LITTLE ROCK — A recent weekend found a friend and me heading south to Sheridan to check out Skeeter & Millie’s, a restaurant that a co-worker said was well worth the drive. So, off we went. The drive was pleasant, and took about 40 minutes from downtown Little Rock.
The restaurant is run by three siblings, who are the grandchildren of George “Skeeter” and Millie Dickey. Skeeter was a catcher who played for the Arkansas Travelers, Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox throughout his career, and he’s also one of the namesakes of Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
The restaurant’s exterior is an attractive mix of black and white, with a pop of bright green on the signs. The interior is decorated in a dark taupe color with black accents throughout. The walls are covered with vintage photos of baseball players, as well as shots of Skeeter and Millie, andthere are several large televisions on the walls, which were tuned to college football on the day of our visit.
The menu isn’t extremely broad, but it offers a nice selection. My dining companion and I decided to start with Crawfish Dip ($8.95), which the menu says is made with sauteed crawfish in a spicy cream saucetopped with smoked gouda cheese and served with crostini, or small slices of toasted baguette.
Thankfully, the delicious dish was not too spicy, and it was amazingly rich and creamy, with a plentiful amount of small crawfish tails mixed into the well-seasoned, thick sauce. The simple toast was just theright accompaniment too, as it wasn’t overly buttered or seasoned, which could have changed the flavor of the dip.
The smell of barbecue was in the air, which had both of us craving smoked meat. I ordered the Rib Combo ($13.95), that’s four ribs, pulled pork or sausage plus coleslaw and beans. About half went home with me for lunch the next day.
The pink meat on the ribs was tender and practically felloff the bones, and the dry rub had a nice hint of garlic. The pulled pork, which I chose over the sausage, was tender and lean, but it didn’t have as smoky a flavor as did the ribs. There were two barbecue sauces on the table, mild and hot. The mild added a nice sweet flavor to the pork, the hot was, well, just too hot for me. The beans were a bit sweet and tasted OK, but they seemed to be from a can, and the coarsely cut slaw needed a dash of salt, but overall it went well with the meat.
My companion went for the Combo Plate ($12.95), which included sliced brisket, pulled pork, sausage, beans and slaw.After a bit of strong-arming, he allowed me to try the sausage and brisket. The sausage was good, but the brisket was my favorite. It had a bit of a peppery taste, which was quite enjoyable, and it was moist and tender.
We finished off our meal by sharing a delectable offering from the Cheesecake Factory. The Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake ($5.95) came attractivelyplaced on a square white plate with little drops of chocolate sauce decorating the dish. The dessert was rich and decadent, and one piece was plenty for two. The menu also mentions Berry White, The Thrilla From Vanilla, Chocolate Tuxedo Mousse and Crazy Carrot flavors, but the carrot version, which I wanted, was sold out.
The rest of the menu includes a selection of salads, appetizers, sandwiches, baked potatoes, steaks and a couple of seafood dishes.
A friendly server did his best to make us feel at home and comfortable. The only issue I had, and it’s really just one of my quirks, was that we weren’t given teaspoons. The straw worked fine as a stirrer, but being Southern born and bred, I just like a teaspoon to blend mysweetener into the tea.
Skeeter & Millie’s also offers specials that change daily and aren’t on the menu, so be sure to check with your server to hear what you might be missing.
Skeeter & Millie’s Address: 1208 N. Rock St., (U.S.
167) Sheridan Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m., and 5-9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 4-9 p.m. Saturday Cuisine: Barbecue, steaks and sandwiches Credit cards: AE, D, V, MC Alcoholic beverages: No Wheelchair accessible: Yes Carryout: Yes (870) 917-2037
Weekend, Pages 38 on 09/23/2010