It's now a done deal. Ira Mittleman, former chef and owner of the Anderson House in Heber Springs and most recently chef and owner at Ira's at the Gibson Inn in Apalachicola, Fla., whom Elizabeth McMullen, former chef-owner of the former E's Bistro, in the Lakehill Shopping Center, 3812 John F. Kennedy Blvd., North Little Rock, brought in as a guest chef in December, has taken over the restaurant, which he is naming Ira's Park Hill Grill. The target opening date is mid-February. McMullen will stay on, as she has said she would, as pastry chef, which is how she got her culinary start. Mittleman's seasonally changing menu will feature American, Mediterranean, Caribbean and Asian accents, including shrimp tacos topped with a coconut-curry sauce; a mushroom spring roll filled with shiitake mushrooms, carrots and Chinese vegetables; an aged Angus rib-eye topped with wild mushroom garlic butter; a tofu and vegetable curry; and pasta, including a penne with pesto and a ravioli of the day. We'll keep you posted.
At least three members of our sharp-eyed observer corps reported that what used to be Krazy Mike's Shrimp n Wings at 200 N. Bowman Road, Little Rock, is now Lazy Pete's Fish & Shrimp. But there may be less in the change than meets the eye -- on the website, lazypetes.com, is this message: "We're still serving the great food you love -- only the name has changed." The hours are the same -- 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday. And the phone number remains (501) 907-6453. However, if you want to see the menu, you must visit the old website: krazy-mikes.com.
...
In our "somewhat delayed opening" department this week:
• A slight delay shifted the opening of Boulevard Bistro and Bar, conjoined with the original Heights location of Boulevard Bread Co., 1920 N. Grant St., Little Rock, which was expected to open for dinner Tuesday, to today, all other things being equal. The new space, the result of an expansion into the former next-door New Traditions storefront, will seat about 75. Boulevard Bread's hours, and eventually those of the bistro, are 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is (501) 663-5949.
• Southern Gourmasian chef-owner Justin Patterson reports he now sees no scenarios that will prevent him from opening by the end of next week, if not sooner, in his new brick-and-mortar location, 219 W. Capitol Ave., Little Rock. Call (501) 954-0888 or check via the Facebook page, facebook.com/thesoutherngourmasian; the website is thesoutherngourmasian.com.
• We're now looking at Feb. 10 as the target opening for Sushi Cafe's new Sushi Cafe West in the Eleven Two Eleven Center, 11211 Cantrell Road, just west of Interstate 430, Little Rock. (501) 954-7866.
...
There's a Starbucks a-brewing in the Indian Hills Shopping Center, 7125 John F. Kennedy Blvd., North Little Rock, adjacent to the Little Caesar's.
Bobby's Country Cookin', 301 N. Shackleford Road, Little Rock, has new owners. The restaurant's Facebook page announced the accession of Larry and Carol Buttram as of Jan. 19: "With great excitement we have become the new owners of Bobby's Country Cookin' here in Little Rock. ... Larry has always said 'Bobby's has the best fried chicken and okra in town.' However, he never thought he would own it, but we now own his favorite lunch spot." Hours will continue to be 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday; the phone number remains (501) 224-9500; and you can get a look at the menu, which isn't changing either, at the website, bobbyscountrycookin.com.
Samantha's Tap Room & Wood Grill opened on schedule last week on the ground floor of the Mann on Main building, 322 Main St., Little Rock. Hours are 4-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday; co-owner Chris Tanner says he expects to open for lunch in February, whereupon the hours will be 11 a.m.-10 p.m., with the bar staying open longer if business warrants. The phone number, by the way, is (501) 379-8019.
March 3 is now the target for the opening of the Chuy's outlet at 5105 Warden Road, North Little Rock, which is in the process of hiring 175 hosts, servers, bussers, bartenders and kitchen staff. Apply in person, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; find an application online at Chuys.com. It'll be the third Arkansas restaurant for the Austin, Texas-based chain (the others are in Rogers, which opened in February, and on Chenal Parkway in west Little Rock, which opened in May 2013). For updates and giveaways, visit facebook.com/ChuysLittleRock.
The Capital Bar & Grill, in the Capital Hotel, 111 W. Markham St., will host a five-course dinner paired with beers from Charleville Brewery, 5:30-8 p.m. Tuesday. Tait Russell, the Ste. Genevieve, Mo., brewery owner and brewer, will be on hand. Cost is $55; visit tinyurl.com/beer21.
And speaking of beer dinners, Cregeen's Irish Pub, 301 Main St., North Little Rock, is teaming up with Butcher & Public and Loblolly Creamery for a dinner with beers from Boulevard Brewing Co.'s Smokestack Series, 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10 in the pub's private dining room. Boulevard's Collaboration No. 4, Saison Brett, Bourbon Barrel Quad and Imperial Stout, will be paired, probably but not necessarily in that order, with B&P's Pork Taleggio Crepinette, herb-roasted chicken with caramelized shallot mash, Kriek Lambic-braised pork shoulder with sauteed root vegetables and the creamery's Imperial Stout ice cream. Tickets are $45 in advance, $50 at the door (if any of the 20 seats remain). Call (501) 376-7468.
And speaking of beer, Flyway Brewing Co. (flywaybrewing.blogspot.com) has announced plans to join the burgeoning cross-river downtown brewpub explosion with a midsize brewery with a tap room at 314 Maple St., North Little Rock, that previously housed a pool room (Arena Billiards Bar & Grill) and something called Mac Daddy's. Construction should begin in February, with a late May-early June target opening.
Three Saline County restaurants -- Icehouse Grill and Mo' Betta Gumbo in Benton and Luigi's Pizza in Bryant -- are among the 15 businesses in the formerly dry, now wet as of November elections, county to receive permits for wine and beer sales last week from the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Division. The other 12 businesses were all grocery, big-box or convenience stores.
The Southwest Times Record reports the closure of Neumeier's Rib Room & Beer Garden, 815-817 Garrison Ave., Fort Smith, a downtown hot spot that featured award-winning pork ribs and nationally touring music acts, and a sign in front of the 10,252-square-foot venue has it for sale or lease. Owner Bill Neumeier told the paper that after more than 20 years he is ready to go on to something "less stressful," but he'll continue to operate his nearby Papa's Pub & Pizzeria at 508 Garrison Ave. And, he says, "I'm keeping the smoker. I hope to get back into barbecue."
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:
Weekend on 01/29/2015