Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 14:41:06
A reader seeks help at finding a restaurant with good boiled crawfish in Central Arkansas. Can you help?
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 11:14:39
Coming in June to the Icehouse Building in Hillcrest: Lemon, which bills itself as “Little Rock’s premier creperie.” A flyer for the restaurant suggests that Lemon will serve sweet and savory crepes for breakfast, brunch and lunch. The address is 2611 Kavanaugh Blvd.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 11:13:33
The Arkansas Sustainability Network, Arkansas Heartland Slow Foods and Boulevard Bread Company will join together on May 31, from 4-8 p.m., to host, “Roots and Shoots,” a celebration of local farms. In the Heights Boulevard parking lot, 1920 North Grant, there will be a buffet of regionally grown and prepared foods and organic wine and beer. Tickets are $50 and limited to a 100. Participating farms include Armstead Farms, Hardin Farms, Heifer Ranch, Shuffield Farms, Sweetwater Farm, Adama Farm, Willow Springs Farm, Falling Sky Farm and Petit Jean Farm. For more information or to purchase tickets, call Scott McGehee 663-5951 or Penny Rudder 944-0225.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 11:10:51
Coming soon: A third
Faded Rose location. Ed David will expand his mini-chain with a new restaurant in North Little Rock’s Argenta district, on Sixth and Main, across from Argenta Seafood. Preliminary plans for the building, which will be built from the ground up, include a large dining room, a private room, a patio area and a larger kitchen than the other locations.
Longtime North Little Rock staple
Rick and D’s Fisher’s Cafe has closed. Ditto for
Scapetto’s Deli in the River Market.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 11:09:26
CREGEEN’S IRISH PUB Corned beef and cabbage is pretty hard to find at restaurants in this part of the world, so when we heard it was on the regular menu at Cregeen’s, we hurried on over. It wasn’t quite what we’d hoped for, but any corned beef and cabbage is better than none. Though it has an “Irish Favorites” section on the menu, including the CB&C, we suspect that Cregeen’s sells considerably more burgers, salads and sandwiches than it does Shepherd’s Pie or Bangers and Mash. Nice-looking and at a nice location in downtown North Little Rock, self-proclaimed as “the home of the perfect pint,” Cregeen’s would be a good place to hang out and watch American football, we imagine. 301 Main and Broadway North Little Rock. 376-7468 Full bar. CC $-$$ LD daily
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 11:07:22
A team of local restaurateurs, including Chris Tanner (Cheers in the Heights), Dave Bisceglia (Dave & Ray’s) and New Orleans chef Matthew Ratcliff, will open Salut! at Prospect Place on Monday, May 12, in the first floor of the Prospect Building on Grant St., one block south of Cantrell. Under the direction of Ratcliff, the restaurant will offer “contemporary cuisine with a Southern accent.” Initially, Salut! will be open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., with dinner hours following a few weeks later. A Salut! cooking club will begin in June, and the Salut! wine club will begin in July. The restaurant’s address is 1501 N. University; the phone number is 660-4200.
Here's a
link to the lunch menu.
Saturday, May 03, 2008 - 11:51:58
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Maggie C.B. Smith reports Saturday morning from the new NLR farmers' market:
I went out this morning and it was lovely. A little sparse, and the handful of booths had to fight with the gale-force winds the whole time, but comfortable, beautiful weather for everyone else. I really hope to see this new venture grow and become successful. I picked up 2 quarts of strawberries from Hardin Farms, as well as a bag full of gorgeous watercress. There were also plenty of roots, greens, honey, eggs, and fresh herbs. I forgot to bring my camera with me, but here are the strawberries after I got them home. They taste as good as they look.
Friday, May 02, 2008 - 13:52:42
A reader offers a food rave. You are encouraged to add your own comments on any and all topics.
I really enjoy your food blog, but I'm blog stupid & couldn't quite figure out how to start a new message. I just wanted to pass the word along that
Rumba (downtown) has a great deal on Tues nights.
Their tapas menu is half price until the kitchen closes. They also have $3 frozen margaritas & $2 beers (5:00 - 7:00?). The attached menu has the full prices.
It's quickly becoming my Tues night routine. I've tried just about everything on the tapas menu & have loved it all. Highlights for me have been the calamari, the drunken mussels, the scallops, the spicy beef empanadas, the coconut shrimp, and I love the jerk chicken. The mini sandwiches are pretty darn good too. Tasty chips & salsa are free. The portions are generous for appetizers. My husband & I are hardy eaters & drinkers....a recent bill for drinks and dinner was $21 (and it was really good)!
