Comforting Bites at Eunice's Country Cookin' in Fort Smith.

The era of the country lunchroom may be dwindling away, but in Fort Smith, it's being revitalized for the next decade at Eunice's. This long-standing eatery, originally opened in 1976, is still putting out goulash, beef over rice, homemade meatloaf and a beautiful selection of pies every weekday at lunch.

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 1980s Are Alive at Cavanaugh Pizza in Fort Smith.

Feeding a family cheap is a hard task today - but one Fort Smith classic manages to offer some pretty fantastic pizza for not much. Let's head back to the 1980s for a look inside the timeless Cavanaugh Pizza.

Irish Maid - The Story of Two Arkansas Doughnut Shops.

Irish Maid is a beloved named in doughnuts for two very different Arkansas towns. Find out where this homegrown pastry brand came from, and where it's gone to since.

Smile Bull's Sweet Surprises Seem Serendipitously Smart.

Fort Smith is full of culinary gems, restaurants that offer great value and great flavor. Smile Bull does a fantastic job of living up to the city standard with an array of Asian favorites and homegrown surprises.

Eat Pie All Through Arkansas's River Valley!

Love pie?  Arkansas has more than its share of great pie places.  No matter the part of the state you happen to be in, there’s a great pie ahead of you. And if you're close to US Highway 64 in western Arkansas, you're in for a LOT of pie.

The Story Of A City at the Fort Smith Museum of History.

In any community, there are a lot of stories to be told, just as many stories as there are individuals. Some museums go for a single or dual angle. In Fort Smith, the Fort Smith Museum of History offers the equivalent of a historic quilt, a patched-together collection of the city's best stories, many of which deserved to be spread far further than the confines of Sebastian County.

Visit the Hanging Judge's Courtroom in Fort Smith.

Isaac C. Parker ruled many times over the lives of men in a Fort Smith courtroom.  That facility and two early jails are preserved on land that was once the last reasonable outpost of authority before the crossover into the Wild West. Let's take a look inside the Fort Smith National Historic Site.

You Won't Believe How Many Dolls Are Inside This Arkansas Museum!

What if I were to tell you there was an entire former Army barrack packed floor to ceiling throughout with dolls? Would you believe me?

You should. Because that's what you'll find at Chaffee Crossing at the Enchanted Doll Museum in Fort Smith.

Elvis Presley and the Haircut That Shook The World: The Chaffee Barbershop Museum in Fort Smith.

There's a museum for everything, and that certainly applies to things related to Elvis.  But the Chaffee Barbershop Museum is more than just a place to celebrate a moment when The King got his coiffure clipped.

The Arkansas Bucket List - 11 Must-Take Trips for 2016.

Everyone has something they've always wanted to do.  Those daring acts and adventures you'd like to tackle is often called a "bucket list" (things to do before you kick the bucket) -- and it usually includes a good deal of places people want to go, see and do in their lifetime.

El Zarape is Winning at Mexican Food in Fort Smith.

You can't swing a cat without striking a Mexican restaurant in Arkansas.  From our earliest years, Ark-Mex food has been prevalent in our state.  Even before cheese dip, creations of beans, tortillas and meat were cheap to make and easy to sell.  Fad foods such as nachos and taco salads in the 70s and 80s only secured the flavors of tomatoes, jalapenos and even cilantro in our collective palate.

With an influx of Mexican nationals and immigrants through the 80s, 90s and into the 21st century, a second wave of Mexican cuisine has crashed over our state.  These authentic flavors and family-tradition recipes have given a completely separate crop of flavors hold here in Arkansas.

But still, there is a certain camp of folks who believe there's little to no difference between the tortillas, fajitas and quesos from one Mexican restaurant to another.  For those folks, I challenge them to try El Zarape in Fort Smith.

The gorgeous stone-fronted facade along Rogers Avenue gives way to a warm interior full of wood, stone and bright colors, without the garish attitude of less sophisticated latin-influenced restaurants.  It was enough to warm us from the cold, snow-driving day Grav and I had already encountered.  We sat in rather comfortable leather-padded wooden chairs and dug through the menu while Grav sampled the salsa with the offered deep yellow corn tortilla chips.

