Fancy Pants Foodie

Foodie news, reviews and how-tos from Arkansas and beyond.

Long-Awaited Argenta Market Prepares to Open Doors April 1

by

UPDATE: Chef Shane has nudged the opening date to April 15. And he really, really means it this time. April Fools to whoever came by on the 1st, I guess.

Walking in the back door of the long-awaited Argenta Market a little over a week ago, I couldn’t help but think of E.T.

You know, the movie…in the 80s…never mind. If you’re under 30, Google it.

The entire 7,000-square-foot space was partitioned with giant sheets of plastic wrap, much like the foreign creature’s host house in the movie. Workers busily scraped and sanded walls, creating a dreamy haze of sheetrock dust.

Store Proprietor and Chef Shane Henderson

But this dream is no science fiction for proprietor and chef Shane Henderson, who has scheduled the store, a mix of local and mass-produced groceries as well as site-made culinary creations, to finally open on April 1. No fooling.

“People were wondering if we’d ever actually open,” Henderson said of numerous delays in opening the market. “I think we ended up with a better store with the delays than if we’d opened one year ago as planned. I think we’d be closed by now if that had happened.

Henderson cites lessons learned from months of research and changes in focus, as well as the demise of similar shops in the metro area.

One critical decision, Henderson said, was that to include recognizable, mass-produced grocery brands as well as local ones.

“A lot of people were really shocked at (our decision),” Henderson said. “But we had to look at it from a market survival perspective; we’ll be serving the folks who live right around here as a local grocery as well as people looking for the specialty items.”

Jody Hardin, executive director of the Certified Arkansas Farmers Market program, has stepped out of the day-to-day limelight in regards to the Market, although he remains a partner and connection-maker between the store and Arkansas farmers.

Possibly the smartest move made by Henderson and Hardin was to hire Neal Augustine of Benton, a 30+-year veteran grocery manager, to serve as manager of the market.

Store Manager Neal Augustine and Henderson

“I started as a kid, as a bag boy to make some money, and just worked my way up,” said Augustine of his career in grocery management. He has served as manager for Harvest Foods until its demise; before that, he worked for Kroger for 20 years and Winn Dixie for 12 years.

Augustine lit up while listing some of Argenta Market’s upcoming features: seven aisles of basic and upscale nonperishable grocery items, with a notable focus on local, sustainable foods; several varieties of specialty and local cheeses and milk; standard, import and local beers, such as Diamond Bear; frozen foods including Yarnell’s ice cream, Amy’s Organics items, store-made products and exotic meats; bulk bins featuring local coffee, grains and rice, including basmati and jasmine.

“The meats will definitely be the coolest thing for the home cook,” Henderson added. “And we’ll have more specialty items to play with, ingredients you can’t get at Walmart or Kroger.”

The market will also provide Henderson the opportunity to get back in the kitchen as a chef, a passion which has been delayed as construction made the site’s kitchen unusable. He plans to offer up to a dozen specialty sandwiches on the deli menu, at least four ready-to-eat items and house-made artisan breads, plus improvisations based on what is fresh that week. He may even get into producing charcuterie (house-made sausage) each week, as well as being able to connect customers’ requests with Arkansas vendors whenever possible.

“The good thing about being our size,” he explained, “is that when people have special requests we can serve their needs. In the future, we’ll even offer online ordering. If you want goat in two weeks, we’ll be able to handle that for you.”

The market will have a full-service deli using Arkansas-based Petit Jean meats, a 6-foot salad bar featuring locally-grown products and seating with a great community view for 24, including Arkansas-roasted RoZark Hills cappuccino and coffee for purchase and free Wi-Fi provided by Urban Wireless.

Henderson, who is also an instructor at Pulaski Technical College Arkansas Culinary School, said he hopes culinary students will come in and look around “just to learn what all is out there.”

“For example, in my kitchen, I use at least five different kinds of salt,” he said. “There are so many different things you can do with it to create different tastes and textures.”

Argenta Market sits, at 6th and Main, in the very center of the Argenta Community Development Corporation‘s plans for the growing, trendy segment of downtown North Little Rock.

“They have plans for this area to be a walking residential and retail community, and geographically, we are right in the middle of it,” Henderson said. “It wasn’t planned that way, but it’s a happy accident.”

Argenta Market
6th and Main Streets (521 Main St.)
North Little Rock, AR
(501) 379-9980
www.argentamarket.com

Argenta Restaurant Week starts Monday

by

Are you off work or school this coming Monday? Or if not, want to skip out midday sometime next week for a special treat? Personally this Pizza Restaurant is one my favourites.

