Heaping Spoonful

Elihue Washington, Jr., -- owner and head fish fryer at the Lassis Inn in Little Rock, Arkansas -- stopped by the Heaping Spoonful studio to talk about his restaurant, which dates back to 1905, his commitment to serving only piping-hot, freshly fried fish and the awards that have come his way, including a coveted American Classics designation by the James Beard Foundation.

John Currence, who has built a restaurant empire in Oxford, Mississippi, explains how his sense of market opportunities and people's tastes have helped him create four winning concepts, including Big Bad Breakfast, which he is rapidly expanding across the Mid-South.

Diana Bratton, owner and chef of Taco Mama and Taco Mama Side Town in Hot Springs, Arkansas, stopped by to talk about how her south Texas heritage, culinary school experience and time in the kitchen of a renowned Dallas eatery combined to create the chef-driven Mexican food that has made her award-winning restaurants popular.

Miles McMath gave Heaping Spoonful a call to talk about the huge following his Junior's restaurant in Hernando, MS, has developed by doing straightforward home cooking from scratch ... and how his 10 years as executive chef at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis changed his career -- and his life.

Kevin Shalin, a popular food blogger known as The Mighty Rib, dropped by the Heaping Spoonful studio to explain how a former school teacher can become an influential blogger with more than 15,000 Facebook followers. He also tells some of his favorite items at "hidden gem" restaurants around Arkansas.

Paul Holt of 4-Dice Restaurant in Fordyce, Arkansas, gave Heaping Spoonful a call to talk about the colorful history of the restaurant his mother founded in 1967, including the infamous meal Rolling Stones' guitarists Keith Richards and Ron Wood ate there in 1975 on their way from Memphis to Dallas.

Andrew Adams, executive chef at Acre in Memphis, gave Heaping Spoonful a call to explain how a part-time job in high school was the springboard to an amazing career that years ago reunited him with the man who gave him his first break and remains his mentor today.

James Woods of Woods Place checked in by phone to explain the tried-and-true philosophies that have made his restaurant in Camden, Arkansas, a true legend for more than 35 years -- primarily his commitment to made-from-scratch cooking and taking great care of his customers and staff.

Kelly English, chef and owner of Restaurant Iris and the Second Line, two popular Memphis eateries that are next door to one another near Overton Square, checks in by phone to talk about his path from college to culinary school to working for one of New Orleans' most renowned restaurateurs and how that opened up doors for him to own his own spots.

Ed and Zac David of Faded Rose in Little Rock stopped by to talk about the amazing, almost-40-year run the Cajun/Creole restaurant has enjoyed as one of the city's most beloved and enduring eateries.

Cole Ellis of Delta Meat Market in Cleveland, Mississippi, checked in by phone to tell his amazing story, which started as a butcher shop, transitioned into a market and now is one of the most renowned restaurants in the South.

Austin Samuelson gives us a call to tell Heaping Spoonful listeners how the passion his wife, Ashton, and he have for helping others led them to open Tacos 4 Life, which donates money from each meal sold to buy a meal for a starving child somewhere in the world, an effort that has resulted in more than 16 million meals being delivered.

Travis Hester checks in by phone to discuss how his bold decision to take out a loan to buy a used food trailer and start frying catfish for the first time in his life has grown into a five-restaurant operation known as Eat My Catfish, one of the leading purveyors of one of Arkansas's favorite food.

Jamie McAfee, general manager and executive chef at the Pine Bluff Country Club, spoke by phone about his long career in the country club business as well as his close connection to the University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute.

Donnie Ferneau talked by phone about the journey that established him as one of the most acclaimed chefs in Arkansas, including lessons learned as the owner-operator of Ferneau and now Cathead's Diner, and how he began to focus on what people wanted to eat vs. what he wanted to cook.

Matt McClure, executive chef of the Hive at the 21c Hotel in Bentonville, checked in by phone to describe his culinary school and early restaurant experience in New England and the steps that took him to the Capital Hotel in Little Rock and on to the 21c. Behind all those moves -- staying close to the woman who would become his wife.

Chef Matt Bell checks in by phone from his new home in Nashville, TN, where he moved to be executive chef at Gray & Dudley, a restaurant at the 21C Hotel. Matt talks about the journey that sent the Montana native to Arkansas for more than a decade, highlighted by the many years he and his wife, Amy, owned and operated the acclaimed South on Main restaurant. 

Brothers Gio and Vince Bruno talk about growing up at their father's iconic Bruno's Little Italy on Roosevelt Road in Little Rock and the other iterations of the restaurant that led to opening on what's now a busy stretch of Main Street downtown.

The Keet restaurant empire in Arkansas began with father Jim's partnership in more than two dozen Wendy's outlets, but the legend has only grown as sons Tommy and Jake have joined forces with their dad in a collection of Taziki's restaurants and Petit and Keet -- with a remake of the old Cock of the Walk soon to come.

Capi Peck, longtime co-owner/operator of Trio's Restaurant, talks about all the time she spent as a young girl at the Hotel Sam Peck, her grandparents' legendary hotel/restaurant in downtown Little Rock, and the somewhat bold and shocking move decades ago to enter the restaurant business -- against the advice of those who knew the industry best.

Veteran restaurateur/chef Mark Abernathy tells listeners what it takes to have staying power in a fickle industry and how his training in Texas and Mexico brought the first authentic Tex-Mex cuisine to Central Arkansas.

Scott McGehee, executive chef and partner in the five restaurant brands under the Yellow Rocket Concepts umbrella, tells how personal persistence and a commitment to continuous improvement have helped him thrive in this very competitive industry. 

Don Dugan, the owner/operator of Dugan's Pub and Dizzy's Gypsy Bistro, talks about the long, strange trip that led him in and out of the restaurant business before he emerged as the owner of two of Little Rock's top downtown eateries.

Rob Nelson, owner/chef at Tusk and Trotter in Bentonville -- among other establishments -- talks about his journey from Northwest Arkansas to Colorado to France and back to Northwest Arkansas as well as his plans to open a Tusk and Trotter in the Argenta district of North Little Rock.

The owner and chef of this renowned Hot Springs spot discusses his varied background and how his first restaurant became an overnight success.