Friday, May 25, 2012
Changes All-new menu at Juanita's
Leo Delgado, who took over as chef at Juanita's three months ago, plans roll out an improved menu to the public next week. Delgado said the menu will be at least 90 percent new, with fresher ingredients, daily preparation of everything in-house, more attractive presentation of dishes, and updated recipes.
Posted by David Koon on | Permalink | Comments (2)
Booze The latest pop in the F'ville beer boom
- from the Fossil Cove Facebook page
Fayetteville Flyer reports on the newest entry in Fayetteville's burgeoning craft-beer scene: Fossil Cove Brewing Co., a new brewery which is scheduled to open June 2 at 1946 N. Birch in Fayetteville. Owner Ben Mills, a graduate of the brewmaster school at U. of California at Davis, plans to start out selling kegs to local bars. If that's a hit, he'll move on to bottling. Keep up with the Fossil Cove Facebook page for more information.
Posted by David Koon on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
According to Michael Pollan, Greenhouse Grille "gets it"
- Alia Malley
- Michael Pollan
A few weeks ago, Michael Pollan, foodie and New York Times bestselling author, visited Fayetteville to speak at the Walton Arts Center. While he was in town, he must have sampled the local fare, because in an interview with the New York-based shop and blog Lot 18, he said, "There’s always one local restaurant that gets it. In Fayetteville, Arkansas, there’s a restaurant called Greenhouse Grille, where they buy grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, vegetables from local farmers. They keep a seasonal menu. And it’s become the locus of the food movement in that community."
Pollan is the man behind the, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants," directive. He's written seven books, but he's best known for "Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual," "In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto," "The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals" and "The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World." Here at the Arkansas Times, we already knew Greenhouse Grille is a big deal. But it's always nice when a food celeb takes public note, as well.
Posted by Cheree Franco on | Permalink | Comments (0)
Monday, May 21, 2012
Cold stuff Loblolly Creamery adds to refreshment repetoire
- Jess Miller
- Sweet, tart, and ice cold
By now, I'm sure you're all aware of the wonderful cold treats available from Loblolly Creamery at South Main's Green Corner Store, but ice cream isn't the only summertime refreshment they have available. Loblolly's newest treat is as tasty as it is good for you: house-made kombucha, a naturally carbonated tea-based drink with a crisp and tangy taste that's worlds apart from the mass-produced kombucha drinks sold at places like Whole Foods.
At first glance, the process by which kombucha is made might seem a little strange: lightly sweetened green or black tea is infused with a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (or "scoby"). The scoby feeds on the sugar in the tea, forming a large layer on top of the tea reminiscent in shape of a pancake. As the bacteria and yeast feed, they produce a variety of acids which give the kombucha what Rachel Boswell and Sally Mengel of Loblolly call "a satisfying tang." Once the kombucha has reached a reached a state of balanced flavor between sweet and sour, it is filtered and bottled. Just before sealing, Rachel and Sally add a bit of flavor to the drink: honey, agave nectar, or one of the several homemade syrups the use in the Green Corner Store soda fountain. This added sweetener allows the kombucha to bottle-condition and develop natural carbonation. Each bottle is labeled with the date it was bottled and served cold from the cooler.
Having sampled both an agave-flavored green kombucha and a citrus-flavored black, I can say that Loblolly's drinks taste like nothing else around. The green kombucha is light and crisp, with a flavor that starts tart and ends sweet. The black has a deeper flavor which reminded me of a home-mixed cola. Both made me want to come back and try more. The drinks are available in two sizes, 7 oz. for $1.50 and 12 oz. for $3.00. Both prices include a $0.50 refundable deposit, and the folks at the Green Corner Store will even make a magnet for you out of the Loblolly logo bottle caps. Loblolly is also accepting donations of empty Corona bottles, Mexican coke bottles or any other clear glass bottles that do not have twist tops - and they'll give you a free scoop of ice cream for every six-pack you bring in. And with the hot weather right around the corner, do you really need any more reasons to stop by?
Posted by Michael Roberts on | Permalink | Comments (2)
Friday, May 18, 2012
Fletcher pulls a fast one: Rocket 21
The Restaurant Formerly Known as Ferneau's is now 21, its new awning declares. Which made us wonder: Why change the name of a successful restaurant?
Because the new owner, Frank Fletcher, wanted to name the restaurant after his racehorse that won the Breeder's Cup last fall. That horse was Rocket 21, and if you look carefully at the awning, you'll see a horse's face with the word Rocket above it. So, according to co-owner Tom Roy, the real name of The Restaurant Formerly Known as Ferneau is Rocket 21.
No one is calling it that, and the restaurant's courtesy car door omits the Rocket name from its logo. Donnie Ferneau is still chef at Ferneau, and that fact is also spelled out on the awning.
Roy said he called the famed 21 in New York City to see if there was a problem with naming the Arkansas restaurant Rocket 21 and was told there was none. Interestingly, the famous wrought iron gates at the entrance to New York's 21 (at 21 W. 52nd St.) are lined with jockeys, gifts from the owners of horse farms. Coincidence?
Posted by Leslie Newell Peacock on | Permalink | Comments (4)
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)
Event Calendar
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Re: All-new menu at Juanita's
Great news, as long as he doesn't change the cheese dip!
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on May 25, 2012
via mobile
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Re: All-new menu at Juanita's
This is potentially some very exciting news. Let's face it: food was never the first…
- on May 25, 2012
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Re: Fletcher pulls a fast one: Rocket 21
Actually, Leslie, Rocket Twenty-One didn't exactly "win the Breeder's Cup." She ran 13th out of…
- on May 24, 2012
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May 25, 2012A Lakeside Junior High student is in police custody tonight after texting a threat to shoot another student. fox16.com /more/ -
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May 25, 2012The Lonoke County Election Commission says between 200 and 300 votes from one of their precincts were never counted Tuesday night and as a result, they're conducting a full recount... fox16.com /more/
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