The Little Rock fire marshal declared Three Sam's BBQ Joint, 10508 Mann Road, Mabelvale, a total loss after a Monday afternoon fire. Arkansas Online reports the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but firefighters said they think it may have been caused by the meat smoker located on the side of the building. The restaurant was closed at the time of the fire, and no one was reported injured.
Little Rock Planning and Development Department issued a $130,000 building permit March 13 for the Root Cafe, 1500 S. Main St., Little Rock, which co-owner Jack Sundell said last month was all he was awaiting to start a massive expansion and renovation. That includes expanding the kitchen and dining room and adding a second bathroom -- which they will accomplish on a modular basis, using "retired" shipping containers, creating the space outside the current structure, then knocking down the separating walls -- plus improving heating and air conditioning and interior remodeling. "The first four containers were delivered [Monday]," Sundell says. "The three creating the facade of the dining room are visible from Main Street. The fourth will contain the new walk-in cooler. The expansion and renovations will make possible adding long-expected new dinner hours, as many as four days a week, and, according to Sundell, "we'll be able to add catering on a more regular basis, expand baking and canning operations." Target completion date is still uncertain -- sometime, Sundell says, within the the calendar year.
Meanwhile, the cafe will host its second annual pie bake-off and recipe swap, this year an official Arkansas Literary Festival event, 4:30-6 p.m. April 16. It's free to compete and to attend; guest judges will award prizes and ribbons, and pie-bakers willing to share their recipes can swap with their competitors. Sundell says there are no limits on the type of pie and/or the composition and provenance of the crust. You can just show up with your pie or you can register in advance -- "appreciated but not required," Sundell says -- via restaurant phone number, (501) 414-0423, or via email, theroot@therootcafe.com.
Sometimes items in this column spur responses disproportionate to their length as folks spring forth from the woodwork with answers to queries. That's the case with last week's report of the nonexistence of the former Cactus Jack's on West Markham Street in west Little Rock. We got several reports about what will rise there shortly, including one sterling explanation from the folks who represent Weingarten Realty, which owns and leases the Markham West Shopping Center: A new building, roughly two-thirds of which will be the offices of Aspen Dental, and one-third of which is labeled "Your New Location" on a promotional rendering. If you'd like that to be "Your New Location," information on the building and leasing contacts are available at tinyurl.com/markhamwest.
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It has been up and running for two months, but just recently came to our attention: Cinnalightful, Matcha Norwood's home-based Little Rock boutique bakery specializing in gourmet mini cinnamon rolls "with delicious toppings" -- caramel pecan, s'more, Dutch apple pie, German chocolate and Bananas Foster. Starting Saturday, Norwood says, she'll be delivering six- and 16-pack assortments of mini rolls to Drug Emporium on North Rodney Parham Road, "every morning around 8.30 a.m. except Sunday." The store will display the rolls on a table near the front of the store. She's also planning a tasting there, "probably" Saturday. The rolls will be slightly cheaper there than if you order them from her directly -- (501) 413-4769 or online at cinnalightful.com -- ranging from $9 a half-dozen to $36 for three dozen "classic," more if they're topped. Norwood also produces "jumbo" cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls (which is how she got her start), "honey sweet rolls and savory scones." You can get those as part of her breakfast menu for offices, clinics, etc.
Rock Town Distillery and Diamond Bear Brewing are teaming up to produce Arkansas' first-since-Prohibition (well, official, anyway) single malt whiskey, which Rock Town is distilling from Diamond Bear's Pig Trail Porter.
Six area chefs -- Bonner Cameron, executive chef for Bistro Catering & Gourmet Take Away; Philippe Ducrot, instructor at the Pulaski Technical College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute; Donnie Ferneau Jr., executive chef at the 1836 Club; Jason Knapp, executive chef at Sysco Arkansas; Angela Nix, executive chef at Quarter's Cafe in Hot Springs; and Justin Patterson, executive chef at Southern Gourmasian -- will compete in the Pulaski Technical College Foundation's annual Diamond Chef Arkansas competition -- this year titled "Diamond Chef Arkansas: Recut" -- 6-9 p.m. April 21 at the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute, 13000 Interstate 30, Little Rock. Sponsors are the Arkansas Beef Council, Sysco Arkansas and U.S. Foods. The reason for the renaming: "We will feature a new format, new offerings, and a new venue for this event," explains Shannon Boshears, executive director of the Pulaski Technical College Foundation. This year's event will combine the preliminaries and the finale "in one action-packed night of food and fun," according to a news release. The chefs will discover what the mystery ingredient will be moments before a 40 minute clock begins to count down the grand finale, which must be prominently presented in each of two required courses prepared by each chef. Tickets -- which include hors d'oeuvres prepared by Pulaski Tech culinary students and faculty and a series of theme food stations, with beverages and wine pairings at each, and specialty cocktails -- are $125. Visit pulaskitech.edu/DiamondChef.
And Arvest Bank Central Arkansas is partnering with the Arkansas Foodbank and the Arkansas Rice Depot for the 1 Million Meals initiative, described in a news release as "a two-month, bank-wide effort to provide 1 million meals or more to those in need." The drive is shifting from fall to spring this year because area food banks are reporting a greater need for food items in the summer, when school lunches and other meals will largely be unavailable. One can donate nonperishable food and money -- buying, for example, a 1 Million Meals paper can for $1 -- Monday-May 28 at any of the 31 central Arkansas Arvest branches, or call (866) 952-9523 to contribute.
Email:
eharrison@arkansasonline.com
Weekend on 03/31/2016