Oyster Bar holds month-long celebration
We cover a lot of new restaurants here at Sync, but they aren’t the only ones doing good work in Little Rock. This month, The Oyster Bar is turning 40 years old. To celebrate, the Stifft Station mainstay is featuring a number of specials all month.
Already, the restaurant has begun selling its new T-shirts for $10, a deal that will last through October. There are also plenty of food specials scheduled for this month, including discounted prices on peel-and-eat shrimp and crab legs. These specials will change on an almost daily basis, so be sure to keep an eye on The Oyster Bar’s Facebook page to see what the restaurant has in store. That page does not have a custom URL, so be sure to search for it on Facebook.
Riverdale 10 getting recliners, expanded food menu
The trend in movie theaters as of late is to make guests feel more at home, and Riverdale 10 Cinema is jumping on board with that idea. Matt Smith, owner of Theater Group Inc., which owns Riverdale 10, says the cinema will be installing motorized leather recliners in all 10 of its theaters.
“They are big, plush, wide, soft,” Smith says. “You simply touch a button, and the seat reclines electrically. Each seat will also have a wide-swivel food and beverage table. There is a cup holder in the table, and the table is wide enough to hold food and beverage.”
With those tables in place, Smith says Riverdale 10 will feature a more robust food menu, including items moviegoers aren’t used to seeing at the theater.
“We currently sell hot dogs, nachos, popcorn — things you would expect a cinema to sell,” Smith says. “With the new menu, we’re looking at adding things like wontons, wings, loaded fries, fish and chips.”
Smith says the new menu will still keep the theater setting in mind, which means no dishes requiring heavy utensil usage. Already, the cinema is selling beer and wine, and Smith says the food will complement those beverages.
Riverdale 10 will begin installing the new seats after Thanksgiving and hopes to have the upgrades complete before Christmas. The new food menu will be developed after the renovation. You can get a preview of the new recliners in the lobby at the cinema. Visit facebook.com/riverdale10 to stay up to date with the new upgrades.
Burger food truck makes late debut
Back in 2012, stories began to circulate about Excaliburger, Kyle Pounders’ food truck concept that supposedly was going to be serving up one unique burger in Little Rock. The burger’s bun was replaced by two circle-cut grilled cheese sandwiches. However, while some people have posted that they tried the burger over the years, the truck itself seems to have taken a few years to actually come about. Now, it’s here.
Pounders debuted the Excaliburger truck at the Main Street Food Truck Festival on Oct. 3 and is looking for locations to set up in Little Rock. If you want to check out Excaliburger, Pounders will be at Hillcrest Harvest Festival on Oct. 17 and at the Arkansas Cornbread Festival on Nov. 7. He is currently keeping people updated on the Excaliburger’s Facebook page and at excaliburger.com.
Restaurant prices on the rise
A part of running any restaurant is trying to balance food costs, something that is causing prices to go up at two Little Rock eateries. Three Fold Noodles and Dumpling Co. has announced prices have been raised between $0.16 and $0.30. The popular Asian restaurant says the cost of food and packaging has led to the increase.
Also, Capitol Avenue food truck Grills on Wheels had to raise its prices by as much as a dollar on its Mexican-style street food. We’ll keep an eye on menus around town to see if these price increases are isolated or part of a larger trend.
World Cheese Dip Championship date set
Our colleagues at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that the 2015 World Cheese Dip Championship is now set for Oct. 31 from noon to 3 p.m. at Bernice Garden on Main Street.
Per usual, the festival will allow attendees to sample cheese dips from professionals and amateurs and vote for their favorite. Tickets this year will be $8 in advance, $10 at the gate. You can sign up now to compete at cheesedip.net.
All proceeds from the festival benefit Harmony Health Clinic, a free clinic — staffed mainly by volunteers — that provides health care for Arkansans in poverty.
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