Goodbye, Mr. Chip.

As of July 6th, 2016, Chip's Barbecue location on West Markham has closed. The fact that the sign said "this location" has me hopeful it'll open somewhere else, but my neighborhood classic is now gone. - KR

Arkansas Business reports on July 18th that Chip's and its owner have declared bankruptsy.

I was on my way home Saturday night about 8:30 when I noticed the action over at Chip’s Barbecue. It’s the closest restaurant to my house, and I’ve had many a dinner there. The sign was being changed. The next morning, I was surprised to see what it said: Goodbye Mr. Chip.

That’d be Tom Chipman. Back in 1961 he opened Chip’s Barbecue as a drive-in in a strip-mall on Markham, back when there wasn’t out much down West Markham but a few neighborhoods here and there. Five years later he moved the business into a spot on the other side of that strip mall and opened a dining room. The place is still there today.




I have to be honest -- even though I’ve lived in Little Rock most of my life, I didn’t have my first meal at Chip’s until the day we found the house I live in now. I didn’t even know there was a neighborhood tucked in back there. After seeing this particular house and falling in love, my then-husband and I went and had a late lunch at Chip’s. I can even remember we shared a big order of nachos. It was a nice family place.

And Chip’s? It’s about family. Along the wood-paneled walls of the restaurant are numerous family photos from over the years, many with hand-lettered or typed labels explaining who’s who. I found that the former owner of my house raised kids with the Chipman’s. From the photos they appeared to have had an idyllic teenhood, swimming and playing and working in the restaurant together.

I only met Mr. Chipman once, and it was by chance back in the early oughts. What I know of him is that he raised a heck of a family, a family dedicated to running that restaurant. What I didn’t know was that he was a World War II veteran, or that he’d been married to his wife Tina for 66 years -- or that he had great grandchildren. He was, after all, 91.

But I do know Kara, his daughter. Back when I was writing my first cover story for the Arkansas Times, she let me come in and photograph pies... for over an hour. Pie after pie
after pie... and that’s a noteworthy thing. That’s because Chip’s pies are Little Rock’s sweetest secret. You have to know about Chip’s to have some of that pie... but folks who know about it guard it and keep it to themselves, and order pies weeks in advance for holidays. There are cream pies galore -- banana and lemon and coconut and chocolate and banana, and sometimes sweet potato or pumpkin, too. There are variations, like the marvelous chocolate walnut pie. And then there are the cheesecakes -- big, four inch thick affairs served up plain or with raspberry sauce or strawberries or chocolate or... and there’s pecan pie and seasonal pies like strawberry or blueberry. Every one of them made from scratch from a family recipe. Every one.

Last year, Chip’s Barbecue turned 50... quietly. There could have been a fantastic spread somewhere about the cheese dip, or something about the Muffin Special or the nachos or the ribs or whatever. Instead, Chip’s stayed as it always has. In fact, the only big change I have ever seen from the place is when the family decided it’d be open on Mondays. It still is and will always be closed on Sundays.

The restaurant will be closed until Wednesday. Visitation for Mr. Chipman will be tonight and services tomorrow -- you can look here for more information. A sign on the door of the restaurant reads:

“Chip’s will be closed July 9th and 10th, 2012 due to a funeral being attended in honor of one of the founders of Chip’s Barbecue. Chip’s was established May 6, 1961 by Thomas and Tina Chipman. Mer. Chipman has recently passed and gone to be with our Lord. His employees were so very special to him. It was impossible to keep the restaurant open and allow all family members and employees to pay their respects without being closed. We cincerely regret any inconvenience to all our customers. We will reopen July 11, 2012. Please keep us in your prayers during this very difficult time. Sincerely, the Chipman Family.”

So goodbye, Mr. Chipman. Your legacy and your restaurant will continue on.

Magnolia's The Backyard Bar-B-Q Company Presents a Question: Pudding or Pie?

Barbecue and pie... a joint that has both can win my heart over on a mere whim. The Backyard Bar-B-Q Company in Magnolia sure has.

