Uncle John's, Marconi Family Traditions in Crawfordsville.

A tiny Delta town is home to some of the best homemade pasta for a hundred miles around, an unadvertised Italian place with deep family ties. That place is Uncle John’s – an improbably comfortable eatery that manages to survive on word-of-mouth.

Indeed, I wouldn’t have found it had it not been for the recommendation of fellow writer Rex Nelson, who keyed me in on the place. And now I’m going to share that secret with you.

The restaurant sits in the last remnants of Crawfordsville’s downtown area, a lone storefront with a field on one side and the hull of a long-dead business on the other. The door is metal and heavy, but inside you’ll find the vestiges of many older restaurants – concrete floor, mismatched chairs and a host of local articles framed on the walls. This is community center.

Uncle John’s was originally opened in 1984 by John and Lucille Marconi. John started out farming but when business went sour in the 1990s, he turned to

cooking for friends and family. The Marconis bought the restaurant from Lucille’s sister, who was about to close it down. They started serving the family’s Italian recipes along with hamburgers and cold sandwiches (and on Fridays, catfish).

Now, John didn’t believe in advertising. He thought that if the food was good, people would come and share the word. He was right. The word has been passed slowly over the years, and folks seek this place out regularly.

The Marconis had seven children. The youngest, Michael, stayed, and when John passed away in 1994, Michael took over the running of the restaurant.

Now, I’ve had good-looking food at Uncle John’s, and I’ve had terrible-looking food there too. This photo taken with my phone shows a dish that heated up social media… folks could not figure out what this was.

That, my friends, is Uncle John’s Combination Dinner. It’s a chance to sample around the menu. That menu’s pretty vast – it includes steaks, ribs, barbecue, toasted ravioli and spaghetti and a lot of pasta. JUST with the pastas, there are hand-stuffed shells (with your choice of meat or spinach filling or both), meat stuffed manicotti, meat and cheese stuffed ravioli, spaghetti and meatballs and cheese-filled lasagna.

On that particular night, I had my combo with the manicotti, ravioli and stuffed shells, all with the meat sauce except the spinach shell, which I had with the cheese sauce. Let’s just say the presentation lacked. But everything on that plate was rich, fully spiced and well-enjoyed, especially with the big slices of house made bread offered.

Why did I show that first? Because I’m funny that way. Here’s some more attractive items. One time when I walked through the door I was told before I sat down that I’d want the fried mushrooms. They were served almost too hot to handle with a creamy homemade ranch-ish (but not quite ranch) sauce, and they were marvelous.

The salad dressings are homemade. I’d take home a quart of this blue cheese dressing if they’d let me… of course, the Marconis and their staff are nice enough, they probably’d make me an offer if I asked.

The toasted ravioli, made by hand with a beef and cheese filling, is always a winner. In fact, I’d say if I had to choose just one item to order, it’d be that one item about 50 percent of the time. Crispy and dusted with parmesan cheese, packed with those spices, they’re hearty.

The other item I’d consider as my one-and-only would be the lasagna: layers of cheese, sauce and pasta, very simple but very tasty and nicely filling. That’s my order for anyone going out there who’s going to bring me back a box.

The signature dish for which the place is know, though, is ribs and spaghetti. The ribs are nicely smoked, fall-off-the-bone wonders and the spaghetti is… spaghetti, but that’s all right, not only because it’s good but because ribs.

But what you really need to get, no matter what else you get, is the bread pudding. It’s far different from anything else you’re going to find. See, Lucille Marconi didn’t care for traditional bread pudding, especially how it was served in New Orleans, because it invariably contained raisins. The texture was different, too.

The Marconis tried a lot of things, but one night when they were out of other sorts of breads, they resorted to hamburger buns. The softer buns absorbed the egg, milk, sugar and bourbon custard to create an amalgamated pudding both delicate and assuredly firm enough to slice. It’s topped with a marvelous bourbon sauce (though, if you ask nicely, you can have yours topped with lemon sauce instead). It’s always heated, and that warm fulfillment at the end of a meal is about enough to put you to sleep; though, with no hotels nearby and considering the great distance you’d have to go to get anywhere with a bed, you’d best get yourself a driver.

