The bistro life
Our gang tonight tried Velo Rouge, the new bistro in Nu's old quarters at Markham and Cumberland. Good meal. Opening week service a little rocky. But it had a convivial, urban feel to it, what with a good crowd and the Christmas-light bedecked street cars passing the front window regularly (sometimes even with people aboard), along with plenty of sidewalk traffic.
The crowd included veteran restaurateur Ed Moore, celebrating his and partner Paul Bash's just-completed sale of their Purple Cow restaurant group. Paul will be traveling; Ed enjoying Little Rock, he said, as we reminisced about how they perfected the Cow's burger formula (an initial stab at a healthy burger gave way to the more classic greasy variety). Ed's grandson was in the Velo Rouge kitchen, following the family tradition.
Also passing through: members of the Russellville School Board, conventioning; banker Virgil Miller, checking out the menu (somebody please give him a trophy for steering the Central High 50th through mostly calm surface waters, never mind the backstage drama); former Razorback Mike and Marty Schaufele (what else to talk about but the Hog opera -- resolved: a new coach needs to be in place soon to protect the recruit class); several folks heading to UALR's history lecture series at the Historic Arkansas Museum; lawyer David Lewis, whose son Robbie is executive chef of this and a coming even-more-upscale companion restaurant; Loca Luna/Bene Vita's Mark Abernathy, on a busman's holiday at the bar. Mark and I tried, but I think failed, to remember all the restaurants and ownerships that have been ensconced on that corner over the years. Remember Off the Delta? Sadly, I do.
Food? Excellent steak frites, the sine qua non of bistro cooking. Tarte tatin and chocolate pots du creme couldn't have been better.
Comments
Is the Virgil Moore listed above actually Virgil Miller? or was it Bruce Miller?
ARK. BLOG: You're too quick. I corrected my initial error too slowly. It was Metropolitan's Virgil Miller, as it now reads. I had Ed Moore on the brain.
Posted by: Sanford![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
|
December 4, 2007 09:22 PM
Max, if not here, in Eat Arkansas, tell us about Off the Delta. I remember a lot of restaurants there, but not that one. The name is hilarious (but not to make light of any restaurateur's broken dreams)...
ARK. BLOG: Short version. A well-intentioned Deltan tried to open a place that featured an early -- 1980s -- version of local cuisine. It was the first restaurant in the space, I think. They opened up the high ceiling and the big front windows. I had one good meal there -- though it's possible the beer made the food seem better than I remembered it. I wrote a generally positive review for the Arkansas Gazette. I took a friend there. We had a slab of frozen trout and some other generally inedible food served, well, sporadically. It was a disaster. And apparently it was the rule; the good meal the exception. I don't think I ever got more angry feedback than I got for that particular review. The place didn't last long. The place became known quickly -- and it didn't last long -- as Awful the Delta.
Posted by: Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
|
December 4, 2007 09:28 PM
Or was it Bruce Moore? ...
That is a great story--the longer version would be even better. Dig up that old restaurant review for us, while you're at it.
The place looks great from the outside, which is all I've seen. Maybe for a special occasion (and after the service smooths out) we'll try it.
Restaurant reviewer. Now that's the job I want.
Posted by: hugh mann![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
|
December 4, 2007 10:46 PM
What was the name of the restaurant at that location that served the great souffle??
Posted by: Nanc![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
|
December 4, 2007 11:29 PM
Cafe St. Moritz?
Posted by: hugh mann![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
|
December 5, 2007 12:05 AM
Ahhhh... Cafe St. Moritz -- the best creme brulee anywhere. And fabulous martinis as well. And Barry and Edgar totally knew how to take care of their guests. I haven't really seen that kind of customer service at a restaurant since. I was just a lowly peon, but they always remembered my name and other little details.
Posted by: Solon![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
|
December 5, 2007 08:13 AM
Speaking of restaurants - anyone know what happened to Fazoli's at Markham and Chenal? Why did it close? It seemed to do a good business.
Posted by: Severus![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
|
December 5, 2007 11:36 AM
Sev, the one in Conway has been dark and deserted for a while too. I went a couple of months ago (after being lured by a commercial) and let's just say that despite my low expectations for fast food, my experience fell well short of even those.
Posted by: EY![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
|
December 5, 2007 12:16 PM
The restaurant with the great souffle's is Restaurant 1820.
Posted by: Severus![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
|
December 5, 2007 04:18 PM