Last week I took a trip to Tulsa and Little Rock for a project I’m
working on – I flew into Tulsa, rented a car, worked all day, and then drove
the four hours to Little Rock to work the next day. Not knowing if there would
be a single bite of interesting food in the great expanse of nothingness
between Tulsa and Little Rock, I tasked Andrew with finding out if there was
any dinner to be had, and boy-howdy did he ever come through.
He flagged R&R’s Curry Express in Fort Smith – an Indian place with
stellar reviews and a closing time 45 minutes after I’d be passing through the
tiny township. The GPS led me a merry chase, insisting that the restaurant was,
in fact, an hour north in Springdale (it was not), and that it was closed (it
was not), but when I finally located the place sharing a building with a small
independent gas station it was everything I was hoping for.
 | |
| Papdi chaat - crispy bits of fried naan suspended in an amazing soup of spiced yogurt, tamarind, and mint chutney *swoon* |
Having a company card and a slightly exorbitant daily food budget, I
ordered the papdi chaat appetizer which showed up looking like a delicious Indian stew, with
crunchy chips of naan suspended in a sweet, complex, creamy, delicious sludge of mint
and yogurt and goodness knows what all else. It was divine, and unlike anything
I’d ever had before. As I was still trying to navigate it, a man sitting and
eating dinner with his family at the table next to me, called out to me gently
in his lilting Indian accent – “ma’am, excuse me. You’re supposed to mix it up.
Mix it all up, add a little salt, and eat it with a spoon – it’s good!” This
was the point where I noticed he was wearing an apron, and realized that I was
in the presence of the restaurant owner.
What ensued, was a thoroughly delightful meal. The malai kofta was
delicious, the mystery appetizer was crazy good, and I got to know the
gentleman and his wife who own both the restaurant and the gas station next
door. They moved to Fort Smith from LA almost 10 years ago, looking for a small
town to raise their kids in, opened the gas station, and then decided to expand
their operation when the space next door opened up. These hard-working entrepreneurs
happily conversed with their kids in fluent Hindi, the daughters regularly came
by my table to top off my iced tea, they all assured me that staying past
closing time was absolutely fine, and, as I was winding down and looking for
the check, the second daughter appeared at my table with a box of chocolate,
asking if I’d like to buy a bar to help her school purchase new computers.
Yes. Yes, indeed, I would.
I retrieved the last of my cash from the car, purchased a
bar, and got back on the road to Little Rock.
One of the things I love the most about traveling is finding little
hidden gems and supporting local businesses with my reimbursable dollars. This
was exactly the kind of place that I truly love giving business to. Right down
to the young chocolate seller running out to my car after I left to make sure that
I’d gotten a straw with my to-go iced tea, this restaurant is awash with the
delicious food and lovely, personable feel that makes me really look forward to the next
time I get to drive through Fort Smith. Hopefully next time I’ll get to visit
more than 30 minutes before close.
Item: Almond
Percentage: Who knows! Probably in the 20s, if I had to hazard a guess
Made By: World’s Finest Chocolate
Made in: Chicago, IL
Purchased At: R&R's Curry Express Purchase Price: $1
Chocolate Bar: Meh
R&R’s Curry Express in Fort Smith, AR: Highly Recommend
