When comfort food is a must

Where do you eat when comfort food is a must? When you just need to drown your sorrows in a great meal or dessert? Or maybe when you want to celebrate something special? Or perhaps when you are simply hungry for a great meal? Well, luckily, we have a number of choices here in Northwest Arkansas.

One of my favorite eating spots is Mama Z's Cafe, located in Tontitown. If you enjoy eating Italian food, you will definitely find Mama Z's a good choice. Servings are large, so keep that in mind when placing your order.

Linda and I both really love the Mama's Spaghetti with Italian sausage. I can't imagine a more Italian flavored meal or one that could possibly taste better. We always order the smaller portion which is, in reality, rather large -- so much so that we often bring leftovers home with us. The meal comes with a salad and a large roll. The spaghetti is the exact right size and texture, and the Italian sausage brings a nice flavor with just the right amount of spiciness. The tomato sauce is some of the best I have ever eaten.

The atmosphere at Mama Z's is relaxed casual, without pretension or the putting on of any airs. It is evident when you walk in that this is a place where good food is served. For the most part, the wait staff are middle-aged ladies who seem to be quite familiar with the menu. They are friendly, helpful and efficient in performing their work. Right here is a good time for me to warn my readers that, if you are trying to lose weight, Mama Z's is probably not a good choice. But then the subject is not weight loss or health food but comfort food. So taken all around, I highly recommend Mama Z's to anyone who is interested in enjoying some of the best Italian food served anywhere in the area. If comfort food is your goal, you simply can't go wrong at Mama Z's.

Another one of my favorite area restaurants is Cathy's Corner in Siloam Springs. If you are a connoisseur of fine, home-cooked meals, then Cathy's Corner will be a welcome stop for you. Breakfast is served all day. And while dinner isn't served at Cathy's, both breakfast and lunch are distinguished by their size and by their wonderful flavors. If you go away from Cathy's Corner hungry, it will be because you are a person who is capable of exercising an unreal amount of self-control. The servings are not only immense -- their flavor is the very essence of comfort food. So go there and, by all means, be comforted. And if you like a really good hamburger, the Big Al (2/3-pound patty), or the Little Al (1/2-pound patty), are some of the best hamburgers to be found anywhere in the entire state. Cathy's home-cooked meals are also delicious and the menu offers many different items, including salads and pie, from which to choose.

Several times a week Linda and I dine at our local La Huerta's in Gentry. It's handy -- close to where we live -- and we find the food there to be pretty good. There are some meals that we enjoy more than others. The chicken fajitas are probably our favorite meal, which is large enough that we most often share an order. I think the white cheese sauce really hits the spot, as does the extra spicy hot sauce. We usually mix the regular chip sauce with the extra spicy sauce to get the right combination of heat and flavor. Yummy! The grandchildren like to eat at La Huerta's as well. La Huerta's offers an authentic taste of Mexico with a mostly Hispanic wait staff. They are, to a person, attentive and eager to serve. I'm glad we have such a dining choice right in the Gentry area.

When it comes to seafood or catfish, my all-time favorite restaurant is the Catfish Hole in Fayetteville. Some people don't like the fried catfish there because they say the pieces of fish are too thin. I like them that way because they are crispy. Coming from Louisiana, I was used to thinly sliced fish fillets that were deep-fried to a crispy crunch. Rolled in cornmeal instead of a breaded batter, the catfish fillets at the Catfish Hole are scrumptious. Combined with their tasty hushpuppies, coleslaw and fresh-cut French fries, it is easy to end up feeling stuffed to the gills. Make sure to leave room for one of their free suckers for dessert.

If you are someone who prefers boiled shrimp to fried fish, the Catfish Hole offers what I consider the very best boiled shrimp anywhere. They also offer numerous other meals, such as frog legs, grilled tilapia and catfish, as well as one of the best steaks in the area. If you aren't careful, you can fill up on hushpuppies and coleslaw before they bring your fish. No one serves food any faster than the Catfish Hole. I promise you won't sit there over a minute or two before you have some hot hushpuppies and coleslaw to munch on. The service is unparalleled.

So, if you are needing some good, old-fashioned comfort food, there are many places to choose from in northwest Arkansas. These are just a few of my favorites.

Sam Byrnes is a Gentry-area resident and weekly contributor to the Eagle Observer. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.