On pretty days, the back doors are open to the patio. In the summer months on Sunday nights (6 p.m.), there is live music on the patio. Can't complain about the build-your-own Bloody Mary bar for Sunday brunch either. See you there!
--Rummy
Thursday, May 01, 2008 - 10:59:00
The state’s first
“certified Arkansas” farmer’s market will open at 7 a.m. until noon, on Saturday, May 3, in the 400 block parking lot on Main St. (next to the post office) in downtown North Little Rock.
Jody Hardin, of Hardin Farms and the Arkansas Basket-a-Month program, is behind this new market. For more information, go to arkansasfood.net.
Thursday, May 01, 2008 - 10:57:45
Yet another reason to take in a Travs game at Dickey-Stephens Park:
Bosco’s is brewing a special beer,
Hook Slide Ale, that’s exclusively served at the stadium.
Thursday, May 01, 2008 - 10:52:21
John Beechboard, co-owner of Za-Za Fine Salad and Wood-Oven Pizza Company, says the restaurant will open, “come hell or high water” on Monday, May 5, in the Height's Theater.
Beechboard is talking a big game about their gelato and sobretto. Lots of experimentation.
UPDATE: Chalk it up to hell and high water and irrational exuberance. Saturday, May 3, we heard that the opening will be at least a week later, though some shakedown work is underway and a private party was held on premises Friday night.
Thursday, May 01, 2008 - 10:45:21
May 4-10 is
Restaurant Week in the Argenta district of downtown North Little Rock. Participating restaurants include Argenta Seafood Company, Benihana, Cornerstone, Creegen’s, Margo’s Catfish Diner, Reno’s, Ristorante Capeo, Riverfront Steakhouse, Salty Parrot, Valentine’s and the district’s newest restaurant, the Circle (located in the former home of Fat Boys). Each will offer price fixed menus of $15 or $25, depending on the restaurant’s normal price level, with a choice from three appetizers, three entrees and three desserts.
$15
Cornerstone Pub and Grill
Reno's Argenta Cafe
Cregeen's Irish Pub
Margo's Catfish Diner and Deli
The Circle Cafe
The Salty Parrot
$25
Bill Valentine's Ballpark Restaurant
Riverfront Steakhouse
Benihana Japanese Steakhouse
Ristorante Capeo
Argenta Seafood Company
Thursday, May 01, 2008 - 10:43:24
MEXICO CHIQUITO Since the eat-in Mexico Chiquito closed in Lakewood some years back, we’ve often been heard to lament the old girl — storied Mexican joint of our troubled youth. More than one of our best memories as a kid originates there, us nursing a glass of their syrupy, neon-red punch, waiting with the family for our steaming plates to arrive. Imagine, then, how excited we were when we saw the new sit-down (albeit much smaller) Chiquito going up in West Little Rock, on Cantrell Road. Sadly, you can’t go home again, even when it comes to restaurants. While the punch turned out to be familiar – a stick to your upper lip, pineapple-y concoction that actually makes you thirstier the more you drink of it – that was all that was the same. While some of the flaws can be blamed on new-restaurant jitters, service was slow and lax, and the food was either cold (the cheese dip) or burned to a crisp (the quesadillas) by the time it reached our table. Worst of all, everything was expensive, starting with that glass of punch ($2.25 each), right through the bean-dippy cheese dip ($5.95), all the way down to the two tacos we ordered ala carte to pair with our plate lunch ($2.25 each, for something surpassed in quality by the hard shells found at Taco Bell for .79 cents). In the end, a lunch trip with two adults and one child cost $38.54 before tip. While those prices might be okay if the food was up to snuff, they’re obviously not serving anything good enough to be that dear yet. Full-service restaurants at 4511 Camp Robinson Road, NLR, 1524 W. Main St. Jacksonville and 13924 Cantrell. No alcohol. CC $$ 982-0533 LD daily. Takeout at 102 S. Rodney Parham Road and 11406 W. Markham St.
Thursday, May 01, 2008 - 10:33:33
DOUBLETREE PLAZA BAR & GRILL We tried the lunch buffet at this restaurant in the DoubleTree Hotel. Some people don’t care for lunch buffets — or any other kind of buffet, for that matter — but we’ve met some we liked. The Plaza Grill’s is not among them, unfortunately. The entree and vegetable selections were uninspired and limited. We wound up with peas and carrots as one of our vegetable selections. That’s desperate. The pork chops were bland. The salad and fruit section was better, and dessert might have been, but we reflexively passed on dessert, as we usually do. That was a mistake. A good dessert could have made the $9.50 price ($10.40 counting tax) seem reasonable. We’ll have to make another trip to see what dinner at the Plaza is like. Markham and Broadway, 372-4371. BLD 7 days CC Full bar $$
Thursday, April 24, 2008 - 09:36:02
Mike Selig’s Vermillion has opened the rooftop of the Capital Commerce Center for private events. Opening the roof to the general public in afternoons and evenings may follow. Selig has also introduced his first bar menu, which includes items from the raw bar, sandwiches and appetizers.
