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MYSTERY TOUR

A guide to the hidden side of Pulaski County with THE OBSERVER.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Think About...

The

Jan. 2, 2013 The Arkansas Times welcomes the New Year with our annual edition of The Natives Guide. Inside, we’ve collected essential information to help you navigate life in Central Arkansas. This year, we’ve jettisoned some of the reference guides we’ve long run annually in favor of content that isn’t just a Google search away. The Observer, our anonymous chronicler of the weird and wonderful, offers a guide to places and things in Little Rock you should know about, but probably don’t. Leslie Peacock, resident art guru, delivers a personalized guide to finding fine art in Central Arkansas. Plus, we survey the local yoga landscape, tell you where to find the best hot beverages, explore the world of unconventional sports, take you on a local shopping tour and more. You can find all the information contained in this issue and dozens of other guides — on antique stores, brunch, ethnic groceries, golf courses, vegetarian dining and more — at arktimes.com/natives. Have an idea for a topic for us to explore? Write me at lindseymillar@arktimes.com.

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Sincerely,

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Lindsey Millar Editor

CONTENTS

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THINGS TO DO The Observer’s Guide To Hidden LR.............................................6 Where To Find Fine Art...............................................................10 Clubs...........................................................................................17 Shopping.....................................................................................20 Yoga.............................................................................................24 Pulaski County Bike Trails............................................................26 Unconventional Sports................................................................28 Restaurants..................................................................................30 Hot Beverages.............................................................................34

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THE WAY THINGS ARE Demographics.............................................................................16 Elected officials...........................................................................22 Schools........................................................................................43 Real Estate...................................................................................46 ON THE COVER: The Observer hides out behind his secret Pulaski County map. VOLUME 39, NUMBER 18

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ARKANSAS TIMES (ISSN 0164-6273) is published each week by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 East Markham Street, 200 Heritage Center West, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72203, phone (501) 375-2985. Periodical postage paid at Little Rock, Arkansas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ARKANSAS TIMES, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, AR, 72203. Subscription prices are $42 for one year, $78 for two years. Subscriptions outside Arkansas are $49 for one year, $88 for two years. Foreign (including Canadian) subscriptions are $168 a year. For subscriber service call (501) 375-2985. Current single-copy price is 75¢, free in Pulaski County. Single issues are available by mail at $2.50 each, postage paid. Payment must accompany all single-copy orders. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents without the written consent of the publishers is prohibited. Manuscripts and artwork will not be returned or acknowledged unless sufficient return postage and a self-addressed stamped envelope are included. All materials are handled with due care; however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for care and safe return of unsolicited materials. All letters sent to ARKANSAS TIMES will be treated as intended for publication and are subject to ARKANSAS TIMES’ unrestricted right to edit or to comment editorially.

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NATIVES GUIDE 2013

Six things you probably didn’t know about in Pulaski County But now you do.

BY THE ARKANSAS TIMES OBSERVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN CHILSON

MR. MAGIC: Jim Henson.

MR. MAGIC

8912 Stagecoach Road, Little Rock

As a lad, The Observer tinkered with the idea of taking up magic as a hobby, always drawn to the idea of disappearing coins and jumping Queens of Hearts and Houdini sunk down to the drowning depths in a girdle of chains. While our dreams of being The Great Observini were stymied by fat fingers and a lack of patience, we still love magic and that feeling of being fooled. Even though we’re all about the truth, we still find something sexy about confident liars, and nobody lies with confidence better than a good magician. The best magicians can even make you lie to yourself. Given our admiration for the Conjuring Class, we were jazzed some years back to find Mr. Magic, a strip mall shop at the corner of Baseline and Stagecoach 6

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ARKANSAS TIMES

Road. In business at that location for 19 years, it’s apparently the biggest and best-stocked freestanding magic shop in the U.S. and possibly the world. No, that’s not an exaggeration. It really is. Originally opened in the back of a bicycle shop in Benton in 1989 and run by former Little Rock firefighter Jim Henson, the current 3,200-squarefoot shop on Stagecoach has more than 14,000 tricks under one roof. That’s not duplicate copies of the same trick, mind you. That’s individual tricks. If you’ve never heard of the place, you’re not alone. Henson advertises solely by word of mouth, and said he’d rather keep the place unknown except to the community of magicians, who have beat a well-worn path to his door. (When we reminded him that this would all be printed in the newspaper, he just smiled and said that people forget quickly.) To date, the shop has had

he Observer, great surveyor of the passing scene, is usually content to spend our days eavesdropping, loafing, napping quietly at our desk, looting the candy bowl in the lobby and staring out the window. Such is our life of misery and toil. We know there’s this Great Recession on, though, so we understand everybody is expected to pitch in and do more. So it was that when our editor Lindsey Millar (Pro tip: he’s 100 percent, Grade-A dude, folks, so don’t ask for “Miz Millar” when you call. He hates that.) asked us to take up our pen and actually contribute something more than our usual drivel, we pretty much couldn’t refuse. It was either this or the handle end of a shovel, and The Observer is — as the old saying goes — too light for heavy work, and too heavy for light work these days. What to write about, though? After all these years of working in a newsroom, we find that the only thing that gets us interested anymore is knowing what nobody else knows. It’s the reporter’s curse — you never have any juicy secrets, because you get paid to give them all away. That said, we figured we must know some things that not many do. With that in mind, we set out to make the list you see before you: things you probably don’t know about in Pulaski County, but should. Of course, the tricky part of writing about things nobody knows is that Yours Truly might not know them. We’ve got our sources, however — faithful deputies, who are, as we speak, probably peeking over your shoulder and jotting down what you’re doing right now. The Observer and Tom Joad are all around in the dark. We’re everywhere. So, without further ado, here are the quirks, deliciousnesses, weirdnesses and wonders of hidden Pulaski County.

visitors from 32 countries and ships mysteries all over the globe. Weekends find the place a virtual Hogwarts of shop-talking prestidigitators. Mr. Magic has a website — arkansasmagicshop.com — but in a world where the Internet has demolished the brickand-mortar version of seemingly everything else, Henson steadfastly refuses to play virtual ball, and it’s working for him rather nicely. If you want something, you have to either visit, or you have to call and speak to an actual human being. Period. If they have the trick you’re looking for (they probably do), and you buy it, Henson or one of his elves will walk you through it, personally, so you can get it down pat. Try that with Amazon. And oh, what a glorious selection of wonders and weirdness they have at Mr. Magic. They have, for example, more than 5,000 DVDs and books on magic. They have several thousand card tricks,

and more than a hundred decks of rare and beautifully-ornamented playing cards. They have capes. Wands. Cups and balls. Fezzes. Turbans. Scarves. Replicating bouquets. Multiplying bunnies. Nickels big as a platter. Pennies smaller than your pinkie fingernail. Case on case and shelf on shelf of hollow coins, sucker dice, hiddencompartment bird cages, magic wands, trick ropes and pretty much anything else you can imagine, and that’s just what’s in the showroom. The storeroom in the back is filled to overflowing, as well. We hear that’s where Henson keeps The Philosopher’s Stone and the Deathly Hallows. The Observer could literally spend hours at Mr. Magic, wandering around, looking at all the things to see and touch and marvel over. Definitely worth a trip to gawk, even if you couldn’t pull a quarter out of a kid’s ear to save your life.

The Observer first heard about him several years back — the security guard in the lobby of a bank up in the Heights — the one who never moves. Older gent, with glasses, arms folded, wearing a uniform, hat, white shirt, rings of keys. The only employee who doesn’t go home. No, the old fella isn’t zoned out thinking about the salad days while waiting for retirement to catch up to him. He’s a statue. A sculpture, to be exact. A hyper-realistic sculpture of a security guard, to be even more exact. He’s got a name: I.M. Agard. He’s even got a little nametag. Created by Milwaukee-based sculptor Marc Sijan and purchased in Colorado some years back by the owner of the bank, Mr. Agard is a marvel, even up close. And when we say “hyper-realistic,” we mean it. He’s pasty, squint-

NATIVES GUIDE 2013

I.M. AGARD

IberiaBank 5800 R St., Little Rock

ing toward the doors with the ultimate 10,000-yard stare. Get 6 inches from him, and you’ll see he’s got five o’clock shadow, hair in his ears and dim blue veins that show through the skin on his arms. He’s got a slight frown on his lips, as if he’s remembering some sad moment from his past. It’s like looking at a three-dimensional photograph. The only thing that gives him away are his polished loafers, planted square in the middle of a weighted white disk, something like the base of those army men you might have played with as a kid. Beyond that, he really does look 100 percent flesh and blood. For real. Real enough, anyway, that he routinely fools folks, and not just kids. The employees of the bank told us it’s not uncommon for those who are new to the bank to come up and ask ol’ Mr. Agard questions. They drift away puzzled when he steadfastly ignores them, the customer not quite always right in such cases.

THE DOGTOWN GRAVESTONE North Little Rock City Hall

Over in North Little Rock City Hall, there stands a monument to an attempt to kill off part of a community’s identity — one that wasn’t always loved, but which seems to have been accepted these days as a symbol of gritty civic pride: the name “Dogtown.” Even the folks at the North Little Rock History Commission don’t really know why North Little Rock came to be nicknamed “Dogtown” at some point in the past. The stories go that it had something to do with people from Little Rock dumping strays in Argenta in the early 1900s, or possibly the number of poor folks and immigrants — mere “dogs” to the more upstanding folk south of the river — who had settled around the rail hubs north of the river by the 1880s. It is known that the first in-print reference to Dogtown came in an Arkansas Gazette column published on Sept. 11, 1960, in a story about Little Rock High School students using the word as part of a mocking cheer during a particularly hot basketball rivalry with their northern brothers. Such insult! And one that needed to be dealt with, once and for all. In most cases, there is no greater finality than the grave. So, in August 1965, the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce held a mock funeral for the name “Dogtown,” complete with a tiny black coffin, a square-dug grave behind the Chamber offices, a small marble headstone and four officers of

the Chamber as pallbearers. According to a clipping on file at the NLR History Commission, about 50 mourners were on hand and Mayor Casey Laman spoke the eulogy. “Here lies Dogtown,” the headstone read. “Born of apathy, killed by civic pride, gone forever.” Well, not quite “forever.” The nickname seems to have risen quickly from the tomb and gathered strength ever since. While the tombstone that marked the grave of Dogtown is now just a curiosity gathering dust in the lobby of North Little Rock City Hall at the corner of Main and Broadway, more and more often these days you’ll hear North Little Rock residents — especially young folks — referring to their ’hood as Dogtown, the word proudly emblazoned in cool fonts on everything from business cards to work trucks to T-shirts. There’s even a Dogtown Cafe. Though The Observer is firmly dug in south of the Arkansas River, and will probably stay here for the duration if the Good Lord wills it, we will admit we’re a bit envious of the nickname. “I’m from Little Rock” implies a place. “I’m from Dogtown,” though, seems to imply a heck of a lot more; some hipand-with it sense of belonging; something cool; something like that friendly girl you knew with a couple of tattoos and a story about how she followed a band one summer. Besides, anybody worth his salt knows dogs are friendly, loyal and great survivors. So it has been with many of our pals who call Dogtown home. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 2, 2013

NATIVES GUIDE 2013

THE OAKLAND CEMETERY CELL PHONE TOUR The Observer has long been aware of our place in history, which is to say that — barring us taking a bullet to save the life of the president or marrying a Kardashian sister in a Mormon “Sister Wives”-type wedding — we’re probably going to wind up like the vast majority of folks, one of those anonymous nobodys who is pretty much forgotten only a few years after we croak. We’re cool with that. Our job with the newspaper notwithstanding, we’ve spent most of our adult life trying to avoid being preserved for posterity. On top of that, we know fame is fickle. Like the

man said: Hearses don’t have luggage racks, and the graveyards are full of millionaires, mayors, senators, society grande dames and assorted poobahs who are now just a name on granite. Sad, but true — not to mention the way it should probably go. History, however, has a much longer memory than the public’s admiration or fear. As a lover of both history and Little Rock, that’s what makes the Oakland Cemetery Cell Phone Tour so much fun for The Observer. Oakland & Fraternal Cemetery Park, established in 1862 at 2101 Confederate Blvd. just off

Barber Avenue, one of the most storied and historical boneyards in the city, second only in prominence to Mount Holly on Broadway. Containing more than 35,000 burials, Oakland is really seven cemeteries: Oakland, Fraternal, two Confederate cemeteries, National, Jewish Reform and Jewish Conservative. Sure, Oakland contains some of the most elaborate mausoleums and monuments of any cemetery in the city, but without stories, they’re just rocks. That’s where the cell phone tour comes in. Go there, get a map from the sexton’s office, then dial 501-708-0011.

FAMILY PLOT: In East Little Rock’s Oakland Cemetery.

JANUARY 2, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

From there, helpful recordings — most of them made by relatives of the formerly famous and influential souls sleeping downstairs — will guide you through a laundry list of the movers and shakers of long-gone Little Rock, with special, drill-down features on things like architectural details and political issues of the day. The system is even smart enough to pick back up where you left off, if you want to take a break from grave-gawking and do something else for awhile. For a history geek with a dim streak of morbidity, it’s a fun way to spend a sunny afternoon.

NATIVES GUIDE 2013

STAGECOACH GROCERY

GROCERY OWNER: Kathy Goss.

THE MUFFALETTA AT STAGECOACH GROCERY 6024 Stagecoach Road

The Observer’s Daddy was a roofer, partial to hole-in-the-wall joints and served-on-wax-paper dives. Like Yours Truly, he was a man of big appetites and had a mental Rolodex of all the places to get good, cheap, downhome grub in Central Arkansas. One meal he introduced us to early was

the muffaletta sandwich at Stagecoach Grocery. Long before we ever set foot in the muffaletta’s hometown of New Orleans (where they typically spell it “muffuletta”), we were already hooked on that oily, tangy, cheesy slice of heaven. According to the folks behind the counter, they’ve been making the sandwiches there since 1972, when the original owner of the small, well-worn convenience store scored a solid recipe for

olive salad off an acquaintance from Na’wlins. While the Stagecoach Grocery muffaletta is much more petite than the hubcap-sized “real thing” served in the Big Easy, it’s still close to The Observer’s clogged heart and our favorite variety of the sandwich in the world, given that it comes served with a side of good memories: standing in the parking lot of the store, eating a sandwich with our dear ol’ Dad off the hood of his work truck.

Even without that bit of lagniappe, it’s pretty dang tasty — a crusty, sixinch bun toasted flat on the grill, before being loaded up with ham, Swiss cheese and the oily olive mixture that makes a muffaletta a muffaletta. Served wrapped in plain white butcher paper and greasy enough that many of our shirts bear a ghostly stain courtesy of the drippings, it’s a steal at only $4.95. Try one next time you get out that way. CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 2, 2013

NATIVES GUIDE 2013

VOGEL-SHWARTZ SCULPTURE GARDEN

Vogel-Schwartz Sculpture Garden Riverfront Park

GREG THOMPSON FINE ART

FORGET THE SOFA A guide to finding fine art.

ittle Rock is not the cultural desert we might suppose it to be, despite the fact that we are overrun with enough Razorback tchotchkes that every one of us could decorate our entire home in 20th century pig. For those with the wherewithal to buy, Little Rock can hold its head up in its offerings of fine art, especially African American and Southern region. If it’s New York gallery contemporaries (and works by earlier masters) one wants, there’s the annual collectors show and sale at the Arkansas Arts Center; there is an annual sculpture show as well, at the River Market pavilions, by artists of mainly Western origin. For those without the wherewithal but a desire to see the beautiful, the challenging, the weird or the Arkansan — in any combination — that’s covered as well. To familiarize yourself with Little Rock’s art offerings, a good place to start would be an art trail of this writer’s own creation that would start in North Little Rock, come south across the river and into Riverfront Park, south to the Arts Center, over to South Main and then to points west. This cannot be done in a day. If it could, we might be thirsting for art, after all. Here’s the trail, a starter list. There are many other galleries in Little Rock 10

JANUARY 2, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

to consider as well. You mustn’t feel bad if you have not made a habit of visiting the exhibitions that come to town. You’re not paid to; I am. And it’s never too late to expose yourself to work a bit more elevating than a pig on velvet. Here goes:

Greg Thompson Fine Art 429 Main St.

Contemporary painters and sculptors from Arkansas and the South distinguish this gallery, on the second floor of a restored mercantile building in what is known as the Argenta arts district. There’s a blue chip room of work for sale by Arkansas’s late, great Carroll Cloar, self-taught artist Theora Hamblett, cigarette-smoking-monkeyobsessed hyperrealist Donald Roller Wilson, early 20th century regionalist Thomas Hart Benton, etc., but the larger exhibit space features changing exhibitions of contemporary work by names every Arkansas art maven should know: Mark Blaney, an Indiana (but born in Arkansas) artist with a French post-impressionist bent; vibrant and textured abstract artist Sammy Peters; superb wood sculptor and painter Robyn Horn … well, too many to list. 664-2787.

History venues with important arts and crafts The art and artifacts you’ll find at the Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E. Third St., 324-9351, you’ll find are Arkansas-made, much of them from the 19th century: Quilts, furniture, guns, knives, paintings, etc. The museum — known to every schoolchild in Arkansas and one of the few places (the Old State House Museum down the street and the Butler Center galleries are an exception) where the state’s inferiority complex is held at bay — also displays contemporary Arkansas art and historic Native American art in its “We Walk in Two Worlds” gallery. Find Camark pottery, Louis Freund oils, Josephine Graham folk work, Disfarmer photographs, hunting horns, crazy quilts, the knife called the “Arkansas Toothpick,” etc. Like the Historic Arkansas Museum, the Butler Center Galleries in the Arkansas Studies Institute, 401 Clinton Ave., 3205700, has a permanent collection of historically important Arkansas art (as well as changing exhibits of contemporary Arkansas artists). Its collection of art and artifacts from the Rohwer and Jerome Japanese internment camps is singularly important, and the main gallery is large enough to accommodate the monumental charcoals of Little Rock artist David Bailin, whose work is hard to hang, rarely exhibited and top notch. The Old State House Museum, 300 W. Markham, 324-9685, falls a bit wide of the fine art mark, but its permanent collection has such valuable works as African-American quilts dating to the 1880s; Arkansas art pottery and drawings by architect Charles L. Thompson.

A tiered slope behind the Peabody Hotel on the Arkansas River showcases bronzes and works in stone and steel donated annually to the garden by the Sculpture at the River Market organization, which buys work from the annual show mentioned in the introduction above. Stop here to stroll around the garden; you’ll see some work you like and some you don’t, but all of it is in a nice place to be. The large-scale yellow steel loop by Kathleen Caricof (“Infinity”) that marks the entrance is just the right scale for a sculpture garden that has the Arkansas River and the north shore as its backdrop; much of the other work is of a scale better suited to one’s private backyard garden (an outdoor room, P. Allen Smith would call it). Perhaps a planting of tall cedars around the garden to reduce the contrast in scale of work to place? I’m partial to the bird bronzes here, myself. The garden represents Little Rock’s high hopes and a low reality: Vandals have been through a couple of times breaking off pieces of work at vulnerable thin spots and stealing some of the figures.

ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER

Arkansas Arts Center 9th and Cumberland

You can add to your art collection from the Arts Center but once a year, at the collectors’ show (fine art from a dozen New York galleries), but the main reason to come to the Arts Center: Its collection of CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

gallerylisting GALLERY 221 and art studios 221

221 West 2nd St, Ste 102 Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 801-0211 www.GalleryandArtStudios221.com Monday - Friday 10am-4pm Or By Appointment

Serving established and aspiring collectors, Gallery 221 and Arts Studios 221 is Little Rock’s most innovative fine art venue. The gallery combines carefully selected art from private collections of over 1,500 artworks with original paintings, sculpture, photography and jewelry by our Art Studios 221 resident artists. Meet and mingle with working artists in their studios on the second floor of the Pyramid Building after a visit to the gallery to see how their work is created or commission a special piece of art.

claytime pottery

417 Main St. Argenta North Little Rock, Ar 72114 lp@aristotle.net claytimepottery.com Tue-Fri 10-5 Sat 10-3 and by appointment 501-374-3515

boswell mourot FINE ART Little Rock, AR • Miami, FL 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd Little Rock, AR 72207 tel. 501.664.0030 www.boswellmourot.com

Fine Art from Arkansas, regional and international artists for the emerging and established collector.

Hans Feyerabend 78”x48” oil on canvas

Gallery 26 2601 Kavanaugh Suite #1 501-664-8996 www.gallery26.com

Custom and do-ityourself framing. Paintings, glass, pottery and jewlery by local and regional artists. Open Tuesday - Saturday. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Claytime is a pottery studio and gallery. Located in the Argenta Historic District of downtown North Little Rock, AR., the gallery offers original claywork by the finest artists in the region. We are also a working studio offering classes for children, and advanced or beginning adults. For the more experienced potters, we have open or private studio rental.

