Chewing the Fat Central Arkansas Library System

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat as they continue to travel the highways and byways of Arkansas in search of the best of Arkansas history, culture, and (most importantly) food.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat on their latest adventure travelling and eating across the state of Arkansas.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat on the morning after the third annual Arkansas Food Hall of Fame induction event. They carry on about how hard it is to be on the selection committee and all the wonderful food they get to eat and nice people they get to meet and try to make people feel sorry for them, contrast the red-carpet experience at the Food Hall of Fame event and the Academy Awards, describe the People's Choice winner and the full list of 2019 nominees and the winners in each juried category -- Gone but Not Forgotten, Food Festival, Proprietor, Restaurant (three inductees) -- talk a bit about old Orval Faubus, and set the record for the longest it ever took Paul to mention that he is from Imboden. That comes in at the 35-minute mark. Bonus: Rex does his impersonation, with sound effects, of the winner at the Hope Watermelon Festival watermelon-eating contest. Hint: It's part machine, part Sheriff.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about the recently released list of the 2019 finalists for induction into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame and talk about where to get great fried chicken, famous sons of Fordyce, how Rex certainly did not buy dirty books at a newsstand known for such, how classic restaurants and cafes got started, where to get the best fried pies in Arkansas, the joys of convenience-store livers and gizzards, the secret ingredient in the slaw at Craig’s Bar-B-Q, the time Paul cried over homemade sausage, and his warning about watermelon festivals.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about their sojourn in western Arkansas (part two), starting up Rich Mountain on a cold afternoon. And being dazzled by the drive up the mountain and rapidly dropping temperatures, checking in at the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism's wonderful Queen Wilhelmina Lodge, admiring Lum and Abner at theDepot Museum in Mena, spending a little time with Y City, Waldron, Mansfield, Greenwood, and Hackett, and winding up at the spectacular Ed Walker's Drive In in Fort Smith.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about their sojourn in western Arkansas (part one), starting at Texarkana and heading north. And admiring four beautiful lakes, checking out the museum at Ashdown, pondering the origins of the name De Queen and admiring cool things going on there, humoring Rex's sore feelings about a football state championship of long ago, looking for Tom Cruise around Mena, not finding him but finding Ouachita Baptist University people everywhere, considering the uniqueness of border towns, and—of course—finding some great places to eat all along the way, especially Cattleman's Steak House and Johnny B's Grill in Texarkana and Stillwell's Restaurant in De Queen.