TRANSITIONS

Ozark Country Restaurant, 201 Keightly Drive, Little Rock, formerly the Little Rock branch of the Ozark Mountain Smokehouse, is apparently up for sale, with an RPM sign big enough to be visible from the nearby intersection of Cantrell Road and Mississippi Street -- particularly in the wake of the recent tear-down of a Cantrell Road strip center that contained a Shipley's Donuts to make way for a pending Slim Chickens. Except that RPM's Reed Gibbons, whose name was on the for-sale sign, told us that somebody stole the sign over the weekend. Neither he nor owner Dan Haase would he divulge any details, though Haase, while not exactly confirming that the place is on the market, did concede that "If somebody comes along" and wants to buy it, "it's a great piece of property." Meanwhile, he's continuing to serve breakfast and lunch, and keep the deck open in fair weather, seven days a weeks -- 6:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. The phone number is (501) 663-7319.

Alexis Jones, owner-chef of Natchez, in the Tower Building, Fourth and Center streets, Little Rock, has posted on the restaurant Facebook page that she's cutting back the restaurant's hours to weekends only: "In the coming months, you'll notice some changes with Natchez; we have been revamping and after this week we will no longer be running our lunch or weekday dinner, and will be open for weekend services only -- Friday and Saturday dinner and now Sunday brunch. We hope to serve you on weekends, and we will be willing and happy to help cater or provide private events on weekdays. You can still expect to see our signatures: braised meats, slow food, hand-rolled pastas, fresh seafood, and local and sustainable produce and proteins. ... Our sales are good but not enough to service our lease or afford our quality for local, fresh, and sustainable products. Our standard is a significant expense, and we have focused on providing the best." The restaurant phone number remains (501) 372-1167; the website is NatchezRestaurant.com.

Greg Seaton Jr. of the White Pig Inn, on East Broadway in North Little Rock, bought Hardin's Market, 15235 U.S. 165, Scott, at an April 29 auction. What will be a new restaurant, not yet named, will feature a similar menu -- primarily barbecue, sandwiches and burgers -- "with some additions," Seaton says, serving lunch and dinner. His target to open: early July. And they'll adopt Hardin's former phone number, (501) 961-1100.

Sawbucks Neighborhood Grill last week opened a Maumelle outlet at 1800 Club Manor Drive, in a strip-center storefront that most recently housed a place called Burger Fix. It's part of a mini-chain with restaurants in El Paso, Beebe, Cabot and Conway "specializing in Steaks, Chicken, Fried Catfish & Southern Fare," including country-style breakfasts, according to the website, sawbucksgrill.com. Hours are 6 a.m.-9 p.m. daily; the phone number (501) 734-8626.

Co-owner Phillip Naylor says June 1 is now the target for the grand opening of Fresh: An Urban Eatery, in the long-vacant former OW Pizza, 1706 W. Third St., Little Rock. The menu will feature a large salad bar, a selection of house-made soups, sandwiches and pizza by the slice made with, as the name might suggest, fresh ingredients, locally sourced where possible. Initial hours will be 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday. We've still had trouble getting through to the listed phone number, (501) 436-9094, and the website, freshanurbaneatery.com, is still under construction.

Sherwood will soon see the reopening of Feastros, more or less at its former location, 4200 E. Kiehl Ave. We reported in January that owner Mark Spaight posted on the restaurant's Facebook page (tinyurl.com/ptjvktt) that Jan. 16 would be "our last day open in the red building" at that address, noting that the establishment had run afoul of a new Sherwood city ordinance, and vowed to reopen. Now they've moved into the storefront at 4200 E. Kiehl that had previously housed the short-lived New York Style Pizzeria. The original target opening was to have been Mother's Day; we've been unable to get anybody to answer the Facebook-posted phone number, (501) 864-7860, but we'll keep you posted.

Lee Edwards, beverage director at Yellow Rocket Concepts and previously with the Capital Hotel, is leaving the company to work for a distributor of alcoholic beverages. Here's what he posted on his Facebook page earlier this week: "My official big announcement: a few weeks ago, I accepted an offer to join Haus Alpenz, an importer whose products I find an indispensable part of my bar programs at Yellow Rocket Concepts, and previously at the Capital Bar and Grill. I will be moving to Kansas City, but will be traveling our fair country for most of my time, working with our distributors in many states. ... I will be in [Little Rock] for the next 5 weeks or so, and will be in the Yellow Rocket restaurants during that time. In the meantime, someone buy my house, please!!"

We're not exactly sure when this happened, but Kemuri -- Sushi, Seafood, Robata, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, is no longer serving lunch. Hours are 4:30-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 4:30-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 4:30-9 p.m. Sunday. The phone number remains (501) 660-4100.

The opening of Oven & Tap, 215 S. Main St., Bentonville, sort of got lost in the hoo-ha over the Bentonville Film Festival, but the wood-oven-and-craft-beer restaurant is up and running located just off the town square. From their website, ovenandtap.com: "Join us for simple & delicious dishes inspired by Southern fare, Delta flavors, & hints of Italian flair. Oven & Tap's kitchen crafts each menu item from scratch using house recipes & quality ingredients (sourced locally whenever possible)." Hours are 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. The phone number is (479) 268-5884.

And it's the only Memorial Day discount/freebie we've encountered so far, and there may be others, but on Monday at Dallas area-based Twin Peaks, with outlets in west Little Rock and Rogers, active and retired members of the U.S. military can choose a free entree off of a special menu that includes blackened chicken quesadillas, fish tacos, a chicken tender basket, a Philly cheesesteak or a single-patty burger. One item per person, dine-in only -- with beverage purchase. Visit twinpeaksrestaurant.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, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203. Send email to:

eharrison@arkansasonline.com

Weekend on 05/21/2015

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