Green Papaya Offers Great Vietnamese Fare - And Ducks, Too.

Fort Smith's vast culinary landscape is dotted with all sorts of great, reasonably priced eateries. There are many Asian houses featuring Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Chinese cuisine. Green Papaya stands out for its steadfast service, its deep menu and its fine collection of duck-related memorabilia.

That's a Big Burger There at the Morrilton Drive Inn Restaurant!

It's hard for any restaurant to please everyone, but your chances are greater when you offer a little bit of everything. Morrilton Drive Inn Restaurant offers a LOT of everything, almost an overwhelming amount of options for family dining in or take-out, and it does things in a classic family restaurant style.

And if you like big burgers, you're in luck.

Quick Bites: B Street Bistro in Russellville.

Baked handpies, great coffee, and charcuterie - excellent things to share at this sweet little shop along Russellville's revitalized B Street make this a great destination to visit with friends.

The Tallest Meringue on a Pie at Any Arkansas Restaurant is at Sweet Treats in Lamar.

Where can you find the state's tallest meringue on a pie? It's in Lamar, and it's not the only reason to grab lunch at Sweet Treats.

Marie and Greg Heiser's once diminutive lunchroom along US Highway 64 in Lamar grew to new digs not long ago, a cavernous space filled with tables, booths and more than 450 teapots. And yet most lunchtimes the parking lot overflows to the surrounding lots with hungry customers seeking a dependable plate lunch and the tallest meringue pie in all of Arkansas.

South Park Restaurant in Clarksville: A Classic Country Diner.

This unassuming spot on the south side of Interstate 40 offers its lunch specials pre-cast with a selection of side items and dessert to boot.

Quick Bites: Asian Cafe in Fort Smith.

Fort Smith's diverse ethnic food culture gives lots of epicurean gifts to eaters, at really reasonable prices. Asian Cafe on Rogers offers a lovely span of Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese dishes in its tiny space, delivered in large portions and beautiful dishes.

The 2022 Arkansas State Fair Food Guide.

Everything you need to know about dining at the Arkansas State Fair, but were hesitant to ask, can be found in my annual guide to all the fair fare - fantastic, favorites and the just plain freaky. Bookmark this page to find the best midway meals and extraordinary eats during the ten days of Arkansas's largest food event.

More items have been added since the last time you visited!

Taking the Waters: A Morning at the Buckstaff Bathhouse in Hot Springs.

An experience guests a hundred years ago could enjoy is still available to you today, in the original building (and tubs!) where folks have been enjoying a soak in the pure thermal waters of Hot Springs National Park since 1912. The Buckstaff Bathhouse's offerings will leave you relaxed and ready for more adventure in the Spa City.

With Crazy Fresh Oysters, Shrimp, Crab and Crawfish, Bozo's Ain't Clowning Around.

What started out as a little bait-and-grocery on Pascagoula's south side has grown into an establishment that draws crowds, food lovers and journalists - a dependable spot for fantastic locally-caught and harvested seafood, po'boy sandwiches and such. We drop in at Bozo's Grocery and Seafood for a Sunday morning bite.

The Last Remaining Breaker Wheel Meals, A Fast Food Joint Where You Ordered by CB Radio

Once a hundred restaurants strong, there's just one remaining Breaker Wheel Meals in Arkansas - a lone holdout thriving near downtown Monticello.

Home of the Love Burger: Troy's Drive In in DeWitt.

There's nothing like a flame-broiled burger - and when the flames get this high, you know you're getting something special. Let's visit DeWitt's classic dairy bar.

The 2021 Arkansas State Fair Food Guide.

After the 2020 hiatus, the Arkansas State Fair is back with panache in 2021, with so much amazing and delightful fair eats to enjoy. Here's the definitive list of what's back, what's new and what's awesome - from the singular expert on our state fair food bounty.

Arkansas Dairy Bars: Neat Eats and Cool Treats, ready for pre-order now.

Coming October 5th, you'll be able to order your own copy of Arkansas Dairy Bars: Neat Eats and Cool Treats, the culinary travel guide to all 94 of The Natural State's currently operating homegrown dairy bar establishments. Here's how to order your copy.

The Day The Beatles Came to Town - Jack Allison's Polar Freeze.

Jack Allison passed in 2019. I'm sharing this bit of history in advance of my new book, Arkansas Dairy Bars: Neat Eats and Cool Treats, which will be released September 28th, 2021. Please check out the accompanying documentary of the same name on Arkansas PBS.