When you go, make sure you take time to survey the second room. There’s a mural that takes up an entire wall, painted by local artist Joann Bloodworth, that depict just about every town resident in a setting reminiscent of a Tuscan village.

You’ll find Uncle John’s on Highway 50 in Crawfordsville. Either take Highway 50 off US Highway 64 from the north or, if heading east on I-40, take exit 265, cross the interstate and proceed northeast on 218, then turn left when you get to Highway 50. It’s open for lunch during the week and for dinner most nights – but there’s no lunch on Saturday. It’s about 14 miles from West Memphis, so consider that

My friend Kim Williams got this Italian Beef sandwich on
one of our trips.  Note the "Italian slaw."

next time you decide to cross the river into Tennessee for your return trip.

Uncle John’s
5453 Main St
Crawfordsville, AR 72327

Spinelli's Italian Steakhouse - Delicious Eats in Mena.

This restaurant has closed.

An unlikely eatery along Arkansas’s western border deserves attention and praise… and a visit when you’re in the area.

Mena’s a long drive from the heart of the state, whatever way you slice it. An hour and a half from Fort Smith or Hot Springs, two hours from Texarkana and two and a half from Little Rock, it’s not the sort of town you’re just going to dart over to for dinner if you live in the heart of the state. But if you’re closer by, or if you’re planning to vacation in the Ouachitas or take a ride along the Talimena Scenic Byway, it’s a great place to go.

On the northern outskirts of town, you’ll find a charming bungalow of a restaurant, spread out over a lot. There’s a little parking up front and a lot of parking in the back, and inside you’ll find classic Italian dishes served up with good wine, good soups and a generally good attitude.

This is Spinelli’s. Opened the day after the major tornado that tore through downtown Mena in 2009, the eatery provides an oasis from everything else.

Within the house converted into a restaurant are several rooms decorated in Tuscan colors, walls bedecked with local art and, outside the back door, a large patio with pergolas and vines and… well, it’s actually quite lovely.

On this trip, we spent way too much time looking through the menu. A lot of Italian restaurants have these big menus with dozens upon dozens of items, and Spinelli’s is no exception. We debated between Eggplant Rollatini and Chicken Marsala and a host of different items on the Choose Your Own Pasta option (which includes, in case you’re wondering, your choice of angel hair, spaghetti, penne, linguini or whole wheat pasta with marinara, meat sauce, alfredo, vodka cream, garlic and oil, garlic butter, red pepper cream, butter garlic and lemon sauces), $6.95 for lunch or $8.95 for dinner with a choice of add-ins (meatballs, shrimp, chicken, broccoli, Italian sausage, mushrooms, bell peppers, tomatoes or mixed vegetables) for an additional cost.

Instead, once we saw the seafood platter, we had to go for it. We were warned, though, that a full order of any of the pastas on the menu were going to be large enough to not need an appetizer (an odd suggestion from a waitress, but we took it to heart). She also suggested a compromise – why not split our dinner?

You know, it’s really not normal for a business to suggest you spend less money. I’m all about that.


So we got the Seafood Sampler, a platter of fried calamari, coconut shrimp and crab cakes. It was served with a butter sauce and marinara sauce, and it was obviously handbattered and created right there. The calamari were gnarly and colorful with such a light breadcrumb breading, the coconut shrimp a little sweet and tangy. But the crab cakes were especially fantastic – with just a hint of breadcrumbs and filler and lots of pulled lump crab meat, a bit buttery and a little lemony.

We also opted for soup rather than salad on this venture, and were rewarded with a thick, rich creamy mushroom bisque, the soup of the day, and a hearty and lightly spicy minestrone. While the bisque was a bit thicker than it needed to be, the minestrone was absolutely delightful, with lots of vegetables and shell noodles within.

We also shared the Chicken Fra Diavola, which unlike many of the other varieties we’ve experienced across the state, was more of a spicy Alfredo dish than a spicy marinara pastiche. No worries. The hot roasted chicken sliced atop the thickly cut noodles and their equally thick sauce were a nice combination.