I dropped in with my daughter a few days ago in the middle of the afternoon, looking for a place to cool off and grab grub before hitting the road again. We found the little cottage along Business 82 about three blocks west of Highway 79 on the east side of town.

I was surprised when I went to the counter to encounter this remarkably large pie cooler. It was packed with all sorts of pies -- pecan cream cheese, chocolate, coconut meringue... on the recommendation of one of the ladies behind the counter, I asked for a slice of banana pudding... and I will get to that in a bit.

I also asked for a jumbo beef brisket sandwich to share with the girlchild... and was rewarded with this big juicy sandwich. It was packed with fall-apart brisket -- I assume it had been sliced brisket at some point, but it had smoked down to the falling apart stage. The nice hickory-cast smoke flavor was delectable. It had been enhanced by a thin and meagerly applied sweet and tangy sauce with a whop of black pepper to it. It was pleasant and relaxed and mild. I tried a little of it with some of the house barbecue sauce, which seems to be a thicker version of what was on the meat... and it was all right, but unnecessary. It was enough for me and Hunter to share.

Our pie? Well, that’s up for debate. I’m not sure whether it was a pie or not. It’s listed on the menu under pies, but it’s also a little bit of everything. See, the banana pudding pie contains a banana custard, banana slices and vanilla wafers... but it also comes on a crust in a pie pan, topped with meringue. All I can tell you is, it’s tasty.

Now, while I was there, I watched a big plate of pork ribs being delivered to one lady. There were enough slabs of meat on her plate to fill an army, and I was relieved when I saw others join her. A substantial plate, I tell you what.

So I’m about full, and Hunter has told me she’s about full, and she offers to procure a box. Well, at three and a half, she’s independent as all get-out. So I let her go to the counter. Imagine my surprise when she shows up with a bowl fo vanilla ice cream. My child... the scam artist. I went up and offered to pay for the dessert and was tisked away -- they thought she was cute. That was rather generous of them, and I appreciate that.

I’m going to have to stop by again, though. As I was communicating my location via Facebook, I was told by several people to give the pecan cream cheese pie a whirl. I was stuffed as a tick and simply didn’t have room. Next time, I’ll have dessert first.

You’ll find the Backyard Bar-B-Q Company at 1407 East Main Street in Magnolia. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (870) 234-7890.  Click on that last picture to see their menu.

The Box: It's Back.

There has been these past two years a great wringing of hands amongst burger lovers in Central Arkansas, all over a single burger joint. And that wringing has been justified.

See, it’s all about The Band Box, or The Box as it is affectionately known. In June 2010 the proprietors announced the place would be closing its doors ahead of a move to 7th and Ringo. The building it used to be in had been purchased by USA Drug for the construction of a neighborhood pharmacy. I even wrote about the whole mess. They swore the new place would be open within a month.

Well, that didn’t happen.

First it was permit issues. Then something with the plumbing. Then this. And that. And frankly, a good number of people wrote off The Box. They assumed that if the place didn’t reopen on time, or even within a year, it was gone for good. There was no way it would be right.

I’m happy to say, those of little faith? They were wrong.

Today The Box reopened in its new location, finally, after all those months. Heck, let’s be honest, years -- it’s been about two years since the old joint closed its doors. I dropped in right before the official soft opening at 11 a.m. to see what was going on.

The new place is spiffy. It’s painted red along all walls, and there are plenty of new tables and chairs. Remember the old formica-topped bar in the old place? It’s been replaced with a smart new granite countertop and chrome-and-black barstools.

But there are bits of the old place there. On the wall you’ll see one of the old joint’s most memorable features -- decades of preserved bumper stickers for generations of radio stations and politicians. How’d they do that? Look closely. Those are the old refrigerator doors. You remember those, right? They were on the fridge that was between the big dining section and the kitchen. Yes, you can still read “Wilbur... Kiss Your Fanne” and other sorts of things on those doors. And if you don’t know who Wilbur was or why he needed to kiss Fanne... well, you musta not grown up in Little Rock, at least not back in the day. You probably also don’t know what the alternate name is for I-630.

