Eat Arkansas, Arkansas Times

A perfect sausage from Butcher and Public

Michael Roberts — Sun, 19 May 2013 16:38:00 -0500

Central Arkansas is blessed with some really good sausage makers. Whether it's the house made sausages from Hillcrest Artisan Meats, Edwards Food Giant, or straight from the farm, there's no shortage of really fantastic sausage in the area. To this list of greats, add Travis McConnell, a man with no small amount of experience making charcuterie, and who has been slowly rolling out his Butcher and Public restaurant concept at various events around town.

I wasn't able to attend the big hog roast that McConnell threw last February, but I was lucky enough to catch him grilling some of his homemade sausages at the Bernice Garden Farmers Market. I ordered up a hot one and was treated to a large juicy sausage nestled just right on a split and grilled baguette. Toppings were of a "do it yourself" nature, so I slathered on a generous amount of mustard and a couple of spoonfuls of a tasty looking chimichurri — there was also a bread-and-butter pickle mix, but I'm not a fan of sweet pickles. The result was one of the best things I've eaten in awhile: tender, savory grilled sausage on chewy bread, kicked up with mustard and finished with a chimichurri that was just the right balance of garlic, fresh herbs, and good oil. I was eating off a paper holder on a park bench, but I might as well have been eating somewhere fine.

I'd wondered when Chef McConnell first announced his plans to open Butcher and Public in the Main Street area if there was enough room in this town for another fine-meat purveyor. After sampling the chef's work, I know that I'll have no problem making room for such good food in my life. The Butcher and Public gang plan to do more market appearances, so I urge you all to grab one of these fresh-grilled masterpieces as soon as possible — I can't wait to eat my next one.

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Pissaladiere, the acceptable early morning pizza

Michael Roberts — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:59:00 -0500

Mylo Coffee Company has become something of a legend at the various area farmers markets, with folks lined up well in advance of each market's opening for a cup of coffee and one of their many pastries. We've talked before about their kouign amann, the puff pastry delight that is normally the first to sell out, and I agree that it's one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth. But my tastes swing more to the savory rather than the sweet — and not surprisingly, Mylo has just the thing: the pissaladiere.

The pissaladiere has a storied history, arriving in France from Rome during the time when the Papacy was based in Avignon, surviving against all odds during the various reformations and revolutions to wind up on a fold-away table in Little Rock. The pastry is similar to pizza, only better in every way: instead of solid crust, the base of Mylo's dish is a thick layer of homemade phyllo dough, chewy and crisp all at once. Atop this luxurious base are caramelized onions, a thick layer of jam-like tomatoes, shredded cheese, and whole kalamata olives. The result is a buttery, tangy, slightly sweet and wonderfully salty dish that is one of the most perfect flavor profiles I've ever eaten. I've always been a fan of the morning-after slice of cold pizza — and the Mylo pissaladiere is like taking that idea to Michelin-star levels.

Because of local restrictions about selling prepared meat from a farmers market booth, Stephanos and Monica Mylonas have been forced to get creative with their dishes, including the pissaladiere, which traditionally includes anchovies. The couple is more than up to the task of changing their recipes to suit those guidelines, though, creating a host of vegetarian savory pastries that will suit the tooth of even the most dedicated carnivore. The Mylonas' sweets are popular, and rightfully so, but if you crave savory like I do, you'll find your perfect morning companion with this little square piece of cheesy, salty joy. It's become my go-to weekend breakfast — so if you all go out to try it, be sure to save me one.

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Food Feedback Friday: midnight snack edition

Daniel Walker — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:36:00 -0500

The daily grind got the best of me this week, so Food Feedback Friday is getting up rather late…just in time for your midnight snack. No biggie, the rules remain the same. Let us know what you’re eating, who’s really knocking it out of the park, and who’s falling flat. I’ve got the in-laws in town this weekend, which means fine dining is store for my wife and me. We’re thinking steaks…been too long since I’ve had a quality bone-in rib eye. Arthur’s or Sonny Williams have been the two we’re been considering most carefully.

Last week on Food Feedback Friday, Raven calls the zucchini salsa at Local Lime “one of the best salsas I’ve ever eaten,” but has some issues with the scant toppings from the pizza at Santa Lucia. Mordy ate some glorious sounding concoction dreamed up by the kitchen at White Water Tavern called “Thanksgiving in May” with turkey, cranberry sausage, cornbread stuffing, and mashed potatoes and gravy…as a sandwich. Kar had the chicken tenders from Slim Chickens and calls them “fresh, hot, and fantastic.” Hugh Mann had his “first go” at a sandwich from Hillcrest Artisan Meats and leaves satisfied, Kevin is underwhelmed by his pizza from Damgoode Pies, to which I say, join the club. Rooibos snagged a Reuben from the Capital Bar and Grill and says, “I’ve never had corned beef so tough.” That’s a shame. EY is pleased with the “huge short rib” from Acadia, and Joel checks out Leo’s Greek Castle under the new ownership, stating, “the hamburger was definitely an improvement from previous burgers there and the gyro platter as wondrous as ever.” You can read it all here.

Your turn folks, where ya’ grubbin’?

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This week on Arkansas Cooks

Michael Roberts — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:02:00 -0500

I know a thing or two about transitions. When the editor of the Arkansas Times first asked if I wanted to contribute to Eat Arkansas, it was only a few months after the departure of Kat Robinson, a writer who has eaten at and written about more places across this state than almost anyone. After my first few posts here, I recall getting an e-mail from Pat Lynch asking if I was the "new Kat," to which I replied that while I could never hope to replace her, I hoped I could do the blog justice. Things really started clicking a few months later when Dan joined the blog, and it's been relatively smooth sailing ever since.

And now, once again, I find myself in a place of transition, and once again I'm nervous and excited. Many of you are familiar with Arkansas Cooks, the local interview show hosted by Mary Twedt that airs every Saturday at noon on KUAR FM 89.1. Mary's been doing the show for ten years, and I've been an avid listener for many of those ten. A couple of months ago, Mary approached me and asked if I'd be interested in doing some episodes of Arkansas Cooks, as she was looking to transition into a less active role but wanted to keep the show going. Now, I'm not a radio guy, but I jumped at the chance to work on such a long-time favorite, especially with good folks like Mary and producer Travis Hill. Now for those of you who might be worried, let me say: Mary isn't leaving the show, she's just turning over some of the work to myself and the excellent Neal Moore. But I'll be on the air this Saturday with my first show, an interview with the ladies of Loblolly Creamery.

I know most of you regular Eat Arkansas readers need no introduction to Rachel Moore and Sally Mengel, who along with Dan Moore form the backbone of Little Rock's best ice cream company, but anybody who has ever talked to the ladies of Loblolly knows that Sally and Rachel are smart, funny, and happy to share their ice cream secrets (which turn out to be witchcraft) with anyone who is interested. I sat down with both of them at the Green Corner Store right before a private "Sundae Tasting" event, that saw everything from non-dairy ice cream made from coconut milk to custard flavored with saffron, to a candied rose petal that tasted like pure sugared spring time. I learned how long it took for Rachel to perfect their basic vanilla recipe (months) and the origins of the name "Loblolly." In addition to all that, the ladies talked about their future plans — including the eventual re-purposing of Jeffrey Palsa's food truck Preston into a new kind of ice cream wagon.

The care and love that Rachel, Sally, and Dan all put into their business is obvious with every bite of Loblolly ice cream (or every drink of house-made kombucha). I hope you'll all tune in to hear what this fantastic local business is up to — or at least tune in so you can come back here and make fun of my radio skills. I'll be keeping you all up to date with what's going on with the show; and of course stick around Eat Arkansas for the latest in blogtastic food news.

