Transitions
Look for Wayback Burgers to open its first Little Rock outlet sometime the week of April 16 in the Chenal Curve Shopping Center, 16900 Chenal Parkway. We still have no details yet on hours or a phone number, but we did find a Facebook page: facebook.com/WaybackLittleRock.
When it reopens later this spring as the AMC Theatres Chenal 9, the nine-screen cineplex in the Promenade on Chenal at 17835 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, will be a dinein theater in which patrons can to eat a meal and consume wine, beer or mixed drinks, in much the same way as the Movie Tavern at the Gateway Town Center near the Bass Pro Shops in southwest Little Rock. An application to serve alcoholic beverages is pending before the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Administration Division. Submitting the application on behalf of AMC Theatres: Angela D. Steed, who identifies herself in the application as general manager of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews in Conway, and general manager of YaYa’s Euro Bistro, in the same center. She previously has run Twin Peaks on Shackleford Road and the Copeland’s of New Orleans at Shackleford Crossings.
A U.S. Pizza has opened at 4206 Gibson Lane, Texarkana, Texas, under a franchise agreement with the Little Rockbased mini-chain. Hours are 10:30-10 p.m. daily. The phone number is (903) 255-7723. U.S. Pizza has 10 corporate-owned restaurants, four in Little Rock (Heights, Hillcrest, Rodney Parham, Fair Park near the University of Arkansas at Little Rock), two in North Little Rock (McCain and Levy) and in Maumelle, Sherwood, Bryant and Fayetteville. Restaurants operate under license in Conway, Cabot and Newport and two more under franchise, in Batesville and Jonesboro. Visit uspizzaco.net.
Food-centered benefits coming up the weekend of April 20-21:
We’ve gotten a look at the menus Chef Eric Isaac of Ristorante Capeo will prepare for the VIP food tents for the Arkansas Italian Food and Culture Festival, 4-9 p.m. April 20 and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. April 21 at North Little Rock’s North Shore Riverfront Park. Friday night — cocktails at 5:30, dinner at 6 — will focus on Northern Italian specialties and wine pairings: family-style antipasti (meats, cheeses, assorted peppers and condiments), wild mushroom soup, pork shoulder braised in fennel and wine and panna cotta. Saturday’s Southern Italian dinner (same times) starts with a mozzarella caprese, bruschetta and truffled eggs, followed by a pasta course (penne all’arrabiata) and chicken cacciatore entree and almond torte for dessert, all paired with Southern Italian wines. Cost per meal: $100, including drinks. All proceeds, as for the entire festival, go to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Arkansas. The festival will also feature Italian cooking competitions, wine tastings and music; a soccer tournament, hosted by Club United of Arkansas; sporting competitions — a cycling race and Bocce Baggo tournaments — and an Italian car show. Sponsor is Relyance Bank. Visit aritalianfestival.com.
Amateur cooking teams from across the mid-South will gather for the 10th annual B Street Rib Off barbecue cooking competition, which kicks off at 8 a.m. April 21, also in North Little Rock’s Riverfront Park. The event also features music, food trucks, beverages from local breweries and a raffle that includes merchandise from several Arkansas retailers. Teams interested in cooking for the competition can register at BStreetRibOff.org, where you’ll find a list of rules and more information about participation. Anyone can judge the People’s Choice category for a small donation. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society of Central Arkansas.
Brews and Bites, featuring food trucks, craft beer and entertainment, goes on, noon-5 p.m. April 21 at Outlets of Little Rock, 11201 Bass Pro Parkway Little Rock. It’s a benefit for the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and the Arkansas Food Bank. Participating breweries: Apple Blossom, Bell’s, Dogfish Head, Lagunitas, Mother’s, North American Brewery, Rebel Kettle, Sweetwater and Wiseacre. Expect to find these food trucks: Haygood BBQ, Crispy Chicken, Adobo To-Go, Loblolly Creamery, Little Penguin Tacos, Whole Hog BBQ, Wells Concession, BeaverTails Pastry, El Buen Gusto, Pat’s Kitchen, Jude’s Delight and Fire Dancer BBQ. Donnie Lee Strickland, Cassidy Hopper and Fire & Brimstone Duo will provide the entertainment. Sponsor is Rock City Harley-Davidson. Tickets are $5 in advance, $10 day-of, free for children under 12, plus the cost of food and drink. Call (501) 455-9100 or visit OutletsofLittleRock.com.