News
David’s Burgers is making moves with its two new locations. Owner Alan Bubbus tells me that his Cabot restaurant is just a few weeks from its April grand opening. It will be the seventh David’s Burgers location in Central Arkansas when it opens. Bubbus says he is still looking to hire staff for the Cabot restaurant. You can apply to work at all locations at the David’s Burgers website. Also, Bubbus tells me his eighth location finally has made some headway. The River Market Design Review Committee has approved the layout plans for the new location in Ottenheimer Market Hall where Boulevard used to operate. Later this month, the floor plan will go to the Little Rock Board of Adjustments. If all goes well, construction on the River Market location will begin in April.
It’s been nine months since chef Alexis Jones shuttered Natchez Restaurant on 4th Street. Since then, she’s done plenty of traveling and worked at several private events. However, Jones will be making a public appearance on Tuesday when she leads a pasta-making class at Eggshells Kitchen Company in the Heights. Tickets for the event are $50 per person. Classes at Eggshells generally sell out quickly, so make sure to get your tickets soon.
The sudden onslaught of pleasant weather in Little Rock has many thinking about patio dining, including the team at Raduno Brick Oven & Barroom. Raduno has debuted its plans to add a front patio on the sidewalk on South Main St. A new sidewalk will be built in the parking area on the street to accommodate pedestrians. The new patio will also give Raduno handicap access through the front door. Expect to see construction on the project start shortly.
Speaking of construction in SoMa, The Root has begun work on its expansion overhaul. Crews have begun digging out the area where the reclaimed shipping containers will be placed to create a larger dining room and kitchen area. The Root has also begun serving pop-up dinners to prepare staff for the new service. Already, The Root has completed three of these events. The fourth has not yet been determined.
Spring weather is here, and that means food truck events are popping up around the city. Tonight is the rescheduled Westover Wednesday Marketplace beginning at 5 p.m. at Westover Hills Presbyterian Church. Thursday night, the party moves to Calvary Baptist Church with close to a dozen trucks on hand from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. And the West Little Rock Food Truck Festival has been scheduled for Saturday, April 9, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Chenal Pointe apartments.
Chef Shuttle will begin offering delivery for Taziki’s for all of Central and NWA. They have offered delivery from the Conway location for a while, but this will mark the first time that Chef Shuttle is the exclusive delivery for all the state’s locations.
If you missed it, Core Brewing Company opened its new Argenta taproom on Saturday. We have our First Look at the new place here.
Also, BASH Burger Co. is about a week away from opening its doors on Bowman Road. This week, we previewed the former Saline County food truck’s new look.
And if you missed it this morning, we have our First Look of the new Shucked Surf and Turf Shack opening tomorrow in Conway.
Finally, the submissions in our Ramen hack are now posted, Be sure to head to our Facebook page and vote for your favorite!
Events
March 16th Three Brisket Dinner – We are partnering with Lost Forty Brewing for a unique brisket and beer dinner. The dinner features three different styles of briskets from chefs Matt Bell, Ken Dempsey and Scott McGehee.
March 17th Trojan Watch Party – Lost Forty Brewing will host a watch party for the Little Rock Trojans NCAA Tournament game against Purdue starting at 3:30 p.m.
March 17th Cuisine at Calvary – At Calvary Baptist church in the heights from 5-8. They have a great food truck line up for the first of the season.
March 17th St. Patty’s Day Pairing at Kent Walker Artisan Cheese – Come taste the pairings of Kent Walker’s Cheese with Moody Brews beer! Tickets are now available for the 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. tastings
March 18th At the Corner’s First Birthday – Downtown diner At the Corner is celebrating its first full year in business. The birthday party goes from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. and includes drink specials and tapas.
March 19th Loblolly Creamery Beer Float Takeover – Loblolly is taking over the Lucky Fox taproom at Whole Foods Market with some delicious boozy desserts.
March 22nd Raptor Ridge Wine Dinner at South on Main – This dinner will feature four courses paired with California’s Raptor Ridge wines. Come and meet assistant winemaker Kevin Wiles. Tickets are $75 each. Make your reservation by emailing amy@southonmain.com.
April 1st 19th Annual Food & Foam Fest – Annually one of the state’s best beer festivals, this year’s Food & Foam Fest will feature samplings from 350 craft beers from Arkansas and around the country. Tickets are already on sale.
April 2nd 8th Annual B Street Rib Off – This fantastic competition will be the biggest yet, with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society of Central Arkansas. There is still time to enter, although space is going quick. This year will also feature food trucks, entertainment, and more.
April 2nd Inaugural PK Grills Steak Cook-Off – The event is open to anybody with a PK Grill, steak and $89 for the entry fee. Space is limited, be sure to reserve your spot in the competition soon.
April 7–10 Fantastic Cinema and Craft Beer Festival – This festival celebrates independently made genre films and craft beer from Arkansas and beyond. The event is at Riverdale 10 Cinemas. Tickets and VIP passes are on sale here.
April 9th West Little Rock Food Truck Festival – Come to the Chenal Pointe apartments from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for this festival featuring some of Little Rock’s best food truck, live music and more.
April 10th 2016 Jewish Food and Cultural Festival – This annual celebration of Jewish food and culture will be held at War Memorial Stadium. Admission is free. This is a great event for families.
April 16th Any Excuse to Party at Kent Walker Artisan Cheese – The folks at Kent Walker Artisan Cheese wanted to throw a party, no reason needed. The party features Bob Livingston playing some sweet tunes, food from The Southern Gourmasian, Hot Rod Wieners, Katmandu MoMo, & Loblolly Creamery, and a number of local craft beers.
Specials
Yellow Rocket Concepts has several specials at its locations during the month of March
- Big Orange: The “Native” Burger (Kent Walker Leicester Cheese, Petit Jean Pepper Bacon, Cedar Rock Acres Jupiter Grape-Onion Marmalade) and Irish Apple Buttermilk Cake
- Local Lime: Fried Chicken Tacos with tomato-habanero chutney, red pepper crema and carrot-cabbage slaw
There are crawfish special all over town this month. Find them at The Faded Rose (Wednesdays), K Hall and Sons Produce(Saturdays) and Lulu’s Crab Boil (all week).