ARKANSAS’S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF POLITICS AND CULTURE ■ july 22, 2010
www.arktimes.com
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The INsIder More pool time
n Mayor Mark Stodola is set to announce Wednesday, just prior to when this issue of the Arkansas Times hits the streets, that the city will keep the War Memorial Pool open until Aug. 14, thanks to private commitments of money. The pool was scheduled to close Aug. 1. The Southwest Little Rock Pool will be extended by one week, to Aug. 7. Because of the tight 2010 city budget, the pools were originally scheduled to close in mid-July. The city began to have second thoughts once the cuts became generally known. Some city directors had not known that the budget the board approved in December had included the shortened pool schedule — and in a brutally hot summer.
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Paying for a mistake
n It’s been nearly two weeks now and there is still no explanation, from either Secure Arkansas or the secretary of state’s office, as to how the anti-immigrant group came up 10,000 signatures short in its effort to qualify for a constitutional amendment that would have prevented illegal immigrants from receiving certain public benefits. Secure Arkansas needed 77,468 signatures to place the amendment on the 2010 ballot, but turned in only 67,542. The group signed an affidavit stating they had the required number of signatures (they actually claimed more than 78,000), but continued to collect signatures after the deadline had passed. Had a sufficient number of signatures been submitted, then a validation process would have begun to check each one. An accounting firm, JPMS Cox of Little Rock, was hired to complete the initial count at a cost of $85 per hour. After 220 billable hours that comes to a total of $18,700 Arkansas taxpayers will have to pay because Secure Arkansas didn’t properly count the number of signatures. Doesn’t seem fair to us somehow. Secure Arkansas misrepresented — badly — how many signatures it had gathered. Had it accurately reported the number, there would have been no accounting because the group failed to meet the minimum by deadline. Chief counsel for the secretary of state’s office, Tim Humphries, says they conside the matter to be closed. Sandra McGrew, a spokesman for the secretary of state, says there will be no penalty for the inaccurate representation about signatures. “I think a situation like this is very unique,” McGrew says. “There is nothing in state law that states they have to pay for the count or that penalties will be assessed by the secretary of state’s office. I’m being told that there’s no memory of anything like this happening in recent years.” No, most petition gatherers can count. And if they don’t get enough signatures, they don’t turn in their petitions. Jeannie Burlsworth, founder of Secure Arkansas, continues to refuse to return calls for comment.
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www.arktimes.com • july 22, 2010 3
Smart talk
Contents
brian chilson
A day in the life
LITTER FIGHTERS: The mayor and new cig receptacle.
Butts off ground n Cigarette butts now have a place to go in the River Market area that’s not on the sidewalks and streets: In containers mounted on 10 poles up and down the street. The city and Keep Little Rock Beautiful installed the receptacles, which will be placed in other areas downtown too, with grant money, with great fanfare last week, including an address by Mayor Mark Stodola. Litter has been a problem in the entertainment district, which has bar traffic by night and family and business traffic by day. The receptacles, black cans strapped on to the poles, were described as “state of the art.” That would be the art of cigarette butt containment.
Summer reading n Once again, the Drug Policy Education Group, headquartered in Fayetteville, is providing drug-reform books to Arkansas public libraries. DPEG began furnishing free books eight years ago. This year, two books will go to each of 50 public libraries around the state. The 2010 selections are “Marijuana is Safer: So why are we driving people to drink?” by Steve Fox, Paul Armentano
n “Billy Blythe,” the forthcoming one-act opera about Bill Clinton that our Rock Candy blog first reported on last March, has been in the national news lately. Following a piece on U.S. News and World Report’s website, the story landed everywhere from Gawker to the New York Daily News to “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” where, as you might expect, many jokes were made. Fallon: “You can tell the opera’s about Clinton because it’s not over ’til the fat lady moans.” But while Clinton’s presidency might be the stuff of opera, “Billy Blythe” looks back on the former president’s young life, OPERA LADY: Little Rock’s before he changed his Bonnie Montgomery is one of the name at 12. Composer composers behind an opera about and Little Rock resident Bill Clinton. Bonnie Montgomery, who studied opera at the University of Missouri in Kansas City Conservatory of Music, says that the story, drawn from the autobiographies of Clinton and his mother, takes pivotal moments in Clinton’s childhood and compresses them into one day in Clinton’s life in 1959. Montgomery, who is collaborating with librettist Britt Barber on the opera, describes it as “inspirational” and “uplifting.” She hopes to debut it in Arkansas in 2011, with a preview event possibly coming earlier.
and Mason Tvert, and “Drug War Crimes: The Consequences of Prohibition” by Jeffrey A. Miron. DPEG also sent us its latest in a series of tips on ways that decriminalizing marijuana would help Arkansas. This one says that legalization of marijuana would reduce expenditures of tax dollars for minor offenses. According to DPEG, the enforcement of state and local marijuana laws annually costs U.S. taxpayers an estimated $7.6 billion. Arkansas’s share of that would be about $65,176,800 a year.
8 Down in the Hollow
The city of North Little Rock has long pushed to build a big shopping center in Dark Hollow. The people who live there wish the city would fix their flooding problems first. — By David Koon
10 Arkansas brewed
It’s taken 10 years, but Little Rock’s Diamond Bear brewery has become a regional distributor and make of awardwinning craft beers. — By Sam Eifling
17 Party down
A look into the thriving weekly urban parties in the River Market. — By John Tarpley
Departments 3 The Insider 4 Smart Talk 5 The Observer 6 Letters 7 Orval 8-13 News 14 Opinion 17 Arts & Entertainment 31 Dining 37 Crossword/ Tom Tomorrow 38 Lancaster
Words n Close, but not quite: “He spent his formidable years in Paris in the 1920s.” And then grew namby-pamby with age, I suppose. An all-too-familiar story. “A new electoral panorama has been drawn.” Paradigm, probably. “Organizers soon tried to vanquish the reporters back into the ‘media room’ before guests returned downstairs for the awards ceremony.” Banish, most likely. Not that there aren’t people who’d like to vanquish reporters, once and for all. n Lewis MacMillan writes, “In point of fact was a favorite locution of Shelby Foote, the Civil War historian. I have always taken it as just a fancy way of saying in fact or as a matter of fact but have never been quite sure.” Be sure. Be terribly sure. Garner’s 4 july 22, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
Doug smith doug@arktimes.com
Modern American Usage says of in point of fact, “This phrase is verbose for in fact or actually.” We’re all guilty of verbosity, on occasion, even Shelby Foote. Garner’s also notes that while phrases such as in point of fact and fact of the matter should generally be avoided in writing, they’re unobjectionable in speech. n Hard questions. Too hard: Janet Hill asks, “Is one presented a medal or award, or is he presented with a medal or award?” I suspect you can get by with either one, as with gradu-
ated and graduated from. Ken Parker wants to know “When, how and why did photographs become images?” They’re all pictures to me. n N.G. Allen writes, “Defining second cousin and cousin once removed might be a good entry in your words column.” And it might not. But since you ask, N.G., the key point is whether you and your cousin share a set of grandparents. If you do, you’re first cousins. If your closest common ancestors are greatgrandparents, you’re second cousins. Removed means being a generation apart. If your mother and Flotillah are first cousins, you and Flo are first cousins once removed. My mother told me once that we had a relative who was somebody’s double cousin. I thought that excessive.
