A Lunchtime Pick-Me-Up (LUNCH REVIEW)

Sometimes in February you need a pick-me-up during the workweek. That’s why on a Thursday afternoon I made an executive decision to skip my usual lunch with my computer and go out to a bona fide sit-down-and-be-waited-on lunch. My eatery of choice: downtown Bentonville’s Oven & Tap.

Schooled at Alice Water’s legendary Berkeley, California, restaurant, Chez Panisse, the restaurant’s head chef, and a co-owner, Luke Wetzel, is a huge proponent of local, farm-to-table fare with a cooking philosophy centered around letting the freshest, highest-quality ingredients sing on the plate.

Upon arriving, I was thrilled that my lunch companion had chosen a table with a clear view of what I consider to be one of the restaurant’s best features — the flaming, wood-fired oven.

The dining area is bright and cheerful thanks in part to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the front of the building, and at that time of the day, the sun was doing its bit to warm a minimalist décor of unfinished concrete floors and earthy hardwood tabletops and slat wood walls.

Equally bright and sunny was our waitress who was prompt about taking our order.

We jumped in with a “snack” of wood-fired edamame. If you have never had your edamame “wood-fired” then you have missed out on something special. The pods are served hot off the fire with a generous coating of lemon, rosemary and sea salt. And they are spectacular. Woodsy, bright, addictive.

Next up, I opted for the fried chicken sandwich, which came served on house-made ciabatta bread with shredded kale and buttermilk dressing. I was a bit nervous about whether I’d be able to eat the sandwich in a businesslike fashion, but it was all so nicely contained that this was not a problem.

The chicken was as fried chicken should be — juicy and well-seasoned with a crunchy outer crust. And the sharpness of the kale was the perfect complement to the creaminess of the buttermilk dressing.

I’m famous for only eating half my sandwich and saving the rest for later, but this one got devoured as did my side of broccolini (other side options included an arugula salad or crispy potatoes), which, roasted and topped with ricotta salata cheese and bits of roasted garlic, was crisp and lively.

For dessert— because if a pick-me-up is what you’re after than chocolate is essential — I went for the chocolate torte. The torte’s filling was dark and luscious and the crust, which to my delight was also a dark, rich chocolate, was crumbly and delicious.

If you’re ever after a workweek pick-me-up, or just need a reminder that spring will come, then I highly recommend that you make haste to O&T for lunch.