RESTAURANT TRANSITIONS: Daiquiri Shop in Little Rock; Arthur's Prime Steakhouse opening delayed; Layla's adds new location

Spa City artist Carole Katchen’s oil and pastel restaurant scenes will be a focus of Sunday’s Art &  Wine Dinner at The Avenue in Hot Springs.
Spa City artist Carole Katchen’s oil and pastel restaurant scenes will be a focus of Sunday’s Art & Wine Dinner at The Avenue in Hot Springs.

All evidence points to something called The Daiquiri Shop going into the long-vacant Famous Dave's -- a Minnesota-based barbecue chain -- at 225 N. Shackleford Road, Little Rock. First, the Aug. 31 listing of permit applications for the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Division lists one for a "restaurant mixed drink minimum" permit -- usually meaning they can serve one or two kinds of booze, such as tequila for margaritas, vodka for bloody Marys or rum for daiquiris -- for that establishment at that address.

Kymberly A. Beard, who filed that permit application, also applied to the ABC for a permit for an establishment of the same name in June at 2409 Broadway, Little Rock. The permit was granted Aug. 8, "conditional upon completion of remodeling, receipt of Health Department approval, installation of lighted fire exit signs and a telephone" and that "Ms. Beard must comply with Capitol Zoning District conditions." The address dovetails pretty closely with a June 23 story in this paper about an as-yet-unnamed New Orleans-style cafe and sandwich shop that listed Beard as the applicant for certificate of appropriateness, which the Capitol Zoning District Commission issued for a space at 2415 S. Broadway. (Its neighbors include Dollar General store and the headquarters outlet of Sims Bar-B-Que.)

Meanwhile, a poster-ette from the North Little Rock-based Ashley Co. Commercial Real Estate lists The Daiquiri Shop among the tenants in the three buildings of the so-called Mills 430 Shopping Center it handles -- freestanding buildings at West Markham and Shackleford that might otherwise appear to be part of the L-shaped Westchase Plaza center in which they nestle. (The others: the building next-door, 215 N. Shackleford, that houses Sekisui upstairs and West End Smokehouse & Tavern downstairs, and a little brick building that is Bullseye Guns & Ammo.) Representatives of Ashley Co. did not return phone calls by deadline.

Aji Ramen Bar owner Oki Sutanto now says he's waiting on the delivery of his tables to open in Westchase Plaza, in the shopping center at 301 N. Shackleford Road, Little Rock. (Meanwhile, Sutanto's landlords, Flake & Kelley, had disputed his claims that the roof had been leaking.) Still no phone number, website or Facebook page.

Construction problems have postponed the opening of the new Arthur's Prime Steakhouse location in the eastern half of a former auto dealership at 16100 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, says owner Jerry Barakat. Until then, the upscale restaurant will continue to operate out of its original spot in the Village at Rahling Road, 27 Rahling Circle, Little Rock, 5-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Sunday. Its seafood-and-sushi sibling, Oceans at Arthur's, is operating without it in the former dealership's western building, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4:30-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday. The phone number remains (501) 821-1838.

Live Life Chill grand opening, 300 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, on the west edge of the River Market District, today, will feature 5-7 p.m. draft beer specials, a "Stein Holding Competition" with a "Lost 40 Brewing Prize" for the winner and music 8:30-11:30 p.m. on the patio (and every Thursday-Saturday). The restaurant also opened for brunch for the first time Sunday, serving, among other things, Pig & Pancakes, two large maple-syruped pancakes sandwiching a large portion of pulled pork. Hours are 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is (501) 615-8399.

And apparently stein-holding competitions are a thing, because Heights Taco & Tamale Co., 5805 Kavanaugh Blvd, Little Rock, is holding a Lost Forty Oktoberfest Stein Holding Competition, 5-7 p.m. Wednesday The person who who can keep their stein aloft the longest wins a limited edition Lost Forty Brewing 'The Hunter' Oktoberfest Stein as part of a Lost Forty/Heights Taco prize package and qualifies to move on to a forthcoming statewide competition at the Lost Forty Brewery in Little Rock. Rules and more details are available at the Facebook events page, tinyurl.com/SteinHolding.