Click
here for the menu.
At 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 28, Vermillion will host a J. Lohr wine dinner on the rooftop for $65. Here's the offering:
Apertif WineJ. Lohr Wildflower Valdique
Appetizers from Vermillion Raw BarSesame Sashimi (Hawaii)
Mussels (Maine)
Clams (Florida)
Oysters (Louisiana)
Shrimp (Texas)
J. Lohr Johannesburg Riesling, Monterey
SaladCrisp Spinach and Seared Gorgonzola Cheese
Lavosh Crostini with Sun-Dried Cherry Relish and a Pistachio Vinaigrette
J. Lohr Chardonnay, Arroyo Vista Vineyards
EntréeSweet Basil Pan-Seared Duck Picatta on a Bed of Braised Fennel with a Balsamic Hazelnut Reduction
J. Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon, Seven Oaks
DessertGateau Layered with a Timbale of Flourless Chocolate with a Dark Chocolate Butter Cream Nestled on Sugar Straw Finished with a White Chocolate Lattice
J. Lohr Wildflower Validique
Wednesday, April 23, 2008 - 10:57:16
Cupcakes on Kavanaugh has opened at 5625 Kavanaugh Blvd. across from Mary Healey’s in the Heights. Every day the store offers four “classics,” all of which involve some combination of vanilla and/or Ghirardelli chocolate, and three to five specialty varieties. Because of a high demand and start-up kinks, the cupcakery has been open only from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, though in the two weeks the store has been open, the cupcakes have frequently sold out before five. Look for an 11 a.m. opening time in the coming weeks. The phone number, appropriately enough, is 664-CAKE (2253).
Anyone been?
Wednesday, April 23, 2008 - 10:51:24
Velo Rouge Brasserie has stopped serving lunch. “Business has been slow,” a waiter confided to one of our staffers.
Previously.
Monday, April 21, 2008 - 14:12:46
I am disappointed and annoyed to report that I had to walk out of Capers recently. Understand that while I was only slightly intrigued by their menu, I still really wanted to give this place a chance. After all, I had read only positive reviews in the AR Times and had been meaning to check it out for years.
First and foremost, it's hugely off-putting when you can practically hear the passing seconds of a ticking clock after you are seated and your tables are "watered." No communication, no drink orders taken, nada. The window for taking drink orders is narrow in my book; 2-4 minutes, tops. We waited upwards of 15 minutes. A waiter even made direct eye contact with our table, but then swiftly returned to the business of ignoring the entire back deck. The hostess gazed upon us with complete emptiness as we left. We watched tumbleweeds scatter to the wind as we sulked our way back to our vehicle.
Secondly, I found their wine menu to be slightly outrageous. The price fluctuations from $21.50 to $130.00 were dizzying, to say the least. For example, a Rosemount Estate Shiraz for $36.95? Seriously? I mean… seriously?
And finally, LIST the VINTAGE on the wine menu, for crying out loud. For the sake of the grape varietal, for the sake of the vineyard, for the sake of food pairings- why not give your customers a little guidance? It makes a lot of difference when I eat out.
Any despondent restaurant experiences you’ve had as of late?
Thursday, April 17, 2008 - 10:00:24
There won't be any need to change the name: Claudio and Varina Formaris have purchased the Italian Couple from Michael and Yuli Waters. The Waters plan to devote their energies to their limoncello brand, Lombardi.
Claudio Formaris said that he will maintain the core of the restaurant's cuisine, but incrementally, he plans to introduce dishes inspired from his hometown of Torino in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy. (Waters comes from Tuscany.) Look for Torino wine and some changes to the decor as well, Formaris said. The hours, initially, will remain 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday, with lunch on Friday. The phone number is still 372-4448.
Thursday, April 17, 2008 - 09:46:30
Add
Cheddar's Casual Cafe to the list of already confirmed restaurants set to soon begin construction at the Shackleford Crossing development. The Chili's-style chain will join other national chains Copeland's Famous New Orleans Restaurant and Bar, Texas Roadhouse and Zaxby's and local concepts Samurai Steakhouse and Panda Chinese Buffet. This addition leaves at least three more spaces for restaurants at the retail center.
Anyone have any first hand reports on what Cheddar's is all about?