Flavors of Northwest Arkansas

In this bonus episode of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas, we talk to my old friend Channing Barker.  She’s the Event Chair for AACF Soup Sunday at the Rogers Convention Center happening Sunday at 4:00.

You can get tickets by going to the bio of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas Instagram page, I’ve got the link there. You can also follow the link from AACF Soup Sunday’s social media.

It’s the 25th anniversary of the event in Northwest Arkansas, and Channing tells us about Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.

When we recorded, we also knew some of the soups that these restaurants would be serving there, and you’ll hear all about them!

Available wherever you listen to podcasts and on YouTube!

Hello there- hope this finds you warm and dry! I’m John Engleman and welcome to this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast.  This week, we’re talking with Dustin Simmons, Co-owner and Executive Chef of Flashback Pizza & Milkshakes in Rogers, but before we talk to him?!?!

FOOD NEWS!!

I want to start with this. Your local restaurants and bars have taken a hit the last 5 days. Some have opened, but most folks haven’t gotten out because of the roads... and I get it. But as the conditions improve, please consider getting out to local restaurants and bars, as your favorite establishments and servers have taken a pretty big hit. There’s no better time to get out and support them than now and isn’t it about time to have someone else cook, anyway?!?!

Flashback Pizza and Milkshake Co-owner and Executive Chef Dustin Simmons is a Rogers native and wanted to be a rockstar. Hey, at least he tried. He also did a stint in retail ownership but then went to Brightwater and that’s where he found his calling. His favorite job was his first one, he’ll tell you what that was. Also, how did Flashback Pizza and Shakes come up with their concept? Finally, they had their soft opening the day before the Rogers tornadoes hit.  They paused everything help the community. Dustin tells those stories and more next here on the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas.

In this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas Podcast, we’re talking to Tamara Keefe. She’s the Founder & CEO of Clementine’s Ice Cream which just opened in Bentonville, but before we get to her?!?!

FOOD NEWS!!

Tamara Keefe was saved by ice cream twice in her life, once as a kid an again as an adult. The Owner, Founder and CEO of Clementine’s Ice Cream has been professionally successful twice in life, but the first time wasn’t NEAR fulfilling. It took a come to Jesus with her closest friends to help her realize that. And that was the start of Clementine’s Ice Cream.

She took her executive marketing skills, and some newly acquired DIY skills and got to work. She’ll tell you how she got her name out there while she was making her ice cream at home. Also, what was it like for her building out her first ice cream parlor? And how did she get her newest spot on the Walmart campus?

We talk to Tamara Keefe of Clementine’s Ice Cream on this edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas...

Welcome to another bonus edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast! This one will be a quick one, as it’s Bentonville Restaurant Week primer! 19 Bentonville restaurants have already committed, and more will most likely jump on during the week.

In this episode, we’ll talk about this week’s discounts and freebies as well as curated menus and signature plates (so far). There are some GREAT deals! Get out this week and check them out!!

On this Bonus Episode of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we’re talking about the inaugural Downtown Rogers Restaurant Weekend with Sam Danneberg, Director of Downtown Development.

As of the taping of the podcast on Wednesday, there were 12 restaurants participating in the weekend (with more to follow).

Some restaurants designated a special plate for the weekend, while some spots are trying something new for their menus.

If you plan on going this weekend, or know something that is, send them the link so that they can get a better idea as to who is serving what.

For an updated, you can go here: https://www.destinationrogers.com/downtown-rogers-restaurant-weekend/

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!!!

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!!!

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.

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!!

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!!

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.