Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Coming soon Dugan plans River Market convenience store
Don Dugan, owner of Dugan’s Pub, located in the River Market District at the corner of Third and Rock Street, plans to open a convenience store in the space next door on Memorial Day weekend.
The convenience store, called Stratton’s Market at Dugan’s Pub, will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. on the weekends. The convenience store will stock milk, bread, eggs, toilet paper, paper towels and other necessities. Cold sandwiches will also be available.
Dugan also plans to sell beer and wine. Little Rock’s new conditional use ordinance will require a public hearing on the permit. Even if he fails to get a permit to sell alcohol, Dugan said there will still be a market. "There's still a need for that," he said.
The new space also includes a party room that Dugan plans to rent out. Marketing it for events and Dugan’s for catering are current focuses, he said.
Posted by Lindsey Millar on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Monday, May 14, 2012
Coming soon / Cook-offs Chef competition in Hot Springs
This Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Hot Springs Convention Center will host an American Culinary Federation-sanctioned competition. Chefs from restaurants in Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee and students from Pulaski Tech and Ozarka College culinary programs will compete, "Iron-Chef" style, for $8,000 in scholarships and prizes. Contestants will be given 15 minutes to prep and 60 minutes to cook a duck, using any method they wish. They'll have 10 minutes to plate four servings and another 15 minutes to clean up, completely. Student contestants include Bree Robinson, Parinya Kaewjuntawee, Patrick Kelley and Kevin Mueller. Other contestants include Robert Hall, Executive Chef at Winrock International, Miles McMath, Executive Chef at St. Jude in Memphis, Ernest Dickson, Sous Chef at St. Jude, Coby Smith, Executive Chef at Chenal Foxridge and Cynthia Malik, lead instructor at Pulaski Tech.
The judges will be Patrick Mitchell, Executive Chef at Ben E. Keith Foods, Texas; Robert Meitzer, Executive Chef at Red Rocks Country Club in Colorado; and Larry Matson, culinary director at The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Dallas.
The competition is free to the public.
Posted by Cheree Franco on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Friday, May 11, 2012
Street Food Hot Dog Mike Juiliano creates The World’s Most Expensive Hot Dog for charity
- Brian Chilson
- Hot Dog Mike Juiliano, preparing The World's Most Expensive Hot Dog.
Hot Dog Mike Juiliano stood proudly at his cart on Friday, May 11 as he prepared to make the World’s Most Expensive Hot Dog. There was a roll-away table in front of the cart, lined with a white table cloth, which was topped with five silver platters and a vase of roses. It was clear that a world record was about to be broken.
Juiliano said he had the idea about a month ago to sell an expensive hot dog to raise money for homeless support nonprofit The One, Inc., also known as “The Van.” He tweeted his idea about a month ago, and his followers instantly started bidding against each other on “theONEdog.” In an hour and a half, the price was up to $1,500. Juiliano said that he made it $1,501 because we are in Little Rock, and he is “clever like that.” Previously, Canada held the record for the most expensive hot dog, but he thought it was time to bring the title back to America, intending no offense to Canada.
Juiliano had to buy the supplies for the hot dogs. He knew some local bakeries used gold flakes in fancy wedding cakes, so he tried some and decided that would be a perfect topping for The World’s Most Expensive Hot Dog. The dog – made with a quarter-pound of premium beef – was also topped with lobster tail and saffron aioli.
Sharon Bennett Goodson, one of “The World’s Most Expensive Hot Dog” buyers, chose to buy the hot dog because the money went to a good cause. She said The Van helps people meet their real needs. “I’m a little nervous,” she said, “I’m not a big lobster fan.”
By noon, fans and media crews had crowded around Juiliano’s cart. Old bumper stickers such as “New Price,” and “How Much Is That Hot Dog In The Window,” made for a perfect backdrop as he readied the eagerly-awaited hot dogs.
