Rumbles: Rock Town Rye Whiskey Honored, Juice Leaf Delivers, Cinnalightful Keeps Growing

News
The honors continue coming in for Rock Town Distillery, this time for its rye whiskey. Already Rock Town’s rye has won gold medal this year at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. And last week, Whiskey Advocate magazine awarded Rock Town’s single barrel rye a score of 91 out of 100. Any score in the 90-94 range is considered outstanding and one of the best for its style, meaning you probably won’t find too many better on the market. By the way, the only place you can find a bottle is at the distillery, and there are only a few left.
Less than two months after its grand opening, Juice Leaf is expanding its footprint in Little Rock. Beginning tomorrow, the restaurant will begin deliveries to customers in the downtown area. Deliveries have a $20 minimum and must be located downtown roughly between Chester St. and Interstate 30. Also, you can now place your order online, both for delivery and in-store pick-up, on Juice Leaf’s updated website. Juice Leaf sells freshly made juices in addition to smoothies, wraps and other items.
Little Rock-based bakery Cinnalightful is quickly expanding in Central Arkansas. No longer selling at Drug Emporium, Cinnalightful is now found at Shark’s Fish and Chicken in four locations in Little Rock and Conway. The bakery also debuted its new strawberry cream cheese cinnamon roll over Memorial Day weekend. Of course, Cinnalightful is still making deliveries of its four varieties of cinnamon rolls that arrive within hours to your home or office.
A quick stop by Kroger in the Heights confirmed that Silvek’s European Bakery is now closed. The bakery closed Tuesday after 30 years of business, with owner Silvek Pupkowski deciding to retire. There had been rumors that Pupkowski was talking with a buyer for the business, but that apparently never worked out.
After delaying renovation plans for months, La Hacienda on Cantrell Road will be closing this month for some upgrades. The exact day is still up in the air. The restaurant is planning on revamping the dining room and making some improvements to the kitchen. Management hopes to be open again in August, though that will depend on how soon renovations can get started. The La Hacienda locations in Benton and Hot Springs will remain open.
Warm weather is here, and in Arkansas, that means it’s time for patio dining. Our own Becca Bona put together her picks for the best outdoor dining experience in Little Rock.
If you’re considering the best Little Rock streets for local food, you can’t forget about Main St. Daniel Walker went up and down the street, highlighting the best eats on Main.
Events
June 9th Cocktail Dinner at Table 28 – Former Yellow Rocket Concepts beverage director Lee Edwards is back in Little Rock for this special dinner with chef Scott Rains. The five-course meal is $90 per person and features some innovative work from both Rains and Edwards. Call 501-224-2828 to reserve your seat.
June 10th Feast in the Field – Annual fundraiser for Heifer International, spotlighting the importance of operating using zero waste. Tickets start at $150 and sponsorship levels are still available.
June 11th Argenta Farmers Market 9th Anniversary Celebration – The market will celebrate its ninth year with several events, including a food truck challenge using produce from market vendors. Admission is free.
June 18th Midtown Food Truck Festival – This is the first-ever food truck meet-up at Midtown Park Apartments on Markham St. The lineup of trucks has yet to be announced.
June 19th Fathers Day Crawfish Boil – Kent Walker Artisan Cheese and Diamond Bear Brewing Company are partnering for this unique event. Tickets are $35 each and are available on the Kent Walker website.
June 21st Five Beers Five Bites Dinner – The monthly beer pairing dinner between The Southern Gourmasian and Stone’s Throw Brewing. Tickets are $50 or $90 for a pair and are available at the restaurant.