M2 Gallery 11525 Cantrell Road West Little Rock 501-225-M2LR m2@m2lr.com www.m2lr.com Tue-Fri 10am – 6pm Sat 10am – 5pm

With a metropolitan feel, M2 Gallery is Little Rock’s best source for amazing original artwork. M2 Gallery represents approximately 25 local, national and international artists, including the exclusive international “Success Fantasy” Engraving by Evan Lindquist representation of works by the late Tim West. The gallery is a full-service gallery offering framing, packaging, shipping and installation.

Greg Thompson fine Art

429 Main Street North Little Rock, AR 501-664-2787 www.GregThompsonFineArt.com Greg Thompson Fine Art is located in an historic 19th century building in the Argenta Art District of downtown North Little Rock, Arkansas. The gallery provides 3,000 square feet of both public and private viewing space with a focus on Southern Regionalism. www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 2, 2013

HEARNE FINE ART

With you on your journey

French impressionists. Its huge collection of works on paper from the 16th century to the present. Its significant collection of contemporary craft. Its changing exhibits, like one of British masterworks, “Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London,” coming in 2013. The Arts Center was, until 2011, when Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opened in Bentonville, the largest Arts Center in Arkansas. Unlike CBMAA, built and furnished by one of the richest women in the universe, the Arts Center relies on gifts from the public and a pittance from the city to operate, so it is rightfully named the Arkansas Arts Center. So don’t just go. Donate a buck or two or several. 372-4000.

Bernice Sculpture Garden 1401 Main St.

While the Vogel-Schwartz garden features work bought privately but exhibited on public property, the

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723 Center Street • Little Rock, AR 72201 • 501.372.2256

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JANUARY 2, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

BERNICE SCULPTURE GARDEN

Bernice features work bought with the assistance of public grants and displayed on private property generously made available by owner Anita Davis. This garden is a verdant spot planted with tall daisies and other native plants, with a wonderful shelter of fanned out wood beams over a paved area used for parties and a farmer’s market. The sculpture changes yearly; all of the work is by Arkansas artists (whereas the Vogel garden is nearly all work by artists from out of state). This is an oasis in an urban setting, where you will find sculpture that ranges from the figurative (Stephanie Shinaberry) to an installation of what appear to be pillows (Mia Hall) to carved stone (Kerry Hartman).

Hearne Fine Art 1001 Wright Ave.

Proprietor Garbo Hearne has been in the African-American art business for 16 years, spotlighting 20th century artists — Elizabeth Catlett, Dean Mitchell, George Hunt, Kevin Cole, TWIN, Benny Andrews, John Biggers, Samella Lewis among them — and early American masters like Henry Ossawa Tanner, Edward Bannister and Robert Duncanson. Hearne has a good eye for art, a passion for education and has introduced Arkansas’s uncelebrated folk artists, like Alonzo Ford of Helena/West Helena, to a new audience. She also sells books by African-Americans: fiction, nonfiction, art-related and so forth. No art lover should miss this gem, purposely located on the edge of a largely African-American residential neighborhood (and adjoining husband Dr. Archie Hearne’s medical clinic). 3725824.

Galleries on Kavanaugh Boulevard Kavanaugh Boulevard, celebrated for its winding route and small businesses, is the perfect setting for smaller art venues: Gallery 26, 2601 Kavanaugh, where dozens of area artists are represented; Stephanoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fine Art, 5501 Kavanaugh, where Stephano Sutherlin shows his own pop art along with work by local and national artists; and Boswell-Mourot Fine Art, which also represents area, regional and international painters, sculptors and owner Kyle Boswellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blown glass and mixed media works. No late greats in these galleries, but all contemporaries who could (and many do) hold their own in larger markets. You want to see a painting by Little Rockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top neoclassicist Stephen Cefalo? Go to Gallery 26. Sculpture by Tony Dow (yes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wallyâ&#x20AC;? of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leave it to Beaverâ&#x20AC;?) or Little Rock landscape painter John Kushmaul? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stephanoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Artists from all over the world? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Boswell-Mourot. 664-0030.

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CANTRELL GALLERY

Cantrell Gallery

8206 Cantrell Road

The jam-packed Cantrell Gallery, the oldest commercial gallery in Little Rock, is another venue for some of Arkansasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite artists, including Warren Criswell, whose narrative and often nighttime scenes feature sexy nudes, crows, Criswell himself and a wry sense of humor; Thom Hallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s portraits of his alter ego Sylvia Moskowitz; rural realist Daniel Coston, self-taught artist LeeNora Parlor. 224-1335.

M2 Gallery

11525 Cantrell Road

West Little Rockers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to go as far east as Interstate 430 to find art for their spacious homes. They hit up M2 Gallery, in the Pleasant Ridge Shopping Center, for contemporary painting and sculpture from Little Rock and the region. The work here is all over the place: large abstract paintings, Lauren Embree jewelry, late folk artist Tim West drawings, etc. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sometimes furniture here too, by hugely talented Little Rock woodworker Keith Newton, and that alone would be a reason to go. 225-6257.

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ARKANSAS TIMES

The Observer joined the great mass of property-owning Americans some years back (well ... The Observer, Spouse and the bank own a little property, anyway) and so we know the thrill of realizing that every speck of dirt in a given patch of the universe belongs to you. Long before we bought The Observatory, however, there was a large tree in North Little Rock that beat us to the punch. Motoring down Pike Avenue in North Little Rock, you can see the mammoth live oak from a ways off, especially in the winter — the tree still a glossy green when all its neighbors are snoozing away with naked branches until the first breath of springtime. North Little Rock’s official tree — and apparently one of the most northward specimens of Quercus virginiana — the massive live oak figures prominently as a landmark in the history of the area. Accounts of early Baring Cross residents on file at the North Little Rock History Commission say it was planted as early as 1904, seeded by a member of the Vestal family from acorns brought in from South Texas by a visitor to the local Lion’s Club. Before his death, former North Little Rock Mayor Casey Laman recounted how it was already a

big tree in the 1920s, when the live oak’s expansive, shady canopy had served as the meeting point whenever he walked his future wife, Arlene, home from school. On March 19, 1990, with plans to widen Pike Avenue — and mow down the tree in the process — on the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department’s drawing board, North Little Rock Mayor Patrick Hays deeded the live oak the land it stood on, transferring “all land in, under, and within close proximity of [its] root system,” to the tree, with that patch of dirt rechristened “Live Oak Park.” While superlatives are always dangerous in journalism, we hear from those in the know that it’s the smallest city park in Arkansas. Though the deed is technically legal, it’s mostly symbolic. That said, Hays’ gesture was enough to get several prominent movers-and-shakers involved in the fight to save the tree, including members of the NLR City Council, Laman and thenArkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, with Clinton adding his John Hancock to the tree deed. Probably not coincidentally, the powersthat-be at the Highway Department soon decided a re-plan of the Pike Avenue project was in order, and today, the busy thoroughfare feints right on around one of North Little Rock’s oldest and most storied landowners.

Downtown’s Newest Hotel!

HELP LIST

ere is a list of public and private agencies that offer services for the abused, neglected, addicted, homeless, disabled, hungry and others needing assistance.

Abuse and neglect Arkansas Adult Protective Services, 800-482-8049 (24-hour hotline), aradultprotection.com. Arkansas Aging and Adult Services, 682-2441, daas.ar.gov. Arkansas Child Abuse Prevention, 1-800-482-5964. Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 907-5612 or 800-269-4668, domesticpeace.com. Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services, 682-8770, stoparchildabuse.com The Dorcas House, Union Rescue Mission, 374-4022. urmission.org. Family Service Agency, Domestic Violence, 372-4242, helpingfamiliesfirst.org. Safe Places, crisis intervention, counseling and support for children and families, 590-7266, centerforhealingandhope. com.

Alcohol and drug abuse Al-Anon and Alateen, 372-5234, ar.alanon.alateen.org. Alcoholics Anonymous, hotline 6647303, arkansascentraloffice.org. Arkansas CARES (women), 661-0720, methodistfamily.org. Better Community Development Hoover Treatment Center, 663-4774, bcdinc.org. GYST (Get Yourself Together) House, 568-1682, gysthouseinc.com. Cocaine Anonymous, 374-1334, caarkansas.org. Narcotics Anonymous, 373-8683, caasc.org. Nehemiah House Men’s Recovery Program, Union Rescue Mission, 3741108. urmission.org. Recovery Centers of Arkansas, 3724611, rcofa.org. Serenity Park, 663-7627 or 866-6997627 (8 a.m.-5 p.m.), 541-4370 (5 p.m.-10 p.m.), serenitypark.org. Sober Living Inc., 562-0507. Wolfe Street Foundation, 372-5662, wolfestreet.org.

Adult Day Care Directory for Central Arkansas ser-

vices at care-link.org.

Food CareLink (Meals on Wheels), 3725300 or 800-482-6359, care-link.org. Stone Soup, Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, Sunday, 375-1600, qqumc.org/outreach-ministries. The Stewpot, First Presbyterian Church of Little Rock, Monday through Friday, 372-1804, stewpot-littlerock.org. Amboy Community Food Pantry, 100 Auburn, NLR. 753-2777.

Come stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown, located in the River Market District. Within walking all theto shopping, diningdining and nightlife the the area The hotel is withindistance walking to distance all the shopping, and nightlife areahas hastotooffer. offer. 501.244.0600 • 320 South Commerce Little Rock, Rock, AR 501.244.0600 • 320 River Market Ave.St.• •Little AR72201 72201• littlerockdowntownsuites.hamptoninn.com • littlerockdowntownsuites.hamptoninn.com

Pantries Arkansas Food Bank Network, 5658121, arkansasfoodbank.org. Arkansas Rice Depot, 565-8855, ricedepot.org. Helping Hand, 372-4388. Jacksonville Care Channel for the Needy, 982-4647. Little Rock Compassion Center, 2969114. Potluck, 371-0303, potluckfoodrescue. org. Saint Francis House Inc., 664-5036, stfrancishouse72204@att.net. Salvation Army (Little Rock), 3749296, salvationarmycaac.org. Salvation Army (NLR), 758-7297, salvationarmycaac.org. Watershed Human and Community Development Agency, 378-0176. For a broader list of food pantries in Arkansas, go to arkansashunger.org.

Shelter/transitional living Freewell Baptist Family Ministries, Florence Crittenton Home for boys and girls, 663-3129, fwbfm.com. Dorcas House, abused women, 3744022, urmission.org. Family Promises, 372-0733. Little Rock Compassion Center, 2969114. Our House, 375-2416 or 374-7383, ourhouseshelter.org. Promise House Maternity Care, 3509766, www.abchomes.org. River City Ministry, 376-6694, rivercityministry.org. Salvation Army (Little Rock), 374-9296. Salvation Army (NLR), 758-7297. Stepping Stone Emergency Shelter, 666-7233. Union Rescue Mission, shelter, 3741108, urmission.org. CONTINUED ON PAGE 45

www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 2, 2013

NATIVES GUIDE 2013

ing $200,000 or more was 4,950. The number of residents receiving government food assistance/SNAP at some point during 2010 was 17,090. The number of individuals with healthinsurance coverage was 83.3 percent of the population, with 16.7 percent having no health insurance. The total percentage of people in Pulaski County living below the poverty level was estimated at 17.5 percent. The estimated number of children under 18 living below the poverty level: 26.5 percent.

BRIAN CHILSON

Housing

SIMPLE ARITHMETIC

Numbers tell the tale of Central Arkansas.

umbers aren’t just for baseball scores, tallying up your purchases at the mall, and dreading or looking forward to on your birthday (depending on your age). Here we present a look at the numbers behind the people who live in Pulaski County. All statistics come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 American Community Survey.

Physical environment Little Rock is located at 286 feet above sea level in its lowest part, the flatlands along the Arkansas River, and rises to 630 feet above sea level in the hills of its west and central areas. Pulaski County is 770.82 square miles in size. Little Rock is 116.2 square miles and North Little Rock is 49.3 square miles.

Weather and climate The normal daily mean temperature in Central Arkansas is 62.1 degrees Fahrenheit, and the annual average relative humidity is 71 percent. The hottest month of the year in Little Rock is 16

JANUARY 2, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

July, with an average high temperature of 92.8 degrees. The coldest month is January, with an average low of 30.8 degrees. Highest-ever recorded temperature in Little Rock was 114 degrees, set on August 3, 2011. Lowest recorded temperature is -12 degrees, set on Feb. 12, 1899. Average annual rainfall is 50.93 inches, and average snowfall is 4.3 inches per year. The wettest month of the year is November, with an average rainfall total of 5.73 inches.

Population The total population of Pulaski County was 382,748 when the Community Survey was taken. An estimated 183,938 were male and 198,810 were female. The median age was 36 years old. There were 26,731 residents under 5 years old and 45,908 citizens age 65 or older. Residents listing their race as white were 220,051; black, 133,858; Hispanic or Latino, 22,168; Asian, 7,505. Residents who speak only English at home numbered 326,685, followed by Spanish (16,078), Indo-European languages (4,331) and Asian and Pacific Islander languages (4,162).

Social The number of adults in Pulaski County who have never been married was 95,001; married, 141,406; divorced, 43,373 (17,562 males, 25,811 females). The number of women, age 18-50, who gave birth in 2010 was estimated at 6,482. The number of grandparents living with their grandchildren under 18 years old was 9,610. The number of grandparents responsible for their own grandchildren was 4,414. A total of 32,798 residents were military veterans. Disabled citizens numbered 45,452.

Jobs and income There were 197,804 Pulaski County citizens employed in 2010, with 16,801 unemployed. The biggest civilian employers were management or professional occupations (70,106), service jobs (32,932), and sales and office occupations (46,132). The median household income in Pulaski County was $44,482. The per capita income was $25,931. The number of families earning less than $10,000 a year was 13,713, while the number of families earn-

There were 154,943 total occupied housing units in Pulaski County in 2010. Houses built prior to 1939 made up 5.2 percent of the total, while those built in 2000 or later made up 14.4 percent. Houses with four or five rooms were the largest group, at 42.7 percent; 17 percent of houses had eight rooms or more. Most houses — 71.4 percent — were two or three bedroom homes. Homeowners occupied 58.4 percent of houses, while renters occupied 41.6 percent. Most houses in Pulaski County were heated with natural gas (57.8 percent), followed by electricity (39.3 percent) and bottled, tank or LP gas (2 percent). The number of houses with no telephone service was 2.1 percent.

Commuting The percentage of households in Pulaski County with two vehicles available to them was 36.6 in 2010, while 6.5 percent didn’t have access to a car and 16.6 percent had access to three or more. The majority of Little Rock business commuters — 84.1 percent — travel alone to work. Carpoolers represented 10.4 percent, 0.7 percent took public transport, 1.4 percent walked to work, and 2.4 percent worked from home. It took commuters an average of 20 minutes to get to work.

Distances by highway from Little Rock to major nearby cities

Dallas.......................................307 miles Houston................................. 443 miles Oklahoma City...................... 348 miles Tulsa....................................... 288 miles Kansas City............................ 405 miles St. Louis................................. 360 miles Louisville................................522 miles Nashville................................ 360 miles Atlanta.....................................523 miles Memphis................................. 139 miles Baton Rouge.......................... 480 miles New Orleans....................444 miles

BRIAN CHILSON

MIDTOWN BILLIARDS

IN THE CLUBS

or whatever reason, 2012 saw far less upheaval in the club scene than did 2011, a year in which several notable venues closed their doors. Porter’s Jazz Cafe shut after about a year in business, which was a shame because it served some good food and its downstairs grotto-type area was an amazing space for a live music venue. Fortunately, Montego Cafe stepped in, opening in late November. The new place serves Caribbean-inspired cuisine and has live music and/or DJs several nights a week. North of the river, The Joint jumped into Argenta in the spring, making a splash with a diverse array of comedy, live music, beer and wine tastings and more in a classy atmosphere. AFTERTHOUGHT The Afterthought is your best bet for a classy, cozy nook with a solid selection of drinks and regular live music. The tunes are often jazz and blues, but there’s rock, country, soul, folk and great klezmer from time to time. There’s the Sunday Jazz Brunch in Vieux Carre, the selfdescribed Southern Bistro attached to The Afterthought, plus a rotating array of players on Monday, a jam session led by pianist Carl Mouton every Tue., an open-mic night every Wed. and karaoke every Thu. Bands typically start at 9 p.m. most every Fri. and Sat. The cover is usually $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd., 663-1196, afterthoughtbar.com. CAJUN’S WHARF Cajun’s is a sprawling restaurant and bar, where local and regional rock, blues, cover and funk acts converge. Free happy hour entertainment, often on Cajun’s massive deck overlooking the Arkansas River, begins

at 5:30 p.m. Wed.-Fri. Headliners start at 9 p.m. Thu.-Sat. with $5 cover after 8:30 p.m. 21 and up for bar (not restaurant). No smoking inside. 2400 Cantrell Road, 375-5351, cajunswharf.com. CAPITAL BAR AND GRILL The Capital Bar is a legendary downtown watering hole with mouth-watering food. Sit by the big windows and enjoy scenery or hobnob with some of the city’s most powerful and influential. Arguably one of the state’s best jazz ensembles, the Ted Ludwig Jazz Trio, is the house band at this swank hotel bar. 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Wed.-Thu., 9 p.m.-midnight Fri.Sat. 111 W. Markham, 374-7474, capitalhotel.com. CORNERSTONE PUB: Argenta’s most active music venue hosts local and occasionally regional and national acts of all genres, usually Thu.-Sat. Times and cover charges vary. There’s karaoke every Tue. and a rotating lineup of hiphop showcases. Smoking is allowed, which means it’s 21 and older only. 314 Main St., NLR, 374-1782, cstonepub. com. CREGEEN’S IRISH PUB This Argenta pub has a solid menu and a good selection of beer, as well as a real Irish publike atmosphere. The venue hosts live music, usually on the weekends and often of the acoustic solo variety, but bands play there too. 301 Main St., NLR, 376-7468, cregeens.com. DISCOVERY The long-running Riverdale nightclub hosts a mainstream dance crowd in its large theater, caters to a hip-hop audience in

the lobby and continues to offer house music in the compact “disco” room. A rotating array of female impersonators performs weekly. Performances from national hip-hop and techno acts are not uncommon. Open 9 p.m.-5 a.m. Sat. only. Adjoins TRINITI, a gay dance club and bar that’s open 9 p.m.-5 a.m. Fri. only. Private club. 1021 Jessie Road, 6644784, latenightdisco.com, 664-2744. DOWNTOWN MUSIC This venue books all kinds of acts, but more often than not you’re likely to hear something with a heavy edge here from local, regional and national hardcore, punk and metal acts. But the venue often hosts hip-hop or electronic music as well. Times and cover charges vary. Concerts and events are open to all ages. 211 W. Capitol Ave., 376-1819, downtownmusichall.com. ELECTRIC COWBOY The Cowboy features dance music of all genres and occasional live acts Wed.-Sun. Open 7:30 p.m. until 5 a.m. Fri.-Sat., at least 2 a.m. Wed., Thu. and Sun. 21 and up. Smoking allowed. Private club. 9515 Interstate 30, 562-6000, electriccowboy.com/littlerock. ERNIE BIGGS’ CHICAGO STYLE PIANO BAR This private club offers dueling pianos as entertainment. Two piano men, skilled at getting the crowd worked up, perform all those songs you never thought you knew all the words to. Upstairs is the lounge, usually manned by a DJ, and occasional special events. There’s live karaoke every Thu. Deadheads can get a fix with the tribute act Touch, which plays, often on Tue., no cover. Check the calendar on the website. Shows start at 8:30 p.m. Hours are 8 p.m.-2 a.m. daily. 307 President Clinton Ave., 372-4782, erniebiggs. com/littlerock.

