The Garlic Rose

Closed in 2010ish

The place has ok food with small portions but it’s a nice change if you are on a road trip.

Serendipity brought us to The Garlic Rose. We had not planned on driving through Hardy, Arkansas on our way from Kansas City to Memphis, but we put our trust in the GPS, and next thing we knew we were on back highways through Missouri and Arkansas – and we got hungry right as we were driving through Old Main Street in Hardy.
At first I was a bit skeptical about this restaurant. Were they trying to imitate The Stinking Rose in San Francisco? Because they screwed up the metaphor. And it is difficult to not be skeptical about an Italian joint in Arkansas. But Husband perused the menu and declared it «interesting.»
The Garlic Rose is, first of all, absolutely charming. The walls are covered in various vintage prints of folks eating pasta, the tables are comfortable and well set with white paper, groovy chandeliers hang overhead – it just looks like the kind of place you want to eat… and it is. The food was just fantastic. Husband tried the Veal Picatta and I had the Chicken Cacciatore. Both were delicious, filling, and reasonably priced. The complimentary bread was warm and soft and wonderful. The only downside of the meal was the lack of wine. In an Italian restaurant. But Hardy lies in a dry county, so what can you do?
I also have to commend our waiter/​host/​busboy, who was clearly not expecting the crowd he had to deal with that day. Being the only employee in the busy dining room put him in an extremely stressful position, but he still served every table with grace and poise.
So if you ever find yourself drifting through the foothills of the Arkansas Ozarks, make sure and save some time for a lovely lunch in the most unexpected place.