VOLUME 36, NUMBER 46 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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Having lunch last weekend
customers were gradually leaving. at a cafe in Conway, The Observer was Sensing the room would soon be witness to the first get-together of the empty we quickly finished our meal Culinary Historians of Conway. So and got up to pay. As we were leaving, a waiter came far, there are only two of them; they seem to be struggling with an inef- by to deliver the Historians their ficient advertising department. Their food. Hamburgers, crimped fries. inaugural meeting was to start at 2:30, All it takes to patch a bleeding heart, but by a quarter till 3, when the society apparently. was as yet a duo, the show was forced to go on. From The Observer’s mailbag: A young woman wearing a T-shirt “Reading the usually fine Observer that declared “Philosophers do it (July 8, 2010), I was struck by a couple Ponderously” took charge. Introducing of things. First, The Observer referred herself to her audience of one, she to several diners at a ‘nice steakhouse expressed her dismay at the small off the Financial Center Parkway’ as attendance but said she planned to hold being in their 60s. As someone who a meeting at least once a month. The just turned 63, I wondered what those next date was tentatively scheduled for folks looked like through the eyes of Aug. 14. Though only one person (and The Observer — Aunt Bea types or this reporter) was there to hear about Jane Fonda look-alikes? But, when Conway’s foodways, she The Observer went on spoke as if there was a to exclaim the disgust crowd. That is, a little of having to look at one more loudly than was A young woman of the ‘60s’ person’s necessary for the two of 12EEEE feet (not so wearing a us and the others in the cool!), I was reminded T-shirt that cafe, the usual weekend of a recent dinner with patrons, one reading friends where I had to declared a book, another on a “Philosophers sit across the table from laptop, a couple in the someone eating rare, do it corner, another sipping practically raw prime coffee and keeping to rib. Now, THAT is Ponderously” herself. disgusting! took charge. First topic of the day: “Further down The food politics, a favorite Observer wrote about of twenty-something a vampire kit with a ideologues. “The way wooden ‘steak.’ Is that we look at food depends on our perhaps what The Observer felt like social class,” the Historian announced. he/she was eating after seeing those “Everyone has access to good food, disgusting feet?” (No, but The Observer and they should use it.” On she went to is beginning to feel like a heel.) say something about farmer’s markets and to make a general criticism of The Observer also got advice McDonald’s and factory farming. from a reader. “Seek out the ugly, We have a few Michael Pollan lumpy ones. If you spot any dark purple books on our shelf, and we’re always or blackish really horrid-looking ones, game for a discussion of how people buy all you can afford.” Our reader eat, but the Historian made us wince. wasn’t referring to discalced seniors at It’s nice to see people get riled up about a restaurant, but tomatoes, in response practical things, but her passionate to last week’s diatribe in this column. appeal to everyone in earshot was a “I don’t know all the names, but these bit much. It wasn’t just the substance are sometimes called Cherokee Purple, of the shaky claims (“Consolidation and are delicious, like the taste you of schools is a terrorist attack on remember from childhood.” farmers”) but the volume in which To show that The Observer is not all they were delivered. gripe, we will say that this summer’s It was tremendously awkward, and corn has been excellent. www.arktimes.com • july 22, 2010 5
Letters arktimes@arktimes.com
Supporting the troops For the life of me, I don’t understand this mantra mouthed by so many that we must “support the troops.” Don’t we realize that the best and most appropriate way to support the men and women we so glibly send into mostly useless, mishandled and often illegal wars is to not send them in the first place? Why aren’t these mindless fools that keep saying “support the troops” just as worried about what happens to our troops when they come home? The American public that supports these senseless wars seems only to want to know, “Are we winning?” whatever that means! We shouldn’t have gone into Iraq (a blatantly illegal act under international law, using cooked intelligence and trumped-up excuses). That misadventure took the wind out of our undoubtedly proper venture into Afghanistan, draining our resources and placing an overwhelming strain on our military, thereby allowing the very people we were after to escape and regroup. Because of this we are experiencing far greater losses in Afghanistan, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of people that have been killed as a result in Iraq, including several thousand of our own. Further, why dump on the anti-war protesters, when all they are saying is quit this senseless war-mongering? Eisenhower warned us of the military/ industrial complex. Subsequently, we experienced disaster in Vietnam and managed to create a mess in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Don’t we learn from these fiascos? So, don’t admonish me to support the troops! I do support them — realistically, not with false bravado and meaningless jingoistic motives! I, by the way, did serve in the military, albeit I had the good fortune to do so when we weren’t pursuing military imperialism. Jim McCollum Emerson
About Obamacare
I was shocked to read in Ernest Dumas’ July 8 article on health care legislation how apparently content our public servants are with poverty in Arkansas. Surgeon General Thompson apparently considers it news that there are “so many poor people” in Arkansas without health insurance. I’d have thought that as he has been on the job for several years now, someone might be tempted to ask him, “So what have you been doing about the situation?” The real problem with health care in the United States goes far deeper than the actions of a single person or a small collection of individuals. It is a systemic problem. As it stands, the provision of health care is done on a for-profit basis — and this is 6 july 22, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
considered to be acceptable. The fundamental problem with this health “reform” is that it is premised on the concept that citizens must pay for it. Pay for something that we may never use until we are old, unless of course we are already dying. Finally, the Affordable Care Act will force working people to purchase insurance. Isn’t the measure of a true civilization how we take care of each other without regard to personal profit? It is very cold comfort to learn that “comprehensive reform” will only last for a few years. Also troubling is that state officials are not sure what will actually happen. And does the article take into
account factors like inflation, marketing, and good old corruption that will make the stated provisions of the Affordable Care Act meaningless even before it starts kicking in over the coming decade? The answer? The much demonized “public option.” Nationalize the American properties of a multinational corporation, like that proven national security risk BP, and the federal and state governments can subsidize universal health care, grade-A education, dignified retirement, and much else besides for all citizens. And while we are at it, why not for illegal immigrants too? For we are Christians, aren’t we? The Arkansas Times should give more attention to the Arkansas Green Party,
which has good ideas about health care. Anthony Newkirk North Little Rock
Social Security
As I’ve followed news coverage of Washington’s new Fiscal Reform Commission it’s become clear to me that many members on this committee are gunning for Social Security cuts even though the program hasn’t added a dime to our deficit. I paid for these benefits and refuse to let these so-called “fiscal hawks” use Social Security as a piggy bank to pay for a fiscal fiasco caused by astronomical health care costs, the excesses of Wall Street and the recession. Social Security cuts will not fix our deficit problem, yet this seems to be the main objective of this commission. Social Security’s modest benefits pay an average of just $13,800 each year. With the stock market meltdown, housing market crash and high level of unemployment, people need Social Security more than ever. We don’t need billionaires like Peter G. Peterson telling us to make tough sacrifices while they reap the benefits of fiscal policies that have made them rich. It would be a great disservice to our grandchildren if we sat back quietly while these fiscal hawks spread lies about Social Security to sway public opinion against it. We can’t let that happen. Sharon Loudermilk Maumelle
Faubus like Long
The editorial June 17 was excellent, but I strongly disagree with the statement that “Arkansas never had a Huey Long.” When my husband and I moved here from Baton Rogue in 1958, I read about Orval Faubus and said, “Shades of Huey Long.” Like Huey Long, he took money under the table. It is said he got money in a paper bag from gambling interests in Hot Springs every week. Like Huey Long, he did many good things for the state. When my husband and I drove to his family home in Izard County, we went on a gravel road from Melbourne to Violet Hill. Soon, Faubus had many roads paved, just as Huey Long did in Louisiana. But both were dictators in their own way. My husband worked as a social worker at the State Hospital. When Faubus ran for governor, he sent down a message for all employees to donate to his campaign. Not only that, but he told how much to donate. My husband was the only one in his office to refuse. I though he’d be fired. Both men did great things. At least Faubus did not get assassinated on the floor of the Capitol. Beverly Billingsley Little Rock Submit letters to The Editor via e-mail. The address is maxbrantley@arktimes.com. Please include a hometown and telephone number.