The griddle is there... the same griddle as you remember.  And they even kept the ketchup bottles from the old place.  Don't worry, they've been washed.  When I first got there I saw the wait staff filling the bottles with a funnel.

Anyway, a lot has been preserved, but a lot is new, and it’s just shiny and pretty. And one major thing has changed. Instead of table service, you now order at the counter and go find a seat. They’ll bring you your burger, but you gotta go order it yourself and get you a drink. See?

I was one of the first to place my order today, and I sat at the counter and watched Miss Mae work her way through several orders while I was there. She’s always double-checking. Arthur is still on the griddle, too.

I did notice something I’d never witnessed before... I made it there early enough to see the seasoning of the grill. At least part of it. I was surprised to see Arthur turn out a pile of jalapenos and bring them to a glorious sauteed perfection. Then Terry went and got a bowl of grease out of the fryer and poured that on there. I don’t think that’s everything to do with the flavor, but I gotta wonder.

Which brings me to the burger. You can get yours with cheese -- American, Swiss, Cheddar or Hot Pepper Jack -- and with grilled onions or bacon or whatever you like. But a traditional Box burger comes with mayo and mustard, lettuce and tomato, pickle and onion on a toasted seedless bun. Mine was a little off-center, thanks to the instant glue the Cheddar cheese made when it came into contact with that top bread. But it was every bit as good as I remembered it. The patty, charred and packed with flavor, was a trip down into my deepest grease-lined burger memories.

And then there were the fries. I have to say, they were a little different. Yes, there’s still that great spice to them, but the ones I got were crispy and not the least bit greasy, which was a surprise. My dining mate and I came to an agreement that they were better, and likely as not they were that crisp since they were the first ones out of the fryer.

By the time I had finished, there were three dozen people waiting to order and a couple dozen already seated, some dining and some waiting. Someone had placed a humongous order of more than a dozen burgers, and that was slowing things down. Still, everyone seemed to be in a good mood and everyone was patiently waiting for their chance to experience a flavor that’s been missing from the Little Rock burger scene for so long.

The Box is now at 7th and Ringo. For now it’s only open for lunch Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Click on this picture here and you’ll see all the things that are on the menu. They didn’t have onion rings for opening day, but those are coming. If the burger is any indication, it’ll be worth the wait.

A Hot Time In The Old Town, at the Emerson PurpleHull Pea Festival.

Emerson’s getting a reputation, nowadays, for having one of Arkansas’s hottest food festivals. We’re not talking about the spice; we’re talking about pure honest heat in the bottomlands of the state’s Timberland region.

The Emerson PurpleHull Pea Festival and World Championship Rotary Tillar Races take place the last weekend of each June. It’s a weekend filled with all sorts of fun, from pea shelling and pea tasting to dances and fireworks and a parade and so forth. It’s a classic Arkansas festival in its 21st year, and let me tell you what -- it’s a hot place to be, in the sense of it’s a great place to be.

And yes, the temperature these past several years has climbed into the triple digits. I was around back in 2009 for the day, and I enjoyed the celebration of the cookout, watched the shelling competition, observed the tiller racing and dined on a fine Pea Feast. I was looking forward to sharing that celebration again, this time with my daughter Hunter.

Now, Hunter is three (she’ll be sure to point out she’s three and a half, thank you very much) and fair as Snow White. She burns easily and she gets hot, but she’s a real trooper. I decided this year’s event was dependent on her; when she said it was time to go, it’d be time to go.

Still, it wasn’t too bad when we arrived about 9:30 that Saturday morning, ready to check out what was going on in the cafeteria. That’s where this year’s Great PurpleHull Peas and Cornbread Cookoff was set to be held. Joyce Daily was getting about putting the entries in their places on the stage. The scent of hot peas was everywhere -- not just from the entries being brought in by folks but also from the kitchen, where the Pea Feast was being prepared.

Hunter almost immediately won a drawing that she was entered in upon arrival and obtained a set of markers and a pack of colored construction paper, which made her happier than a dead pig in the sunshine. It also gave her something to do while I snapped away photos of all the goodies on the table.

