It’s been open and going strong for weeks now, but Fidel & Co. in East Village this week will hold its official grand opening. On Friday, Fidel & Co. will be open for longer hours and feature more food items on its menu. Also, co-owner Raul Rivera will be visiting from El Salvador for the event. If you read our First Look from last week, you know Rivera convinced Fidel Samour and his wife to create their own coffee shop, but Rivera is a coffee legend in his own right. He is a three-time winner of the Cup of Excellence from the Alliance for Coffee Excellence and an expert coffee producer who works with Onyx Coffee in Rogers. Stop in on Friday to meet Rivera and the Fidel & Co. team and enjoy what promises to be one of the better coffee shops in Arkansas.
Longtime Little Rock burger mainstay Black Angus in West Little Rock is being forced out of its Rodney Parham location by the property’s owners. I won’t rehash here everything that has happened; for the details, please read Kat Robinson’s write-up on her Tie Dye Travels website. Suffice it to say, Black Angus owner Karla Creasy was surprised with the sudden eviction notice. Black Angus will close its current location by March 31, and Creasy says she is looking for a new place for the business to continue. However, given all the processes and red tape involved with opening in a new spot, it’s likely that Black Angus will have some down time before coming back. We will keep an eye on this story and update you in the months ahead.
Your first chance to experience the new Tusk and Trotter location in North Little Rock is 10 days away. That’s when Tusk and Trotter chef Rob Nelson will join Table 28 chef Scott Rains and Flyway Brewing for a collaborative dinner event. The teased menu features smoked duck ham stew, Ralston Family Farms rice-crusted steelhead trout, 44 Farms short ribs and sweet potato pudding cake, as well as brews and special appetizers from Flyway. This is a lot of talent in one kitchen, so we expect this one to sell out soon. The dinner is set for Saturday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. at Tusk and Trotter in North Little Rock. Tickets are $100 and are on sale now.
If you aren’t attending that dinner, you should consider picking up tickets that night for a special class and tour at Rock Town Distillery. The distillery is hosting a Flavor-Grain Bourbon Whiskey Masterclass with head distiller Phil Brandon on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m. This class and tasting will feature Rock Town’s excellent flavor grain bourbons, including Golden Promise, Chocolate Malt and Arkansas Barley (my personal favorite). You’ll also get to taste Rock Town’s Four-Year Bottled in Bond Straight Bourbon and receive a Glencarin Crystal whiskey nosing glass to take home. I’ve had a chance to take one of these classes before, and it ranks to me as one of the best food events Little Rock has to offer. Grab your ticket for $60 soon and enjoy a truly excellent bourbon evening.
New locations of Tacos 4 Life have been popping up all over the country lately, but finally the restaurant franchise is bringing a second spot to Little Rock. The new location will open at 13924 Cantrell Rd. in the former Mexico Chiquito space. Tacos 4 Life got its start in Conway, and the concept quickly spread to 12 locations in Arkansas and several more in other states. For every meal sold, Tacos 4 Life donates a meal for people in need. In 2019 alone, that totaled 4.4 million meals donated. The new Cantrell spot should open sometime this summer.
Rock City Eats is starting 2020 off by recognizing the service industry workers you might not have met before. Here are the winners of our first Industry Awards as voted on by restaurant workers and fans.
