LITTLE ROCK — The long-awaited Panera Bread bakery-cafe opened Wednesday in the Pleasant Ridge Town Center, 11525 Cantrell Road. Hours are 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. Call (501) 227-0222; for a look at the menu, visit the Web site, www.panerabread.com.
Hanging in front of facing kiosks in the River Market's Ottenheimer Market Hall, 400 President Clinton Ave., are two "coming soon" banners. Over what most recently used to be the small cooking demonstration area is a sign touting the approach of Bangkok Thai Cuisine, while across the way, where the Community Bakery outlet used to be, is the sign for Cheeky Monkey Catering & Eatery. That would indicate, then, that The Circle, which we recently reported was moving from Main Street Argenta in North Little Rock to the River Market, is going into the remaining unoccupied half of the late Scapetto's (the otherhalf now houses chocolatier Carmen Portillo's Cocoa Belle truffle shop). We'll keep you posted.
According to a sign in the window, the new tapas/wine bar called Capi's Place, in the former Imagine space in the Pleasant Ridge Town Center, 11525 Cantrell Road, is set toopen on or about Nov. 1 and the restaurant is now hiring for several positions. Another sign indicated the establishment has applied for a restaurant liquor license, not surprising, since restaurateur Capi Peck has said she plans to have an extensive wine list by the bottle and by the glass. Kitchen hours will be 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. The telephone number we got from AT&T information, (501) 225-9600, was temporarily disconnected earlier this week but should be up and running soon.
In the same shopping center, Crew Restaurant & Bar is changing its name to Coyote Cafe and its concept and menu to Tex-Mex, starting next week. The telephone number, (501) 223-3553, will remain the same. According to the director of tax revenue for the Little Rock Advertising & Promotion Commission, the restaurant is 90 days or more delinquent on paying its " hamburger" taxes.
Mike Selig's Vermillion, 200 Commerce St., is introducing a downtown lunch delivery service in the area bordered by the Arkansas River to the north, the Clinton Presidential Center to the east, Capitol Avenue to the south and Broadway to the west. They'll take cash or checks; minimum order for free delivery is $20. The bar and lunch menus are available at the Web site, www.seligsvermillion.com. Delivery starts at 11 a.m. so call (501) 371-9600 by 10.
A sign on what used to be Gina's Sushi & Grill in the Ashley Square Shopping Center, Rodney Parham and Reservoir roads, before it moved to 14524 Cantrell Road and became Gina's Chinese Kitchen & Sushi Bar, says "Gina's Fish House Coming Soon." Yes, it's the same Gina, Gina Wu, who says she'll be offering homemade Southern-style (not Chinese or Japanese) catfish and chicken wings 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Target opening date is Oct. 10. The telephone number is (501) 223-0808.
And at the state Health Department's Web site, www.healthyarkansas.com, ace Business reporter Laura Stevens uncovered a plumbing permit for Houston's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que at 4614 W. 12th St., Little Rock. We'll tell you more as we know it.
Has a restaurant opened - or closed - near you in the last week or so? Does your favorite eatery have a new menu? Is there a new chef in charge? Drop us a line. Call (501) 399-3667 or (501) 378-3513, or send a note to Restaurants, Weekend Section, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203. Send e-mail to:
Weekend, Pages 67 on 10/03/2008