LITTLE ROCK — Owner-executive chef Travis Meyer reports he has closed
Cinco Entrees
in the River Market’s Ottenheimer Market Hall, 400 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. “We are opening our own place in Little Rock to include lunch, dinner and drinks under a new name,” he explains. We’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, he’ll continue to operate his
Meyer Dogs
food cart around downtown, and you’ll be able to follow its progress on Facebook.
The
65th Street Diner, 3201 W. 65th St., Little Rock, is gone, and
Bobbie Jean Soul Food
has taken its place. A statement on the menu proclaims, “Come Out and Enjoy the Best Home Cooking in the A-STATE.” Hours are 6:30-9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Saturday; the phone number is (501) 838-2589.
One of our sharp-eyed observers reports the pending arrival of a
Little Caesar’s
atthe corner of Kiehl Avenue and Hemphill Street in Sherwood.
Latest report on the target opening date for
RJ Tao Restaurant & Ultra Lounge, in the Shops in the Heights, 5501 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, is now the first week of September. The wooden paneling that used to cover the front door has been taken down, though brown paper still covers the windows. The website, rjtaorocks.com, is still under construction. And interestingly enough, we’re now getting disconnect squawks at the listed telephone numbers, (501) 603-0080 and (501) 603-0082.
Bunker’s Bar and Grill, at the Greens at North Hills (formerly North Hills Country Club), 7404 Arkansas 107, Sherwood, has a new chef, John Bilon, who is offering new weekly and weekend specials while maintaining the place’s previous menu (available at thegreensatnorthhills.net). Hours are 10a.m.-10 p.m. daily; the phone number is (501) 392-6127.
And speaking of new chefs, the
Capital Hotel, West Markham and Louisiana streets, is apparently on the verge of hiring, or may have hired and is on the verge of naming, a new executive chef, a replacement for Lee Richardson, who left somewhat abruptly a couple of months ago. “The new executive chef is being carefully researched,” says a hotel spokesman. “We are excited to bring on a chef that follows the same philosophy but has extensive experience to further brand what has already been established. It will be an exciting year ahead.” In the interim, executive sous-chef Jeffrey Ferrell has been keeping things running at
Ashley’s
and the
Capital Bar & Grill
as acting chef de cuisine.
Meanwhile, Travis Mc-Connell, former sous-chef at the hotel’s
Capital Bar & Grill, is returning to that position after a three-year stint in SanFrancisco. “I’m really excited to pick up where I left off, in a kitchen I know really well, with the benefit of all my recent experience,” he says in a news release; that includes a visit to Italy and a wider knowledge of charcuterie.
And in response to our report last week that Conway’s
Pasta House
is now a used-car lot, one of our sharp-eyed observers reports that members of the family that operated it are running
Milano’s Mexican-Italian Restaurant, 1020 Garland St., Conway. A little digging unveiled a Log Cabin Democrat squib that the new place is being run by Gabriella Benitez, daughter of Pasta House owner Manuel Benitez, and business partner Genaro Aguierre. Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The phone number is (501) 328-5529.
A whole bunch of area restaurants will offer discounts and specials Wednesday-Aug. 31 during Little Rock Restaurant Month, which the LittleRock Convention and Visitors Bureau is dubbing “Savor the City,” with a promise that the event “showcases the very best of Little Rock’s cuisine.” A partial list of participating restaurants includes
B-Side
Big Whiskey’s, Black Angus, Bou
levard Bread, the Butcher Shop,
Cajun’s Wharf,
Camp David, Cabers, Casa Manana, Ciao Baci,
Copper Grill, Curry in a Hurry,
Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro, Doe’s Eat
Place, Dugan’s Pub, El Porton,
Far East Asian, Hillcrest Artisan
Meat, Iriana’s, Layla’s, Lilly’s
Dim Sum Then Some, Loblolly
Creamery, Loca Luna, Loganberry
Frozen Yogurt, Mexico Chiquito
and Mex to Go, NYPD Pizza Cafe,
Red Door, Redbones, Salut Bis
tro, Sky Modern Japanese, So
Restaurant-Bar, Sonny Williams
Steak Room, Star of India, Su
shi Cafe, The Root Cafe, Trio’s,
Union Bistro
and W.T. Bubba’s. A complete list should be online by the time you read this at DineLR.com.
And Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza on July 10 awarded Sysco ArkansasLLC a judgment of $80,150.47 plus interest, penalties and legal fees against Nick Galanos and Chris Meaker to cover unpaid bills for their
Browning’s Mexican Grill, 5805 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock.
You will recall our reporting that there has been activity spotted at the long-empty
Roadhouse Grill, 3510 Landers Road, off U.S. 67/167, North Little Rock. We learned this week that it’ll be a third location for
David’s Burgers
(the original is in Conway, with a branch in west Little Rock). Target to open: November. We’ll keep you posted.
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:
Weekend, Pages 38 on 07/26/2012