Author: amywes5_wp

Food Review: Valhalla Restaurant in Benton

I recently heard of the new pizza and axe-throwing place in Benton that was getting rave reviews for their food. I made sure they had a patio space and then took my mom for dinner to try it out.
We didn’t even go upstairs to the axe-throwing area, so this is strictly about the food and restaurant.  Let’s break it down:

The Environment

Valhalla is located just off the center of town, in the previously antiquated Palace building. This building has been around about 100 years and has seen its days as a theater, library, and more. Now, this building hosts the very modern Valhalla Restaurant and Axe Throwing AND the delicious Baja Grill!

Just follow the signs into Valhalla’s restaurant, which is a great wide open space with a bar.

To the right, you’ll find where you order your food. This is set up a lot like Zaza’s, where you order and pay here, get a number, get your drinks, and then sit wherever you’d like.

We chose the patio, which had two large TVs  and a couple Big Ass Fans. (I’m not cursing, that is literally their proper name.)

However, there’s also a HUGE patio area in the back with plentiful seating and cute lights. There’s even a ping pong table.

The whole environment seemed fun and full of life by the time we left around 6:30 on a Wednesday. The bar had MANY options on tap and there was space for plenty of people to spread out. I love it!

The Menu

I’m going to be honest, I did not come here for the pizza. I saw a picture of their Cuban sandwich and saw they had a banh mi (my favorite sandwich across the board) on the menu and THOSE were what I came here for.

So, you can imagine my disappointment when I see the menu on the wall and all of the sandwiches were marked out. The Cuban and Banh Mi weren’t even on it anyway. I asked about them and they aren’t currently selling sandwiches.

Instead, there are some appetizers, pizza of all sorts, and salads.

Their current menu can be found here.

The Food

I’m going to preface this with everything was so good, I can see why they don’t care to focus on sandwiches, when their pizza and appetizers are so perfect.

Raider Roll- $4 (or 2 for $7)

This roll is made like a cinnamon roll, but with savory ingredients. With their fresh made pizza dough, a LOT of butter, plenty of garlic, and fresh herbs, this massive raider roll will be famous. I didn’t even try the marinara, it doesn’t need it.  The crispy, buttery crust on the bottom and the gooey middle is full of flavor! If you love butter and garlic, this will be a favorite.  I think this is definitely the best deal on the menu as well.

Thai Raider: $11
Description: Mixed greens, spinach, green onions, house picked carrots, edamame, fresh bell pepper, pickled onion, wonton crunchies with a garlic ginger peanut creamy dressing

This salad was very enjoyable. There was nothing too spicy or sweet or sour in it like many Thai salads. It was pretty muted flavor-wise, but very tasty with crisp veggies and a creamy dressing. I don’t know if I would spend $11 on it when it comes with no protein, though.

Pepperoni Pizza (with no cheese): $22

Before I make any other comments, I must say that this is the most perfect crust I have had outside of NYC. In fact, it tasted just like the best pizza I had in NYC. The crust is their house-made dough, aged for 48 hours. They say on their website they have a limit of dough per day. It is perfectly crispy with still having just a bit of chew. With just a few nearly-burnt areas, it was perfection for me.

The only issue I have is I’m paying $22 for this pizza. All pizzas are 18 inches, so they are massive. Though I ask for no cheese. If you want extra cheese, it is $2. Usually, I get a discount or an unspoken addition of extra toppings to make up for not getting the fresh mozzarella and shredded mozarella. I got neither here, not that I asked. I’ll ask next time, because there will be a next time.

The pizza overall was great. The crust is a must! The pepperonis, though not overflowing, are thick and delicious. The rest is in my fridge, in Ziplocs, because the box was too bit to fit in it, covered with extra pepperonis from my stock and ready to be reheated for lunch. I can’t wait for lunch!

Overall

This place is cool. Modern, full of activities, a great bar, fantastic pizza, wonderful outdoor spaces. This is the perfect hang out spot.

They are open for a fantastic looking brunch on Sundays. Does an eggs benedict pizza sound good to you, because it does to me!  They are closed Monday and Tuesday. Open for lunch and dinner and the time in-between otherwise.

If you try the place out, let me know what else is a must-try and if they have brought back any sandwiches yet.

Food Review: Milford Track Restaurant- The Best Homemade Pasta Around!

I’ve eaten in central Arkansas my whole life, but have never even seen a sign for Milford Track nor driven by it. So, I  was clueless about this hidden gem. I finally heard about it through another local food blogger and added it to my list to try.
On my first trip back out into the restaurant world since quarantining and only living on cooking and the very rare take-out, I put a lot of thought into where I would meet my mom for lunch. Looking into Little Rock’s best patios, because I still don’t feel comfortable eating indoors, I learned Milford Track has a great one, so this was an easy decision. Here’s the breakdown:

LOCATION:

This restaurant, or more like a lunch eatery, is located in the Executive Center Plaza 2 building in the Westlake Corporate Park. Google Maps brought me to this parking lot, where I just had to walk around to the other side and enter where you see the large patio and tables. It faces a small pond and is a great area to enjoy a meal.

MENU:

Milford Track has so much to offer! Besides a daily special and many family dinner options each week you can order to take home, there is a large breakfast menu and a very large lunch menu of sandwiches, soups, salads, and HOMEMADE PASTA.

I must explain how awesome this pasta menu is. First, you pick your pasta (flavors today were spinach, lemon pepper, rosemary basil, whole wheat), then you pick your sauce (flavors today were basil pesto, tomato pesto, cilantro pesto, low-fat alfredo, parmesan parsley, pepper garlic, marinara, black bean, or Raphael). For just the pasta and sauce, it is $8. Or you can add grilled veggies OR chicken for $10. If you want both chicken and veggies, it is $12.50. or you can get salmon and veggies added for $16.
No matter what, the portions are HUGE. Both of us easily had two meals out of this.

FOOD:
*I must mention this is no quick lunch stop. It took about 25 minutes for everyone’s food to come out, without a crowd. So, just be prepared.*

Rosemary basil pasta with pepper garlic sauce and added veggies:

The pasta was cooked to perfect aldente and the veggies were charged perfectly with a lot of flavor. The pepper garlic sauce definitely was not very garlic-y, but was still tasty. It tasted more like an alfredo sauce with a slight kick.

Rosemary basil pasta with cilantro pesto sauce with veggies and chicken:

My entire dish was unbelievably good. The pasta was again, perfectly aldente. The veggies were the second best part- so much flavor and cooked perfectly. The chicken was good, but there wasn’t very much of it. The cilantro pesto was very flavorful, I loved it! I didn’t even have to add any salt or pepper, which says a lot.

There was so much food, I had this much to take home to Drew after I was stuffed.

OVERALL:

I loved this place! It was perfect for patio seating (though they do have limited indoor seating as well) if you have an hour for lunch or breakfast. I’m afraid I’ll never be able to order one of their amazing sandwiches or salads, because I HAVE to order the pasta always. So, let me know if any of their sandwiches are a must-try.
The service was slow, but friendly. The food and prices just couldn’t be beat!