Casey's Bar-B-Q, 7410 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, closed last week and the owners posted two notes on the door, the top one thanking loyal customers for their support and the bottom one stating, with finality, "Casey's is closed and will not reopen."
The original Casey's, which closed in 2005 after 25 years in business, 22 of those at 600 Reservoir Road (its third location) was reborn (after a long series of delays) with pretty much the identical menu — with the addition of barbecue-stuffed baked potatoes — to much social-media rejoicing in June 2018 in the former Arkansas Burger Co. building. However, customers consistently complained via the same social media outlets that the new edition wasn't living up to their memories.
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Look for an early to mid-October opening for Hillcrest Little Bakery, 203 N. Van Buren St., Little Rock. Owner Zara Schmidt, originally from Hot Springs, is in the process of hiring an artisan doughnut chef, an assistant chef, a cook and one or more front of house servers and dishwashers. From the website, HillcrestLittleBakery.com, comes the slogan "Eat local, think global" and this description: "We are a Little Rock based bakery creating delicious doughnuts, pastries, sweets and meals that are as unique as our customers. HLB brings recipes from around the states and from our own family kitchen." In addition to doughnuts, they'll also offer loaded biscuits-and-gravy plates, "assorted pastries from our Turkish baker" and "Hot Chicken" sandwiches. Schmidt says tentative hours will be 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. And plans are to operate "as waste-free and eco friendly as possible," using biodegradable straws, lids and utensils for to-go orders, recycled paper bags and recyclable paper boxes and cups and, "for eat-in orders, we have glass cups, porcelain plates and metal utensils so we do not accumulate more waste after every meal served."
Details are still sketchy, but there's now a sign that says Brood and Barley in front of the former Core Brewing Public House at 411 Main St. in North Little Rock's Argenta Arts District. Owner Jess McMullen says he doesn't yet have a target opening date for his second Flyway Brewing taproom, literally a stone's throw from the original, main location, 314 Maple St. And he's still working out just what he'll be serving there. He has said previously that he's following a nationwide trend of craft breweries putting second taprooms with more of an upscale vibe "right around the corner" from the originals. This one, which he has described as a "specialty house," will likely serve some different Flyway beers than the original, and while he doesn't anticipate having a full kitchen like the one on Maple Street, he'll serve "some snacks and stuff" because people do need something to nibble on with beer. Hours are also still not yet established; at the original taproom, they're serving 4-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. The phone number there: (501) 812-3192.
Mary Hess reports she has temporarily closed her Alyss' Restaurant food truck while in the process of bringing its original chef, her daughter-in-law Kelly Cappuccetti Heavner, back on board, but she has not abandoned the lot at 301 Gill St., Little Rock. (Hess also reports she's now square with the city Advertising and Promotion Commission, which as the result of some previous publicity in this column showed up to require that she fill out the proper tax permit documents that, yes, apply to food trucks as well as actual buildings.) Hess says once she's back up and running, she'll be serving the same type of food, and she's still looking for other chefs and craftsmen to operate on the lot as well (among her possibilities: a Christmas-tree vendor). Her phone number is (850) 585-6455. Oh, and in case you forgot, the name of the business derives from her granddaughter, Alyss.
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Shelli Poole, via her Mysaline.com, reports that "a big yellow banner with their very recognizable logo" portends the expected arrival of a Denny's in the former Ruby Tuesday, at 23236 Interstate 30, Bryant. No word yet on a timeline.
New Conway Vietnamese restaurant Pho Huyen had its grand opening Wednesday in the former Ceci’s Chicken & Waffles space, 1600 Dave Ward Drive. Hours are 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday and Wednesday-Saturday (they’re closed on Tuesdays), 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. The telephone number is (501) 504-2449.
And speaking of Conway, sometime in October or November, Blackwood's Gyros & Grill, which has been operating at 803 Harkrider St. since 1992, will move down the street to larger quarters in the former Fish House, 116 S. Harkrider. It'll keep the same menu, the same hours — 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, and will also open for lunch on Sunday — and the same phone number: (501) 329-3934.
Franchisees Anand "Andy" Patel and Kalpesh "Junior" Das of Slider Joint, LLC are seeking a location for a new, state-of-the-art Krystal restaurant, scheduled to open in Jonesboro in early 2020. Together they have have a combined 49 years of restaurant experience and own and operate seven other restaurants in the Jonesboro market. The suburban Atlanta-based Krystal chain excitedly explains in a news release that the restaurant "will feature an expanded kitchen and facilities layout that maximizes efficiency and employee awareness. The new prototype will be square like Krystal's famous burgers and is expected to add 75 jobs in Jonesboro." Krystal, which used to dot the landscape, has one other Arkansas outlet in West Memphis. A previous Jonesboro location closed in 2002. Visit krystal.com.
We're not exactly sure how long it's been there, but Cabot has a Starbucks at 200 Rockwood Drive, just off the confluence of U.S. 67 and Arkansas 89 (West Main Street). Hours are 5:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is (501) 422-9243.
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Some 30 teams from around the state will compete for the title at the ninth World Cheese Dip Championship, noon-4 p.m. Oct. 5 on the grounds of the Clinton Presidential Center, 1200 President Clinton Ave. New this year is a kid zone with an inflatable obstacle course, interactive demonstrations from the Museum of Discovery, food trucks and a grassy area with music and picnic tables. Tickets (includes chips provided by On The Border and cheese dip samples from contestants) are $10 in advance ($15 at the gate); $8 for active military and veterans, law enforcement and EMT personnel with valid ID; free for children 5 and younger. Visit centralarkansastickets.com/events/cheesedip2019. Sale of water, soft drinks, beer, wine and hot dogs and all other proceeds benefit Harmony Health Clinic, which provides free medical and dental services to the uninsured in Pulaski County. To enter as a contestant or to become a sponsor, call (501) 375-4400 or email contestants@cheesedip.net or info@cheesedip.net.
And more than three dozen central Arkansas restaurants — plus one in Rogers — will donate 10% of each check toward Heifer International's work to end hunger and poverty for Heifer's second annual World Food Day — Take Hunger Off the Menu fundraiser, Oct.16. Complete lists and more information is available at heifer.org/worldfoodday and rockcityeats.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 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 09/19/2019