Eat Arkansas

I always thought Cock of the Walk had the best fried catfish ... back when I used to eat fried catfish. But maybe that's because I was indoctrinated into liking that place at a very young age ....

I've had excellent food dishes at Imagine and Ciao Baci and would highly recomment them.

Does anyone else, like Jen here, consider catfish seafood? I've noticed that many Arkansawyers don't make a distinction between seafood and freshwater fish.

I'm an Arkansawyer, by the way, but I think I've understood the difference all my life.

I've also noted a cultural prejudice against seafood, as opposed to freshwater catches, which I attribute to a century and more of relative isolation from fresh seafood, and much of what reached the Ozarks and upper Delta during the 19th and most of the 20th centuries was of suspect origin and age, and therefore possibly not fit to eat--even likely to sicken or kill.

So, are you calling me dumb? I know I can't spell ....

I was just going to say that Ferneau introduced me to opah, a tropical fish from the Hawaii region that is meaty like salmon but not as strong in flavor, or as red. Don't get me wrong, I love salmon, but this was a refreshing alternative.

Just because I feel the need to defend myself: of course I know the difference between fish (and other things) from the sea and freshwater fish. If you want to get into an etimological debate about what "seafood" really connotates, there's a time and place for that. I was just responding to a general blog question.

Also, for your edification, please look at the wikipedia entry for "seafood," which includes freshwater fish. :)

ARK. BLOG: This discussion inevitably reminds me of my frequent trips as a child to visit my Aunt Luna, who lived in Huttig, Ark. One evening, she asked us how we'd like to go out for some "seafood." Yum, yum said the Brantleys, who lived 30 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and its abundance of shrimp, oysters, crab, flounder, snapper, etc.

Maybe an hour later, after a drive that then was over gravel roads, we arrived at a little cafe by the ferry at Moro Bay. It was Friday. The seafood special? Fried buffalo fish. Fifty years later, I still remember it like yesterday. I ate a lot of hush puppies.

I'm a bit biased because my husband is the chef, but the Lodge at Mount Magazine has a pretty extensive seafood buffet on Friday nights. Crab claws, crawfish cakes, salmon en papillote (probably spelled wrong), a carving station featuring whole sides of shark or halibut or other large fish, two kinds of shrimp, frog legs and the obligatory catfish. All you can eat for $19.95, which considering what you're getting, is pretty good.

Don't forget Peter Brave's Brave New off Cantrell.

One warning, I ordered Ahi Tuna @ Cajuns a while back, and it showed up fully cooked.

Grampa's Catfish on Stagecoach is also very good. BEWARE!, it get very busy! Go early or late. Not at normal dinnertime, unless you want to wait for a little while.

I know it got a bad rap here in a review but Joey's in Conway has really great seafood. I always gets the Cajun Boil bucket. My wife likes their Cracker Crusted Halibut - it is like nothing I've ever had before. They also have a Seared Tuna that is absolutely fabulous.

Copper Grill is pretty good seafood for the area--but it's a chain, and I wouldn't typically support a chain. I guess I will have to hold out for one more month until Argenta Seafood opens. If it's anything comparable to Capeo, it will knock the socks off every other seafood restaurant in town.

ARK. BLOG: It's not a chain. It's one of three restaurants, independent and local, operated by Mary Beth Ringgold of Capers/Cajun's.

I'm sorry... I meant Bonefish Grill. My mistake.

Ahh! Seafood!
Being a Native Marylander is a constant struggle finding good seafood at a good price in AR. But some places of note:
Vermillion Bistro has good crab cakes and overall the seafood is good but pricey.
An underated place in WLR is Alley Oops, great fried shrimp and a very nice Grill Salmon. The Catfish Hole in NLR is good
Brave New is awesome but expensive. I know you have to pay these days for good seafood in a land locked state but jeez!

I'm not that impressed with Cajuns! Overall being a Baltimore native, I'm not a fan of Cajun style seafood!

Ever sinced we moved to AR, I've enjoyed eating Catfish here! AR does Catfish right!

Please blog if anyone knows where you can get a real MD style crabcake with mostly carb meat and light on the filler!

I found the crabcakes at Bonefish to be darn close to your specifications Raven. Tasty. Sauce that came with them was, well, "yummo" if I was Rachel Rayish.