We failed to save room for desserts, though we were told that the cannelloni cannot be beat. Next time we’re in town, we’ll give it another shot.

Spinelli’s may not be a high-end palace like many of our capital city’s lush Italianate eateries, but it is steady and the price point is very reasonable. With Queen Wilhelmina State Park’s new lodge expected to open next spring, you’ll want to make a note.

Of course, my suggestion is to make it a destination along your foliage-seeking drives in the coming months. Every path to get to Mena takes you through lush forests, and Spinelli’s seems to be the sort of place to reach on such journeys.

Don’t discount the rest of the menu. Though we didn’t get to the steaks, salads or seafood also offered on the menu, they’re worth exploring.

Spinelli’s Italian Steakhouse
1411 Highway 71 North
Mena, AR 71953
(479) 394-3737
Website

Conceptions About Arkansas That Are Wrong.

This is Arkansas.

I tend to get up in arms about things that the average human being considers trivial. And sure, there’s adequate support for not being concerned about our state’s chosen native dessert, or the location of the most incredible Arkansas doughnuts, or why someone got our most prolific and representative chain restaurants wrong.

Still, what’s a blog for but to celebrate the trivial and entertain the masses?

This is also Arkansas.

Recently, the real estate website Movoto – which, as far as I’ve been able to tell, doesn’t really have any other reason for posting these lists about Arkansas than to drive people to its site to purchase homes – created a new piece of junk called “10 Signs You’ve Lived in Arkansas 

This too is Arkansas.

Too Long.” Now, other than not being a really good motivator for individuals considering The Natural State to find a home (what are you doing, Movoto? You’re drunk, go home), it’s actually a pretty offensive piece of sputum that doesn’t deserve the wide dispersal it’s received across the Internet. In fact, it saddens me that such a purulent article has found its way to postings on many of my friends’ social media pages. Alas.

Yes, Frank Bonner's from
Arkansas.  No, we don't
dress like that.

So, Movoto, since you obviously dredged your information about Arkansas from ancient Southwestern Conference football program flyers, old Herb Tarlick suits and classic episodes of both the Beverly Hillbillies and Hee Haw, here’s some education for you.

A Southern Arkansas Mulerider (courtesy RantSports.com)

1. We did not all grow up, and do not all now speak, what you call “Hog Speak.” Nay, though many of us native to this state have rooted for the Arkansas Razorbacks, represented by that fine porcine beast, Arkansas also celebrates its other great schools and their mascots, including the Red Wolves, Trojans, Muleriders, Golden Lions, Boll Weevils and Cotton Blossoms, Wonderboys and Golden Suns, Bears, Reddies, Bison, Warriors and all the rest. Herb Tarlek may have carried around an Arkansas Razorback mug on WKRP, but his attire and attitude weren’t indicative of all of us.

Yes, there are many, many Razorback fans. But this “hog speak” is not practiced in schools by our children, nor is it common to just walk up to someone and ask them to call the Hogs. There’s a time and a place: in a football stadium, for instance. At a pep rally. In a bar full of sports fans, even. I hardly think you’ll hear “woo pig sooie” hollered in a communion or a movie theater. Hasn’t happened in the ones I’ve been to.

2. The Arkansas Delta tamale is not Mexican food. Honestly, bring a tamale from Mexico and serve it alongside one of the moist, fat-soaked tubular miracles from Rhoda’s Famous Hot Tamales or the hearty, beef-rich smooth and juicy packages from Pasquale’s Tamales. Heck, even alongside one of Lackey’s Tamales from Smokehouse Barbecue or a stack of golden marvels from Tamale Factory… they are as similar as Indian fry bread and Taco Bell.

Nay, immigrants and ethnic influences have elevated Arkansas’s Delta pride from a mere masa-cased meat-filled corn husk empanada to a sustaining, irresistible meal staple that, alongside duck and rice, marks the trinity of all that is holy in Delta foodstuffs. This writer apparently never journeyed west of the Mississippi into an endless plain broken by Crowley’s Ridge’s majesty, where roads run straight and sunsets last eternities. Better go learn about the history of the Arkansas Delta tamale before making such aimless assumptions.

