News
There isn’t a lot of big news happening this week, but plenty of interesting tidbits to get you caught up on, starting with Big Orange’s massively successful Lucie’s Shake from the month of February. For every rainbow cake-stuffed milkshake sold, Big Orange set aside $3 for Lucie’s Place, a Little Rock charity that helps homeless LGBTQ youth. This past weekend, Big Orange presented Lucie’s Place with a check for $5,500 after selling more than a thousand milkshakes and raising additional money through donations. Lucie’s Place is always in need of funding and support; you can help by donating here.
The walls and roof are up again at La Hacienda in the Riverdale neighborhood. The Mexican restaurant has been closed since late 2016 for what was originally called “renovations.” In reality, the building was gutted and stripped down to the frame, then rebuilt. The new look is similar to the original restaurant in Hot Springs. The restaurant is looking to reopen in mid- to late April.
In what’s becoming the most anticipated event of the fall, details from Rebel Kettle’s one-year anniversary celebration have us more excited every day. This week, chef-around-town Gwen Jones told me she’s planning on roasting a whole hog for the April 1 event. While admission to the party is free, $30 will get you an all-you-can-eat ticket for the roasted pig plus unlimited side items. Couple that with the barrel-aged beer booth, live music and plenty of activities for the family, and this party is looking like one you can’t miss.
Don’t forget, tonight is the rare bourbon dinner at Capital Bar and Grill. While the $125 price tag is certainly steep, it will get you tasting access to more than half a dozen bourbons that are extremely tough to find (including three ages of Pappy Van Winkle). Purchase your ticket here (and soon) to attend. If you’re more of a wine person, consider the Big Orange West wine dinner featuring Raptor Ridge Winery tomorrow night. The dinner will feature four courses from executive chef Scott McGehee paired with five wines from Raptor Ridge. Tickets for that event are $70 each.
Little Rock restaurants are taking advantage of spring break to offer some tasty promotions. Loblolly Creamery is holding its Spring Break Ice Cream Sandwich Week, featuring creations like Donut Ice Cream Sammies and Fruity Pebble Rice Krispies Treat Cookies. Stop in at The Green Corner Store anytime this week to enjoy. Also, At the Corner is whipping up some spring break creations for breakfast and lunch this week, and brunch this weekend. They haven’t posted yet what those dishes are, so be sure to check out their Facebook page to stay up to date.
And a new brewery in town is continuing the traditional relationship between tap room and food truck this week when Katmandu Momo parks outside The Water Buffalo on Friday starting at noon. Katmandu Momo had been a regular at Stone’s Throw Brewing for a couple of years until the brewery began partnering with Kent Walker Artisan Cheese for its regular food menu. Katmandu Momo will also be at Southwest Power Pool for lunch Thursday and War Memorial Stadium for the Little Rock Rangers soccer game on Saturday.
Oh, and it’s not really news, but I should mention that my wife and I dined at The Avenue in Hot Springs (inside The Waters Hotel) this weekend and came away very impressed. The Avenue is almost exclusively a small-plate menu; think very upscale tapas, where you order 2–3 plates each. Everything we tried was good, and a couple of dishes (the pimento cheese and the tortellini) were truly special. Make sure you make reservations next time you’re in the Spa City.
Do you know where you can find rabbit, elk, alligator, crawfish, venison and wild board all on the same menu in Central Arkansas? It’s at Flyway Brewing, where they’re whipping up new wild game sausages and sliders that are sure to please.
Read my piece on Terry Powell’s Grocery in Hope, and then start driving. The cracklins they’re serving up daily absolutely need to be experienced.
Events
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Specials
Yellow Rocket Concepts has released its specials for the month of March:
- Big Orange – French Bistro Burger and Girl Scout Cookie Shakes (Thin Mints and Samoas)
- Local Lime – Crab Cake Tacos and Dark Chocolate Tart for dessert
- Zaza – Soppressata and Peppadew Pizza as well as a Poached Egg and Asparagus Salad
Ristorante Capeo’s weekly special is Lamb and Polenta. The risotto of the week is chicken and asparagus.
