Weekly Food Blog Round-Up – January 30

Exploring the local food scene is better when you have more than one set of eyes on the job. Featured here are blogs and writers who have picked up on a cool story that I thought was mouth wateringly worth sharing.
This past week was a rather warm one for the end of January. The sunshine and warm vibes made a farmer’s market trip all the more pleasant. Melinda Asewicz, food writer for Helloluvvy, met up with Jacksonville’s That’s So Raw at the Hillcrest Farmer’s Market. There, Asewicz tried her hand at making Raw Pachadi Tacos with chef Kendalyn Mckisick, as her guide. Asewicz then interviewed the business team (Mckisick and Natashia Burch) honing in on veganism/raw veganism. She “luvved” the day’s dish, calling it “the perfect amount of savory, tangy, and flavorful.”
If savory isn’t your thing, then check out the buzz from the Arkansas Beer Blog on their latest review of The Berry Picker. In an attempt to break from the craft beer scene momentarily the guys behind the blog gave the Missouri based Leakey Roof Meadery’s drink a swig. The verdict: “The medium body and mild carbonation come together to make this a refreshing, easy-drinking, and enjoyable creation from our friends in Missouri.” They even created a handy list of where you can find it to try yourself throughout all of Arkansas.
The beer news keeps bubbling in Rock City, and if you haven’t already, check out Flyway Brewing’s blog. They released big news earlier this week about plans to expand and relocate to Argenta. On the blog, Flyway detailed some design plans which included “meeting with the team of UALR Engineering students who have completed the design for [the] micro-malting system.” Also, good beer dates to know: Feb. 10 is the Arkansas Brewer Guild Tap Takeover at Diamond Bear’s Ale House; March 1 is the Arkansas Home Grown Brewhaw in Fayetteville.
If you need something stronger than a beer, head to the Pantry Crest. The Crest’s new winter cocktail menu was released earlier this week by Emily Van Zandt, food writer for Sync’s Arkansas Bites. Van Zandt also talks Sweetgrass Jazz & Blues Café, a downtown restaurant she calls, “a jazz and blues bar that happens to serve lunch.” She makes a case for Sweetgrass’s sweet spot in being both local and downtown, but ultimately says the space is a “wait and see.” Prices are a little high for lunch, but they do “justice” to staples such as Chicken and Waffles, Shrimp and Grits, Chicken Wings, and the Sweetgrass House Burger.
Do you happen to be more NWA based than downtown Little Rock based? If so, you might want to check out Hello Cocoa with Valentine’s Day approaching. Lyndi of NWA Foodie shared an interview podcast she was featured in from NYC’s BreakThruRadio’s DJ Jess. Called Biology of the Blog, the segment mixes music and interview for a little under an hour. All genres come through in the fun, but listen specifically at the 13:05 mark and 28:20 mark for more of the interview. Lyndi talks about NWA as a “hidden little gem” of a place to be, and of course discusses The Hive, as well as her latest foodie finds – Hello Cocoa.
To top us off, Fancy Pants Foodie shared the list of Competitors for the 2015 Diamond Chef Arkansas Competition. This is the annual fundraiser for the Pulaski Technical College Foundation, tied to the college’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute. The preliminary competition narrows the playing field, so to speak, and is free and open to the public on March 31, at Pulaski Technical College. The list includes:
Billy Ginocchio, Faculty, PTC Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute
Payne Harding, Executive Chef, Cache
Elliot Jones, Executive Chef, YaYa’s Euro Bistro
Angela Nardi, Executive Chef, Superior Bath House Brewery & Distillery
Justin Patterson, Executive Chef, Southern Gourmasian
Jason Knapp, Executive Chef, The Green Leaf Grill
That’s where we are this week in food blogs. Do you know of any interesting food blogs that need to be mentioned? Send me a line.

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