LITTLE ROCK — With more than 700 restaurants in the Little Rock metropolitan area, occasionally we do get a little behind. So we didn’t learn until a week or so ago that back in September, D’Carlo Ristorante & Pizzeria, 12325 Stagecoach Road, Little Rock, changed owners. Jerry Dodd took the place over from founder Carl Orlando; the menu has remained essentially the same but there might be some minor changes in the offing. And the restaurant has added a website, DCarloLR.com, since last we checked (though it does not yet reflect the change in ownership) and a Facebook page. Hours remain 5-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; the phone number remains (501) 407-0400.
Last week’s report about a possible new bar/restaurant moving into the space currently occupied by LaHarpe’s Office Furniture, 318 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, heralded by a “for lease” sign in the window offering to build such an establishment to suit, prompted LaHarpe’s owner Rusty Matchett to call in to report that he is not planning to close his current business - he is weighing options on its future and the building in which it is has been located since 1970, but “We are by no means going out of business. It’s not for sale, it’s for lease. We’re looking at not just one tenant but multiple tenants,” Matchett says. The plan is to redevelop the building, which he owns with his sister, Suzanne Hicks, to “make better use of the space.
We’re looking to see what interest people have in becoming a tenant of ours,” to possibly include multiple tenants that would “complement the River Market - something nice, exciting; something different.” Depending on what might move in, Matchett says, his subdividing the space could mean keeping the furniture showroom there, reducing its size or moving it elsewhere. “We own the entire building down to the Channel 7 [studio], so we’ve already done this once. We’ve already had several people contact us.”
And speaking of the River Market, the Revolution Room, 300 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, has instituted a new menu, divided into “Opening Acts” (including the colorfully named Queso Delux, Smoked Out Salsa, Bird in a Blanket - that’s a chicken wonton with a chili lime dipping sauce - and Kicked Up Crab Cakes);
Rockin’ Tacos (more than a dozen geographically designated varieties - Beale Street, Baltimore, Honolulu, Shanghai and “Lil Rock” among them), Fajitas and “SOB Specialties.” By deadline,all we got was a consistent busy signal at the listed phone number, (501) 823-0090, so we can’t quite figure out yet whether that’s in any way related to the old Shrimp, Oyster & Beerhaus of not-quite-sainted memory.
Your Mama’s Good Food, 215 Center St., this week started offering “Mama’s for Dinner,” a weekday dinner take-out service, available after the restaurant’s normal service hours, 11a.m.-2 p.m. Place your order by 3 p.m. via the website, yourmamasgoodfood.com, or call (501) 372-1811, and pick up 4-6 p.m.
The Bernice Garden , 1401 S. Main St., Little Rock, is setting up to resume hosting “SOMA Food Truck Thursday,” 5-8 p.m. March 14. Seven food vendors are scheduled to be serving: Green Cuisine, The-FoodTruck, Southern Gourmasian, Clyde and Kiddos BBQ, Sugar Shack Sweets and Treats, Kyle Pounder’s Excaliburger and Pizzeria Santa Lucia. Loblolly Creamery’s Soda Fountain in Green Corner Store will stay open late. The event will continue on the second Thursday of every month for the rest of the year. Call (501) 707-8999, e-mail bernicegarden@gmail.com or visit thebernicegarden.org or the Facebook page, facebook.com/SOMAFoodtrucks.
Delight Gluten Free magazine has listed Dempsey Bakery, 323 S. Cross St., Little Rock, as one of the 22 best bakeries in America. “I was totally surprised to see us among the group, eventhough people from across the country tell us we are the best they have found,” says owner Paula Dempsey. Check out the list at delightglutenfree.com/ best-bakeries-america; the bakery phone number is (501) 375-2257.
And Evette Brady, chef emeritus at 1620 Savoy, 1620 Market St., Little Rock, will give a New Orleans-style brunch cooking class at 10 a.m. March 17 in the restaurant kitchen, possibly focusing on homemade biscuits,beignets, bananas Foster and cheese souffles. Cost is $65; reserve your place via e-mail at evettebrady@yahoo.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, 121 E. Capitol Ave., Little Rock, Ark. 72201. Send e-mail to:
Weekend, Pages 38 on 02/28/2013