An appetite might be the best thing to take to a la Carte, the annual fundraiser for Arkansas Children's Hospital that caters to foodies.
Set for 6:30 p.m. April 4, at Angel One Transport Hangar, 2401 Crisp Drive in Little Rock, the event is presented by the hospital's auxiliary and will feature tastings from more than 20 Central Arkansas restaurants and a silent auction.
Featured eateries include Bella's Kitchen and Wellness, Big Bad Breakfast, Blackberry Market AR, Bread Cheese Wine, Cantina Laredo, Chicken Salad Chick, Chuy's, City Silo Table + Pantry, the Croissanterie, Cypress Social, Fidel & Co Coffee Roasters, George's, Kemuri, Le Pops, Loblolly Creamery, the Pantry Eateries, Petit | Keet, Red Moon Tavern, Slim Chickens, Sterling Market, Three Fold Noodles + Dumpling Co., the Fold: Botanas & Bar and Whole Hog Cafe.
Overseeing a la Carte is chairwoman CeCe Martindale. Originally from Memphis, she moved to Little Rock with her husband and their two children from Dallas in 2012.
"A la Carte has always been one of my favorite events," she says from the Mission Center in the Foundation Building on the hospital's campus. "Someone invited me to it when we first moved here and it was a good experience for me. And I feel that Little Rock and the Little Rock restaurant scene has really grown."
Last year was the first time the event was held at the Angel One hangar, home to the hospital's two twin-engine medical helicopters.
"It was amazing," Martindale says. "It's a cool venue. Hopefully the weather will be nice and we can have the hangar open so you can have that inside-outside feel."
Megan Flores is a senior development officer at the hospital.
"Having it at the hangar will be extremely special because it's such a great venue to see the good work that we are doing in the community," she says.
Along with all of the food to sample there will be a silent auction with items like vacation packages, artworks, a mahjong party, jewelry and more. Tickets are $100.
Last year's event raised about $100,000. Proceeds from this year will be put toward the hospital's clinical expansion project, the largest in its history, Flores says.
"This is going to be one of the best years ever," she adds. "We have the most restaurants we've ever had and a diverse panel of restaurants. There will be Asian food, Mexican food, we'll have pastry chefs, new restaurants, legacy restaurants. I think everyone's palate will be satisfied."
Presenting sponsors are Jones & Son Diamond & Bridal Fine Jewelry along with Slim Chickens (Martindale's family owns 13 Slim Chickens franchises in the state).
There are several restaurants she's eager to sample at this year's event, including Bread Cheese Wine, City Silo Table + Pantry and Sterling Market.
"I did not taste [food from] the Croissanterie last year, but I've made a note to check them out," she adds.
Martindale has been a member of the hospital auxiliary since 2017 and was chairwoman of the auxiliary's holiday card project in 2020.
"I learned about it through friends," she says of how she came to volunteer with the auxiliary. "I hurt my back and everybody was so kind, but I missed being social. This was a way for me to do something that wasn't a physical activity. I could also be with people, and it was obviously a good cause."
The private, nonprofit Arkansas Children's Hospital healthcare system is dedicated solely to caring for Arkansas' more than 700,000 children and includes two pediatric hospitals, a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, nursery alliance, statewide clinics as well as education and outreach programs.
Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock is a 336-bed facility that includes the state's only Level I pediatric trauma center as well as the state's only burn center, its only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, its only pediatric intensive care unit and its only pediatric surgery program.
For Martindale, the hospital is a crucial resource for children and their families from all over the state.
"Sometimes we don't realize how rural Arkansas is and how many people come here to the hospital," she says. "The money that we raise at these events helps continue what they are doing here already, which is amazing."
Visit ACHalaCarte.com for more information.
A la Carte chairwoman CeCe Martindale has volunteered with Arkansas Children’s Hospital auxiliary since 2017. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Sean Clancy)