A Michelin-recommended restaurant from Texas is opening soon in Bentonville.
A farm-to-table concept called Written By The Seasons will debut its third location and the first outside of Dallas by early spring. The expansion is a homecoming of sorts for co-owners Brenton Phillips and Hailey Nutt, who are married and both grew up in Fayetteville.
“We’d always joked around about it, ‘It would be nice to open a place in Bentonville,’” Phillips said. “Honestly, I never thought it would actually happen. It’s almost surreal to think I proved myself in a bigger market before coming back.”
The New American restaurant first opened in 2021 under Phillips, Nutt and business partner Tripp Russ, before expanding in 2023 within Dallas. Phillips and Nutt also own another Dallas-based concept, Tribal All Day Cafe.
Written By The Seasons chefs Dennis Kelley and Melody Bishop, who made it big in California before moving back to Bishop’s hometown of Dallas, are known for using fresh, seasonal ingredients. Their winter 2026 dinner menu includes chef signature items such as kimchi pancakes, salted cod fritters and carrot muhammara.
Their food has caught the attention of The Michelin Guide, earning back-to-back recommendations as one of the best restaurants in Dallas.
“Local ingredients in season are used here to create fresh tasting, colorful and rewarding dishes,” the Michelin Guide states in its 2025 recommendation for Written By The Seasons. “Vegetables are often given star billing rather than mere supporting roles, and the kitchen isn’t afraid of incorporating a little international flavor here and there.”
For context, The Michelin Guide evaluates restaurants in select markets, including multiple Texas cities, using strict criteria, such as the quality of the ingredients and cooking techniques. Northwest Arkansas is not currently among the global markets included in The Michelin Guide.
The restaurant’s sign is already up at 215 NW A Street, Ste. 150, located “directly under the water tower,” Phillips said. It’s close to the downtown square yet tucked away in a newer development called Midtown Lane, which is also home to Loveless Cocktail Club.
“Our location is interesting because we won’t be a street-facing restaurant,” he said. “It could be really cool, almost like you’ve got to know where you’re going to get there.”
The idea to expand to Bentonville instead of, say, Houston or Austin, initially drew skepticism, Phillips admitted, although he was able to win over his team on the idea. Now they will split duties to scale the restaurant to a new state.
“We’ve built such a great team, so we’re going to run this expansion internally and treat it like any other restaurant group would by having openers on location,” said Phillips, who estimates that six to 10 people will travel from Dallas to Bentonville to assist in the opening.
The restaurant has also started hiring staff to fill new positions.
