Chef Matt Cooper (Conifer & Ryn) and Chef Rafael Rios (Yeyo's, Casa Magnolia & Bauhaus Biergarten)

In this week’s Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we talk to Chef’s Matt Cooper and Rafael Rios about being 2 of the 5 finalists for Best Chef of the South at the James Beard Awards. They made the trip to Chicago for the awards, and they’ll tell us about their trip, food trends here locally and nationally, and what’s next for them... but before we get to that!! FOOD NEWS!! Art of Wine is Friday night! Goat Lab Brewery is opening up a new concept in Fayetteville. A new cocktail bar opens in downtown Springdale TODAY! We’ll hear about the Blind Bear! Nomads Southtown is closing in Fayetteville. Hear what their plans are. A popular local fast food burger chain has closed their doors. Happy 3 year anniversary to Crème Ice Cream! Wright’s Barbeque has closed their Johnson location temporarily. We’ll tell you why. Outlaw Pizza Co. is now in a brick and mortar! We’ll tell you where! Conifer & Ryn Chef and owner Matt Cooper and Yeyo’s, Bauhaus Biergarten and Casa Magnolia Chef & Owner Rafael Rios were the first in Arkansas to make it to the final 5 in the Best Chef of the South category at the James Beard Awards, an unbelievable feat for them, for Arkansas and more specifically Northwest Arkansas.  They talk about their trip to Chicago, and the lead up to the awards. Keep in mind, the top chef of the south category includes 5 states and Puerto Rico... Chefs Rios and Cooper will tell us how other chefs reacted when they told them that they were from Bentonville. As mentioned earlier, they see some trends coming both for Northwest Arkansas and the rest of the country. They’ll tell us about those. And finally, what’s next for both chefs? You know that great restauranteurs and chefs rarely sit still... some big plans coming for both, and you’ll hear from them next, right here on the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas.