Main Street in downtown Little Rock will be packed on Saturday for the eighth annual Main Street Food Truck Festival. This year more than 60 food trucks from all over Arkansas will be on hand for the event. The festival has not yet posted a full list of trucks, but you can certainly expect the regulars like Hot Rod Wieners, Slader’s Alaskan Dumplings, Count Porkula and more. There will also be some trucks from out of state that you won’t be able to try any other time. In addition to more food than you can possibly eat, the festival will feature dozens of craft vendors, beer tents and live music. Admission to the event is free. The Main Street Food Truck Festival will last from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. between 3rd and 8th streets. Currently the forecast calls for scattered showers.
Over the past few years, Little Rock has gone from having just a few brunch spots to practically every restaurant offering the weekend service. Now you can add Sauce(d) Bar and Oven to the list. The restaurant is starting its weekly Sunday brunch this weekend from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Chef Amanda Ivy has created a new menu for the meal, including Duck n’ Pancakes, Breakfast Risotto, and a charcuterie spinoff called a Brunch Board. You can also expect Mimosa buckets and 16-ounce Bloody Mary cocktails, in addition to a new French press coffee for two people. Since the new brunch service coincides with the start of the NFL season, Sauce(d) will keep the bar open until the last afternoon game ends. Get a full preview of the brunch here tomorrow.
Arkansas’ longest running food festival has set its fall date. The Spaghetti Dinner and Bazaar in Little Italy will be held Sunday, Oct. 14, from 11 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. This is the 91st year for the Italian festival; it dates back to 1927, before the Great Depression and World War II. It’s held at St. Francis Catholic Church in Little Italy (or Roland) and features the same spaghetti and Italian sausage lunch that has been popular for decades. In addition, there will be plenty of games for the family, a bake sale and a silent auction to benefit the church. Adults and children ages 13 and up pay $12 for admission; children ages 6-12 get in for $6. Kids under 6 eat free. This is one of the great family-friendly events in Central Arkansas, so make plans to bring everyone and enjoy some true Italian-American tradition in Arkansas.
Little Rock’s newest beer destination is celebrating the world’s biggest beer holiday this month. Fassler Hall in downtown Little Rock will hold an Oktoberfest celebration next Saturday, Sept. 15. Fassler Hall is planning a ton of events, like a hot dog eating contest, stein hoisting, live entertainment, and (what I can’t wait to see) wiener dog races in the beer garden area. You can sign your dog up right now at Fassler Hall for a $5 entry fee. You can be sure the beer hall will have some food and drink specials, but so far those have not been announced. Oktoberfest at Fassler Hall lasts from 11 a.m. well past midnight.
In a somewhat surprising development, chef Coby Smith has left his spot at the Arkansas Heart Hospital. We spoke with him about what’s next for Little Rock’s best known ramen chef.
And it was impossible to miss last week that Guy Fieri was in Little Rock taping for Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. We put together a rundown of some places he should have featured.
RIP Damgoode Pies
November 20, 2023