FOX AND HOUND This sports pub and private club hosts local and regional acts 10 p.m. Fri.-Sat., open mic 10 p.m. Sun., karaoke 9 p.m. Tue., poker on Mon. and Thu. Wed. is ladies night. Also hosts all UFC fights and many boxing matches. Free membership required. Cover charge is $5-$10. 21 and older. Smoking allowed. Lakewood Village Shopping Center, NLR, 753-8300, foxandhound.com. HIBERNIA IRISH TAVERN This Irish pub has a fairly extensive menu of Irish cuisine, as well as burgers. The bar hosts live music most weekends, a traditional Irish music session at 2:30 p.m. on the first and third Sun. of every month and traditional Irish music at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Mon. of every month. 9700 N. Rodney Parham, 246-4340, hiberniairishtavern.com. THE JOINT This brand new club is a welcome offering in Central Arkansas. Three veteran comedians from Texas decided to open a comedy club/music venue/bar/coffee shop. Steve and Vicki Farrell and Brett Ihler, who opened the club, are also the principal members of its in-house comedy troupe The Main Thing. Every few weeks, the group presents a new two-act original show that’s hilarious while also safe for all ages. The venue hosts an open mic night, beer and wine tastings and all sorts of live music. Check the website for a calendar. 301 Main St., NLR, 372-0210, thejointinlittlerock.com. JUANITA’S CANTINA BALLROOM Juanita’s, now in the River Market district after 25 years on South Main, books acts of a variety of genres, but in general there’s an emphasis on hard rock, pop and country. Age limit, cover and times vary. No smoking. While the upper half of the space is devoted to music (onstage you’ll hear everything from rock and country to funk and reggae), the other half offers Tex-Mex food and a loaded bar, with a solid selection of beers and liquor. Restaurant hours CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 2, 2013

NATIVES GUIDE 2013

FLYING SAUCER DRAUGHT EMPORIUM This popular River Market hangout, thanks to its 75 beers on tap and 125 in bottles, is a place where you can watch big sporting events on a projection TV, play group trivia competition at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tue. and listen to local singer/songwriters and bands, usually 9 p.m. Fri.-Sat., with around a $3 cover. All ages. No smoking. 323 President Clinton Ave., 372-7468, beerknurd.com.

are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.10 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 614 President Clinton Ave., 372-1228, juanitas.com.

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KHALIL’S This West Little Rock restaurant hosts local folk and rock acts in its lounge, where smoking is allowed. Also, the Arkansas Celtic Music Society hosts jam sessions from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. the second and fourth Mon. of the month, and karaoke 7 p.m.-2 a.m. Tue.Wed. and Fri.-Sat. 10 S. Shackleford, 224-0224, khalilspub.com. LOONY BIN COMEDY CLUB: This club doesn’t offer live music, but the giggles are plentiful. You can catch upand-coming national and local comedians Wed.-Sat., with low cover charges, usually $7-$10. Food and drinks available. Show times vary. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road, 228-5555, loonybincomedy.com.

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MIDTOWN BILLIARDS This all-night club — the only one in downtown Little Rock — is the end of a funnel of nights spent out all over town. It hosts blues, rock and jam band music starting at 12:30 a.m. Fri.-Sat., plus occasional midnight shows midweek. $5 cover charge above private-club membership fee when there’s music. Open daily at 3 p.m. for pool and other games, plus bar and grill. The burgers are fantastic. 21 and up. Smoking allowed. 1316 S. Main St., 372-9990, midtownar.com. MONTEGO One of Little Rock’s newest clubs took over the former Porter’s Jazz Cafe space. Montego offers fare with a Caribbean flair and Jamaican specialty drinks, as well as live soul, R&B and reggae and DJs every Thu. and various other nights. Open 11 a.m.10 p.m. Mon.-Tue., 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Wed.Fri. and 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Sat. 315 Main St., 372-1555, montegocafe.com.

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www.littlerockzoo.com 18

JANUARY 2, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

PEABODY HOTEL Located inside the Peabody on the edge of the River Market district, Mallard’s Bar offers an informal place to relax, complete with a fireplace and flat-screen TV, starting at 4 p.m. The hotel hosts rooftop parties from time to time, as well as New Year’s Eve and Halloween events. 3 Statehouse Plaza, 399-8059, peabodylittlerock.com. PIZZA D’ACTION You’ll find occasional local and regional rock concerts at this dive bar and restaurant. Pizza D is great place to meet a number of notorious Little Rock characters and barflies who are only too happy to recommend where to go when Pizza D calls it a night. Cover and times vary.

21 and older. Smoking allowed. 2919 W. Markham St., 666-5403. RENO’S This Argenta bar and restaurant also hosts live music on weekends, usually of the rock-flavored variety. Cover and times vary. 21 and older. Smoking allowed. 321 Main St., NLR, 376-2900, renosargentacafe.com. REVOLUTION The bigger sister venue to Stickyz (see below), this 550-person capacity room is one of the largest club venues in town. Like Stickyz, it hosts an incredibly diverse array of local, regional and national acts. There’s a nice patio on the restaurant side of the venue. Times and prices vary. All ages for some shows, 18-and-older for others. No smoking. 300 President Clinton Ave., 823-0090, rumbarevolution.com. SONNY WILLIAMS’ STEAK ROOM Piano music 7 p.m.-11 p.m. Tue.-Sat. All ages. No smoking. 500 President Clinton Ave., 324-2999, sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. STICKYZ Crunchy, delicious chicken fingers just about any way you can imagine, plus sandwiches, burgers and more in a festive setting: that’s Stickyz. There’s a large patio area outside for smokers. No smoking inside. Live music most nights from local and national acts. Times and cover vary. 107 S. Commerce St., 372-7707, stickyz. com. SWAY A swank dance club that occasionally hosts live music, Sway has a high-energy vibe that attracts a diverse crowd. Elevated seating surrounds an expertly lit dance floor in a non-smoking environment. An outdoor private patio offers a great view of the Little Rock skyline. Open Thu.-Sat. 412 Louisiana St., 907-2582. THIRST N’ HOWL A Cantrell Road restaurant that hosts free folk, rock and blues bands most Thu.-Sat. nights. Times vary. All ages. No smoking. 14710 Cantrell Road, 379-8189, thirst-n-howl. com. TOWN PUMP A popular Riverdale hangout that hosts local, regional and occasional national acts, mostly of the rock variety. Cover charge and show times vary. Very solid pub fare, shuffleboard, karaoke on Tue. No smoking, except on the patio. 1321 Rebsamen Park Road, 663-9802. TWELVE MODERN LOUNGE This swank club caters to grown folks, preferably those 25 and older, dressed to

impress and who are looking for a “sophisticated night of lounging, relaxing, and dancing.” This sleek and modern space regularly hosts after-parties, special events and live music in a variety of genres, including jazz, neo-soul, R&B, hip hop and more. There is often a dress code for events, so don’t show up in your raggedy cutoffs and Loverboy “Tour ’84” T shirt. 1900 W. 3rd, 301-1200, twelveloungelr.com. VINO’S BREWPUB Another Little Rock staple, Vino’s is the place for great pizza and microbrew beers. Just about everyone from politicos to punkers are drawn to the city’s original brewpub, which also serves salads and great calzones. As for its music, Vino’s is known primarily for indie rock, hip hop and punk bands. Recent additions include a spoken-word night every Sun., the 7th Street Peep Show open mic event every Mon. and a free movie night every Tue. Cover and times vary. All ages. No smoking. 923 W. 7th St., 375-8466, vinosbrewpub.com. WEST END SMOKEHOUSE AND TAVERN More than 50 TVs, a massive bar, pool tables and local and regional acts usually Fri.-Sat. Music starts at 10 p.m., usually $5 cover. 21 and up. Smoking allowed. 215 N. Shackleford, 224-7665, westendsmokehouse.net. WHITE WATER TAVERN OK, so it’s probably not going to win any beauty contests or awards for best selection of obscure single-malt scotches, but the White Water Tavern has got more character, a richer history and better decor than just about any other dive in Central Arkansas. Cheap pitchers and great live music don’t hurt either. Full bar. With local, regional and national acts of all types, but especially blues, country/bluegrass and rock. Cover and times vary. Most shows are 21 and older. No smoking. Seventh and Thayer, 375-8400, whitewatertavern. com. WILLY D’S River Market dueling piano bar and restaurant has music at 9 p.m. Tue.-Thu. and 7:30 Fri.-Sat. Beneath the bar is DEEP, a lounge that features DJ music Thu.-Sat. Attached through a passageway is PROST, a restaurant/bar that hosts karaoke on Tuesdays and live acoustic music Wed.-Sat. A full menu is available at all locations from 4 p.m.-midnight. One cover charge affords access to all three bars. Smoking in Prost and Willy D’s, no smoking in Deep. 21 and older. 322 President Clinton Ave., 244-9550, willydspianobar.com.

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JANUARY 2, 2013

NATIVES GUIDE 2013

Looking for vintage or secondhand? Vintage Socialite (6800 Cantrell Road) specializes in the hottest looks of decades past — the perfect place to let your inner Joan Holloway out to play. Elaine’s Closet (7801 Cantrell Road) carries more recent fashions. Inretrospec (1201 S. Center St.), one of Little Rock’s newest boutiques, carries vintage clothing and furniture. If you’re planning on tying the knot or just need a formal dress, head to Proposals (5013 Kavanaugh Blvd.), the Bridal Cottage (3305 JFK Blvd., North Little Rock) and Tulle Bridal and Formal (9851 Brockington Road, Sherwood). And finally, don’t forget those foundations. Barbara Graves Intimate Fashions (10301 N. Rodney Parham Road) can’t be beat for knowledgeable, attentive saleswomen who can help you make the most of what your mama gave you. The store also carries an extensive selection of swimwear — including separates — in season. BRIAN CHILSON

BAUMANS

WHO NEEDS CHAINS?

A guide to Central Arkansas’s best homegrown shops. BY JENNIFER BARNETT REED

f it’s flavor, adventure and something not manufactured by the millions that you’re after when you shop, local is the only way to go. Central Arkansas has a wealth of eclectic, locally-owned shops in just about any category you could think of. Here’s a partial list, organized by primary type of merchandise.

Women’s clothing/accessories Where to start? How about at the most local of the locals, Box Turtle (2616 Kavanaugh Blvd.), which carries clothing and jewelry by Arkansas designers, including “Project Runway” finalist Korto Momolu. For upscale looks, try B. Barnett (8201 Cantrell Road), Barbara Jean (7811 Cantrell Road), Companions (14810 Cantrell), New Traditions (1920 Grant 20

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ARKANSAS TIMES

St.), Forsythe’s (Pleasant Ridge Town Center), Kristin Chase (5008 Kavanaugh Blvd.) and Feinstein’s (5600 Kavanaugh Blvd.). Kristin Chase caters to women in the their 20s and 30s; all women can shop at the rest for their designer labels. If you’re after a younger, edgier look, hit the Pleasant Ridge Town Center (11525 Cantrell Road), a hub for local boutiques, and have a look in Scarlet, Jeante, Beyond Cotton, Solemates (shoes), Warren’s (shoes and handbags) and Faux Pas (jewelry and accessories). Farther out west: RK Collections (the Promenade at Chenal). On Kavanaugh in the Heights and Hillcrest find Ember (“Nothing over $75,” 5709 Kavanaugh Blvd.), Haus Werk (2923 Kavanaugh Blvd.) and Tulips (5817 Kavanaugh Blvd.), which caters to the fashionforward mom and tot.

Menswear Fashion-conscious men have never had it so good. Stalwarts Baumans (8201 Cantrell Road), Mr. Wick’s (5924 R. St.) and Greenhaw’s (10301 N. Rodney Parham Road) continue to offer the finest in men’s clothing from casual to formal. J. Duke and Co. (11610 Pleasant Ridge Road) recently passed the 15-year mark, and the newer Evolve (6800 Cantrell Road) targets the edgier set. The latest additions to the locally owned men’s boutiques are West Little Rock’s The Label (14810 Cantrell Road), and The Independent (3608 Kavanaugh Blvd.), whose three owners are all alums of Baumans.

Foodie/kitchen We were sad to see Kitchen Co. close its doors in 2012, but Central Arkansas foodies can still shop local for the best in cooking equipment, gadgets and gifts at Eggshells Kitchen Co. (5501 Kavanaugh Blvd.) and Krebs Brothers (4310 Landers Road, North Little Rock), a restaurant supply store that also sells to the general public. If you need a gigantic soup pot, they’ve got you covered.

Local Flavor Little Rock and North Little Rock are home to several stores whose merchandise is difficult to categorize but that devote themselves to selling locally made products. The Freckled Frog (2715 Kavanaugh Blvd.), located inside River City Gift Co., carries locally made jewelry, Nativ T-shirts and other

merchandise. The Green Corner Store (1423 Main St.) is your source for Nativ T-shirts as well as Loblolly Creamery ice cream (by the pint and the scoop/ milkshake/sundae) and a range of other eco-conscious items. Argenta Market (521 N. Main St., North Little Rock) is the place to find Arkansas-made foodstuffs, including War Eagle Mills products, jams and jellies, Raimondo Winery beverages, olive oils and vinegars.

Antiques Oliver’s Antiques in Jacksonville (1101 Burman Drive) is one of Central Arkansas’s most interesting purveyors of random old stuff, and definitely worth the drive up Highway 67. Closer in, Fabulous Finds combines antiques with new home decor items and is a great place to find that one-of-a-kind gift you never even knew existed. Mid-Towne Antique Mall (105 N. Rodney Parham Road) is a great place to while away your lunch hour browsing row after row of booths. In North Little Rock’s Argenta neighborhood, Galaxy Office Furniture (304 N. Main St., North Little Rock) — perhaps the most misleadingly named store in the state — has a warehouse-sized space full of retro and mid-century furniture and an eclectic assortment of other merchandise in addition to the desks and office chairs you’d expect to see. For higher end antiques, hit the Heights and Hillcrest neighborhoods. There you’ll find Kahler-Payne Antiques (700 N. Van Buren St.), the Shoppes on Woodlawn (4523 Woodlawn Drive), Clement and Sweet Home (two separate stores that share a space at 2911 Kavanaugh Blvd.), and Ellen Golden’s Antiques (5701 Kavanaugh Blvd.).

Home decor Dreamweavers (1201 Spring St.) is open only every second Saturday of the month, but makes up for the limited hours with fantastic deals on rugs, throws, pillows and other items for the home. Cynthia East isn’t just Little Rock’s premier fabric store — you can buy readymade pillows and curtain panels too, as well as other gifts for the home. Mertinsdyke Home (1500 Rebsamen Park Road) carries modern and traditional furniture and accessories. Cobblestone and Vine (5100 Kavanaugh Blvd. and the Pleasant Ridge Town Center) caters to a more traditional style. Park Hill Home, which got its start marketing straight to decorators, is located at 3131 JFK Blvd. Other choices: Coming Home, Vivid

Posh • Shabby Chic • Modern • Antique Designs and Embellish (all in Pleasant Ridge Town Center), Dauphine Interior Designs (5910 R St.), Bear-Hill Interiors (1420 Rebsamen Park Road) and I.O. Metro (12911 Cantrell Road).

Gifts Museum stores can be great places to find unusual and interesting gifts, and Little Rock’s downtown area has plenty to choose from. Check out the Clinton Museum Store (610 Clinton Ave.), which carries ethically sourced merchandise from around the world in addition to Clinton memorabilia, and the gift stores at the Historic Arkansas Museum and the Old State House Museum. The Heifer Village gift shop (1 World Ave.) sells fair-trade crafts and other merchandise from around the world. The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center’s gift store (501 W. 9th St.) carries African-American art, jewelry, collectibles and books, including a large selection of books for children. The Arkansas Arts Center’s gift shop (501 E. 9th St.) packs an enormous selection into a tiny space, from locally made jewelry to toys to art books and more. The Cox Creative Center’s store (120 River Market Ave.) carries used books in addition to fun literary-themed gifts, and the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies (401 President Clinton Ave.) includes a retail gallery featuring paintings, textiles, jewelry, ceramics and handmade wood furniture by Arkansas artists. Elsewhere, look for fair-trade gifts of all kinds at 10,000 Villages (305 President Clinton Ave.), a non-profit store that sells handcrafted items from around the world. Rhea Drug (2801 Kavanaugh Blvd.) carries cute home decor items and gourmet food, and Bella Boutique (5623 Kavanaugh Blvd.) is the place to go for luxurious linens and bath and beauty products. Vanness (11610 Pleasant Ridge Road) carries a huge selection of fine pens and stationery on one side of the store and an equally huge selection of cake decorating supplies on the other. Wicks and Wax (3513 JFK Blvd., North Little Rock) carries a variety of gifts and collectibles. The Shop Around the Corner, open just a few months in the Bowman Curve shopping center, carries fun and funky gifts and home decor. Vesta’s (Pleasant Ridge Town Center) is one of those stores that defies categorization — it carries women’s clothing, shoes and accessories, bedding, gifts, and beauty products. Got a Razorbacks fan you’re trying to please? Visit the former Hogman’s Hog Pen, a Little Rock institution recently bought from its retiring owner and

rebranded Hogman’s Gameday Superstore (1819 S. University Ave.) Or check out the original Hogman’s Gameday Superstore location at 3300 JFK Blvd. in North Little Rock. Ken Rash’s (7214 Cantrell Road) carries a great selection of Hog merch in addition to outdoor furniture.

Babies and kids Buying for wee ones? Get them started right with furniture and bedding from Tuck and Cover (Pleasant Ridge Town Center) and Southern Baby (2733 Lakewood Village Drive, North Little Rock). The Toggery (two locations, University and R Street and the Pleasant Ridge Town Center) carries upscale children’s clothing. Heel and Toe (10720 Rodney Parham Road) is the best kids’ shoe store in the area. For toy shopping, the Heights Toy Center (5918 R. St.) packs a well-edited selection of toys for all ages into a small space, including Melissa & Doug, Legos and a host of other playthings you won’t find at the big box stores. Cheeky Marshmallows (2616 Kavanaugh Blvd., underneath Box Turtle) offers toys and candy, so time your visit accordingly if you’re bringing the kids along. For toys that grow the brain while they entertain, try the Explore Store at the Museum of Discovery (500 President Clinton Ave.).

Sports/Outdoor If it’s time for a new pair of running shoes, head to Go! Running (1819 N. Grant) or Easy Runner (Pleasant Ridge Town Center). For camping and hiking gear, visit Ozark Outdoor Supply (5514 Kavanaugh Blvd.) and Gearhead Outfitters (Park Plaza).

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Etc. WordsWorth Books and Co. (5924 R. St.) may not serve lattes, but they’ve got a pet bird and a new online inventory system that allows you to see if they’ve got a book in stock, and order it through the Interwebs if they don’t. If you pick it up at the store, shipping’s free. Fine linens are the specialty at Yves Delorme (5717 Kavanaugh Blvd.). And for the higher-end crafty set, the Yarn Mart (5711 Kavanaugh Blvd.) is the go-to source for knitting and needlepoint supplies and expertise. Soho Modern (2400 Cantrell Road, in the warehouse row) is the only place to buy modern furniture in Little Rock, but stop in even if you’re not in the market for a new sofa — the store carries smaller gift and decor items too.