We were just musing over corn and such when one of the MANY

waiters passing by brought us a couple of hot tortillas straight off the conveyor with some Country Crock honey spread.  Soft, pliant, almost too hot to handle at first, these were decadently velvet-like and perfect dipping in the salsa.  I also tried it with the Country Crock.  It was

pretty decent.

We decided to begin with an appetizer and settled on stuffed jalapenos.  These four bombs arrived at our table on a bed of mango-jicama slaw,
perched horizontally with a light drizzle of crema on top.  Grav bit into one and immediately went for the water, his face flushed.  I tried one and immediately sensed great savory flavors in the chicken and cheese within, followed by a punch of jalapeno fragrance that went right to my nose.  It was heady and immediate.

And without another moment to spare, our plates were delivered to the table.  Grav's latest obsession has been with the molcajete, and El Zarape's version was absolutely grand and deceptively simple.  Unlike

versions he's encountered at Cantina Cinco de Mayo and Santo Coyote in Little Rock recently, this was very light -- nicely grilled strips of steak and chicken along with cactus, peppers and onions and slices of queso fresco along with wedges of fresh avocado, lightly slathered in a chipotle pepper sauce.  That sauce brought everything together nicely

with a rich and deep heat.  A side plate of beans and rice, lettuce, pico de gallo and sour cream accompanied, along with more of the fresh, hot tortillas.

I had dithered with the idea of a chile relleno stuffed with ground beef,

but had gone with Grav's suggestion of the Chicken Poblano instead, and I could not have been more pleased.  This deceptively austere place came to my table, two large grilled chicken breast slices under a white sauce, slices of zucchini and squash and carrots sauteed in butter to the left, a form of

cilantro rice and pineapple pico de gallo over lettuce to the right. Each element stood on its own,

especially the smoky grilled chicken against the velvety-smooth poblano-infused wine and cream sauce, a great counterpoint of char and mellow.  The fresh vegetables were irresistible to me (I can eat my weight in zucchini), the cilantro rice was comforting and the bright flavor of the pineapple pico completed an excellent dance.

We dithered again over dessert.  I saw sopapillas on the menu, which I adore but Grav does not... I also noted the pecan cheesecake, which I knew he'd go for.  We first settled on sharing a flan, but after hearing

all about the Tres Leches we decided to go for... well, strangely enough, the chocolate flan. I expected the round custard, but instead we were brought a rich custardy chocolate creation that reminded me more of cake.  Not that I minded.  The gorgeous presentation was

no match for the lush but light texture of the pastry, and we found ourselves knocking spoons for the last bite.

All the time we were there, we were attended to.  One of our waters, Eduardo, insisted we had to come back again... to bring some of Grav's smoked meats in for him to try.  Others provided us with questions, containers and attention... far more than we're used to receiving.

El Zarape could be overlooked easily, considering the multitide of both authentic Mexican, Tex Mex and Ark Mex offerings in Fort Smith.  But it shouldn't be.  It should be cherished.

Now, you've seen our photos.  You really need to go to this Facebook album and see the photos El Zarape has of many of its menu items.  It's rare to see a restaurant doing great food photography like this, especially at El Zarape's low price point.

El Zarape 
8909 Rogers Avenue
Fort Smith, AR 72903
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Website

Taliano's Italian Restaurant, Fort Smith - Elegant Dining.

Fort Smith’s oldest Italian joint still stands downtown.  Taliano’s Italian Restaurant resides in a two story brick home, the 1887 J.M. Sparks Mansion. Two men -- Jim Cadelli and Tom Caldarara
-- took the recipes their mothers taught them and put them to good use within the walls of the home, changing little over the years but the prices.

The mansion has been kept up over the years. Chandeliers have been converted from gas to electric. Fleur de lis carpeting, velvet drapes and candelight make it one of the most romantic places in town. Oh, why have I not experienced the magic?

Oh, but I have. I even remember the date of my first visit. It was August 5, 1993, and my boyfriend and I were marking six months. I had the Veal Scallopini. He had the Seafood Diavolo. He had red wine. I had a cappuccino (a novelty to me at the time). I had an accident and spilled said beverage down the front of my shirt. He had a conniption fit. I insisted we stay for tiramisu.

