Smashed N’ Stacked In Little Rock, Arkansas: Meet The Chef

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Feb 27

We sat down with Executive Chef James Mann of Smashed N’ Stacked in Little Rock, Arkansas. A very popular food truck in a developing area of Little Rock, this foodie hotspot is frequented by locals, and both the Mayor of Little Rock and the Governor of Arkansas alike — Smashed N’ Stacked loves their community and is on a mission to end food insecurities of the youths of Arkansas.

Smashed N’ Stacked In Little Rock, Arkansas: Meet The Chef

Tell us what your morning routine looks like, and how you like to end your day?

I wake up every morning and walk about 1.5 miles around downtown and go to the park with my dogs, and listen to an audio book.

I end my day, honestly the same way I start it: I get home, walk my dogs, eat some dinner, and go to bed.

Do you have any awards or achievements you’d like to mention?

We've won best food truck in Little Rock now 2 years in a row, but my first award was for a vegetarian chili in the basement of a church in Utah that I entered on a whim while on vacation.

Do you have a favorite chef that you look up to and what advice would you give to aspiring chefs?

Growing up as a kid it was Emeril and Bobby Flay. I was obsessed with watching them on Food Network. Now it's not so much a chef but the restaurateur, Will Guidara. Advice for aspiring people in the business is to read his book Unreasonable Hospitality. It will change your life.

What do you typically cook at home?

I meal prep food to eat while at home each week. Usually boring things like ground turkey or chicken breast and rice. But there's always something so comforting about a pack of instant Ramen.

What’s a food trend that you’re loving right now and why?

I don't know if it's a trend in the industry right now or just a personal preference, but high acidity and vinegar foods, or fermented things have been really exciting to me lately.

What’s the strangest food combination you’ve ever tried? And, did you like it?

Oh lord... I do a lot of really off the wall flavor combinations and experimenting. We try to be really creative and unique when developing our monthly specials. There have definitely been ones that don't work well lol.

Have you ever cooked for a celebrity? Do have story to tell?

The Mayor is a regular of our food truck and we've had the Governor of Arkansas come by a few times also and those have been pretty fun experiences!

Tell our readers why they should visit Smashed N’ Stacked?

We're just a food truck ran by a brother and sister in a new and developing area of Little Rock parked right next to a coffee shop and brewery. We really love our community and we're on a mission to end food insecurities of the youths of Arkansas.