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j u ly 1 4 - 2 0 , 2 0 1 0 It was a good week for …
The PULASKI COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. Charlie Wood, one of the most strident antiunion members of the School Board, drew opposition from retired teacher Gloria Lawrence, who offers hope of a return to peace in a district that needs it. Wood certainly hasn’t delivered the better management he promised when first elected. The UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS. It said it expected record enrollment this fall of nearly 21,000. OLD-SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENT. Alyse Eady of Fort Smith won the Miss Arkansas title after a talent act that featured her clogging and doing a ventriloquist bit, including hand puppets yodeling from “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart.” It was a bad week for …
SEN. BLANCHE LINCOLN. The country is drowning in red ink and she wants to give billionaires a multi-billion-dollar estate tax cut? What kind of sense does that make? Plenty if Walton, Anthony, Stephens and Dillard are among the names of some of your biggest financial supporters. FREE STATE CARS. A taxpayers’ lawsuit was filed claiming an illegal exaction of tax money by the hundreds of state employees who enjoy free state-purchased cars that they use for personal purposes, including daily commutes. WA S H I N G T O N C O U N T Y SHERIFF TIM HELDER. He fired jailer Jessie Lunderby for posing nude for Playboy. Inadequate focus on her job, Helder harrumphed. Compare this action to the 30-day suspension Helder gave a deputy for locking an alien in a courthouse cell for four days and forgetting her. She almost died. Talk about lack of focus. LITTLE ROCK CITY WORKERS. Union police and firefighters and sanitation workers had no choice but to accept a wage freeze on account of a woefully miscalculated city budget and absence of reserves. Will the Chamber of Commerce be asked to sacrifice next year like the garbage men by a loss of its outrageously unaccountable city subsidy? Don’t bet on it. 8 july 22, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
The Arkansas Reporter
Phone: 501-375-2985 Fax: 501-375-3623 Arkansas Times Online home page: http://www.arktimes.com E-mail: arktimes@arktimes.com ■
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Water, water, everywhere Flooding, drainage woes in Dark Hollow. by David Koon
n The ditch in front of Autree McCall’s house in North Little Rock’s Dark Hollow neighborhood doesn’t go anywhere. About the size of a large bathtub, choked with grass, the ditch used to have culverts that allowed water to flow under the driveway, but they’ve long since silted up and disappeared. McCall, one of the old line residents of Dark Hollow, has lived in the area for more than eight decades. She said flooding has always been a problem there. Back in the 1940s, she said, cabs wouldn’t come to the neighborhood for fear of getting stuck. All that came to a head on Christmas Eve last year. The skies opened, and before the rain stopped, the house on East 16th Street where McCall lives with her daughters took several feet of flood water. McCall had to be rescued by the fire department. Most of their belongings were soaked, and the floors and walls took heavy damage. Like many residents of Dark Hollow, she tends to believe city fathers haven’t done enough about the problem over the years. “They promise, but they don’t come through,” she said. “I’m 88 now, and they haven’t done anything.” City officials say solving the problem of drainage in Dark Hollow — a former swamp, with just a little more slope than a pool table — is tricky business, compounded by the massive projected cost of a long-term solution. For now, residents are in limbo, with many of them living in flood-damaged houses they can’t fix because the government puts a $2,000 cap on reconstruction assistance to those who live in a federally designated flood plain. Willie McFadden Jr. lives in the house his father built, a few blocks from the McCalls, at 16th and Beech. Like Autree McCall, 63-year-old McFadden had to be evacuated in a boat during the Christmas flood. He still hasn’t been able to repair his house. He said that people in Dark Hollow are reluctant to speak up to city officials about the problems there. “Getting people in this community to go face the system is one of the hardest things in the world to do,” he said. “People think the taxes are going to be raised and so on. But I know that if you want city services, you’ve got to pay taxes.” Even a bump in taxes will likely not be enough to fix the problem. Mike Smith, chief engineer for the City of North Little Rock, said that many of the problems with drainage in the area can be traced to the Redwood Tunnel, which runs a half-mile from Dark Hollow to the Arkansas River. Built at the turn of the 19th century (before
the extensive development in the Lakewood/ McCain Mall area), with a cross-section of only about 40 square feet, it’s woefully inadequate to handle the load. When it backs up, Dark Hollow floods. “It drains a couple thousand acres,” Smith said. “The conduit that would be adequate for NO FLOW: Belinda Burney points out one of Dark Hollow’s that size basin is in the ineffective drainage ditches. order of 10 times as big it, but that’s only one. It’s not enough to as the Redwood Tunnel.” cover this whole area. That ditch it runs into The Army Corps of Engineers has overflows.” After the flooding, Burney tried suggested solutions to the problem, but none to talk to the city about getting federal funds of them are cheap. To build an adequate to help fix people’s houses, only to be told tunnel to drain the area, for instance, carries about the $2,000 cap. Most homeowners in a price tag upwards of $27 million. Though Dark Hollow didn’t have flood insurance, the similarly low-lying areas around Argenta are kept dry by four pumping stations, Smith which can run $2,000 a year. said that a pumping station for Dark Hollow Burney said that the city should worry would be similarly cost-prohibitive. The less about securing the long-forthcoming Argenta pumps are close to the Arkansas Bass Pro Shops for the area, and focus River, he said, and can simply push storm more on the neighborhood. “I’m interested water over the levee. A pumping station for in getting the area developed so people can Dark Hollow would have to push the water enjoy their lives,” she said. “The Bass Pro a half mile to the river. “It would be on the Shops, that should be taken care of later, magnitude of one of these down in New after you take care of the residents who live Orleans,” he said. In layman’s terms: big, here.” complicated and expensive. The city has been courting Bass Pro for a Undoubtedly compounding the probshopping center that would be located south lems in Dark Hollow is the city’s in-lieu of Interstate 40 in a wetland. drainage fund, which allows developers Mary Beth Bowman, director of North to pay a one-time fee rather than contain Little Rock’s Community Development water on projects the Planning Commission Agency, said that, “My understanding is that believes won’t contribute to flooding. it’s very hard to get a designation removed. Developers of commercial, industrial and … You can help with the flooding, but to apartment properties pay $5,000 per acre get it removed from the flood plain is not into the fund, while builders of single-family an easy task.” homes pay $500 per acre. The fund is U.S. Congressman Vic Snyder recently commonly portioned out for projects in the proposed a $1.9 million dollar earmark drainage basin — there are eight in North that would coat the inside of the Redwood Little Rock — in which the development Tunnel and hopefully keep that artery that contributed to the fund is located. Few flowing. North Little Rock Public works developments affect Dark Hollow. The fund, is doing some ditch-restoration in the area, Planning Director Robert Voyles said, “Is and routinely uses a large vacuum to clear not a good source for addressing old probculverts of mud and silt, which collect due lems.” The City Council could direct some to the low pitch. For 88-year-old Autree of those funds to be used in Dark Hollow, McCall, however, there’s nothing to do but he added. keep the faith, and a watchful eye out for Belinda Burney, elected president of the dark skies. Dark Hollow Community Development “The only thing that can be done is for Corp. in January, just after the deluge, has the higher-ups to do their part,” she said. made flooding in the area a priority. “They “They know how to control the water. They need to improve the drainage,” Burney said. know what to do. They go to school for these “They dig a — quote — ‘ditch’ to help ease things. We don’t.”
