Restaurant Transitions: The Pizzeria opening soon; new sports bar in the Heights

Pop Supreme Pizza at the Pizzeria @ Terry's Finer Foods. The pizzeria is moving a couple of doors south to 4910 Kavanaugh.
Pop Supreme Pizza at the Pizzeria @ Terry's Finer Foods. The pizzeria is moving a couple of doors south to 4910 Kavanaugh.

Following up on our report last week on the closure of the Wendy's at 4600 Camp Robinson Road, North Little Rock, that also mentioned the closure of an outlet on Cantrell Road in Little Rock, colleague Jennifer Christman caught up with Wendy's marketing director, Nan Trammell, who explained, "Our leases were up for those stores. We have also closed ... Geyer Springs. The stores we closed are 40 years old, so we are looking for new locations like we did on Cantrell. We have a newer store on Baseline [Road] and are remodeling McCain [Boulevard in North Little Rock]. Those stores needed to be completely redone to keep them open." Meanwhile, we've received as-yet unconfirmed reports that the Little Caesar's Pizza currently on the other side of Camp Robinson Road will move in, thereby acquiring a drive-through window.

There is now an end-of-September target date for the opening of The Pizzeria, formerly the Pizzeria @ Terry's Finer Foods (and before that, when it was still a food truck, Pizzeria Santa Lucia), which has been in the process of moving from the lean-to adjunct of Terry's Finer Foods at 5018 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, into the former Revolution Gym, 4910 Kavanaugh. The restaurant phone number remains (501) 551-1388 and you can keep track of any new announcements on the Facebook page: facebook.com/pizzeriasantaluciaLR.

Meanwhile, Terry's Finer Foods the Restaurant, 5018 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, which has been closed for several months, is moving back into the former pizzeria space, the restaurant's original home, and awaits only staffing and final menu preparation to reopen, says co-owner Lex Golden. What had been most recently the dining area on the building's north side is now the home of Ellen Golden Antiques, but they've kept the bar and a small private dining area at the rear for dinner-only service. The grocery store and deli remain in between. The Goldens are also considering expanding the restaurant's hours, while changing its focus: "Work is ongoing on the menu and consideration is being given to three meals a day, six days a week," Lex Golden says. "Breakfasts will be typical American items. Lunch items will include soups, salads and sandwiches from our deli (including my signature 'world famous cheeseburger'). Dinner will likely focus on grilled steaks and seafood items with a few of our more popular 'French Bistro' plates as specials. The ambience is expected to be more bar and grill, but very family friendly and less French bistro."

Up the street a bit, Prospect, the family friendly sports bar-slash-neighborhood hangout, opened Tuesday at 5501 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, replacing Oishi Hibachi & Thai Cuisine. Hours are 5 p.m. to "close" nightly. The limited menu will mostly feature burgers and sandwiches, but with daily or weekly specials, plus a pool table and other table games. The phone number: (501) 603-0080.

The Keet family has a late-November or early December target date for the opening of an Otter Creek outlet of Taziki's in the Gateway Town Center, at the confluence of Interstates 30 and 430, close to the Outlets of Little Rock, Bass Pro Shop and Dave & Buster's. It'll be the eighth location for the franchisees, which operate two restaurants in Little Rock, one each in North Little Rock, Conway, Fayetteville and Bentonville, and soon to be two in Tulsa. It will also have a drive-through -- so far, only the Conway restaurant has one. The family is also supposedly at work on another restaurant project in west Little Rock, which they plan to unveil in a week or so.

Joseph Salgueiro, former chef at 1620 Savoy, has been putting on a series of so-called "pop-up" wine "Tour of the World dinner club" get-togethers, each focusing on a different national cuisine. Next week he plans a five-course "Taste of Italy," 6 p.m. Sept. 25 at Cache, 425 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. Cost is $75, $125 with wine pairings (with a cash bar). Visit Eventbrite.com. (Next month: "Taste of Germany.")

The Root Cafe, 1500 Main St., Little Rock, is nearing completion on its expansion, at least to the point where it has been able to start serving dinner on the second and fourth Fridays of each month. This Friday, it will offer a five-course, ticketed dinner around a big communal table in the existing dining room; cost is $40 (visit Eventbrite.com). On the fourth Friday it offers table-service-style dinners, which will become a regular feature once everything is up and running. The restaurant also recently got its beer and wine license. Co-owner Jack Sundell says it is on target to complete the expansion project, fueled by $175,000 in grants and prizes, by the end of the calendar year; it is close to unveiling the new dining room and not long after that, a second bathroom. The modular construction involves "retired" shipping containers. The phone number is (501) 414-0423; email theroot@therootcafe.com.

One of our sharp-eyed observers reports that the Church's Chicken outlet at 1401 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Little Rock, is undergoing renovation. A call to the listed phone number, (501) 375-4107, goes to voice mail.

And Paradise Grill & Bar has opened the former Dugout, 1020 Airport Road, Hot Springs. Owners Brian, Dorinda and Briana King opened the restaurant in Hot Springs Village in 2011, offering "an island twist on appetizers, burgers, salads and sandwiches as well as signature selections, including Maui Pulled Pork, the Volcano Burger, San Diego Fish Tacos and a Dessert Quesadilla," according to its website, ParadiseGrillBar.com. Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The phone number is (​501) 781-3360.

...

Nov. 9 is the deadline to nominate -- online via ArkFoodHOF.com -- honorees for the new Arkansas Food Hall of Fame, a statewide program to "recognize the legendary restaurants, proprietors and food-theme events across the state," according to a news release from the Department of Arkansas Heritage, under whose aegis the hall will operate.

Sifting the nominations falls to a 13-member "blue ribbon" committee of professional and otherwise certified foodies: Paul S. Austin, executive director of the Arkansas Humanities Council; former 1620 chefs Evette Brady and Tim Morton; C.C. "Chip" Culpepper, chief creative officer at Mangan Holcomb Partners; Tom Dillard, retired head of Special Collections for the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, founding editor-in-chief of the Butler Center's Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture; historian and writer Cindy Grisham; Department of Arkansas Heritage Director Stacy Hurst; Arkansas Hospitality Association Executive Director Montine McNulty; director of corporate communications for Simmons National Bank and Democrat-Gazette columnist Rex Nelson; Tim Nutt, director of Historical Research Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Library; food and travel writer Kat Robinson; Christina Shutt, director of Mosaic Templars Cultural Center; and state historian and director of Arkansas State Archives Lisa Speer.

They'll select finalists, based on the number of entries, in three categories (chain restaurants aren't eligible):

• Arkansas Food Hall of Fame (three per year), recognizing "outstanding restaurants," owned and operated in Arkansas and having been in business for at least 25 years, "that have become legendary attractions in the state."

• Proprietor of the Year (one per year), recognizing an Arkansas chef, cook and/or restaurant owner in an Arkansas owned-and-operated establishment that has been in business for at least one year "who has made significant achievements in the food industry."

• And Food-Themed Event (one each year), recognizing annual "unique food festivals and events that give residents a taste of Arkansas foods and hospitality." To be eligible, the event must have been going for at least five years.

• And an annual People's Choice award will go to an Arkansas nonchain restaurant or food truck, in business for at least one year, that gets the most public nominations.

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 09/15/2016

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