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This weekend: Intl. Greek Food Festival

David Koon — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:29:00 -0500

A foodie must-do this weekend is the International Greek Food Festival, which kicks off Friday, May 17 at 11 a.m. at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 1100 Napa Valley Drive in Little Rock. Admission, parking and trolley service are all free. Visit their website for lots for more information.

Now in its 29th year, the festival runs through 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon. On the menu for this year are all the faves you'd expect: gyros, falafel, hummus, tabbouleh salad, kebabs, spanakopita, loukanika, roast lamb, plus lots more. If you don't feel like standing in line, they also offer a drive-through menu with many of the festival's more popular items.

Attractions this year will include an Old World Market with jewelry, stained glass, wooden toys, art work and ceramics, a book store, a grocery section and a selection of pastries and frozen dinners to go. Entertainment on tap will include Irish, Indian, Greek, Scottish, Russian and Middle Eastern folk dancing, with something different to see every half-hour. The Centers for Youth and Families will also have a kid's area set up, with games, a bounce house, face painting and other things to keep the tykes occupied.

If past years have been any indication, the Greek Food Festival will probably be a mob scene, but they do offer free trolley service from nearby parking lots. It's loads of fun, and the food is well worth it.

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Introducing The Little Rock Pie Cycle: Taking sweet to the street

Daniel Walker — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:11:00 -0500

I'm continuously amazed by the opportunities I’ve had to find great eats in the most unlikely of places. This is probably a phenomenon seen in many cities around the country, but it’s certainly true in Little Rock. I've eaten some splendid meals in some very interesting locations—trucks, carts, office buildings, sidewalk sales, malls, and farmer's markets. I wouldn't be surprised if I eventually find myself feasting on salade Nicoise and beef bourgignon inside a bowling alley. Hey, I think it would work.

The latest in Little Rock's unexpectedly wonderful eating experiences comes to us via a young baker and her bike. Introducing the Little Rock Pie Cycle, a true Arkansas original. The Pie Cycle is the brainchild of Hannah Moore, a native Arkansan with a zest for life and a flair for the unconventional. The Pie Cycle only recently began selling its wares—every weekend Hannah jumps on her bright red bike with an insulated container full of freshly baked hand pies strapped to the back. She's been selling primarily in the Hillcrest neighborhood, keeping things close to home to keep her pies at their freshest. The girl's pumpin' pedals to work here, so don't expect her to be making appearances in Conway anytime soon.

So you stalk her Twitter or Facebook page, where every weekend Hannah posts her location for the day. She’ll be camped out at a park, or a bench outside the grocery store, or at a farmer’s market peddling pies to the hungry masses. You’d be wise to get there early, though, she often sells out quickly. I’ve been attempting to meet up with her for the last three weeks in order to gorge myself on handmade pie and meet the sweet genius behind this business venture. Last weekend, at the Hillcrest Farmer’s Market, I finally got my chance.

As I mentioned previously, the Pie Cycle specializes in "hand pies"—hand-held pocket-sized pies, akin to the more familiar fried pie—except Hannah's pies are baked rather than fried and dripping in oil. The small pockets of piecrust are filled with fresh fruit fillings of all sorts, neatly wrapped, and individually sold. To me, the sign of a great pie maker is seen in their piecrust, and Hannah’s crust certainly passes the taste test. Hers are heavy on butter, rich, soft and flakey. The light, flavorful crust creates an ideal backdrop for the myriad of fruit fillings Hannah incorporates into the hand pies. Our order included a bright, whole blueberry filling, a spiced apple, and a tart, tangy strawberry rhubarb. She uses only fresh fruit and all natural ingredients, utilizing local ingredients whenever she can. She’s creating everything from scratch, baking all her goods the morning she goes out to sell. To Hannah, “hand pies mean summertime. It’s a food you would eat in shorts with your bare legs hanging off the side of something like a boat or a bridge.”

I questioned Hannah as to how she came up with the idea for the Pie Cycle and what inspired her to venture into the pie business. She relates this story:

“My father-in-law is a math teacher, and every year on Pi Day (March 14th) he celebrates with his students by doing experiments, reciting digits of Pi, and of course, eating pie. He really liked these hand pies I had been making, so he asked me if I could make 150 of them for his students. So I made 150 pies and I thought, ‘How can this be my life?’ We came up with the Pie Cycle as a way to justify a lifestyle of baking and eating pies every day.”

The Pie Cycle is a truly wonderful addition to our mobile and street-side dining scene, and it’s certainly something worth tracking down. It’s an experience, and a real pleasure meeting young people with big dreams and the creativity to make them happen. Hannah says she’d like to make a few bike modifications in order to accommodate cold drinks for the hot summer months. Hannah says, “I got the opportunity to live in France for a few months where we drank tons of lavender lemonade, which is probably the most refreshing drink I’ve ever had. I’m also working on a roasted peach lemonade.”

The Pie Cycle is destined to brighten the day of anyone fortunate enough to get their paws on some of Hannah’s lovely creations, and I look forward to seeing this small business grow in the coming months. You can find the Little Rock Pie Cycle wheeling around the Hillcrest neighborhood of Little Rock. Follow the Facebook or Twitter pages for the week’s locations, times, and flavors. And if you’re a regular at the Hillcrest Farmer’s Market, you’ll be able to catch her there most Saturdays.

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Now at Dollar Tree: The Mayo of Mayonnaiseness

David Koon — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:02:00 -0500

Thanks to Arkansas Times pal Ashli Ahrens for spotting small jars of Duke's Mayonnaise at the Dollar Tree store in Riverdale and then hipping Yours Truly to their culinary significance via Facebook. We don't know if other Dollar Trees in Central Arkansas have Duke's right now, but as of 5 p.m. yesterday, the one in Riverdale had at least two cases of 8 oz. jars.

Why the excitement about what can be the blandest of condiments? Because Duke's, first whipped up in a boarding house kitchen in Greenville, S.C. in 1917, and sold continuously since then, might be the greatest ever expression of the humblest of condiments. CNN's foodie site Eatocracy has declared a tomato and Duke's sandwich to be, and we're quoting here, "the best sandwich in the universe."

That's a high bar, but they might be right. I tried a little on a turkey sandwich last night, and let me tell you: while it likely didn't do a damn thing for my cholesterol, Duke's made that bit of bread and bird positively sing with its tangy, creamy flavor. As noted in the CNN story, it's markedly less sweet than any other mayo you'll find, but that's not really a problem. It's easily one of the best condiments I've ever tried. Ever. In my life.

If you're within the sound of my voice, rush on down to Dollar Tree. We also hear they may sell Duke's locally at certain specialty stores like Whole Foods, but this is definitely a way to get it on the cheap.

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Cordell's potato and chicken salad are back again — at Terry's in the Heights

Max Brantley — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:08:00 -0500

A reliable source calls with good food news:

Dean Cline is back at work making potato salad and chicken salad according to the recipes of the legendary Cordell's deli. I confirmed that he's gone to work on the deli staff at Terry's Finer Foods at Country Club Station in the Heights. He's at work and made batches of both salads today, but word has spread quickly, so I can't guarantee what you'll find if you head up there this afternoon.

When we last visited, a deal to supply the salads through a former owner of Browning's had fallen apart.

If you don't know from Cordell's, long a fixture in Riverdale, it's your loss. Time was a tray of thinly sliced roast top sirloin and a tub of potato salad was the tried-and-true Old Little Rock sympathy platter for both funereal and celebratory occasions. I think I even eventually stumbled on the secret ingredient that explains the smooth and unwatery texture of the potato salad dressing. But replicating the taste of potato salad time after time — not to mention the firm, but not crunchy texture of the potatoes — is a real art. Cordell's had it down.

