LITTLE ROCK — When it's 104 degrees outside, who feels like eating?
Admittedly we do. But our list of heat wave cravings is concise.
We want exactly three things: burgers, salads and ice cream.
OK, four things: booze.
And the Purple Cow, with two locations in Little Rock (the original on Cantrell Road, another on Chenal Parkway) and other branches in Texas and Virginia, skillfully caters to all those needs, we were reminded during recent visits to both central Arkansas outlets.
We've always thought of the Purple Cow, cutesy with a nostalgic diner/soda fountain feel, as a family place - somewhere squeaky clean and safe to feed much younger and much older members of a clan. Not necessarily a place for two adults to go on date night or for grown women who want to grub and gab.
So we were surprised on a recent weeknight when the Cantrell location hosted far more mature couples and groups than parents with kids. (A visit to the Chenal location on a Saturday afternoon featured more young families, but we wouldn't have known it by the very reasonable volume; everyone was very wellbehaved.) That adults go to the Purple Cow when they don't have children in tow is a testament to its solid staples: starters, burgers, dogs, sandwiches, salads, dinner platters and ice cream concoctions. The atmosphere, set by plenty of cow images and pop tunes from groups like ABBA, is cheery and the prices (entrees go from $4.15 for a grilled cheese up to $9.25 for a Cobb salad) are right.
Seating is at booths, counter stools (purple, of course) or tables. A young, pleasant staff member will handle your order with a smile - if not always the most precise attention to detail.
For example, when we opened the foam box containing the Classic Banana Split ($5.25) we'd ordered to go (we needed a food timeout, and the restaurant had filled with a line at the door), there were three humps of plain ice cream and a banana but no hot fudge, pineapple or strawberry sauces, no whipped cream, no nuts and no cherry - in other words, no sundae.
Another time, a server didn't ask if we wanted dessert before dropping off the check. OK, maybe one of us did ask for thedressing on the side, and the other requested half of her sandwich boxed to go, but perhaps we were just saving room.
But before talking treats, we should discuss meals. There are 11 burgers ($4.75-$7.15) - including a vegetarian option; more if you consider all the possibilities that could be made with the burger extras like avocado, sauteed onions and mushrooms, bacon and chili (75 cents to $1.95) and six kinds of cheese (75 cents).
All come with lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions on the side, as well as chips.
The BBQ Bacon Cheddar Burger ($6.75), topped with bacon, cheddar cheese and barbecue sauce, was a meaty, as well as messy, success. We weren't as smitten with the gourmet-sounding Herbed Butter Burger ($5.45), which didn't have a lot of flavor despite all its promising potent ingredients - butter, ginger, lemon juice, anchovy paste, shallots, salt, pepper and dijon mustard.
It did have a rather soggy bun because of the butter.
Also a bit drippy was the Portabella Mushroom sandwich ($6.75), a giant mushroom cap with grilled red onions and red, yellow and green peppers, topped with provolone. We enjoyed the tart-salty bite from the balsamicsoy sauce marinade.
A friend reported her bland Meat Loaf Sandwich Supreme ($6.15) on toasted wheat bread was forgettable. But the perfect onion rings (a $2.85 add-on; $3.95basket) saved the day. We also found the Purple Cow's skin-on fries ($1.50 add-on; $3.15 basket) crisp and tasty.
Our favorite meal, strangely enough, was not of big burgers and fried sides; it was a salad.
The Santa Fe Salad ($9.25), a beautifully assembled bowl of mixed greens, black beans, hot cheese, tomato, red onions, peppers, tortilla strips and spiced grilled chicken strips served with a zippy barbecue vinaigrette dressing, was fresh and lively and superior to celebrated salads at fancier restaurants.
The best part about choosing something lighter like the Santa Fe (assuming you eschew some of the cheese and tortilla strips) and other fine salads ($3.15-$9.25) is that you can better justify following it up with a cool treat (sure, there's Warm Apple Pie, too, but we're just not interested this time of year) made with Yarnell's ice cream.
The Cow will whip up any kind of shake, loaded shake, malt, sundae or ice cream soda you can imagine. While we can't give a full report on the banana split (the plain ice cream with a banana was OK), we can say that the Triple Treat Chocolate Malt ($4.15), a thick chocolate malt made with chocolate ice cream,chocolate syrup and topped with shaved white chocolate, was worth having our clothes fit more snugly the next day.
Those of age can sip an Adult Shake ($6.25), a milkshake upgraded with a 1-ounce shot of liquor, like amaretto, Irish cream or coffee liqueur.
Adults also can enjoy cocktails including bloody Marys, mimosas and screwdrivers ($4.25) at the Purple Cow's brunch, offered 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Sunday at the Chenal location and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Cantrell location (at least they can imbibe afternoon on Sunday). Brunch prices range from $4.15 for a Belgian Waffle up to $9.25 for the "I Could Eat a Cow" Platter with chicken-fried steak, scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes and a biscuit.
Children get their own menu, with items from applesauce ($1.25) to a Chicken Finger Salad ($4.15). All the usual items - hamburger, hot dog, grilled cheese - are represented, as well as a few unusual items, like The Elvis Special ($3.75), a grilled peanut butter, banana and honey sandwich served with chips.
The Purple Cow Address: 11602 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, (501) 224-4433; 8026 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, (501) 221-3555 Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday (Chenal); 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday-Sunday (Cantrell) Cuisine: Burgers, sandwiches, salads, ice cream Credit cards: AE, D, MC, V Alcoholic beverages: Beer, wine, brunch cocktails, "adult" shakes Wheelchair accessible: Yes Carryout: Yes www.ilovepurplecowlr.com
Weekend, Pages 63 on 08/08/2008