Reaching into a Ziploc bag full of lobster meat, Juiliano said, “I’m not going to be stingy.” He then invited the cameras to the table with him and said “Ladies and gentlemen, a very expensive hot dog.” He presented the first hot dog to Goodson, noting that he would give her five complimentary napkins to go with her expensive charitable meal.
“It is very good,” Goodson said, “Is this gonna be a regular menu item?”
Bystanders questioned whether the condiment covering her face was mustard or gold. At the same time, Juiliano assured everyone that the gold was “American gold.”
Four other ONEdogs were bought by anonymous donors and given to passersby, Mike’s colleagues and the owner of The Van, Aaron Reddin.
“It was good,” Reddin said. “I was skeptical. I’m not gonna lie.” Reddin said he was going to start saving up his money for another, but noted that it would probably be about $2,000 next time.
After the hot dogs were delivered, Juiliano stood next to The Van and wrote the $6,000 check. “I thank Little Rock because you guys did it. I am just the hot dog guy and he is just the van guy,” he said, before going back to his cart and asking viewers if anyone was hungry for a hot dog.
The remaining hot dogs were sold for the usual $3-$5, as the remnants of the mustard-gold sat unused at the back of “Little Rock’s Coolest Hot Dog Cart.”
Posted by Kim Lane on | Permalink | Comments (1)
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Street Food Hot Dog Mike to make world's most expensive hot dog for charity
- Brian Chilson
- Hot Dog Mike will create the world's most expensive hot dog (not pictured) on Friday to benefit The One, Inc.
Renowned hot dog purveyor "Hot Dog Mike" Juiliano will break the world record for most expensive hot dog with his new invention: theONEdog: a quarter-pound premium all beef hot dog topped with lobster tail, saffron aioli and gold flakes.
TheONEdog will be sold for $1,501 to “The World’s Most Expensive Hot Dog Buyers,” or anyone willing to pay $1,501 and taste the collaboration of ground beef and gold flakes. Whether these wealthy risk-takers will be at the event is unknown. There will be up to six ONEdogs made at the event, which takes place at River Market Pavilions from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday.
Juiliano will donate $1,500 from the sale of each hot dog to The One, Inc., a homeless advocacy nonprofit. The proceeds will benefit local homeless outreach.
Posted by Kim Lane on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Coming soon ZaZa and Big Orange restaurateurs to open Local Lime
John Beachboard and Scott McGehee are adding to their burgeoning mini-empire of restaurants in Central Arkansas. The pair behind ZaZa and Big Orange, will open a new concept, Local Lime, no later than Oct. 1 in The Promenade at Chenal. Beachboard and McGehee are equal partners in the new restaurant with Herren Hickingbotham — who's also a partner in Big Orange — and Ben Brainard, a chef who's worked with Beachboard and McGehee at Boulevard Bread Co. and at ZaZa for a number of years.
The working tagline for Local Lime is "tacos, tequila and margarita bar," according to Beachboard. The menu will be focused on dozens of taco options, Beachboard said, with plenty of meat and cheese options along with a number of options for vegetarians and vegans. Beachboard said a taco filled with potatoes and zucchini from a street vendor is the best taco he's ever eaten, and will find its way onto the menu.
The restaurant, to be located three doors down from Big Orange, near the Chenal 9 IMAX Theatre, is 3,200 square feet, which is slightly smaller than Big Orange, but a planned patio covered by a retractable ceiling and walls will allow Local Lime to seat 25 percent more diners than Big Orange.
Brainard will be the owner/operator managing Local Lime. "Having an owner operator on-site is about as valuable an asset as you can have in the restaurant business," said Beachboard. Expanding the restaurant group with longtime employees taking on leadership roles is Beachboard's vision for the future. He said he and his partners are actively looking for space elsewhere to continue expanding. Another Big Orange could be the next project.