Who says there's never any good news

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Quick but mediocre at Slim Chickens

Michael Roberts — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:49:00 -0500

The new Slim Chickens franchise is just right down the street from me, so it was pretty inevitable that I'd be stopping by on one of those nights when the idea of cooking at home feels like winning a free colonoscopy. I swung into the parking lot with my wife to see a line of cars wrapped around the building to get their hands on Slim's two chicken varieties: wings and tenders. Slim's originated in Fayetteville in 2003, and the menu is a mix of fried chicken, fried sides, fried pies, and fried soda (only one of those is made up). The service was certainly quick in that surly fast food sort of way — we were through the long line in under 15 minutes — but the food left quite a lot to be desired.

We dove right into the menu with the basic Chick's Plate ($6.99), opting to sub in an order of fried mushrooms and an order of fried pickles to replace the normal fries or potato salad. The substitution was around a buck more, which we thought was more than fair — until the girl at the speaker told us they were out of pickles. And she said it right when the little screen below the speaker flashed up a high-definition picture of said fried pickles. Changing our pickle order to another of mushrooms, we got our total ($19.85) and drove around to get our order.

The resulting boxes of food were...well, they were fine, I guess. The mushrooms weren't fried nearly long enough, and between their slimy texture and loose breading it was rather hard to eat them. A mushroom has a lot of moisture to it, and it takes a good stay in hot grease in order to get one fried correctly — something that should be par for the course at a place like this. As for the chicken, the tenders were small, and while they were juicy enough, the overall flavor was just bland. A dunk into a cup of "Slim's Sauce" didn't really help things, and the end result was a completely forgettable meal.

Now granted, this is a fast food joint, but I'd hoped for a better showing from the Fayetteville-based chain. If Slim's wants to compete in that part of town — next to a KFC, down the road from Popeye's, and very near Little Rock's busiest restaurant, the Chik-Fil-A on Markham, they're going to have to get their frying times down for sides, spice up the chicken and sauces, and get a little friendlier to patrons. I'll give the place some time to settle in and try again, but my first impression was that this location is coming off a little less than half-cocked.

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Meet Blair Graves, a cheesemonger among us

Daniel Walker — Sun, 12 May 2013 08:05:00 -0500

There are few foods in this world as sublime as a fine cheese. Cheese is found in nearly every corner of our culinary infrastructure—appetizers, hors d'oeuvre, entrees, even desserts—you find it enriching nearly every corner of the menu. On the surface, cheese may appear to be rather simple, commonplace, or ordinary—but in truth, there are not many foods with a richer origin, history, and culture as cheese. Varieties are almost innumerable and nearly every country in the world boasts a local, indigenous cheese, often entirely distinct from any other in existence.

In Central Arkansas, cheese lovers have a few options when hoping to explore the thrilling world of artisanal cheese. But perhaps no one is doing more to promote the name of cheese than the venerable Boulevard Bread, and one woman, in particular, is more well-versed in the caseus vernacular than any person on staff. Blair Graves is a woman who’s dedicated herself to the study of cheese, pouring countless hours and logging many miles in efforts to become an authority on the subject. As the leading force behind Boulevard’s extensive cheese case and importing efforts, I’ve had the privilege to get to know Graves a little better, and I’ve been able to pick her brain a bit on this, her favorite subject of discussion. And I’ve quickly realized that I have a lot more to learn about cheese.

Digging back to the bright, youthful age of 11, Graves recalls the exact moment that she fell in love with cheese. On a road trip to North Carolina, she and her family were visiting the home of American writer/poet, Carl Sandburg. Sandburg’s wife happened to raise dairy goats. Graves relates: “I remember petting the goats and my mother bought some of their cheese. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world that I was eating cheese from the goats that I'd just petted and loved the cheese. This was the beginning of my food geekdom.”

When Graves was 17, she spent 6 weeks in France, something far superior to Disneyland for the budding turophile. “I read everything I could get my hands on about French food before we left (including a book about French cheeses). When we got there, I wanted to try everything. My mother indulged my every food whim at the markets, in restaurants, and cheese shops.”

She recalls the coming to Little Rock of what was once Scott McGehee’s original neighborhood darling, Boulevard Bread. Upon hearing what sort of place McGehee had in store for Little Rock, Graves could barely contain her excitement. “I was actually Boulevard's first customer. I went in thinking that it was open (it wasn't) to buy some pancetta. Scott ended up just giving it to me because there was not yet a cash register. I was employed there about three weeks later.” After starting at Boulevard, Graves immersed herself in the cheese faction of the business, reading voraciously about its many facets and eating as much as she pleased, always in search of new, enlightening experiences.

Graves’ love of cheese took her around the world in hopes of broadening her knowledge, allowing her palate to mature—all of which helped shape her into one of the most knowledgeable cheesemongers I’ve come across in recent years. She worked in an Italian specialty stores in San Francisco, visiting dairies, cheese shops, and attending cheese classes, even holding weekly cheese and wine tastings. Her path paved in cheese brought her back to France, of course, as well as Corsica, Italy, Spain, and Greece— cherished times in which Graves was “wine and cheese degusting all over.” She encountered some exquisite cheeses, some of which most in America have never seen, heard, or tasted of. She grew a particular fondness for the “gorgeous, gooey, smelly, unpasteurized” French types that would likely leave some Americans running to the window for a whiff of fresh air long before a morsel ever reached their mouths.

As I spoke with Blair, I quickly got a sense that she is a person that Little Rock is fortunate to have in its midst, but also a resource that should not go underutilized. Indeed, Graves harbors a wealth of knowledge and passion for something I’d hope really starts to make some headway in Central Arkansas. I bothered her a bit into sharing some general advice for anyone anxious to more fully explore the exciting things cheese has to offer, and how one becomes a bit more savvy in cheese and wine pairing:

“Generally, I think that people get a little too worked up about perfectly pairing wine and cheeses. People worry about it too much—it’s really just about what you like.”

“But there are some good rules of thumb: If you are going with European wines, you’d want to pair them with cheeses from that same region. For example, if you’re serving Comté Gruyère, which is from the Jura region in eastern France, you’d want to find a Jura wine.”

“This rule becomes a little more difficult with American wines and cheeses, but there are still good rules of thumb to go by here. If you’re using a cheese that’s really gooey and creamy, with a high butterfat content (Brie, St. Andre), you’d like to pair it with a wine that has a good acid content to help cut through that richness…something like a lighter-bodied red, like Pinot, or a white.

“The salt in cheese activates tannins in wine, so you’ll want to try to avoid really salty, hard cheese with an oakey, muscley wine, like a Cabernet…the flavors drown each other out. In general, I find whites are easier to pair with cheese, and actually, beers can pair really well with cheeses as well, especially the washed-rind cheeses, like Taleggio, Chimey, or anything with an orange, tacky rind…those really like beer.”

“You can read all day long about cheese, but the best way to learn about it is just to taste it. Visit with your cheesemonger frequently. They’ll be able to get a feel for your tastes and what you like and help steer you in the right direction. Experiment with a spectrum of textures, or sample various animals of origin—goat, sheep, or cow.”

Graves admits that the cheese world can be a bit daunting and intimidating to those less experienced with the craft, but she promises to spend as much time as necessary with customers at the cheese case as necessary. Graves now oversees the buying and maintenance of the cheese case and teaches cheese seminars for the staff, and she hopes to again begin leading tastings similar to those she directed in California in the near future. You can meet Blair Graves and bask in her cheese wisdom for yourself at Boulevard’s upcoming “A Pint, A Wedge” event that we mentioned previously, which incorporates craft beers from Arkansas Craft Distributors, grilled meats from Hillcrest Artisan Meats, and live music. The event is being held this Saturday, May 18th at Bernice Gardens from 1 to 3 pm. Tickets can be purchased by stopping in or calling The Heights location of Boulevard Bread (501-663-5951).

