Secretary of the Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism Stacy Hurst recently announced that the nomination period for the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame is open. Nominations will remain open through Thursday, Oct. 31. 

This is the fourth year for the statewide program to recognize the legendary restaurants, proprietors and food-themed events from every part of the state, sparking a unique conversation about food and how it relates to Arkansas’s heritage.

“Food is very personal for Arkansans,” said Hurst. “This program has become a platform for talking about how and why the heritage of food is so vital to our culture as Arkansans. Our experts continue to dive deeper into this study, and we have loved how this program involves the entire state in this conversation.”

Nominations are being accepted at ArkFoodHOF.com in five categories:

Arkansas Food Hall of Fame – This award recognizes those long- standing restaurants that have become legendary attractions in Arkansas.

Proprietor of the Year – This award honors a chef, cook and/or restaurant owner in Arkansas who has made significant achievements in the food industry.

Food-Themed Event – This award honors a community food-themed event or festival that makes our state a great place to live and visit.

Gone But Not Forgotten – Remembers the collective culinary legacy of a once-and-always influential Arkansas restaurant that has since ceased operations.

People’s Choice – Identifies the public’s favorite. This award is truly in the hands of Arkansans. The restaurant or food truck that receives the highest number of votes wins.

Winners will be chosen this winter by a special committee of Arkansans who are historians, chefs, foodies and food authors. Committee members include Paul S. Austin, Evette Brady, Chip Culpepper, Cindy Grisham, Stacy Hurst, Montine McNulty, Tim Morton, Rex Nelson, Tim Nutt, Kat Robinson, Julienne Crawford, Christina Shutt and Swannee Bennett. 

Honorees and finalists will be announced at a special ceremony on Feb. 24 at the Ron Robinson Theater in Little Rock.