The Milder Marinara is at Mama Z's in Tontitown.

The northwest Arkansas city of Tontitown is where the Ozark traditionn of fried chicken and spaghetti took off. Today, two restaurants carry that tradition onwards - and of the two, Mama Z's is definitely the more mild.

The Legacy of Mary and Aldo Maestri.

An excerpt from the new book Classic Eateries of the Ozarks and Arkansas River Valleyby Kat Robinson (photography by Grav Weldon), published November 2013 by History Press.  For more information, click here.

The sign outside Mary Maestri's,
circa 2010. (News 5)

This restaurant has closed.

The oldest of the restaurants still serving the (northwest Arkansas) area is still with us, though it has moved from Tontitown to Springdale.

In 1904, there was a young Irish woman by the name of Mary Ritter who attended the Tontitown Grape Festival. There, she met Aldo Maestri. They fell in love, and soon, Mary moved in with the Maestri family, where she learned how to make pasta and sauces and all the good dishes Aldo loved.

An original Mary Maestri's menu. (Courtesy Mary Maestri's)

In 1923, the grape harvest failed, and the young couple turned to selling dinners out of their home instead. Aldo made wine, Mary made the food and word spread about the place way out in the country where you had to have reservations to come eat. Still, at seventy-five cents a person for all the pasta, chicken and bread you could eat, it was deemed
well worth it.

Margaret Franco worked
with Mary in the early days.
This hand-cranked pasta
roller was donated back to
the Maestri's by Franco's
family.

The Maestri family didn’t have a telephone, but they did have a friend with a plane. He would drop reservations he took by phone over their place, and the restaurant prospered madly. Mary served up so much chicken she had to eventually sign on with a processor in town; before then, she caught and cleaned the birds from the farm herself.

E. A. Maestri on the job. (Courtesy Mary Maestri's)

Mary and Aldo opened a larger restaurant in 1947 with their son, Edward, who was quite an innovator. He built machines that would roll and cut the pasta for Mary and figured out how to properly freeze meat sauce and spaghetti, and then he sold it to stores to sell to their customers. Remember, this was before the TV dinner, at a time when the only frozen foods in the grocery stores there were strawberries.

Daniel Maestri. (Twitter)

Aldo passed away in 1959, and in 1968, Ed took on the responsibilities of teaching the business to his twenty-two-year-old son, Daniel, with the help of his mother. But in 1977, Ed died suddenly. Mary passed three years later.

The second Mary Maestri's.
(foiaspringdale.blogspot.com)

Daniel built a bigger home and restaurant that year, since the old one was structurally unsound.

Kyle DeVito prepares meat at the second Mary Maestri's location.
(Photo by Andy Shupe, courtesy NWAOnline.com)

The 1980s and 1990s were tough times, but the restaurant managed to persevere.

May 13, 2010:  Mary Maestri's closed for non-payment of sales tax.
(Courtesy NWAOnline)

Fire destroys second location of Mary Maestri's on February 4, 2012.
(Courtesy ArkansasOnline.com)

Another view of the fire. (Courtesy NWAOnline.com)

In 2010, the Tontitown location was forced to close, but two years later, the eatery opened up in the former Front Porch Diner location in Springdale as Mary Maestri’s Italiano Grillroom and Aldo’s Wine and Coffee Bar. There, it is thriving.

Mary Maestri's at its Springdale location today. (Kat Robinson)

Inside Mary Maestri's. (Grav Weldon)

The famed Chicken Parmigiana.  (Grav Weldon)

Today, Daniel’s three sons are heavily involved in the business. A lot has been added to the menu, including steaks, sandwiches, seafood and spumoni. Mary Maestri’s no longer serves the bone-in chicken beside the spaghetti. Instead, it’s chicken parmigiana, with a fried chicken breast served under the sauce over noodles. But it’s still that same great sauce that brought travelers to the Maestri’s door more than eighty-five years ago.

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

Books, Grapes, Spaghetti, Fun.

Breaking bread together… it’s not just a turn of phrase. It makes sense. For millennia, man has sat down with other men for community, for friendship, for peace. World leaders do it. Church congregations do it. We meet over food for business gatherings and first dates. The idea of food and companionship is rooted in us as deep as the instinct to protect our young.Perhaps that’s why Arkansas’ food festivals are so important to us. They’re a chance to meet over food with a larger sample of the population; the enjoyment of the communal experience excites and inspires us.

And perhaps that can explain part of the reason why I found myself one Thursday in August on the interstate, heading to the state’s furthest northwest corner to sample the fares at the Tontitown Grape Festival. I’ve been before -- back in 2000, on a whim. I’d heard about the festival for years and drove up to check it out. Even as late as that date, Tontitown was clearly divided from neighboring Springdale; the shopping malls and gas stations stopped at the border in-between, and the next stop was St. Joseph’s Church.

Well, NWA has bloomed (that stands for Northwest Arkansas, for readers beyond this state’s borders). Blossomed into a heaving metropolis. And all sorts of businesses and restaurants and convenience stores now litter the way to St. Joseph’s… even a storage unit rental business with the cryptic message “she said yes” on its marquee.

But I digress.

This trip around, I came prepared… not just with appetite or curiosity, but with shopping bags. Yes, even I can be lured into the role of frantic consumer now and then.

I brought the bags along, just as I timed my visit in the 95 degree heat, for one special facet of the festival. I was also sure to bring my own containers of water, too; while water is sold at the festival, they’re really unconcerned what you bring in with you.

When I arrived, I was ushered towards free parking around back of the church, then left to my own devices. There’s no big sign with an entrance suggestion -- you just go in wherever you can. No fences here, except those around the carnival attractions to keep kids safe from machinery.

The festival booth was selling all manners of souvenirs such as aprons and t-shirts and commemorative cups. Free event books were also available, and cookbooks were out for $8 each.

I moseyed past the various vendors, selling all manners of items, such as onesies for babies with cute quotes, sunglasses, jewelry, votive candles and wooden key chains with your name written right there (they even had one with my daughter’s name on it, to my surprise). There were booths for both of the local papers, a couple of book signing tables, Sand Art, and spice mixes. All in the comfortable shade of the alley in front of the old church and complex.

But this too was not my destination. I smiled as I ambled past, taking in some of what was being offered around me but headed to my goal at the end of the row.

I entered the double doors of the old church and breathed in the mustiness… of thousands upon thousands of books… books that I could take home with me.

The Book Sale is a big component of the festival. For the rate of 50 cents for a hardcover or a quarter for a paperback, it’s a chance to stock up on reading material. This year around I was looking for kid books, and to my amusement I picked up such titles as “What Colonel Glenn Does At Work” (about his life as an astronaut) and “Behind The Headlines” (about the business of newspapers -- written in the 50s). I even found a neat kids book about how television works -- dated 1949!

I also picked up a history book, a cookbook, and a couple of novels, and packed the shopping bags I brought for the grand total of $2.75. Imagine that!

The old church has seen better days. There are water marks on the ceiling where the roof has failed, and some of the windows are boarded over. I overheard one of the volunteers lamenting that the book sale will move to another building next year. I hope that’s so the old church can be repaired. It’d be a shame to lose such a pretty example of turn-of-the-century architecture… turn-of-the-19th-to-20th centuries, that is.

See, the church and the festival have been around a long time. Italian immigrants settled here in the late 19th century. They farmed together, lived together, and broke bread together. They also, as you might assume, made pasta together. That’s how the festival got started -- as a day taken to celebrate the harvest. The “grape” part of the festival was added when the vineyards the immigrants started began to produce grapes.

Since the first celebration in 1900 (I’m guessing at that, honestly), the party’s grown from one day to several, and now it spans the better part of a week. There’s a fantastic history of how all this came about at the festival website. I wonder if the leaders who molded the festival to its current laid back schedule thought having a lot of the festivities at night was a good idea to escape the worst of summer’s heat, or because during the day folks were still working on that harvest. Who knows?

One of the big things that’s developed from the idea of that sit-down get-together is the Italian Spaghetti Dinner. We’re not talking small potatoes here.

When I emerged from the book sale and sauntered back down the row of vendors, I could see the end of the line that had formed for the dinner. It rolled back from the cafeteria hall back around past the front of the new church. People were just calmly standing in line, waiting for their chance to enter and eat.

Tickets are sold for the dinner, I’m sure to help folks keep track of who’s where and to keep there from being a bottleneck at the front of that line. They run $10 for adults and $5 for kids. And festival folks expect to sell 8000 of those tickets this year.

The wait wasn’t as long as I feared on that line -- about 10-15 minutes. No one seemed in that big a hurry. I suppose if they were they could always check out the Carry-Out line kindly offered on the side.

And the food was good -- a deep rich and slightly spicy sauce over pliant and tender noodles, with a couple of pieces of classic fried chicken, a green salad, a roll and about as much iced tea as I could handle.

I loved watching the volunteers -- the ones in the kitchen, sure, who were getting everything together in assembly line fashion, an efficient machine.

But there were also the volunteers out in the hall, who carefully and quickly cleaned up after each set of diners left, then held up fingers in the air to show how many spots were available at their location.

After dinner, it was off to the carnival.

This one was worthy of any county fair -- plenty of kiddie rides, a few scary ones that’d make me toss my cookies if I even attempted to board, a carousel, a Ferris Wheel, and plenty of carnies and games. The initial line for the carnival tickets stretched out quite a ways at 4pm, but by six things were running smoothly along.

I watched for a while -- the little girl who was more interested in petting a bunny than winning one, the young lady who was racking up big prizes popping balloons with darts.

Kids, kids, everywhere more kids -- and more babies than I’ve seen in a long time. Seems like there’s a bit of a baby boom around here.

Facing the several-hours-long drive home, I had to call it an early evening. Fortunately for others, this was just Thursday, and there were two more fun days full of books and grapes and spaghetti and games and rides and even more ahead.

If you’d like more information about the Tontitown Grape Festival, be sure to check out their website. And if you miss it this year, there’s always the next… and the next. After all, you just don’t stop doing something after 111 years.