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ELECTED OFFICIALS Federal government Sen. Mark Pryor Little Rock The River Market 500 Clinton Ave., Suite 401 72201 324-6336 324-5320 fax Washington 255 Dirksen Senate Office Building 20510 202-224-2353 202-228-0908 fax Sen. John Boozman Little Rock 1401 W. Capitol Ave., Plaza F 72201 372-7153 372-7163 fax Washington 320 Hart Senate Office Building 20510 202-224-4843 202-228-1371 fax Rep. Tim Griffin Little Rock 1501 N. University Ave., suite 150 72207 324-5941 324-6029 fax Washington 1232 Longworth HOB 20515 202-225-2506 202-225-5903 fax

State government

Gov. Mike Beebe State Capitol, Room 250 Little Rock 72201 682-2345 Lt. Gov. Mark Darr State Capitol, Room 270 Little Rock 72201 682-2144 Attorney General Dustin McDaniel 323 Center St., Room 200 Little Rock 72201 682-2007

JANUARY 2, 2013

Secretary of State Mark Martin State Capitol, Room 256 Little Rock 72201 682-1010

District 33 Warwick Sabin P. O. Box 250508 Little Rock 72225 501-374-0000

Auditor Charlie Daniels State Capitol, Room 230 Little Rock 72201 682-6030

District 34 John W. Walker 1723 Broadway Street Little Rock 72206 614-9772

Treasurer Martha Shoffner State Capitol, Room 220 Little Rock 72201 682-5888 Land Commissioner John Thurston State Capitol, Room 109 Little Rock 72201 324-9422

State legislators

(Representing at least part of Pulaski County) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES State Capitol, Room 350 Little Rock 72201 In session: 682-6211 Out of session: 682-7771 District 29 Fred Allen P.O. Box 4963 Little Rock 72214 612-3939 District 30 Charles L. Armstrong 9900 West 36th Street Little Rock 72903 225-1598

District 35 John Charles Edwards 40 Sherrill Road Little Rock 72202 378-5500 District 36 Darrin Williams 11311 Arcade Drive, Suite 200 Little Rock 72212 312-8500 District 37 Eddie L. Armstrong P. O. Box 5323 North Little Rock 72119 444-8468 District 38 Patti Julian 3711 Lochridge Road North Little Rock 72116 771-2653 District 39 Mark Lowery 229 Summit Valley Circle Maumelle 72113 837-5221 District 40 Douglas House 8923 Bridge Creek Road North Little Rock 72120 590-1055

SENATE State Capitol, Room 320 Little Rock 72201 In session: 682-2902 Out of session: 682-6107 District 29 Eddie Joe Williams 401 Cobblestone Drive Cabot 72023 286-9366 District 30 Linda Chesterfield 12 Keo Drive Little Rock 72206 888-1859 District 31 Joyce Elliott P.O. Box 4248 Little Rock 72214 603-9546 District 32 David Johnson 2511 Valley Park Drive Little Rock 72212 663-3876 District 33 Jeremy Hutchinson 172 Courts Lane Little Rock 72223 773-3760 District 34 Jane English 2401 Lakeview Road, Apt. L-2 North Little Rock 72116 257-7670

County government PULASKI COUNTY County Judge Floyd G. “Buddy” Villines 201 Broadway, Suite 400 Little Rock 72201 340-8305

District 31 Andy Davis P. O. Box 30248 Little Rock 72260 837-5109

District 41 Jim Nickels P. O. Box 6564 Sherwood 72124 833-2424

Sheriff Doc Holladay 2900 S. Woodrow St. Little Rock 72204 340-6600

District 32 Allen Kerr 1429 Merrill Drive Little Rock 72211 225-3454

District 42 Mark Perry P. O. Box 97 Jacksonville 72078 982-4561

Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley 224 S. Spring St. Little Rock 72201 340-8000

ARKANSAS TIMES

County/Circuit Clerk Larry Crane 401 W. Markham, Suite 100 Little Rock 72201 340-8500 Treasurer Debra Buckner 201 Broadway, Suite 110 Little Rock 72201 340-8345 Assessor Janet Troutman Ward 201 Broadway, Suite 310 Little Rock 72201 340-6170 Quorum Court District 1 Doug Reed 868-4742 District 2 Tyler Denton 416-5131

District 13 Phil Stowers 993-6165 District 14 Paul Elliott 851-7999 District 15 Shane Stacks 436-9431

City governments

LITTLE ROCK City Hall 500 W. Markham St. 72201 371-4510 (Mayor, city manager and city directors can be reached at this number.) Mayor Mark Stodola City Hall, Room 203

District 3 Kathy Lewison 224-5724

City Manager (Not elected) Bruce T. Moore City Hall, Room 203

District 4 Julie Blackwood 425-2321

Board of Directors Ward 1 Erma Hendrix

District 5 Lillie McMullen 224-2793

Ward 2 Ken Richardson

District 6 Donna Massey 660-4551 District 7 Teresa Coney 455-1622 District 8 Curtis Keith 537-1213 District 9 Judy Green 374-0679 District 10 Rev. Robert Green 258-6921 District 11 Bob Johnson 982-2411 District 12 Jeff Rollins 772-0266

Ward 3 Stacy Hurst Ward 4 Brad Cazort Ward 5 Lance Hines Ward 6 Doris Wright Ward 7 B.J. (Brenda) Wyrick Position 8 Dean Kumpuris Position 9 Gene Fortson Position 10 Joan Adcock NORTH LITTLE ROCK City Hall 300 Main St. 72119

City Services 120 Main St. P.O. Box 936 975-8888 Mayor Joe Smith 340-5301 City Council Ward 1 Debi Ross 753-0733 Beth White 758-2738 Ward 2 Maurice Taylor 690-6444 Linda Robinson 945-8820 Ward 3 Steve Baxter 804-0928 Bruce Foutch 791-0814 Ward 4 Charlie Hight 758-8396 Murry Witcher 835-0009 JACKSONVILLE City Hall 1 Municipal Drive 72076 982-3181 Mayor Gary Fletcher 982-3146 City Council Ward 1, Position 1 Kenny Elliott 982-5887

Ward 3, Position 1 Reedie Ray 982-5650 Ward 3, Position 2 Barbara Mashburn 765-0767 Ward 4, Position 1 Mike Traylor 425-6158 Ward 4, Position 2 Mary Twitty 982-1721 Ward 5, Position 1 Aaron Robinson 982-1798 Ward 5, Position 2 Bill Howard 982-2771 MAUMELLE City Hall 550 Edgewood Drive Suite 590 851-2500 Mayor Mike Watson 851-2500 City Council Ward 1, Position 1 Steve Mosley 240-6700 Ward 1, Position 2 Ken Saunders 425-5839 Ward 2, Position 1 Marc S. Kelley 310-3126 Ward 2, Position 2 Rick Anderson 734-8585 Ward 3, Position 1 Preston Lewis 813-7868

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Ward 3, Position 2 Burch Johnson 803-4979

Ward 2, Position 1 Kevin McLeary 982-5144

Ward 4, Position 1 Caleb Norris 697-1323

Ward 2, Position 2 Terry Sansing 982-4359

Ward 4, Position 2 Jan Hogue 851-8248

CAMMACK VILLAGE City Hall 2710 N. McKinley St. 72207 663-4593 (for mayor and aldermen) Mayor Harry Light Aldermen Debbie Eldridge Patricia Finch Paul Doramus Jr. Troy Gray SHERWOOD City Hall 2199 E. Kiehl Ave. 72120

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builder who incorporates lots of standing endurance poses. You don’t need tons of yoga knowledge for his class, but you will be sore the next day. Floating Lotus is also the only local place to practice Jivamukti — although we don’t even pretend to know what that means. Come early because, once classes begin, the studio is locked. First time is free, and if you sign up for e-mails, you’ll also get invites to free yoga events that Cassandra organizes. 900 N. University Ave. 664-0172. $13 per class. $40 for four. $65 for unlimited monthly.

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YOGA YOGA YOGA Hot, slow, day-glo.

ere at the Arkansas Times, we’re no yogic gurus. But sometimes we like to go with the flow — meaning vinyasa, of course. For the uninitiated, words like Bikram, Iyengar and Yin can be intimidating. What do they mean, and which do you want? Which deliver heart-pounding workouts, and which deliver therapeutic stretches? What if you’re really into that swirling magic chakra stuff? What if you’re really, really not? Stressing over yoga is pretty counterproductive, so here’s help, in the form of a layperson’s guide to om-ing in the Rock. Namaste, y’all. BAREFOOT STUDIO If you want athletic yoga but you don’t want to spend the entire hour sweat-soaked and groaning, go with Breezy’s intermediate/advanced class. It’s a great mix of stretching, strengthening and balance. If you’re a beginner, try Kecia’s class. She focuses on stretching, after which you’ll have a lovely body buzz. Barefoot has two studios, each with a distinctive ambiance. The small studio’s windows offer a view of greenery and the outside world. It’s particularly nice at sunset. The large studio is womblike and trippy,

JANUARY 2, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

with shimmering, watery light and a huge day-glo lotus on the front wall. We can easily see how Barefoot’s own version of yoga raves (they call it “glow yoga”) go down. 3615 Old Cantrell Road. 661-8005. $15 per class. $60 for five classes. $75 for unlimited monthly. BLUE YOGA NYLA North Little Rock’s Blue Yoga Nyla is a warm, welcoming space with lots of regulars. But for some yogis, certain classes may be too casual. First off, the studio is tiny and things get cramped. And yeah, maybe the point is to block everything out, but we tend to have a hard time balancing when other wobbly folks are always within fingertip distance. The Tuesday night hot yoga (Bikram Choudhury’s invention) “for young athletes” (so sayeth the webpage) is led by the studio owner’s son, who might be all of 17. It’s a fun, energetic class for the high-school set, and we’re particularly impressed that someone has coerced teen boys to try yoga. But if you’re over 18 and prefer your practice unpunctuated with giggles, repartee and misusage of the verb “lie,” sit this one out. We hear the other Blue Yoga Nyla classes

are more traditional. 3718 JFK Blvd., North Little Rock. 753-9100. $12 per class. CARACALLA, THE BODY SPA We used to adore Erin’s classes at Argenta Healing Arts, and since Argenta shuttered its yoga studio, we haven’t found another instructor quite like her. Until now. David’s Saturday morning hot yoga classes at Caracalla are reminiscent of Erin’s — reps, core, balance and burn. Bring you own mat. Bring two if you have them. Caracalla’s floor is concrete, and there aren’t many extras lying around. Also, the restroom is in a whole other building, so, you know — go before you come. 5715 Kavanaugh Blvd. 280-0866. $10 per class. Cash or check only. THE FLOATING LOTUS Oh how we love the Lotus! This is our go-to for hot yoga, but there is also some flow and restorative stuff for those who don’t want to mix meditation with pain. This is the hottest yoga in town, temperature-wise. Bring water, and if you sweat a lot bring a beach towel to cover your mat. If Cassandra is teaching, you’ll get a series of fast-moving postures, with a focus on breath and a shortage of explanation. There are plenty of verbal tips once you’re in a posture, but some background is helpful. Be prepared for planks, lots of them. (What we mean is, we hope you love your push-ups slow and torturous.) The studio’s other Bikram teacher, Jack, is a former body-

HEALTH AND FITNESS IN THE HEIGHTS Health and Fitness’s biweekly yoga classes are a solid introduction to poses and breathing techniques, both of which are thoroughly explained. It’s not the most soothing of environments — the basement room is cold, and gym weights clank overhead. Classes are free for members, and first-time visitors get a week’s trial membership. 5116 Kavanaugh Blvd. 280-997. $10 per class. $29 per month. LITTLE ROCK CLIMBING CENTER If you’re up for a double-whammy of strengthening and stretching, hit up the Little Rock Climbing Center on a Monday (8 p.m.) or a Wednesday (6 p.m.). The $12 day pass is less than the drop-in fee of some yoga studios, and you can squeeze in a few hours of climbing before class. Classes are all levels and usually involve stretching and light balance work. It’s not a supersweaty experience, but it works out that forearm lactic acid thing, the tight shoulders and other climbing kinks. If Scott’s at the helm, you’ll do lots of chest-openers, and you’ll hold poses for a bit. He’s never concerned about time, so class often runs over. It’s a large class in an open loft, which means that top40 climbing tunes are always audible. 12120 Colonel Glenn Road. 227-9500. $12 day rate. LITTLE ROCK YOGIS OK, so think of this as special needs yoga. Little Rock Yogis was founded as a therapeutic and kiddie-yoga space about a year ago, but slowly the studio has phased in adult classes. If you’re a seasoned athlete, nothing at LR Yogis will strike you as intense. But if physical limitations have kept you away from yoga, this studio could become your new third space. There are no-mat (chair and wall-assisted) classes for those who can’t envision themselves sprawled on the floor or constantly leaping from uttasana into plank. There are classes for folks with weight issues (Yogali-

cious) and folks with physically debilitating diseases such as MS, cerebral palsy and arthritis (start where you are). As far as we can tell, every class offered is gentle and restorative, even the 40-minute lunch crunch — labeled intermediate, but entirely appropriate for a strong beginner. Just to be clear, we believe that even advanced yogis can get something out of easy classes. If the physical stuff is cake, why not focus on mindful breathing? 7509 Cantrell Road, Suite 99. 5901565. $12 per class. $50 for five. MERIDIYIN’Z YOGA STUDIO A godsend for West Little Rock yogis, MeridiYIN’z distinguishes itself from other studios by focusing on restorative and deep stretching known as Yin Yoga. MeridiYIN’z is about slow, methodical work, whether it’s holding specific poses for several minutes, using props to perfect alignment or working on balance for an entire hour. And surprise, three-minute poses aren’t as boring as they sound. It becomes fascinating to simply observe the sensations in your body, changing over that length of time. If you have some nagging weakness in your body, let the instructor know. We’ve learned from experience that this Yin stuff works miracles on runner’s knee. That’s because Yin is about stretching beyond your muscles, down deep to the connective tissue in your joints, and releasing long overlooked tension. The only thing about Yin, or at least Stacey’s Yin class, is that it practically ignores the upper body. After class, you’re floating from the waist down, and from the waist up, you’re still tight as a fiddle. We haven’t sampled everything at MeridiYIN’z — within that whole slow yoga spectrum, the classes remain broad — but check out the class descriptions on their website. First time is free. 11715 Rainwood Road. 402-639-9351. $10 per class. $65-75 unlimited monthly. YOGA STUDIO OF LITTLE ROCK Yoga Studio of Little Rock exclusively teaches the Iyengar method, which uses props to achieve postures and takes the idea of yoga “practice” literally. If you just want a workout or drop-in class to remedy some muscle kink, this is not the studio for you. If you want a traditional yogi/guru setup, with hands-on individual attention and well-dissected poses, if you plan to dedicate yourself to a single method and show up faithfully, this is your place. Instructors Cliff Riggs and Pam Peters have been studying yoga longer than most anyone else in town. They’re serious about B.K.S. Iyengar —

his skills and considerable wisdom will be heralded in every class. And there will never be a pop-music soundtrack, or anything beyond monks chanting. The studio works on the honor system, so drop $10 cash in the donation box. 910 W. Sixth St. 372-1780. $10 per class.

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REGENERATION FITNESS Argenta’s Regeneration offers mid-day yoga and evening yogalates — a pilates/yoga combo of flow, stretch and pelvic toners. This is a great class for folks who sit at a computer all day, since it incorporates neck and shoulder stretches. Class begins with meditation, moves slowly, and there’s lots of instruction about breath and body placement. Occasionally, there’s a friendly studio dog hanging around. Wear long sleeves, because the studio is chilly. 117 E. Broadway, North Little Rock. 324-1414. $10 per class. WAR MEMORIAL FITNESS CENTER War Memorial is affordable and diverse, in terms of both ethnicity and age. Evening classes can get crowded, although we suspect (rarely seeing the crack of dawn ourselves) that those 6:30 a.m. classes are nice and roomy. Wesley’s repertoire is an all-levels mix of stretching, strengthening and balancing. He spends the class preparing your muscles for one tough pose, which everyone attempts in the final few minutes. 300 S. Monroe. 664-6976. $5 per class. $40 monthly (includes pool & fitness center). ZENSPIN Zenspin, conceived in Jonesboro, is Arkansas’s own contribution to suburban exercise fads. So far there are only two locations — the second is in the Heights — but with the right funding, it’s the kind of concept that could go viral. The yoga classes are popular enough to require pre-registration online, but yoga is a tiny part of what happens at the estrogen-laden Zenspin. (Men are welcome, merely sparse.) Word on the street is that Saturday’s hot yoga is as taxing as Sunday’s restorative is relaxing — the latter we know firsthand. If you’re a fan of “positive, encouraging K-love,” a national Christian radio station that delivers its message with kid-gloves, you’ll probably love Sunday’s class. It’s set against a soundtrack of “ethnic” selections, interspersed with the best of K-love mellow. Yoga lasts an hour and a half, and at $18, it’s the most expensive in town. Try it free the first week. 5612 R St. 870- 972-0906. $18 per class. $85 for five. $185 monthly.

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11610 Pleasant Ridge Rd. • Suite 110 • Little Rock • 501-225-1300 www.arktimes.com

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NATIVES GUIDE 2013

PULASKI COUNTY BIKE TRAILS TWO RIVERS PARK

COOKS LANDING PARK

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CAMPBELL LAKE PARK

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Arkansas River Trail Temporary River Trail Detour Paved Trails Non-Paved Trails Park Boundry

Bo W. 28th St.

. University Ave.

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Kanis Rd. W. 36th St.

JANUARY 2, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

rk Rd

Pike Ave.

BURNS PARK W. Scenic Dr.

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RIVERVIEW PARK ar k R

Riverfro

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St. W. 3rd St.

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CALL 224-7651 / I-430 @ RODNEY PARHAM

www.chainwheel.com www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 2, 2013

H A P P H U R

all day

Saturday & Sunday

Little Rock’s Down-Home Neighborhood Bar 7th & Thayer · Little Rock · (501) 375-8400

Saturday, January 5

Pallbearer w/ The Dirty Streets & Snakedriver

tueSday, January 8

Glossary (Murfreesboro, TN) w/ Telegraphy Canyon (Fort Worth, TX)

WedneSday, January 9 David Olney & Sergio Webb (Nashville, TN)

Saturday, January 12

Valley Of The Vapors Music Festival Documentary (Bands TBA)

Special

Gyro Sandwich, FrieS & drink $6.65 oFFer expireS 1/30/13

check out additional shows at

whitewatertavern.com

Find Us On Facebook www.facebook.com/arkansastimes

BRIAN CHILSON

2811 Kavanaugh Blvd • Hillcrest (501) 664-2068

BIKE POLO

gyros • hummus • tabbouleh • baba ghannouj pizza • calzone • mediterranean salad

fresh, delicious Mediterranean cuisine

UNCONVENTIONAL SPORTS

LR • Rodney Parham • 227-7272 LR • Ranch Blvd. • 868-8226 Conway • Oak Street • 205-8224

re you out of shape? Do you find yourself with some spare time throughout the week, thinking, “I should be doing something other than sitting in front of the TV watching the third hour of this ‘Jersey Shore’ marathon?” Do you simultaneously want to get in shape, but hate all of the things you would have to do to realize that desire? Well, Little Rock has a lot to offer runners, walkers and cyclists — not to mention plenty of gyms — but there are some more, shall we say, unconventional sports out there too. And they’re just waiting for you to come along and sign up. KICKBALL His name is Larry Betz, but you can call him Poo. As in “the grand poo-bah of all things kick ball.” Betz started the Little Rock Kickball Association in 2004, nearly on a whim. Now, there are more than 100 kickball teams in Central Arkansas. “The biggest component is the social aspect,” Betz said. “It’s a great way to get out and meet people and be active and introduce yourself to a whole new social circle.” There are fall, spring and winter

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leagues. The fall league usually runs from mid-August until the end of October. The spring season goes from the first of March until around Memorial Day. The winter league is the quirkiest because practices and games take place on the dance floor of The Electric Cowboy — and playing kickball inside a giant country music club seems like one of those “you never knew how bad you wanted it” things, right? If you’re interested in starting a team, it only takes nine players, but you can have as many as 20. If you just want to sign up solo, your name will go on a list and one of the team captains will pick you up. “We do community service and fundraising every season,” Betz says. “Through our nonprofit, the Big Red Ball Charitable Foundation, we raised over $300,000 for charity. Animals and kids are what we focus on.” For more information, check out the LRKA-Little Rock Kickball Association Facebook page. And stay tuned for the new BEACH VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE, which Betz is also organizing in the sand pit behind Flying DD in early 2013.

BRIAN CHILSON

WOMEN’S SEMI-PRO FOOTBALL Little Rock supports two teams, the Banshees and the Wildcats. It’s full tackle, and there’s nothing ladylike about it. Some of these players are built like tanks, and the tiny ones are lightning-quick. In their 2012 season, the Banshees experienced separated shoulders, torn Achilles and multiple ripped ACLs. “These girls aren’t sissies. They don’t hold back. They hit like guys,” said team owner Rae Meyer. Teams are formed each summer, practice three times a week year round, travel as far as Houston for away games and host traveling teams at local high school fields. The season lasts about three months, beginning in late April. Both the Wildcats and the Banshees hold tryouts at specific times but welcome new players anytime. Among the teams’ ranks there are nurses, restaurant workers, college students, stay-at home moms and female impersonators. Amy Wilson, a hulking linewoman, joined the Banshees to chronicle the experience for a sociology project. But the 32-year-old UALR student, certified EMT and Sunday school teacher stayed on after her project ended. “Some women get manicures to de-stress,” she said. “I just hit somebody.” For more information, contact the Banshees through their Facebook page or call David Smith of the Wildcats at 743-6326. ROLLER DERBY “We will teach people how to skate if they can’t skate,” says Amanda Homan, a blocker for the Rockin’ Renegades, Little Rock’s own roller derby team. “Experience is great, but it’s not necessary. One of our best blockers could not skate when she first started.” Homan is also the secretary for the Central Arkansas Roller Derby league, which has been around since 2006. The league consists of one team with “varsity” and “junior varsity” versions, but Homan would like to see that grow. The Renegades practice together and travel around the South playing other squads from Dallas, Huntsville, Jackson and Joplin, to name a few. “The biggest stereotype we’re trying to break is that it’s fake,” Homan says. “It’s not. It’s really real and it’s empowering for women. We still have the campy nicknames. I go by Kitty Kismet. We’ve got Cocoa Booty and Mary Lou Wreckin’. But nothing is fake.” The team meets for practices and bouts at Skate World off Mabelvale Cutoff in Little Rock. For more information, send an e-mail to recruits@cearderby. com. You can also find the league at Central Arkansas Roller Derby on Facebook.