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Mellow Mushroom shooting for mid-June open in WLR

David Koon — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:53:00 -0500

Mellow Mushroom, the quirky "craft pizza" chain, with outlets in Rogers and Fayetteville, will open a West Little Rock franchise by mid-June. The West LR Mellow Mushroom will be at 16103 Chenal Parkway, near the big Kroger store on Chenal. The restaurant will have seating for 175 inside, with another 50 seats on the patio. You can see their full menu — loaded with handcrafted pizzas, calzones, big sammiches, gourmet tapas and appetizers, salads — at this link

Franchise owner Kevin Kestner, who is opening the West LR location with his partner Chris Elkins, is originally from Arkansas, and fell in love with Mellow Mushroom pizza while living in Atlanta, where the company was founded in 1974. After moving back to Fayetteville, he opened a Mellow Mushroom franchise there in 2008, followed a few years later by a store in Rogers. The next step, Kestner said, was Little Rock. He said they're shooting to open by June 17, but will definitely open in June.

Kestner said Mellow Mushroom pizza will be distinguished from competitors by the freshness of ingredients. "It's more of a gourmet pizza," he said. "We use fresh produce every day, we cook our meats every day. Everything is fresh. Our dough is really unique. It's vitamin E enriched, no whole sugars, no additives or preservatives. The dough is what everybody knows Mellow Mushroom for. It almost has a slight sweet flavor to it." Kestner said the crust is chewy around the rim, with a thinner crust on the bottom, cooked in stone pizza ovens. Every pizza will be tossed, dressed and cooked to order, Kestner said.

Adding to Little Rock's beer culture, Mellow Mushroom will offer 40 brews on tap, with another 40 in the bottle. They'll also have a full bar. Kestner said that the beer offerings will focus on craft beers and especially regional and local crafts, with Diamond Bear, Boulevard, Schlafly and others on tap. "Anybody that's a brewery that's around nearby," he said, "we're going to try to make sure that we have at least one of their beers on tap. We're going to try to keep it local."

Kestner said the new West Little Rock Mellow Mushroom location is part of a planned expansion in Central Arkansas. "We're looking to go into Conway next, probably," he said, "and then possibly a location in North Little Rock or one of the surrounding areas."

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Food Feedback Friday: dumplings, buns, and benedicts

Daniel Walker — Fri, 10 May 2013 07:54:00 -0500

It’s Friday folks, which means it’s time, once again, for everyone’s favorite food forum, the greatest place for gastro-gab in all of Arkansas—Food Feedback Friday. Last, week was a very busy food week for me and I suspect for many of you as well. With the warmer weather, seems like every food and drink fest in Arkansas is trying to squeeze itself into that small window of time between too cold and blisteringly hot.

This got me wondering—what are some of your favorite local eats to help beat the heat? Do you pine for ice cream? Are you jonesing for gelato? Custard? Shaved ice? Milk Shakes? Gazpacho? What helps you survive the almost unbearable few sweltering summer months?

Last week on FFF, Sammy enjoyed Southern Gourmasian’s chicken and dumplings, but preferred his order of “ol’ faithful, the pork buns.” Kar also chimed in, claiming that the Creole version of chicken and dumplings at Cheers are “DY-NO-MITE… a little spicy, great consistency and the dumplings are divine.” Numbernine enjoyed the chicken crepes at Café Bossa Nova and seemed to thoroughly enjoy them, but Nine really seemed impressed with the brownie sundae with salted caramel ice cream from Loblolly. Mordy was less than pleased with the handicraft of the new Italian kitchen at Lulav, stating that just by looking at the “handmade pasta” dishes “it was obvious that they had been sitting under a heat lamp for quite some time,” and “it was obvious that these pastas were not handmade.” Debeats was giddy over her Greek taco special at Baja Grill and was equally impressed with the corn chowder from Pressroom in Bentonville. What’sthat was disenchanted by Loca Luna, calling the crab cake benedict “awful…hardly any sauce, the yolk was hard, the muffin was soggy, and the crab cake was nothing special.” Lots more was said, and you can catch up on it here.

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Howdy, Chuy's! Welcome to Arkansas

Daniel Walker — Thu, 09 May 2013 02:46:00 -0500

Some of you know (or may have guessed by now) that I came to Arkansas via Texas. Now, I’m not a born n’ bred Texan, but I spent good enough chunk of time there to get a decent feel for its culinary happenings, particularly those truly classic Texas dishes that have put places like Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas on the global gastronomic map. Many years ago, upon my arrival to the Lone Star State, I was particularly fascinated by the concept of “Tex-Mex.” I’d heard of such a thing before, of course, but I’d never truly experienced it in full force, and never fully grasped what the cuisine entailed. For the first year or so of my tenure in Texas, I spent a sizable number of my dining experiences immersing myself in this queso-soaked, beef-loving, skillet-full-of-fajitas, frozen-margarita world. Honestly, it was a joyous time—I became quite fond of those classically Tex-Mex dishes, and I suppose I came to understand, in some small way, what the essence of Tex-Mex really is. Perhaps the best homage to Tex-Mex I’ve read came from a 2007 New York Times piece by Joe Drape entitled, “A Celebration of Tex-Mex, Without Apology.” Here, Drape describes a similar situation to my own in which he, a Texas outsider, was thrown into this mystical world of smothered enchiladas and came out of it with a sweet fondness for the food. He defends Tex-Mex for what it is, and not for what others feel it’s trying to be (with some misplaced hopes for authenticity). His closing words seal his testimony: “Neither the government of Mexico nor the high priests of that country’s cuisine are going to get an apology from me. In the Lone Star state, Tex-Mex is as authentic as any food can be.”

I’ve eaten a lot of Tex-Mex food. But even in Texas, many look down on the stuff as inferior and almost shameful. Ask most any aspiring Texas foodie, hoping to be known as “the guy who always has the inside scoop into the town’s hottest, undiscovered culinary hot-houses” and there’s not a snowball’s chance in a Texas summer that they’re going to spout off a 45-year old, well-established Tex-Mex restaurant as one of the greatest eateries in town. But love it or hate it, when done right, Tex-Mex can simply be a pleasurable and beautiful thing—a belief I hold firmly to this day.

And now, Little Rock welcomes its first branch of the Tex-Mex chain, Chuy’s—a favorite of many a Texan, and particularly a Longhorn, for years now. Surprisingly, in all my Tex-Mex escapades, I’ve never set foot within a Chuy’s. But now, with many miles between me and the Texas-Arkansas border, I relished the chance to rekindle that love that once held me spellbound in its warm, spicy embrace. I was fortunate to be a part of a pre-opening media event earlier this week—a sort of trial run for the Chuy’s staff in preparation for their opening day which occurred this past Tuesday, May 7th. The place was already overflowing with guests, every seat in the house was taken when we arrived. But luckily, the entire Chuy’s operation is a well-oiled machine, and while there were a few to-be-expected snags in a few orders (given it was their first night, running on all cylinders), we found it to be an overall pleasant experience.

Chuy’s, despite what you may actually think about the flavor of the food, has definitely succeeded in capturing the essence of the Tex-Mex experience. Brightly-colored décor, faux Mexican paintings, hot flour tortillas, and a whole lot of cheese. It’s big servings and combination platters, all served on monster-sized plates—if you leave Chuy’s hungry, you did something wrong.

Our group started out at the bar area, as there was a twenty minute wait to get a table. We ordered some drinks and were immediately intrigued by the looming “nacho car” in the corner of the room. This, my friends, is a beautiful thing. Here, half of a life-sized automobile protrudes from the wall, its hood open for all to see its contents. Inside said hood is an endless supply of complimentary chips, golden yellow queso, ground beef, salsa, and refried beans. The steaming metal trays of food are more than inviting, they welcome one in the doors like a warm hug on a winter’s night. The chips are white corn, thin, and crispy. The queso is surprisingly good—hot, tempered with chopped tomato and onion, rich and creamy—a good deal better than your average Velvetta-laden monstrosity. The addition of a scoop of spicy, seasoned ground beef makes for an excellent start to any meal. The nacho car is actually designed for the happy hour crowd—operating Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 pm—and a happy hour it will be whenever you sit down to a basket of this beautiful stuff.

