Three casual newcomers of '08 still draw diners with good value

By Jack Schnedler

LITTLE ROCK — There must be a buzz in the air that sends central Arkansans swarming to certain new restaurants. Three 2008 beneficiaries of this dining-out herd instinct were ZaZa Fine Salad + Wood-Oven Pizza Co., Taziki's Greek Fare and Capi's.

These rather casual and moderately priced Little Rock eateries, each with seasonal outdoor tables and an affinity for regional ingredients, all got favorable, Democrat-Gazette reviews when they opened to throngs of customers.

Given the challenges facing restaurants of every stripe in recession riddled 2009, we revisited the trio last week to see how things are going.

The result is this triple serving of bite-size reprises.

ZAZA

ZaZa

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The 38-ounce Tuscan rib-eye steak listed on the original printed menu a year ago didn't make the leap to reality at the elaborately named ZaZa Fine Salad + Wood-Oven Pizza Co. But the pizzas, salads and gelati continue to be flavorful crowd-pleasers at this stylish fast-casual spot tucked away on Kavanaugh Boulevard in the former Heights Theater.

Under the aegis of co-owner John Beachboard and behind-the-scenes partner Scott McGehee (of Boulevard Bread Co. provenance), ZaZa is now open seven days a week.

Diners order salads (made to order if desired) at a service counter that tends to get jammed with the greenery crowd during prime hours. The imposing 700-degree circular oven, fueled by hardwood kindling, turns out ZaZa's thin-crust Napoli-style pizzas in just three to five minutes.

They're ordered at the counter and delivered by waiters. Tables in the second-floor balcony offer a more tranquil alternative to the main-floor bustle.

The House-Made Italian Sausage Pizza ($11.50) that Marcia and I shared at lunch was artfully topped with leaves of fresh arugula and shavings of parmesan cheese. Even better than the handsome look were the pizza's texture (crisp crust with close to zero sogginess) and taste (a medley of mild sausage, caramelized onion, roasted bell pepper and superlative San Marzano tomato sauce). This, we agreed, was as good as any pizza in town.

Our shared Tandoori Chicken Salad ($8.95), a bountiful serving in a sleek metal bowl, puzzled us in one regard: There was no evidence the white-meat chicken had been anywhere near tandoori paste, the Indian seasoning that gives meats a characteristic red-orange tint.

Perhaps the "tandoori" designation merely meant that the fowl had been subjected in tandoori fashion to very high heat. Otherwise, it was an impressive salad, with a congenial mix of tastes from romaine, baby spinach, mango, chickpeas, cucumber, onion and toasted almonds.

Too full for a gelato ($3.50/$4.95), we were content to admire the most tempting flavors on display: blackberry, pistachio, straciatella (chocolate chip) and - sigh! - chocolate-hazelnut.

TAZIKI'S

Taziki's Greek Fare

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Operated by former state legislator and fast-food franchisee Jim Keet, Taziki's Greek Fare stays busy enough that parking is sometimes tight at its Cantrell Heights strip mall. A sign reminds patrons that there's more parking around back.

A card on each table announces that Taziki's now offers what may well be the longest Happy Hour around, totaling seven hours a day. It runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with $1 off wine by the glass (normally $4) and beer by the bottle (normally $3-$3.50).

Customers order in fast-casual fashion at the cash register and take a number for table delivery of their food. The menu, as noted here when the restaurant opened in October, deserves the label "Greek Lite" for its limited number of genuinely Greek-rooted dishes, along with such marginally Hellenic items as penne pasta with chicken and spicy pimento cheese sandwich.

Taziki's most delectable fare is the lamb, which Keet buys from a supplier in Nashville, Tenn. It can be ordered as Grilled Lamb Gyro, Roasted Lamb in Pita or Sliced Chargrilled Leg of Lamb, as well as lamb specials on some days.The Roasted Lamb in Pita ($7.95) that I ate last week was amply juicy and flavor-packed, enhanced by grilled onions, roasted green peppers and garlic-tangy skordalia sauce. The portion was ultra-generous.

Marcia went quasi-Greek by ordering the Egg & Olive Sandwich ($6.95). She gave high marks to the lightly toasted buttermilk bread and praised the soothing nature of the properly made egg salad. But she detected little sign of either the olives or the bacon mentioned on the menu.

Taziki's Baklava ($2.50), from Hellas Bakery, is worth the calories - and the increased risk of future dental work due to the achingly exquisite sweetness.

CAPI'S

Capi's

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Capi Peck and Brent Peterson, co-owners of perennially popular Trio's, brought the notion of tapas to its fullest central Arkansas flower yet in November with the opening of Capi's. Peck said at the time that she initially wanted to call her new place in Pleasant Ridge Town Center a "snackatorium," but decided it would be too whimsical a name.

When Marcia and I arrived around 6:30 p.m. on a weekday, just a half-dozen indoor tables were filled, plus a couple on the patio. That was as busy as it got during our hour or so on the premises. But business was brisker when I looked in about the same time Saturday.

Capi's menu remains divided among Small Plates, Salad Plates, Sandwich Plates (served only until 3 p.m.), After Five main dishes and After Five sides. All four of the plates we shared were attractively presented and flavorfully creative.

The Cuban Picadillo ($8), served with flour tortillas, gave punch to the ground-sirloin base via garlic, raisins, olives, Roma tomatoes, apples, onions, roasted peppers, poblano chiles and pepperjack cheese. The Fried Green Tomatoes & Shrimp Remoulade ($10) seemed mathematically challenged in that a lightly cooked shrimp was perched atop three of the thin and crispy tomato slices while a fourth shrimp was left to fend for itself minus tomato.

We both relished the Baja Fish Tacos ($12), prepared with strips of lightly battered and fried mahi mahi that provided a pleasant textural twist. The Frijole Fiesta ($5) turned out to be a tasty mix of black beans and other vegetables served with a couple of dozen pita wedges for dipping.

Our waitress was less attentive than would have been ideal. When she brought the menus, we quickly noticed that several items on Marcia's were different from those on mine. When I pointed that out, thewaitress looked and said, "Oh, your wife has an old menu."

Silence ensued, until Marcia said, "Then can you please bring me a new menu ?

ZaZa Fine Salad +

Wood-Oven

Pizza Co. Address: 5600 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily (sometimes later on Friday-Saturday) Cuisine: Pizzas, salads, gelati Alcoholic beverages: Beer, wine (501) 661-9292

Taziki's Greek Fare Address: 8200 Cantrell Road, Little Rock Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday Cuisine: Greek Alcoholic beverages: Beer, wine (501) 227-8291, www.tazikis.net

Capi's Address: 11525 Cantrell Road (Pleasant Ridge Town Center), Little Rock Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday Cuisine: Tapas, salads, other light fare Alcoholic beverages: Full bar (501) 225-9600, www.capisrestaurant.com

Weekend, Pages 33, 40 on 06/18/2009