For two young folks to drive up from Russellville for dinner is something else. The incident didn’t mar my love for the place. After all, the sauce was flavorful and fresh, the pasta pliant and marvelous, the cappuccino wet, the tiramisu a moist and caffeinated dream that fueled the drive home since the cappuccino couldn’t.

That was 21 years ago. After all these years, does it still stand up as an outstanding example of fine Italian family cookery? Is it still romantic? Could it be romantic while photographing and taking notes about the food?

We decided to try on a cool September night. We met a rather friendly fluffy gray cat outside, who insisted on attention before we made our entrance. The Talianos folks say the fellow belongs to nearby neighbors but he’s a regular mooch at the door.

Inside, we were first seated in an interior room where the bar was located, but we found that taking photographs of anything there was going to be problematic – candlelight may be great for romance, but it sucks for taking photos. We explained the issue to our waitress, and she happily

sat us out in the sunroom, where she turned up the lights for our benefit.

We noticed right away that the menu prices have changed since the last time they were updated on the website, but not so much as to scare us off. We decided to start off with the Baked Artichoke

appetizer, which turned out to be a large flat ramekin full of artichoke hearts submersed in marinara and coated in cheese, baked and served with fresh bread. Oh, the bread? It’s cooked and sliced just like the loaves

you get at the store, but a lot softer inside. The artichokes were still piquant and the overall flavor was a wee bit sharp but still marvelous.

We took our time about ordering, and finally came to our conclusions and ordered. While we waited, we chatted and our waitress came out and lit our candle. The music periodically soared, an all-Italian soundtrack without much English, with melodies straight out of the 1950s, maybe even out of Roman Holiday. We enjoyed our salads adorned with hefty globules of blue cheese dressing, enjoyed them a lot.

Our orders were eventually delivered, and we did our dance, amusing the waitress as we exchanged places (plates were hot and full of pasta, so that seemed the better idea), shooting at level and overhead the two dishes set before us.

Grav’s Herbed Linguine With Grilled Chicken made me heady with the scent of so many fresh herbs. The pasta, recently cut and a hair off al dente, seemed to soak in the butter and oil herb sauce that also encompassed the chicken. For me, it ticked all the boxes – light enough so you could still

taste the flavor of the pasta and chicken, yet with a strong aroma that made my mouth water. It was crowned with sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese and even more herbs. Now, honestly, Grav was a little disappointed, but I think that might have to do with how much salt we prefer. He likes a LOT of salt.

I had gone for a duo of flavors, after I had found that the vegetarian pastas

were options to be added to the already more-than-adequate list of dishes to double up. The lasagna slid across the plate a bit, its homemade pasta sheets unglued from the four cheeses adhering it thanks to the plethora of meat sauce between its ample spans. The beef almost overwhelmed the tomato in the sauce, but it lead to a very hearty dish.

The other side of my plate was far more exciting,

though – three hand-crimped spinach ravioli filled with both spinach and cheese, topped with fresh, chunky marinara atop a bed of Alfredo-type sauce. The play between Alfredo and marinara would have made it interesting enough; the comfortingly substantial ravioli somehow managed

to develop the wonderful fresh flavor of the spinach without the overwhelming flat tones many spinach-sort pastas tend to get. I will get this next time by itself, it’s that good.

Dessert was out of the question. There was no way we were going to be able to consume anything else. And that’s okay. Our hostess mentioned that there are a lot of people who like to come in just for dessert and coffee. We’re going to have to do the same.

And that’s the thing… those ladies, most of the diners there, even Grav himself, have been coming back for decades and generations. See, when the restaurant opened in 1970, there weren’t any other Italian restaurants in town. Today there are a handful. Taliano’s survives because it doesn’t change. The two families still run it – grandchildren now filling their grandparents’ roles. The menu is perfect as is. The house is beautiful. It’s still a popular place for wedding receptions and prom night dinners… and as long as the families stick with it, it’ll remain that way.

If you haven’t been, check it out. If you have, it might be time to head back again. Watch out for the cat.

Taliano's Italian Restaurant
201 N 14th St, Fort Smith, AR 72901
(479) 785-2292
talianos.net