Another Round Pub, in the Rock Creek Square Plaza Shopping Center, 12111 W. Markham St. at Bowman Road, Little Rock, has closed. This notice showed up Monday on its Facebook page: "With a heavy heart I am typing this: But Another Round is now closed we appreciate all the support over the past year and a half. I want to thank each and every one of you that I have come to know and love." The gentleman who answered the phone -- (501) 313-2612 -- on Tuesday confirmed the closure.
Matthew McClure, executive chef of The Hive in Bentonville, is one of 20 semifinalists in the "Best Chef: South" category for the 2016 James Beard Foundation Awards -- and this year's only Arkansas nominee. The foundation will announce the finalists for the 26th annual honors March 15; the awards gala will be May 2 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. See the full semifinalist list online at jamesbeard.org/awards.
Wednesday was the last day of operation for the Boulevard Bread Co. outlet in the River Market's Ottenheimer Market Hall, 400 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. March 1 is the target date for the opening of Bea Blessed Bakery in the kiosk next to it, the western half of the former Coast Cafe space (the part that Boulevard Bread Co. didn't take over). The River Market folks tell us owner-baker Cheryl Colclough will be serving up tea cakes and other baked goods, and also plans to offer soups, salads and sandwiches and other lunchtime comfort foods. We have a phone number -- (501) 295-8524 -- and a Facebook page (tinyurl.com/hrnyew3).
Meanwhile, the Sunday High Profile of David Alan Bubbus Jr. of David's Burgers indicated that after the burger mini-chain opens its Cabot location next month, it expects to open by summer in the eastern end cap of the River Market Hall (previously occupied by Boulevard Bread Co. and Andina Cafe). We had previously reported that necessary renovations and city permits have been causing delays.
And if you're interested in taking over that now-vacant Boulevard Bread Co. space or the also-now-vacant Cravens Popcorn and vegan vendor The Veg kiosks on the other side of the market hall, the River Market office is accepting proposals -- email info@rivermarket.info for an information packet or pick one up at their offices on the Market Hall's second floor offices.
We had several sharp-eyed correspondents check in with explanations for the shuttering of the Shipley's Donuts at 2127 Main St., North Little Rock, across from North Little Rock High School: Back around Thanksgiving, an errant motorist plowed into the back of the building. It has taken a while to start the rebuilding, but it is apparently now underway. The phone number, (501) 753-9526, has not been disconnected, though nobody is currently answering it.
Guillermo's Coffee House & Roastery has opened a second location, named just Guillermo's Coffee House, in the former Sunrise Cafe (and previously the Cupcake Factory) in the Pleasant Ridge Town Center, 11525 Cantrell Road, Little Rock. In addition to the array of coffee drinks, the presence of an actual kitchen will make possible soup and sandwiches for lunch and a bakery menu that will include cinnamon rolls and cupcakes; we're told owner Justin Yeldell plans to add ice cream in the summer. Current hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday but will likely subsequently expand to more closely match hours at the original location, 10700 N. Rodney Parham Road -- 6 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. The Cantrell Road phone number is (501) 228-5559; at Rodney Parham, (501) 228-4448. The website: guillermoscoffee.wix.com/guillermos.
Russ Jefferson says he has his structural, health department and ABC permits and enough cash in hand (the result of a successful online auction of the equipment, etc., from the Hot Springs Oyster Bar) to open the doors of Frenchies, on or about March 18 at 2012 Central Ave., Hot Springs (formerly the location of Pompeii, which closed in 2010; Jefferson, you will recall, back in the day ran the much-loved S.O.B. in Little Rock). The menu will focus mainly on New Orleans French Quarter favorites, including shrimp, oysters, stuffed crab and catfish combos. Initial hours will be 5:30-10:30 p.m. Friday, "or 'til they stop coming in," 8 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.-"2-ish" Sunday. The phone number is (501) 321-2337 (BEER).