Posted by Lindsey Millar on | Permalink | Comments (6)
Reviews / Vegetarian Easy eatin' at EJ's
- Cheree Franco
- Jalapeno burger and veggie sandwich
EJ's has been in its current downtown location, on the corner of 6th and Center streets, for six years. But it feels rooted there, homey and comfortable, like it's been around for decades. There's a big bar with a healthy selection of beer on tap and always, a lunchtime crowd filling the tight tables. I've walked by and wondered about EJ's Eats and Drinks many times, so today a friend and I decided to stop. The menu is comprised of sandwiches, salads and burgers, but something about the friendliness of that bar seemed to suggest that we start with a deep fried appetizer. So we had the day's special, colby, cream cheese and poblano ragoons, served with a side of housemade ranch. Our ragoons arrived in about five minutes — a plate of six crispy orange fritters that looked like a crosses between potato logs and eggrolls. The wonton shell was perfectly fried — none of that grease-saturated business that turns us away from actual eggrolls — but our first bite leaked a creamy, rich concoction that was more akin to nacho topping than we anticipated. (The menu board hadn't mentioned the cream cheese bit, so we'd been thinking something more like poppers. And yeah, if that's what you're thinking, just don't.) The poblano is a mild, sweet chile, with no real kick to cut the heaviness. After an initial taste, we knew we couldn't handle this odd American take on Chinese-Mexican fusion, were it dripping with the thick, pungent, housemade ranch that came with. The ranch was pungent and well flavored, but the concoction was way too oozy and rich. We also knew that we would have enjoyed our ragoons much more with beer.
The lunch menu offers sandwiches, burgers, soups and salads. And the classic veggie sandwich, the only veggie sandwich, reads a bit like an afterthought, with a list of ingredients you might expect from a three-buck veggie sub at a popular chain restaurant. We ordered the jalapeno burger and, because I wasn't in the mood for soup and salad, the classic veggie sandwich. My friend expected to adore the burger. I didn't expect much at all from the classic veggie. We were both wrong.
The veggie sandwich was delicious, primarily because it tasted so fresh. There was lettuce, tomato, sprouts, mushrooms, salty black olives, chunky bell pepper, avocado and deli slices of provolone and mozzarella. I think it was the bun, a soft split-top hoagie, that truly made the sandwich, and the fact that the whole thing was well-doused with a tangy vinaigrette.
The burger was a little disappointing, though. It came on another standout, split-top bun, and the jalapenos and chipotle ensured loads of flavor, but the meat tasted rushed. The burger was dry, veering on the thoroughly-cooked side of medium, without any attention-grabbing seasoning. (It was also fairly grisly.)
Both plates were served with piles of EJ's famous homemade chips, which we loved — but we suggest working from the bottom up. We ordered the ranch chips and jalapeno chips, and quickly learned to avoid any chip with visible flavor powder. The chips themselves are fantastic — thin sliced, chewy in the middle, crispy on the edges. But the primary ingredient in all the flavors (which seem to be shaken on just before serving) must be salt. The top chips were so salty that we found them nearly inedible. But when we dug beneath the heap, we discovered the shiny, yummy specialty that will bring us back to EJ's.
EJ's hours are 10:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Mon. -Thurs., extended till 10 p.m. on Friday's. It's closed Saturdays and Sundays. Sandwiches and burgers run about $8.
Posted by Cheree Franco on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Coming soon Thursday is Taste of the Rock
- Taste of the Rock Facebook page
- Taste of the Rock 2011
This Thursday, May 10th, Taste of the Rock is back at the River Market Pavilions. Average attendance is 1,000, so get there early if you don't want the pickin's to be picked over (although Mollie Merry Campbell, at the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, assures us that they've never run out of food). For $15 in advance (get tickets here, or at the Chamber) and $20 at the gate, you'll be free to sample food and beverages from at least 33 different restaurants, caterers and distributors and vote for your favorites in the categories of Best Booth and Best Taste. The Peabody's Capriccio Grill won Best Taste four years running, only to be displaced last year by Hilton Little Rock. Capriccio hopes to regain the title, and for its part, Hilton hopes to take both awards this year. Vendors get pretty creative with their booths — expect themes, costumes, music and decorations. And sorry kids, but you gotta be 21 and up.
