News
There is no official word on whether Three Sams BBQ Joint will be rebuilt after a fire destroyed the building Monday, but owner Annette Jones does appear to be keeping that possibility open. The Three Sams Facebook page shared a link Tuesday to a GoFundMe page that is raising money to help Three Sams rebuild. The building was destroyed after a fire spread from a smoker at the back of the building. Nobody was injured in the fire. While the fire and water damage is severe, friends and family members pitched in and helped salvage dozens of items from the building.
Breakfast is about to get an upgrade around downtown. Rick’s Beignets is adding earlier hours to accommodate those driving into work in the morning starting next Tuesday. The new hours will be 7 AM until 2 PM, and they hinted at even more breakfast items in the near future. Rick’s can be found at the Station 801 Food Truck Stop at 801 S Chester in LR Tuesday through Friday.
The Little Rock Farmers Market will open for business on May 7 at the River Market Pavilion. After that, the market will open every Tuesday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. It won’t be the first seasonal market to open, though. Argenta Farmers Market will open this Saturday, and Bernice Garden Farmer’s Market kicks off on April 10. Hillcrest Farmers Market is open year-round.
The Southern Gourmasian has cut back on the dinner hours it offers. The restaurant is now open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Dinner service is still available on Friday and Saturday nights. The restaurant will still accept private party reservations for weeknight dinner. In addition to the new hours, you can find a new Thai chicken burger, edamame hummus and sweet potato chips on the restaurant’s menu.
Rock Town Distillery is teaming up with Diamond Bear Brewing to create a unique single malt whiskey. The whiskey will be made from the wort of the Pig Trail Porter beer, which will age in new oak barrels for several months. After that, the aging process will finish in barrels previously used to age Pig Trail Porter beer for the brewery. This will be the first single malt whiskey produced in Arkansas since prohibition. It will take at least a year to finish.
Construction at The Root is in full swing as the restaurant expands its dining room and kitchen using reclaimed shipping containers. Already the first containers that will reshape the dining room have been delivered and are being set up. When it’s finished, The Root will put its new space to good use by starting a regular dinner service.
I stopped by Rebel Kettle on opening day, and the brewery is off to an outstanding start. There was a standing room only crowd just minutes after opening, which was great to see. And now the brewery is starting a new weekly special featuring its small-batch brews. Every Tuesday, Rebel Kettle will sell only growlers of a limited edition beer. When it sells out, that beer is gone. It started with “Island Hoppin’,” a hoppy wheat ale. Keep your eyes on Rebel Kettle’s Facebook page for the next small-batch beer to take home.
Spring menus are popping up all over the city, and Boulevard Bistro’s new look is an eye-opener. Our own Daniel Walker checked out the new dishes.
The Pizzeria at Terry’s Finer Foods is easily one of the more underrated cocktail bars in the city. Becca Bona sat down with head barman Dillon Garcia for a conversation about his tremendous drinks.
Events
April 1st 19th Annual Food & Foam Fest – Annually one of the state’s best beer festivals, this year’s Food & Foam Fest will feature samplings from 350 craft beers from Arkansas and around the country. Tickets are already on sale.
April 1st April Fools Match Up at Kent Walker Artisan Cheese – Sure, there may be a fake event or two going on this Friday, but Kent Walker’s party is no joke. The matchup will feature Rebel Kettle Brew, Loblolly ice cream, and Danny Vazquez on guitar. There will be two seatings, one at 5pm and another at 7:30pm. Tickets here.
April 2nd 8th Annual B Street Rib Off – This fantastic competition will be the biggest yet, with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society of Central Arkansas. There is still time to enter, although space is going quick. This year will also feature food trucks, entertainment, and more.
April 2nd Inaugural PK Grills Steak Cook-Off – The event is open to anybody with a PK Grill, steak and $89 for the entry fee. Space is limited, be sure to reserve your spot in the competition soon.
April 7–10 Fantastic Cinema and Craft Beer Festival – This festival celebrates independently made genre films and craft beer from Arkansas and beyond. The event is at Riverdale 10 Cinemas. Tickets and VIP passes are on sale here.
April 9th West Little Rock Food Truck Festival – Come to the Chenal Pointe apartments from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for this festival featuring some of Little Rock’s best food truck, live music and more.
April 10th 2016 Jewish Food and Cultural Festival – This annual celebration of Jewish food and culture will be held at War Memorial Stadium. Admission is free. This is a great event for families.
April 16th Any Excuse to Party at Kent Walker Artisan Cheese – The folks at Kent Walker Artisan Cheese wanted to throw a party, no reason needed. The party features Bob Livingston playing some sweet tunes, food from The Southern Gourmasian, Hot Rod Wieners, Katmandu MoMo, & Loblolly Creamery, and a number of local craft beers.
April 16th Traditional Pie Bake-Off – It’s the second annual edition of this pie competition at The Root Cafe. Last year, 16 contestants competed, with Ken Dempsey coming out as the winner. Pre-registration is suggested but not required.
April 21st Diamond Chef Arkansas Recut – The popular culinary competition returns to Pulaski Tech’s culinary school, pitting six local chefs and culinary instructors against one another in an Iron Chef-style competition. Attendees will be treated to hors d’oeuvres and cocktails while watching the action. Tickets for the event are on sale now.
April 21st Rock City Food Truck Meet – This new monthly event will meet every third Thursday at First United Methodist Church in Bryant. If you own a food truck and want to participate, please contact us at the link in the menu.
April 23rd International Food Festival – Get a taste of food from around the world at this special event at the Islamic Center of Little Rock. Admission to the event is free. In addition to the food, there will be activities for children and other entertainment.
Specials
Yellow Rocket Concepts has several specials at its locations during the month of March
- Big Orange: The “Native” Burger (Kent Walker Leicester Cheese, Petit Jean Pepper Bacon, Cedar Rock Acres Jupiter Grape-Onion Marmalade) and Irish Apple Buttermilk Cake
- Local Lime: Fried Chicken Tacos with tomato-habanero chutney, red pepper crema and carrot-cabbage slaw
There are crawfish special all over town this month. Find them at The Faded Rose (Wednesdays), K Hall and Sons Produce(Saturdays) and Lulu’s Crab Boil (all week).
