Nov. 24 is the target for the Hilton Garden Inn Little Rock Downtown, 322 Rock St., to open Agasi 7, its rooftop, open-air restaurant and bar and the area's first. It'll serve food for dinner only; at last check before deadline, the menu was still in the works, but they're anticipating it to be mostly upscale bar food. The hotel has a second restaurant in the lobby area: The Garden Grill, also serving only dinner (burgers, sandwiches, ribs and steaks), 5-10 p.m. daily. A hot breakfast, to-order or buffet, is available in the lobby, 6-10 a.m. Monday-Friday, 7-11 a.m. Saturday-Sunday. The hotel phone number is (501) 244-0044.
The Smoothie and Pretzel Co. is expected to open an outlet Friday, serving flavored pretzels, smoothies and shakes, next to The Fix on the upper level of McCain Mall, 3929 McCain Blvd., North Little Rock. The mall phone number is (501) 758-6317; visit simon.com/mall/mccain-mall.
The rebuilt Burger King at 403 E. Broadway, North Little Rock, opened Monday. So did the Popeye's at Ninth and Broadway in Little Rock.
What used to be the Rusty Putter, and before that, The Bunker, at the Greens at North Hills golf course, 7404 John F. Kennedy Blvd. (Arkansas 107), Sherwood, has again changed ownership and name -- now going by Joey's Bar & Grill. Hours are 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 4-9 p.m. Monday (during football season only). The phone number is (501) 392-6127.
A reader requesting confirmation of a rumor that an Olive Garden was headed for the Lewis Crossing shopping center, on South Amity Road off Dave Ward Drive and Interstate 40 in Conway, led us to call Collett, which is booking and managing the shopping center. Property Manager Sid Welch told us the center's restaurants include Hideaway Pizza, which opened last week; a David's Burgers under construction; and an outlet of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (there's also one on the way in Benton). "We've got a couple of vacant parcels that I'd love to put an Olive Garden in," Welch says, but so far it isn't happening, at least not there. You can keep track of the shopping center online at tinyurl.com/lewiscrossing.
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And, as promised, here's what we have so far by way of Thanksgiving day openings. Note that this is information supplied by the restaurants, including prices, which may or may not include beverages, taxes and/or gratuities. The list is not comprehensive and is in no particular order; the presence, or absence, of restaurants on this list does not in any way constitute an endorsement or lack thereof. Use the phone numbers and, if provided, websites to get more information and make reservations, which are strongly recommended.
• Arthur's Prime Steakhouse, 27 Rahling Circle, off Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, will serve up its sixth annual Thanksgiving brunch buffet, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m., featuring chef-carved, horseradish-crusted prime rib, roasted whole turkey, brown sugar and Coca Cola-glazed Ham, salt-crusted whole salmon, oysters and raw bar and fresh-rolled sushi by chef Alex Guzman & Team. Side items include maple thyme baby carrots, cheesy Brussels sprouts casserole, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, buttermilk and Boursin cheese mashed potatoes, cornbread and sage dressing, giblet gravy and macaroni and cheese. Dessert station. $43, $19.50 for children 8-12, $12 for children 3-7, free for children under 3; soft drink included. (501) 821-1838, arthursprimesteakhouse.com.
• The Thanksgiving Feast, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel, 1 Riverfront Place, North Little Rock, will feature stations for carving (roasted tom turkey), waffles and omelets, entrees (spinach-stuffed pork loin, bourbon-glazed ham and chicken Florentine lasagna), sides (cornbread dressing with giblet gravy, garlic white cheddar mashed potatoes, Capri-blend vegetables, country-style corn, mac and cheese and candied yams) and dessert. $24.95, $22.95 for senior citizens, $14.95 for children 5-11, free for children 5 and younger with paid adult meal, plus tax and gratuities. (501) 907-4826.
• Dixie Cafe restaurants will serve an "adult feast" for $12.99 and a "kid feast" for $4.99. The adult menu will include a small dinner salad; sliced turkey breast or grilled ham steak; sides -- cornbread dressing (with turkey gravy), green beans and sweet potato casserole; and dessert -- choice of cobbler (blackberry, peach, no-sugar-added apple) or banana pudding. For the kids, turkey or ham, cornbread dressing, green beans, corn, cranberry sauce, kids banana pudding and kids beverage. All meals come with cranberry sauce, homemade rolls and the cafe's jalapeno cornbread. No reservations necessary.
• Macaroni Grill, 11100 W. Markham St., Little Rock, is offering a prix fixe ($24.99) menu, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., that includes soup or salad, a roasted turkey breast, buttermilk mashed potatoes with roasted garlic demiglace, sausage and savory apple stuffing, glazed carrots with rosemary candied bacon and fresh apple cranberry chutney. And for dessert: a slice of pumpkin pie topped with amaretto mascarpone creme. (501) 221-3150.
• The Flying Saucer, 323 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, will be open, 5 p.m.-2 a.m. (501) 372-8032.
• The four-course Thanksgiving dinner at The Hive, 21c Museum Hotel, 200 N.E. A St., Bentonville, noon-7 p.m., starts with wild mushroom tarte with quark, Madeira and puff pastry and pumpkin agnolotti with brown butter, hazelnuts and sage. Follow that with a sweet potato biscuit with smoked pork belly and the main dishes -- braised beef brisket with saffron cabbage and oats and smoked turkey from Falling Sky Farm in Leslie, with cornbread stuffing and pole beans. Desserts include sweet potato custard and pecan pie. $45 to $54. (479) 286-6575.
Hive executive chef Matthew McClure will pair his fried chicken with traditional Thanksgiving sides for the Hive's Sunday Supper, 5:30-9:30 p.m. Sunday and Nov. 26. The three-course, prix fixe meal is $39.
• And most of the chains that are included in Offers.com's listing of Thanksgiving options (offers.com/blog/post/restaurants-open-on-thanksgiving) don't have area outlets, and the information on those that do is a little spotty, but it's worth checking out. Among the useful details: Cracker Barrel, Denny's, Waffle House and Golden Corral will be open, most of them making some menu concessions or specials for the holiday. IHOP outlets will be open, but in many cases for limited hours.
We'll rerun reduced versions of these and any other revelations that arrive by deadline in the column that runs on Thanksgiving Day. Hint: Get 'em to us ASAP.
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And the Plano, Texas-based Zoes Kitchen chain, with two outlets in Little Rock, is running a "Win a Trip to the Mediterranean Sweepstakes," a six-day, five-night odyssey with first-class accommodations in Athens, Greece and Rome for the winner and a guest. Entry deadline is Dec. 31; enter and find more information and official rules ("No purchase necessary. Must be 18 years or older to enter and win") at ZKMedTrip.com.
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 11/16/2017