New Chef Means Great Food at the Anderson House Inn
A new…read morechef, Rusty McKenzie, his wife Laura, and their son Kyle operate the Anderson House Inn restaurant in Heber Springs restaurant, maintaining the casual atmosphere that made the restaurant so popular, while serving a sophisticated, creative menu.
Lunch is served Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Highlights include the Salmon and Baby Spinach Salad, served with crumbled bacon, hard-boiled egg, and a refreshing citrus vinaigrette. The four ounce salmon filet is high-quality and grilled to perfection. Equally delicious is the Spinach and Mushroom Flatbread Pizza, featuring caramelized onions, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese on garlic bread, served with a side Caesar salad. My favorite is the Bleu and Bacon Burger, an eight ounce burger seasoned with Cajun spices and topped with bleu cheese sauce, bacon, and bleu cheese crumbles. The menu also includes a soup of the day, made fresh daily. I've been impressed with both the Cheesy Taco and Minestrone soup and the Creamy Chicken Vegetable.
Although the dinner menu is impressive, be sure to ask about specials; the crab-stuffed pork chop, for example, was a pleasant surprise. Regular items include Pasta Alfredo, Pesto Chicken Pasta, Grilled Shrimp and Grits, and Apple Jack Pork Chops. I highly recommend the Chicken Roulade, a chicken breast stuffed with cream cheese and spinach, rolled and coated in Panko bread crumbs and baked, topped with a ginger drizzle, and served with mushroom rice pilaf and the vegetable of the day. Most of the lunch items appear on the dinner menu, some with minor changes or larger servings. The appetizers are creative and substantial; give the Spinach Dip in a Bread Bowl a try, or the Crab Stuffed Mushrooms topped with Parmesan cheese. Desserts are also made fresh daily. Popular favorites include cheese cake, chocolate cake, and a hard-to-resist chocolate éclair.
Sunday Brunch features the usual favorites--Western Omelets, Shrimp and Grits, French Toast, Eggs Benedict, and the universally-loved pancake--as well as tempting surprises, including the Seafood Crepe, two crepes filled with crab meat stuffing finished with shrimp and scallop garlic cream sauce. The traditional brunch cocktails, the Mimosa and the Bloody Mary, are available at the surprising price of $2.00.
The service at the Anderson House is impeccable. The restaurant serves wine, beer, and mixed drinks; both the beer selections and the wine list provide a variety of choices. Restaurant prices are surprisingly low given the quality of the food and the generous servings. Live music is currently featured in the cozy lounge, complete with fireplace, on an irregular basis; the plan is to establish a regular live music schedule as word gets around.
The Anderson House, located at 201 E. Main Street in Heber Springs, is open Wednesday through Saturday for lunch from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 9. Sunday Brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.