TRANSITIONS

— Today is the scheduled opening for Dugan’s Pub, 403 E. Third St., Little Rock. Owner Don Dugan has been proudly showing the place off in person and online; among his “crows,” almost all the elements in the decor (including the stained glass and several miles of wooden trim, excluding the tables and chairs) have been locally purchased or constructed. Hours are 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday-Friday; 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday. As of deadline, there was no phone number yet; the number for Dugan’s west Little Rock Market Street Grill & Pub is (501) 224-2010.

The kitchen at the White Water Tavern, 2500 W. Seventh St., Little Rock, has reopened for dinner three nights a week as a semi-separate entity called Castleberry’s at the White Water. That’s Castleberry as in chef Nick Castleberry, who says the menu will be “seasonal, bar-friendly” and “as much local as I can get” and will change frequently depending on what local he can get. Examples: slow-cooked pork (from local farms); a grilled cheese sandwich to which the kitchen can add ham or chicken; and a vegan pasta salad. Castleberry is a Little Rock guy recently moved back from Seattle, where he’d been acquiring a reputation for 15 years for fine pub grub at Sitka & Spruce, Artemis and Castleberry’s at the Summit. Kitchen hours will be 5 p.m.-midnight Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (plans include lunch, probably on Fridays); the tavern’s hours: noon-2 a.m. Monday-Friday, 6 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday. The phone number is (501) 375-8400.

We had heard rumors back in the summer that Mexico Chiquito was planning to close its walk-in/drive-through Mex-to-Go operation at 104 S. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock, after the sale of the long-vacant building from which it had continued to operate at the northeastern tip. In July we reported that company spokesman Chad Jones had assured us the operation would continue under a lease-back agreement with the building’s new owner. Now Jones, describing it as an “opportunity” for his company, says the Mex-to-Go outlet has closed (Sunday was its last day), and will essentially be shifting to 1135 U.S. 65 N. in Conway (in front of the Wal-Mart), and expected to open in late December. We’ll keep you posted.

And yet another update on the Burger King in the 4200 block of Camp Robinson Road: Dominic Flis, the franchisee for most of central Arkansas’ BK outlets, says the demolition of the building is part of a “scrape and rebuild” operation. Target date to open the new Burger King, which will be similar to the one on Cantrell Road west of Interstate 430, is January.

Gloria “Gigi” Gabriel, pastry chef at Maddie’s Place in Little Rock, is opening a private cake shop, Gigi’s, A Cake Boutique, 9871 Brockington Road, Sherwood. Right now Gabriel is only taking cake and pastry orders, but says she’s planning to expand to an open shop within the next year. She’s having an open house 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 16, at which you can sample cupcakes and see cakes on display. The telephone number is (501) 240-3932; the website: gigiscakeboutique.com.

Hayestack Cafe, 27024 Kanis Road in Ferndale, will host a food and art show, 2-5:30 p.m. Sunday. Four area artists will set up outside; the buffet will be inside. Cost is $15, $7 for children. The regular hours for the cafe, which recently increased the size of its menu: 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 8 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-9 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. Call (501) 821-0070.

The Ozark Foothills FilmFest’s “Foothills Food-Fest: A Culinary Revelation”

will be at 2 p.m. Nov. 6 at Elizabeth’s Restaurant, 231 E. Main St., Batesville. The festival, which organizers hope will become an annual event, will showcase creations from regional restaurants and chefs. Tickets are $25; all proceeds benefit Ozark Foothills FilmFest Inc. Call (870) 251-1189 or e-mail ozarkfilm@wildblue.net.

As part of its third annual Harvest! Festival, Wildwood Park for the Arts is seeking cooks and their corn recipes for the “Arkansas Corn-Tastic Culinary Competition,” Oct. 17 at Wildwood, 20919 Denny Road, Little Rock. All dishes must feature corn; all entries must provide at least four portions. Winners in the “entree” and “not an entree” categories will each win $100 (just bragging rights for second place); there’s a $5 entry fee per dish, which you can deduct from the festival’s $10 entry fee. Deadline to enter is Oct. 15; find the registration form at the website, wildwoodpark. org. You must have your dish at the park by noon that Sunday; taste-based judging by distinguished judge(s) will take place at 1 p.m. Call (501) 821-7275.

October being National Cookie Month and National Book Month, Great American Cookies is putting on the first “Reading is Sweet: 2010 National Book Drive” at participating outlets, including those at 605 Salem St., Building B, Suite 1, Conway, and in the Hot Springs Mall, 4501 Central Ave., Hot Springs. (A cookie chain spokesman says the owners of the outlets at Park Plaza in Little Rock and McCain Mall in North Little Rock have decided not to participate.) Throughout the month, customers who donate a new or “gently read” book can receive a free cookie of their choice; one cookie per person per day. The books will be donated to public libraries or local charities. Visit

GreatAmericanCookies. 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? 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 10/07/2010

Upcoming Events