And there were plenty -- big cast iron skillets of golden yellow cornbread, casserole dishes topped with dough with the lovely scent of peaches, bowls of PurpleHull peas already heated and ready to go, some with floats of ham or bacon within. There was even a jar of homemade sweet salsa available right out there.

The nine judges arrived and were announced, and they took no time in getting about the business of judging. This is a serious thing, and each year there’s usually two or three tastings of each of the items entered in the contest, just so the judges are absolutely sure they have chosen the best item.

When they were done, the prizes were announced. We were all quite surprised that no one entered a condiment this year... but that was all right... there were other prizes to be awarded. Best salsa went to Marla Hanson of Emerson. Donnie Griffin of Emerson took the prize for best cobbler. Jane Freppon of Emerson won for best cornbread.

The most original dish went to Don Moore of Anderson, for his Peeznkornbread Muffins... and let me tell you what. He came over and offered about those muffins and I took advantage of that situation. Don made up these sweet corn muffins stuffed with succulently soft cooked PurpleHull Peas -- and they were moist and magnificent. I coulda eaten the tar outta those.

And when it came down to the best dish of PurpleHull peas, well, if you’re from around those parts you know that Linda Miller just can’t be beat. She won the competition when I was there in 2009, and she won it last year, and by golly she won it this year too. How about that?

Well, all this pea judging and shooting had gotten me hungry, and Hunter was clamoring for food, so I went and stood in line and paid my six bucks and got us a plate full of Pea Feast. This is a delicacy served once a year at the festival and several times a year at good dinner tables around the town. It’s a big serving of PurpleHull peas, a square of just sweet enough cornbread, a plopped down bit of peach cobbler and the fixings -- which in this case are a smattering of fresh white onions, fresh jalapeno peppers, home stewed tomatoes and fresh tomato salsa. The salsa in this case is a sweet confection that brings a new level of happiness to the peas.

Not that they need any help. The folks at Emerson really know what they have going on there, and they do the peas right. They come out slightly sweet and hearty, with a satisfying flavor that’ll make any country girl happy. Hunter about fought me over that plate... claiming every bite hers. I could barely get in a bite edgewise!

While we were celebrating the great pea with the feast, the first heat got underway in the pea shelling contest. Don’t call it shucking -- that’s what you do to corn. In the under 12 competition, three young’uns got up on the stage with their moms and took off popping open those pods. This young one seemed to enjoy eating just about everything she got... which meant she didn’t have any peas to tally up when she got done, but that was all right.

There were two competitors in the teenage division, daughters of two of Emerson’s most pea-tacular families... gosh, I’m doing it now!... and then the adult heats began. Three different heats commenced one right after the other. Each contestant gathered up as many pea-pods as they thought they could shell in a few minutes’ time into a big bowl and took a seat on the stage. When the start was called, the music began and the pods went a-flying as nimble fingers made quick work of the peas.

There was a bit of a media frenzy when Doeleta Weaver Rome took to the stage -- she holds the record for the most peas shelled in the competition, with more than 17 ounces in one sitting. That’s more than a pound!

Now, Hunter was just giddy as could be to be there, and I was glad she was getting into the festivities. At one point she handed me an unshelled PurpleHull pod, and I took it and shelled it for her. She tried a few peas, and boy you could not imagine how she took to that. She appeared with another, and another... and finally I realized she was stealing pea pods right off the stage during the heats. My child!

The competition was fierce but happy. In the end, the winners were announced. Barbara Glover took third place with 5.5 ounces... Doeleta Rome second with 7.4 ounces... and the winner was Marla Hanson, who managed to shell 8.1 ounces in a manner of minutes.

With the cooking and the shelling over, Hunter and I went out on the grounds to inspect what was going on. We discovered a local farmer who was selling unshelled peas straight out of the garden from the back of a truck, along with ears of corn, tomatoes and zucchini. We took home a zucchini as big as my forearm for later grilling. Another farmer had fresh shelled peas, and from that stand I got a whole gallon of PurpleHull peas for $15 -- and I didn’t have to purple my thumbs for it.