The Argenta area of North Little Rock (primarily Main Street, downtown) holds Argenta Restaurant Week twice a year, and it’s a good time to get your foodie on. This time it’s Monday, Jan. 18 through Saturday, Jan. 23. Several restaurants, some often a bit out of my personal price range, are sharing one great deal: $8 two-course lunches and $25 three-course prix fixe dinner menus, in addition to their usual fare. I can just about promise you that the chefs will use this as an opportunity to hit you with their best creative shot.

Participating restaurants include Cornerstone Pub, Creegan’s Irish Pub, Margo’s Catfish Diner and Deli, Reno’s Argenta Café, Ristorante Capeo, Starving Artist Café, and Ump’s Pub and Grill.

Need another excuse to get out and eat? Hows about some free stuff?

Each time you eat at a participating restaurant during Restaurant Week, you can enter to win prizes from several Argenta merchants. Prizes include four nights at the Baker House Bed and Breakfast, two necklaces from the Argenta Bead Company, a pottery class at Claytime Studios, and a $100 Gift Certificate to the Argenta Market, slated to open in March.

Just my opinion, but someone with a good business mind came up with this one. It’s a win-win for everyone. And I suspect it will get more of us over there to try something new!

Anyone wanna join me?

Oh, BTW, don’t be alarmed if you’re new here and wonderin’ why I’m writing about community stuff. It was part of the original intent of the blog (see older posts about farmers markets, chefs, etc.). We’re getting back on track. According redesign soon.

Eating at the Argenta Fall Foodie Festival

by

For lunch, I had the beefalo chili from Maddie’s Place and greens from Walker’s. This is the chili we’ve been smelling all morning, and it was fabulous! The meat was tender and flavorful, and the beans still had substance to them. Not too spicy, but plenty of flavor.

I was told the greens at Walker’s started cooking yesterday, with ham hocks. You can definitely taste the extra time and attention put into them. I love greens, but the hubs doesn’t, so I have to get them when I go out. Now I’m spoiled!

I had to wait a while for dessert after eating so much! I decided on the Sticky Toffee Pumpkin Pudding from Simply the Best Catering. I was afraid it would be heavy, but it was very light and satisfying after eating so much. The toffee sauce was not cloyingly sweet, but just enough to balance the pumpkin flavor.

See my Twitter updates on the right hand side of the page for photos of what I had. (Don’t have all the software updates on my new laptop to transfer them easily…)

And if you’re not here yet, get here quick! You have an hour and a half!

More photos:

Argenta Fall Foodie Fest Tomorrow!!!!

by

I know, it’s almost tomorrow anyway (11 p.m. at this writing). Hopefully there are still a few of you up and on your computers, instead of out on the town or sleeping for tomorrow’s Race for the Cure. Like I said, I’ve been sick!

But I did want to go ahead and give you a brief lowdown on tomorrow’s festivities. It really is going to be a foodie’s paradise.

First of all, it’s the season’s last hurrah for the Argenta Certified Arkansas Farmer’s Market. Come get the latest fall goodies while you can!

The most exciting part: Arkansas’ rockstar chefs from your favorite restaurants and catering companies, preparing their own specialties using locally grown produce and meats. Dishes will feature the fall harvest. Argenta Market, Starving Artist Cafe, Ashley’s Restaurant, Maddie’s Place and Ferneau Restaurant & Lounge are some of the participating vendors. The idea is you see what Arkansas farmers have to offer, then actually interact with chefs who know how to make it fabulous. How often do you get to do that?

They’ll also have live music, arts and crafts, and the Virginia Clinton Kelley Festival for the Cure, offering free health information.

So, you know it’s all about the plate of food you buy to eat. What will be cooking? How about these: Sweet Potato Tart, Beefalo Bratwurst, Sticky Toffee Pumpkin Pudding, Pork and Sharp Cheddar Quiche, Pumpkin Carrot & Lavender Soup, Arkansas Buffalo Chili, Tomato & Gorgonzola Soup, Winter Squash Soup (with Bacon Jalepeño Créme Fraîche) and Lindsey’s Fried Pies (Apple and Peach). Nom.

Bring four or five bucks for each plate. Not bad for a meal that would probably cost two or three times that, at least, in their restaurants.

Have I mentioned this is free? And so is the parking? And that food festivals just like this one are the rage all over the country, but usually have high-priced tickets?

More on this tomorrow. I will be at the event, with my own booth. I’ll be live-blogging as the day goes on, so check back for more info. And for heaven’s sake, get over there and say hello!

