Restaurant reviews: Fine dining at 3 Bentonville, Ark., destinations
BY SCOTT CHERRY World Scene Writer
Sunday, March 10, 2013
3/10/13 at 4:42 AM
Don't know what's for dinner? Find Scott Cherry’s restaurant guide.Original Print Headline: Dining well in northwest Arkansas
This is a recap of Scott Cherry's restaurant reviews in last week's Weekend section. The full reviews are available at tulsaworld.com/cherrypicks or at tulsaworld.com/arkansastravel
PETIT BISTRO
2702 N. Walton Blvd., Bentonville, Ark.
479-464-9278
Food: 
Atmosphere: 
Service:
(on a scale of 0 to 4 stars)
Lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday, dinner 5 p.m., closing times vary depending on reservations; accepts all major credit cards.
We decided to have a glass of wine and share a sizable plate of carpaccio ($15) while we mulled our choices. The thin, shaved pieces of raw beef in the carpaccio had been "cooked" in a citrus vinaigrette and were served with wild arugula, shaved Parmesan cheese and capers.
That put us in the mood to share a Caesar salad ($10) and settle on a petit filet mignon ($28) and petit pork shanks ($24) for our entrees.
The thick filet was cooked to a perfect medium-rare and was served over wilted spinach with a touch of truffle oil. The side was thin-sliced rosemary-garlic roasted potatoes.
The tender pork shanks had enough fat to give them some big flavor, which was helped along by a mildly sweet plum dipping sauce. The dish came with roasted potatoes and a sauteed medley of zucchini, yellow squash and red bell peppers.
ELEVEN
Crystal Bridges Museum
600 Museum Way, Bentonville, Ark.
479-657-2305
Food:
Atmosphere:
Service: order at counter
(on a scale of 0 to 4 stars)
11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday-Sunday, 5-9 p.m. Wednesday and Friday; accepts all major credit cards.
In the shrimp and grits dish ($12), five jumbo shrimp that had been perfectly sauteed in Worcestershire sauce were sticking straight up in a circle out of a bowl of coarse grits. The shrimp were fresh-tasting and cooked perfectly, and the grits had a wonderful, cheesy flavor.
High South chicken salad ($8.50) was loaded with shredded chicken breast, celery, almonds and grapes and was served over mixed greens. It came with a piece of cranberry nut bread and chunks of fresh pineapple, cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes, kiwi and honeydew. The honeydew was the softest, ripest and sweetest I've ever had.
We also shared a bowl of thick, flavorful tomato bisque ($4) and a small order of beans and cornbread ($3). The cornbread was light and not too crumbly, and the brown beans with bits of ham had been cooked in a smoky ham broth and drizzled with chive oil.
TUSK & TROTTER AMERICAN BRASSERIE
110 SE A St., Bentonville, Ark.
479-268-4494
Food:
Atmosphere:
Service:
(on a scale of 0 to 4 stars)
11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (kitchen closed 2-2:30 p.m.) Sunday; accepts all major credit cards.
The restaurant, located in what once was the storefront for Sam Walton's general office and warehouse, has two dining areas. We wound up at a high-top table near the bar, which had a great-looking wood barback and where we also had a view of the street a block off the downtown square.
I couldn't resist the lemon souffle pancakes ($9), served with a choice of two sides, and my wife went for the duck pastrami Benedict ($11), served with one side.
The pancakes were not large around, but they were thick and had a cake-like texture. They had a lemony flavor and came with vanilla butter and maple syrup.
Associated Images:
Tuna tartare is served with greens
over fresh avocado at Petit Bistro in
Bentonville, Ark. Courtesy
Eleven is located inside Crystal
Bridges Museum. TIMOTHY HURSLEY/
Cristal Bridges Museum of American Art,
Bentonville, Arkansas
A salad is served at Tusk & Trotter American Brasserie. Courtesy
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