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Simple Joyful Food

Eat happily

NWAFOODIE

When is a restaurant more than a restaurant? When her name is Mary Maestri’s.

November 27, 2009 Leave a Comment

RESTAURANT CLOSED.

Everyone who knows me knows that my favorite restaurant is Mary Maestri’s in Tontitown. We discovered it in 1996 when we moved to Northwest Arkansas, which seems like ages ago yet it has been around since 1928.

Located at the corner of Hwy 112 and Hwy 412, Mary Maestri’s restaurant is in an unassuming white house and is sweet in an old-fashioned way. Once inside is a perfect blend of both casual and fine dining. The lights are perfectly dimmed and there are plenty of nooks and crannies. We have our own spot. The first table on the right, closest to the host table.

Mary Maestri’s is consistent. I know that the food will always be presented the same and taste the same and there never are surprises. They prepare comfort food in the broadest sense of the word comfort. And the strangest thing: you can be wearing jeans or a dinner gown and fit in perfectly. It never ceases to amaze me.

The food is made from scratch, all of it. The house salad is simple, chopped iceberg, house Italian, and three perfectly placed green olives. A homemade whole wheat dinner roll accompanies the salad and is my husband’s favorite. Dinner comes and there arrives another homemade dinner roll, this one is a white roll.

I have tried everything on the menu (that my food allergies allow) and I have to say it is all amazing. The fried chicken is perfect and the pecan-crusted salmon is impeccable. The dessert? It’s all homemade: flourless chocolate tortes, coconut cream pie, spumoni… all of it is simply amazing.

So what makes Mary Maestri’s my favorite place? The food, yes. But the one thing that makes it more than just another great restaurant is the fine people who are the heart of Mary Maesti’s: Danny, Brigitte, and Jennifer. Year after the year the same wonderful people greet us, make sure we get our favorite spot, and make us feel like we are more than dinner guests. They make us feel like we are family.

If you haven’t been to Mary Maestri’s yet I highly recommend the experience!

Mary Maestri’s is open daily from 5:30-9:30.

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author image of thejoyofeatingwell blogWell hello! Thanks for stopping by. I’m Lyndi Fultz and I have a passion for simplicity.

I believe that planning, prepping, and cooking meals can be a joy and not a daily dreaded chore.

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nwafoodie

Explore your backyard and stay in-the-foodie-know.
Northwest Arkansas
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Lyndi Fultz
I'm a black-coffee kinda' gal... yet every once in I'm a black-coffee kinda' gal... yet every once in a while a girl just gotta go with something special!⁠
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I'll start:⁠
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- Onyx Delight at @onyxcoffeelab⁠
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Your turn!
Did you catch the 2021 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame Did you catch the 2021 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony? I was super pumped to announce the People's Choice award.⁠
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If your first thought was "why would I want an alternative coffee?" -- that's understandable. I'm sure there was that first person who said "why would I want alternative milk? Or, alternative flour? Or, alternative sugar?" What used to be limited to a very small demographic has now become mainstream.⁣⠀
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The aroma = Mmmmm, heavenly. Like, I want to make it into a candle.⁣⠀
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The first sip = Reminded me of rich tea.⁣⠀
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“Just like becoming an expert in wine–you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford–you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. Then you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences.” – Julia Child

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