Taylor’s Steakhouse in Dumas is Dry Aged to Perfection.

If you manage to get down to Dumas and are looking for an epic dinner, head west out of town on Highway 54 until you see a set of stores that appear to be an old grocery store. Inside that plain interior, you'll find what might be the best steak in all of Arkansas, at Taylor's Steakhouse.

Charles and Dorothy Taylor opened Taylor’s Grocery in 1954. The original shotgun-style country house was pretty small, but it functioned like a traditional country store, a place to buy dry goods and foods and share a little gossip. In 1961 the Taylors moved the operation a quarter

mile closer to town into a larger building. They sold that store in the 1970s and opened up a third spot – and in 1983 the fourth moved happened, placing the business where it is now, far from the outskirts of Dumas.

Now, I mentioned grocery store. Taylor’s has always been a place to get a bite. Country stores often had a back counter and a kitchen, and you could pick up a sandwich to take with you when you picked up your bait for fishing or were heading out to the farm.

The 1983 opening of Taylor’s included not only groceries but sporting goods, bait, tackle and just about anything for living in rural Arkansas. It did so well, that Chuck Taylor (Charles’s son, who had by this time been working the grocery store quite a while) opened a liquor store adjacent to Taylor’s (local ordinances did not allow liquor stores and grocery stores to share the same building).

“My mother has always made barbecue. We’ve always done barbecue,” Chuck Taylor says. “You know, when the grocery store sales declined, we branched out and bought equipment and started doing hamburgers and po’boys and the lunch thing, sandwiches and fried fish, shrimp, oysters… and then it started to grow, so we started taking out grocery shelves, taking out sporting goods and adding tables and chairs for people to eat.”

That little spot on the road from Dumas to Monticello started to pick up steam.

“We started out with two tables, and lunch just took over. We became full of tables – we still sold chips and drinks and stuff like that, knick-knacks,” Chuck shares. In fact, Taylor’s cheese dip took on a great deal of notoriety, with people dropping by to pick up dip to take home. The restaurant even developed a big burger called the Double Bertha, which folks would try to eat in one setting.

But burgers weren’t where the Taylors wanted to stop. Chuck and his wife Pam had plans.

“It’s always been our ambition to do a nighttime restaurant. So we started planning on it. We have a daughter in college now. We wanted to get her out of high school because she had activities at school – she was a majorette and we went to all the football games. We kinda held onto the lunch thing until we got her graduated. I perfected my recipes the whole time, for porterhouse steak, crawfish enchiladas, the whole time we knew we were going to do this.

“Once we got her graduated, we let the liquor store license expire and took in the liquor store as part of the restaurant,” Chuck continues. “We connected the two buildings, remodeled and started doing the night thing (in October 2012).”

Chuck Taylor worked out his dry aging process over the years. While he’d always worked with the grocery store and liquor store, he made a living by supplementing with other jobs –as a cook in a duck lodge during fall and winter, surveying rice levies in spring and summer. “I started aging beef on a commercial scale when I worked a year at the Yellow Dog Lodge,” Chuck says, “I studied up on that while I was doing lunch, too. I got that perfected, I hope.”

Taylor’s steaks have quickly gained renown, not only for their flavor but for their size. Kansas bone-in ribeyes and T-bone steaks run 25-28

ounces. There’s also a 31-25 ounce Porterhouse steak for two. Once the day’s supply is gone, they’re out. There are other great dishes, such as that crawfish enchilada plate and two different lush versions of bread pudding. Of course, there’s the cheese dip. “Our cheese dip is legendary. That’s one of our claims to fame,” he chuckles.

So, with all that history, you're probably wondering about the dining experience. Within the tin-clad walls at Taylors, you'll be seated at a table, either a traditional table in the heart of the restaurant, or one of the

large party tables to the left of the entrance, which are afforded a great view of the dry aging steak facility.

There are many steaks on the menu, but the night we went, Grav and I chose to split the Porterhouse for Two. It came with salads for both of us with

homemade dressing (I chose blue cheese), two side dishes (we chose asparagus and grilled zucchini, bread and butter. These were all ample servings, but they didn't come close to matching the massive slab of meat presented to us.

We ate it down to the bone.

No, literally, DOWN TO THE BONE.

The steak was absolutely magnificent. It was perfectly spiced and needed nothing to improve it. It was cooked close to rare (or, as I usually say, medium rare, closer to rare) and it glistened. There were angels singing when this came to the table, though the tune was more likely to have been O Fortuna from Carina Burana than the Hallelujah Chorus.

