Opinion

Let’s Eat | NWA Restaurant News: Lady Slipper opens in Bentonville, Blu DTR in Rogers and more

Lady Slipper opens in historic Massey building

Lady Slipper restaurant will open at the Massey Building in downtown Bentonville.
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Flip Putthoff)
Lady Slipper restaurant will open at the Massey Building in downtown Bentonville. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Flip Putthoff)

Located in the basement of downtown Bentonville's Massey building, Lady Slipper is being billed as a speakeasy-style lounge.

Of course, basement doesn't call to mind the kind of decor you can expect to see.

The new restaurant by the Walton-associated Ropeswing Group opened Wednesday.

A menu of shareable plates by executive chef Arturo Solis is accompanied by cocktails, champagne, wine and local beer, according to the Ropeswing website.

Tracey Spillane, vice president of bars and restaurants for Ropeswing, said back in April that the business was aiming for "a menu that gives a nod to a French brasserie with Northwest Arkansas influence."

The restaurant actually has three separate levels, main bar, mezzanine and basement, according to architecture firm Polk Stanley Wilcox.

The basement houses the kitchen as well as an intimate seating area and cocktail bar.

Visitors enter on the south side of the building at a redesigned outdoor courtyard, which has additional seating.

The Massey building at 138 S.W. Second St. was built in 1910 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Phat Tire Bike Shop occupies the north side of the building off Central Avenue.

Ropeswing operates several restaurants and bars in Bentonville, including Pressroom, The Preacher's Son, Undercroft, Louise, CO-OP and Sunny's.

BLU DTR

A new Japanese restaurant is now open in the old City Hall building in downtown Rogers.

Blu DTR, related to Blu Fish House on Bentonville's Fifth Street, serves mostly sushi, according to social media posts.

The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 8:30 p.m. at 214 W. Elm Street.

WIENERSCHNITZEL

The California-based hot dog chain held a groundbreaking last week at the site of its planned Bentonville restaurant.

Wienerschnitzel has no locations in the state at this point, but plans are in place to bring 20 stores to Arkansas in the next 12 years.

Founded in 1961 as a hot dog stand in Wilmington, Calif., the company serves more than 120 million hot dogs annually across more than 330 locations and is looking to expand into new regions of the United States.

CLOSINGS

There has been news of a few closings since I last wrote for this space.

In case you haven't heard, Fayetteville Roots Festival and the Roots HQ are shutting down -- at least temporarily. The founders said in the announcement earlier this month that they were taking a break from the culinary and music festival.

"This is not the end of Fayetteville Roots, but a gentle break, time to evolve, and a time to evaluate what is next. We still have something to give and a desire to support the music and culinary communities in Northwest Arkansas. With a little time and a refuel for the creative energy that burns inside of us, we know we will gather together again around a fantastic meal and good music."

The festival certainly delivered on the culinary end a few months ago, so I look forward to its return sometime in the future.

Stone Mill Bread also announced a temporary closure of its Fayetteville location on Gregg Avenue "until further notice."

The business "will be doing facility maintenance and negotiating a long-term lease with our landlord," according to a social media post. "We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this causes our customers and are hopeful we can re-open our doors soon."

Stone Mill's locations in Springdale and Bentonville are still open.

FOOD HALL OF FAME

It's not too late to nominate your favorite restaurant for induction into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame.

Others awards like Proprietor of the Year, Food-Themed Event, Gone But Not Forgotten and People's Choice are also taking nominations on the Division of Arkansas Heritage's website.

Finalists for the awards will be announced in January with winners revealed the following month.

Visit the ArkFoodHOF.com for more information.

  photo  Blu DTR, a new sushi restaurant, is now open at 214 W. Elm St., the old City Hall building in downtown Rogers. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Garrett Moore)
 
 


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