The first Italian settlers in an Arkansas town now called Tontitown arrived here in 1898.  Each year in August, Tontitown holds the Grape Festival.  While the festival does have carnival rides, a used book sale, and a queen contest, the highlights of the festival for me are getting the fresh local grapes and the spaghetti dinners.  The spaghetti isn’t Ragu or <insert pasta brand name here>.  The church started making homemade pasta at least a month ago and, of course, the sauce is homemade.  The fried chicken and rolls to go with it are both excellent as well.  I’ve seriously never had any spaghetti that compares to Tontitown spaghetti.  (I’ve never been to Italy but I feel sure this is very, very close to what you would get there.)  We’re headed out tonight to get our spaghetti dinner (& maybe some grape ice cream if I have room in my stomach).

Penni posted her favorite & not-so favorite foods a few minutes ago.  The two of us have discovered over the course of the past few months that we have a lot in common.  I’m thinking we have found something that we aren’t quite so similar in.  I’ll let you compare for yourself. (more…)