Review of 'Classic Eateries of the Ozarks and Arkansas River Valley' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Not quite a history, not quite a travelogue, and not quit a cookbook, this book manages to be a largely entertaining survey of some of the more colorful long running restaurants of the region.
Published in 2013, it is less dated than I feared it would be a decade later. Most of the restaurants appear to still be operating, despite the intervening pandemic. There are a few sad exceptions. There were a couple of times where I thought "that sounds worth checking out" only to find that the restaurant had closed permanently. There was also one case where the book caused me to go try a dish I hadn't had before at a place I had previously eaten at, which I was very grateful for after that place closed down a few months later.
I do wonder how friendly some of the restaurants described near the end of the book …
Not quite a history, not quite a travelogue, and not quit a cookbook, this book manages to be a largely entertaining survey of some of the more colorful long running restaurants of the region.
Published in 2013, it is less dated than I feared it would be a decade later. Most of the restaurants appear to still be operating, despite the intervening pandemic. There are a few sad exceptions. There were a couple of times where I thought "that sounds worth checking out" only to find that the restaurant had closed permanently. There was also one case where the book caused me to go try a dish I hadn't had before at a place I had previously eaten at, which I was very grateful for after that place closed down a few months later.
I do wonder how friendly some of the restaurants described near the end of the book would be to patrons of color. Especially as you get to Harrison and parts further East. It's a shame that the author isn't in a position to be able to answer those questions, as there are a couple of interesting places that otherwise sound worth the drive to check out.