We sampled some of the local fare -- which included homemade ice cream, funnel cakes, hot dogs, nachos, fried green tomatoes, meat pies and something called Geauxsicles -- one of which we obtained for sampling. The one we had was called a Lemondrop. It was a blend of sugar, buttermilk, lemon juice and zest and who knows what else. It was good. We sat on the grass with Hunter’s parasol for shade and enjoyed every bit of it.

It wasn’t long before we heard the sirens sounding... and here came the Million Tiller Parade. Though there aren’t actually a million tillers in the parade, it’s a great old-fashioned parade where the locals get in their cars and trucks and on motorbikes and tillers and tractors and horseback and share their pride in their hometown. I love parades like that.

In addition to the tillers, there were tractors -- antique tractors that are carefully maintained and shown off each year at this festival. I love the tractors. So does Hunter.

Afterwards she got her time in the bouncy house, and we bought an inflatable pony from one of the vendors. And then she looked up at me and told me “Mamma, it’s really hot. I’m hot.” And I knew it was time to go. As much as I love seeing those tillers race, it was time to find the air conditioning.

The temperature when we left was 102 degrees... which turned out to be a little cooler than Little Rock that day. Hey, it’s so much fun, you should try it yourself next year. Be prepared to bring yourself some water and a lawn chair to watch the races, and be sure to come hungry for that Pea Feast.

Check out updates on all that happened at the official event website.

Burger Highway: Little Rock's Cantrell Road.

A lot of towns across Arkansas have good restaurants that make great burgers. Little Rock has more than its share. But there’s a particular bit of highway that runs through town that seems to draw good burgers in.

That’d be Highway 10, known as Cantrell Road within the city limits. Within two blocks on either side of the road, you’ll find some of the best examples of all-beef nirvana on a bun. Here’s a quick rundown, west to east.

Start out at Thirst N’ Howl. This little Gilligan’s Island themed restaurant utilizes names from the popular TV show to denote its different burgers. Served with American cheese, the Skipper’s Burger is a classic All-American burger (you can also have it with Swiss or pepper jack). It’s a nice Cavender’s-and-black-pepper flavored half pound burger patty cooked medium well, sitting on a soft untoasted and unseeded bun, griddle-cooked with cheese melted into the patty. It comes with ridgy hamburger dill slices, red onion, a couple of chunks of tomato and green leaf lettuce with a gob of mayo under the top bun and a good quality stoneground type mustard on the bottom.

Head further east to the Pleasant Ridge Town Center and you’ll encounter the only national chain operation on this list... but it would be strange to talk burgers and not mention Cheeburger Cheeburger. The Little Rock outlet is decorated in neon and 50s style; trivia cards on the table hold your interest while you wait for your custom made burger. You choose and pay for the size, then you choose what comes on the burger. There’s everything from onion rings to black olives, artichoke hearts to pepperoni that can go on your burger.

Cross I-430 and pass the reservoir and you’ll find The Purple Cow on the left. This is a fabulous spot to get a good ice cream soda or banana split.

The Rodeo Burger is a big star here. It’s a traditional quarter pound burger topped with onion rings, bacon, Cheddar cheese and honey mustard barbecue sauce.

Down a quarter mile on the left, you’ll find Burger Mama’s. The restaurant recently moved from its location at Shackleford and Kanis... I suspect to take advantage of being on Burger Row. The double is a lot better deal than the single -- and you can always split it and share. They are messy burgers. There’s no guts and glory to these burgers — at nearly a third a pound each, these smashburgers are hefty and tall.

Within spitting distance is Crazee’s Cool Cafe. This bar (21 and older only, smoking allowed) serves up any burger, fries and a beverage for $7.50 for lunch. And there are several to choose from, including a Mexican burger, an Italian, a Cheeseburger and a Hamburger and a Bacon Cheeseburger and a BBQ Burger. The Mushroom Swiss Burger is a hot mess of sliced button mushrooms and Swiss cheese melted into a big flat patty on top of lettuce and tomato. It all comes out in a paper-lined basket with fries and you’re going to need a whole heck of a lot of napkins.

