TRANSITIONS

— It might have something to do with the start of Oaklawn’s racing season, but all of a sudden Hot Springs’ Central Avenue has seen a lot of restaurant action in the last couple of weeks:

We have two hits on Lake Hamilton. The Boathouse Restaurant has opened at 4904 Central Ave., formerly Doe’s Eat Place. They’ve kept the same phone number, (501) 525-8585. And ads in the Hot Springs Sentinel Record note that the establishment at 4915 Central Ave. is once again called Dockers Bar & Grill and it’s “now open under new ownership.” The new owner is Joe Clark, by the way. The establishment has gone by many names over the past few years, including The Keys on the Water, a dueling piano bar, which is still the name on the voice mail message we got by calling the number we found in the Jan. 6 ad, (501) 525-3335.

Meanwhile, the Sentinel Record reported on Jan. 10 a building-permit filing for a $150,000 update/upgrade to Suite H in the Temperance Hill mall, 4330 Central Ave., for a restaurant and lounge called Frendz.

A Larry’s Pizza outlet opened Monday at 3954 Central Ave. Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is (501) 525-2000.

And at the very other end of the street, 101 Central Ave., right where Central turns into Park Avenue, a recent Sentinel Record classified ad seeks employees for the new Fat Jack’s Oyster Sports Bar & Grill. Apparently it’s an offshoot of a Texarkana establishment of the same name. One Keith Francis applied for a liquor permit earlier this month. Information provides a phone number, (501) 318-0075, but it only produces a not-connected message.

A sharp-eyed colleague says he has spotted signs of life at the old Hop Drive-In location, 7706 Cantrell Road, Little Rock: “a small ‘Open’ sign by the window and someone inside near that window. There was also a larger sign outside the place (but not near the road) that said something like, ‘The Hop Now Open.’” Until we can get up there to investigate in person, anybody who has more details, feel free to supply ’em.

Another of our sharp-eyed correspondents spotted a sign heralding the approach of a Marco’s Pizza at 4905 John F. Kennedy Blvd., North Little Rock, in a space that at one time housed Pierre’s Gourmet Pizza. It’s apparently the second local franchise for an Ohio-based operation (the first is way up Arkansas 107, where Sherwood meets Gravel Ridge).

Lava Lounge, 2755 Dave Ward Drive, Conway, a Mediterranean restaurant and hookah bar of which we were previously unaware, has been turning to social media in a big way, with more or less simultaneous Groupon and Living Social deals. They’ve also got a Facebook page, of course, from which we learn that the place serves “gyros, humus, wings, chicken kebabs, burgers and more.” The phone number is (501) 328-5282 (LAVA).

No confirmation yet on when Sai Gon Cuisine will reopen in its new home, 14524 Cantrell Road, Little Rock (formerly Gina’s Sushi Bar) — last we heard, secondhand, was end of January-early February — but we have learned that their phone number has changed, to (501) 868-7770. Of course we still can’t get anybody to answer it.

Diana McClung, who is now among the head honchos at the River Market, provides these updates for the Ottenheimer Market Hall, 400 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock:

The Southern home-cooking place that is moving into the southwest corner space will, in fact, be named Cinco Entrees, reflecting the five kinds of entrees — pork, beef, chicken, fish and pasta — that owner Travis Meyer will be offering. The place will also feature a selection of side dishes, homemade desserts and an iced tea bar. Target opening date is Feb. 1. The subdivided portion of the space, between Cinco Entrees and the Tropical Smoothie Cafe, is still vacant.

A lease is still in negotiation, but it looks as though a gourmet popsicle stand is headed for the former Fatsam’s space on the other side of the market hall. Le Pops will have a manufacturing kitchen with a retail component; McClung says they specialize in outrageous-sounding but actually very tasty flavor combinations such as pineapple cilantro, strawberry basil and cucumber jalapeno.

And farther east in the market hall, the space occupied by the now-closed Milton’s Best Hot Dog Stand will revert back to the next-door grocery store, from which it had hived.

Rock Town Distillery will host a “Distillers Tour and Dinner” Wednesday, starting at 6:30 p.m. with a tour of the distillery, 1216 E. Sixth St., Little Rock (with appetizer and a tasting of the distillery’s products), followed by a five-course dinner (paired with cocktails containing Rock Town products) at Lulav, 220 W. Sixth St., Little Rock. Cost is $69 per person, including tour, product tasting, dinner and all cocktails; reservations are required. Call the restaurant at (501) 374-5100 (lulaveatery.com) or the distillery at (501) 907-5244 (arkansaslightning.com).

Searcy’s first Firehouse Subs opened Monday at 1547 East Race Ave. Among the restaurant’s attractions: the 120-plusdrink Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain and a hand-painted custom mural that depicts the Searcy Fire Department’s Engine No. 1 alongside the sign for Harding University and its Bison mascot. Franchisee Matt Crawford also operates an outlet in Jonesboro. Hours are 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. The phone number is (501) 268-4851.

The Southern Cheese Dip Academy will hold the inaugural Fayetteville Sip & Dip May 5 at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Fayetteville, a partnership between the Northwest Arkansas Cheese Dip Classic and the Fayetteville Foam Fest. The event will feature the region’s first cheese dip competition as well as what a news release describes as Northwest Arkansas’ first large-scale beer sampling festival, featuring more than 300 beers from around the world. Cheese Dip Classic proceeds will benefit the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas; Foam Fest proceeds will benefit Feed Fayetteville. Details? Visit CheeseDip.net.

The Little Rock outlet of Boston’s Restaurant & Sports Bar, in the Holiday Inn Airport, 3201 Bankhead Drive, is taking part in the annual Boston’s Cares charity campaign, donating $1 from each sale of specially featured desserts (including red velvet cheesecake and a gluten-free brownie a la mode), heart-shaped pizzas and paper hearts through Feb. 26 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Check out the details at www.bostons.com.

And in our nostra culpa department, we got a couple of wires crossed in last week’s column. The want-ad we cited seeking a corporate cook at 1600 Cantrell Road, Little Rock is actually for Dillard’s corporate headquarters. The Packet House Grill will eventually be reopening a couple of blocks east, at 1400 Cantrell Road.

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, 121 E. Capitol Ave., Little Rock, Ark. 72201. Send e-mail to:

eharrison@arkansasonline.com

Weekend, Pages 37 on 01/19/2012

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