Rumbles: Illness Outbreak in NWA, Loblolly Fall Menu, Live Life Chill Grand Opening

More than a hundred people have become sick after eating at JJ’s Beer Garden and Brewery in Fayetteville. The Arkansas Department of Health says all illnesses reported have involved diarrhea, vomiting and fever. Nobody has been hospitalized, and so far none of the employees at JJ’s have been affected. The health department says the illnesses have typically started within 36 hours of eating at the restaurant. So far, there’s no word on what caused the outbreak. The health department is asking for anybody who ate at JJ’s Beer Garden and Brewery since Sept. 13 and got sick to give them a call.
With the cooler temperatures, restaurants around Central Arkansas are putting out their fall menus. That includes Loblolly Creamery, which this week released a new lineup of sweet treats that looks perfect for the season. A good portion of the new menu focuses on hot beverages, like the Dirty Chai Spiced Pumpkin Latte and the Hot Ginger Apple Cider. I really like the look of the Cocogato, which has a scoop of ice cream swimming in hot chocolate with a giant marshmallow. And of course, Loblolly has no shortage of snacks on the fall menu, like the Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodle Sandwich and the Bourbon Pecan Coffee Milkshake. Loblolly has been consistently innovative with its lineup ever since moving into the scoop shop, and this new menu looks like it keeps that trend going.
Though it’s been open for more than a month, tomorrow is the grand opening celebration for River Market restaurant and bar Live Life Chill. It all kicks off at 11:30 a.m. with a ribbon cutting at the restaurant with the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. Then from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., Live Life Chill will host a stein holding competition with Lost Forty Brewing. And finally, Mayday by Midnight will play a live concert on the patio starting at 8:30 p.m. The bar will also have draft beer pitcher specials for happy hour. Live Life Chill opened in mid-August in the location that formerly belonged to Revolution Restaurant. The Rev Room music venue and bar next door is still open.
Also celebrating this week is Rebel Kettle Brewing Company, which is welcoming fall with its Oktoberfest party “Rock out with your brat out.” It’ll just take $8 for your first half-liter of Show’em Your O’Fest Oktoberfest in a stein that you get to take home. Before you do, you can fill it up all day for $3 each time. Rebel Kettle will also have select draft brews for $3 a pour. Rebel Kettle’s kitchen leader Gwen Jones will be making up housemade bratwursts all day for the event. The party peaks at 7 p.m., when The Cons of Formant hit the stage. This party arguably features the best beer specials of the weekend, so make plans to stop by and enjoy.
If you’ve ever wanted to see the private 1836 Club, you have a great chance to do just that and support a worthy cause. This week, we previewed the new Cuisine with a Cause dinner series, featuring some of the top chefs from around the city.
Game day is the perfect excuse to get out and enjoy local food and beer. We took a look at the new game day menu at Flyway Brewing and found one of the best pimento cheese plates available in the city.

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