Deets:

Argenta Fall Foodie Festival

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

6th and Main, North Little Rock

FREE admission and parking

Foodie Event: Taste of the Town, North Little Rock

by

We’re still recovering from all the eating, schmoozing and more eating we’ve done in the past few days. On Thursday, the same day I tasted the final dishes of Arkansas Iron Chef, hubs and I also attended the 16th annual Taste of the Town event in North Little Rock at the Alltel, er, Verizon Arena. It is put on by the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce.

While not entirely the same caliber of fancy food I’d been eating at Iron Chef, this was still pretty darn fun. There were 27 booths of various NLR (and some Little Rock — cheaters!) eateries, from fast-foodish pizza (we’re looking at you, Little Caesars) to the foodie-worthy excellence of Cantina Laredo.

I must give a shout-out to my friends at the Pulaski Technical College Arkansas Culinary School, who had a team of pastry students dishing out some killer dessert bites. I NEED the recipe for those caramels.

And there was Hooters. Um, yeah. You gotta admit they have good wings, though. (And thighs, and breasts….)

It was so crowded, it felt like cattle being herded in spurts and flows at the height of the event. It was also a little awkward getting your little tasting plate and trying to find somewhere to perch long enough to eat it. There were tables, as well as the arena’s perching spots, but not really quite enough. But that’s OK, just a testament to the success of the event and its promoters, methinks.

Tips for next year, if anyone in charge reads and cares: Next year, smaller samples. I know this is up to the vendor, but recommend small bites. More tables, the stand-up-and-schmooze kind. Easier access to water, a critical element for a “tasting” event. Maybe get Mountain Valley to provide those cute little half-size bottles, or at least the NLR Water Department; I saw their bottles at Iron Chef. And put the whole thing on the arena floor instead of the upper concourse. Food events are exploding (as did this one), and you’ll continue to get more peeps than you think.

Mmmm….Peeps.

I digress.

In spite of all my bellyaching, don’t misunderstand; this is a great event. The tickets were $15 each, which isn’t too bad for a fun night out grazing. All the food was great, as I didn’t find a single thing I didn’t like. Plus, it was fun meeting some of the owners and managers from these restaurants and talking foodie with them.

Plan on going next year, K?

Photos!

Foodie Event: Iron Chef at Arkansas Hospitality Association Convention and Tradeshow

by

(Update 9/29…See all participants and results below photos. Thanks to Holly Heer with AHA.)

Greetings, Foodies!

If you didn’t know, the Arkansas Iron Chef competition takes place annually on the Arkansas Hospitality Association convention and tradeshow floor, over the two days of the conference. Thanks to winning a couple silent auctions Tuesday night, I had the opportunity to sit in on yesterday’s Heat 2, and today’s final round.

As reported earlier, I tasted the results of yesterday’s Heat 2 between the boys from Forty Two and Simply the Best, with Forty Two winning. Here are the dishes from that round, using duck as the surprise ingredient:

Iron Chef Heat 2 dish by Chef Jacob Peck and Sous Chef Greg Wallis of Forty Two.Roasted duck with a mango gastrique, asparagus and couscous.

Iron Chef Heat 2 dish by Chef Jacob Peck and Sous Chef Greg Wallis of Forty Two. Roasted duck with a mango gastrique, asparagus and couscous.

Simply the Best

Iron Chef Heat 2 entry by Chef Jason Godwin and Sous Chef Willie Yearwood of Simply the Best. Seared duck breast with tomato onion jam, asparagus and mozzarella tortellini, and mushroom cream sauce.

I’m not going to pick favorites here, as they were both incredible. But let me just tell you…that “onion tomato jam,” as bizarre as it sounds to most of us, was slap-your-momma good. I was literally whacking the table. Mmmm. But both were wonderful, and Forty Two won the heat with tons of points, carrying them immediately to the final round.

**Intermission** I have to tell a funny story. I thought all this time that my second silent auction prize was for the Semi-Final round. It said so on the ticket. I sit down today at the appropriate time, and the folks in charge politely shoo me out, as someone else had won that tasting. Turns out that my ticket was misprinted, and I had, in fact, won the FINAL round tasting. Booyah!

The final round was between Chef Jacob Peck and Sous Chef Greg Wallis of Forty Two, and Chef Osi Imomoh and Sous Chef Howard Austion of Southland Park Gaming & Racing. The surprise protein was — wait for it — rabbit. I think I was the only one to chuckle, picturing the poor old rabbit form they used to use at the greyhound races. (They tell me it’s now a bone shape that draws the doggies around the track.)

Me 'n' Mona about to eat some good stuff.

Me ‘n’ Mona about to eat some good stuff.

Since I had so much food to myself yesterday for Heat 2, I invited a friend, Ramona Collins (@monaspoeticwax) to eat with me. Our lives have crossed paths in several weird ways over our lives, and we’re just now getting to know each other. What a great way to do so, over great food!

