Eureka Springs restaurant dining at it's best

The winter months allow us more time to do two things, work on our bed and breakfast rooms and eat out at the restaurants here in the historic town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I tell Jan that eating out is a reward for working in the rooms. Sounds like a good reason to me. We like to go back to as many restaurants as we can to checkout any changes to their menu, service and food.

Recently we went back to the Crystal Dining room at the Crescent Hotel. Read on to see our comments and discover what kept Jan saying, "Wow, that was fabulous!", for days.

Their current menu offers all inclusive five course meals at what we think is a reasonable price for the quantity and quality of food. Our meal included bread, appetizer, salad, soup, main entree and dessert. The prices range from $35 to $49.

First they brought out a bread starter we found unique in it's presentation. Slices of fresh baked bread on a square plate with the bread piled on the corners and in the middle a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar topped with a pesto sauce. Interesting presentation and taste.

For appetizer Jan ordered the Stilton Bleu Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms. When she took her first bite it was a Harry met Sally restaurant moment. The appetizer was probably the highlight of her meal. She did give me a small taste and, wow, what a mouthful of flavor.

Jan chose the Black Bean and Corn soup and I chose the French Onion Gratin soup. The French Onion soup was very tasty and I especially liked the topping. Not sure what kind of cheese they used in their version, but it was exceptionally good. Jan's Black Bean and Corn soup was even better. The flavors really seemed to combine well together.

For a salad we had Bundled Grilled Heart of Romaine and Radicchio and Maitre D' Spinach Salads. Both very satisfying.

Our entrees were Steak Diane and Scallops Christopher. The steak was classically prepared, served with fresh mushrooms, chives, shallots and coated with a Cream and Brandy sauce. Very tender and cooked just the way Jan likes it. The scallops were large and wrapped with prosciutto and perfectly pan seared. I have always like scallops and these didn't disappoint me.

We thought it would be fun to end the meal with the flaming Cherries Jubilee. You could tell Aaron, our waiter, had prepared these many times before as he showed off his flair for dramatic presentation. It wasn't just pretty to watch, it tasted good also.

At the end of the night we thanked Aaron for taking such good care of us and all the way home Jan kept saying, "next time you aren't getting any of my Stilton cheese mushroom appetizer." Guess I'll just have to order my own.

5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast, Eureka Springs, AR

Painting and decorating a bed and breakfast room

Every year we try and re-decorate or re-model one or two rooms here at 5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast. This year we decided to give Grandma's Attic, voted our most romantic room by our guests, an upgrade. As the room is a guest favorite, we are trying to keep the basic room setup and color scheme but still add some new features and freshness to the room.

So far we have painted the room and are now in the process of adding a walk-in shower to go along with the corner jacuzzi that is currently in the room. We will be adding new flooring materials in the bathroom area, but haven't decided exactly what yet.

We will also add a loveseat to the room and probably upgrade to a a flat screen television. We have a few other ideas so check back with us and we'll post some pictures after we are done.

It would sure save us some time if Eureka Springs, AR had a Lowe's or Home Depot.

What's your favorite thing about bed and breakfast rooms?


5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast, Eureka Springs, AR

Hiking in Buffalo River State Park, Arkansas

We had a little down time this week so we did something we've been trying to do for a while now. We did a day trip to the Buffalo River, a 150 mile long river with natural wilderness, towering limestone bluffs, canoe outfitters, campsites, hiking trails, and three wilderness areas. We decided to go to Lost Valley which is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from Eureka Springs, Arkansas where our bed and breakfast is located.

First we went to Jasper, Arkansas and had lunch at the Ozark Cafe which has been serving food to the locals and travelers for the last 100 years. We stuffed ourselves with plenty of carbohydrates for our pending hike and took with us two of their desserts for an afternoon pick me up.

The first stop on our hike was the Natural Bridge, about a 15 minute hike on a fairly easy trail, the first 1/4 mile of which is wheel chair accessible. I'm glad it was easy because we decided it wasn't such a good idea to eat a big lunch of carbs right before going on a hike. The area around the initial hike was through a wooded area next to a stream which was dry at the moment. The pictures below are of the Natural Bridge area. As you can see, we took our dogs who felt right at home jumping across rocks and through the streams. It was a quiet, peaceful hike through some great scenery.



We then took the trail up to see Eden Falls. This trail was a little harder as it headed uphill and became a little rocky. But we had worked off enough of our lunch that the going wasn't too bad. Along the way I took a pictures of the cliffs (see above) which tower over the river. The total time to hike up to the falls and back was about 2 hours at a leisurely pace.

Driving out of the park we ran across a herd of Elks which are prevalent in the area.

Once we arrived back home in Eureka Springs, we knew the dogs had enough exercise as they plopped down and didn't open their eyes again until the next morning. Of course, we did pretty much the same thing.


5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast, Eureka Springs, AR

Santa's Unique Christmas Holiday Parade

Twas a few weeks before Christmas and all through the town, people came out to see what was around. When, what to their wondering eyes did appear, but an artists rendition of all kinds of things!!

Eureka Springs, Arkansas had it's annual Santa's Christmas Parade the other night. We just love this parade. Festive, bright, artistic, candy and beads thrown to the crowd, floats, walkers, dogs and of course Santa. The spirit is more than alive here, it's pervasive. There are Christmas sales going on, a contest where you can win everything shown in a store window display, Dickens dinner theater, Holiday shows, lights throughout the city and much more. In this quaint, historic town you can even pretend you are in the same village that Tiny Tim lived in.

The 3rd annual Bed and Breakfast cookie tour is this coming weekend (December 12, 2009 from 1 to 6pm) where you can taste 20 different cookies at 10 different inns and enter a chance to win a $100 gift certificate at any of the participating bed and breakfasts. Most of the inns have a special which includes tickets to the tour.

Come to Eureka Springs and stay at 5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast where we will fill your bellies and warm your soul. Happy Holidays to everyone!!

Update: For even more pictures (and probably a little better view than mine, click here.



5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast, Eureka Springs, AR