Food Hall of Fame taps Monte Ne Inn, Bentonville chef

Monte Ne Inn Chicken is in the class of 2021 entrants into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame. Monte Ne Inn Chicken is at 13843 E. Monte Ne Road in Rogers.
(File Photo/NWA Democrat-Gazette
Monte Ne Inn Chicken is in the class of 2021 entrants into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame. Monte Ne Inn Chicken is at 13843 E. Monte Ne Road in Rogers. (File Photo/NWA Democrat-Gazette

Monte Ne Inn Chicken in Rogers, Feltner's Whatta-Burger in Russellville and Star of India in Little Rock are the class of 2021 entrants into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame.

Matt McClure, executive chef of The Hive in Bentonville, received the Proprietor of the Year Award.

The state Heritage Department announced the honorees at a virtual award ceremony Monday evening.

The winner among Food-Themed Events was the Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival.

The top choice for "Gone But Not Forgotten" honors was North Little Rock's Roy Fisher's Steak House.

And the People's Choice Award went to Bistro Bar & Grill in Helena-West Helena.

Corn was the choice of the judging panel of food professionals, foodies and food writers for the Hall of Fame Food of the Year for 2021.

The panel chose first finalists and subsequently the award-winners from nominations submitted by members of the public -- more than 2,000 submissions from all 75 Arkansas counties -- except for the People's Choice Award, which is based on the number of nominations the establishment receives.

The Food Hall of Fame was launched by Arkansas Heritage in 2016 to recognize Arkansas' iconic restaurants, proprietors and food-themed events.

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