Taylor’s has also become known for a magnificent pair of bread puddings – including a chocolate version that often runs out. Many order theirs with their meal so they won’t miss out on the popular dessert, since it takes a while to cook. The Arkansas Delta has its share of great bread

puddings, and this chocolate beauty deserves high ranking amongst the best.

You may be wondering, how does an upscale restaurant manage to make it in deep, rural Arkansas? “Anytime you step out of the loop of interest, as I told my wife

Pam, you realize that you had to draw from a lot of different areas," Chuck Taylor says. "You can’t just make it on Dumas. The food has to be excellent. And it is, and we draw from everywhere – Little Rock, Texarkana, Mississippi, Fayetteville… the Panola people have come up from Louisiana. We’ve had a Saturday night where everyone in here was from DeWitt or Stuttgart. Pine Bluff, Monticello, you name it. People come, they love it, they say ‘we will be back.’ That one person might tell ten people, and they come and they go tell 10 people. It’s kinda like a chain letter, word of mouth is the best thing there is.

“It’s kinda like Field of Dreams,” Chuck tells me, referencing the Kevin Costner movie. “You build it, they will come. Yeah, it’s a dream of mine to do this, but it might become a nightmare, too,” he laughs. Something tells me with the great product he has and this growing restaurant, Chuck Taylor is going to be laughing all the way to the bank.

You’ll find Taylor’s Steakhouse on Highway 54 west of Dumas, headed towards Monticello. It’s open Thursday 5:30-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 5:30-10 p.m. The official address is 14201 Arkansas 54, Dumas. Call ahead if you wish at (870) 382-5349.

Delta Commissary: R. A. Pickens & Son Company.

One of the biggest treasures amongst Arkansas’s Delta eateries sits on what had once been a very important plantation. The R. A. Pickens and Son Company started out in 1881 as the Pickens Plantation at Walnut Lake, south of Dumas. At one point, some 500 people were employed in the various enterprises on the land – which included everything from cotton farming and ginning to a saw mill. Today it’s still a busy hub and home to a great southeast Arkansas restaurant… in the middle of an honest to goodness country store.

Folks around these parts call it the Commissary… which is what it’s always been. Before 1948, farmers and their families would come to the commissary to purchase staples, trade, sell crops and gather to share news and enjoy a bite. Though not really a restaurant in those days, there was always something to eat readily available at the counter, such as jerky or colas or fried pies.

There's a long history here, that started with Reuben Adolphus Pickens.  He was one of a family of pioneers that first settled the community of Walnut Lake in 1881.  He became a progressive farmer who held hundreds of acres of plantation lands in the area -- as well as a cotton gin, a Hereford cattle business and a commissary that served the dozens of workers and families that lived in the area.  Walnut Lake would eventually be renamed Pickens for his family.

The original structure, which bore the more common general store look we’re accustomed to, burned in 1948. The building that replaced it is a long brick structure with a curved roof reminiscent of a Quonset hut. What you find inside it is what makes all the difference in the world.

Every Monday through Friday from seven in the morning to five in the afternoon, the store is open. Breakfast is good but lunch is likely better, with daily lunch specials of local standards. The baked chicken, covered in herbs and spices, is a particularly fantastic standout – but others are just as well loved, including the meatloaf and the fried salmon patty. And then there are all the side items – regional favorites such as turnip greens, sweet potatoes, broccoli and cheese casserole, stewed squash, rice and gravy, devilled eggs, stewed cabbage and lima beans and the best of all – squash casserole. You might as well come here if you want the old southeast Arkansas dinner on the porch experience.

You order at the counter, and then go claim a table and get the condiments you want. The folks running the place will call your name when your food is ready, and you go get it – and you eat it at a table in the middle of a room running every sort of business around its edges – grocery store, apparel shop, post office, community center – and at one time, even a bank.

The conversations can get loud but never mean, and the clientele comes from every walk of life out there.

And what else? Well, there’s the pie… I mentioned it in Arkansas Pie, but I will mention it again.
On any given day, there are coconut and chocolate meringue pies. Some days there will be peach pie, others strawberry (topped with whipped cream) and really, it’s whatever is available at the time.

These days, the folks at Pickens are good enough to have a trailer out by US Highway 65 with a big banner on it, pointing the way to the community about a mile off that road. Most travelers will whiz on by, never knowing what they’re passing up. But now you know better.

You can call the store at (870) 382-5266 -- or just check out the store's Facebook page.

Awesome, Strange and Fun.