Then there’s Arkansas Burger Company, past Mississippi a few blocks on the left. Look for the green roof. The big two-fisted burger comes on a buttered sesame seeded bun — that end up three inches apart thanks to two gigantically thick half pound patties coated in cheese, hamburger dill pickles and white onion on the bottom, shredded iceberg lettuce and a big thick slice of tomato on the top. Those loose-packed hand formed patties have a nice light burger crust, seasoned with a little salt, pepper and Greek seasoning, loose packed and juicy. Get some cheese dip while you are there.

On the other side of University, take a left and go a block in to R Street. Look for the white and red awning of Burge’s in the Heights. The classic burgers are charbroiled and served toasty, old-fashioned style in that white wax paper with the toothpick, with either some of those crispy fries or a tray of cornmeal-crusted onion rings and a chocolate malt or a pineapple shake. If you miss this location, check out the original in Lewisville.

A block and a half north of that is Sushi Cafe, which sells sushi. It also sells mean, lean burgers like the impressive Titanic Burger. Made from Black Angus beef, the three-patty burger doesn’t squish much, making it that much harder to put in your mouth. But what a flavor! The tempura-battered sweet potato fries are excellent.

Just down Kavanaugh and still within two blocks of Cantrell Road is Cheers in the Heights. They do great food all the way around, and they do a great burger called the Old Fashioned. Half a pound of griddle fried lean ground beef on a toasted Kaiser roll, meat salt and pepper seasoned with a little of what tasted like Tony Chachere's in the background, red onion slivers, tomato, mustard, lettuce and hamburger dills. This Old Fashioned is named after the traditional dairy-bar favorite where the mustard usually goes directly on the meat.

Head down Cantrell Hill, and at the foot you’ll find the Rebsamen Triangle. This conjunction of Old Cantrell Road and Rebsamen Park Road is a mecca of good restaurants, several with their own burgers. The grand-daddy of all these burgers is the Town Pump Burger at the Town Pump, a great local watering hole. Swiss and Cheddar cheese, “special mayo” and black olives give this burger a great salty-tangy flavor that’s unmatched just about anywhere.

A block away you’ll find Maddie’s Place, a New Orleans inspired joint that serves up a Hamburger Po’Boy with your choice of side (get a half salad, it’s good for you). Doled up on buttered French bread, this chargrilled patty covered with cheese is paired with remoulade for a Crescent City flavor.

Buffalo Grill is next door, and its traditional burger comes with chips and a pickle spear, toasted and seeded bun and plenty of vegetation. The default condiment is mustard, which goes along well with the flavor of the patty, a traditional salt-and-pepper hand-patted medium-packed patty with a light char and decent thickness. The mustard (and/or whatever other condiment you want) goes on the top bun, followed downwards by pickle, shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, white onion and nothing between the patty and the bottom bun, prime for absorbing any residual griddle juice. It’s tall, requires both hands and smushery to get it consumed.

And there’s Red Door, with its Mamma’s Manna bun. The Really Good Burger is a classic double smashburger smacked with a liberal amount of cheese (Cheddar, Provolone or American) and served with a pile of regular and sweet potato fries. This is where good burger meets gourmet.

Head further east on down to Downtown and turn off on Ringo. Over on Markham you’ll find Doe’s Eat Place and its cheeseburger, a half pound of medium-well cooked beef on a white seedless untoasted bun, pasted to that top bun with a slice of American (not pasteurized-processed) cheese. The bun is chilly, the meat is hot and the big pile of iceberg lettuce on the bottom is cool and crispy and coated with the mayonnaise that also covers the bottom bun. A hearty slice of tomato and some somewhat thick ridgy dills accompany -- and there’s nary an onion slice to be found.

And then at the end of Cantrell, when it gets up to Markham right at the River Market, you turn right and go down two blocks to the Capitol Hotel, where just about the best burger I have ever eaten lives. Capitol Bar and Grill’s burger is sirloin steak ground fresh served with locally raised produce, housemade pickles and, if you’re smart enough to ask for it, pimento cheese on top. Oh man.

Fifteen burgers, eleven miles... that’s what makes Cantrell Road/Highway 10 Little Rock’s burger corridor.