What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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featured dining guide story Advertorial Feature By Randy Rice | Special to noRthweSt aRkanSaS democRat-Gazette 42 What's up! june 12-18, 2022 "Never trust a skinny chef" The Fat Chef wins BIG in Best of Northwest Arkansas Contest N orthwest Arkansas diners have spoken! Open less than one year, The Fat Chef is already earning hearty acclaim throughout the region. In the recent Best of Northwest Arkansas contest, the eatery was nominated in five categories and took home two Gold awards for Best Steakhouse and Best Seafood restaurant, and three Silver awards for Best Fine Dining Restaurant, Best Romantic Restaurant and Best New Restaurant. It all began a few years ago with a chance stop at charming space that is now home to The Fat Chef. "Seven years ago, my wife and I stopped by this building on our way home when we lived out at Rocky Branch on Beaver Lake," began Richard Fleener, who owns The Fat Chef with his wife, Christine. "We had struggled to find the kind of restaurant that offered quality sit-down dining without having to go all the way into Bentonville, Rogers, or Fayetteville." When Richard and Christine left that little log cabin building they joked about how 'someday' they were going to return to make it into a world-class restaurant. Fortunately for us, that's just what they did. The Fat Chef opened in June 2021, and is already making a name for itself with their prime steaks, fresh seafood and an amazing selection of distinctive menu items and homemade desserts. "Our chef is a seafood specialist," said Christine. "We fly in fresh fish for specials every week. We have a corn soufflé that people eat every time they come. We hand cut our Prime Steaks daily. People say we have the best steak in Arkansas. And every Wednesday we feature Prime Rib." Starting with the appetizers, one quickly discovers this is not your average eatery. Take the Crab Rangoon Dip, featuring magnificent fresh crabmeat mixed with bechamel cream and scallions served bubbling hot with fried wonton chips. Or check out the Pistachio Encrusted Brie Cheese atop wilted spinach, served with a quail egg and toast points. And these amazing culinary creations that are only the beginning of The Fat Chef experience. The entrees include a tempting assortment of prime steaks and some original fresh fish creations you won't find anywhere else. A fresh water favorite is the Great Northern Walleye, either parmesan and fresh herb encrusted or classically seasoned and pan seared to a golden brown. Another popular seafood dish is the Classic Shrimp Scampi. It features five colossal shrimp with fresh lump crab in a traditional scampi butter served with fettuccine and toast points. One of the things that stands out at The Fat Chef is the fact that the meals are not ala carte. "Our menu is unique in that every meal comes with the veggie of the day, starch, salad, and warm bread with herbed butter," Christine said. "We want you to enjoy a complete meal without getting charged for every side."