Jack Allison has it made.  Every day he wants to, he goes in to work at a restaurant he founded in 1958.  He gets to sit down with his friends, who come by for coffee or a morning milkshake, and he gets to chew the fat with them.  He smokes hams and makes burgers and when he wants to take off for a day or a week, he can do that.

A New Film: Arkansas Dairy Bars

Ice cream, and something more - a delightful, nostalgic array of restaurants all over Arkansas keep a tradition going, safely, during a pandemic age. A business model that already allows social separation while feeding into the need for comfort food, continues to thrive here. Come join me as I explore our state, seeking out the stories of our local dairy bars and sharing them with you. You'll certainly get hungry watching what's to come.

Strawberries in Arkansas - Ponderings and 11 Recipes for Strawberry Pie.

The first fulfilled promise of an Arkansas spring is the bright, tart bite of strawberries. Even when frost complicates our willy-nilly vernal awakening season, the promise of the sweet, sumptuous berries brings even the most deeply hibernated food lover out from under coats and blankets to rejoice in the beginnings of a beautiful, bountiful Natural State harvest.

Five Picnics and Parks in DeSoto County, Mississippi.

Looking for a great place to enjoy a good meal outdoors at the top of Mississippi? Here are five parks to consider - along with great eats you can easily and safely pick up and enjoy.

A Bite of Arkansas: A Cookbook of Natural State Delights - A New Book.

When the pandemic response took me off the road and off the job of covering Arkansas's highways, byways and pieways in March, I was lost. Every assignment, speaking engagement and appearance evaporated in the course of a week. In my worry, I turned to cooking. The memories evoked in a white tile kitchen in Little Rock brought me back around to another facet of my life I could share - dishes I grew up on and discovered throughout my life, right here in The Natural State.

Here's the foreword for my new book, A Bite of Arkansas: A Cookbook of Natural State Delights, plus ordering information.

43 Tables: An Internet Community Cooks During Quarantine.

What happens when a pandemic forces food lovers to stay home for a while? Cooking commences. And when it happens to my internet community, books happen. Come take a look inside this unusual cookbook created with recipes from 43 contributors.

Delectable, Authentic Dishes at La Media Luna in Johnson.

A marvelous stand-out in a land bursting with Mexican restaurants, La Media Luna adapts to this uncertain era while serving up incredible, excellent and fresh fare in northwest Arkansas.

Cypress Social Provides a Tasty Escape From Urban Life.

The former Cock of the Walk location has become a destination dining experience with an out-of-town feel, in the middle of Greater Little Rock's clamor. With its focus on re-imagined Southern Delta classics, it provides a nice bite, too.

What We've Lost: Glenwood Tea Room in Shreveport.

The pandemic claims another restaurant worth visiting. Glenwood Tea Room, an antique shopping experience with a marvelous eatery within, officially closed in May. Here are my remembrances of a January 2020 visit.

Quarantine Cuisine, or So I Found a Turkey in My Freezer.

How many meals for three can you make out of one 12 pound turkey? Let's talk turkey for a while. Recipes included.

The COVID-19 quarantines are affecting us all - and frankly, it's no time to travel. With restaurants on a pickup only basis and social distancing a requirement, I'll be turning Tie Dye Travels to stories and to recipes, food tips and the like for the duration. I have been quarantined since March 12th and will likely continue for the next four to five weeks. Please enjoy these ideas.

Quarantine Cuisine: Crock Pot Turkey Tetrazzini.

If you like chicken spaghetti or delight in starchy, creamy comfort foods, this recipe utilizing turkey or chicken along with dried and canned goods from your home will be a recipe you'll want to savor, share and save.

Quarantine Cuisine: Parmesan Turkey Rice.

Recipe #1 of my One Turkey challenge, including turkey meat and broth, rice, Parmesan cheese and parsley - for a good comfort food meal.

Quarantine Cuisine: Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas.

So much of what I've been doing with this simple roasted turkey is to demonstrate what you can do when you keep a pantry and use it to come up with different dishes. After all, it's hard to get tired of turkey if you have plenty of ways to use it.

And this dish - literally thrown together with leftover bits, is one of our favorites, even though the end result was a little ugly.

Quarantine Cuisine: Crock Pot Turkey Pot Pie.

A home-style classic you can make from turkey (or any poultry, or even ham if you want) that takes a while to cook but is utterly worth it.