brian chilson
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10 juLY 22, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
By Sam Eifling
t’s the end of a long day for Russ Melton, tire salesman. He enters his brewery, Diamond Bear, at Fourth and Cross streets still wearing his Michelin buttondown and apologizing for being late — “spent 45 minutes with a guy on some silly tire questions” — but happy to talk beer, his hobby and obsession. This fall will mark a decade of brewing in this one-time car dealership where Melton, his wife, Sue, and three employees have built up Diamond Bear, Arkansas’s largest stand-alone brewery, into a regional distributor and maker of award-winning craft beers. “The reason beer and wine are such a big part of our culture is microbes that’ll kill you won’t live in alcohol,” Melton says. “Plus you boil it, and that kills ’em, too. That’s why it’s such a big part of Western civilization. By 1000 AD most of the water in Europe was contaminated in some form or fashion, and you’d drink it and get sick or dead. Beer and wine, they felt pretty safe, because they just never got sick from it.” You could make the case that beer is a part of the civilization for a number of other reasons, as well. Its charms are the results of a natural process, fermentation, that requires few ingredients and can be achieved purely by accident; it naturally turns acquaintances into friends, and friends into confidants. It makes televised baseball borderline entertaining, turns wallflowers into stand-up comics and is the only prefix other than “ping” that we’ve ever managed to pair with “pong.” So the question is posed to Melton: Why, then, do people insist on drinking the wispy American lagers of the world when creative, thoughtful beers are so plentiful these days? He ignores the question in the most marvelous way possible. “Speaking of beer with flavor,” he says. “Would you like a beer?” Melton scarcely waits for an answer before
heading behind the bar and drawing two glasses of golden lager, Diamond Bear’s gateway beer for Bud aficionados; one of the glasses is from a tour of the Steigl Brewery in Salzburg, Germany, a souvenir from his and Sue’s honeymoon. “That’s the new Southern Blonde,” Melton says as he returns to his seat. “I am very, very fond of it. We were trying to make this more of a migration beer. If you think about Budweiser, it’s probably 10, 12 IBUs (International Bitterness Units). This is 28. That’s a pretty big gap between Budweiser and this beer right here. “This is, I think, very nice and crisp.” The beers the Meltons keep on tap at their house tend to be the richer, darker varieties. The Southern Blonde is meant to be a mass-appeal beverage, designed to bridge the gap between the beers of habit and the beers Diamond Bear is offering. Drinking it takes Melton back more than 10 years, when he was schlepping his business plan for the brewery to area banks. Few loan officers seemed impressed, but one in particular stuck with Melton, the one who asked him, What makes you think this’ll work in Arkansas? Melton produced a document demonstrating that Washington state, with roughly double Arkansas’s population, had a mere 31 breweries. “Based on that,” Melton recalls saying, “I think Arkansas could support one.” It’s clear that what happened next still galls the brewery owner. When Melton reenacts this moment, he turns up the old-man Arkansas twang to imitate the banker. He leans back in his chair and crosses his fingers behind his head, elbows out wide and says, “Yeaaaah, but this is Arkansas. People here drink Bud Light and stuff.” Setting aside the sad state of affairs implied by this statement — that simple tastes will remain so because, well, just because — you have to wonder whether 10 years have yet contradicted the view. Even with Diamond Bear now distributing throughout Arkansas and Mississippi, and eyeing
brian chilson
SUCCESS STORY: Russ and Sue Melton own the Diamond Bear brewery. an incursion next into Tennessee, Louisiana or Alabama, craft brewing in Arkansas is still a relatively small-scale experiment. Yet it’s growing: From the equivalent of 3,100 cases brewed in 2001, Diamond Bear sold nearly 37,000 in 2009 and is expecting to do 50,000 in 2010. The Brewers Association, which advocates and lobbies on behalf of small American brewers, counts just five breweries in Arkansas: Diamond Bear, the pizzeria Vino’s, the Memphis-based restaurant Boscos and Refined Ale Brewery (a new outfit that will have beer and malt liquor in stores within weeks), all in Little Rock, and Hog Haus Brewing Co., a brewpub in Fayetteville. A sixth, Dark Hills Brewery, is hopeful to open in Springdale this year. By the association’s 2008 count, that gives Arkansas the fourth-least breweries per capita, ahead only of Alabama, Louisiana and (thank God for) Mississippi. “The taste preferences of Arkansans are changing, but it’s still a developing market,” Melton says. With steady growth, a potential expansion to its first custom-built facility, in North Little Rock, and a steady young hand — Melton’s nephew — now in charge of brewing, Diamond Bear is in its best position ever, and uniquely among brewers in the state, to determine what
flavor that development will take.
I
f you grew up thinking all beer tastes like canned piss, thank Gavrilo Princip. The 19-year-old Bosnian assassin put a bullet into the neck of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, triggering a series of events that led to World War I. It so happened that it was German immigrants who had imported the techniques of brewing lagers, a lighter style of beer that suited American climates better than England’s ales. Germans therefore ran breweries, which in the 19th century flourished like bakeries and butcher shops, proliferating to a high of 4,131 breweries in 1873. As pasteurization and refrigeration allowed beer to travel, breweries became more regional, and the United States was down to about 1,400 in 1915 when Prohibition — hands-down the most asinine social movement on even the esteemed roster of knuckleheaded American behavior experiments — finally found true purchase. Distillers, wineries and breweries bickered amongst themselves, never putting up a decent opposition to Prohibition, and because of the German Empire’s villainy, xenophobic Americans were disinclined
to support ze Germans and their breweries. That, combined with grain shortages brought on by the war effort, and then the 18th Amendment, crippled brewing in this country for two generations, with props to one Balkan assassin. The brewers who survived Prohibition tended to be bulky and far more competitive than innovative, save with the invention of aluminum cans in the 1950s. By the late ‘70s, the state of American drinking habits was truly Philistine. When Americans again gained the right to homebrew, in 1978, the country was supporting fewer than 100 breweries, and three of them were making 80 percent of the beer. Virtually every American born between 1900 and 1970 was raised on mass-produced, scantly flavored, unimaginative beer, held together by adjunct grains such as rice and wheat. A Bud is a great beer to drink while cleaning a bass, and you probably don’t want anything heavier than a Miller Lite after you’ve mowed your lawn. But for the other 99 percent of activities that deserve to be toasted, Schlitz and Old Milwaukee need a supporting cast. Enter Sierra Nevada, a craft brewer in Chico, Calif., that began reviving craft brewing with its Anchor Steam brand in Continued on page 12 www.arktimes.com • juLY 22, 2010 11
diamond bear Continued from page 11
1979. Smaller brewers, mostly on the coasts, started tinkering again. As journalist Garrett Peck wrote in his book “The Prohibition Hangover: Alcohol in America from Demon Rum to Cult Cabernet,” the beers that resulted “were not the thin, watery brews that people had tired of, but full-bodied, full-flavored and full of alcohol.” The Brewers Association counts 1,600 breweries in the United States — triple the number in 1994 and 200 times the number in 1980 — producing 13,000 different brands of beer. Craft brewers last year accounted for about $7 billion of the $100 billion U.S. beer market. “The American beer lover has become more advanced as the beer selection has become more advanced,” says Julia Herz, the Craft Beer Program Director at the Brewers Association. The South, which tends to favor warm-weather beers and traditional macrobrews, is behind the national curve in this regard; in the Arkansas-Oklahoma-Texas-Louisiana region, craft beers account for 5.4 percent of the market — but gross sales were up 14 percent last year, outpacing the national average of 12.5 percent. The thirst is there.
12 juLY 22, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
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FAMILY AFFAIR: The Melton’s son, Scott, helps with the bottling process.
