Growing up, I spent a number of summers staying in the country with my grandparents. That means I have enjoyed plenty of delectable homecooked meals. These days, we find ourselves frequenting more restaurants, which means fewer of those family-style dinners. During our visit to Bentonville, we found ourselves dining at one of the downtown hotels. When The Hive was added to our itinerary, our hope was that we would experience some refined country cuisine. Stepping into their uncommon décor, we found ourselves in a beehive of dining bliss.
We want to thank Visit Bentonville and The Hive for hosting our visit. Rest assured all opinions are our own.
Cool Down
Bentonville, Arkansas lies in the northwest corner of the state. Summer in the Ozark territory can bring with it some hot weather. Sure enough, our visit was falling smack dab in the midst of a heatwave. We try to be prepared for any circumstances, so this was not unexpected. Even knowing the temps would be soaring, there is only so much that can be done to cool down. On the advice of our server, we decided a cooling cocktail would hit the spot. Pouring over the menu, we saw one that seemed extremely promising as a cooling agent. The Miami Vice is concocted with Plantation rum, pineapple, coconut, lime, almond, bitters, and blue curacao. When it arrived at our table, the Caribbean Sea-colored beverage was as beautiful as it was refreshing.
Familiar Classic
When we pick a restaurant for refined country cuisine, we go in with high expectations. This was not going to be a fried chicken and mashed taters meal. Crystal was looking forward to sampling some home-style cooking. Their Roasted Chicken Breast is served up in a bed of grits and accompanied by baby carrots, red onion, and fennel. The mixture of flavors wraps your taste buds like a cozy country quilt. You can bet that Crystal fell in love with this dish.
Pork Chop Heaven
How many times have you ordered a pork chop only to be disappointed in the results? Delivering this cut as a delicious and moist dish is a challenging proposition. The Hive has a menu item called Berkshire Hog Chop. When I spied it, I was immediately tempted. Our server assured me that it is an excellent choice and one of the most popular menu items. That was enough for me to jump on this opportunity. What arrived at our table was a tender, juicy, and absolutely filling plate filled with goodness. The chop comes accompanied by yellow corn grits, broccoli, and grilled peaches. Each bite was a bouquet of flavor that reminded me of the pork chops served up by my grandmother. I was in pork chop heaven.
A Sweet Surprise
Even though we were full from our main courses, the idea of passing up dessert was out of the question. The refined country cuisine we were experiencing required us to sample one of their sweet treats. Our server was helpful in directing our attention to their Pecan Pie. What could be more southern than this classic goody? The Hive’s version takes this delicacy and enrobes it with a shortbread crust, and tops it with a scoop of buttermilk ice cream. To take it to the next level, the bar sent over a couple of glasses of port wine to accompany our dessert. There was no possible way that we were going to let a single bite of this treat go to waste.
Refined Country Cuisine
When we think about dinners we have had in hotels, the results have been a mixed bag. The Hive is definitely one of the experiences that stand out as a real winner. While we did not stay at the 21C Museum Hotel, we still took some time to examine some of the artwork that can be found scattered throughout the hotel. With all of their unique pieces, it really made our refined country cuisine dinner all the more special. With our bodies cooled and our appetites satisfied, it was time to do some more exploring in downtown Bentonville.
Thanks for sharing
It was our pleasure. We hope you get to visit.