3. Movoto’s writer decided to poke fun at the strong religious roots of many Arkansas families by posting this beauty:

The sign in question, by the way, stands hundreds of miles from our state’s borders. It’s actually located on I-65 in Alabama, between Birmingham and Montgomery. Way to check your facts there, Movoto (thanks, David!).

That's it. (Courtesy Shelli Russell)

There are signs encouraging church attendance, sure, but none of this sort. In particular, there is a longstanding sign in Benton that was once in a roadside field, now surrounded by homes and businesses, that simply states “WARNING: PREPARE TO MEET GOD.” Whether this sign was posted to welcome you to the Saline County burg or to inform you that God has made residence in the city, is open for interpretation.

The text that accompanies the photo, however, is equally as misleading. “You have lived here so long, that you hardly notice how, after just meeting someone, the first question they ask is your name and the second is what church you attend. It’s come to be expected,” the weblog says. Both are incorrect. Usually in a social setting, the first question is “do you require sustenance?” or, in some local vernaculars, “y’eet yet?”

4. The idea that randon gunshots have ceased to make natives flinch is misleading. There are times to flinch at gunshots, particularly when in the city or on a date. Certainly, the seasoned hunter waiting patiently in a tree stand for deer or sitting quietly in a duck blind fails to flinch when the first round goes off. But we aren’t so desensitized to hearing firearms as to dismiss them lightly.

Also, what is that, a pop gun? You can get a really good air rifle in Rogers at Daisy.

The insinuation that “most Arkansans own a gun or two, and sometimes they like to shoot at random things throughout the day” is incendiary, and is like to get you shot. Not all of us are big on firearms use. For instance, longswords and crossbows are the weapons of choice in my household.

5. While the term “coke” is regionally used to describe soft drinks, individuals in Arkansas are certainly smart enough to know that Coca-Cola is a proprietary brand name, and that Cokes aren’t made in flavors such as Pepsi, Monster and Minute Maid. In fact, while cola is consumed broadly throughout the state, we also celebrate the creation of fruit-inspired carbonated beverages Grapette and Orangette, developed by one Benjamin Tyndal Fooks in 1939. His multiple flavors also included Lemonette, Sunburst and Mr. Cola, and his sodas are the flavors generations of Arkansawyers savored in their youth. Grapette was so beloved by one man, Sam Walton, that the original recipe and name were obtained by Walmart and today you can find both it and Orangette on the shelves of the world’s largest retailer.

But as far as referring to those sweet carbonated beverages as “cokes,” you’ll find, is just as prevalent in Atlanta and New Orleans as it is here.

These states require purple paint tree posting.  Arkansas
allows for POSTED signs.

6. While purple paint is used to denote hunting lands in six states, in Arkansas it is more common to see the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s regulation that clearly states “Signs may be placed not more than 100 feet apart and at each road entrance. The signs shall bear the words “POSTED” and/or “NO TRESPASSING” in letters at least 4 inches tall. Signs shall be readily visible to a person approaching the property.” Many of these signs will bear the name of the hunting club or family that owns the land. To hunt in these areas, you need written permission – unless you are related to the landowner, in which verbal agreement will suffice.

Growing up and visiting relations in southwest Arkansas, it was not uncommon to see where properties met, a series of different colored paint blocks. These were usually white, yellow, blue, pink, or whatever color paint the landowner had left over after some project. Purple was unusual.

7. Very few individuals keep Dramamine, and it’s unlikely you’ll just “end up” on the Pig Trail. Arkansas Highway 23 is one of many extraordinary, gorgeous drives in western Arkansas, and during fall it’s knock-out magnificent. But happening upon it by chance and still choosing to drive it would be the driver’s decision. And anyone who’d usually choose to drive the stretch from Ozark to near Fayetteville would probably be used to its hairpins and curves.

Any of you remember climbing the tower at Mount Gayler
along US Highway 71?