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iamond Bear’s tours, every Saturday, are free, they attract beer connoisseurs from around the country and the world, and they include gratis samples. Before a wedding in late 2008 I dragged a handful of friends along for a tour; a solid year and a half later, one of them I was visiting in Boston told me, “You know what I miss? Diamond Bear.” Two other Little Rock transplants at the pub table nodded in agreement. Leading tours of its modest digs — Saturday in, Saturday out, for years — likewise has boosted the brewery’s grassroots following. In the same spirit, and in the interest of keeping costs low, Diamond Bear recruits volunteers to help package the beer when it’s bottled each week. The brewery sends a blast e-mail early each week to “Helga’s Helpers,” the laborers named for the cacophonous bottling machine. As new bottles jostle through her chutes, Helga fills them with beer, caps them, washes them, slaps a label on them, and sends them down a final conveyor to Helpers who pluck them and load them into six-pack holders in cases. It’s hot work in the summer, a marathon of rote movements to match the machine’s blind pace, but at the end you take home a case of the beer you just bottled. A six-pack of Diamond Bear beers sell for between $7.49 and $7.99 before tax. “We’re to the level where we’re bursting at the seams at the location we’re at now — we can’t make the beer fast enough,” Sue Melton says. “We were afraid we would be living in a van down by the river. We’re still scared of that, going into a large facility. But if you build it, they will come. I think it’ll turn into something else.” The new building, optimistically, will accomplish several things. The 2-acre site will allow the brewery to expand its facilities from about 7,000 square feet to 20,000 (with room to double even that total), giving it room for a bona fide event space and better flow for operations and tours. The proposed site, on the Arkansas River a couple of blocks west of Dickey-Stephens Stadium in North Little Rock, puts it closer to other attractions — the ballpark, Verizon Arena, the Arkansas River Trail — that will attract visitors. It will allow the brewers to make more beer and load it more easily from high loading docks. Having just cleared an environmental survey, and pending some final details to sort out with the city of North Little Rock, Diamond Bear could break ground at the site within the year. Another upside to the new facility: It will allow Diamond Bear to build with water flow meters that will better allow it to track its wastewater use, a source of contention with Little Rock Wastewater since 2005. The brewery — and,
recently, Little Rock City Manager Brad Cazort — has questioned Little Rock Wastewater for billing Diamond Bear based solely on its water intake. That rate structure seems guaranteed to overcharge a business that bottles and sells much of the water it draws, rather than sending it back into the sewer system (as a residence would). Melton sure enough says his brewery pays more than five times what the average craft brewery pays for wastewater. When Melton talks about the state of beer 30 years ago, he likens it to the renaissance in American wine, only 20 years later. “In the ’70s and ’80s, [breweries] hit the low point,” he says. “And people started saying, ‘Well, is this all there is to beer? Is this the way it’s going to be? We’re going to be dominated by two or three breweries, and that’s all we’re
going to drink?’ “ His own palate was piqued when he was shipped to West Germany as an Army 2nd Lieutenant in the late ’70s. Years later, in the early ’90s, when his employer transferred him to Kansas City, he began to admire the young Boulevard Brewing Co., now the biggest specialty brewery in the Midwest. When he moved back to Little Rock he was kicking around the notion of a brewery. When he met Sue, an American Airlines flight attendant and native of Eau Claire, Wis., he was brewing his own beer and subtly nudging his beer snobbery on her. “I was a Coors Light drinker when I met him,” she says. Every time she asked him to bring over a six-pack of Coors, he brought something else. Now she’s a full convert. “Since we started this brewery, I haven’t had
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BOTTLING: Master brewer Jesse Melton keeps a close eye on the final product. a Coors Light since,” she continues. “It’s like pee water. If I’m going to drink beer, I want the full impact of it.” The Pale Ale is the flagship beer, the signature. During the hops shortage of 2007 that hampered brewers nationwide, Melton says Diamond Bear “protected” the Pale Ale by ensuring it got a full dose of hops. The Pale has earned its Most Favored Ration status. The brewery was still recovering from early quality control issues: Its first brewer, Russ Melton says, was lax on consistency; and the first foray into bottling, through a larger brewery in Minnesota, also begat beer that he says was inferior. The beer hit its stride under its second brewer, Charlie Kling, who arrived from Abita Beer, the south Louisiana brewery. Then the Pale won a gold medal in the 2004 World Beer Cup as the top English-Style Pale Ale, among 20 entrants in the category (including, Kling points out, several actually from England). It matched the feat at the next Cup two years later, among 32 entries, and in 2007 it won gold at the Great American Beer Festival. “There’s a lot of medals given, so to get one medal here and there is not that big a deal,” says Kling, who left the brewery in 2006 to pursue a chemical engineering degree and who now works at the U.S. Patent and Trade Office outside Washington, D.C. “But to get the medals consistently and repeatedly, that’s what really shows you have a quality product.” The Honey Weiss and the Irish Red both have also garnered competition medals, and the Paradise Porter this year drew a score of 93 (on a 94-point scale) from the beer magazine Draft. One misstep was the introduction of a lowcalorie beer they called “Ultra,” meant to compete against
Michelob Ultra and other light beers. It didn’t take long before the brewery pulled the plug. “It seemed like the fad — a low-calorie beer,” Sue Melton says. “It didn’t last very long. People that want craft beer don’t want low-calorie. They want something flavorful.” The current master brewer is Jesse Melton, Russ’ 25-yearold nephew, who got his start at the brewery at 18 cleaning kegs and who learned the craft by assisting Kling. Kling says he admired the young man’s knack for spatial reasoning and memory, an essential trait when networking vats and tubes. The young Melton has put his stamp on several of the recipes since taking over, including most recently on the Southern Blonde, in which the brewmaster scaled back the malt, and replaced one of the hops varieties with two more in an effort to make the lager a better gateway brew for the Bud Heavy fans of the world. “It’s a much better introduction beer, for us,” Jesse Melton says. “It still has its craft flavor but it’s also not so revolting to someone who drinks Budweiser that they won’t drink it.” Diamond Bear was self-financed at its launch. The Meltons decided they were going to buy a houseboat or start a brewery; it’s unlikely the houseboat would have been in the black 10 years later, either. Eventually they secured more capital from Twin City Bank of North Little Rock and took on five more investors outside the family. “We didn’t grow as fast as we wanted to,” Melton says. “It has been a struggle getting to the break-even point. But we’ve got a solid and growing customer base.” Nick Pierce, who handles Diamond Bear in Little Rock and Morrilton markets for Harbor Distributing, remembers
thinking that Melton’s projection for his first-year sales seemed too optimistic, as if Melton wasn’t taking into account the drinking habits of the crusty bankers of the world, nor the enormous force of big beer advertising. The early projections did prove too sunny, and the early missteps in production didn’t help. Still, Diamond Bear keeps expanding. It’s all over Arkansas now, and throughout 80 percent of Mississippi. Sales this year alone are up about 30 percent. Pierce credits Melton with holding the business together. “He’s worked harder than anyone I know in the industry as far as promoting it, getting it off the ground, doing research, calling on customers at night, plus keeping a full time job,” Pierce says. “A lot of people probably would have given up, but Russ, he stayed with it and had the heart and the desire to make it work.” A decade in, Pierce says, Diamond Bear is an easy sell in Central Arkansas: It has a good reputation as a local product, the variety of seasonal beers keeps interest piqued, brewery events (including political fund-raisers and home-brewer meetings) have pumped up its word-of-mouth, and it’s plenty tasty. “You’ve got a limited customer that likes that kind of beer,” Pierce says. “He’s not drinking a case of Diamond Bear every night. He’s drinking two or three and enjoying it like a bottle of wine, almost.” Even with the success of national brands such as Samuel Adams, in the state’s hinterlands, a heavier, more complex, more expensive beer requires more effort to hawk. You can’t blame a poor state for loving cheap beer. It’s just nice to know there’s a difference. www.arktimes.com • juLY 22, 2010 13
e y e o n arka n sas
Editorial n Caught with other constitutional officers in a small scandal about failure to pay taxes on use of state-owned vehicles, state Treasurer Martha Shoffner was irrationally defiant. While most of her fellow office-holders mumbled apologies and wrote checks, albeit reluctantly, Shoffner declared she was entitled to tax-free use of a state car, and practically dared taxpayers to try to collect from her. Still not concentrating, she took a swipe at Governor Beebe, who wasn’t driving a state car, but only because, Shoffner said, he had a “manservant” to drive him, this apparently a reference to the state trooper/bodyguard who chauffeurs the governor. (The heat, perhaps, has contributed to an unseemly bickering in the executive branch of government. Last week, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel was poking at Lt. Gov. Bill Halter.) Beebe and State Police officers were offended by the “manservant” remark, and just about everyone was offended by Shoffner’s arrogant acquisitiveness. The Republican Party was wishing it had run someone – anyone – for treasurer. Eventually, Shoffner wised up, somewhat. Advisers persuaded her to pledge payment of the taxes, and to apologize for the “manservant” line, which she said was intended to be lighthearted. Playfulness is not the first quality people seek in a treasurer. The previously unopposed Shoffner may have talked herself into an opponent nonetheless. The Green Party can still put a candidate on the ballot, and at this point, any alternative to Shoffner would have strong support.
