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Over the last year, Little Rock has been a hotbed for the young, entrepreneurial culinarian. We’ve seen an impressive amount of growth within local producers and artisans in central Arkansas—people willing to take chances on food, creating things they know and love. There’s a certain confidence in these folks that pushes them forward, as the food culture in this state is perhaps at one of its most fertile moments in years. People are enthusiastic about food, willing to step outside their comfort zones, looking to actively support local producers and restaurants.

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One need look no further than our magnificent farmer’s markets to experience just how fruitful the Arkansas food scene has become. Fresh ideas and exciting new flavors are making weekly appearances at these venues.
One of Little Rock’s latest arrivals is the husband and wife team behind Geek Eats. Jeremy and Bernadette Rhodes, two self-proclaimed geeks, have decided to make their passion for food and flavor known to the world, and have been setting up shop at the Hillcrest and Bernice Gardens farmers markets on weekends since the beginning of June. Their reception has been remarkable and their product is flying off the table like the Millennium Falcon at light speed. After sampling some of their wares for the first time last weekend, it’s easy for me to see why.

What’s with the name? Jeremy tells me (coincidentally, in perfect Klingon), “I look to Wil Wheaton (former cast member of Star Trek: The Next Generation) when people ask me about being geeky…it’s about being honest and passionate about things that you love and not afraid to show how much you adore them.” He goes on to say, “I’m really geeky about board games and about food…I started sharing my creations with my friends and family over board games.”

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One of these friends was Stephanos Mylonas of Mylo Coffee Co. “We had Stephanos over for dinner one day; I had made some hummus. After he tried some, he was like, ‘Dude, you could totally sell this stuff.’ That was enough for me.” Shortly thereafter, Geek Eats was born.

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