Arkansas summer festivals are a range of local foods, song lyrics and various modes of transportation.

Our home state is blessed with a plethora of strange and delightful festivals during the summer months. Most involve some element of food, either a regional fruit or vegetable just in season or a special type of preparation. Many involve bits of culture unique to the area, and quite a few are noted for their “rides.” A rundown of some of my off-beat late summer favorites.

Food:
Bountiful Arkansas Weekend. This two day festival on the grounds of the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute atop Petit Jean Mountain celebrates Arkansas’ bounty by sharing with others heritage fruits and vegetables, historical farming methods and a unique Arkansas native and traditional tomato tasting. Go to learn about organic farming methods, stay for the demonstrations and to pick up seeds for your home garden. While you’re up there, catch lunch at WRI’s River Rock Grill. July 16-17. uawri.org

Altus Grape Festival. Ever feel the urge to re-enact the I Love Lucy grape stomping episode? This is where to go. The annual grape stomp is just part of the fun. Unlimited wine tastings from the area’s four wineries, the amateur winemaking competition and tours of all the local wineries are just part of the fun. If you’re of the bearded-and-bouncy sort, you might consider going out for the Bacchus look-alike contest. Take your lunch or head over to Kelt’s Pub for a refreshing pint and a corned beef sandwich while you’re there. July 30-31st at Altus City Park in, where else, Altus. altusgrapefest.com

Tontitown Grape Festival. A great place to go if you want to enjoy the culinary experience of -- fried chicken and spaghetti. No joke. This sweet little festival is one of Arkansas’ oldest, offering up a midway for kids, a fantastic book sale and of course the famed Italian (pronounced Eye-talian) spaghetti dinners made from scratch, noodles and all. There’s also grape ice cream. While you’re in the area, swing over to Springdale for more fried chicken at the (should be World Famous) AQ Chicken House. August 3-7 at the St. Joseph Festival Grounds in Tontitown. tontitowngrapefestival.com

Hope Watermelon Festival. The home of Arkansas’ largest watermelons celebrates the fruit with lawn mower races and seed spitting. In September 2005, the world’s largest melon (weighing in at 268.8 lbs.) was pulled from a field in the area, earning a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records and returning the title of “Home of the World’s Largest Watermelon” to Hope. Check out the plaque by visiting Dos Loco Gringos in town. August 12-14 at Fair Park in Hope. hopemelonfest.com

Cave City Watermelon Festival. Hope may have the largest melons, but Cave City has the sweetest, certified by the University of Arkansas for the rich melon-perfect soil found in the area. This simple hometown festival features gospel music, community events and a free watermelon feast provided by area growers. Heading back, stop by China King Buffet, just before you get into Batesville proper. A substantially large selection of Chinese food, sushi and (inexplicably but welcome) hand scooped ice cream. Just don’t take more than what you plan to eat. August 12-14 at Cave City City Park. cavecityarkansas.info

Strange names:
Dumas Ding Dong Daddy Days. It’s always fun to hear someone on NPR try to pronounce the name of this festival. Named after the popular song written by Phil Baxter and favored by Louis Armstrong, the festival celebrates the Delta with barbecue, a Ding Dong eating contest and a moustache contest, among other things. July 22-25 in downtown Dumas. dumasar.net

Ozark Deaf Timberfest. No, the timber’s not deaf. This decade-old festival hosted by the Little Rock Association of the Deaf features lumberjack games and logging related competitions. August 13-14 at Byrds Adventure Center in Ozark. byrdsadventurecenter.com

Bikes, Trains, Automobiles and more:
Eureka Springs Fat Tire Festival. The bicycle is celebrated and feted all over town with cross-country, downhill and short track races, fun rides and a film festival. It’s the largest festival of its kind in the central U.S. While you’re up there, be sure to drop by Local Flavor Café for lunch or dinner and try the crème brulee. July 16-17 all over Eureka Springs. fattirefestival.com

World Championship Cardboard Boat Races. Each year dozens of competitors use nothing more than cardboard, duct tape and paint to create boats and barges to float (and sink) on Greers Ferry Lake in this now world-famous competition. Join the masses at Sandy Beach near Heber Springs to watch and see whose boat will float the longest and who has the best sinking. Stick around for the Cardboard Boat Demolition Derby. July 31st at Sandy Beach. heber-springs.com

Mountains, Music and Motorcycles. Mountain View erupts in gasoline-powered glory with the arrival of motorcycle enthusiasts from all over the country. Biker games, a poker run and bike show and music all weekend long. Gotta drop by Johnny’s Pizza while you’re up there. August 20-22 all over town. yourplaceinthemountains.com