We were escorted back to our seats, after having to convince ourselves not to fill up on chips and cheese. As we sauntered through the main dining area, we passed by a rounded glass window, wherein a skilled Latino woman stood hand-making flour tortillas and tossing them on a rotating flat stovetop. A promising sight—I mentally committed to myself that a few of those tortillas would find their way to our table.

Sitting down, we perused the menu and decided to start with appetizers (because the nacho car was simply not enough to get us going). We sampled guacamole and a concoction best described as “jalapeno ranch.” The guacamole was fair, but not spectacular, lacking much of the freshness, creaminess, and richness one would expect from a truly great, tableside guacamole. The jalapeno dip was tasty, some at our table wanted to dip our entire meal in the stuff—it’s basically ranch dressing with a bit of spice, but it was a nice side to complement the salsa, cheese dip, and guacamole already at the table.

In the article I referenced earlier, Drape declares, “the embodiment of Tex-Mex is a cheese enchilada with gravy.” For those not familiar with the dish, the “gravy” in question is generally a red, spicy, meat and chili gravy—it’s omnipresent on menus throughout Texas, and Chuy’s is no exception. In fact, Chuy’s signature enchilada platters do not end with the simple red chili gravy. They tout a short list of around a half-dozen sauces to smother your enchiladas in—the waitstaff will gladly bring you samples of each as well if you can’t decide how you’d like to dress your dish. As expected, the classic red chili is available—it’s a solid choice, spicy and thick. We decided to top our cheese enchiladas with this brew—a classic combination that works well together. We also enjoyed a creamy green tomatillo sauce that was an excellent addition to our chicken. They’re also quite proud of their “Boom-Boom” sauce—a blend of cheese, roasted New Mexican green chiles, tomatillos, green onions, cilantro and lime juice. Though its name sounds like an atrocity that would be featured on a Guy Fieri menu, the concoction was pleasant and excellent on our ground beef enchiladas—spicy, slightly sweet, with a hint of citrus.

We ordered a couple of combination platters, the manhole-sized plates filled with any combination of tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, chalupas, and tamales. Every plate was piled high with food, sometimes to the point of embarrassment, but each item was distinctive and deserving of attention in its own right. Soft tacos (utilizing those handmade tortillas I mentioned above) were excellent—soft, warm tortillas stuffed to the gills with seasoned beef, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. Our fish taco was also surprisingly pleasurable—a large, batter-dipped and fried filet of white fish, accompanied by shredded red cabbage and creamy jalapeno dressing—one of our favorite items of the night.

Finally, we sampled steak fajitas—a classically Tex-Mex dish, but one that, frankly, we’ve been disappointed with far too often. Chuy’s claims that their steak is marinated for 24 hours in Shiner Bock beer, Serrano peppers, lime juice and other spices. It sounds appetizing, but the end results were a bit underwhelming. Our biggest complaint with the dish was overcooked beef, which came to us hot, on a sizzling platter, but a bit stringy, dry, and pathetic. We were pleased to see this served with a small insulated dish filled with those handmade tortillas, which we made good use of— stuffing them with everything from beans and rice to queso and enchilada sauce.

In the end, it’s best to take a step back and consider what Chuy’s is and what it’s not. It’s certainly not “authentic” Mexican cuisine—nor is it trying to be. It’s not the best Tex-Mex I’ve ever eaten. It’s not locally-sourced, seasonal, or organic. It’s a chain. A lot of what you get is expected, but you can bank on it being consistent. It’s well-staffed, its employees well-trained, friendly, and welcoming. It’s reasonably priced and their portions will likely leave no one wanting for more. I, for one, welcome Chuy’s to the Little Rock dining scene, but I realize there will be some who are less then impressed with it. Perhaps a bit of my approval is seasoned with a touch of nostalgia—I’ll admit to that—but my belly was rather pleased that night and I imagine it will be for many future visits to come.

(Chuy's is located at 16001 Chenal Pkwy, Little Rock. 501-821-2489)

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Coming soon: A Pint, A Wedge

Robert Bell — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:06:00 -0500

Beer and cheese... Is there a combination more pleasing to the palate, more ambrosial than a fine craft beer and a piece of, say, aged gouda or maybe manchego? How about if you added a delicious slice of sausage to the mix? Now we're talking.

Three of mankind's greatest culinary achievements will be combined in just such a manner at A Pint, A Wedge, which takes place from 1-3 p.m., May 18 at Bernice Garden. The event is part of Craft Beer Week, and features beer from Arkansas Craft Distributors, cheese from Boulevard Bread Co. and sausage from Hillcrest Artisan Meats.

There will be live music from Judson and Josh Spillyards, Norman Williamson and Ryan Hitt. Tickets are $25 and you can purchase them at Boulevard's Heights location.

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The Governor's Culinary Challenge: Who made the grade?

Daniel Walker — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:20:00 -0500

Last week, we were fortunate enough to attend the Governor’s Culinary Challenge at the Capital Hotel. The event placed ten highly acclaimed Arkansas chefs head-to-head in a friendly competition and tasting event in which each chef dished out one or two small plates for the hungry, rabid masses constantly bombarding their table in search of their next morsel of food. The night was brimming with elegance, class, and style—a real see-and-be-seen event for all in attendance. We did out best to look respectable and dignified and joined the crowd for this delectable $100-per-head dinner party. It was a grand affair, to be sure, and we sampled each and every bit of food available (and admittedly, we sampled a couple of them twice). A few chefs really brought their proverbial A-game to the event, doling out some truly spectacular bites, but it was clear that a few of these culinary heavy-weights should rethink their strategy for next year. Here’s our breakdown of who made the grade (and what grade they made) and who fell a bit flat:

Joel Antunes (Ashley’s and the Capital Hotel): The latest addition to the Capital Hotel’s culinary team, Chef Antunes’ dish was probably one of the most anticipated of the night. Chef Antunes was friendly, gracious, and warm…his thick French accent warmed out hearts just a little. He prepared a “coconut soup” served with a small crab dumpling and fava bean. We had issues with the consistency of the broth, however, and found it to be somewhere between a foam and an actual soup—runny and a tad too watery. The flavors were excellent, however, cool and fragrant coconut complemented by soft, succulent crab. With a few tweaks, this dish would have probably bowled us over, but as it was, we left just a tad disappointed. Chef Antunes’ dessert course was a play on the classic “Kit-Kat” candy bar, with a thin layer of crumbled, crispy wafer lining the bottom of a glass, topped with a chocolate mousse. Again, textural issues were at play, and we found the mousse too grainy for our liking. A valiant effort, with some noteworthy flavors. Grade: B-

Lee Richardson (formerly of Ashley’s and the Capital Hotel): Chef Richardson left a long string of admirers when he stepped down from his position at Ashley’s. It was comforting to witness the acclaimed chef back in action and we, like most of you, are highly anticipating his future moves. But he was not able to provide us with any clues as to what his upcoming plans might be, despite our insistent pressing—we’ll just have to watch and wait. Chef Richardson prepared a dish that sounded spectacular on paper, but was a bit lost in translation. The man even brought his very impressive water oven to prepared sous vide egg (a method that provides carefully regulated, even cooking)—we were intrigued. The crux of the dish, however, was a fried catfish croquette with a sweet and sour sauce—the chef dubbed, “pepper jelly.” The catfish was well done, not overly fishy, tender, with a crunchy exterior. But the sauce was a little off-putting and did not seem to complement the fish as well as we’d hoped. It was reminiscent of dunking a Gorton’s fish stick in that jarred “Thai sweet chili sauce,” and we were left wishing for a little more from Richardson’s table. Grade: C+