Here are the two dishes we tasted for the final round:

Iron Chef Final Round dish by Chef Osi Imomoh and Sous Chef Howard Austion of Southland Park Gaming & Racing. Smothered rabbit with cornmeal johnnycake, greens and roasted squash.

Iron Chef Final Round dish by Chef Osi Imomoh and Sous Chef Howard Austion of Southland Park Gaming & Racing. Smothered rabbit with cornmeal johnnycake, greens and roasted squash.

Iron Chef Final Round dish by Chef Jacob Peck and Sous Chef Greg Wallis of Forty Two. Roasted rabbit with a raspberry coulis, sweet applesauce, carrots and greens w/bacon. This was the winning dish.

Iron Chef Final Round dish by Chef Jacob Peck and Sous Chef Greg Wallis of Forty Two. Roasted rabbit with a raspberry coulis, sweet applesauce, carrots and greens w/bacon. This was the winning dish.

IRON CHEF COMPETITION PHOTOS:

Wednesday, September 23

Heat 1, Celebrity Round – Chef Jamie McAfee, Pine Pluff Country Club & Steve Marston, Point 94.1 vs. Chef Andre Poirot, Peabody Hotel & Jennifer Trafford, Point 94.1

Winner: Poirot & Trafford

Heat 2 – Chef Jacob Peck & Sous Chef Greg Wallis, 42 vs. Chef Jason Godwin & Sous Chef Willie Yearwood, Simply the Best Catering

Winner: 42

Heat 3 – Chef Ted Roman & Sous Chef Jody Smallwood, Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa vs. Chef Osi Imomoh & Sous Chef Howard Austion, Southland Park Gaming & Racing

Winner: Southland Park Gaming & Racing

Heat 4 – Chef Phillip Southan, River Grille & Sous Chef Krista Rogalla, Pulaski Tech Culinary School vs. Chef Nathan Miller & Sous Chef Karle Johnson, The House

Winner: The House

Thursday, September 24

Semi-Finals

Chef Osi Imomoh & Sous Chef Howard Austion, Southland Park Gaming & Racing vs. Chef Nathan Miller & Sous Chef Karle Johnson, The House

Winner: Southland Park Gaming & Racing

Finals

Chef Osi Imomoh & Sous Chef Howard Austion, Southland Park Gaming & Racing vs. Chef Jacob Peck & Sous Chef Greg Wallis, 42

Iron Chef Champion: 42

Foodie Event: Chef’s Culinary Classic, Part 2 and more

by

(Update 9/28, award winners listed below photos. Thanks to Holly Heer with AHA.)

Today, I spent a good part of the day at the Arkansas Hospitality Association’s annual tradeshow and convention. I love conventions, especially this one! Lots of great opportunities to rub elbows with fellow foodies. This was especially so at the Iron Chef competition, which had its first several heats today. I got to be a taster (but not a judge) in the second heat today. Each round had a new protein for the secret ingredient; the protein for the round I sat in for was duck. Yum!

Tomorrow, I get to be a taster again in the semi-final round. I’ll hang out for the final round and report more at that time. If you absolutely need at least one or two photos of Iron Chef right away, follow me on Twitter (@ARFoodie) and check out my Twitpics from today.

Meanwhile, I want to give you the final scoop on yesterday’s post, the Arkansas Chef’s Culinary Classic. The AHA folks haven’t gotten back with me on all the final winners (they’re busy with the convention and all), but I’ll update as soon as I have that info.

I did want to let you know about some of the highlights:

  • Watermelon and mint salad with balsamic vinegar by the Chef Osi Imomoh and Sous Chef Howard Austion at Southland Park Gaming & Racing. Must get recipe…there were two unusual types of melon involved.
  • Beautiful lamb chop with a fruit relish and Asian salad by Chef Jamie McAfee of the Pine Bluff Country Club.
  • London broil steak salad by Chef Tyler Husser and Chef Jerry Dolson of Hilton, Little Rock.
  • Saffron shrimp bisque by Chef Donnie Ferneau of the restaurant Ferneau.
  • An amazing Tahitian vanilla bean gelato with homemade maraschino cherries by Chef Adam Hanry of the Ozark Conference Center. This won best dessert, and rightfully so.
  • And my favorite…the roasted beef tenderloin with compound butter sauce by Chef Jason Knapp of the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion. Wondering if Gov. Beebe is gaining weight? Chef Jason is the culprit. (See photo from yesterday’s post.)