Frisco Festival. The annual festival in Rogers’ Historic District honors Arkansas’ Railroad Heritage with the Chilisalsapeno Competition, a chicken BBQ cookoff and free rides and amusements for the kids. August 27-28. friscofestival.com

VW Festival, Swap Meet and Tourcade. What more needs to be said? It’s one of the largest gatherings of Volkswagen owners and enthusiasts in the Midwest. Lots of activities for Bug-nuts. August 27-28 at Best Western Inn of the Ozarks in Eureka Springs. nwavwa.com

Championship Chuckwagon Races. For one week at the end of summer, horses and teams compete in a variety of events such as bull riding, bronc fanning and of course chuck wagon races. A sight to see. August 28-September 5, Bar Of Ranch in Clinton, chuckwagonraces.com

How Green Is My Love?

Ideas for a different sort of Valentine

Is your kind of girl the sort that would look at those dozen red roses and bemoan the fact that the flowers were raised with chemicals and will soon be dead? The sort that prefers a weekend saving the planet to a weekend of selfish exuberance? You’re in luck. Here are some ideas for places to go to choose that perfect gift for the ecologically friendly lover in your life.

Pick up a gift at The Green Corner Store on South Main in Little Rock. Lots of neat items that have been recycled, repurposed or created from local materials. Something cute: Sushi Jewelry, made from felt to resemble the popular Japanese-style snack food. Also, Flip-Off Jewelry, made from the “flip off” caps from insulin bottles kept out of landfills. Enjoy the double entendre. TheGreenCornerStore.com.

If you have a little money to spare and want to give your sweetheart something that’s truly original, try a unique item from Miller’s Mud Mill Pottery in Dumas. Gail Miller’s pieces have drawn the interest of thousands who seek out her unique and colorful creations. Her wheel-turned bowls, trays, cheeseboards and coffee mugs aren’t just useful, they’re works of art. Check out the website, MillersMudMill.com.

Or how about fine art? Local artists need your support. Eureka Thyme specializes in art and products that are all eco-friendly and made locally. From soy candles made in Arkansas to original photography by Randal Thompson and Dale Johnson to the whimsical Boston terrier paintings by Betty Johnson, you’ll find something you love for that someone you adore. EurekaThyme.com.

Does your darling dig the spa? Delve into natural body and skin products and more at Maumelle’s It’s All Green And More store. The business is working to bring eco-friendly, recycled and fair-trade items to the local market at a reasonable price. Whether its Wild Carrot Soap, Hemp Exfoliation Pads or Wild Weed Balm, you’ll find plenty to give your green dream mate -- including eco-friendly packaging to contain your purchases. Check out the website, ItsAllGreenAndMore.com.

Does your love enjoy the fine scent of a good candle? Save on the paraffin and go for the soy with Belle Candles. These double-scented creations out of Marion come in one standard size -- a 24 ounce candle that smells just as strong or sweet at its last burning as its first. Popular scents include Litsea & Basil, Brandied Pears, Pecan Pie and Green Tea -- and for the more whimsical, Monkey Farts, a blend of flavors including pineapple, banana, orange, coconut rum, green apple and vanilla. An Arkansas-made product you’ll enjoy sharing. Find them at The Green Cornerstore or The Historic Arkansas Museum downtown, or learn more by visiting their website, BelleCandles.com.


Other Ideas For Your Earth-Friendly Sweetheart
A personalized water bottle gift set. Buy two with your lover’s name emblazoned on the side -- so he’ll always have one that’s clean and ready to go.

A subscription to the Basket-A-Month program from the Certified Arkansas Farmers Market. Give the one you adore the gift of fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy for three months or more -- really a gift that keeps on giving.

A shake-charge flashlight. These little flashlights only require a good shake to provide light -- hence, no batteries to send to the landfill.

An under-the-sink compost bin. Perfect for the apartment-bound or for that person in your life who’s too busy to take vegetation out every day, the charcoal-filtered bin allows one to create compost without smelling up the kitchen.

Bamboo pajamas. Utterly renewable material that’s surprisingly soft, light, and comfortable. A good reason to wear pajamas to bed.

Solar powered cell phone charger. Whether you camp or just want a way to keep your phone charged without worrying about electricity, this little panel eliminates the excuse “I would have called, but my cell phone was dead.”

Help the animals. Make a donation to the Little Rock Zoo Conservation Fund in the name of the one you love to monkey around with. Consider a Zoo membership, while you’re at it.