Brian Deloney (Maddie’s Place): We’ve had mixed feelings about the dishes put out and Chef Deloney’s Riverdale restaurant, Maddie’s, but we were unanimously in favor of his dish offered this night. Continuing his Cajun/Creole tendencies, Maloney prepared a “shrimp and alligator cheesecake,” which may sound somewhat odd at first, but tasted fantastic. The small cylindrical molds of savory cheesecake were composed of a rich, dense, cream cheese-heavy “cheesecake,” chock full of sweet, briny shrimp bits and chunks of mild, tender alligator. Served cold, it really took us both by surprise, but this is one surprise we’d be happy to be a part of again. Grade: A-

Gilbert Alaquinez (The Governor’s Mansion): Chef Alaquinez was one of the chefs we were least familiar with prior to the event—perhaps we even expected him to be overshadowed by a few of culinary headliners also in attendance that night. But with Gov. Beebe and his wife Ginger at tableside to back this team up, the chef definitely put his best foot forward this night. We were both won over by the cold carrot soup with a touch of sour cream. The soup was surprisingly spicy, heavy with cumin and chili powder, but not to the point of being overwhelming. The sweet carrot undertones made a fabulous base for some of the more vivid flavors prominent in the soup. A pulled pork “banh mi” was also served, but we found this to be a rather pedestrian pork sandwich, without much pizzazz—definitely not as Vietnamese in nature as we had hoped. The dessert course was delightful, though. Chef offered a “Napolean” trio of French macarons: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. These were well executed—crisp, airy outer cookie with a creamy, rich filling within. They were a bit chewier in texture than we’ve had elsewhere, but we were pleased with this difference rather than perturbed by it. Grade: A-

Jason Knapp (UCA, formerly of the Governor’s Mansion): Another chef we were mostly unfamiliar with prior to our tasting this night, but who left a rather favorable impression on us after we were served his food. Chef Knapp prepared a cream of poblano soup paired with a garbanzo bean fritter stuffed with creamy goat cheese. The description alone had us drooling, and we were pleased that the flavors translated successfully on the plate. The fritter was served warm, crispy and nutty. The cool, melted goat cheese pairing perfectly with the hot, mashed bean fritter. But it was the soup that really stole the show—spicy, vibrant, and refreshing, the creamy soup was one of the night’s great highlights. An addition of puffed quinoa and paprika really pushed the dish over the top. We applaud you, Chef Knapp. Grade: A

Peter Brave (Brave New Restaurant): Despite not being all that new anymore, Chef Brave's Brave New Restaurant remains a favorite among Little Rock Diners — chef and restaurant alike regularly feature among top picks in the various "readers choice" awards year after year. Chef Brave's contribution to the evening was a potato and walleye canape that ranks among the most surprising dishes of the evening: a small piece of potato, cooked so that it almost tasted like bread, tomato jam, and a piece of poached walleye that was so mild and tender that it would have been hard to tell it was fish if there hadn't been a sign saying so. The result was a little mouthful that tasted like a mini pizza with cheese and all, despite the lack of any dairy. We aren't sure what strange wizardry is afoot with this dish, but we do know it was a good thing. Grade: A

Donnie Ferneau (formerly of Ferneau): Chef Ferneau was in full effect at his table, preparing portion after blazing portion of his signature Banana's Foster. The venue didn't lend itself to the usual pairing of ice cream, but a small piece of shortbread made an acceptable substitute for the luscious, caramelized bananas. Less successful was the pork tenderloin with shallot mustard glaze served up as the main dish. The mustard glaze was perfection, adding a nice piquant kick to a pork loin that was a touch dry and had little other flavor going for it. The potato accompaniment was equally disappointing and bland. Cooking in such large portions is tough, however, and that glaze remains one of our favorite flavors of the night, even if the protein was lackluster. Grade: B-

Capi Peck (Trio’s): Our consensus favorite of the night was the Trio's table — they hit homeruns on both of their dishes. Their main course was a rich and buttery tuna tataki served on a crisp wonton wrapper and topped with fresh avocado. The richness of the tuna and avocado together made for a decadent flavor and mouthfeel, and the crisp wrapper below added just the right amount of crunchy contrast. The dessert they made was almost cheating — strawberry shortcake with cream and shortbread at just the right time of year for sweet, ripe Arkansas strawberries. From tuna to berries, everything on this table was at the peak of freshness, and every element of flavor hit just the right note. Grade: A+

Mark Abernathy (Red Door/Loca Luna): Mark Abernathy hasn't been able to catch a break on Eat Arkansas lately...and he won't catch one here. The Loca Luna owner's catfish chile relleno ranks among one of the worst things we've ever put in our mouths. Soggy, slimy, and so fishy that we wondered just what those catfish had been eating, this was one of the few plates we were unable to finish. It's not usually smart to pair fish with cheese in the first place, but this fish was of such poor quality that we maintain that it wasn't smart to pair it with anything at all. A true disappointment. Grade: F

Stephen Burrow (Restaurant Forty-Two): The Clinton Library restaurant table appeared at first glance to be serving something right up our alley: pork terrine. Normally, terrine is one of our favorite things in this world, and Little Rock is no stranger to well-made versions of this charcuterie classic. Unfortunately, an overuse of sweet spices really ruined this one for us. The texture of the loaf was excellent, and we can't compliment the presentation of the plate enough, but an overabundance of allspice, nutmeg, and other sweet spices just made the whole affair inedible. Sweet spices are important to flavoring a terrine, it's true, but just like with salt, it's easy to overdo them. Still, points for presentation, and for being brave enough to serve such a rustic dish at a fancy party. Grade: D

To be fair to all participants, the format for this dinner was not an easy one. Creating a great dish, scaling it down to a small plate, then multiplying that plate by hundreds of people makes it difficult to maintain quality. In addition, these chefs weren't pulling food from their own kitchens, but rather using pre-prepared food with only minimal on-site cooking. This might explain why cold dishes like Trio's tataki were so successful, while hot dishes like the catfish relleno were not. We hope that this is an event that will catch on in the state, as it was an excellent night to meet some of the brightest minds in Arkansas food.

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Cold weather doesn't stop Heritage Hog Roast

Michael Roberts — Sat, 04 May 2013 17:51:00 -0500

If anybody out there has figured out a way to predict the weather in Arkansas, please leave me a message down there in the comments so we can discuss lottery numbers. Cold, drizzly, and feeling more like November than May, the day might not have been what we had in mind for the first Arkansas Times Heritage Hog Roast in terms of weather, but it was was everything a pork lover like myself could have hoped for in terms of food. Teams from the Argenta Market, Cafe Bossa Nova, the Capital Hotel, the Country Club of Little Rock, Lulav Italian Kitchen, the Root Cafe, Local Lime, Maddie's Place, Reno's Argenta Cafe, Ristorante Capeo, and St. Jude's Children's Hospital all braved unseasonably cold temperatures that reached as low as 34 degrees to cook their hogs to perfection. In addition to the competitors, around 500 folks made their way to North Little Rock in the rain to sample a whole passel of slow-roasted Falling Sky Farms hogs.

Our celebrity judges picked the Country Club of Little Rock for first place, Local Lime for second, and Reno's Argenta Cafe for third. I can't really disagree (much) with their selections, and the fact that the voting between first and third places was separated by less than two points shows how good the food was overall. I've got a few "honorary" awards that I'd like to present on behalf of Eat Arkansas, however, that are are a little more specific. These are all highly subjective and reflect no other opinion from my own.

