Helpings of Arkansas on food TV
What’s cooking? A feast of food shows with Arkansas restaurants/connections. State Plate When: 11 a.m. Monday on INSP.
Who: Former American Idol and barbecue restaurant owner Taylor Hicks.
Hicks, host of the culinary-travel series State Plate, made an early summer visit to Arkansas (read more in today’s TV Week) that included a trip to Little Rock’s Heights Taco & Tamale Co.
The Alabama native tells us, “A lot of people around the country don’t have any idea that Arkansans love cheese dip. … That’s exactly what State Plate embodies — foods around the country that you really never knew that people liked in particular regions.”
These days, Hicks — whose fans call themselves “the Soul Patrol” — is more about soul food.
To Dine For with Kate
Sullivan
When: 6:30 p.m. Thursdays on AETN.
Who: Kate Sullivan, a former news reporter and anchor for Little Rock’s KATV before working for CBS affiliates in New York City and Chicago, her current home.
Sullivan has moved from the anchor desk to the dinner table.
In To Dine For with Kate Sullivan, she interviews guests — like the CEO of Starbucks in this week’s show — in their favorite restaurants: “We eat what they love … and then we let the food and the atmosphere be the backdrop for a conversation.”
The Massachusetts native says, “It was in Arkansas that I developed a love of really great food.” Starting with her first Southern meal — complete with a yeast roll — with co-workers at the now-closed Your Mama’s Good Food.
Sullivan’s favorite Arkansas restaurant? “I’ve been gone 12 years, and I go back at least once a year, and I always go to Cheers” in the Heights. Oh, and maybe to Scallions for cheese soup.
Our newsie is now a foodie.
Diners, Drive-ins and Dives When: 8 p.m. Nov. 9 and Nov. 23 on Food Network.
Who: Guy Fieri. What: Fieri’s August visit to Arkansas continues to unfold at The Fold in Little Rock; it will appear in the Nov. 9 episode titled “Meaty Mashup.” Little Rock’s The Root Cafe will appear in the Nov. 23 “Burgers, Bacon and BBQ” episode.
North Little Rock’s Flyway Brewing, Little Rock’s La Terraza Rum & Lounge, Bruno’s Little Italy in Little Rock and North Little Rock’s North Bar already have been featured.
Visit foodnetwork.com to watch episodes of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Even if none of these Arkansas restaurants actually fall into those categories.