LITTLE ROCK — Flying Burrito Co.
in the River Market, 300 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, will close Tuesday. Its owners plan to open another, full service Mexican-American restaurant in its place. Posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event. php?eid=133016600087349) is this message: “The Flying Burrito Co. of Little Rock regrets to inform you we will be closing our doors Tuesday, Nov. 30. It has been a great experience and our pleasure to serve the downtown area for the last five years. We truly appreciate the loyalty we’ve received, especially from many of our employees and a core of regulars without whom we could not have been successful.
“We are also very excited about our newest venture, tentatively named Harry & Jorge’s (hor-hay’s), which will open March 1, 2011. During lunch, H&J’s will continue the tradition of providing very good Mexican food quickly, but now with an added element of full service that will create a comfortable environment more conducive to night-time dining. Thank you, Daniel Bryant, owner.”
According to the sign on the door, Russ Jefferson’s
Hot Springs Oyster Bar, 510 Central Ave., Hot Springs, has “temporarily closed for remodeling, pending settlement of our claim with BP.” The sign goes on to explain: “Our oyster bar could not buy oysters after the oil spill in the Gulf and the cost of our seafood was so much higher ... so our motto of ‘Fresh seafood at a sailor’s price’ became unattainable. An oyster bar with no oysters is a no-brainer. We believe BP would agree. We thank you so much for your support, and promise to reopen here if the amount of our settlement with BP allows us to do so.” Jefferson was trying to re-create to some degree his Little Rock restaurant S.O.B. (Shrimp, Oyster & Beerhaus). One hopeful sign: The telephone number, (501) 318-1100, is still operating, though we couldn’t get anybody to answer.
Paula Lynn’s Really Homemade Sandwich & Sweet Shop
has opened at 304 N. Reynolds Road, Bryant, offering homemade hardwood-smoked meat sandwiches (on choice of hoagie, white, wheat, rye, sourdough or croissant) and homemade pies, cookies, fudge and cakes. (Owners Paula and Gary Jordan also operate
Jordan’s Barbecue, nearby at 110 N. Reynolds.) Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The phone number is (501) 847-2066.
The Skillet Restaurant
at the Ozark Folk Center, 1032 Park Ave., Mountain View, is hosting a special Ozark Christmas Feast on Dec. 10, starting with a wassail-bowl reception at 5:30 p.m. Menu options include prime rib with baked potato or salmon with shrimp scampi over wild rice (all dinners come with grilled vegetables and homemade rolls and butter); for dessert, choose chocolate earthquake cake or raspberry cheesecake. String band Sylamore Crossing will entertain during the reception and after dinner for dancing. Tickets are $30; deadline for required reservations is Dec. 3. Call (870) 269-3851 or visit ozarkfolkcenter.com.
Adam Richman, host of The Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food, will discuss his new book, America the Edible: Why We Eat, What We Eat, Where We Eat, an exploration of the factors that shape folks’ eating habits and how food reflects American culture, at 6 p.m.Tuesday in Sturgis Hall at the Clinton School of Public Service, 1200 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. A book signing will follow. Admission is free but reservations are required; call (501) 683-5239 or e-mail publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu.
We got relatively few takers on our call to list open restaurants serving Thanksgiving dinner today, but here’s what we have:
All locations of the
Dixie Cafe
will be open 11 a.m.-5 p.m., serving a traditional Thanksgiving meal for $9.99 (that includes a small dinner salad, sliced turkey breast or grilled ham steak, corn bread dressing with turkey gravy, green beans, sweet potato casserole - or any two vegetables from the regular menu - plus cranberry sauce, homemade rolls and jalapeno corn bread; for dessert, blackberry, peach or no-sugar-added apple cobbler or banana pudding; beverage,tax and gratuity are extra), $3.89 for the “kiddie feast.” A limited number of regular menu items will be available on request.
Mimi’s Cafe
outlets in Little Rock and Rogers, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., turkey and all the fixings for $14.99, $6.99 for children under 12; reservations are recommended. Call (501) 221-3883 (Little Rock), (479) 936-7983 (Rogers).
The Arkansas Queen
riverboat is offering two Thanksgiving on the River dinner cruises, 1 and 5 p.m., boarding at 100 Riverfront Drive, North Little Rock. The menu includes roasted turkey, ham, garden salad, scalloped potatoes, corn bread dressing with turkey gravy, green beans, dinner rolls and pumpkin pie. Cost is $43.59 (tax included). Call (501) 372-5777.
Thanksgiving brunch at
The Peabody
Little Rock, West
Markham and Louisiana streets, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Cost is $39.95 (includes valet parking), $14.95 for children 6-11, children 5 and under eat free. Call (501) 399-8062 or visit peabodylittlerock.com.
The restaurant at
Mather Lodge
at Petit Jean State Park, 1285 Petit Jean Road, Morrilton, will be serving Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings starting at 10:30 a.m. Cost is $14.95, $10.95 for kids 7-12, $6.95 for kids 3-6, free for children under 3, plus tax and drink. No reservations necessary or taken. Call (501) 727-5604.
By the way, the restaurant, along with the rest of the lodge - guest rooms, lobby, restrooms, meeting rooms and swimming pool, will be closed temporarily, December through 2011, “while undergoing renovation.” The park’s cabins, however, will remain open and available, and a concession trailer will operate in the park’s picnic area while the restaurant is closed. Call (800) 264-2462 or visit petitjeanstatepark.com.
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? Dropus 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 48 on 11/25/2010