Ever wonder what other foodies are thinking? Me too. Special thanks to Beth Bryant-Claxton, PhD for her answers!

1. How many years have you lived in Little Rock? I have lived here since 2008, but came to visit my mom (and eat!) several times a year since 1990.

2. Where is your favorite place to eat in Hillcrest? I think what the folks at Hillcrest Artisan Meat (HAM) are doing is brilliant. My favorite sandwich (on my rare “bread” days) is the Georgie. Just a “ham and butter” sammie, but made with the most impeccable ingredients that you need nothing more. Their Friday HAM burgers are grass-fed, iron-skilleted perfection, and their house-made bacon gruyere sausage is hands down my favorite link in the world.

3. Which restaurant in town has the best service? Oddly, I can’t answer this. I tend to engage my server wherever I go, and have found many places with friendly, responsive staff. Honestly, I get so into my food and my companion that I only truly notice if service is poor, or my server is rude or appears not to like people in general. That’s always surprising to me!

4. What are a few of your guilty food pleasure items? Well if it’s “guilty” because it’s off my food plan (I control my diabetes without meds by eating mostly grain- and sugar-free), then it would be fresh baked bread with real butter, or a bite of an eclair, creme brûlée or similar decadence. Otherwise, I believe that just about any food can be made more delicious by the addition of bacon, avocado, an over medium egg, and/or Hollandaise sauce.

5. What is Little Rock’s signature restaurant dish? I love and seek variety, and so this kind of question is very tough for me to wrap my head around. The Little Rock food scene is diverse enough to support many signature dishes! I think that some of the restaurants that are doing updated southern classics are likely to fall in that category. Like the fried chicken with pepper jelly at South on Main, and the offerings at the Capital Bar and Grill. I am also rooting for the emerging local, whole food movement that is being showcased by places like The Root.

6. What Arkansas celebrity (past or present) would you want to have dinner with? Johnny Cash. Or Maya Angelou. Maybe both together!

7. You have to put together a 3-course meal (app, entree, and dessert) from three different Little Rock restaurants. What would be your choices to create this perfect meal? I would have to begin with a house-made Bloody Mary with extra olives at the Town Pump…yes, you heard me! My appetizer would be the amazing short rib bao and slaw from the Southern Gourmasian food truck. The porcini-rubbed branzino at Lulav (not there anymore, sad face!) for my entree. And a slab of tres leches (three milk) cake with Brazilian coffee at Cafe Bossa Nova to round things out.

Rosalinda’s…a NLR Favorite

8. If you could jump in a plane this very second…where would you go and what would you eat? I would go to Cape Cod and eat whole lobster until I fell over. Or hit the food carts in downtown Manhattan. I am apparently incapable of giving just one answer for anything!

9. What is your favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurant? Until just recently, it was the White Water Tavern. My favorite wait staff (esp. Lizzie and her dimples!) The food that Jonathan Wilkins was putting out over there was some of the best I have ever had. Standouts were duck-fat fries, Arkansas burgoo, and a cilantro slaw I wanted to buy by the bucket. And of course, the iconic “Double Wide” with thick sliced smoked bologna, local cheddar cheese, fried egg, and sriracha mayo. Current favorites that have a low profile and great food are Rosalinda’s on JFK and Layla’s on Rodney Parham.

10. What is one Little Rock restaurant you’ve never eaten at that may surprise people? Ah come on, you know I can’t just give one! But given the fact that I mostly eat meat and veggies these days (cavegirl grawrr!), my friends might be surprised that I haven’t eaten at Sonny Williams’, The Butcher Shop, or the Little Rock Doe’s Eat Place.