• MICHAEL ROBERTS
• Trio's table

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:

• MICHAEL ROBERTS
• Ashley's Chef Joel Antunes

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-

• MICHAEL ROBERTS
• The Governor's kitchen staff and First Lady

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

• MICHAEL ROBERTS
• Chef Ferneau's pork loin

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.

• JESS ROBERTS
• Local Lime's processed pig

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.

• The Capital Hotel's pig

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.

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.

• The Arkansas Times Heritage Hog trophy by North Little Rock artist Kandy Jones

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

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.