Meanwhile, Rock Town Distillery, 1201 Main St., Little Rock, marks Bourbon Heritage Month with its inaugural Bourbon & BBQ Celebration, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, with $5 Bourbon cocktails (and other whiskeys) all day and a special 5-9 p.m. barbecue dinner in the barrel house -- Mr. Mason's Pit BBQ is providing smoked chicken and ribs "and all the fixins," $13 per person. Call (501) 907-5244 or visit the Facebook event page, facebook.com/events/416374275558704.

We're zeroing in on, but have not yet confirmed, a reported target opening date of Oct. 10 for the Starbucks, 2815 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, on the former site of Shogun Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar.

Layla's Gyro and Pizzeria opened a North Little Rock branch, 4546 E. McCain Blvd., North Little Rock, about three weeks ago in what had been an AT&T store in front of the Walmart Supercenter. It joins Little Rock locations at 9501 N. Rodney Parham Road (the original) and 6100 Stones Drive. Hours are 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is (501) 955-2300. The menu is available online at laylasgyro.com.

We missed this when we reported last week that Hot Springs' DeLuca's Pizzeria was moving from 407 Park Ave. -- it'll close there Saturday, reopening Oct. 11 at 831 Central Ave., but that same Aug. 31 ABC list shows chef-owner Anthony Valinoti is apparently taking advantage of the move to serve drinks. He, too, has applied for a restaurant mixed drink minimum permit.

Also on that list: Sakura, 4011 E. Kiehl Ave., Sherwood, and Saffron Indian Cuisine, 12911 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, are applying for beer and wine permits, and the Sims Bar-B-Que outlet at 7601 Geyer Springs Road, Little Rock, is looking to serve beer.

The state Health Department has approved a plumbing permit for a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen outlet at 19600 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, across from the Walmart, with a target opening date on or before Jan. 1. (Don't confuse it with the Popeyes at 11402 Cantrell Road, Little Rock -- that's the one attached to the Shell station at the Pleasant Valley Town Center.)

The Burge's Hickory Smoked Turkeys and Hams outlet that opened July 2 at 405 E. Dave Ward Drive, Conway, has already closed. A first call to the phone number, (501) 205-1926, during business hours returned a voicemail message saying the "party you are trying to reach is busy and cannot take your call" and to please leave a message; more recently, also during business hours, the phone rang for an extended period with no answer. Owner Jeff Voyles declined comment by deadline.

It's now official: You'll soon find a freestanding DQ Grill & Chill with a drive-thru, in the Hurricane Creek Village shopping center, 2014 Arkansas 5, east of Alcoa Road, Benton. The developer, the booking folks and Benton Mayor David Mattingly have all made expressions of welcome. It'll be the fifth central Arkansas outlet for franchisee You Scream Holdings, LLC -- one each in Little Rock, Sherwood, Conway and Cabot. You Scream officials say they don't have a target opening date. The shopping center also currently lists outlets of Tacos 4 Life, Slim Chickens and Pie Five Pizza.

Spa City painter Carole Katchen's restaurant scenes will be the art focus, 7 p.m. Sunday, of the monthly Art & Wine Dinner at The Avenue, inside The Waters hotel, 340 Central Ave., Hot Springs. The wine part will be the pairing of chef Casey Copeland's five courses with selections from Langman Estate winery. Check out the menu at TheAvenueHS.com. Cost is $80; make reservations, which are encouraged, by calling (501) 625-3850.

And Tuesday, a week later than originally targeted, was opening day for Local Lime Rogers, 2103 S. Promenade Blvd., Rogers (between Mimi's Cafe and Dillard's). Food service will be 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; the bar will stay open later. The phone number is (479) 903-7300; the Facebook page, facebook.com/locallimerogers.

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:

[email protected]

photo

Spa City artist Carole Katchen’s oil and pastel restaurant scenes will be a focus of Sunday’s Art & Wine Dinner at The Avenue in Hot Springs.

Weekend on 09/27/2018

Upcoming Events