What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1469646
6 WHAT'S UP! JUNE 5-11, 2022 SPRINGDALE An Evening On The Avenue Past, present come together for Springdale dinner APRIL WALLACE NWA Democrat-Gazette A pples pervade the menu of this year's Street Dinner in downtown Springdale to pay homage to the industry that defined Northwest Arkansas long ago. "This is an opportunity to come together to celebrate the revitalization of downtown Springdale," says Jill Dabbs, executive director of Downtown Springdale Alliance. "There's a sense of reflecting on the past, nostalgia of Springdale and excitement of looking ahead with the revitalization." The sixth annual Springdale Street Dinner will take place June 11 on Emma Avenue downtown, starting with cocktails and seating at 6:30 p.m. In the event of rain or other inclement weather, the seating will be moved under cover at Shiloh Square. Dandelion Heart will play music during the event, though Dabbs says it will be atmospheric to still allow conversation, and Jenna and the Soulshakers will perform afterward. A total of 400 people are expected to attend the dinner, which was planned and will be executed by Chef Erin Rowe — making it the largest street dinner the town's seen yet. "We picked the chef we felt had the ability to deliver a nice, curated meal to a crowd this large," Dabbs says. Rowe says she wanted to head up the huge undertaking first and foremost because she loves the city at the center of Northwest Arkansas. "Springdale is at the crux of cuisine and culinary history because of the railroad line running through it and the boxes of apples (it sent) to feed the nation from the 1890s to the 1920s, when it was crucial to rely on Northwest Arkansas for food sourcing," she says. "I love its rich history, and I love that it's being revitalized." Rowe is the author of "An Ozark Culinary History: Northwest Arkansas Traditions from Corn Dodgers to Squirrel Meatloaf." She regularly makes use of that local historical knowledge on her food tours that she often runs two or three times a week. Handling this year's street dinner allows her to feel like a part of Springdale history, she says. Dinner guests will first be served a starter of a summer salad of mixed greens and seasonal vegetables with Chef Rowe's herbed cider vinaigrette — made using an apple cider vinegar. The main course will be rosemary pork tenderloin with a blackberry balsamic reduction with two sides, including an apple-infused rice pilaf with cranberry almond and a cider- roasted Brussels sprouts. Rowe will be preparing the pork tenderloin by sous vide, a relatively new way to cook meat all the way through without drying it out, she says. The technique involves putting the pork in plastic bags and bringing it to a certain temperature. She believes it's the best way to cook pork tenderloin since this kind of meat is easily dried out during cooking. It also has the added benefit of being easy to do in bulk. The Brussels sprouts get infused with that cider flavor when tossed in the vinaigrette and then oven-roasted. Rowe says the process makes the sprouts crispy, and it remains delicious at room temperature, something she takes into account for the likelihood of a balmy Arkansas evening while serving hundreds of people. Given the environment, Rowe knew she would be looking for a dessert that wouldn't melt in the June heat, so ice cream and cheesecake were immediately off the list of options. Instead she will be serving a salted caramel apple crumble in a mini mason jar. The salt adds just the right complexity to balance the sweet flavors, she says. Even if you don't have a ticket to the dinner, Dabbs says there is plenty to enjoy in downtown Springdale that day. She suggests starting early with the Art Walk, which is set for 2-7 p.m. with more than 20 artists participating. If you pick up a passport for the walk, you will have the chance to win two free tickets to the street dinner, she says. Among the displays to enjoy will be a variety of chalk art; "Humongous Fungus," the giant mushroom and flowers crocheted by Gina Gallina at the Shiloh Square — where a tea party is also planned alongside it and there will be three activations by Arts One Presents. One art reveal will take place inside Black Apple, the cidery on Emma, and a mural reveal will happen nearby. The covid year of "2020 was the only year we didn't have a street dinner," Dabbs says. "In 2021 we changed seating layout" to keep people safer with distance. "We're excited to be back at full capacity this year." Rowe says the venue, outdoor music and her menu will make for an intoxicating combination. "I'm hoping it'll be the best street dinner" yet, she says. FAQ Springdale Street Dinner WHEN — Starts with cocktails at 6:30 p.m. June 11 WHERE — Emma Avenue in downtown Springdale COST — $100 per person INFO— downtownspringdale. org The annual Street Dinner on Emma Avenue "is an opportunity to come together to celebrate the revitalization of downtown Springdale," says Jill Dabbs, executive director of Downtown Springdale Alliance. "There's a sense of reflecting on the past, nostalgia of Springdale and excitement of looking ahead with the revitalization." (Courtesy Photo/ Meredith Mashburn Photography)