I also had to mention separately a remarkable find, but one you won’t be able to visit. That is, unless you work at the Dillard’s corporate offices on Cantrell. Bistro 1600, exclusively owned and operated by the food and beverage services of said corporate office, offered an impressive lineup. Hubby and I could not believe the food was not from a hoity-toity downtown restaurant. Chef Norman Geisselbrecht, Chef Michael J. Mass and Chef Marjis Meti presented dishes nothing less than divine. (My notes, other than WOW, got mixed up. In order to get the exact dishes right, I’ll have to update when I get the list.) The chefs were excited about food and about pleasing the diner, whether that be a top executive or hourly grunt.

Well, I just spent about half an hour writing captions for all these photos, and the computer ate them somehow. Until I put in a new plugin (I’m thinking something Flash based), you’ll just have to guess what each is. But they sure are purty!

What a busy foodie week…more tomorrow on Iron Chef, the AHA convention, and…oh yeah…tomorrow’s Taste of the Town in North Little Rock. Eat up!

ARKANSAS CHEF’S CULINARY CLASSIC PHOTOS

Award Winners:

Appetizer

1st Donnie Ferneau, Ferneau – Ahi Tuna nachos

2nd Adam Hanry, Ozark Conference Center – Pork rinds w/lime salt

3rd Will Hutchison, Pulaski Tech Culinary School – Slow Roast of Strip loin

Soup/Salad

1st Andre Poirot, Peabody Hotel – Wild Mushroom soup

2nd Ted Roman, Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa – Acorn Squash Bisque

3rd Osi Imomoh, Southland Park Gaming & Racing – Watermelon Splash Salad

Entrée

1st Jason Knapp, AR Governor’s Mansion – Seared filet of beef

2nd Joe Coleman, Peabody Hotel – Blue cheese stuffed beef roulade

3rd Donnie Ferneau, Ferneau – Beef wellington w/brie

Dessert

1st Adam Hanry, Ozark Conference Center – Standing ice cream cone

2nd Brian Cochrane, Pulaski Tech Culinary School – Almond Florentine

3rd Christian Alexander, Peabody Hotel – Cake & mousse dessert

Coleman Pride Award

Andre Poirot, Peabody Hotel – Wild Mushroom Soup

Best of Beef

Jason Knapp, AR Governor’s Mansion – Seared filet of beef

People’s Choice Award

Jamie McAfee, Pine Bluff Country Club – Asian Lamb Chop

Foodie Event: Ark. Chef’s Culinary Classic, Part 1

by

I don’t have time to write the entire post this event deserved, but I had to give you a little taste of what hubs and I experienced tonight.

Tomorrow begins the Arkansas Hospitality Association’s annual convention and tradeshow. I love conventions — one of the things I actually miss from my PR days — and all the events that go with them. As a preview event, tonight AHA had many of the top chefs across the state prepare small dishes and compete for cash prizes.

Hubs and I ate all kinds of wonderful things, to the point that we were surprisingly stuffed from all those teeny plates. But the most fun, for me, was to visit with all the chefs and “talk foodie.” I just about had a spell listening to Chef Donnie Ferneau (of the restaurant Ferneau) explain to my hubs why his Saffron Shrimp Bisque reminded my man of his days in Charleston, SC. Something about classical French technique, velouté sauce, and I got a little woozy after that.

I’ll have an update of who all made what and won what, along with more photos of the participants, tomorrow or so. But for now, I just wanted to share a little taste.

London Broil Steak Salad from Hilton of Little Rock, and Wild Mushroom Soup and Tuna Tartare from The Peabody Hotel.

London Broil Steak Salad from Hilton of Little Rock, and Wild Mushroom Soup and Tuna Tartare from The Peabody Hotel.

My pick for winner of the night...simple, yet stunning. Roasted beef tenderloin w/compound butter sauce from Chef Jason Knapp of the Governor's Mansion.

My pick for winner of the night...simple, yet stunning. Roasted beef tenderloin w/compound butter sauce from Chef Jason Knapp of the Governor's Mansion.

Me eating tuna tartare for the first time. I was surprised I actually liked it.

Me eating tuna tartare for the first time. I was surprised I actually liked it.

Foodie News: Slow Foods USA “Time for Lunch” Rally, Sept. 7

by

My apologies for the delay. We’re still working out the kinks of being a foodie blogger/newshound. Let me know if you like getting this kind of report from foodie events across central Arkansas, and we’ll keep it up.

I’ve pretty much already written about this event, so no article per se this time. But the participants speak for themselves in this video and following photos.

Enjoy!

Labor Day (Sept. 7, 2009) “Time for Lunch” event in North Little Rock (Argenta area), Arkansas.

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.871788&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26]

This slideshow requires JavaScript.