Walker's Drive In in Fort Smith.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about their sojourn in western Arkansas (part one), starting at Texarkana and heading north. And admiring four beautiful lakes, checking out the museum at Ashdown, pondering the origins of the name De Queen and admiring cool things going on there, humoring Rex's sore feelings about a football state championship of long ago, looking for Tom Cruise around Mena, not finding him but finding Ouachita Baptist University people everywhere, considering the uniqueness of border towns, and—of course—finding some great places to eat all along the way, especially Cattleman's Steak House and Johnny B's Grill in Texarkana and Stillwell's Restaurant in De Queen.

...in which Rex and Paul offer end-of-summer musings, describe their recent farm-to-table expeditions, and discuss Paul's award-winning pig from 4H days. Rex utters the oddest statement in the history of Chewing the Fat in reference to eating, "We had had enough, as the boys celebrate dining experiences at Greers Ferry Lake, Palestine, Des Arc, De Valls Bluff, Pine Bluff, Pickens, McGehee, and Lake Village. And they tell about a couple of Mississippi and Tennessee trips, to Civil War battlegrounds at Vicksburg and Shiloh, and related foody experiences. As Paul says, "There may have been salads. Paul's haunting harmonica playing at Shiloh has stayed with Rex. If you listen, you can just make it out.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about Paul's retirement and the rigorous schedule he keeps now that he doesn't have to bother with going to work, their World Tour of Arkansas, going around spreading glad tidings of Chewing the Fat at various civic organizations, universities, and other unsuspecting audiences, Rex's tips on how to avoid being asked to be the chairperson of the Political Animals Club (hint: Don't take a call from Shane Broadway), the further antics of Professor Tom DeBlack, Rex's dining tours, and Paul's hometown of Imboden, which didn't appear in the conversation till about the 30-minute mark, a new record.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about the woes of trying to lose weight while upholding the finest traditions of Chewing the Fat, relive a great trip to Southeast Arkansas and Arkansas City with notorious history professor Tom DeBlack, report on Arkansas's rapid rise as a bicycling state of national importance, recall their latest terrifying nighttime/rainstorm apocalypse, which they experienced coming back from the state high school basketball championships in Hot Springs (note: wettest February in state history), praise the latest cool places to go in Hot Springs, which they have on good authority is the most important baseball city in the entire country, and recall great moments in barbershop visits.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about travelling Highway 7, the Hollis County Store, Blytheville barbecue, independent bookstores in Arkansas, the resurgence of Wilson, Arkansas, and more.