Co-owner Gio Bruno reports that he expects all obstacles, including a couple of bureaucratic foul-ups involving his operating license, to be completely out of the way for a Monday opening of Bruno's Deli, 308 Main St., Little Rock, next door to the venerable Italian restaurant his family has operated, with a couple of hiatuses, since the late '40s. The menu features counter-order French-bread pizzas, soups, sandwiches (including a couple of longtime customers may remember from the long-gone days when the restaurant sold lunch in previous locations on Roosevelt, Old Forge and Bowman roads -- meatball, eggplant, chicken, sausage, veal a la parmigiana, Italian roast beef, three-cheese, a grilled veggie and Jimmy's Poor Boy, which includes salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, provolone cheese, mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, salt and pepper) and salads (including the resurrection of the popular pasta salad from Papa Gio's, Gio Bruno's short-lived, Capitol Avenue lunch operation that operated for about six months in 1986). There are a few seats and a walk-up to-go window. Hours are 11 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays; the phone number: (501) 313-4452.
Rob and Martha Best, who have lent their name to the catering company Simply the Best and to the restaurant, Best Impressions, at the Arkansas Arts Center in MacArthur Park, 503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, are retiring, and have sold the restaurant and catering company to their chef, Brian Kearns (formerly of Arthur's Prime Steakhouse and Ocean's at Arthur's and the Country Club of Little Rock). Manager Paul Cookman says it's not official yet, but the name of the restaurant will likely change to Canvas (continuing to project an art theme/connection but no longer reflecting the Best ownership). Kearns has been sending out new menu items for staff and customers to test, with a target of a complete new menu by the end of the month. Since Kearns plans to use as many locally sourced ingredients as possible, the menu will change at least seasonally and possibly more often. Hours will remain the same: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for Saturday and Sunday brunch, and it'll continue to be available for private evening events. Reach the restaurant by phone through the Arts Center's main number, (501) 372-4000.
There's a "coming soon" streetside sign and an Aug. 15 target date for the opening of Sam's Southern Eatery in the former KFC/Long John Silver's hybrid, 613 E. Broadway, North Little Rock, just off the Broadway exit off Interstate 30. Franchisee Abu Bakr "Al" Sayyah says his menu will be close, but not quite identical, to the menus across the chain, which you can see online at samssoutherneatery.com. Hours will tentatively be 10 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. weekends. Sayyah is waiting on an operating phone number. He also operates Zam Zam International Market and its next-door restaurant, which has replaced the adjoining Shalimar Halal Meat & Grocery and Salt & Pepper Middle-Eastern Restaurant in the Galleria shopping center, 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock. The phone number there: (501) 379-9473. Each of the 43 Sam's locations in seven states are individually owned and franchised; there's one at 6205 Baseline Road in Little Rock -- (501) 562-2255 -- and outlets in Hot Springs, Texarkana, Pine Bluff and White Hall.
A small update on the former Pizzeria @ Terry's Finer Foods, which is closed while moving from Terry's Finer Foods at 5018 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, into the former Revolution Gym at 4910 Kavanaugh: Co-owner Jacquelyn Pittman says there's still no certain or even a target reopening date, but as of right now, it does have a name: They're planning to call it simply The Pizzeria. The restaurant phone number, we're told, will stay the same: (501) 551-1388.
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Mugs Cafe, 515 Main St., North Little Rock, has applied for a permit to serve on-premises native beer and malt beverages. And while we were trolling through permit requests to the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Division, we also ran across applications for:
• On-premise restaurant beer and wine for the Pei Wei Asian Diner, 17701 Chenal Parkway, Suite C, Little Rock, targeted to open first week of September
• On-premise alcoholic beverages for the JJ's Grill Little Rock, in the Rock Creek Shopping Center, 12111 W. Markham St., Little Rock, with a mid-August target opening
• On-premise alcoholic beverages for Arkansas' first Hideaway Pizza outlet, 5103 Warden Road, North Little Rock, with a first-week-of-October target opening date
• On-premise alcoholic beverages for the Zoe's Kitchen outlet in Park Plaza, at 6000 W. Markham St., Little Rock
• On-premise alcoholic beverages for Flavor of India, in the Market Place Shopping Center, 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock, which already has a beer-and-wine permit
• On-premise alcoholic beverages for K-Beez Chicken & Waffles, 8211 Geyer Springs Road, Little Rock
• On-premise alcoholic beverages for Mama Bea's Burgers and Casual Dining, 300 Lake Lane, North Little Rock. It's a new establishment, not connected to other restaurants with similar names, says Wanda Williams, who filed the permit request. The menu will focus on burgers, fish, chicken and home cooking. She doesn't yet have a target opening date. We'll keep you posted.
• And an on-premise alcoholic beverage permit request from K-MAC Enterprises Inc. for a Taco Bell Cantina, which, according to the Fayetteville Flyer, is due to open later this year at 412 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. Reports came out last fall that the Taco Bell chain was looking to create a new concept wherein it could serve booze, that would also feature upscale finishes, reclaimed woods, LED lighting and an open-kitchen concept.
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The Flying Saucer, 323 President Clinton Ave. in Little Rock's River Market District, is celebrating National IPA Day today with special tappings all day (11 a.m.-2 a.m.) of Evil Twin Brewing Falco, Prairie Artisan Ales Phantasmagoria IPA, Left Coast Brewing Co. Wedge IPA and Carson's Brewery Demonik IPA. Of course you must be 21 or older to partake. Call (501) 372-8032, email lrockgm@beerknurd.com or visit beerknurd.com/locations/little-rock-flying-saucer.
And speaking of the River Market, they're extending the operating dates for the Little Rock Farmers Market, which will continue to be open 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays through August and Saturdays through September in the River Market pavilions, behind the Ottenheimer Market Hall, 400 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock.
Dunbar Garden, 1801 S. Chester St., Little Rock, will host a Pepper Palooza & Picnic, 5-8 p.m. Saturday, featuring a pepper-inspired cooking competition ($15 entry fee, judge's choice and people's choice winners will receive chef's aprons and $40 gift certificates for garden produce and eggs), a hot-pepper eating contest ($5 entry fee; you must be 18 or older and sign a waiver; winner gets a $20 produce-eggs gift certificate "and bragging rights") and face-painting and games for the kids. Food and drinks, including hot dogs, are available by donation. Provide your own blankets or lawn chairs. Email katydon4@gmail.com.
Chef John Munday from Little Rock's Samantha's Tap Room & Wood Grill will square off against 10 chefs from across the country in the 13th Great American Seafood Cook-Off, starting 11:30 a.m. Saturday in New Orleans' Ernest Morial Convention Center. Each chef will prepare a dish "that best promotes the use of domestic seafood" in front of a live audience and a panel of six judges, who will select a winner based on scores for presentation, creativity, composition, craftsmanship and flavor. Munday's competitors, each appointed by the governor of their respective states, are Josh Quick, Alabama (Odette); Colette Nelson, Alaska (Ludvig's Bistro); Chris Sherrill, Florida (Flora-Bama Yacht Club); Blake Phillips, Louisiana (Restaurant Sage); Peter McCarthy, Massachusetts (EVOO), Alex Eaton, Mississippi (Manship Wood Fired Kitchen); Bethy Rossos, Oregon (TV food personality and caterer); Nicholas Huckabee, South Carolina (Dunes Golf & Beach Club); Santiago "Jimmy" De La Cruz, Texas (Woodlands Country Club); and Logen Crew, Utah (Current Fish & Oyster). Visit greatamericanseafoodcookoff.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 08/04/2016