News
The mass shooting last weekend at Power Ultra Lounge that injured 25 people also resulted in the closure of vegan restaurant The Veg. Shiem Swift’s restaurant was located on Power’s first floor, in the space once occupied by Lulav. With Power’s liquor license suspended and the city moving to shut down the business, The Veg suddenly finds itself without a home. Right now, Swift tells me he is searching for a new location while trying to find work for his four team members. Swift has started a campaign on GoFundMe to help secure a new location, pay deposits and purchase any needed equipment to get the restaurant started. If you know of a location or another way to help, you can contact Swift via The Veg’s Facebook page.
For the second time in as many years, The Oyster Bar is cleaning up a mess after a car veered off Markham Street and into the business. This one happened Tuesday while the restaurant was closed for the Fourth of July. Instead of hitting the dining room, the car drove through the office area on the building’s east side. Thankfully, nobody was in the building at the time and nobody was hurt. The Oyster Bar’s Facebook page reports the restaurant will be open today. It’s unknown how long it will take crews to repair the office area.
Ira Mittelman, chef and owner of Ira’s, says construction has finally begun on his new restaurant on Main Street. Mittelman closed Ira’s Park Hill Grill last year to make the move to downtown Little Rock. However, Mittelman says he’s been besieged by delays due to slow turnaround for building permits and financing. Construction on the restaurant across from Bruno’s Little Italy is due to start this week. Right now, there’s no way of knowing when Ira’s will be open for business.
Speaking of new restaurants, Conway-based food truck The Wunderbus appears poised to announce plans of its own for a permanent location. The food truck’s Facebook page last week shared a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for a potential move to a permanent spot in Conway. Then Monday, the page posted a cryptic message: “We have some incredible news, Conway! Stay tuned for exciting announcements!” No word yet as to exactly what that announcement is, though it’s fair to say a permanent spot would fit the description. The Wunderbus debuted it’s German fare menu in 2015 and has been popular at festivals and events around the state every since.
Beloved North Little Rock staple Mark’s Do-Nut Shop has joined modern times and is now accepting debit and credit cards. For years, the eatery (which features some of the best donuts the state has to offer) operated as a cash-only business, forcing some customers to turn around and race to the ATM before Mark’s sold out. In addition, the Mark’s Do-Nut Shop Facebook page is now active and has begun posting updates for the first time we can remember. All this points to a new focus on making life a little easier for its customers. Given how good the donuts are, it probably wasn’t necessary, but kudos to Mark’s for making the effort.
Tomorrow, Rebel Kettle is bringing back its outstanding sour ale Summer Jam. We have that and all the week’s events at Central Arkansas breweries in this week’s Growlers feature.
You might never see him around town, but Shane Henderson is one of the biggest influencers of Little Rock’s food scene. We sat down with Ben E. Keith’s midsouth division executive chef to discuss how he’s helping chefs and restaurant owners around the city.
Events
[ecs-list-events limit=’8′ excerpt=’300′ ecs-list-events venue=’true’ contentorder=’date,title,venue, excerpt’]
Specials
Yellow Rocket Concepts has released its specials for the month of July:
- Big Orange: Beer-Battered Fried Gulf Grouper Sandwich and Lemon Icebox Blueberry Shake
- Local Lime: Fried Chicken Tacos with Arkansas Corn and Lime Slaw
- Zaza: Local Heirloom Salad with Fresh Mozzarella and Market Pizza with Soppressata and Peppadews
Ristorante Capeo’s weekly special is a fresh fish entree. Its risotto of the week is made with scallops, shrimp and calamari.