Posted by Cheree Franco on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Jones BBQ is a hit on Broadway
We reported earlier that Jones Bar-B-Q Diner of Marianna was to be honored last weekend as an "American classic" restaurant during the annual James Beard Foundation awards ceremony. Top restaurants are honored, along with outstanding writing about food. Jones was doubly honored by being the subject of John T. Edge's prize-winning article about barbecue in Saveur magazine.
Posted above is the video prepared for the awards ceremony.
The award prompted still more spinoff coverage, including this piece on CBS News.
Posted by Max Brantley on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Monday, May 7, 2012
Events Photos of the Jewish Food Festival
- Brian Chilson
- 2012 Jewish Food Festival
Courtesy of Times photographer Brian Chilson, here are some shots from the Jewish Food Festival, which took place yesterday at River Market Pavilion.
More photos after the jump.
Posted by Robert Bell on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Coming soon / Events / Vegetarian / Farmers Markets "Seed Swap" to premiere on AETN May 7
- from "Seed Swap" facebook page
University of Central Arkansas alum Zachariah McCannon teams up with a UCA anthropology prof Brian Campbell in a new documentary, about preserving and sharing seeds from heirloom vegetables. "Seed Swap" will premiere on the Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) on Monday, May 7 at 9 p.m. The film follows Dr. Campbell as he organizes the inaugural Ozark seed swap in Mountain View, Arkansas. This is a film about conserving biodiversity at a community level. Over the two-year course of the film, that first seed swap breeds seven other seed swaps, shedding light not only into the importance of preservation, but into the self-sufficiency of Ozark Culture.
Posted by Cheree Franco on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Friday, May 4, 2012
Food Trucks Food truck court expands on South University
For Pastor Mark DeYmaz and the Mosaic Church, the food truck court on the corner of South University Avenue and Colonel Glenn Road was always more than just a gathering place for food vendors; it was always meant as a gathering place for a community. In the short time that the University Market at 4Corners has been open, developing that sense of community has been slow but steady with the addition of new trucks, the development of a loyal following on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and by good old-fashioned word of mouth from the people who work and go to school in the University District.
On May 1, the University Market took a large step in realizing the dream of becoming a place where people from the neighborhood could gather together to eat and fellowship when the city granted permission to install tables and chairs in the former K-Mart parking lot that has become home to many of Little Rock's food trucks. With this new development, the Market can transition from being a place where people merely pass through to get their food and leave for elsewhere to a place where people can enjoy a meal in the open air, fostering a sense of community through one of our oldest activities: sharing a meal. As sign of bigger and better things to come, the first banners advertising the Market were put up just this week, a symbolic gesture that signals Mosaic's commitment to urban renewal in South Little Rock.
Future plans for the University Market area include access to electricity for the trucks so that noise from the generators now being used for power can be eliminated, the creation of more green space in what is now a seemingly endless expanse of asphalt and a continued effort to turn the former K-Mart building into a home for both the Mosaic Church and office space for non-profit organizations. I've been inspired by the dedication and resilience of the folks behind the University Market, and if the grassroots urban renewal along South Main Street has taught us anything, it's that sometimes, all it takes is the dedication of people who live and work in a neighborhood to make a difference — and in the case of the Market, to get something good to eat while you're at it.
Posted by Michael Roberts on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Events 2012 Jewish Food Festival on Sunday
- Jess Miller
- Baked goods abound at the Jewish Food Festival
The Jewish Food Festival is returning to the River Market Pavilion this Sunday, May 6, and if the food is anywhere near as delicious as it was last year, we're all in for a treat. The festival kicks off with a Jewish breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and will continue through 4 p.m. In addition to the wide variety of food from different aspects of Jewish culture, the Jewish Federation of Arkansas will also have music from the B Flats, The Klezmer Band, and Shechinotes, as well as booths that will showcase "various aspects of Jewish life from Arkansas to ancient Israel."
