Just two weeks after it started serving lunch, The Restaurant at Terry's Finer Foods, aka The Sidecar at Terry's, 5018 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, has closed. Permanently. "Issues abound" is co-owner Lex Golden's only and official on-the-record explanation.
The Main Cheese, 14524 Cantrell Road, which closed in January, now has a new owner and a Friday tentative target for a soft-reopening. Ryan Merritt-McGehee, also the owner of The Clean Eatery, a meal-prep home delivery program that focuses on healthy food, says his new menu will "blend healthy and mainstream," keeping some of the restaurant's favorite sandwiches while adding a range of Clean Eatery and Clean Eatery-style entrees -- for example, fish tacos with pineapple salsa, and "ultimate [Clean Eatery] favorites like our Arkansas fresh chicken salad, quinoa and salmon and the Thai peanut chicken that we typically did out of the food truck" during Clean Eatery's early days. Also new: a line of high-end coffees and table service. McGehee says they've doubled the dining-room capacity to 120, and are in the process of upgrading the banquet room and increasing patio seating. And they're featuring the work of local artists on consignment. The place has a liquor license, so there will be cocktails on the Sunday brunch menu. There's also the possibility of expanding into the former 10 Fitness space next door. Hours are likely to be 11 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays (including Mondays, when the restaurant previously closed); weekend hours are still in flux, but Merritt-McGehee says they'll serve Sunday brunch 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. The phone number remains (501) 367-8082.
And speaking of sandwiches, Paninis & Company, a new sandwich concept developed by Taziki's co-franchisee Tommy Keet, has opened inside the I Love Juice Bar in the Midtowne Shopping Center, West Markham Street and University Avenue, Little Rock. They'll be selling made-to-order sandwiches (made with Boar's Head meat and cheeses) and salads with house-made dressings; they'll also have "vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options," according to a news release. The store's seating is expanding to better accommodate sit-down customers. Hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday. The phone number is (501) 744-5842; the website, paninisandcompany.com.
Arkansas Online reports that a plumbing permit request is pending with the state Health Department for a planned location at 20240 Interstate 30 North, near Saline Memorial Hospital, in Benton for a Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers. The chain-franchise operation's first Arkansas outlet is under construction at 4305 E. McCain Blvd., North Little Rock. No word yet from Paul Hoover, the central Arkansas franchisee, on this or on another previously reported outlet supposedly headed for Bowman Road and Chenal Parkway in west Little Rock.
Co-owner Annette Jones says progress is being made on the reconstruction of Three Sam's BBQ & Catering, 10508 Mann Road, Mabelvale -- they spent much of Monday putting in the front porch; the ceiling and the kitchen are next on the list -- but she's reluctant to even think about a target opening date. Too many things can go wrong, she explains. The restaurant, you will recall, was destroyed by fire in March. In the meanwhile, she's selling barbecue sandwiches, barbecue-stuffed potatoes and desserts out of the Three Sam's catering truck, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday. The listed number is (501) 407-0345.
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And speaking of rebuilding after a devastating fire, construction has begun on the new, expanded Stoby's, 805 Donaghey Ave., Conway, charred by a March 19 blaze. A Conway landmark since 1980, it'll be three times its original size when all is said and done -- from 1,375 square feet to approximately 4,000 square feet. Tammy Keith reported Sunday in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's River Valley & Ozark edition that Patti Stobaugh, co-owner with husband David, says the target to reopen is "end of summer," at an estimated cost of $1.5 million, including contents.
The new restaurant will include two dining areas, a small dining room that David Stobaugh says will keep the ambience of the old restaurant, and another to accommodate a larger number of customers. They're keeping the look of the original exterior as well: "We have decided if you're standing on the curb looking, it'll look like Stoby's never burned," David Stobaugh says. The Stobaughs praise Steve Yelenich, the structural engineer, who found a way to design the building's roofline to save a large oak tree on the property, which, though scorched, survived the fire. And a smoke-free, dog-friendly patio on the Robinson Avenue side where the drive-through used to be will "give it that neighborhood feel," David Stobaugh says.
Patti Stobaugh says she's planning a "festive afternoon" on a Sunday, with Stoby's Cheese Dip and punch, once the framing goes up, which she estimates will be in another month so folks, can sign the boards with whatever well wishes, Bible verses, etc., they please.
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It's not too early to start planning for ways to mark that Valentine's Day (or, as some call it, National Torment Single People Day). Many restaurants are planning specials and/or special menus, and if you procrastinate in the making of reservations, you could end up feeding your sweetie at IHOP, Waffle House (and even some Waffle Houses in some places are taking reservations, though none in central Arkansas) or McDonald's (all of which, by the way, feed people 24/7). Oh, well, romance is where you find it.
In the meanwhile, Rock Town Distillery, 1216 E. Sixth St., Little Rock, is planning a pre-Valentine's Day whiskey and chocolate pairing -- not a dinner, folks there stress, but a seated tasting, 4 p.m. Feb. 12. Founder, head distiller and host Phil Brandon is pairing four Rock Town whiskeys with hand-crafted local chocolates. Cost is $40 per person; space limits them to 24 people. And, of course, you must be 21 or older to take part. Make reservations at tinyurl.com/rocktown12.
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 02/02/2017