BROOMBALL Broomball migrated from our northerly neighbors, the Canadians, as a gentler, sloppier hockey. Players slosh around on the ice in their tennies, swatting at a little red ball with brooms. Sound fun? Arkansas Skatium has open broomball, which means that groups can rent the rink late nights (after 11 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. on weekends), gear up and get to swattin’. Skatium has about forty brooms, but since the game is intended for two teams of six, a large group might want to take turns on the ice. It costs about $12 per person, per hour. Check arkansasskatium.com or call 227-4333 for more info. BIKE POLO Have you ever seen video of an old-school polo match and thought, “That would be really fun to do on a bike instead of a horse”? Well, a group of Little Rockers is giving it their best shot. The bike polo squad meets at the street hockey courts at MacArthur Park Tuesday evenings and Sundays afternoons. Nathan Vandiver has been playing with the bike polo team since the beginning. It’s fun and easy to get started, he says. “You just need a bike. Really you could come without one and somebody would probably let you borrow one. We have mallets. We have extra helmets. It’s good to have gloves to help hold onto the handle bars and protect your hands if you fall. We have all the other stuff.” Worried about falling over? You probably should be, but it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it, Vandiver says. Look for “Little Rock Bike Polo” on Facebook to find out more, or visit lrbpolo.blogspot.com. ROCK CLIMBING AND BOULDERING The secret’s out — north Arkansas has prime rock and folks are willing to travel, sometimes by plane, to check it out. If you can’t make it to the Ozarks every weekend, the Little Rock Climbing Center is the best place to hone your skills. We’re talking scaling 30- to 70-feet walls of sheer rock (or bolted plastic), attached to metal hooks via a safety harness. The Little Rock Climbing Center hosts spring and fall climbing competitions, as well as weekly summer bouldering competitions, and it’s the home of a few youth climbing teams. There’s also Horseshoe Hell, a major climbing competition in Jasper each September, where climbers stay awake — and climbing — for 24 hours. Call 2279500 for more information on local climbing. CONTINUED ON PAGE 45

y n s n teaks i k s o n

Where Little Rock Goes To Taste

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free valet Parking • Piano Bar tues-sat 335 wine seleCtions Fine sPirits FroM around the world inquire about our Private CorPorate lunChes haPPy hour Mon-Fri 5-6:30PM now booking holiday reservations 500 President Clinton avenue (in the river Market distriCt) Call for reservations 501.324.2999 • www.sonnywilliaMssteakrooM.CoM www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 2, 2013

NATIVES GUIDE 2013

BRIAN CHILSON

1620 SAVOY

DINING GUIDE

B Breakfast L Lunch D Dinner $ Inexpensive (under $8/person) $$ Moderate ($8-$20/person) $$$ Expensive (over $20/person) CC Accepts credit cards

AMERICAN

1620 SAVOY The revamping of the enduring West Little Rock restaurant has breathed considerable new life into 1620. Its look and feel is different from what is now named 1620 Savoy, but the food is still high-quality and painstakingly prepared — a wide-ranging dinner menu that’s sure to please almost everyone. 1620 Market St. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-221-1620. D Mon.-Sat., BR Sun. 4 SQUARE CAFE AND GIFTS Vegetarian salads, soups, wraps and paninis and a broad selection of smoothies in an Arkansas products gift shop. 405 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-244-2622. BLD daily. ACADIA A jewel of a restaurant in Hillcrest. Unbelievable fixed-price, three-course dinners on Mondays and Tuesday, but food is certainly worth full price. 3000 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar. CC. $$-$$$. 501-603-9630. D Mon.-Sat. ADAMS CATFISH & CATERING Catering company with carry-out restaurant in Little Rock and carry-out trailers in Russellville and Perryville. 215 N. Cross St. All CC. $-$$. 501-374-4265. L Tue.-Sat. ALL ABOARD RESTAURANT & GRILL Burgers, catfish, chicken tenders and such in this train-themed restaurant, where an elaborately engineered mini-locomotive delivers patrons meals. 6813 Cantrell Road. No alcohol. 501-975-7401. LD daily. ALLEY OOPS The restaurant at Creekwood Plaza (near the Kanis-Bowman intersection) is a neighborhood feedbag for major medical institutions with the likes of plate lunches, burgers

JANUARY 2, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

and homemade desserts. Remarkable Chess Pie. 11900 Kanis Road. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-221-9400. LD Mon.-Sat. BR Sun. ARGENTA MARKET The Argenta District’s neighborhood grocery store offers a deli featuring a daily selection of big sandwiches along with fresh fish and meats and salads. Emphasis here is on Arkansas-farmed foods and organic products. 521 N. Main St. NLR. Beer, wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-379-9980. L daily, D Mon.-Sat., B Sat., BR Sun. ARKANSAS BURGER CO. Good burgers, fries and shakes, plus salads and other entrees. Try the cheese dip. 7410 Cantrell Road. Beer, wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-663-0600. LD Tue.-Sat. ASHER DAIRY BAR An old-line dairy bar that serves up made-to-order burgers, foot-long “Royal” hotdogs and old-fashioned shakes and malts. 7105 Colonel Glenn Road. No alcohol. No CC, CC. $-$$. 501-562-1085. BLD Mon.-Sat. ASHLEY’S The premier fine dining restaurant in Little Rock marries Southern traditionalism and haute cuisine. The menu is often daring and always delicious. Capital Hotel, 111 W. Markham St. Full bar. All CC. $$$. 501-3747474. BLD Mon.-Sat. BR Sun. ATHLETIC CLUB What could be mundane fare gets delightful twists and embellishments here. 11301 Financial Centre Parkway. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-312-9000. LD daily. B-SIDE The little breakfast place in the former party room of Lilly’s DimSum Then Some turns tradition on its ear, offering French toast wrapped in bacon on a stick, a must-have dish called “biscuit mountain” and beignets with lemon curd. Top notch cheese grits, too. 11121 Rodney Parham Road. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-716-2700. BL Wed.-Sun. BAR LOUIE This chain’s first Arkansas outlet features a something-for-everybody menu so broad and varied to be almost schizophrenic.

11525 Cantrell Road, Suite 924. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-228-0444. LD daily. 11525 Cantrell Road. 501-228-0444. BIG ORANGE: BURGERS SALADS SHAKES Gourmet burgers manufactured according to exacting specs (humanely raised beef!) and properly fried Kennebec potatoes are the big draws, but you can get a veggie burger as well as fried chicken, curried falafel and blacked tilapia sandwiches, plus creative meal-sized salads. Shakes and floats are indulgences for all ages. Adults will find a huge bar including craft beers and esoteric wine. It’s kid friendly, too, with a $4.95 tots’ platter. 17809 Chenal Parkway. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-1515. LD daily. BIG ROCK BISTRO Students of the Arkansas Culinary School run this restaurant at Pulaski Tech under the direction of Chef Jason Knapp. Pizza, pasta, Asian-inspired dishes and diner food, all in one stop. 3000 W. Scenic Drive. NLR. No alcohol. All CC. $. 501-812-2200. BL Mon.-Fri. BIG WHISKEY’S AMERICAN BAR AND GRILL A modern grill pub in the River Market with all the bells and whistles - 30 flat screen TVs, whiskey on tap, plus boneless wings, burgers, steaks, soups and salads. 225 E Markham St. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-324-2449. LD daily. BLACK ANGUS CAFE Charcoal-grilled burgers, hamburger steaks and steaks proper are the big draws at this local institution. 10907 N. Rodney Parham. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-228-7800. LD Mon.-Sat. BOBBY’S CAFE Delicious, humungo burgers and tasty homemade deserts at this Levy diner. 12230 MacArthur Drive. NLR. No alcohol. No CC. $. 501-851-7888. BL Tue.-Fri., D Thu.-Fri. BOSCOS RESTAURANT & BREWERY CO. This River Market brewery does food well, too. Along with the tried and true, like sandwiches, burgers, steaks and big salads, they have entrees like black bean and goat cheese tamales, open hearth pizza ovens and muffalettas. 500 President Clinton Ave. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-907-1881. LD daily. BOULEVARD BREAD CO. Fresh bread, fresh pastries, wide selection of cheeses, meats, side

dishes; all superb. Good coffee, too. 1920 N. Grant St. Beer, wine. All CC. $$. 501-663-5951. BLD Mon.-Sat. 400 President Clinton Ave. Beer, wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-374-1232. BL Mon.-Sat. 4301 W. Markham St. No alcohol. All CC. $$. 501-526-6661. BL Mon.-Fri. 1417 Main St. Beer, wine. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-5100. BL Mon.-Sat. THE BOX Cheeseburgers and French fries are greasy and wonderful and not like their fastfood cousins. 1023 W. Seventh St. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-372-8735. L Mon.-Fri. BRAVE NEW RESTAURANT The food’s great, portions huge, prices reasonable. Diners can look into the open kitchen and watch the culinary geniuses at work slicing and dicing and sauteeing. It’s great fun, and the fish is special. 2300 Cottondale Lane. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-2677. LD Mon.-Fri. D Sat. BRAY GOURMET DELI AND CATERING Turkey spreads in four flavors — original, jalapeno, cajun and dill — and the homemade pimiento cheese are the signature items at Chris Bray’s delicatessen, which serves sandwiches, wraps, soups, stuffed potatoes and salads and sells the turkey spreads to go. 323 Center St. Suite 150. No alcohol. All CC. 501-353-1045. BL Mon.-Fri. BROWN SUGAR BAKESHOP Fabulous cupcakes, brownies and cakes offered five days a week until they’re sold out. 419 E. 3rd St. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-372-4009. LD Tue.-Sat. (close at 5:30 p.m.). BUFFALO GRILL A great crispy-off-the-griddle cheeseburger and hand-cut fries star at this family-friendly stop. 1611 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar. CC. $$. 501-296-9535. LD daily. 400 N. Bowman Road. Full bar. Beer, All CC. $$. 501-224-0012. LD daily. BUTCHER SHOP The cook-your-own-steak option has been downplayed, and several menu additions complement the calling card: large, fabulous cuts of prime beef, cooked to perfection. 10825 Hermitage Road. Full bar. All CC. $$$. 501-312-2748. D daily. CAFE 201 The hotel restaurant in the Crowne Plaza serves up a nice lunch buffet. 201 S. Shackleford Road. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-2233000. BLD Mon.-Sat., BR Sun. CAFE@HEIFER Serving fresh pastries, omelets, soups, salads, sandwiches and pizzas. Located inside Heifer Village. 1 World Ave. No alcohol. All CC. $. 501-907-8801. BL Mon.-Fri. CAJUN’S WHARF The venerable seafood restaurant serves up great gumbo and oysters Bienville, and options such as fine steaks for the non-seafood eater. In the citified bar, you’ll find nightly entertainment, too. 2400 Cantrell Road. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-5351. D Mon.-Sat. CAMP DAVID Inside the Holiday Inn Presidential Conference Center, Camp David particularly pleases with its breakfast and themed buffets each day of the week. Wonderful Sunday brunch. 600 Interstate 30. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-975-2267. BLD daily, BR Sun. CAPERS It’s never been better, with as good a wine list as any in the area, and a menu that covers a lot of ground — seafood, steaks, pasta — and does it all well. 14502 Cantrell Road. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-868-7600. LD Mon.-Sat. CAPITAL BAR AND GRILL Big hearty sandwiches, daily lunch specials and fine evening dining all rolled up into one at this landing spot downtown. Surprisingly inexpensive with a great bar staff and a good selection of unique desserts. 111 Markham St. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-374-7474. LD daily. CATERING TO YOU Painstakingly prepared entrees and great appetizers in this gourmetto-go location, attached to a gift shop. Caters everything from family dinners to weddings

and large corporate events. 8121 Cantrell Road. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-614-9030. Serving meals to go: LD Mon.-Sat. CATFISH CITY AND BBQ GRILL Basic fried fish and sides, including green tomato pickles, and now with tasty ribs and sandwiches in beef, pork and sausage. 1817 S. University Ave. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-663-7224. LD Tue.-Sat. CATFISH HOLE Downhome place for wellcooked catfish and tasty hushpuppies. 603 E. Spriggs. NLR. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-758-3516. D Tue.-Sat. CHEDDAR’S Large selection of somewhat standard American casual cafe choices, many of which are made from scratch. Portions are large and prices are very reasonable. 400 S. University. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-614-7578. LD daily. CHEERS IN THE HEIGHTS Good burgers and sandwiches, vegetarian offerings and salads at lunch and fish specials, and good steaks in the evening. 2010 N. Van Buren. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-5937. LD Mon.-Sat. 1901 Club Manor Drive. Maumelle. Full bar. All CC. 501-851-6200. LD daily, BR Sun. CIAO BACI The focus is on fine dining in this casually elegant Hillcrest bungalow, though excellent tapas are out of this world. The treeshaded, light-strung deck is a popular destination. 605 N. Beechwood St. Full bar. All CC. $$$. 501-603-0238. D Mon.-Sat. COMMUNITY BAKERY This sunny downtown bakery is the place to linger over a latte, bagels and the New York Times. But a lunchtime dash for sandwiches is OK, too, though it’s often packed. 1200 S. Main St. No alcohol. CC. $-$$. 501-375-7105. BLD daily. 270 S. Shackleford. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-224-1656. BLD Mon.-Sat. BL Sun. COLD STONE CREAMERY This national chain takes a base flavor (everything from Sweet Cream to Chocolate Cake Batter) and adds your choice of ingredients or a combination of ingredients it calls a Creation. Cold Stone also serves up a variety of ice cream cakes and cupcakes. 12800 Chenal Parkway. No alcohol. All CC. $. 501-225-7000. LD daily. COPELAND’S RESTAURANT OF LITTLE ROCK The full service restaurant chain started by the founder of Popeye’s delivers the same good biscuits, the same dependable frying and a New Orleans vibe in piped music and decor. You can eat red beans and rice for a price in the single digits or pay near $40 for a choice slab of ribeye, with crab, shrimp and fish in between. 2602 S. Shackleford Road. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-312-1616. LD daily. COPPER GRILL Comfort food, burgers and more sophisticated fare at this River Marketarea hotspot. 300 E. Third St. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-3333. LD Mon.-Sat. CORNERSTONE PUB & GRILL A sandwich, pizza and beer joint in the heart of North Little Rock’s Argenta district. 314 Main St. NLR. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-374-1782. LD Mon.-Sat. DAVE’S PLACE A popular downtown soupand-sandwich stop at lunch draws a large and diverse crowd for the Friday night dinner, which varies in theme, home cooking being the most popular. Owner Dave Williams does all the cooking and his son, Dave also, plays saxophone and fronts the band that plays most Friday nights. 201 Center St. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-372-3283. L Mon.-Fri., D Fri. DAVID FAMILY KITCHEN Call it soul food or call it down-home country cooking. Just be sure to call us for breakfast or lunch when you go. Neckbones, ribs, sturdy cornbread, salmon croquettes, mustard greens and the like. Desserts are exceptionally good. 2301 Broadway. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-371-

0141. BL Mon.-Fri., L Sun. DELICIOUS TEMPTATIONS Decadent breakfast and light lunch items that can be ordered in full or half orders to please any appetite or palate, with a great variety of salads and soups as well. Don’t miss the bourbon pecan pie — it’s a winner. 11220 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol. All CC. $$. 501-225-6893. BL daily. DEMPSEY BAKERY Bakery with sit down area, serving coffee and specializing in gluten-, nutand soy-free baked goods. 323 Cross St. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-375-2257. Serving BL Tue.-Sat. DIZZY’S GYPSY BISTRO Interesting bistro fare, served in massive portions at this River Market favorite. 200 River Market Ave. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-3500. LD Tue.-Sat. DOE’S EAT PLACE A skid-row dive turned power brokers’ watering hole with huge steaks, great tamales and broiled shrimp, and killer burgers at lunch. 1023 W. Markham St. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-376-1195. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. DOGTOWN COFFEE AND COOKERY Although the down-home name might suggest to some a down-home, meat-andthree kind of place, this is actually an up-todate sandwich, salad and fancy coffee kind of place, well worth a visit. 6725 John F. Kennedy Blvd. NLR. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-8333850. BL Mon.-Sun., BLD Fri.-Sat.,. DOUBLETREE PLAZA BAR & GRILL The lobby restaurant in the Doubletree is elegantly comfortable, but you’ll find no airs put on at heaping breakfast and lunch buffets. 424 West Markham St. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-372-4371. BLD daily. EJ’S EATS AND DRINKS The friendly neighborhood hoagie shop downtown serves at a handful of tables and by delivery. The sandwiches are generous, the soup homemade and the salads cold. Vegetarians can craft any number of acceptable meals from the flexible menu. The housemade potato chips are da bomb. 523 Center St. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-666-3700. LD Mon.-Fri. THE FADED ROSE The Cajun-inspired menu seldom disappoints. Steaks and soaked salads are legendary. 1619 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-9734. LD daily. FILIBUSTER’S BISTRO & LOUNGE Sandwiches, salads in the Legacy Hotel. 625 W. Capitol Ave. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-3740100. D Mon.-Fri. FLIGHT DECK A not-your-typical daily lunch special highlights this spot, which also features inventive sandwiches, salads and a popular burger. Central Flying Service at Adams Field. Beer, wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-975-9315. BL Mon.-Sat. FLYING FISH The fried seafood is fresh and crunchy and there are plenty of raw, boiled and grilled offerings, too. The hamburgers are a hit, too. It’s self-service; wander on through the screen door and you’ll find a slick team of cooks and servers doing a creditable job of serving big crowds. 511 President Clinton Ave. Beer, wine. All CC. $$. 501-375-3474. LD daily. FLYING SAUCER A popular River Market hangout thanks to its almost 200 beers (including 75 on tap) and more than decent bar food. It’s now non-smoking, so families are welcome. 323 President Clinton Ave. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-372-8032. LD daily. GUILLERMO’S GOURMET COFFEE Serves gourmet coffee, lunch, beer, wine and tapas. Beans are roasted in house, and the espresso is probably the best in town. Happy hour is $1 off beer and $5 wine, from 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. every day. 10700 Rodney Parham Road. Beer, Wine. 501-228-4448. BL Mon.-Sat. CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

t e f f Bu

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Shackleford Crossing Center • Interstate 430 2604 South Shackleford, Suite G Little Rock, AR 72205 • (501) 224-8100

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1501 Merrill Drive little rock, Ar 72211 501.225.0500 Make reservations online at vesuviobistro.com

open Monday-Sunday For Dinner

Founder Chef Rosario Patti 32

JANUARY 2, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

HILLCREST ARTISAN MEATS A fancy charcuterie and butcher shop with excellent daily soup and sandwich specials. Limited seating is available. 2807 Kavanaugh Blvd. Suite B. No alcohol. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-671-6328. L Mon.-Sat. HOMER’S Great vegetables, huge yeast rolls and killer cobblers. Follow the mobs. 2001 E. Roosevelt Road. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-374-1400. BL Mon.-Fri. 9700 N Rodney Parham. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-224-6637. LD Mon.-Sat. THE HOP DINER The downtown incarnation of the old dairy bar, with excellent burgers, onion rings, shakes, daily specials and breakfast. 201 E. Markham. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-244-0975. THE HOUSE A comfortable gastropub in Hillcrest, where you’ll find traditional fare like burgers and fish and chips alongside Thai green curry and gumbo. 722 N. Palm St. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-4500. D daily, BR, L Sat.-Sun. HUNKA PIE A drive-up diner with burgers, other sandwiches, onion rings and a number of different pies, available whole or by the slice, fresh baked daily. 250 E. Military Drive. NLR. No alcohol. No CC. $-$$. 501-612-4754. BLD Mon.-Sat., BL Sun. IZZY’S It’s bright, clean and casual, with snappy team service of all his standbys — sandwiches and fries, lots of fresh salads, pasta about a dozen ways, hand-rolled tamales and (night only) brick oven pizzas. Wholesome, allAmerican food prepared with care, if rarely far from the middle of the culinary road. With full vegan and gluten-free menus. 5601 Ranch Drive. Beer, wine. All CC. $$. 501-868-4311. LD Mon.-Sat. JIMMY’S SERIOUS SANDWICHES Consistently fine sandwiches, side orders and desserts for 30 years. Chicken salad’s among the best in town, and there are fun specialty sandwiches such as Thai One On and The. Garden Get there early for lunch. 5116 W. Markham St. No alcohol. CC. $-$$. 501-6663354. L Mon.-Sat., D Mon.-Sat. (drive-through only). KITCHEN EXPRESS Delicious “meat and three” restaurant offering big servings of homemade soul food. Maybe Little Rock’s best fried chicken. 4600 Asher Ave. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-666-3500. BLD Mon.-Sat., LD Sun. LASSIS INN One of the state’s oldest restaurants still in the same location and one of the best for catfish and buffalo fish. 518 E 27th St. Beer, wine. All CC. $$. 501-372-8714. LD Tue.-Sat. LE POPS GOURMET ICE LOLLIES Delicious, homemade iced lollies (or popsicle for those who aren’t afraid of the trademark.) 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol. All CC. $$. 501-554-3936. L Mon.-Sat. LOCA LUNA Grilled meats, seafood and pasta dishes that never stray far from country roots, whether Italian, Spanish or Arkie. “Gourmet plate lunches” are good, as is Sunday brunch. 3519 Old Cantrell Road. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-4666. BR Sun., LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. LOGANBERRY FROZEN YOGURT Self-serve frozen yogurt. 6015 Chenoceau Blvd. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-868-8194. LD daily. LULAV Comfortably chic downtown bistro with continental and Asian fare. 220 A W. 6th St. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-374-5100. L Mon.-Fri., D daily. LYNN’S CHICAGO FOODS Outpost for Chicago specialties like Vienna hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches. Plus, other familiar fare — burgers and fried catfish, chicken nuggets and wings. 6501 Geyer Springs. No alcohol. All CC. $. 501-568-2646. LD Mon.-Sat.

