TRANSITIONS

By Eric E. Harrison

LITTLE ROCK — Mark Abernathy reports his

Red Door, formerly Bene Vita (also the original location, you may remember, of

Brave New Restaurant, and before that a Steak & Egg Kitchen), 3519 Old Cantrell Road at Cantrell, is now open, serving “a good selection of creative seafood dishes and some of the best-sellers from Bene Vita and Blue Mesa Grill,” plus chicken-fried prime rib and nightly blackboard specials. The bar offers what Abernathy describes as “a really good glass of white and really good glass of red for $5 each.” The bar opens at 4 p.m.; dinner service starts at 5:30 daily; “we’re staying open as long as there’s people,” Abernathy says, but target closing hour is 9:30 or 10 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday, midnight or 1 a.m. Thursday-Saturday. And he expects to start serving lunch as of the middle of next week. The telephone number is another holdover from Bene Vita: (501) 666-8482.

Barring unforeseen glitches, Tuesday is the target date for the opening, or at least the soft opening, of

Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro, 200 Commerce St., Little Rock, formerly Mike Selig’s Vermillion. Yes, that used to be Dizzy’s Grill in Benton. Owner Darla Huie says about 90 percent of her employees and a lot of the contents of the Benton restaurant (the latter traveling in a caravan up Interstate 30 earlier this week) are coming with her to Little Rock’s River Market District. Huie is also keeping pretty much the same menu she had in Benton, a quirky, eclectic and somewhat elegant mix of Southern, Cajun and European. Initial hours: 11 a.m .-9p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, with a possible expansion to Monday lunch within two to three months. The telephone number is (501) 375-3500.

Monday is opening day for Arkansas’ first

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

franchise,in Lakewood Village, 2923 Lakewood Village Drive, off McCain Boulevard. The storefront, near the Lakewood 8 movie theater, used to house a bicycle and skateboard shop that has moved elsewhere in the shopping center. The menu consists, as the name suggests, of burgers - hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon burger, bacon cheeseburger; fries - Five Guys style and Cajun; hot dogs - kosher style, cheese or bacon dog, bacon cheese dog; veggie and grilled cheese sandwiches; and a variety of free toppings, including (in addition to the usual mayonnaise, relish, onions, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, ketchup and mustard), grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, jalapeno peppers, green peppers and A-1, barbecue and hot sauces. Hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. The telephone number is (501) 246-5295. Laurie Lowe, the Arkansas franchisee for the northern Virginia-based chain, says construction will start Nov. 15 on a west Little Rock location, in an as-yet unnamed shopping center on Chenal Parkway (just west of

Cold Stone Creamery

), with a March target opening. We’ll keep you posted.

1620 the Restaurant, 1620 Market St., Little Rock, has introduced a prix fixe menu, three courses for $37 (add $10 per course for a wine pairing), with a choice of a Bacon & Brie Salad or Crawfish Caesar Salad for the first course; cilantro-scented, pan-seared halibut with nori rice and julienned vegetables, finished with curry lime broth, or a six-ounce filet mignon with lobster, creamed autumn corn and asparagus tips for the entree; and for dessert, Grand Marnier Souffle or Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie.The telephone number is (501) 221-1620; the Web site is 1620restaurant.com.

And although Halloween doesn’t fill restaurants the way New Year’s Eve or Valentine’s Day do, with the holiday falling on a Saturday this year, it would be a good idea to check in a bit in advance to avoid tricks and take advantage of treats. Many area establishments are running specials, extending hours and/or sponsoring costume contests.

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:

eharrison@arkansasonline.com

Weekend, Pages 40 on 10/29/2009

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