Having attended last year's festival, I can vouch for the excellence of the food. Personal favorites from the 2011 festival included latkes (seasoned crisp potato pancakes), chopped liver and cabbage rolls stuffed with beef and rice. Fans of great falafel and kabobs are in luck, too, as the smell of frying chickpeas and roasted meat will have your mouth watering almost as soon as you enter the pavilion. Foods from both the Middle Eastern and European Jewish traditions are well-represented at the festival, and the folks serving up the tastiness are more than willing to talk to you about what this food means to them and to their culture.
As good as all that sounds, though, the highlight of the festival is the baked goods area. Fruit- and nut-filled rugelach, chewy macaroons, apple cakes and an assortment of other baked goods are piled high in decadent and tantalizing heaps on table after table. Be sure not to miss the babka, a Russian coffee cake that I admit to eating in its entirety before I even made it home from last year's event. If bread is the staff of life, then the bakers at this festival know what good living is all about.
This is one of my favorite cultural events held in the city every year and also one of the most delicious. Admission is free, and tickets may be purchased on-site to trade for the tasty stuff.
Posted by Michael Roberts on | Permalink | Comments (3)
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Events Trio's Cinco de Mayo menu is back
Trio's changes it's menu fairly often — nearly every month, according to catering manager Stephanie Caruthers. And for the past decade or so, each May has been a presentation of Mexican interior entrees, co-inspired by Cinco de Mayo and owner Capi Peck's adoration of Mexican cuisine. "It's not Tex-Mex, Cal-Mex or Ark-Mex," Caruthers says. "We try to keep it really authentic."
This year's Cinco de Mayo menu includes Cabo Fish Tacos, made of mahi mahi and served with pickled onion, jalapeno, chipotle crema, pico de gallo, lime and avocado; Carne Asada Sopes — thick, handmade tortillas, layered with refried pinto beans and achiote-rubbed steak; Chile Relleno stuffed with cumin, coriander, Oaxaca cheese and garlic-rubbed pork shoulder; and a vegetarian wild mushroom risotto. A full menu is available online.
The specials are only available at dinner. If you're of the drinking mind, try some Mexican beer or a tequila-based cocktail. Caruther's recommends the Agave Fresca, made with lime and agave nectar.
Posted by Cheree Franco on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Changes Nouvelle menu a Vieux Carre
Vieux Carre, the Hillcrest restaurant celebrating its seventh year in the ownership of the Bennett family, is relaxing its atmosphere at bit, replacing its white tablecloths with patterned fabrics under glass and emphasizing its bistro fare — wraps, hamburgers, sandwiches — while keeping favorite entrees.
Chef David Bennett said some items that were specials will now always be available, like the spicy burger, Mediterranean turkey and shrimp and grits. And here's something to toast: The changes mean Vieux Carre is lowering its prices.
Sandwiches will range between $7 and $9, with the exception of David's Outstanding Crab Cake Sandwich, at $12. Entrees — jambalaya, grilled chicken a la boursin, creamy bow tie pasta and blackened redfish — will run $15 to $17.
Vieux Carre is at 2721 Kavanaugh, next to the Afterthought, its bar that features live music six days a week. Phone number is 663-1196.
Posted by Leslie Newell Peacock on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Help save endangered historic places by eating crawfish
Tonight! Stuff your face silly with crawfish tonight at the River Market to benefit the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas. Tickets are $35 at the gate.
See you there.
More info on the jump.
Posted by Lindsey Millar on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Event Calendar
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Re: ZaZa and Big Orange restaurateurs to open Local Lime
I wish MORE places would "steal" the two-fry method for their fries (it's absurd to…
- on May 14, 2012
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