In case you missed the Arkansas Online report last week, Blue Canoe Brewing Co., 425 E. Third St., Little Rock, has shut down its next-door Tex-Mex operation, Taco Beer Burrito, 419 E. Third St., Little Rock, and has expanded its Blue Canoe taproom into the 1,500-square-foot space. Marketing coordinator Carrie Mellinger says the new, bigger taproom will continue to serve TBB's appetizers and Blue Canoe-beer-infused street tacos, adding a few burgers, sandwiches, quesadillas and nachos; the Sunday brunch menu will expand to include egg plates, fruit plates, a breakfast quesadilla and a "hangover burrito." They're also adding games -- shuffleboard, darts and, still en route, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game. Taproom hours will now be 4-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. And on the first Tuesday of every month, Rock City Rescue will have dogs available for adoption. The phone number is (501) 492-9378.
Patti and David Stobaugh, owners of Stoby's, 805 Donaghey Ave., Conway, charred by a March 19 blaze (not a kitchen fire, as was originally supposed, but the result of a defective motor on one of the roof vents), have posted a long-awaited update on the restaurant's Facebook page. They explain that they've "waited to post anything further about rebuilding until the work actually started," which, apparently, it has. "So what took so long? The design process .... Since we had never anticipated a total fire loss, we had never dreamed of rebuilding and expanding. ... Our vision was to rebuild the 'old' Stoby's with an obvious addition. Our dining capacity will be double. We will have an outdoor patio -- dog friendly [and] nonsmoking. You won't have to walk though the kitchen for the bathroom any longer." And more "wonderful changes" are on tap.
The Applebee's at 6 Mabelvale Plaza Drive, Little Rock, has closed, and its phone number, (501) 565-3004, has been disconnected.
The Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt outlet at 5907 John F. Kennedy Blvd., North Little Rock, appears to have shut down (a Google search helpfully provides the legend "Permanently Closed"), and while the phone number, (501) 246-5941, has not been disconnected, all calls are diverted to an electronic voicemail box. We received no reply by the deadline to the message we left.
And despite reports and a similar Google listing that says "Permanently closed," frozen yogurt purveyor Red Mango, 5621 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, has not closed, although it is up for sale. Currently it's only staying open until 5 p.m. every day. The phone number is (501) 663-2500.
And those at the restaurant and at the chain's corporate headquarters are denying reports that Del Frisco's Grille, in the Promenade at Chenal, 17707 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, is set to close sometime early this year. "Del Frisco's Grille in Little Rock is an essential part of the Grille brand and we have no plans to close our location on Chenal Parkway," says Ray Risley, the chain's vice president of operations, in a statement. "After opening our doors last fall, our restaurant and team members have experienced much success serving the area. We look forward to continue serving the Little Rock community with the elevated cuisine and authentic hospitality Del Frisco's is known for." A spokesman for the shopping center says the restaurant has been going through some management changes. The restaurant phone number is (501) 448-2631.
Meanwhile, the latest chapter in the survival struggle for Jerky's Spicy Chicken and More, 521 Center St., Little Rock: The restaurant, which was supposed to reopen Tuesday after "an extended break" while owner John Walker Jr. and the building's owners, Sixth Street LLC, and property managers, Rental Realty Inc., tussled over unresolved plumbing and HVAC issues, didn't. A hand-scrawled note on the front door Tuesday morning, signed "Jerky's management," cited a "gas smell" and that they're "awaiting building [owners] to fix problem."
Chef Casey Copeland, formerly of So, is at the helm of The Avenue, opening early this year in The Waters, a boutique hotel at 340 Central Ave., Hot Springs. Copeland is a Le Cordon Bleu graduate and the 2015 winner of the Arkansas Hospitality Association's Iron Chef competition (and the 2016 runner-up). According to the hotel website, thewatershs.com/dining/dining1.htm, he has "developed a Southern Artisan Cuisine style of cooking. His menu will have a wide variety of unique small plates and shareables, as well as featuring many other high-quality style plating. The lounge will focus on craft beer, beautifully rendered cocktails and quality wines." Meanwhile, he's hiring line cooks; visit tinyurl.com/j8gal6n for details. The hotel phone number: (501) 321-0001.
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In response to queries on what's happening at former Wendy's restaurants at 7312 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, and 4600 Camp Robinson Road, North Little Rock:
• We dug a little and discovered that Cantrell Wines & Spirits filed an application Sept. 23 with the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Administration Division to transfer its retail liquor and beer off-premises permit from 7011 Cantrell Road to 7312 Cantrell Road, Little Rock. So that would indicate to us that the liquor store, and not another restaurant, will at some point be the new occupant of that building.
• Meanwhile, we've confirmed that the Little Caesar's Pizza, currently at 4438 Camp Robinson Road, North Little Rock, on the opposite side of the street, is moving into the former Wendy's, with a March target date to open. The move will give the pizzeria a drive-through window its current location doesn't have. The phone number: (501) 758-1555.
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Colonial Wine & Spirits, 11200 W. Markham St., Little Rock, is teaming up with Chef Shuttle and Game Goblins to host "Game Night with Colonial & Chef Shuttle," 4-7 p.m. Wednesday to "inspire you to host your own Game Night." Admission, samples from the American Pie Pizza on Colonel Glenn Road and tastings of beverages from Colonial are all free and there will be some "fun Game Night giveaways." Visit facebook.com/events/1628672257428497.
Chuy's as a chain has a "thing" for Elvis Presley, and its outlets at 16001 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, and 5105 Warden Road, North Little Rock, are marking what would have been the 82nd birthday of Elvis Presley with their annual Elvis Birthday Bash on Sunday. Come to either restaurant dressed as Elvis (or Priscilla) and get a free entree; take $1 off their Elvis Green Chile Fried Chicken and the Elvis Presley Memorial Combo. And you can also buy Frozen Blue Hawaiians and limited-edition Elvis T-shirts.
And this adjustment to our reporting on the arrival of the DQ Grill and Chill at 1550 Country Club Road at Heritage Lane, Sherwood, which we described as "central Arkansas' first Dairy Queen franchise in a long time." Of course, there are existing DQ outlets in Conway and White Hall, so perhaps we should have specified the new place as being in "central central Arkansas."
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 01/05/2017