MADDIE’S PLACE If you like your catfish breaded Cajun-style, your grits rich with garlic and cream and your oysters fried up in perfect puffs, this Cajun eatery on Rebsamen Park Road is the place for you. 1615 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-660-4040. LD Tue.-Sat. MAGGIE MOO’S ICE CREAM AND TREATERY 17821 Chenal Parkway. No alcohol. 501-821-7609. MARKHAM STREET GRILL AND PUB The menu has something for everyone. Try the burgers, which are juicy, big and fine. 11321 W. Markham St. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-2242010. LD daily, BR Sun. MASON’S DELI AND GRILL Heaven for those who believe everything is better with sauerkraut on top. The Bavarian Reuben, a traditional Reuben made with Boar’s Head corned beef, spicy mustard, sauerkraut, Muenster cheese and marble rye, is among the best we’ve had in town. 400 Clinton Ave. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-376-3354. LD Mon.-Sat. MOOYAH BURGERS Kid-friendly, fast-casual restaurant with beef, veggie and turkey burgers, a burger bar and shakes. 14810 Cantrell Road, Suite 190. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-868-1091. MORNINGSIDE BAGELS Tasty New York-style boiled bagels, made daily. 10848 Maumelle Blvd. NLR. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-7536960. BL daily. NEWK’S EXPRESS CAFE Gourmet sandwiches, salads and pizzas. 4317 Warden Road. NLR. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-753-8826. LD daily. OYSTER BAR Gumbo, red beans and rice (all you can eat on Mondays), peel-and-eat shrimp, oysters on the half shell, addictive po’ boys. Killer jukebox. 3003 W. Markham St. Beer, wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-666-7100. LD Mon.-Sat. OZARK COUNTRY RESTAURANT A longstanding favorite with many Little Rock residents, the eatery specializes in big country breakfasts and pancakes plus sandwiches and several meat-and-two options for lunch and dinner. Try the pancakes and don’t leave without some sort of smoked meat. 202 Keightley Drive. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-663-7319. B daily, L Mon.-Fri., D Thu.-Sat. PACKET HOUSE GRILL Owner/chef Wes Ellis delivers the goods with an up-to-date take on sophisticated Southern cuisine served up in a stunning environment that dresses up the historic house with a modern, comfortable feel. 1406 Cantrell Road. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-372-1578. D Tue.-Sat. PANERA BREAD This West Little Rock bakery/ cafe serves freshly-baked breads, bagels and pastries every morning. Choose from a full line of espresso beverages. Panera also offers a full menu of sandwiches, hand-tossed salads and hearty soups. 10701 Kanis Road. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-954-7773. BLD daily; 11525 Cantrell Road. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-227-0222. BLD daily. PURPLE COW DINER 1950s fare — cheeseburgers, chili dogs, thick milk shakes — in a ‘50s setting at today’s prices. Also at 11602 Chenal Parkway. 8026 Cantrell Road. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-221-3555. LD daily, BR Sat.-Sun. 11602 Chenal Pkwy. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-224-4433. LD daily, BR Sat.-Sun. 1419 Higden Ferry Road. Hot Springs. Beer, All CC. $$. 501-625-7999. LD daily, B Sun. RED DOOR Fresh seafood, steaks, chops and sandwiches from restaurateur Mark Abernathy. Smart wine list. 3701 Old Cantrell Road. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-666-8482. BL Tue.-Fri. D daily. BR Sat. RED MANGO National yogurt and smoothie chain whose appeal lies in adjectives like “allnatural,” “non-fat,” “gluten-free” and “probi-

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HOMER’S

Sharing good things with good friends.

1900 N. Grant, Little Rock, AR 501-663-8999

BRIAN CHILSON

otic.” 5621 Kavanaugh Blvd. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-663-2500. LD daily. REDBONE’S Piquant Creole and Cajun food that’s among Little Rock’s best. The shrimp po-boy and duck and andouille gumbo are standouts. 300 President Clinton Ave. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-372-2211. LD daily. RENO’S ARGENTA CAFE Sandwiches, gyros and gourmet pizzas by day and music and drinks by night in downtown Argenta. 312 N. Main St. NLR. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-3762900. RIVERFRONT STEAKHOUSE Steaks are the draw here — nice cuts heavily salted and peppered, cooked quickly and accurately to your specifications, finished with butter and served sizzling hot. 2 Riverfront Place. NLR. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-7825. D Mon.-Sat. ROCKET TWENTY ONE Great seafood, among other things, is served at the Ice House Revival in Hillcrest. With a late night menu. 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar. All CC. $$$-$$$$. 501-603-9208. L Mon.-Fri., D Tue.-Sat. THE ROOT CAFE Homey, local foods-focused cafe. With tasty burgers, homemade bratwurst, banh mi and a number of vegan and veggie options. Breakfast and Sunday brunch, too. 1500 S. Main St. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. BL Tue.-Sat., BR Sun. SALUT BISTRO This bistro/late-night hangout does upscale Italian for dinner and pub grub until the wee hours. But there’s no late-night food on Wednesday! 1501 N. University. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-660-4200. L Mon.-Fri., D Tue.-Sat. SANDY’S HOMEPLACE CAFE Specializing in home-style buffet, with two meats and seven vegetables to choose from. It’s all-you-can-eat. 1710 E. 15th St. No alcohol. No CC. $. 501-3753216. L Mon.-Fri. SCALLIONS Reliably good food, great desserts, pleasant atmosphere, able servers — a solid lunch spot. 5110 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer, wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-666-6468. L Mon.-Sat. SO RESTAURANT BAR Call it a French brasserie with a sleek, but not fussy American finish. The wine selection is broad and choice. Free valet parking. Use it and save yourself a headache. 3610 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-1464. LD Mon.-Sat., D Sun. SONNY WILLIAMS’ STEAK ROOM Steaks, chicken and seafood in a wonderful setting in the River Market. Steak gets pricey, though. Menu is seasonal, changes every few months. 500 President Clinton Ave. Full bar. All CC. $$$. 501-324-2999. D Mon.-Sat. SPECTATORS GRILL AND PUB Burgers, soups, salads and other beer food, plus live music on weekends. 1012 W. 34th St. NLR. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-791-0990. LD Mon.-Sat. SPORTS PAGE One of the largest, juiciest, most flavorful burgers in town. Grilled turkey and hot cheese on sourdough gets praise, too. Now with lunch specials. 414 Louisiana St. Beer, wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-372-9316. LD Mon.-Fri. STAGECOACH GROCERY AND DELI Fine po’ boys and muffalettas — and cheap. 6024 Stagecoach Road. Beer, wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-455-4157. BLD Mon.-Fri., BL Sat.-Sun. STARVING ARTIST CAFE All kinds of crepes, served as entrees or as dessert, in this cozy multidimensional eatery with art-packed walls and live demonstrations by artists during meals. The Black Forest ham sandwich is a perennial favorite with the lunch crowd. Dinner menu changes daily, good wine list. “Tales from the South” dinner and readings at on Tuesdays; live music precedes the show. 411 N. Main St. NLR. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-372-7976. L Tue.-Sat., D Tue., Fri.-Sat. STICKYZ ROCK ‘N’ ROLL CHICKEN SHACK Fingers any way you can imagine, plus sand-

wiches and burgers, and a fun setting for music and happy hour gatherings. 107 Commerce St. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-372-7707. LD Mon-Sun. THE SOUTHERN GOURMASIAN Food truck offers Southern food with Asian flair. No alcohol. 501-954-0888. SUFFICIENT GROUNDS Great coffee, good bagels and pastries, and a limited lunch menu. 124 W. Capitol. No alcohol. CC. $. 501-3721009. BL Mon.-Fri. THE TAVERN SPORTS GRILL Burgers, barbecue and more. 17815 Chenal Parkway. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-830-2100. LD daily. TERRI-LYNN’S BAR-B-Q AND DELI Highquality meats served on large sandwiches and good tamales served with chili or without (the better bargain). 10102 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-227-6371. BL Tue.-Fri., BLD Sat. (close at 5pm). TEXAS ROADHOUSE Following in the lines of those loud, peanuts-on-the-table steak joints, but the steaks are better here than we’ve had at similar stops. Good burgers, too. 2620 S. Shackleford Rd. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-2242427. D Mon.-Fri., LD Sat.-Sun.; 3601 Warden Road. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-771-4230. D daily, L Sat.-Sun. 2620 S. Shackleford Rd. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-224-2427. D Mon.-Fri., LD Sat.-Sun. TOWN PUMP A dependable burger, good wings, great fries, other bar food, plate lunches, full bar. 1321 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-663-9802. L Mon.-Sat. D daily. TRIO’S Fresh, creative and satisfying lunches; even better at night, when the chefs take flight. Best array of fresh desserts in town. 8201 Cantrell Road Suite 100. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-221-3330. LD Mon.-Sat., BR Sun. TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFE Smoothies, sandwiches and salads in an art deco former YMCA. 524 Broadway St. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 246-3145. BLD Mon.-Fri. (closes at 6 p.m.) 10221 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol. All CC. $$. 501-224-2233. BLD daily

12911 Cantrell Road. No alcohol. All CC. $$. 501-376-2233. BLD daily 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-786-6555. LD Mon.-Fri., BLD Sat. UNION BISTRO Casual upscale bistro and lounge with a new American menu of tapas and entrees. Try the chicken and waffles. 3421 Old Cantrell Road. Full bar. All CC. $$$. 501-353-0360. D Tue.-Sat., BR Sun. VIEUX CARRE A pleasant spot in Hillcrest with specialty salads, steak and seafood. The soup of the day is a good bet. At lunch, the menu includes an all-vegetable sandwich and a half-pound cheeseburger. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-1196. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat., BR Sun. WHITE WATER TAVERN Excellent, locallysourced bar food. 2500 W 7th St. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-375-8400. D Tue.-Sat. WHOLE FOODS MARKET Good sandwiches, soups and hummus to go; an enormous number of hot and cold entrees from the deli; extensive juice bar. 10700 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-312-2326. BLD daily. WINGSTOP It’s all about wings. The joint features 10 flavors of chicken flappers for almost any palate, including mild, hot, Cajun and atomic, as well as specialty flavors like lemon pepper, teriyaki, garlic parmesan and Hawaiian. 11321 W. Markham St. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-224-9464. LD daily. YOUR MAMA’S GOOD FOOD Offering simple and satisfying cafeteria food, with burgers and more hot off the grill, plate lunches and pies. 215 Center St. No alcohol. All CC. $. 501-372-1811. BL Mon.-Fri. ZIN URBAN WINE & BEER BAR Cosmopolitan yet comfortable, a relaxed place to enjoy fine wines and beers while noshing on superb meats, cheeses and amazing goat cheesestuffed figs. 300 River Market Ave. Beer, wine. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-246-4876. D daily. CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

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JANUARY 2, 2013

Coffee and tea, spiked or with ice cream — all here.

hen the weather is chilly, we start thinking cozy sweaters, fireplaces and warm mugs. But no two mugs are equal. Some mugs offer a jittery jolt, some a gentle glide. Some encourage the gulp-and-go method, and others are about sipping and lingering. This list is certainly not exhaustive, but it’s a starting point for folks who like their coffee black, their tea loose and their adult beverages steamy.

DIZZY’S

Coffee, cocoa and tea ANDINA’S Andina’s occupies the bright first floor of the Tuf Nut building a mere block from the River Market. It serves pastries, sweets, homemade cheesecake, salads, sandwiches and a daily plate lunch, but also bills itself as a coffee house. Its roasting set-up is visible from the cafe, and the beans are also available in bulk. Avoid the dark roast; Andina’s has a tendency to burn the beans. 433 E. Third St. 376-2326. 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sun. Wifi. BOBA TEAS, SMOOTHIES & COFFEES Directly across from UALR, Boba offers Asian milk teas and milky coffee drinks. There’s nothing but patio seating, so in winter this place is essentially a drive-through. The milk teas (available in dairy or soy) are what Americans would call steamers, mixing heated milk with some concentrate that may or may not actually include tea. Boba has a host of these concentrates — everything from baked Japanese green tea to Taro bean to the more mundane chocolate or almond. The soapy scent of the soy ginger milk tea may put you off at first, but a few sips in the drink becomes inexplicably addictive. There’s a definite kick, like a heated, Jamaican ginger beer. After a few more sips, you might become uncomfortably aware of your teeth rotting on contact. Boba is definitely more of a drive-through dessert fix than your go-to hot beverage standard. 3600 S. University Ave. 565-5524. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun. No wifi. No indoor seating.

JANUARY 2, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

CHEREE FRANCO

NATIVES GUIDE 2013

HOT STUFF

GUILLERMO’S GOURMET GROUNDS A Northwest Little Rock stalwart, Guillermo’s delivers the most perfect cup of joe around. The beans are roasted in small batches in a corner of the shop, and sometimes you’ll catch this in action. Favorites: the Kenyan AA — those letters mean premium grade — a velvety, mediumbodied coffee with a woodsy flavor; and the spicy, fruity Papua New Guinea. At $2.50 for a drip cup, you pay for what you get. Most blends are organic, but ask to be sure. The cafe is cavernous quiet place to work or study. 10700 Rodney Parham, Suite A2. 228-4448. 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat. Closed Sun. Wifi.

BOULEVARD BREAD CO. There are four Boulevard locations (the Heights, River Market, South Main, UAMS campus), and all four serve a good cup of joe. The brew is by Mr. Espresso, a San Francisco operation run by an Italian family, and usually Boulevard chooses the fair trade, organic blends. We dug the drip coffee — something crisp and citrusy (organic special blend, maybe?) The foamy drinks are presented with a marble-top flourish, and the espresso itself is mild, with a hint of something sweet, like caramel. Lots of folks love the Heights cafe (there’s indoor and patio seating), but we prefer the sunny, bustling SOMA cafe. 1920 N. Grant St. 663-5951, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 400 President Clinton Ave., 374-1232, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 1417 Main St., 375-5100, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; College of Public Health, 4301 W. Markham, 526-6661, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Wifi. COMMUNITY BAKERY Community Bakery uses Distant Lands Coffee, which, according to the company’s website, is grown without herbicides and pesticides, pays growers well and provides them with health care. All we know for sure is it’s solid java. Each morning Community sets out half a dozen thermoses, labeled with

the time each was brewed — a nice touch, if you’re trying to avoid coffee three hours past its prime. The Bourbon Street brew is dark, smooth and lightly acidic, the Jamaican Mountain is sweet and snappy, and the Hazelnut has a mild, nutty flavor, natural rather than artificial — a common pitfall of flavored coffee. The SOMA space is large and bright, but if you’re prone to claustrophobia, beware the weekends. 1200 Main St. 375-6418, 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 6 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun., wifi.; 270 S. Shackleford Road, 224-1656, 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 7 a.m. -1 p.m. Sun. No wifi. DOGTOWN COFFEE & COOKERY North Little Rock’s Dogtown Coffee serves breakfast, sandwiches, hot cider, tea and of course, drip coffee and espresso. It uses Westrock Coffee — organic, fair trade, grown in Rwanda and roasted in Maumelle. The specialty drinks are status quo. The cappuccino is smooth, sweet and a little milkier than some might prefer, but feel free to ask for less milk. The shop is all murals and antique jars, with a rustic-cutesy appeal. This makes it much more inviting than the Starbucks down the road. 6725 JFK Blvd., North Little Rock. 833-3850. 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Sun. Wifi.

IZZY’S With the exception of River City, this family-owned West Little Rock restaurant has the best selection of loose leaves in town. Izzy’s teas are organic and fair-trade, purchased directly from farmers in China, Japan, South Africa, Egypt and India. One order equals about two cups and comes with a side of honey collected from Izzy’s own backyard bees. You also get a small take-home container, so you can reuse your leaves. There are five types of green, two oolongs, two jasmines, two blacks (including a chai), a white, a rooibos and a chamomile. The Chinese Pu’erh, made from leaves aged a full decade, is an evocative, smoky brew that tastes like wood, earth and mushrooms (much more appealing than it sounds) and aids in the digestion of fatty foods. It’s available in bulk. 5601 Ranch Drive. 868-4311. 11 a.m.8:30 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Closed Sun. No wifi. RIVER CITY COFFEE AND TEA Avid tea-drinkers can’t praise River City enough. Outside it’s sparkly, inside it’s cozy. There are couches, books, games and free wifi. And since it’s the Rock’s only specialty tea shop and it stays open late(ish), students often take up evening residence at the tables. The loose tea selection probably tops a hundred, and you can customize your pot by mixing two blends. There’s also drip coffee and espresso. The only downside — if you’re hungry for something more substantial than a chocolate truffle, you’re out of luck. 2715 Kavanaugh Blvd. 661-1496. 6 a.m. -9 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Wifi. ROSALIA’S FAMILY BAKERY Each day Hillcrest’s Brazilian cafe brews up a medium and dark roast of Westrock

SPOKES Quirky concept, friendly staff, reliable coffee — what’s not to love? Spokes is a community bike shop with a rockabilly vibe and a mod-industrial coffee bar. There are springy red stools, clean couches and a high percentage of employees sporting pompadours and gray jumpsuits. The house special is a white chocolate and peanut butter cappuccino, but don’t hold that against them, because these beans are seriously solid. Spokes uses an organic threepart blend (Ethiopean, Columbian and a top secret third bean) from Doma Coffee Roasting Company in Idaho — an operation that goes far beyond fair trade in its relationship with farmers. And the folks at Doma are big cyclists, bringing this unusual little operation full circle — er, wheel. 1001 Kavanaugh Blvd. 664-7765. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. Closed Sun. Wifi. THE JOINT The Joint opened in Argenta in May 2012 as a coffeehouse-cum-event space. There’s almost always something going on, and with only a half-wall between the coffeehouse and auditorium, patrons are treated to a free show. Weekly events include jazz, salsa dancing and bands. The decor is more spartan than cozy, with large TVs and a geometric black loveseat, but much of the coffee is fair trade and organic, and it’s all roasted by Numu in Turkey

Creek, Ark. The Ethiopian Harrar is a respectable medium-bodied brew with fruity undertones. 301 Main St., North Little Rock. 3720210. 7 a.m.-noon Mon., 7 a.m.-midnight Tue.-Wed., 7 a.m.-1 a.m. Thu.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-midnight Sat. Wifi. LE POPS Your neighborhood River Market popsicle stand has winterized with Hot Pops. What this means, exactly: You get your choice of popsicle and warm beverage — either vanilla milk, hot chocolate or coffee — and you dip and lick. Though it sounds odd, the Times, for the benefit of its readers, tried the Mexican chocolate with sweet milk. And yeah, the dip and lick concept works. Since the tiny pop will run out long before the milk, you’ll be left with a vanilla spiced steamer with a hint of chocolate. Good? Not so good? Be your own judge. 400 President Clinton Ave. 5543936. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Sat. No wifi. LOBLOLLY CREAMERY SOMA’s small batch ice-cream shop rotates its warm treats, so if you want something specific, call ahead to check. But the French Press coffee bar is always available, and it’s probably the most fun coffee date around. For $6 you get a pot (about three cups) of Mountain Bird Coffee, straight from Beaver, Ark., served on a tray with cream, sugar and two toppings. There are dozens of toppings, so choose wisely. (Advice: Skip the vanilla fig syrup.) You can heap in anything, from floral syrups to brownie bites. The rich, oozing caramel paired with homemade marshmallows is good, or you might want to try the sarsaparilla syrup, just for the novelty. The spiced cider is partially made from apples pressed in-house, and the extra thick “Sippin’ Chocolate” coupled with the old-fashioned soda bar set-up promises a heavy dose of

sentimental fun. 1423 Main St. (inside Green Corner Store). 396-9609. Noon-7 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sun. Wifi. LOGANBERRY Speaking of creative ways to keep the party going, Loganberry frozen yogurt sustains itself through winter with a gourmet hotchocolate bar. The end result is reliably fabulous, but the true experience of the thing depends on who you catch behind the counter. If it’s one of the owners, you’ll be treated to the entire production — the shaving and heating of the chocolate, the mixing of the milk, the flourish of whipped cream and the sprinkle of toppings. But unfortunately, with some of the employees, the good stuff happens behind the scenes. Hot-chocolate options (about a dozen, total) include peanut butter, salted caramel, spicy Mexican and a European blend made with 99 percent pure cacao. Go with the Mexican or the European. And in case you’re wondering, the peanut butter tastes like it sounds but manages to avoid sticky lumps. Loganberry has a Japanese pop-art theme that kids will love. There are no dairy-free options, so go only if you’re prepared to chug 12 to 16 ounces of milk. 6015 Chenonceau Blvd. 868-8194. Noon-9 p.m. Mon.-Thu., noon-10 a.m. Fri.-Sat., noon-9 p.m. Sun. Wifi.

