Around the Rock: Baja Grill Seems Right at Home

My weekly views…
We all wondered how Baja Grill would handle the transition from Benton food truck to a Heights mainstay. Well … so far, so good. Three visits have all yielded fantastic food and quality service—both staples of their days in the Little Rock suburb. During last week’s lunch, I was particularly impressed with my chicken taco, which was adequately-sized and filled with succulent meat. My tablemates seemed content with their cheese-topped burritos and hearty bowl of queso. Baja Grill now has a liquor license and serves up tasty beverages, including margaritas and mojitos, the latter proved to have an excellent balance of sweet and citrus flavors. Kudos to Craig, Melissa and crew on what seems to be a highly successful first few months. They’ve kept the menu simple, while producing a consistent product, and the steady flow of customers reflects a successful start for Baja.
We all know about the kouign amann at Mylo Coffee Co., but have you ever tried the chocolate banana muffin? Is it better? Close. The muffin is lighter than most and is filled with huge junks of dark chocolate. Next time you pop in, give it a shot.
Pastry chef Matthew Lowman of South on Main brought his A-game last night, introducing his churro doughnuts to what ended up being a full house of diners/music lovers. Our table gobbled down the perfectly fried balls of gooey, cinnamon deliciousness with relative ease.
Little Greek is a very solid, small-chain restaurant. I’m not saying it’s better than Layla’s, but if you’re in the area and are looking for good Greek food at a reasonable cost, LG is a nice option. I love the Greek salad, as well as their standard gyros.
And the news…
The 2014 St. Joseph Farm Fest, a “weekend celebration of sustainable agriculture and healthy lifestyles” will take place on October 18-19 at the St. Joseph Farm in NLR. They’ll be food, drink, music, farm tours and artisan craft demonstrations.
This month’s upcoming beer dinner at Stone’s Throw Brewing with The Southern Gourmasian is on Wednesday, September 17 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 for one, $90 for a couple and available at the brewery tap room or by phone; tickets must be purchased by September 14. Click here for the night’s full menu.
Bonta Toscana is looking to hire for help during the farmers market.
The 2nd Annual Latino Food and Music Festival takes place on Saturday, September 13th from 6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. at the Argenta Market (521 Main Street, NLR). General admission ticket are $15 (in advance), $20 at the door, and kids 12 and under are free. Food and drink vendors will be available. To purchase tickets, click here.
The Arkansas Chef’s Culinary Classic, an absolutely fantastic event, is also on September 16th (6:30 p.m.) at the Statehouse Convention Center, Hall IV. From event organizers: “The Arkansas Hospitality Association hosts an annual culinary competition to showcase Arkansas’s Chefs. Chefs may compete in four categories: Soup/Salad, Dessert, Entrée, or Appetizer. Each chef provides tastings for each entry guests to try. Tickets are $45/person. Tables can be purchased. Awards ceremony, wine and beer tasting, silent auction, and after party, are included in that price. For questions, contact Holly Heer at holly@arhospitality.org or 501-376-2323. To register and for more information, click here.

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