TRANSITIONS

Indian restaurant Curry in a Hurry, in the Market Place Shopping Center, 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock, appears to have closed in a hurry. By all the apparent evidence from a late evening drive-by, not only are the signs gone but the place appears to have been cleared out to the bare walls; there’s no sign that there was ever anything inside at all. A call to the listed phone number, (501) 224-4567, didn’t return a “disconnected” message, it produced nothing at all. Sahil Hameerani moved his restaurant, which had been operating in a shack, pretty much, on Pike Avenue in North Little Rock, into the space, which had housed another Indian restaurant, Amruth, in February 2012.

Dallas-based On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, which says its west Little Rock outlet is its most popular unit (“based on daily guest traffic among the brand’s 159 restaurants in 36 states,” according to a news release), is on track to open its new Sherwood location, 6000 Warden Road, at 11 a.m. Sept. 30. The 6,600-square-foot restaurant, the company says, is “a new prototype for the brand, featuring an open kitchen with an all-wood burning grill, brighter colors, more rustic finishes, unique art and decor and an ‘El Presidente Booth,’ which can be reserved in advance for special occasions.” And, for the first time, “On the Border will let its guests in on what has historically been a pre-opening ritual among team members: signing one of 72 beer bottles that make up a beer-bottle chandelier.” Cost to you: $100 (all proceeds will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas). Hours will be 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily. The phone number: (501) 476-7180.

The Spot (billing itself as “A Down Home Place to Kick It!”) has opened at 111 W. Fifth St., Pine Bluff, offering fried fish, Polish sausage, burgers and wings, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays for lunch, 5-10 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Thursday-Friday, 4-11 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.The phone number is (870) 536-1599. Owner Niche’ Walters is the daughter of Rose Pettigrew, who operates R.J.’s Grill, 128 Main St., Pine Bluff, which opened under our radar about three years ago. Their menu is mostly plate meals, changing daily; hours are 11 a.m.-2 p.m. with a 5-7 p.m. “happy hour” weekdays and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is (870) 850-7887.

The Little Rock Zoo’s Zoo Brew, 6-9 p.m. today, takes place in and around Cafe Africa and the Civitan Pavilion at the zoo in Little Rock’s War Memorial Park. Tragikly White is providing the entertainment; beer samples and food from mobile vendors, including Southern Gourmasian, Hot Dog Mike and Waffle Wagon, and a souvenir cup are all covered in the $25 ticket (plus handling fees if you buy your tickets online at lrzoobrew.eventbrite. com). Call (501) 661-7208 or visit littlerockzoo.com.

Ahoy, matey! Today, as if you didn’t know, is Talk Like a Pirate Day. And two chains are celebrating:

Krispy Kreme outlets will once again give a free doughnut to folks who walk in and say “Arrrrr” or otherwise talk like a stereotypical pirate. And if you actually dress like a pirate - wearing three or more of these qualifying items: eye patch, pirate hat, bandana, peg leg, parrot on shoulder, pirate/peasant shirt, knickers, leather belt, silver and/or gold necklaces and earrings, pirate hook and/or pointy black boots or ragged brown sandals (no weapons allowed, so leave the cutlass and blunderbuss at home, please) - they’ll hand you a free dozen Original Glazed. The Little Rock outlet is on South Shackleford Road. Visit KrispyKreme.com.

Meanwhile, the Dallas-based Twin Peaks chain (with a Little Rock outlet at 10 Shackleford Drive) will marrr-k the event with its annual Talk Like a Pirate Party, which actually will have started Wednesday and runs through Friday. Twin Peaks Girls, normally clad in “Lumber Jill” outfits, will sport captains’ hats, corsets, blouses and boots to serve 29-degree beer and the restaurant’s bar-food menu. Visit TwinPeaksRestaurant.com and/or Facebook.com/TwinPeaksRestaurant.

Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers (mellowmushroom.com) is participating in Share Our Strength’s annual Dine Out for No Kid Hungry campaign during September, with a goal of connecting 1 million meals to hungry children across the country. Order a Bruschetta appetizer and Mellow Mushroom will donate $1, and you can donate on your own at nokidhungry.org/mellowmushroom.

Four local farming groups - Barnhill Orchards, Laughing Stock Farms/Hardin Farms Too, Little Rock Urban Farming and North Pulaski Farms - will sell locally grown and organic produce at the new Farmers Market West, 1-7 p.m. Saturdays, Sept. 28-Oct. 26 at the Promenade at Chenal, in the 17000 block of Chenal Parkway, Little Rock. For the Sept. 28 kickoff, bring nonperishable food items for donation to the Arkansas Rice Depot and you’ll get one free produce item.

Craft beer expert and author Stephen Beaumont will preside over a beer dinner and sign copies of his latest book, The Pocket Beer Guide: The Essential Handbook to the Very Best Beers in the World (co-written with Tim Webb), at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at the Flying Saucer, 323 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. The dinner will feature seven specially selected beers with a five course menu created by Shane Curley, sous chef at the Packet House Grill. Tickets are $50, plus tax and gratuity; books will be available for $10. Call (501) 372-8032.

Tickets are on sale for the first Rock Town Bacon Throwdown, 1 p.m. Oct. 5 at War Memorial Stadium, West Markham and Van Buren streets, Little Rock. Local professional chefs serve their best bacon dishes in a cook off contest to benefit patients at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Tickets are $25 (free for children 6 and younger with purchase of an adult ticket), for which attendees will get samples of each dish, drinks and a ballot to determine the best bacon dish. A complete list of participating chefs is available at facebook.com/UAMSYoungAuxiliary; call (501) 686-5656 or visit rocktownbaconthrowdown.eventbrite.com.

And online food site Food Republic!’s “Hidden South” columnist Chris Chamberlain highlighted downtown Little Rock eating establishments - headlined “Little Rock, Arkansas: Everything From Fine Dining To Down-Home Grub” with a secondary, “Lots of decadent options in Bill Clinton’s hometown” (disregarding, of course that Clinton was born in Hope and grew up in Hot Springs). The list includes South on Main, Ashley’s at the Capital, Capital Bar & Grill, Forty Two, Your Mama’s Good Food and Cotham’s in the City. Read it at foodrepublic.com/2013/09/11/ little-rock-arkansas-everything-fine-dining-downh?utm_source=Downtown+Little+Rock+Weekly+Update+09+13+13++&utm_ campaign=Weekly+Update+07%2F26%2F13&utm_ medium=email.

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 email to: eharrison@arkansasonline.com