Restaurateurs, etc., who are planning to be open on Christmas Day need to send us the details -- times, menus, prices and phone numbers for reservations -- via email, ASAP: eharrison@arkansasonline.com. Deadline for the Dec. 22 column is noon Monday.
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Brandon Brown, who co-owns Hillcrest Artisan Meats, 2807 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, with his wife, Tara Portiva-Brown, says they're closing the butcher shop-sandwich shop at the end of the year because, after five years of 60-hour weeks, they're just plain worn out. "I'm going to rest up and spend as much time with my kids as I can for a month or two," Brown says, and maybe play a little disc golf. After that they'll decide what to do next, but he doesn't think he'll mount another enterprise of this kind. However, "I want people to know that this is our decision," he says. "We're going out on top, not declaring bankruptcy, we're not being forced out of business." Acknowledging the play on "meat" and "meet," he adds, "I'm going to miss about 85 percent of the people who come in here."
Dec. 24 will be the last day they'll serve sandwiches and soups; they'll close Dec. 25-26 for Christmas, and reopen Dec. 27-29 to move the remaining dry goods and groceries off the shelves. He doesn't expect he'll still have much in the meat department by that point, though. Since the announcement, "We've had a hard time keeping meat, especially sausages, in the case," he explains. They'll open the doors again Dec. 31 for a goodbye bash. The phone number, active through then, is (501) 671-6328.
The Browns have sold the space to Tomas Bohm of The Pantry and the neighboring The Pantry Crest, who plans to open a deli-style restaurant, the name of which he is choosing at this point not to reveal, explaining that he's not yet 100 percent certain what he's going to call it. ("Pantry Artisan Meats" was among the suggestions he's considered and discarded.)
"It's going to be probably at least two to three months after the New Year before we open back up," he says. "I just want to make that place ours. The general concept will be the same as H.A.M. was, just in the Pantry way." He'll be selling a lot of Pantry products there, including a possible wider range of charcuterie, and he'll look into getting into dry curing "and stuff like that." Seating will be limited, "just like they have now; we'll redo it just a little bit." In fact, Bohm says, he may not have chairs at all, just a handful of high-top tables at which customers can stand around, eat a sandwich and sip on some wine or beer (he's planning to apply for a license). Tentative initial hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. We'll keep you posted.
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Tuesday was, at long last, opening day for the David's Burgers outlet in the River Market's Ottenheimer Market Hall, 400 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. Hours are: 10:45 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10:45 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday. And we have a phone number: (501) 400-8371.
And speaking of the Ottenheimer Market Hall, Jay Baxter, who had been planning on selling or closing his Jay's Pizza by the end of November, when his lease ran out, has decided to keep the place going -- and has recently added delivery service, 6-9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, to a limited area, "within a mile or so radius from the River Market." Call (501) 374-5297.
Also downtown, Bridges Restaurant & Lounge, the newly remodeled and renamed restaurant in the DoubleTree Hotel, 424 W. Markham St. just east of Broadway, Little Rock, is up and running and advertising for servers (HospitalityOnline.com). The menu, which you can find at bridgeslr.com, features "authentic and tasty Southern-inspired food," according to the website. Hours are 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. The new name, by the way, represents the six bridges that span the Arkansas River between downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock, and specifically the Broadway Bridge, which is under reconstruction. And, as the website observes, it's a natural choice if you're attending something at next-door Robinson Center. The phone number is (501) 508-8156.
Burger 21 is putting its first Arkansas outlet into the shopping center at 12319 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, where its neighbors include a Staples store and Bed Bath & Beyond. We don't yet have a target opening date and we got no reply by deadline from messages left at the franchise-chain's Tampa, Fla., headquarters. The website (burger21.com) describes it as "a chef-inspired brand with offerings including 21 unique burger creations ranging from hand-crafted, freshly ground Certified Angus Beef to chicken, turkey, shrimp and tuna burgers, fresh salads, Angus beef hot dogs, chicken tenders, and an extensive shake bar including hand-crafted shakes, floats and sundaes." There are currently 21 locations in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York and Virginia, and more than 20 in development in eight states. Follow their progress at burger21.com/locations/littlerock.
Construction delays have held up the opening of Nestle Toll House Cafe by Chip, going into the food-court space next to Chick-fil-A, formerly occupied by the short-lived resurrection of Mr. Dunderbak's on the lower level of McCain Mall, McCain Boulevard and U.S. 67/167, North Little Rock. They've missed a week-before-Thanksgiving target and may miss Christmas, says Cheryl Ringgold, director of the mall's marketing and business development, and are now likely looking to open after the first of the year. The 1,700-square-foot cafe will offer freshly baked cookies, custom cookie-cakes, Nescafe coffee, Dreyer's ice cream and other desserts during normal mall hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 12:30-6 p.m. Sunday. There's no listed phone number yet; check out more details at nestlecafe.com.
Camden-based Andy's Restaurants is moving its Little Rock location a few blocks west, from 124 John Barrow Road, Little Rock, just off West Markham Street, into the former Chip's Barbecue, 9801 W. Markham St., Little Rock, which closed in July. Target opening date is Monday. Hours will be the same as the current location: 6 a.m.-9:30 p.m. daily. The phone number is also likely to remain the same: (501) 224-2444. The mini-chain also operates six other locations, in Crossett, Malvern, Arkadelphia, Camden, Magnolia and El Dorado. Visit andys-restaurant.com.
The Keet family's seventh Arkansas Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe opened Tuesday in the Gateway Town Center, 10800 Bass Pro Parkway near the Outlets of Little Rock. Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is (501) 455-6228; the website, tazikiscafe.com.
And central Arkansas' first Fuzzy's Taco Shop is set to open today at 140 John Harden Drive, Jacksonville, serving Baja California-style tacos, nachos, quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas, burritos and breakfast options. Franchisee Danny Wintz says a series of unexpected developments and some permitting and inspection issues, the bane of many restaurateurs, caused him to miss his original Nov. 14 target. Tentative operating hours are 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. The phone number is (501) 457-7953. The Texas-based chain announced earlier this year it was also planning an outlet at 4204 S. J.B. Hunt Drive, Rogers, plus five more restaurants in Pulaski, Saline and Faulkner counties, including Little Rock, Benton and Bryant, within the next five years.
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 12/15/2016