Flavors of Northwest Arkansas

Bentonville Restaurant Week officially starts on Sunday. We caught up with Visit Bentonville’s Natalie Stika to find out more on this bonus edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas.

Learn how you can win free gift cards to some of Bentonville’s favorite restaurants and we highlight some of the deals that are going on for the week! Natalie’s got the deets.

Also? John shares his favorite deal, and it’s the most GenX thing ever! Be sure to check out VisitBentonville.com to see the latest list of offers and get out and support local! As always, Tip you servers!!!

In this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we interview at the oldest restaurant in Benton County, Wesner’s Grill, where talked to owners Jack Debner and Brandy Moreland, but before we hear from them?!?!

FOOD NEWS!!

Wesner’s Grill is indeed the oldest restaurant in Benton County, as they celebrate 70 years this year. Harry Wesner founded it on Walnut Street in 1955, and it’s had many ownership changes as well as a location change since. That said, it’s always been in downtown Rogers and maintained its charm and strong reputation. We’ll talk about its history and the history of its current location, as well as the menu – classic American diner food. That’s in this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas.

On this week’s Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we sit down with Onyx Co-Owner Andrea Allen at the new Onyx in downtown Springdale, but first?!?

FOOD NEWS!!

Coffee has been a passion for Onyx owners Jon and Andrea Allen for a long time. They worked together at Arsaga’s in Fayetteville not even having an inkling of what they would build together. Andrea would eventually manage a few Arsaga’s coffee shops, where she would learn the business side of the trade, and then she and Jon would get an offer that they just couldn’t refuse.

That’s when Onyx was born. Speaking of Onyx, Andrea will tell us about the name and why it fit what they were building. Also, you’ll hear her talk about their growth through the years and what’s coming. She’ll also tell the story of why their cafe Hail Fellow Well Met has such a special place in her heart. It’s a great story. Also a great story? How hospitality runs deep in her family. She’s got a few stories about that, and you’ll hear them here, on the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas.  

In this bonus edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas Podcast, we talk with the 126th Tontitown Grape Festival Chair Clint Engle as he and his team are ramping up this year’s edition that kicks off tomorrow (Tuesday, August 5, 2025).

He’ll go over some of the highlights, like live entertainment (which includes the Bellamy Brothers and Walker Montgomery) and food (the famous spaghetti dinners, grape ice cream, and more).

You can also win a Ford Bronco Sport- Clint has all the details on this special edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast.

In this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we talk to Elliot Hunt, co-owner and executive chef of Atlas the Restaurant in Fayetteville. We’ll talk to chef Elliot in a second but first?!?!

FOOD NEWS!

We have a LOADED Food News segment today, so pack a lunch because here we go!

If you have any food news or want us to check into something, just shoot us a note on Instagram or Facebook at Flavors of Northwest Arkansas or email us at [email protected].

Elliot Hunt got into cooking by accident, and it’s taken him all over the country and globe. From working in kitchens in France, Ecuador, Australia and Chicago (and that’s just for starters), the Fayetteville-raised chef never stops learning and never stops travelling.

In this episode, we hear stories from both long and short kitchen tenures both stateside and abroad. What was it like working for a Michelin star chef in France as an 18-year-old? What was it that kept him in Chicago so long? And why did he decide to come back home to Fayetteville? We talk to Elliot Hunt of Atlas the Restaurant on this edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas.

In this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we’re up in Rogers at the Uptown Kitchen and Taphouse talking with Co-owner/Operator Seth McDaniel... but before we hear from him?!?!

FOOD NEWS!!

Seth McDaniel was an information systems consultant for Hitachi for years. It kept him on the road constantly, and he got tired watching his kids grow up on a webcam, so he got out. What led him to wanting to open a kitchen and taphouse? It’s an interesting story and has everything to do with his travels.

Seth had zero restaurant or bar experience, other than sitting on the other side of it, so he bought into a chain that was different. VERY different. In fact, it was only an unproven concept at the time. It included 100 beers on tap, and he ended up being one of the flagships for the chain, until he broke away from that chain. He’ll talk about that process and how he was able to do it.

That’s how Uptown Kitchen and Taphouse was born. Seth will talk about its growth, and HIS growth in the restaurant business. In many cases, he had to learn the hard way and he talks about it next, here on the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas.

In this special edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we talk Fayetteville Restaurant Week with Sarah King of Experience Fayetteville and we get knee-deep into what’s being offered. There are 72 restaurants participating, offering prix fixe dinners, special drinks, discounts and more. If you plan on going to a Fayetteville restaurant during restaurant week, we’ll tell you some of our favorite specials and how to find what all 72 are offering this week.

You can find more at ExperienceFayetteville.com.

In this week’s edition of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we’re talking to Russell Ingram, co-owner of the very popular Dot’s Hot Chicken that recently made the change from food truck to brick and mortar. But first?!?!

FOOD NEWS!!!

We’ve hit the time of year where we get some temporary restaurant closures, especially in Fayetteville before the U-of-A gets back in session.

Russell Ingram and his wife Sarah moved from Nashville to Fayetteville where she’s originally from. Russell has a chef background and learned hot chicken from when they made it as a special at a restaurant where he worked in Nashville. He grew to love it and didn’t like that he was moving to a place that didn’t have it, so he started his own- Dot’s Hot Chicken, and they hit the ground running! They opted for a food truck first.  They bought one that they had to drive back from outside of Houston, and the trip was SCARY. You’ll hear that story.

Also, who is Dot and how many awards has her chicken won? Russell will tell us.

They recently moved into a brick-and-mortar restaurant from the food truck. Russell will talk about that transition, and what that allows them to do that they couldn’t do in the food truck... and it’s all next right here on the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas!

In this week’s Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we talk to Chef’s Matt Cooper and Rafael Rios about being 2 of the 5 finalists for Best Chef of the South at the James Beard Awards. They made the trip to Chicago for the awards, and they’ll tell us about their trip, food trends here locally and nationally, and what’s next for them... but before we get to that!!

FOOD NEWS!!

Conifer & Ryn Chef and owner Matt Cooper and Yeyo’s, Bauhaus Biergarten and Casa Magnolia Chef & Owner Rafael Rios were the first in Arkansas to make it to the final 5 in the Best Chef of the South category at the James Beard Awards, an unbelievable feat for them, for Arkansas and more specifically Northwest Arkansas. 

They talk about their trip to Chicago, and the lead up to the awards. Keep in mind, the top chef of the south category includes 5 states and Puerto Rico... Chefs Rios and Cooper will tell us how other chefs reacted when they told them that they were from Bentonville. As mentioned earlier, they see some trends coming both for Northwest Arkansas and the rest of the country. They’ll tell us about those.

And finally, what’s next for both chefs? You know that great restauranteurs and chefs rarely sit still... some big plans coming for both, and you’ll hear from them next, right here on the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas.

It’s officially the very popular Art of Wine week at Walton Arts Center! The event takes place Friday night from 8 to 11.

We interviewed the Walton Arts Center Events Manager Whitlee Douthitt about the event. How many vendors will be there, what does the event benefit, and how can you get tickets?

That’s next here on the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas!