Two readers called within minutes of each other last week, asking if we knew what has become of Fuzzy's Taco Shop, 140 John Harden Drive, Jacksonville. Well, Google now lists it as "permanently closed." The phone number, (501) 457-7953, hadn't yet been disconnected by our deadline, but nobody answered it during business hours and after several rings it eventually went to a voicemail announcement asking us for our "remote access code."
And while we are unable to yet declare as conclusively the closure of Kendo Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi, 1800 Club Manor Drive, Maumelle, we and at least one reader have found the door there locked and the lights off during business hours, and we've been unable to raise anybody via its phone number, (501) 851-4700, for more than two weeks. Kendo replaced Sashimi Japanese Steakhouse in the space in October.
Meanwhile, we reported that Sashimi owner Tommy Kattaviravong had moved, operating Sashimi Express — basically a limited menu, grab-and-go operation — to inside the Phillips 66 station, 10920 Maumelle Blvd., North Little Rock. Now we learn it has been replaced by something called Sushi Delicious, operating 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10-9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 1-7 p.m. Sunday. The phone number remains the same: (501) 246-5464.
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There have been some changes at kBird, the tiny authentic Thai restaurant at 600 N. Tyler St., Little Rock, particularly in their evening service. According to a recent post on Facebook (facebook.com/kBird-119010881547395):
• "We will be open on Thursday and Friday nights, NOT Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday nights as we have done in past years. ... Each Thursday night we will offer a fixed-menu meal (at least three items + rice + extras) that can either be eaten here or taken to-go. We will be open (and take phone orders) from 5-8 p.m. The menu will be posted by Wednesday afternoon (the day before). Cost will be $19 per person.
• "Friday nights we will hold a 'khantoke,' the northern Thai dinners that in past years we held on Saturday nights. Reservations for 1-8 people (24-30 people in total) can be made by phone, starting at 2 p.m. the Monday before the dinner. Cost will be $49 per person.
• "Our goal is to use these evening shifts to emphasize northern Thai food and other dishes that we love but have been unable to fit into our menu.
• "Lunch service, and the lunch menu, will remain the same."
The phone number is (501) 352-3549.
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A recent list of building permit applications from the Little Rock Department of Planning & Development includes:
• One for $255,000 in the Colony West Shopping Center, 10300 N. Rodney Parham Road, Suite M, which we have reported as the pending location for a franchise of Hungry Howie's Pizza (listed as "coming soon" on the website hungryhowies.com). The ramshackle free-standing building at the shopping center's Rodney Parham Road entrance has heretofore been the location of Colony West Wine & Spirits. The Madison Heights, Mich.-based chain's claim to distinction is that it is the "home of the original Flavored Crust"; options include Butter, Asiago Cheese, Cajun, Butter Cheese, Sesame, Garlic Herb, Ranch and Onion. The menu also includes calzone-style subs, salads, wings and rolls — check it out at hungryhowies.com/menu-categories.
• One for $150,000 at 10700 N. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock, which corresponds to Grub's Bar & Grille, going into the former Chili's space, set to open in April.
• One for $630,000 for a new McDonald's to replace the current one at 8820 Baseline Road.
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We've been trying to check out for some weeks a tip that something called Pies in the Sky Pizza might be replacing the Damgoode Pies location at 6706 Cantrell Road, Little Rock. Ace Business section reporter David Smith cleared things up in Sunday's paper, reporting that Damgoode owner Jeffrey Trine's Damgoode Properties LLC sold the building in January for $510,000 to Pies in the Sky LLC, a Little Rock-based investment group led by Realtors John Hathaway and Wes Martin that Riley Hays incorporated in October. Damgoode Pies will continue to operate there under a lease agreement. The property, at the northwest corner of Cantrell Road and Hughes Street includes 3,000-square-foot building, which had housed a series of restaurants (including, in no particular order, Jazz Alley, Martuni's, Christopher's, Bella Italia and Topps Pizza) before Damgoode took it over in 2003, and a parking area that was added when a former liquor store next-door was demolished. Damgoode's hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. The phone number is (501) 664-2239; the website: damgoodepies.com.
One of our eagle-eyed readers reports that Monkey Burger, 4424 Frazier Pike, Little Rock — in College Station — which had closed, supposedly temporarily, for "maintenance," has apparently not reopened. Repeated calls to the phone number, (501) 490-2222, during and outside business hours, have produced only a rapid busy signal.
The University of Arkansas-Pulaski Tech Foundation is billing as "A Diamond Dozen" the 12th annual Diamond Chef Arkansas competition, 6-9 p.m. April 11 at Pulaski Tech's Culinary Arts and Hospitality Institute, 13000 Interstate 30 Frontage Road, Little Rock. The six chefs competing in two elimination rounds for top honors are Amanda Ivy, now of Low Ivy Catering; Jordan Davis, Chenal Country Club; Joe Coleman, Little Rock Marriott; Izaak Winter, YaYa's Euro Bistro; Jamie McAfee, Pine Bluff Country Club; and Brandon Douglas, Green Leaf Grill. In addition to "fine wines and signature cocktails," institute instructors and students will provide "fine foods from around the world" at "Culinary Creations Stations":
• Sugarland: chefs Jan Lewandowski, Chocla Lea and Cathy Kincaid
• Tasting the Titanic: chef Robert Hall
• The British Are Coming: chef Suzanne Campbell
• The Battle of New Orleans: chef Rob Best
• Pretzelmania!: chef Billy Ginnochio.
The Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board and St. Joseph Farm are sponsoring Arkansas Grown, a place to meet area farmers and get recipe inspiration while sampling fresh, locally harvested foods. There will be live and silent auctions featuring culinary and hospitality items, including a vacation package to a private home in Nicaragua, "with a friendly staff to cater to your every need." Tickets are $150; proceeds benefit Tech students and programs. Call (501) 812-2771, email acurry@uaptc.edu or visit uaptc.edu/diamondchef.
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 03/07/2019