Chili Fights in the Heights returns
October is food festival season, and the annual Chili Fights in the Heights event is one of the more popular ones. This year’s competition is set for Saturday on Kavanaugh Boulevard from 1-6:30 p.m. More than 30 participants, professional and amateur, will be serving up chili for the public and judges. There is no admission price listed, but a chili-tasting kit will cost you $5, with all proceeds going to the Arkansas Foodbank. Get the full rundown at chilifights.com.
2nd Patio on Park Hill scheduled
Given the massive success of the first event, it was obvious that the second Patio on Park Hill would be coming sooner rather than later. That was confirmed last week, when the Park Hill Business & Merchants Association scheduled the meet-up for Oct. 29 from 5-8 p.m. at Lakehill Shopping Center.
“We only anticipated 500 to 800 people for the event in August,” says Lindy Blackstone Lanford of the Park Hill Business & Merchants Association. “We were completely surprised when attendance almost cleared 3,000 people. The great thing was that everybody has been so supportive and gave us awesome feedback. We ran out of food, had a bunch of long lines, and a lot of people gave us some ideas for making this event better.”
The high attendance at the last event came after the city of North Little Rock changed how food trucks can operate in the city, making it much easier for them to do business. This month’s event will feature 10 food trucks, including El Cubano Loco, Black Hound Bar-B-Q and others. Also, local breweries Diamond Bear, Stone’s Throw and Lost Forty will provide beer for the event.
But don’t think this is just an event for adults.
“Since it’s so close to Halloween, all of our vendors are being asked to provide candy for the kids,” Lanford says. “We’re asking the kids to dress up in their Halloween costumes and come out for a safe, fun trick-or-treat night.”
Admission to the event is $1 and goes to support the association. Kids 12 and under get in for free. Lanford says the city is working on parking options for the event. For updated parking and vendor information, go to parkhillbusiness.com and click on “Patio on Park Hill.”
Local restaurants update hours
A few local businesses have updated their hours of operation in recent days. Mugs Cafe in Argenta is now open for Sunday brunch from 7-11 a.m. Only coffee and a few select pastries will be on the menu for Sunday service. Juanita’s has drastically cut its hours back, eliminating all lunch services and opening for dinner only Tuesday through Saturday. Juanita’s is open from 5-9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Brown Sugar Bakeshop has started its fall and winter schedule, closing on weekends and opening Monday through Friday from noon until 6 p.m. Hillcrest Japanese restaurant Kemuri is once again open for lunch. Kemuri canceled its weekday lunch service back in February but is once more open from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Kemuri has also moved its Sunday brunch hours to 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. And newly opened Lulu’s Latin Rotisserie & Grill has already adjusted its hours, opening for dinner only Thursday through Saturday. Lulu’s will remain open for lunch seven days a week.
If your restaurant is changing its hours, email steve@syncweekly.com to let us know.
2016 Mac ‘N’ Cheez Mania set
I was a bit surprised to get a phone call from Trinity United Methodist Church to tell me that the second Mac ‘N’ Cheez Mania is already scheduled. The first event — in which I competed (and lost) — was an overwhelming success, and organizers say they wanted to get a jump on planning the second iteration. The 2016 event will be April 9, 2016, at War Memorial Stadium.
The reason for the early announcement? Trinity wants to get as many competitors as possible in both the professional and home cook divisions. It’s $40 for the pros to register, $20 for home cooks, and kids 18 and under can compete for free. All proceeds go to benefit missions that serve children through health care, food and education. To register, go to littlerockmacandcheese.com.
Have a restaurant or retail tip that belongs here? Let us know! Email your tip to steve@syncweekly.com.