*Best overall pork: With all the different presentations available, it was hard to pin down just who came through with the best single bite of pure pork that I ate. There wasn't a bad bite of food to be had at the event, but my pick for best pure pork flavor goes to Cafe Bossa Nova with a succulent, well-seasoned bite of meat that was everything I ask for from a piece of roasted pork. A close second was Maddie's, who paired their hog with a sauce that walked a perfect line between vinegary and sweet.

*Best overall bite: This is for the best prepared pork dish. Several booths served their hog with various accoutrement, but the stand-out entry was the banh mi crostini from the Root Cafe, who used their mastery of pickled vegetables and kimchi to wonderful effect. A close second was Local Lime, who presented their finished pig in a taco that had folks clamoring for more. Lulav also had a strong entry with a pork bruschetta that was surprising in its inventiveness and fresh flavor.

*Best side dish: There was more than pork available, and none of the entrants slacked on those sides. Of particular note was the tomato and mozzarella salad from the Country Club of Little Rock, the mac and cheese from Reno's, and my personal favorite, the blue cheese cole slaw from Maddie's Place. I'm a reasonably experienced cook and diner, but this cole slaw took me right out of what I expected in the best way possible. Fresh cabbage slaw with a tangy dressing mixed with small chunks of sharp blue cheese — if any of you had asked me if that was a good idea before today, I would have said no. Now, my answer is an adamant "yes."

I've attended a lot of these events, and I can't think of very many that managed to be as consistently good as this one. There are many more pictures from the event on Brian Chilson's Facebook page, so take a look at those if you missed out on the fun today. And if you think you can do better than these folks today, well, there's always next year.

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Early morning at the Hog Roast

Lindsey Millar — Sat, 04 May 2013 10:28:00 -0500

My Saturday morning ritual of taking my two-year-old by the Argenta Farmer's Market for some fresh eggs made for a nice excuse to check out the progress of the Arkansas Times Heritage Hog Roast teams. At 7 this morning, the scene had the flavor of an early morning deer camp — booze, coffee, camper chairs and nary a woman in sight. Oh and the mouthwatering smell of fire-roasted pork and smoke. About half the teams seem to be using the covered grill in an above ground pit set-up that was provided. Above and below are the variations I saw before my kid had enough.

Travis McConnell, who's heading up the Capital Hotel's team (above), said he was running ahead of schedule and was soon to tamp down the fire. He put the pig on the spit after 11 and didn't sleep.

The Reno's team is one of at least two teams using a Caja China box, a roasting box lined with aluminum that probably originated in Cuba and probably doesn't have anything to do with the Chinese. In Louisiana they call it a Cajun microwave, on account of the speed with which it can cook whole animals.

Nathanael Wills, who's part of The Root Cafe's team, said everyone said, "Whoa," when the St. Jude's team rolled in with its professional rig last night. Team leader Miles McMath is both the director of culinary operations for St. Jude and a farmer of Heritage Hogs, so this ain't his first rodeo.

Ben Brainard, of Local Lime's The Porkshank Redemption, said his team got their pig on their automatic spit a little after 11 p.m. last night. He'd managed a two hour nap. Note the newly opened beer in the background. This was about 7:30 a.m.

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Local Lime goes whole hog for Hog Roast

Lindsey Millar — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:16:00 -0500

I asked earlier for folks to speculate on who'll win tomorrow's Arkansas Times Heritage Hog Roast. One thing is certain, Local Lime's team, The Porkshank Redemption, is winning in the prepping category. Or at least they're winning at plugging their prepping on social media. They just showed off their slick team T-shirt, design courtesy, I'm sure, by their design and style guru Amber Brewer. And check out, below, pics of their step-by-step plan for their hog from their Facebook page. They had a trial run last week.

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Food Feedback Friday: getting out and coming up

Daniel Walker — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:48:00 -0500

This week, it’s business as usual on Food Feedback Friday. We greatly appreciate all the excellent feedback we squeezed out of you all on last week’s FFF. As you can read all about here, our “popping out of Pulaski” edition was a huge success, clearly you all have eaten some fantastic food all around the state, and we got to hear a bit about some of the places doing it right last week. Fayetteville was well represented, with recommendations for Momma Dean’s for soul food, Taste of Thai for tom kha soup, and Hugo’s for their blackened chicken sandwich. Eureka Springs was also a popular area of discussion with suggested eateries such as Ermillio’s for Italian, Mud Street Café for pancakes, and Casa Colina for Mexican. Honestly, there were a whole lotta places getting recognition last week, so go back and check out the list if you’re out and about in Arkansas.

This week, we’ll open the forum to whatever and wherever you’d like to discuss, Pulaski or not, anything is fair game. So, where are you all eating this week? You all know there are many fantastic food events this weekend, including the Arkansas Times Heritage Hog Roast, the Arkansas Food Blogger Bake Sale, the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, and the Turkish Food Fest. That’s a lot of good eatin’ to be had! Feel free to drop us a line here regarding anything and everything you attended this weekend.

A few new hot items of business coming up in the next week. We mentioned the opening of the upscale taqueria, The Fold (which has apparently dropped the “e”), coming to Riverdale…they’re softly opening their doors this Sunday for Cinco de Mayo. We’ve mentioned the coming of Texas-based chain, Chuy’s to WLR in the parking lot of the Chenal Pkwy Kroger…they’ll be open to the public by next Tuesday and we’ll be back next week to report on what’s going on there. And lastly, chicken fans are rejoicing at the opening of Slim Chickens in the former Backyard Burgers space near UAMS which should also be opening its doors next Monday.

Now go forth, and feedback!

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Who will win the Times' Heritage Hog Roast?

Lindsey Millar — Fri, 03 May 2013 08:58:00 -0500

The Arkansas Times Heritage Hog Roast is coming up on Saturday at 6th and Main streets in North Little Rock. Gates open at noon and music starts thereafter. Pork and sides will be served beginning at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 the day of the event. Kids, 10 and under, get in free. Do you have your tickets yet?

Argenta Market, Cafe Bossa Nova, the Capital Hotel, the Country Club of Little Rock, the Italian Kitchen at Lulav, Local Lime, Maddie’s Place, Reno’s Argenta Cafe, Ristorante Capeo, The Root Cafe and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are fielding teams. They'll each cook a 125-140 lbs. heritage hog from Falling Sky Farm or Freckle Face Farm. The winner receives the trophy above, made my North Little Rock artist Kandy Jones, and $1,000.

Who's your pick to win?

Here are our celebrity judges. The pork will be judged on appearance, taste and texture.

1) Max Brantley
2) Rep. Eddie Armstrong
3) Alice 107.7's Adam "Pool Boy" Dunaway
4) KARK's Jessica Dean
5) Chef Donnie Ferneau

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Italian fast food chain's first U.S. location: Russellville

David Koon — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:33:12 -0500

From the weird file comes the news that Italian fast food chain SKK Italy plans to open their first U.S. location — in, of all places, Russellville.

A peek at the company's website finds they have shish-kebabs (the SKK in the company name apparently stands for ShocKKabab), wraps, wings, gyros, pizzas, soft yogurt and sandwiches. Here's their full menu,. According to the website, the chain launched in 2011 and currently has 40 outlets. Looks like SKK Italy's primo U.S. location will be at 331 Weir Road in Russellville. No information yet on when they'll open.

The food looks surprisingly good in the video and photos on their website, especially the traditional Italian pizzas. Can't say much, though, for their corporate promotional video, which appears to be narrated by a Terminator which has almost mastered human speech.

SAMPLE: "Everything revolves around the green and orange! The machines are of the highest quality, and technologically advanced! Just look at kebab machines equipped with a system of protective glass, and fume hood!"

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Ben Bell and the Arkansas Sake Society organize tastings

James Williamson — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:37:00 -0500

I have sipped sake at restaurants, but I’ve rarely seen it poured from a bottle. Sake and I have just begun to get to know one another. We hadn’t really interacted until recently, when I spent some time with the founder of the Sake Society of Arkansas, Ben Bell.

