After an extended soft opening, Rocket Twenty-One will finally have its grand opening this weekend in its new space in North Little Rock’s Wyndham Riverfront Hotel, Maple Street and Washington Avenue, General Manager Donnie Rieathbaum says. That soft opening included what Rieathbaum says was a very successful Valentine’s Day, despite a glitch with online reservation-taker Open Table, which forced the cancellation of several supposedly confirmed reservations just two days in advance. Some folks were notified by email from Open Table, some by Rieathbaum, who blamed Open Table for suspending only one, and not both, of the restaurant’s reservation accounts. “Some people weren’t very happy, but most were understanding,” Rieathbaum says. He still has no word on what Rocket Twenty-One owner Frank Fletcher’s plans are for the restaurant’s former location, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock. We’ll update you as soon as we hear.
The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism is touting a new establishment in Eureka Springs: Cafe Roulant, where everybody gets a window seat, “a view that changes every minute and a menu that changes every day.” That’s because the restaurant is a rolling cafe aboard a trolley car, with white-clothed tables amid brass poles and mahogany benches. Board at the Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce parking lot “out on the highway,” as they say in Eureka - that’s U.S. 62 - 6 and 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday through the winter months; starting in April, tours will also be available Monday, Wednesday and Thursday with brunch at 10 a.m. and lunch at 1. The trolley tours the town’s historic loop while customers chow down on a three-course meal from one or more partnering restaurants - Conductor Tom Tharp works with Fresh and Garden Bistro and is looking to add others, including possibly DeVito’s and Cottage Inn in the spring. State law prohibits the mobile eatery from serving alcohol but you can BYOB (wine only). Cost is $44; make reservations at RollingCafe.com, call (479) 981-1737 or email info@rollingcafe.com. Oh, and P&T travel writer Jill M. Rohrbach notes that you’ll have to go before you go, so to speak: The trolley has no restroom, and the dinner service lasts at least an hour.
The opening of the Which Wich Superior Sandwiches outlet in the Chenal Creek Shopping Center, 12800 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, has been pushed back to mid-March. It’s the second area outlet for owner/franchisee Ty Mayhan, who opened the first one last summer in North Little Rock’s Lakewood neighborhood, 2607 A McCain Blvd. Hours will be 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, but we don’t yet have a phone number. We’ll keep you posted.
In case you were unaware of it, Saturday is apparently National Margarita Day. It’s likely that many Mexican and Tex-Mex establishments, as well as non-Mexican places, that serve margaritas will acknowledge it in some way. We’re only letting you know about the Saturday-only $1 House Margarita special at the On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina restaurants in Little Rock, Sherwood and Hot Springs because they were kind enough to send us a news release. They’ll also have fancier concoctions for a higher price tag. The Little Rock restaurant is at 11721 Chenal Parkway - (501) 218-8840; the new Sherwood outlet, 6000 Warden Road - (501) 476-7180; and the one in Hot Springs, 190 Pakis St. - (501) 781-2210.
The Pulaski Technical College Foundation will put on the preliminaries of the Diamond Chef Arkansas competition, 2-8 p.m. March 6 at the new Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute, on the Pulaski Tech-South campus, 13000 Interstate 30, Little Rock. Drop in any time; from 5-8 you can sample hors d’oeuvres and beverages. The competing chefs: Philippe Ducrot of the institute faculty; Payne Harding, executive chef at Cache; Elliot Jones, executive chef at YaYa’s Euro Bistro; Jason Morell, executive chef and owner of Starving Artist Cafe; Marc Guizol, executive sous chef at the Capital Hotel; and Coby Smith, executive cheffor Arkansas Heart Hospital. The winner gets to challenge last year’s champion, Dan Capello, executive chef at Little Rock’s Chenal Country Club. Admission is free. Call (501) 812-2771.
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
Weekend, Pages 38 on 02/20/2014