Spiked CIAO BACI Ciao Baci has a stock of Ghirardelli syrups for coffee-mixing, the faithful hot-toddy, and the occasional mulled wine. But its seasonal standout is hot apple cider spiked with plenty of spiced rum and served with a citrus twist. Dress warmly and brave the porch if you want that extra special twinkling-firefly effect. And if you really want to splurge, pair your cider with do-it-yourself s’mores — all

ingredients delivered to your table, complete with roasting sticks and flaming sterno. 605 Beechwood St. 603-0238. 4 p.m. to close. Mon.-Sat. Wifi. DIZZY’S GYPSY BISTRO Try the cider with peach schnapps. It’s absolutely delish, and a little milder than Ciao Baci’s offering. But if you’re feeling decadent, go with the hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps, under a towering mountain of whipped cream. 200 River Market Ave., No. 150. 3753500. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tue.-Thu., 11 a.m.11p.m. Fri. Sat. No wifi. THE CAPITAL BAR AND GRILL Lovers of egg nog will definitely want to become acquainted with David Burnette, bartender at The Capital Bar and Grill. Burnette’s award-winning nog uses Prichard’s “Sweet Lucy” bourbon, which, in his words, has “a delicate balance of sweet and spirit to compliment the custard-like concoction.” 111 W. Markham St. 374-7474. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun. Wifi. THE HOUSE It’s not on the menu, but if you ask, the House will whip you up a hot toddy — which essentially means they’ll heat some water, plop a matte tea bag in and douse the whole thing with a generous shot of whisky. The rest is up to you. You’re presented with the cup, tea still brewing, a side of honey and a slice of lemon to flavor as you wish. They’re not bad as hot toddies go, but there are so many fun variations the House could do, like riff on its classic — offer a dash of ginger liquor, substitute apple for lemon or grenadine for honey. You know, for those customers who want a steaming adult beverage that doesn’t taste medicinal. 772 N. Palm St.. 663-4500. Dinner 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Mon.-Sun. Wifi.

J. R. Martinez Author, actor, military vet, inspirational speaker and winner of Dancing with the Stars

Thurs., Jan. 10, 7 p.m. M. L. Harris Auditorium www.philander.edu Lectures are free and open to the public. For more information call 501-370-5279. No tickets or RSVPs required. www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 2, 2013

NATIVES GUIDE 2013

and never skimps on beans. There are free refills and free wifi, so make good use of the corner couch. It’s also nice to have amazing pastries nearby for when that buzz wears off and you realize that your revved-up coffee metabolism has bequeathed a mean case of munchies. 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd. 319-7035. 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon-Sat., 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sun. Wifi.

BENIHANA JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE Enjoy the cooking show, make sure you get a little filet with your meal, and do plenty of dunking in that fabulous ginger sauce. 2 Riverfront Place. NLR. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-374-8081. BLD Sun.-Sat. CHI DIMSUM & BISTRO A huge menu spans the Chinese provinces and offers a few twists on the usual local offerings, plus there’s authentic Hong Kong dim sum available. 6 Shackleford Drive. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-221-7737. LD daily. 17200 Chenal Parkway. No alcohol. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-8000. LD Mon.-Sat., D Sun. CHI’S CHINESE CUISINE No longer owned by Chi’s founder Lulu Chi, this Chinese mainstay still offers a broad menu that spans the Chinese provinces and offers a few twists on the usual local offerings. 5110 W. Markham St. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-604-7777. LD Mon.-Sat. CURRY IN A HURRY Home-style Indian food with a focus on fresh ingredients and spices. 11121 N. Rodney Parham. Beer, wine. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-224-4567. LD Mon., Wed.-Sun. FANTASTIC CHINA The food is delicious, the presentation beautiful, the menu distinctive, the service perfect, the decor bright. 1900 N. Grant St. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-663-8999. LD daily. FAR EAST ASIAN CUISINE Old favorites such as orange beef or chicken and Hunan green beans are still prepared with care at what used to be Hunan out west. 11610 Pleasant Ridge Road. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-219-9399. LD daily. FORBIDDEN GARDEN Classic, American-ized Chinese food in a modern setting. Try the Basil Chicken. 14810 Cantrell Road. Beer, wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-868-8149. LD daily. HANAROO SUSHI BAR One of the few spots in downtown Little Rock to serve sushi. With an expansive menu, featuring largely Japanese fare. Try the popular Tuna Tatari bento box. 205 W. Capitol Ave. Beer, wine. All CC. $$. 501-3017900. L Mon.-Fri., D Mon.-Sat. IGIBON JAPANESE RESTAURANT It’s a complex place, where the food is almost always good and the ambiance and service never fail to please. The Bento box with tempura shrimp and California rolls and other delights stand out. 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. Beer, wine. All CC. $$. 501-217-8888. LD Mon.-Sat. KIYEN’S SEAFOOD STEAK AND SUSHI Sushi, steak and other Japanese fare. 17200 Chenal Pkwy, Suite 100. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-7272. LD daily. LILLY’S DIMSUM THEN SOME Innovative dishes inspired by Asian cuisine, utilizing local and fresh ingredients. 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. Beer, wine. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-716-2700. LD Tue.-Sun. MR. CHEN’S ASIAN SUPERMARKET AND RESTAURANT A combination Asian restaurant and grocery with cheap, tasty and exotic offerings. 3901 S. University Ave. $. 501-5627900. LD daily. MT. FUJI JAPANESE RESTAURANT The dean of Little Rock sushi bars offers a fabulous lunch special and great Monday night deals. 10301 Rodney Parham Road. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-227-6498. LD daily. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-227-6498. PANDA GARDEN Large buffet including Chinese favorites, a full on-demand sushi bar, a cold seafood bar, pie case, salad bar and dessert bar. 2604 S. Shackleford Road. Beer, wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-224-8100. LD daily. PHO THANH MY It says “Vietnamese noodle soup” on the sign out front, and that’s what you 36

JANUARY 2, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

NATIVES GUIDE 2013

ASIAN

THE TERRACE MEDITERRANIAN KITCHEN should order. The pho comes in outrageously large portions with bean sprouts and fresh herbs. Traditional pork dishes, spring rolls and bubble tea also available. 302 N. Shackleford Road. No alcohol. All CC. $$. 501-312-7498. LD Mon, Wed.-Sun. RJ TAO RESTAURANT & ULTRA LOUNGE Upscale Asian and exotic fare — like Kangaroo burgers and African prawns — from the Chi family. 5501 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-603-0080. D Mon.-Sat. SKY MODERN JAPANESE Excellent, ambitious menu filled with sushi and other Japanese fare and Continental-style dishes. 11525 Cantrell Road, Suite 917. Full bar. All CC. $$$-$$$$. 501-224-4300. LD daily. SUSHI CAFE Impressive, upscale sushi menu with other delectable house specialties like tuna tataki, fried soft shell crab, Kobe beef and, believe it or not, the Tokyo cowboy burger. 5823 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-9888. L Mon.-Sat. D daily. TOKYO HOUSE Defying stereotypes, this Japanese buffet serves up a broad range of fresh, slightly exotic fare — grilled calamari, octopus salad, dozens of varieties of fresh sushi — as well as more standard shrimp and steak options. 11 Shackleford Dr. Beer, wine. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-219-4286. LD daily. VAN LANG CUISINE Terrific Vietnamese cuisine, particularly the way the pork dishes and the assortment of rolls are presented. Great prices, too. Massive menu, but it’s user-friendly for locals with full English descriptions and numbers for easy ordering. 3600 S. University Ave. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-570-7700. LD daily. WASABI Downtown sushi and Japanese cuisine. For lunch, there’s quick and hearty sushi samplers. 101 Main St. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-374-0777. L Mon.-Fri., D Mon.-Sat.

BARBECUE

CHATZ CAFE ‘Cue and catfish joint that does heavy catering business. Try the slowsmoked, meaty ribs. 8801 Colonel Glenn Road. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-562-4949. LD Mon.-Sat. FATBOY’S KILLER BAR-B-Q This Landmark neighborhood strip center restaurant in the far southern reaches of Pulaski County features tender ribs and pork by a contest pitmaster. Skip the regular sauce and risk the hot variety, it’s far better. 14611 Arch Street. No alcohol. All CC. $$. 501-888-4998. L Mon.-Wed. and Fri.; L Thu. HB’S BBQ Great slabs of meat with fiery barbecue sauce, but ribs are served on Tuesday only. Other days, try the tasty pork sandwich on an onion roll. 6010 Lancaster. No alcohol. No

CC. $-$$. 501-565-1930. LD Mon.-Fri. PIT STOP BAR AND GRILL A working-man’s bar and grill, with barbecue, burgers, breakfast and bologna sandwiches, plus live music on Friday and Saturday nights. 5506 Baseline Road. Full bar. No CC. $$. 501-562-9635. BLD daily. SIMS BAR-B-QUE Great spare ribs, sandwiches, beef, half and whole chicken and an addictive vinegar-mustard-brown sugar sauce unique for this part of the country. 2415 Broadway. Beer, CC. $-$$. 501-372-6868. LD Mon.-Sat. 1307 John Barrow Road. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-2242057. LD Mon.-Sat. 7601 Geyer Springs Road. Beer, All CC. $$. 501-562-8844. LD Mon.-Sat. WHITE PIG INN Go for the sliced rather than chopped meats at this working-class barbecue cafe. Side orders — from fries to potato salad to beans and slaw — are superb, as are the fried pies. 5231 E. Broadway. NLR. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-945-5551. LD Mon.-Fri., L Sat. WHOLE HOG CAFE The pulled pork shoulder is a classic, the back ribs are worthy of their many blue ribbons, and there’s a six-pack of sauces for all tastes. A real find is the beef brisket, cooked the way Texans like it. 516 Cantrell Road. Beer, wine. All CC. $$. 501-6645025. LD Mon.-Sat. 12111 W. Markham. Beer, wine. All CC. $$. 501-907-6124. LD daily 150 E. Oak St. Conway. No alcohol. All CC. $$. 501-513-0600. LD Mon.-Sat., L Sun. 5107 Warden Road. NLR. Beer, wine. All CC. $$. 501-753-9227.

EUROPEAN / ETHNIC

ALI BABA A Middle Eastern restaurant and grocery. 3400 S University Ave. No alcohol. All CC. 501-570-0577. LD Mon.-Sat. BANANA LEAF INDIAN FOOD TRUCK 201 A St. 501-227-0860. CAFE BOSSA NOVA A South American approach to sandwiches, salads and desserts, all quite good, as well as an array of refreshing South American teas and coffees. 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-614-6682. LD Tue.-Sat., BR Sun. CREGEEN’S IRISH PUB Irish-themed pub with a large selection of on-tap and bottled British beers and ales, an Irish inspired menu and lots of nooks and crannies to meet in. Specialties include fish ‘n’ chips and Guinness beef stew. Live music on weekends and $5 cover on Saturdays. 301 Main St. NLR. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-376-7468. LD daily. DUGAN’S PUB Serves up Irish fare like fish and chips and corned beef and cabbage alongside classic bar food. The chicken fingers and burgers stand out. Irish breakfast all day. 401 E. 3rd St. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-244-0542. LD daily.

GEORGIA’S GYROS Good gyros, Greek salads and fragrant grilled pita bread highlight a large Mediterranean food selection, plus burgers and the like. 2933 Lakewood Village Drive. NLR. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-753-5090. LD Mon.-Sat. HIBERNIA IRISH TAVERN This traditional Irish pub has its own traditional Irish cook from, where else, Ireland. Broad beverage menu, Irish and Southern food favorites and a crowd that likes to sing. 9700 N Rodney Parham Road. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-246-4340. D Mon.-Fri., BR, L, D Sat.-Sun. ISTANBUL MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE This Turkish eatery offers decent kebabs and great starters. The red pepper hummus is a winner. So are Cigar Pastries. Possibly the best Turkish coffee in Central Arkansas. 11525 Cantrell Road. No alcohol. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-2239332. LD daily. LAYLA’S GYROS AND PIZZERIA Delicious Mediterranean fare — gyros, falafel, shawarma, kabobs, hummus and babaganush — that has a devoted following. All meat is slaughtered according to Islamic dietary law. 9501 N Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-227-7272. LD daily (close 5 p.m. on Sun.). L E O ’ S G R E E K C A S T L E Wonderful Mediterranean food — gyro sandwiches or platters, falafel and tabouleh — plus dependable hamburgers, ham sandwiches, steak platters and BLTs. Breakfast offerings are expanded with gyro meat, pitas and triple berry pancakes. 2925 Kavanaugh Blvd. No alcohol. CC. $-$$. 501-666-7414. BLD Mon.-Sat., BL Sun. (close at 4 p.m.). NEXT BISTRO & BAR Mediterranean food and drinks. 2611 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar. All CC. 501-663-6398. D Tue.-Thu., Sat. THE PANTRY Owner and self-proclaimed “food evangelist” Tomas Bohm does things the right way — buying local, making almost everything from scratch and focusing on simple preparations of classic dishes. The menu stays relatively true to his Czechoslovakian roots, but there’s plenty of choices to suit all tastes. There’s also a nice happy-hour vibe. 11401 Rodney Parham Road. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-353-1875. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. THE RESTAURANT AT TERRY’S FINER FOODS A true French-style bistro replete with imported tables and chairs. The menu features many of the country’s classics from roast chicken to duck confit and assorted cheeses for dessert. Lunch is more affordable, with great choices from top to bottom, from salads and soups to sandwiches and reasonably priced entrees. 5018 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 663-4152. L Mon.-Fri., D Tue.-Sat.

ITALIAN

CAFE PREGO Dependable entrees of pasta, pork, seafood, steak and the like, plus great sauces, fresh mixed greens and delicious dressings, crisp-crunchy-cold gazpacho and tempting desserts in a comfy bistro setting. Little Rock standard for 18 years. 5510 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-5355. LD Mon.-Sat. CIAO ITALIAN RESTAURANT Don’t forget about this casual yet elegant bistro tucked into a downtown storefront. The fine pasta and seafood dishes, ambiance and overall charm combine to make it a relaxing, enjoyable, affordable choice. 405 W. Seventh St. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-372-0238. L Mon.-Fri., D Thu.-Sat. DAMGOODE PIES A somewhat different Italian/pizza place, largely because of a spicy garlic white sauce that’s offered as an alternative to the traditional red sauce. Good bread, too. 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer, wine. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-664-2239. LD daily. 6706 Cantrell Road. Beer, wine. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-664-2239. LD daily. 10720 Rodney Parham Road. Beer, wine. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-664-2239. LD daily. 37 East Center St. Fayetteville. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 479-444-7437. LD daily. GRADY’S PIZZA AND SUBS Pizza features a pleasing blend of cheeses rather than straight mozzarella. The grinder is a classic, the chef’s salad huge and tasty. 6801 W. 12th St., Suite C.

BRIAN CHILSON

Beer, wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-663-1918. LD daily. GRAFFITI’S The casually chic and ever-popular Italian-flavored bistro avoids the rut with daily specials and careful menu tinkering. 7811 Cantrell Road. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-2249079. D Mon.-Sat. IRIANA’S PIZZA Unbelievably generous handtossed New York style pizza with unmatched zest. Good salads, too; grinders are great, particularly the Italian sausage. 201 E. Markham St. Beer, wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-374-3656. LD Mon.-Sat. LARRY’S PIZZA The buffet is the way to go — fresh, hot pizza, fully loaded with ingredients, brought hot to your table, all for a low price. Many Central Arkansas locations. 1122 Center Street. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-372-6004. L Mon.-Fri.; 1122 S. Center. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-224-8804. LD daily. 12911 Cantrell Road. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-224-8804. LD daily. NYPD PIZZA Plenty of tasty choices in the obvious New York police-like setting, but it’s fun. Only the pizza is cheesy. Even the personal pizzas come in impressive combinations, and baked ziti, salads are more also are available. Cheap slice specials at lunch. 6015 Chenonceau Blvd., Suite 1. Beer, wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-868-3911. LD Mon.-Sat., D Sun. OLD CHICAGO PASTA & PIZZA This national chain offers lots of pizzas, pastas and beer. 4305 Warden Road. NLR. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-812-6262. LD daily. 1010 Main St. Conway. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-329-6262. LD daily. PIZZA CAFE Thin, crunchy pizza with just a dab of tomato sauce but plenty of chunks of stuff, topped with gooey cheese. Draft beer is appealing on the open-air deck — frosty and generous. 1517 Rebsamen Park Road. Beer, wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-664-6133. LD daily. PIZZA D’ACTION Some of the best pizza in town, a marriage of thin, crispy crust with a hefty ingredient load. Also, good appetizers and salads, pasta, sandwiches and killer plate lunches. 2919 W. Markham St. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-666-5403. LD daily. THE PIZZA JOINT Cracker-thin crusts with a tempting variety of traditional or nontraditional toppings. Just off Cantrell Road. 6100 Stones Road. Beer, wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-868-9108. D daily. RISTORANTE CAPEO Authentic cooking from the boot of Italy is the draw at this cozy, brickwalled restaurant on a reviving North Little Rock’s Main Street. Familiar pasta dishes will comfort most diners, but let the chef, who works in an open kitchen, entertain you with some more exotic stuff, too, like crispy veal sweetbreads. They make their own mozzarella fresh daily. 425 Main St. NLR. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-376-3463. D Mon.-Sat. ROCKY’S PUB Rocking sandwiches an Arkie used to have to head way northeast to find and a fine selection of homemade Italian entrees, including as fine a lasagna as there is. 6909 JFK Blvd. NLR. Beer, Wine. $$. 501-833-1077. LD Mon.-Sat. U.S. PIZZA AND SALAD EXPRESS A downtown offshoot of U.S. Pizza with a distilled menu that includes pizza, salad and sandwiches. Call in pizza orders ahead of arrival. 402 S. Louisiana St. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-374-5561. L Mon.-Fri. U.S. PIZZA Crispy thin-crust pizzas, frosty beers and heaping salads drowned in creamy dressing. 2710 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-2198. LD daily. 5524 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer, wine. All CC. $$. 501-664-7071. LD daily. 9300 North Rodney Parham Road. Beer, wine. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-224-6300. LD daily. 3307 Fair Park Blvd. Beer, wine. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-565-6580. LD

daily. 650 Edgewood Drive. Maumelle. Beer, wine. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-851-0880. LD daily. 3324 Pike Avenue. NLR. Beer, wine. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-758-5997. LD daily. 4001 McCain Park Drive. NLR. Beer, wine. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-753-2900. LD daily. 5524 John F Kennedy Blvd. NLR. Beer, wine. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-9755524. LD daily. VESUVIO Arguably Little Rock’s best Italian restaurant is in one of the most unlikely places — tucked inside the Best Western Governor’s Inn within a nondescript section of west Little Rock. 1501 Merrill Drive. Full bar. All CC. $$$. 501-225-0500. D daily. VINO’S Great rock ‘n’ roll club also is a fantastic pizzeria with huge calzones and always improving home-brewed beers. 923 W. 7th St. Beer, wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-375-8466. LD daily. ZAZA Here’s where you get wood-fired pizza with gorgeous blistered crusts and a light topping of choice and tempting ingredients, great gelato in a multitude of flavors, call-yourown ingredient salads and other treats. 5600 Kavanaugh Blvd. Beer, wine. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-661-9292. LD daily. 1050 Ellis Ave. Conway. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-336-9292. LD daily.