Bell just returned from Japan in late March, where he acquired his Advanced Sake Professional certification from the Sake Education Council. Only 109 people in the world have received this unique certification. During his first week in Japan, Bell traveled via bullet train to breweries throughout the country to taste varieties of sake. Each stop hosted a class led by the Sake Evangelist, John Gauntner. “So we had time to see the highest level of sake brewing in Japan,” Bell said to me over a glass of sake on my porch. “It was a treat, some of the breweries didn’t export to the US.”

The final exam asked Bell to answer questions like where a particular sake was brewed or what brewing steps were used for this another sake? Bell then traveled north to Tendō, a small town pocketed between Japan’s snowcapped mountains. He stayed there for two weeks and applied his advanced certification. “I tasted sake straight from the press and learned what’s bottled and what’s pasteurized,” he said. Fortunately for Bell, he experienced hands-on sake brewing, a real rarity, as he endured Tendō’s frigid winter. “The work was done mostly by hand and that’s where I broke my back. Really, my back is still sore,” he said, pointing at it. “Hours would pass and you would realize that the brewery was as cold inside as it was outside. We were essentially brewing in the snow.”

Since the 1980s, Japanese milling industries have advanced significantly in efforts to trim grains with more precision. “It’s not really about how much you can take off the grain, but about how much pure starch you can get from the grain,” Bell said. Milling methodologies have produced higher quality sake at the hazard of reeling in lower profits. Over the past two years, sake has evened out and slightly maneuvered itself back on the market, still straggling behind beer, wine, and liquor. It seems that American culture has slowly regained interests. Kind of like the arrival of European wine — Americans have gone from skepticism to fascination. Meanwhile, brewers in the US have been fishing for higher quality rice. Everyone’s waiting for that one pure grain.

Recently, Bell organized a tasting at Zin Urban Wine and Beer Bar. Good conversation unfolded as we surveyed six different sakes on display, including a bottle that Bell brought back from Japan. Over the next three months Zin Urban Wine and Beer Bar will host more sake tastings. If you would like a bottle before the next one, try Colonial Wines & Spirits, where Bell greatly expanded the sake selection during his tenure there.

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The Turkish Food Fest is sure to be terrific

Daniel Walker — Thu, 02 May 2013 08:46:01 -0500

Maybe you’re not interested in our competition-style, whole hog roast this coming Saturday, The Heritage Hog Roast at the Argenta Market, and maybe you’re not interested in cramming down dozens of cookies, cakes, and other baked goods at the Food Blogger Bake Sale also this Saturday, also at the Argenta Market, or maybe you’re not even interested in tacos, beer, Mariachis and all other manner of Mexican celebratory rituals at this Saturday’s Cinco de Mayo Fiesta at the Clinton Center. If, for some inconceivable reason, none of that interests you, well, we’ve got another option for you! And this one may actually interest you more that the others.

This Saturday, May 4th, the Raindrop Turkish House presents the 3rd Annual Turkish Food Fest. The event will take place at the Raindrop Turkish House located at 1501 Market St., Little Rock. The event will be from 11 am—4 pm, admission is free as is parking, and will happen rain or shine.

In its 3rd year, the Turkish Food Fest promises to be better than ever. Guests can expect wonderful samples of some of the most classic Turkish dishes, prepared by hands that have been doing these things for years. Expect things such as beef gyros, baklava, sish kebab, stuffed grape leaves, meat ravioli, kisir (a bulgar wheat dish—not so unlike couscous—commonly spiced with lemon, onion, garlic), stuffed kofte (batter dipped, fried meatballs), dolma (peppers stuffed with rice and other spices) and börek (fried phyllo pastries commonly filled with cheese, potato, or ground beef). There will also be free cooking lessons offered to anyone interested in recreating some of these delightful dishes at home.

Worried your kids won’t find something they’ll like, moaning the whole time that they just want pizza? Don’t worry, they’ll have popcorn, cotton candy, and shaved ice drinks. Additionally, kids can enjoy carnival games and rides, so they’ll be plenty entertained.

I’ve always been incredibly impressed by the quality of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean establishments in Little Rock. It’s definitely one area in which our city shines the brightest. The Turkish Food Fest will surely continue this tradition. Honestly, with so many wonderful things happening this Saturday, you have no excuse for not eating well.

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Find your thrill at Buffalo Grill

Michael Roberts — Wed, 01 May 2013 18:39:00 -0500

You all won't find a bigger fan of crazy, out-there, off-the-wall food than me, but there are times when all I want is some comfort food. In those times, all the foreign spices and eclectic flavor combinations in the world just won't satisfy — and that's when I thank the food gods that we have places around like Buffalo Grill. It ain't fancy, and it ain't challenging, but it hits just the right spot when all that sounds good is good old American food.

I stopped into the Rebsamen Road location of Buffalo Grill this past weekend and was immediately taken in by two things: the red-checkered table cloths (vinyl, natch) and the gargantuan glasses of iced tea that were quickly plopped down in front of myself and my dining companion. I'm a man that gets a taste for a cold swig of tea now and again, and I don't take kindly to waiting for refills. My thirst-anxiety quenched, I took a minute to thumb through the menu, which while large, sticks right to the sort of diner fare that I find quite compelling when executed properly. We went with a plate of chicken nachos, offered with cheddar cheese or cheese dip (which isn't a real choice at all in the land of cheese dip) and a tuna steak sandwich that sounded good but left me feeling a little apprehensive — after all, tuna in places like this usually comes out of a can to be mixed with mayo.

The nachos arrived, and we were struck by the sheer size of the platter. Chips, finely chopped chicken, tomatoes, and creamy melted cheese were nearly spilling from the plate and onto our easy-to-wipe table cloth. The chicken was tasty, and the cheese dip made a nice, sloppy topping that held everything together. These aren't any sort of gourmet nachos or anything — these are nachos I might make myself before a football game or on a night when I feel like eating junk food. In other words, they were perfect.

The tuna steak sandwich was the real shocker, though. I honestly expected the thing to come out dry, overcooked, and tasting like the bottom of some old fisherman's trawler. What arrived was a moist, lightly grilled tuna steak on a fresh sesame seed bun accompanied by a slice of tomato, some lettuce, and just enough mayonnaise to keep things interesting. The fish was very light tasting, balancing the meaty texture of the tuna with a stay on the grill that imparted a lot of flavor without turning everything into a rubbery mess. I'm a pretty big fan of tuna in all forms, and this grilled sandwich was exactly how it should have been — a nice surprise given my earlier worries.

For an inexpensive lunch, Buffalo Grill is hard to beat. The selection of sandwich, burger, and salad classics is straight out of every diner stereotype you can think of, but it's a comfortable menu that the place makes work. For those days when only classical American cuisine will work, it's hard to go wrong here.

Buffalo Grill has two locations in Little Rock, at 400 N. Bowman and 1611 Rebsamen Park Road, and they're open from 11 a.m. Sunday-Saturday until whenever the cook decides to kick everybody out.

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Mother's Day Strawberry Festival

Leslie Newell Peacock — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:46:00 -0500

The Arkansas strawberry is a sweet, ephemeral thing, and so are mothers. They are worthy of celebration, and that's exactly what the Bernice Garden, at Daisy Bates and Main streets, plans to do on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 12.

The first "Mother’s Day Strawberry Festival," from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., will feature locaberries from Barnhill Orchards and North Pulaski Farms for sale and Boulevard Bread Co. will dish up strawberry shortcakes, whoopie pies, and other strawberry treats on the spot. There will be free handmade strawberry recipe fans for souvenirs and coloring pages for kids.

There will be other foods for sale along with the strawberries as part of the Bernice Garden's regular Farmers Market.

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