Arkansas Heritage on Monday announced the 2023 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame inductees.
"Our 2023 inductees represent some of the best food in Arkansas," Mike Mills, secretary of the state Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism, said in a news release. "Food tells the story of Arkansas's culinary heritage and it’s an honor to celebrate the people, places and events that serve this story to Arkansas residents and visitors alike."
The honorees are:
Arkansas Food Hall of Fame
- Bulldog Restaurant of Bald Knob (White County)
- Kream Kastle of Blytheville (Mississippi County)
- Ozark Cafe of Jasper (Newton County)
Proprietor of the Year
- Jamie McAfee, Pine Bluff Country Club
Food-Themed Events
- Magnolia Blossom Festival and World Championship Steak Cook-Off (Columbia County)
Gone But Not Forgotten
- Bohemia Restaurant, formerly of Hot Springs
People’s Choice
- Community Bakery of Little Rock
Arkansas Heritage launched the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame program in 2016 to celebrate the state's unique food traditions and educate Arkansans about the state's food culture and heritage.
Nominations for the seventh class of the hall of fame were submitted from all 75 Arkansas counties for the program's five categories. Finalists were announced in January from more than 1,800 nominations.
The Arkansas Food Hall of Fame Committee is a group of Arkansans who are historians, chefs, foodies and food authors. Committee members include Paul S. Austin, Jimmy Bryant, Chip Culpepper, Quantia "Key" Fletcher, Cindy Grisham, Montine McNulty, Rex Nelson, Tim Nutt, Kat Robinson, Stephanie Wade, David Ware and Stanley Young, in addition to Mills.
You can read more about the nominees at ArkFoodHOF.com.
