Weekly theme listings reflect a range of dining possibilities in central Arkansas, across a spectrum of settings and price ranges. Restaurant reviewers' visits are anonymous and all expenses are paid by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Pizza
UPDATE! DAMGOODE PIES
2701 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock; 6706 Cantrell Road, Little Rock; 10720 N. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock; 500 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock,
(501) 664-2239
This friendly multi-outlet eatery produces terrific signature pies with several sauce options in two sit-down locations and one to-go/delivery operation; the new River Market brewpub also offers a full range of craft beers. (The Kavanaugh branch is undergoing renovation.)
Lunch, dinner daily. (Rodney Parham location is carryout/delivery only.) Delivery. Beer, wine. Bargain.
IRIANA'S
201 E. Markham St., Little Rock, (501) 374-3656
Iriana's pies continue to rank among the area's best; the restaurant also serves simple salads and grinders, and Paisano chianti in its casual, friendly downtown digs near the River Market.
Lunch, dinner Mon-Sat. Beer, wine. Delivery. Bargain/moderate.
JAY'S PIZZA
Ottenheimer Market Hall, River Market, 400 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock,
(501) 374-5297
The occasional daily pasta special has begun to challenge Jay Baxter's excellent thin-crust gourmet pizzas (some of them more exotic than others -- for example, Janet's Napoletana with onions, olives, capers and anchovies and Wild Mushroom and Brie), available by the pie or by the slice, along with salads and sandwiches.
Lunch Mon-Sat. No alcohol. Moderate.
NEW! PIRO BRICK OVEN & BARROOM
1318 Main St., Little Rock,
(501) 374-7476
This new SoMA establishment (pronounced PIE-ro, as in pie, not PEE-ro) offers fine, authentic Neapolitan-style pizza with a gourmet touch, made, as the name implies, in a brick oven, plus a goodly range of high-toned appetizers, salads and sandwiches and a big bar with a long list of mostly craft beers, all in a homey setting.
Lunch, dinner Tue-Sat. lunch Sunday. Full bar. Moderate.
PIZZA CAFE
1517 Rebsamen Park Road, Little Rock, (501) 664-6133; 14710 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, (501) 868-2600
Pizza Cafe West joins its long-standing Riverdale original, both offering dependable "straight" and specialty pies, sandwiches and salads in quirkily decorated surroundings.
Lunch, dinner daily. Beer and wine. Moderate.
THE PIZZERIA AT TERRY'S FINER FOODS
5018 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, (501) 551-1388
For pizza purists, this is authentic Neapolitan-style pizza (they brought a wood-burning, 1,000-degree pizza oven over from Naples), near-perfect, 10-inch, artisan, gourmet pies guaranteed to please the pickiest of pizza patrons. Plus there's a list of intriguing appetizers and the bar has eight regularly changing brews on tap.
Lunch, dinner Tue-Sat. Full bar. Moderate.
U.S. PIZZA
2710 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, (501) 663-2198; 5524 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, (501) 664-7071); 9300 N. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock, (501) 224-6300; 3307 Fair Park Blvd., Little Rock, (501) 565-6580; 3324 Pike Ave., North Little Rock, (501) 758-5997; 4001 McCain Park, North Little Rock, (501) 753-2900; 650 Edgewood Drive, Maumelle, (501) 851-0880; 8403 Arkansas 107, Sherwood, (501) 992-1512
Day-in, day-out throngs at all locations generate a din of happy chatter and plenty of brand loyalty for the steady quality of the thin-crust pizzas.
Lunch, dinner daily. Beer, wine (full bar at Hillcrest, beer only at McCain). Bargain-moderate.
VINO'S PIZZA PUB & BREWERY
923 W. Seventh St., Little Rock, (501) 375-8466
Vino's continues to dish up some of the town's best pies, hand-shaped and hand-thrown the old-fashioned way, plus tasty calzones and sandwiches and flavorful, on-premises-brewed beers and ales.
Lunch, dinner daily. Beer, wine. Reservations (very large groups). Bargain-moderate.
Weekend on 06/04/2015