Focused n Martha Shoffner can go off at odd angles, but Republican Party bosses are making sure John Boozman doesn’t vary from his assigned path. Taking orders is something Boozman does well. It’s natural to him to make no unauthorized moves, think no unauthorized thoughts. Running against Sen. Blanche Lincoln, Boozman’s principal assignment is to say “No!” to everything that President Obama proposes, whether healthcare for the sick or emergency aid for the jobless, and to follow up these denials with criticism of Obama for being uncooperative and excessively partisan. The congressman will save his affirmatives for the Wall Street operators who’ve invested heavily in him. Lincoln helped write new legislation to impede the financial adventurers who nearly caused the collapse of the American economy. They should be grateful to her for saving them from themselves. They are not. The Lincoln-Boozman race tests the theory that voters want less party loyalty in their congressmen, as some claim. Lincoln disagrees with her fellow Democrats about as often as not; there’s no danger of her caving in to Harry Reid or Barack Obama. Boozman votes a straight Republican line. He might disappoint Arkansas, but he won’t disappoint Mitch McConnell.
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14 july 15, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
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Unfocused
JAM FOR SALE: A woman selling homemade jam at the River Market in Little Rock awaits customers.
Car service n Arkansas Autogate. It’s this year’s $750 toilet seat. I refer to the burgeoning controversy about the free cars provided state employees. It began with a Democrat-Gazette report on the free cars given to statewide elected officials. Of them, only Lt. Gov. Bill Halter reported the perk as taxable income, as the IRS seems to require. Gov. Mike Beebe got a pass thanks to a Huckabee-era law that required the State Police to provide governors with security — AKA a chauffeur-driven SUV. Perhaps the story would have died had Attorney General Dustin McDaniel not grandstanded. Before it was over, he’d given up his car, paid taxes and apologized for gigging Halter. Treasurer Martha Shoffner, at first indignant about being questioned, later capitulated, too. Through it all, I had a broader interest in the thousands of state vehicles controlled by other state employees. In time, a couple of attorneys followed through. They filed a taxpayer’s lawsuit for refunds from state employees who have state cars used for personal purposes. The lawyers argue that state law prohibits any use of state property for personal benefit. Agree with that or not, it’s hard to argue with their secondary claim, that where some state employees are “reimbursing” the state for personal car use, the amount is inadequate. The IRS allows a taxpayer to deduct 42 cents a mile for business use of a personal vehicle. If you use a state car for personal use, however, you must reimburse the state only 15 cents a mile. The taxpayer subsidy is a heckuva deal for suburban commuters. You can find them in every branch of government, including the courts, from agency heads to legislative branch satraps and university officials. I know a $100,000-a-year bureaucrat who lives in Conway and uses a state sedan for his daily commute. He’s mostly office-bound. The law makes him pay only 15 cents a mile for miles driven in excess of 10
Max brantley max@arktimes.com
miles each way to and from his house. So his Conway commute costs him roughly $3 each way or well under $1,500 a year given his generous state vacation, holiday and leave time. The IRS figures the real cost at almost three times that amount. Multiply that bargain by hundreds, maybe thousands, of commuters and you can see where there might be a payday in store for lawyers Gene Sayre and Chris Brockett. Defenders of this auto perk claim it would cost the state much more to reimburse drivers for using their personal cars. I don’t buy it — particularly not for the desk jockeys who qualify for a car on account of elevated title, not traveling duties. Suppose, for example, an employee drives 50 miles a day on business, which would be a lot for most car-equipped state employees. That would cost the state $105 a week in reimbursement at 42 cents a mile, or less than $5,000 a year counting holidays. It’d take seven years before the state would spend the equivalent of one SUV, five to six for a bureaucrat-worthy sedan. Working people get it. They buy their own cars. They pay for their own commutes. Lots of them even blow off the small mileage driven in town for work. Many of these workers, unlike state employees in Little Rock, also pay for their own parking places. They have no state pension plan, no generous health benefits that extend into retirement. Then they read about free (and tax-free) SUVs. And, worse, they hear petulant state officials bitch about press questions. It reinforces their worst suspicions about government. Bad year for that.
The Moreland School n Nothing seems more suitable than a Nazi running for governor in 2010, when our ordinarily docile little state is burning with xenophobia for the third or fourth time in its 175 years. If people aren’t upset that the country is run by a black man with a name that sounds Arabic or something else weird and degrees laden with honors from fancy schools like Columbia and Harvard, they think they’re being overrun by Mexicans and Guatemalans or fear a plot by socialists to take over state and national capitols and run up budget deficits that would embarrass even Ronald Reagan. So why not at least entertain the idea of electing a governor who adores Adolf Hitler and who is committed to exterminating everyone on earth but gun-loving people of pure Northern European extraction (by natural selection, of course, not a timely massacre)? Billy Roper, by the way, plans to run for president in 2012 if he isn’t in the middle of his term as governor. Roper will not be elected governor or even come close to his goal of 10,000 votes because he dallied until it was too late to get on the ballot as an independent and will have to count on people remembering his name and going through the rigmarole of writing him in on Nov. 2, which is a lot harder now than when Dr. Dale Alford got himself elected to Congress in 1958 as a racist writein. Otherwise, Roper might be successful, by his standards.
Ernest Dumas For a few days last week, he could allow himself to dream. The Arkansas Democrat Gazette carried a splendid article by its ace political writer, Seth Blomeley, about Roper and his ideas, and that was followed Thursday by a laudatory full-dress editorial (“Thank you, Billy Roper”) that seemed headed for an early endorsement of his candidacy until the anticlimactic ending, when it turned out that the paper was not admiring his ideas so much as just his wonderful candor. If the editors had been paying attention they would not have been surprised by his frankness because Roper has been proclaiming the goals of his White Revolution to any forum that would carry them for years (see several pieces in the Arkansas Times, Time magazine and other publications). It was not Roper’s notions of the supremacy of the white race or his regret that Nazi Germany had not won World War II that intrigued me. It was, rather, Blomeley’s description of him as living “outside of Moreland.” Outside of Moreland (Pope County) is an iconic place in Arkansas lore. It was where Leland Duvall, the Nostradamus of the Ozarks, was born and based his liveli-
Boozman coasts on a few dollars n Politicians who can’t raise much money might be more admirable than those who can. Some consider it crass to lean on others for cash. Some find distasteful the implied political agreement, which falls smartly short of an actual bribe. It goes something like this: “You give me a big check and, while it won’t guarantee my vote or any specific action, because that would be wrong, of course, you’ll always have my ear when you need something. I appreciate that your checkbook is open, and you can rest assured that my office door will be open.” As it happens, my developing personal regard for U.S. Rep. John Boozman, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, is actually heightened by the odd anemia of his fund-raising for the second quarter. But when it comes to political analysis, I’m beginning to wonder: Is Boozman’s commanding poll lead merely a mushy generic indicator of the state’s conservative mood and its enmity toward Democrats and Blanche Lincoln? Is his candidacy, while
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still powerful in concept and the odds-on favorite, at risk of failed execution owing to a lack of vigor or ability as evidenced by what is often called the first real scorecard — early fund-raising reports? Republicans lose races they might otherwise win if their candidates are old, or fatigued, or lethargic, or coasting, or inept, or all the above. For examples: George H. W. Bush against Bill Clinton in 1992, Bob Dole against Clinton in 1996 and John McCain against Barack Obama two years ago. Conversely, Republicans signal victory when their candidates send powerful preemptive messages by reporting massive sums in early fund-raising, like the second George Bush for 2000. The message last week from the secondquarter reports was that Blanche Lincoln is fully engaged and vibrant, still able to