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There has been a moderately big gaping hole in the local food landscape where there should be a wurst-case scenario. Right now, when we get inquiries regarding German and Middle European cuisine, and we do from time to time, we've informed folks about The Pantry in west Little Rock and its Hillcrest sibling, The Pantry Crest. Otherwise, we've had to send people to Hot Springs -- Steinhaus Keller, which a few years back replaced the venerable Hot Springs Brau Haus in Spencer's Corner, 801 Central Ave. -- or, for folks really dedicated enough to make the drive, Emmy's in Fort Smith.
Now, to at least partially fill that niche, comes The Wunderbus, which, according to its website, thewunderbusfoodtruck.com, "specializes in traditional Germanic Cuisine, utilizing the cornucopia of locally sourced produce and meats." Co-owner Auguste Forrester says they're making their food from scratch -- for example, he had just finished making six gallons of mustard from 10 pounds of mustard seed, and last week turned out six gallons of sauerkraut from almost two dozen heads of cabbage -- because it hasn't been possible to buy either in the quantities they need (the only multi-gallon mustard on the market is French's) at any kind of reasonable price.
Forrester says the truck will make its formal debut no later than its first scheduled event, at the Suicide Prevention Conference at National Park College in Hot Springs, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. March 10. Thereafter it will divide its normal business hours between the Food Truck Stop @ Station 801 in Little Rock and Hot Springs and Conway locations to be determined, which they'll post on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. And as of Tuesday, it will have a phone number: (501) 932-8187.
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KFC has been all over the airwaves promoting new products and bundles in what some consider creepy commercials with series of comedians impersonating the late Col. Harlan Sanders, as central Arkansas outlets of the chicken chain have been closing by the handful. The latest casualty is the KFC/Long John Silver's combo at 613 E. Broadway, North Little Rock, from which the signage has been stripped and which has been repainted a neutral color, presumably anticipating some new as yet unidentified tenant. After a little checking, we found only seven remaining area KFC restaurants (and we're not guaranteeing that all of them are still open, as you can see below):
• 100 Markham Park Drive and 8220 Geyer Springs Road, Little Rock -- although the listed phone numbers, (501) 221-3850 and (501) 565-6188, respectively, both returned a disconnect message earlier this week.
• 4400 Camp Robinson Road, 2531 Arkansas 161 and 20704 Arkansas 365, North Little Rock.
• 8350 Warden Road, Sherwood.
• 1003 W. Main St., Cabot.
Springdale-based business brokers Confidential Business Intermediaries are listing for sale a "Well Known, Beloved Home Cookin' Restaurant in Central Arkansas," which, of course, they do not identify. However, the listing does provide some very helpful clues: The establishment has been in business for more than 35 years. It's "well-known and loved with many faithful customers who have been coming back for decades. [It] has a great, 'Southern' menu; everything from fried catfish, hush puppies, steaks, burgers, seafood and more. When you say the name of this restaurant, people know exactly where it is located. [It] sits on one of the most scenic pieces of real estate in central Arkansas, which is also for sale," more than 11 acres in all. "Due to health issues and other business interests, the owners have decided to put the business and the real estate on the market." The asking price is $215,000 (not including the real estate -- they're asking $700,000 for that). Fuller details are available at bizbuy.cbiteam.com/businesses-for-sale. Interested? Contact Connor Grimes at (479) 502-4184 or email connor.grimes@cbiteam.com.
And speaking of fried fish et al., with construction underway on Bruno's Little Italy Deli, the Italian restaurant's grab-and-go lunch spot/delicatessen next door in the former Dundee store at 308 Main St., we have this update on the Little Rock outlet of Memphis-based, three-restaurant-mini-chain Soul Fish Cafe next door to that, which had been affected by the same construction delays. Co-owner Raymond Williams says they're in the process of taking care of basic issues -- sprinkler system and so on -- and expect to begin actual construction in about three weeks, with a three- to four-month schedule to get open. They'll offer a very similar menu to their Memphis locations (downtown, East Memphis and Germantown), which you can examine at soulfishcafe.com -- fried and blackened catfish; blackened salmon and tilapia; smoked chicken and pork chops; fried shrimp; and po'boys; collard greens; and Southern-style tacos. They'll also plan to offer local craft beers. "We can't wait to get over there," Williams says; they plan to start hiring within the next few weeks.
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 02/25/2016