News
The owner and operator of Little Rock’s newest Italian ice food truck was shot and killed on Monday. Little Rock police say Sharniece Hughes was killed on Mabelvale Pike on Labor Day. Hughes started Rock N Flavors Italian Ice truck this summer and immediately gained popularity at festivals and events around the city including previous Rock City Food truck events. Next week’s Westover Wednesday event has been cancelled while the food truck community mourns her passing.
If you are getting your regular craving for pizza from Deluca’s, you’ll have to wait a week. Owner Anthony Valinoti is taking this week off, meaning Deluca’s will not open again until September 15. Widely considered some of the best pizza in Arkansas, Deluca’s is usually open for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. until they run out of dough. If you’re going for dinner next week, you’ll want to make reservations in advance.
The small town of Little Italy, Arkansas, has set the date for its annual spaghetti dinner. The event will be on Sunday, Oct. 2, from 11 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at St. Francis Catholic Church. This annual tradition dates way back to 1927, making this the 89th straight year for the festival. The spaghetti and Italian sausage are all-you-can-eat, but save room for dessert, including traditional crustole, pizzelle, fritole and biscotti.
Speaking of important festivals, we now know the date for the 2017 Little Rock Soup Sunday. The event will be held Jan. 29, 2017, at the Statehouse Convention Center downtown, just one week before Super Bowl Sunday. 2017’s featured chef is Chris McMillan, executive chef at Boulevard Bistro. McMillan and dozens of Little Rock chefs will be serving up some wonderful soup options. This is the 36th year for the festival. Tickets are already on sale: $25 in advance and $30 if you wait to buy until that weekend. Patron tickets are also available for $50. Little Rock Soup Sunday is the annual fundraiser benefiting Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.
Little Rock’s festivals aren’t the only long-standing traditions in town. This past weekend marked the 30th birthday for Trio’s Restaurant on Cantrell Road. We took a look at the history of the restaurant and just how impressive this achievement is.
Central Arkansas’ beer scene added another brewery last week as Buffalo Brewing Company at The Water Buffalo got its necessary permits to start making beer. We previewed the new brewery and all local beer news in our Growlers feature.
And if you enjoy beer as much as we do here at Rock City Eats, you won’t want to miss our guide to local craft beer options on tap at Central Arkansas restaurants.
Events
September 8–14th End Hunger Week at Big Orange – Big Orange and the Arkansas Foodbank are teaming up to fight hunger in Arkansas. Each day of the week, Big Orange will create a new special, and all proceeds from that dish will be donated to the Arkansas Foodbank. Make plans to attend this special fundraiser at both Big Orange locations.
September 8th Moody Brews Tap Takeover at Skinny J’s – Josiah Moody mans the taps at Skinny J’s Thursday, bringing along some of his more popular beers. The real reason to go? It’s the debut of Moody Brews Watermelon Ginger IPA, and you don’t know how long that one is going to last.
September 10th Shamrock Selections Sample at O’Looney’s – The crew from O’Looney’s has been putting on a fairly impressive monthly wine selection for quite some time now. For those of you who are new to drinking wine or just tired of the same old Cabernet they are offering a chance to sample the top 12 from previous selections. Head out from 1-3 to check it out.
September 15th Zoo Brew – The Little Rock Zoo will host this annual craft beer festival celebrating Arkansas beer and brews from around the world. You’ll also find some of the the city’s best food trucks as well. Tickets are $25 now through the end of the month, so make sure to get yours early.
September 17th The Naterators Tots Cooking Contest – This fun event at Dunbar Community Garden is still accepting applications for competitors. All you have to do is make a dish using tater tots! If cooking isn’t your thing, it’s $5 to show up and eat some innovative tater tot dishes. Proceeds from the event go to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
September 21st Bryant Food Truckin’ Wednesday with Rock City Eats – Our regular food truck event at First United Methodist Church in Bryant is back. Confirmed trucks include Slader’s Alaskan Dumplings, Velvet Whisk, The Southern Gourmasian, Hot Rod Wieners and more.
September 22nd Patio on Park Hill – The fourth edition of this fun outdoor festival will be held at the Lakehill Shopping Center on JFK Boulevard. Food trucks, live music and local craft beer options will be available. Admission is $1, and kids ages 12 and younger are free.
September 24th 2016 Main Street Food Truck Festival – More than 50 Arkansas food trucks line Main Street between 3rd and 8th in the biggest food truck meet of the year. More than 25,000 people attended last year’s event. The event lasts from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
September 24th Little Rocktoberfest 2016 – This annual event features tons of locally made beer, including some beers made by home brewers that you can’t taste anywhere else. The event goes from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Dickey-Stephens Park. Tickets are $30 in advance, or $40 at the door. There are also several VIP tickets available for $65 that will get you in early and let you take home some extra memorabilia.
Specials
Yellow Rocket Concepts has released its September specials for two of its restaurants:
- Local Lime: It’s back! The excellent Hatch Green Chile Pork Shoulder Stew returns this month.
- ZAZA: Curry-Cashew Chicken Salad and Banh Mi Pizza
Check back next week for specials at Big Orange locations.
