Weekly theme listings reflect a range of dining possibilities in central Arkansas, across a spectrum of settings and price ranges. To read recent restaurant reviews in their entirety, visit arkansasonline.com/restaurants.
Pizza
DAMGOODE PIES 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, (501) 664-2239; 6706 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, (501) 664-2239; 10720 N.
Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock, (501) 664-2239 This friendly multi-outlet eatery produces terrific signature pieswith four sauce options: traditional red, pesto, white (ricotta, parmesan, olive oil) and pink (red/white combo) in two sit down locations and one to-go/ delivery operation.
Lunch, dinner daily. (Rodney Parham location is carryout/ delivery only.) Beer, wine.
Bargain.
GUSANO’S CHICAGO-STYLE PIZZERIA 313 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, (501) 374-1441;
2915 Dave Ward Drive, Conway, (501) 329-1100This congenial sports bar might be a somewhat raucous watering hole, but the Chicago-style pizza, sandwiches and salads are prime.
Lunch, dinner daily. Full bar (private club license in Conway). Reservations. Bargain-moderate.
IRIANA’S 201 E. Markham St., Little Rock, (501) 374-3656 Iriana’s continues to rank among the state’s best pie makers, and also serves simple salads and grinders and Paisano chianti in its casual, friendly downtown digs.
Lunch, dinner Mon-Sat. Beer, wine. Bargain.
NEW!!! JAY’S PIZZA Ottenheimer Market Hall, River Market, 400 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, (501) 374-5297Jay Baxter’s excellent thin-crust gourmet pizzas (some of them more exotic than others - for example, Wild Mushroom and Brie and Janet’s Napoletana with onions, olives, capers and anchovies) are available by the pie or by the slice, along with salads and po’boys.
Lunch, dinner daily. Full bar (Maumelle), beer and wine (Cantrell). Bargain-moderate.
JIM’S RAZORBACK PIZZA 16101 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, (501) 868-3250; 20608 Arkansas 365 North, Maumelle, (501) 851-4120 This pizza palace with origins in Northwest Arkansas serves regular, wheat, gluten-free and deep-dish pies in a kid-friendly atmosphere.
Lunch, dinner daily. Full bar (Maumelle), beer and wine (Cantrell). Bargain-moderate.
LARRY’S PIZZA 801 S. Bowman Road, Little Rock, (501) 400-8260; 12th and Center streets, Little Rock, (501) 372-6004; 12911 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, (501) 224-8804; 5933 John F. Kennedy Blvd., North Little Rock, (501) 812-5353; 4500 Arkansas 5 North, Bryant, (501) 847-5003 At this burgeoning chain, founded by entrepreneur Larry White, most of the pizzas don’t even make it to the pizza-and-salad buffet; servers carry the pies - traditional (pepperoni), specialty (including Steak Alfredo and Cheeseburger) and dessert (including peach, chocolate, berry and apple) - to tables, dropping off slices as they go.
Bowman: lunch, dinner daily; downtown: lunch Mon-Fri; Cantrell Road and John F. Kennedy Boulevard: lunch, dinner daily; Bryant: lunch, dinner Mon-Sat. Bargain.
PIZZA CAFE 1517 Rebsamen Park Road, Little Rock, (501) 664-6133; 14710 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, (501) 868-2600 Pizza Cafe West, which recently joined the long-standing Riverdale original, offers dependable “straight” and specialty pies, sandwiches and salads in quirky surroundings.
Lunch, dinner daily. Beer and wine. Moderate.
VINO’S PIZZA PUB & BREWERY 923 W. Seventh St., Little Rock, (501) 375-8466 Vino’s continues to dish up some of the town’s best pizzas, hand-shaped the old-fashioned way, plus delicious calzones and several sandwiches, along with flavorful, on-premises-brewed beers and ales.
Lunch, dinner daily. Beer, wine. Reservations (very large groups). Bargain-moderate.
Weekend, Pages 38 on 02/27/2014