Hunter is now singing "Turkey Pot Pie" to the tune of Paul McCartney and Wings' "Live or Let Die."

Quarantine Cuisine: On the Subject of Broth-Making.

For those of us who remember the pot on the back of the stove going for hours or even days in our youth, I ruminate on what goodness may come when one chooses to use the bones of a beast.

Quarantine Cuisine: Turkey Cashew Apple Salad.

A good cold dish you can make and eat off of for day? How about a nice turkey salad? Give this one a shot.

Quarantine Cuisine: What's in Your Pantry?

Our parents, grandparents and their forebearers all kept pantries of food items that could be called upon to feed their families. Though modern times have lead to less filled pantry shelves, keeping one is a marvelous idea, especially for when you're stuck at home. Here are my thoughts on how and what to keep in yours.

This Garage Getaway in Rogers is All About the Automobile.

Check out this Cool Place to Stay in Arkansas, literally a garage apartment for one or two, just blocks from downtown Rogers. A great place to stay when you're tired - or exhausted!

Pardon the puns.

Video included.

Wesner's Grill, The Oldest Restaurant in Benton County, Arkansas.

Breakfast, lunch and pie - hallmarks of our great diners here in Arkansas. Let's check out the oldest such establishment in the most northwestern of counties in our state, and have a bite of breakfast, too.

Arkansas Classic Black Angus Forced to Seek New Home.

The longstanding burger and steak joint that has served Little Rock since 1960 is looking a new place to move after the new owners of the building decide to have the eatery move out.

New Girl Scout Lemon-Ups are a Happy Tie to the Past.

What, am I seriously going to write about a cookie? Why yes, yes I am. Because this year's new cookie from the Girl Scouts takes me back to my favorite cookie of all time - the Jackson Jumble.

102 More Things to Eat in Arkansas Before You Die.

There's too much good food in Arkansas to limit oneself to just 101 dishes to try. In my new book, 102 More Things to Eat in Arkansas Before You Die, I'll take you to even more places where extraordinary edible creations can be devoured. And you can order yours to arrive before Christmas.

Good Pho Your Belly, Good Pho Yo Soul - A Texarkana Treat.

For Vietnamese food lovers in southwest Arkansas, the offerings have been few and far between. Fortunately, Pho Yo Soul Kitch-Inn delivers on favorites and some of the best pho you might ever encounter.

Godsey's Grill Songbird Smokes Some Excellent Wings.

A trip to Jonesboro could include these excellent, full sized chicken wings, if you find yourself ready to dine on the north side of town. The Godsey's burger is pretty decent, too. I just miss the peanut butter pie.

Getting the Whole Hog, or Some of It, on the Table.

Whole Hog Cafe has received nationwide renown for its smoked meats and selection of sauces. Here are some of my thoughts on this giant of Arkansas barbecue.

In Praise of Gas Station Sushi... Sort Of.

You''ve heard the punchline before - an admonition never to eat sushi from a gas station. But what if it was actually good? This one time, I'm willing to give it a shot. Let's visit Pine Bluff Hibachi Express.

So... What Now?

This is just a brief post to let everyone know that changes are in store. Tie Dye Travels has been the root of my efforts over the years, and I'm so glad to be able to look at these 1200+ articles and see not only how much has been covered, but how my writing style has changed, my photography has improved, and the ways food culture and Arkansas's restaurant world has evolved these past 12 years.

There is SO MUCH right now... so much that I tapped the brakes a little on my upcoming book, 102 More Things to Eat in Arkansas Before You Die, which will now arrive in Novembe. So much I'm not ready to share... for business reasons. So many decisions to make.

But I'm still researching, and I'm behind on sharing all that amazing stuff. We're talking stories of just over 100 restaurants at this point, as well as some musings here and there.

To that end, I'd like to hear from you. I have for some time contemplated moving into podcasting. I have the equipment and I think I have some interesting stories to share, plus so much material in interviews and whathaveyou. On the other hand, I tend to be a visual consumer of information, and I haven't spent much time with podcasts yet.  Are you hungry for a Tie Dye Travels (or another name) podcast? Or are you hankering for more Tie Dye Travels?

One way or another, this site is due for an overhall, and I'm looking for suggestions there as well. So if you have them, I have an email address and a comments section ready for you.

I am very, very excited about what's to come, especially some new projects in 2020, and when the time comes that I can share, I'll be sharing like gangbusters. For now, thank you so much for your appreciation and support over all these years.

Kat Robinson