LATINO

BUMPY’S TEXMEX GRILL & CANTINA The menu includes Tex-Mex staples but also baby back ribs, fried fish and a grilled chicken salad. Most dishes are excellently executed, servers are friendly and attentive, and the happy hour deals include dirt-cheap draft beer, margaritas and cheese dip. 400 N. Bowman Road. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-379-8327. LD daily. CANON GRILL Tex-Mex, pasta, sandwiches and salads. Creative appetizers come in huge quantities, and the varied main-course menu rarely disappoints, though it’s not as spicy as competitors’. 2811 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-664-2068. LD daily. CANTINA LAREDO This is gourmet Mexican food, a step up from what you’d expect from a real cantina, from the modern minimal decor to the well-prepared entrees. We can vouch for the enchilada Veracruz and the carne asada y huevos, both with tasty sauces and high quality ingredients perfectly cooked. 207 N. University. Full bar. All CC. $$$. 501-280-0407. LD daily, BR Sun. CASA MANANA Great guacamole and garlic beans, superlative chips and salsa (red and green) and a broad selection of fresh seafood, plus a deck out back. 6820 Cantrell Road. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-280-9888. LD daily 18321 Cantrell Road. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-8688822. LD daily 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. BL Mon.-Sat. JUANITA’S Menu includes a variety of combination entree choices — enchiladas, tacos, flautas, shrimp burritos and such — plus creative salads and other dishes. And of course the “Blue Mesa” cheese dip. 614 President Clinton Ave. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-3721228. LD Mon.-Sat. LA CASA REAL 11121 N Rodney Parham Road. Full bar. All CC. 501-219-4689. LD Mon.-Sat. LA HACIENDA Creative, fresh-tasting entrees and traditional favorites, all painstakingly prepared in a festive atmosphere. Great taco salad, nachos, and maybe the best fajitas around. 3024 Cantrell Road. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-661-0600. LD daily. 200 Highway 65 N. Conway. All CC. $$. 501-327-6077. LD daily. LA REGIONAL A full-service grocery store catering to SWLR’s Latino community, it’s the small grill tucked away in the back corner that should excite lovers of adventurous cuisine. The menu offers a whirlwind trip through Latin America, with delicacies from all across the Spanish-speaking world (try the El Salvadorian

papusas, they’re great). Bring your Spanish/ English dictionary. 7414 Baseline Road. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-565-4440. BLD daily. LA SALSA MEXICAN & PERUVIAN CUISINE Mexican and Peruvian dishes, beer and margaritas. 3824 John F. Kennedy Blvd. NLR. Full bar. All CC. 501-773-1101. LD daily. LAS AMERICAS Guatemalan and Mexican fare. Try the hearty tamales wrapped in banana leaves. 8622 Chicot Road. $-$$. 501-565-0266. LD daily. LAS DELICIAS Levy-area mercado with a taqueria and a handful of booths in the back of the store. 3401 Pike Ave. NLR. Beer, All CC. $. 501-812-4876. LOCAL LIME The latest concept from Scott McGehee and John Beachboard, the chefs behind the popular Big Orange and ZaZa, offers a gourmet spin on Mexican cuisine. Try the carnitas street tacos, the zucchini salsa and the house margarita. 17815 Chenal Pkwy. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-448-2226. LD daily. MARISCOS EL JAROCHO Try the Camarones a la Diabla (grilled shrimp in a smoky pepper sauce) or the Cocktail de Campechana (shrimp, octopus and oyster in a cilantro and onionlaced tomato sauce). 7319 Baseline Road. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-565-3535. Serving BLD Wed.-Mon. MERCADO SAN JOSE From the outside, it appears to just be another Mexican grocery store. Inside, you’ll find one of Little Rock’s best Mexican bakeries and a restaurant in back serving tortas and tacos for lunch. 7411 Geyer Springs Road. Beer, CC. $. 501-565-4246. BLD daily. MEXICO CHIQUITO Some suggest cheese dip was born at this Central Arkansas staple, where you’ll find hearty platters of boldly spiced, inexpensive food that compete well with those at the “authentic” joints. 13924 Cantrell Road. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-217-0700. LD daily. MEXICO CHIQUITO MEX-TO-GO 11406 W. Markham. No alcohol. All CC. $$. 501-2170647. LD daily. MOE’S SOUTHWEST GRILL A “build-yourown-burrito” place, with several tacos and nachos to choose from as well. Wash it down with a beer from their large selection. 12312 Chenal Pkwy. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-223-3378. LD daily. PEPE’S Better than average Tex-Mex. Try the chicken chimichanga. 5900 W. 12th St. Full bar. All CC. $-$$. 501-296-9494. LD Mon.-Sat. RIVIERA MAYA Typical Mexican fare for the area, though the portions are on the large side. 801 Fair Park Blvd. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-6634800. LD daily. ROSALINDA RESTAURANT HONDURENO A Honduran cafe that specializes in pollo con frito tajada (fried chicken and fried plaintains). With breakfast, too. 3700 JFK Blvd. NLR. No alcohol. No CC. $-$$. 501-771-5559. LD daily. SUPERMERCADO SIN FRONTERAS Shiny, large Mexican grocery with a bakery and restaurant attached. 4918 Baseline Road. Beer, All CC. $$. 501-562-4206. BLD daily. TAQUERIA JALISCO SAN JUAN The taco truck for the not-so-adventurous crowd. They claim to serve “original Mexico City tacos,” but it’s their chicken tamales that make it worth a visit. They also have tortas, quesadillas and fajitas. 11200 Markham St. No alcohol. No CC. $. 501-541-5533. LD daily. TAQUERIA KARINA AND CAFE A real Mexican neighborhood cantina from the owners, to freshly baked pan dulce, to Mexican-bottled Cokes, to first-rate guacamole, to inexpensive tacos, burritos, quesadillas and a broad selection of Mexican-style seafood. 5309 W. 65th St. Beer, No CC. $. 501-562-3951. LD Tue.-Thu.

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NATIVES GUIDE 2013

ROSALIA’S BAKERY Brazilian bakery owned by the folks over at Bossa Nova, next door. Sweet and savory treats, including yucca cheese balls, empanadas and macarons. Many gluten-free options. 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. BLD Mon.-Sat. (closes 6 p.m.), BL Sun. SILVEK’S EUROPEAN BAKERY Fine pastries, chocolate creations, breads and cakes done in the classical European style. Drop by for a whole cake or a slice or any of the dozens of single serving treats in the big case. 1900 Polk St. No alcohol. All CC. $$. 501-661-9699. BLD daily. STAR OF INDIA The best Indian restaurant in the region, with a unique buffet at lunch and some fabulous dishes at night (spicy curried dishes, tandoori chicken, lamb and veal, vegetarian). 301 N. Shackleford. Beer, wine. All CC. $$. 501-227-9900. LD daily. TAJ MAHAL The third Indian restaurant in a one-mile span of West Little Rock, Taj Mahal offers upscale versions of traditional dishes and an extensive menu. Dishes range on the spicy side. 1520 Market Street. Beer, All CC. $$$. 501-881-4796. LD daily. TAZIKI’S GREEK FARE Fast casual chain that offers gyros, grilled meats and veggies, hummus and pimento cheese. 12800 Chenal Parkway. Beer, wine. All CC. $$. 501-225-1829. LD daily; 8200 Cantrell Road. Beer, wine. All CC. $$. 501-227-8291. LD daily. THE TERRACE MEDITERRANEAN K I T C H E N A broad selection of Mediterranean delights that includes starters, salads, sandwiches, burgers, chicken and fish at lunch and a more upscale dining experience with top-notch table service at dinner. 2200 Rodney Parham Road. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-217-9393. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. YA YA’S EURO BISTRO The first eatery to open in the Promenade at Chenal is a datenight affair, translating comfort food into beautiful cuisine. Best bet is lunch, where you can explore the menu through soup, salad or half a sandwich. 17711 Chenal Parkway. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-1144. LD daily, BR Sun.

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West Little Rock Maumelle Chenal 1. Baptist Health System 2. BEI Precision System, Maumelle 3. Chainwheel 4. Cupid’s Lingerie 5. Forbidden Garden 6. Layla’s Mediterranean Bistro 7. Lewis Lighting – Benton 8. Panda Garden 9. Santo Coyote 10. Shoe Connection 11. M2 Gallery 12. Lake Liquor 13. Vesuvio

Colonial Wine & Spirits

Iberia Bank

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US Pizza

Landers Fiat

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ARKANSAS TIMES

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HEIGHTS, HILLCREST AND MIDTOWN

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south university

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Tanglewood Drug Store DRUG STORE

HEIGHTS AND MIDTOWN

US Pizza 2 locations

Iberia Bank 3

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hillcrest and stifft station

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ARKANSAS TIMES

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Downtown Little Rock North Little Rock Riverdale

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North Little Rock

1. Arkansas Baptist College 2. Arkansas Childen’s Hospital 3. Baptist Health System, NLR 4. Buffalo Grill – Rebsamen 5. Central Arkansas Water 6. Central Arkansas Library System 7. Christ Church 8. Claytime Pottery, Argenta 9. Courtyard By Marriott 10. Crazy Daves Carpet – North Little Rock 11. Cupid’s – Jacksonville 12. Dreamweavers 13. Episcopal Collegiate School 14. First United Methodist Church 15. Gallery 221 16. Greg Thompson Fine Art, Argenta 17. Hampton Inn – River Market 18. Hearne Fine Art 19. Historic Arkansas Museum 20. Inretrospec 21. Junior League of Arkansas 22. Krebs Brothers Kitchen Supply, NLR 23. Maduro Cigar Bar & Lounge 24. MSI Lodging 25. Old State House 26. Oliver’s Antiques, Jacksonville 27. Philander Smith College 28. Pulaski Country School District (Office) 29. Riviera Condominiums 30. Santo Coyote - NLR 31. Sonny Williams Steak Room 32. Studio Main 33. Newk’s 34. Copper Grill 35. Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro 36. Cupid’s US Pizza Iberia Bank

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riverdale Blue Line

JANUARY 2, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

Extension to Clinton Presidential Library and Heifer International operates until 5:45 p.m. Green Line Extension to Clinton Presidential Library and Heifer International operates until 5:45 p.m. Streetcar passenger platform

Unleash Your Potential!

Explore the difference at episcopalcollegiate.org. Jackson T. Stephens Campus

CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

BRIAN CHILSON

1701 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, Arkansas | 501.372.1194 | Serving Grades PK3-12 Episcopal Collegiate School welcomes students of any race, color, religion and national or ethnic origin.

New Technology. Endless Potential.

GO TO SCHOOL ON SCHOOLS Public, charter, private.

here are three public school districts in Pulaski County: Little Rock, North Little Rock and the Pulaski County Special School District, which includes Maumelle, Jacksonville and unincorporated areas. The county also has a number of charter schools, religious schools, schools for the developmentally challenged, non-sectarian schools and Montessori schools. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a part of the University of Arkansas System and offers both undergraduate and graduate courses.

The Pulaski Vocational-Technical School has campuses in Little Rock and North Little Rock and offers a variety of classes. Other colleges include Arkansas Baptist, Philander Smith College, Shorter College and Remington College.

Little Rock School District The LRSD, with 25,140 students as of October 2012, is the largest in Arkansas. CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

With so much new educational technology available at the Anthony School, there’s no limit to the learning possibilities for our students. Anthony offers many technological resources that enhance and accelerate learning, including: • Two computer labs • Two mobile labs of 25 MacBook Pro laptops each • A mobile cart with 30 new iPads • A computer-automated virtual library

• WiFi access throughout the school • SMART Boards in every classroom • A new collaborative website with Web 2.0 tools and virtual classrooms • 1:1 Laptop Program

STRONG TRADITION.

We invite you to call 225-6629 to set up a personal tour and see our amazing technology for yourself. PREK3 - Eighth Grade

7700 Ohio St.•225-6629 AnthonySchool.org

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NATIVES GUIDE 2013

The LRSD has 32 elementary schools, seven middle schools and six high schools, including historic Central High, as well as two early childhood centers, a career-technical center, an accelerated learning center and two alternative learning centers. The district’s six stipulation magnet schools (Booker, Carver, Gibbs and Williams at the elementary level, Mann at the middle school level and Parkview at the high school level) are shared by all three districts. Students apply through their home districts; these schools, which aim for a 50-50 black-white ratio, are the only schools that take race into consideration during the application process. For more information, call the district at 447-1000 or visit its website, lrsd.org.

North Little Rock School District The NLRSD has 9,081 students (as of October 2012) enrolled in an early childhood center, 12 elementary schools, two middle schools (6-8) and one high school. The high school is divided between three campuses, one for grade 9, one for grade 10 and

another for grades 11-12, all of which will be combined into a new building in the future. For more information, call 771-8000 or visit nlrsd.k12.ar.us.

Pulaski County Special School District The PCSSD has 18,000 students in 37 schools: One dedicated pre-school (Adkins), 23 elementary schools, six middle schools and seven high schools. For more information, call 490-2000 or visit pcssd.org.

Public charter schools There are nine charter schools in Pulaski County: Academics Plus Maumelle (K-12); Arkansas Virtual Academy (K-8); Cloverdale Aerospace Technology Conversion Charter School (6-8); Covenant Keepers College Preparatory School (6-8); E-Stem Elementary, Middle and High schools (K-4, 5-8, 9-12); Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter School (5-8); Little Rock Preparatory Academy (K-8); Lisa Academy (6-12 in Little Rock, K-10 in North Little Rock) and SIATech (9-12). For more information on charter schools and all public schools in Arkan-

sas, go to arkansased.org.

Private schools There are several dozen private schools in Central Arkansas, both religious and secular. Religious schools are affiliated with the Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Muslim, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventist, Church of Christ and non-denominational Christian faiths. Non-sectarian private schools include Pulaski Academy (K-12), The Anthony School (Pre-K-8) and Miss Selma’s Schools, (Pre-K-6). The Academy at Riverdale, founded by the late Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller and his wife, Lisenne, is a K-12 school for children with developmental disabilities. The Allen School serves children who have developmental disabilities from birth to age 5. For a list of private schools that are accredited by the Arkansas Nonpublic Schools Accrediting Association, call 803-3888 or visit ansaa.com.

Access ACCESS offers learning fundamentals for typical infants and toddlers and

PCSSD

those with disabilities from six weeks to age 4. ACCESS Foundations’ classrooms serve children with disabilities ages 3 to 5. ACCESS Academy serves children with learning disabilities from kindergarten to age 21 with comprehensive education and life skills training. ACCESS Life is a day program for developmentally disabled adults ages 18-35 and offers vocational training along with academic maintenance. The Stella Boyle Smith ACCESS campus is located at 10618 Breckenridge Drive. For more information, go to accessgroupinc.org.

Montessori Several schools using Maria Montessori’s educational plan are in Pulaski County: Arkansas River Valley Montessori, 1509 N. Pierce St.; two campuses of Chenal Valley Montessori, at 14929 Cantrell Road and 15717 Taylor Loop Road; The Children’s House Montessori in Hillcrest, 4023 Lee Ave.; Johnson Montessori, 2 Van Circle; Little Rock Montessori School at 3704 N. Rodney Parham; and North Little Rock Montessori School, 900 Mission Road.

Experience the power of public education.

Pulaski County Special School District

Achievement in Action The Pulaski County Special School District is putting achievement in action. The district’s facility and technology initiatives are providing students with state-of-the-art learning environments. Unique course offerings, diverse vocational specialties and state-winning athletics place our schools and students above the rest.

from Pre-K to Graduation Day! twitter.com/pcssdschools 44

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ARKANSAS TIMES

facebook.com/pcssdschools

501.234.2000

HELP LIST

FENCING Steve Lein started the Central Arkansas Fencing Club in 2009 and it’s grown steadily ever since. The club, located in the Hillcrest neighborhood of Little Rock, has around 40 members and there’s a new beginner’s class every few months. The sport, he says, is more than just swordplay. “Physical chess is a description I’ve seen used repeatedly,” Lein says. “It requires a lot of mental concentration, agility, strength and finesse. But the really cool thing is that it doesn’t matter if you’re 80 years old or 8 years old. If you’re tall, short, fat, out-of-shape — anybody can fence.” To sign up, send an e-mail to cafencing@gmail.com. The beginner’s class lasts 10 weeks and will teach you the basics. The starting fee, which isn’t due until after your first class, is $60 and that includes a glove. The club has a Facebook page (Central Arkansas Fencing Club) and website (cafencing.com).

Union Rescue Mission, administrative offices, 370-0808. Women and Children First, 376-3219 or 800-332-4443, wcfarkansas.org.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

GAELIC FOOTBALL “To someone just looking at it, it looks like people playing soccer using their hands,” said Jonathan Ball, president of the Little Rock Gaelic Athletic Association (LRGAA). Although Gaelic football became officially codified in 1887, it’s related to older varieties of Irish football. Both U.S. football and rugby are somewhat based upon Gaelic football, which is the most popular sport in Ireland. You can kick and carry the ball, there’s no full-body tackling, but shoulder-to-shoulder contact is allowed. There are at least 110 Gaelic football clubs in the United States, and for the past three years Little Rock has hosted one of them. The team was founded by the players, including many who are members of the Irish diaspora to Arkansas. Coach John Lambert grew up playing the game in Ireland. The season lasts from March through August, practices are Saturdays at Burns Park starting March 23, and each year the LRGAA hosts a tournament. The team also travels to play in out of town tournaments. It’s free to play and open to anyone 14 and up (current roster even has a few players in their fifties), no tryouts necessary. For more information, call Ball at 607-2356 or e-mail him at jonball@ hotmail.com. There’s also a webpage, lrgaa.org.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

Other support programs Alzheimer’s Arkansas, 224-0021, alzark.org. American Red Cross, 748-1000, red-

crosslittlerock.org. The Arc, Association for Retarded Citizens of Arkansas, 375-7770. Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, 371-9678, aradvocates. org. Arkansas Disability Coalition, 6147020, adcpti.org. Arkansas Enterprises for the Developmentally Disabled Inc., 666-0246, aeddinc.org. Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, 296-1600, arsinfo.org. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central

Arkansas, 374-6661, bbbsca.org. Centers for Youth and Families, 666-8686 or 888-868-0023, youthandfamilies.org. Disability Rights Center, 296-1775 or 800-482-1174, arkdisabilityrights.org. Easter Seals Arkansas, 227-3600, areasterseals.com. Gaines House, 376-4015, gaineshouse.org. Legal Services Center for Arkansas, 376-3423, arlegalservices.org. Heart of Arkansas United Way, 3764567. heartaruw.org.

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Desiree and Brandon Byrd with 4-month old son, Trevor

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NATIVES GUIDE 2013

UNCONVENTIAL SPORTS

SALES UP, VOLUME UP But fewer million-dollar homes change hands than in 2011.

JANUARY 2, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

4305 N. LOOKOUT ST.

The home is now on the market for just under $4 million. The two residential properties were among 39 that changed hands in deals valued at $700,000 or more. That tally, however, is down from 55 a year ago. The census of seven-digit home sales was especially low: 10 versus 55 a year ago. The location of $1 million-plus properties extends from the Newton’s Addition and Prospect Terrace in the Heights westward to Overlook Park, Pleasant Valley, Valley Falls Estates and Chenal Valley.

Homes in the far West Little Rock and West Pulaski County market generated the highest average price among the various residential zones: $379,035. Powered by homes in Chenal Valley, the transaction total of the area escalated from 221 to 291 and its dollar volume grew from $83.4 million to nearly $110.3 million. Among 10 of the county’s most active residential zones, six recorded improved sales in terms of transactions and average sales price. The Heights/Hillcrest area of Little Rock was the only residential zone to

BRIAN CHILSON

ick Ferguson’s January 2012 sale of a three-towered 14,909-square-foot chateau he built at 22 Valley Crest Court for $5.1 million is surely a record sale price for a residence in Pulaski County. The home was bought by La Marche Drive Investment LLC. (You can get a tour of the builder’s home on YouTube.) In general, the Pulaski County real estate market showed some recovery. Both volume and total dollars were higher in the 12-month period from Nov. 1, 2011, to Oct. 31, 2012. Sales volume rose 6.8 percent; the total dollar amount of $757,851,171 outpaced the two years previous ($709.4 million in 2011 and $737.8 million in 2010). Data tracked by the Cooperative Arkansas Multiple Listing Services Inc. in Little Rock also indicate the average house price in the market increased to $187,078. Helping boost the average were the Ferguson sale, which was part of a real estate swap, and the $3 million purchase of a mega-log house by Andrea Rockefeller, a deal that included 75 acres in West Pulaski County. The $5.1 million sale in Valley Falls Estates appears to have been inflated:

show a drop in transactions, average sales price and total volume: Over the 12-month period, there were 258 transactions totaling $73 million and averaging $282,953, down from the 263 transactions totaling $80.4 million and averaging $305,893 the 12-month period previous. Heights neighborhoods still accounted for 14 of the 39 top-tier home sales this year. Three residential zones recorded slight drops in the number of transactions: Jacksonville, from 235 to 218; Southwest Little Rock South, 194 to 171; and Downtown Little Rock, 117 to 111. The West Little Rock Northwest, the largest residential zone by land area covering much of the city west of I-430, produced 689 transactions, the most of any residential zone in the county. The average sales price of $245,866 was the third highest in the market. Maumelle, Sherwood and the West Little Rock North residential zones all topped the 400 mark in transactions. Maumelle ballooned from 323 last year to 413 with an average sales price of $217,908. Sherwood transactions increased from 404 to 441 with an average home price of $163,347. West Little Rock North (north of I-630 between University Avenue and I-430) was home to 417 transactions that averaged $189,924 per sale, up from 369 transactions a year ago. The transaction total in the North Little Rock Central residential zone expanded from 216 to 251 transactions, averaging $161,645.

BRIAN CHILSON

NATIVES GUIDE 2013

22 VALLEY CREST COURT

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