Tag: benton

Food Review: Blue Heaven Benton

I’ve been hearing so many wonderful things about this new restaurant in Benton, Blue Heaven. We went there for my mom’s birthday last night and here is the breakdown:

ENVIRONMENT

Wow. The most impressive thing about this place is how absolutely beautiful it is, inside and out. These owners really went above and beyond to make this place feel fancy, clean, while still homey and comfortable.

There are a few rooms inside, but we dined in this beautiful sunroom, which opened up to their outdoor spaces. There was also a large, open dining room adjacent to a stunning bar area that I may have to sit in next time just for the fancy ambience.

However, outside is remarkable.

Our dining room opened up to a covered, outdoor seating area full of many, many tables, decor, plants, outdoor furniture, and great lighting.

This area also has an outdoor bar.

There’s even a coy pond!

Finally, there are two gaming areas, one with ping pong and another with horse shoes and cornhole.

 

MENU

You can find their menu here on their Facebook page. They have lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch menus. There seems to be a little bit of everything from sandwiches, steaks, pastas, and some unique items as well.

 

FOOD

Key Lime Pie Martini: $9


Ok, this isn’t food, but it was the only drink ordered and it did taste like key lime pie. It was very tasty and we loved the graham cracker rim.

Fried Green Tomatoes: with remoulade sauce: $7.95

These were good fried green tomatoes, and the homemade remoulade was perfect! However, there were just five tiny tomato slices for $8. I probably won’t get these again for $1.60 per bite. #cheapskate

House Salad that comes with each entrée and your choice of homemade dressing

These came in beautiful bowls and you got to pick from a variety of homemade dressings. The ranch was delicious! While I loved the couple of radishes, tomatoes, and cucumbers, the lettuce was pretty wilted and I was wishing I had some croutons or at least crackers or bread for the table?

Crispy Duck: $26.95
Description: Half of a domestic duck confied then dropped in the deep fryer to a crispy golden brown an drizzled with mojo Caribbean glaze. Comes with one side and a side salad

The two options for sides this evening were sautéed green beans or a baked potato. The green beans were so flavorful. I really enjoyed them. The duck skin was tasty, with a sweet honey-like glaze over it. The meat inside seemed a little tough. Perhaps frying it after it is confied overcooks it a little? I was most excited about this dish, but it ended up being my least favorite.

Cornish Hen: $18:95
Description: Marinated overnight and deep fried to perfection. Comes with one side and a side salad.

Coconut Shrimp: $21.95
Description: Jumbo shrimp battered in coconut shaving mixture fried to a golden brown and served with a rum orange marmalade dipping sauce. Comes with one side (baked potato) and side salad.

I didn’t taste this one! But they looked perfectly cooked. And well, a potato is a potato.

Blue Heaven Signature Burger with added “crispy” bacon: $13.95
Description: All beef patty cooked medium or well done (well done here…my mom’s order, not mine!) served with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, with your choice of cheese (American, pepper jack, or Swiss)

I’m pretty sure my mom was not given a salad, but only a choice or fries or chips, like a lunch entree. Either way, the burger was probably the item ordered at the table. My mom loved it and ate every bite of it!

Strawberry Cake: $6

My mom loves strawberry cake, so we got one for the table. I had only one bite because it was so dry. Maybe a day or two old and in its youth it was better? My mom enjoyed it, though, which is what counts! It was her birthday!

 

OVERALL

I really wanted to fall in love with this place. But at $150 after a 20% tip for 4 people, I guess I’m kind of relieved I didn’t just love it. The ambiance, the whole setting? I loved that! What an epic place to rent out for an event. I just wish all the food was really good. I also think an offering of a little homemade bread for each table would make the dining experience feel even more special. Maybe one day?
Yet, on a Wednesday evening, the entire restaurant was packed, so what do I know? =)

 

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.