Most people take I-49 up from Alma to Fayetteville these days for Razorback games. Its sweeping stretches provide grand views of valleys below, and there’s a tunnel (the only one in Arkansas), and the speed limit is 70 miles an hour. Those choosing a slower route usually opt for the Boston Mountain Loop of old US Highway 71, which once was crowded and sometimes dangerous but which now offers magnificent views, quaint shops and access to Lake Fort Smith State Park, a jewel itself.

Hunter loves the snow.  Taken in January.
Or June.  Or sometime in the past five years.

8. The idea that Arkansas is any more weatherprone than any other state in the nation is problematic. Sure, we have tornadoes, hot spells, cold spells, the occasional ice storm, infrequent cycles of cicadas and the potential to one day have an earthquake – but we aren’t bothered by hurricanes, volcanoes, blizzards, tsunamis, sandstorms, glacial shifts or swarms of bees. What we do have, we prepare for as best we can.

While living here means you might encounter an ice storm, a flood and a tornado in the span of a week and a half, it also means you get to experience all four seasons in their fullest splendor. And if you’ve ever experienced a gorgeous Arkansas October, you’d understand that.

Know why it's called a tourist trap? It
traps the tourists. Those would be folks from
not around here.

9. Of course we know about Booger Hollow. Every person who watched TV during the 1992 presidential election cycle knows about Booger Hollow. It’s a shame property ownership issues kept it closed after the 2006 season. But we also have the Little Rock River Market District, Hot Springs Bathhoue Row and – oh, yeah, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Focusing on one two-story bathhouse is just another attempt to paint us as a bunch of hicks.

10. The last point in this piece is the only thing you really got right.
Arkansas folks are friendly. We still talk to strangers, and we still try to help one another out. If that makes us uncivilized, well, your definition of uncivilized is different from mine. And if it’s a sign that we’ve been in Arkansas too long, then by golly, seems like a good idea to just stay put. When your writer decides to come visit and actually see what Arkansas is like, we’ll welcome her, too.

And this is also Arkansas.

Oh, and one more thing. Arkie – or Arky – can be considered a condescending term. Mind your manners when you get here, and keep language like that under wraps.

Sushi Thursday: Gold Town Korean BBQ.

Good sushi isn't limited to Central Arkansas.  The northwest part of the state has a surprisingly strong sushi-loving community, and there are several great places to get fresh fish and rice throughout the I-49 corridor.

Of these, Gold Town Korean BBQ in Bentonville is my favorite.  Tucked into the back corner of an unassuming strip mall at SE 14th and J Streets, it doesn't look like much.  There's also the whole term Korean.  Don't worry about it.  You're going to like it.

There are lots of options, including a fantastic bulgogi and bi bim bap, but if you're going for sushi, go for lunch.  The Sushi Lunch special is $10..95, and it's five pieces of nigiri plus your
choice of one of ten rolls --

California, Crab Stick, Tuna, White Tuna, Salmon, Red Snapper, Vegetable, Spicy Crab, Spicy Tuna and Philadelphia -- and it comes with miso.  For a quick lunch, it's nicely priced and quick.

Other possibilities include a Sashimi Lunch and a Roll Combo -- or you can go for the Sushi Special for $8.50 -- which is two rolls from the list above.

We liked the freshness of our rolls.  However, we were a little confused on our first visit.  You order at the front, pay, and then find your seat -- more like a dairy bar than a sit-down restaurant, really.  We were also each given a tiny pajeon upon sitting, a little pancake with zucchini and scallions, a pleasant little surprise.

Our favorite dish from our visits has to be the jalapeno bombs -- fresh jalapenos seeded and stuffed with cream cheese, raw tuna and roe, battered and deep fried, drizzled with hoisin sauce and Japanese mayo and sprinkled with a little green onion.  Amazing.


Gold Town Korean BBQ has an extensive menu, and if we lived closer, we'd probably spend a lot more time in its dark interior.  Give it a shot when you're in Bentonville.  And check out the extensive menu before you go.

Gold Town Korean BBQ
1100 SE 14th Street
 Bentonville, AR 72712
(479) 172-1000