At the end of each month, I look back at all of the wonderful things eaten over the past thirty days. Here are my top 10 dishes in April.

Burnt Ends and Fries

Burnt Ends and Fries at Count Porkula

Count Porkula only offers burnt ends on Fridays, which I found out by accident when I went inside to order a Diet Coke at the bar. Once I saw it on the menu board, I couldn’t resist. The chunks of beef, while not plentiful in number, score big points in the taste department, as do the hand-cut fries sprinkled with house seasoning. These might be some of the best you’ll find in the area, and the same can be said about the burnt ends.

Scallops

Scallops at Brave New Restaurant

Speaking of best in the area, you will not find better scallops than those at Brave New Restaurant. Plump and bursting with sweet flavor, these pan-seared scallops (five) come swimming in, you guessed it, Brave’s signature beurre blanc sauce. The secret to their great taste is really no secret at all, as Chef Peter Brave simply uses the best scallops on the market.

Potato Skins with Bacon Jam

Potato Skins with Bacon Jam at Ciao Baci

If I eat something with bacon jam on it, there’s a good chance the dish will make this list. For goodness sake, it’s bacon jam. As part of a Friday night special, Chef Jeffrey Owen recently decided to pile some on potato skins, along with cheese, sour cream, and green onion. The appetizer took me straight back to the 80’s, a time when potato skins seemed to be on just about every menu, although I don’t think bacon jam was a thing back then. Glad it is now.

Dibi Lamb

Dibi Lamb at AfroBites

If you’ve never checked out AfroBites, the food trailer located just a stone’s throw from K Hall & Sons Produce on Wright Avenue, make sure to pay them a visit as soon as possible. The food is fantastic, including my recent dish of dibi lamb, which included tender bits of lean lamb meat with sides of fried rice and curried cabbage.

Rose’s Famous French Fries

Rose’s Famous French Fries at The Faded Rose

I have written about Rose’s Famous French Fries for years, and truth be told, I never tire of them. How could I? Their greatness resides in the simplicity—just perfectly fried potato wedges with a side of buttermilk dressing. And no, I will not call it ranch, as a devout reader already got on my case about that mistake.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Bacon-Wrapped Dates at The Pantry

Once again, here’s another simple appetizer that I have been writing about for years, and one that has become one of the more iconic meal-starters in town. At The Pantry, almost every meal begins with an order of bacon-wrapped dates, which is literally toothpick-ed, bacon-wrapped dates. The magic lies in the perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors.

Cheeseburger

Cheeseburger at Bennett’s by Keith & Co

My first visit to the newly opened Bennett’s in Sherwood was a good one, both in terms of food and service. The meaty cheeseburger with melted cheddar and red onion edged out the restaurant’s chicken tenders to make this list. The flavorful beef patty with its nice crust is worth checking out, but I have a hunch that the rest of the menu is as well.

Homemade Cypress Cornbread

Homemade Cypress Cornbread at Cypress Social

Plenty to rave about from my first dinner at Cypress Social, the beautiful restaurant located where North Little Rock meets Maumelle. Hits included entrees of fried catfish and redfish, as well as a brilliant poppy seed cake dessert, but it was the appetizer of cornbread muffins with sundried tomato butter that really stood out. Bits of jalapeno provided the heat, sugar provided the sweet, and a slather of butter literally topped off this crazy good appetizer.

Mero Sea Bass

Mero Sea Bass at Trio’s

Like Peter Brave, Capi Peck makes sure to always have a quality fish option on the menu at Trio’s, as evident with her Mero sea bass, a rich, yet somewhat flaky fish which Chef Shanna Merriweather pan sautés and serves over a smoked tomato and fennel emulsion, along with farro, black lentils, fresh spinach, pistachios, goat cheese, caramelized onion and fennel.

Fried Chicken Skins

Fried Chicken Skins at Brood & Barley

After biting into Brood & Barley’s flour-dredged, fried chicken skins, your initial thought will be, “Why aren’t more restaurants doing this?” Heck, even Brood isn’t regularly offering this appetizer, as we had it as part of a chef’s tasting menu. Smart move pairing the skins with hot honey, and from what I hear, they are now part of a sandwich on the restaurant’s late-night menu.

 

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