hood as an itinerant farm worker before he became a newspaper editor and columnist and wrote the definitive economic history of Arkansas. Now we have two philosophers from outside Moreland, Ark., although one would have been quite enough. Duvall also was the subject of a flattering editorial in the Democrat Gazette after his death in 2006, although for distinctly different reasons the paper did not care for his philosophy. Duvall was the author of Moreland’s Laws of Human Behavior and Economics (Moreland’s Fifth Law: Profits will never reach an optimum level.) The two boys from Moreland developed strangely opposite notions about the Nazis and about their own government, too. Roper told Blomeley that Hitler never intended any harm to Americans. Duvall gave up the plow and the cotton compress to join the Army at the age of 34 and went ashore in the second wave at Omaha Beach. The Nazis killed all but 40 of the 140 men in his cavalry unit in the German offensive that presaged the Battle of the Bulge and the remnants were assigned to block German Panzers and artillery at a bridge on the River Ruhr, which they did for two weeks from the basement of a bombed-out farmhouse. He took shrapnel three times and felt privileged just to have fought on the side of liberty and equality. In 1954 when the Supreme Court outlawed school segregation and Duvall was the editor of the Courier Democrat at Russellville, he wrote an editorial the next day calling for the immediate integration of the city’s schools, something no other paper in the South did. How could the hamlet of Moreland have
produced two smart men with such disparate takes on the world? Blomeley answered it. Roper was not a son of Moreland but an occupier. He was born at Morrilton. Their educations were different, too. Roper got baccalaureate and masters degrees from Arkansas Tech, where he learned enough history to convince him that God intended that all privilege on His planet be confined to those with skin pigments that made optimum use of Vitamin D. Duvall didn’t finish the eighth grade although he went to Tech for a few months after the war when he read about the GI Bill. He would devour every economics tract from Adam Smith to Milton Friedman and see the frailties of each. Duvall would be amused, not chagrined, to have shared his beloved hamlet with a Nazi, just as he was when he discovered during the McCarthy hearings that his eight hours of journalism tutelage at the Courier Democrat in 1947 had been under Seaton Ross, an editor at one time of the communist Daily Worker. He and Billy Roper no doubt would share a disdain for the dominant movement of the day, the tea party, but for different reasons. Roper thought it was fertile for recruitment for White Revolution but he discovered that the mature among the tea partiers were not interested in preserving racial and heterosexual purity but protecting their Social Security and Medicare from the socialists. Duvall knew that they were as wrong as they could be on the bigger firmament, that as it was in 1861, 1935 and 1942 in a grave national crisis a democratic government is not to be feared but relied upon. It was the lesson of Moreland.
leverage high-placed incumbency to lean on special interests for big money, and that Boozman is a semi-engaged candidate intending to win by passivity. Lincoln raised more than $2 million in those three months and ended the quarter with nearly $1.9 million on hand. Boozman raised about $620,000 and had about $480,000 on hand. If you have a 20-point lead or larger over an incumbent U.S. senator, and if you are a prime Republican prospect for turning over a key Senate seat to destroy the Democrats’ filibuster-proof majority, and if you have a thoroughly pro-business voting record, and if Republican sympathizers are known to be possessed of a lot of money, then what in the world are you doing raising a relative pittance? That second-quarter report would have been the perfect time to solidify the appearance of inevitability for his victory. Instead Boozman signaled that maybe there is no inevitability. I’m reminded of political commentary I read on a local blog, Roby Brock’s at talkbusiness.net. It was that the only thing Boozman needs to say between now and November is “my name is John Boozman, and I approved this message.” I’d add that the message needs to be this: “I didn’t vote for health care and with Obama 95 percent
of the time, and she did.” It’s good political advice, but the math of a paid-media campaign doesn’t quite work when the opponent you intend to ward off is sitting around with four times the money you have. Boozman’s press aide tells me the campaign is “restructuring” its fund-raising. That’s a political euphemism for “we’re in trouble over here.” Actually, you’ll recall that, early this month, after the close of this anemic quarter, Boozman brought in Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for a fund-raiser. The problem, other than that no one much cares about McConnell, was that the minority leader made boomeranging news. He vowed to put Boozman on the Agriculture Committee so that Arkansas farmers could have a minority freshman as their champion instead of the committee chairman. Forgive the cliche, or the inverse of one, but it applies. I refer to the one about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. John Brummett is a columnist and reporter for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. You can read additional Brummett columns in The Times of North Little Rock. www.arktimes.com • july 15, 2010 15
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16 july 22, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
arts entertainment
This week in
and
Brantley Gilbert plays Rev Room
Dangerous Idiots complete triple bill
Page 18
Page 19
to do list
18
calendar
20
Movies
26
Dining
31
Raising the bar Competing promoters face off at the River Market. B y J o h n Ta r p l e y
brian chilson
brian chilson
L
ast Thursday, the River Market sidewalks held hundreds of people. Two long, winding lines of bodies mirrored each other on either side of President Clinton Avenue, each seemingly oblivious of the other, each buzzing, laughing and enduring the dank July humidity to be part of the new, undeniable epicenter for Little Rock’s urban nightlife. On the north side of the street, the line waited to get into “In Too Deep,” held in Deep Ultra Lounge’s downstairs, run by Jason “J-One” Marshall, 27, singer, producer, promoter and head of J-One Productions Inc. On the south side, the crowds waited for the debut of “Posh,” held in Ernie Biggs’ upstairs and overseen by Chris Bowen, 39, singer, producer, promoter and head of One Stone Productions. By the end of the night, both venues were packed to maximum capacity. While a sold-out event on a weekend is commonplace, this type of weekly success on a Thursday is almost unprecedented. It’s not only a sign of a reinvention for Little Rock’s urban nightlife, but also a testament to the tenacity of the events’ promoters, whose personalities tend to be as big as the parties they throw. Despite keeping a professional distance, the two men complement each other. J-One is a Little Rock native and graduate of Robinson High who translated a vocal and production career into his own promotion and graphic design business. Four years into professional promotions, he’s taken a DIY approach to the industry, churning out his
NOT AFRAID TO WORK: Promoters Jason Marshall (left) and Chris Bowen have transformed Little Rock’s urban nightlife scene. own flyers, commercials and voiceovers for his own events, including a karaoke night at Prost on Tuesday and the party “First Class Fridays” at Bill St. Not to stray from self-promoting, either, he threw a three-day-
long rager to celebrate his own birthday in June. Bowen is a Kingston, Jamaica, transplant who’s been in the game since 1998, when he started organizing events for One Stone
Reggae Band, his own musical outfit that’s been based in Little Rock for years. Since retiring early from a successful, lucrative career in auto sales, Bowen has dedicated his time to his promotions and production company, One Stone Productions. Beyond weekly parties like “Posh” and “Successful Sundays,” he’s known to regularly bring name acts to town like Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh, Frankie Beverly and Maze and Whodini. But if J-One, local nightlife’s new young gun, caught the promotion bug in 2006 after selling out his first event at Juanita’s, his elder, Bowen, deserves credit for perfecting the urban party. He brought to town “grown and sexy” parties, each with a 25-yearold minimum age standard, and required “grown and sophisticated” attire for entry to his events. “Check your attitude at the door, come dressed properly: trendy and upscale. Don’t come looking like a hoodrat; I’m gonna call it what it is,” he explained with his signature stoicism. Continued on page 23 www.arktimes.com • july 22, 2010 17
■ to-dolist By John Tarpley
TH U R S D AY 7 / 2 2
BRANTLEY GILBERT 9 p.m., Revolution. $10.
n “Halfway to Heaven,” Brantley Gilbert’s second and most recent album, sees the Jefferson, Ala., singer/songwriter trade in his melancholic, finger-plucked songs about lost love and small-town nostalgia for chunking, alternative rock tension and fireside tales about moonshine and fighting. It’s a role he takes on with apparent ease, landing his new album on the top spot in Billboard’s Heat Seekers chart. The album’s big single, “Kick it in the Sticks,” shows the Harley-Davidsonloving 24-year-old and his band thrashing through their party anthem in the middle of the sticks as four-wheelers ramp and wheelie through bonfire smoke. For his style of river rock, it’s a perfect scene for the rising star and ex-high school quarterback. The all-ages show kicks off at 9 p.m.
