TRANSITIONS

You will recall we reported in May that Bumpy’s Tex Mex, 400 N. Bowman Road, Little Rock, had closed “temporarily,” according to a sign on its door. Now a couple of our sharp-eyed observers report that there’s nothing temporary about it - “There is a homemade sign on the door with the typed words ‘We are closed,’” said one of those correspondents. Interestingly, the phone number, (501) 379-8327, still does not return a disconnect message, but nobody answers it. And our attempt to access the website, bumpysmexican.com, which in May delivered this message: “Error 404 - Not found. Your browser can’t find the document corresponding to the URL you typed in,” now turns up a failure for our browser to find the server.

From restaurateur Mark Abernathy: “Just a heads up, we are starting a bit of a make-over of Loca Luna [3519 Old Cantrell Road, Little Rock] over the next six weeks. Some interior and exterior cosmetic changes, upgraded restrooms and a menu shift …. The ole girl still looks pretty good after 16 years but it’s time for a bit of a ‘face-lift.’” He says for the most part the place will stay open during the renovations, though “We may have to close one or two days.” The menu change is providing him with a bit of a dilemma as a creative chef:“Business has never been better but you don’t want to rest on your laurels,” he says, noting that he’s facing customer dismay if he removes customer favorites; you might see some of the specials he has been offering that have sold well find their way onto the permanent bill of fare, and he’s looking at “some new dishes with more sustainable seafood.” In the meanwhile, he’s welcoming customer input - the restaurant phone number is (501) 663-4666.

Conway’s Log Cabin Democrat (thecabin.net) earlier this week reported the June 7 closure, after 17 years, of Oak Street Bistro. The paper quoted owner Pam Trent as citing her health and Conway restaurant competition as factoring into the closure, and saying she has no immediate business plans, but will “take time off and get regenerated.” Trent takes credit, along with the owners of Mike’s Place, for starting the public-restaurant-slash-private-club model that got alcohol into Conway’s dining scene. The restaurant opened at 713 Oak St. in 1996 and moved to 800 Fourth Ave., just off of Oak Street (and a little closer to Interstate 40) in 2010.

Eureka Springs drinking and dining establishments will be participating in the third annual French-theme Fleur Delicious Weekend, July 9-14. A news release describes it as “a celebration of all the senses:sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.” The pre-event festivities include a July 3 bartender competition; the extended weekend itself will feature “Samplings and Sips”; cooking demonstrations; a three-course French inspired farmers market dinner at Caribe Restaurante y Cantina, featuring wines from Railway Winery; a “Burlesque Drink and Draw” at Voulez-Vous Lounge; French wine and cheese tastings; a combination champagne tasting and lingerie show titled “Bubbles & Boudoir” at the Queen Anne Mansion; and a July 13 “Door to Door, Luxe Galore” shopping spree at participating boutiques. Call (504) 421-2461 or (479) 253-6807 or visit fleurdeliciousweekend.com for details.

Cregeen’s Irish Pub, 301 Main St., North Little Rock, is taking reservations for its “Bushmills & Burgers” event, 6 p.m. June 20. For $25 you get a complementary drink, five samples of whiskey (“spirits expert Johnny Maddox will delight you as he imparts his passion for whiskey to us all”), various slider burgers, fries, dessert “and more.” Seating is limited. Call (501) 376-7468 (PINT) or visit cregeens.com.

The Green Corner Store and Soda Fountain, 1423 Main St., Little Rock, is offering portions of Preservation Praline Ice Cream and other Loblolly Creamery offerings to benefit the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas. Details? Visit thegreencornerstore.com.

Mountain Home nonprofit Serenity Inc., “dedicated to providing safe shelter, programs and services to domestic violence survivors in the Twin Lakes region,” has announced the winning restaurants in its fifth Annual Taste of the Twin Lakes benefit, June 4 at the Baxter County Fairgrounds.

People’s Choice winners include Whispering Woods for fine dining and Blackbird Cafe for casual dining.

The judges’ fine dining choices:

Best appetizer - (tie) El Chico Cafe for guacamole; Dawt Mill for goat cheese-stuffed kumquat

Best entree: 870 Bistro for Penne Con Pollo Arrosto

Best dessert: 870 Bistro for Italian cream cake

Judges’ casual dining winners:

Best appetizer: Letty’s for barbecue & coconut shrimp

Best entree: Letty’s for chicken & steak fajitas with shrimp burrito

Best dessert: Heidi’s Ugly Cakes for coconut cream cake

Last week, Nara (nara.me), a restaurant recommendation website and free mobile app that has been inching its way across the country was in 50 cities. It’s now in markets in all 50 states, including Little Rock. The site culls restaurant information from across the Internet and posts it. You the restaurant customer and consumer mark the ones you like and what you like about them - “the whole experience, food, drink, location, price point, ambience,” says spokesman Kara Ivy Goldberg - and the site narrows its search parameters to come up with recommendations that match your preferences. “It gets smarter the more you use it,” says Tom Copeman, chief executive officer and founder of the Cambridge, Mass.,-based site. “We’re sort of Match.com for restaurants,” a matchmaker between consumers with certain preferences and restaurants that fulfill them, he adds. There’s no cost to the restaurant or the diner; the site makes its money through a revenue-sharing agreement with restaurant service sites (“through Nara, users can also order food via GrubHub, book a table directly using the OpenTable button and book a car service using Uber,” according to the news release). And you’ll be able to use it when you travel as well. 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