FR IDAY 7 / 2 3
BUDDY JEWELL 8 p.m., Juanita’s. $15.
n After winning “Best Male Vocalist” on a handful of early-’90s episodes of Star Search, recording more than 5,000 demos in Nashville and a couple of independent releases in the early 2000s, Osceola native Buddy Jewell finally hit his stride in a big way when he won the first season of “Nashville Star” in 2003. Soon, the Nashville star became a bona fide country superstar with a proper, Clint Black-produced debut that stayed in rotation on the airwaves for months. Seven years later, the roadhouse workhog is still at it, gigging around the country and winning over audiences with his signature good-ol’-boy charm and leather baritone. Doors open at 7 p.m.; the hometown boydone-good hits the stage at 8 p.m.
VELVET KENTE
10 p.m., White Water Tavern. $7.
n Even in a town that’s notorious for unceasingly praising its own bands, it seems no one’s been able to say anything negative about Velvet Kente. It’s a consensus that the group’s just that good. Its brand of hyper-literate, genre-stirring soulindiefunkrockfolk is just about everything that good music needs to be: passionate, thoughtful, melodic and funky as hell. It seems everyone but the band themselves knows that; last week, they Tweeted “we’re the 20th best band in town. maybe.” Whether 18 july 22, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
BOONROCKS: Rising country-rocker Brantley Gilbert to twang up Revolution. that’s a big up to Little Rock musicians or a piece of self-deprecation from singer/songwriter and front man Joshua (last name unknown by anyone not in his family) is lost in his public crypticism. Surely they all know that their jarring potpourri of goosebumpers and ass-shakers puts them 18 or 19 positions higher in those hypothetical rankings. Until those results are released, the standing 20th best band in Little Rock cranks up White Water at 10 p.m.
SATU RDAY 7 /2 4
BENJAMIN DEL SHREVE
9 p.m., Sticky Fingerz. $6.
n After years fronting the enormously popular Christian hard rock act GS Megaphone, Benjamin Del Shreve left the outfit to hone his own catchy brand of melodic rock. Since, he’s become a regular, welcome fixture in the Arkansas circuits with a moody, swaggering brand of ramble-rock that keeps one foot in Led Zeppelin’s earthy smugness and the other firmly planted in Ryan Adams’ groovier, more butt-shaking moments. It’s a sound that was met with praise after the release of his 2007 full-length debut, “Brilliant
JEWELL RULES: Juanita’s set to get some rowdy, introspective country kickers, y’all.
rock is custom-made for fist pumping and irresistibly likable.
SUNDAY 7/25
SAVING ABEL/ WE ARE THE FALLEN 7:30 p.m., The Village. $21 adv., $25 d.o.s.
‘BRILLIANT AND CHARMING’: Fayetteville pop maestro Del Shreve to release his new LP at Sticky Fingerz. and Charming.” Three years later, he’s back to release his long-awaited followup in “Sleeping Sweetly.” If the sample tracks are any indication, he hasn’t lost so much of a drop of his dynamic, anthemic power-pop inclinations; if anything, he and his new gray-specked beard have taken a big step forward. Heartfelt local sunshine rockers Free Micah open alongside Del Shreve’s brother, Randall Shreve. Doors open at 9 p.m. for the 21 plus show.
DANGEROUS IDIOTS/ GINSU WIVES/ ANDROIDS OF EX-LOVERS 8:30 p.m., Revolution. $6.
n Piecing together a local triple-bill that balances “really good” and “pretty strange” as well as this would be a feat on par with balancing a state budget or licking yourself between the shoulder blades. Dangerous Idiots, the selfdescribed “gulch rock” trio, is a bona
fide ’90s-era supergroup, sporting Paul Bowling of legendary Little Rock-bred Dischord band Trusty and Aaron Sarlo and Shayne Gray of goofy power-pop act Techno-Squid Eats Parliament. The guys are still all about names you have to memorize, judging from the title of the album they were slated to release, “Going Down to Highway Ten with a Zombie Shotgun and a Claw Hammer. You Wanna Come With?” Ginsu Wives are Arkansas’s kings of shudder-worthy, experimental electro rock. For years, they’ve worked with perverse, dirty, weird-ass sounds that could provide greasy, appropriate background noise. The visual presence they’ve made for themselves over the years is bizarre and unsettling, full of goats being massaged by mustached men in bras and women throwing up on themselves. You’d be hard pressed to find another Arkansas band as provocative. Rounding out the bill is Androids of Ex-Lovers, the bass-anddrums duo with a crush on The Melvins, a legitimate cult following and one of the best live shows in town. Their take on riffheavy, distortion-heavy, heavy-heavy dude
WATCH OUT: Dangerous Idiots play a Revolution triple-bill with Ginsu Wives and Androids of Ex-Lovers.
n The omnipresent connect-the-dots formula for post-grunge music isn’t mindblowing, but it’s certainly been profitable for the Corinth, Miss., five-piece of Saving Abel. The band’s quick to admit it. On sounding like the bulk of their ilk, lead singer Jared Weeks says, “You know when you hear a song on the radio and you don’t know who it is, but you love it and feel like you’ve heard it before? That’s our band … you’ve heard us before.” That may be misplaced pride, but it’s a pride that’s placed them on tours with sound-alike heroes Puddle of Mudd, Nickelback and Creed. Their latest excursion sees them alongside We are the Fallen, nu-metalists born from Evanescence’s split. The outfit, four-fifths of which are Little Rock natives, returns home for the first time since May. They’re supported by classic rock/countrypop act American Bang and modern rock growlers from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Sugar Red Drive. The four-bill show cranks up at 7:30 p.m.
TUESDAY 7/27
DR. TEMPLE GRANDIN
7 p.m., University of Arkansas. Free.
“A lecture?” you say? “In the To-Do List?” You bet. A Colorado State professor, bestselling author, one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” and the subject of an eponymous HBO biopic last year, Temple Grandin is a rockstar in the world of animal activism thanks to her patently unique way of seeing the world. Grandin was diagnosed with highfunctioning autism at the age of 3, but raced through her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in spite of it. Always clad in an embroidered cowboy shirt and loose neckerchief, she’s one of the most instantly recognizable members of today’s intelligentsia. She rose to fame by, of all things, designing more humane livestock handling and animal processing centers. It may not sound like the most interesting subject, but when Grandin speaks of how she could relate to the skittish animals because of her autism, her narrative becomes an inspiring, often hilarious, powerhouse story of charity, empathy and overcoming the odds. She speaks at the Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Center, 1.5 miles north of the U of A campus on Hwy. 112, at 7 p.m.
■ inbrief
THURSDAY 7/22
n Fort Smith blues rockers Cloud 9 pluck and harmonize for Electric Cowboy, 10 p.m., $5. Holy Rolling Empire brings its jittery, melodic power pop to Maxine’s, 9 p.m., free. Timberwood Amphitheater in Hot Springs gets contemporary Christian singer Jeremy Camp, 8 p.m., $29.99$49.99. Possibly the only emo band to beef with R&B star and Camden native Ne-Yo, Hawthorne Heights is slated to play Juanita’s with tour mates The Story Changes, a emo-pop duo, and PMtoday, the anthemic, prog-y, Arkansas-based outfit at this allages show, 9 p.m., $8 adv., $10 d.o.s. Americana roots act Pope County Bootleggers take to Hot Springs for a gig at The Big Chill, 9 p.m. Also in the National Park, the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival’s summer movie series continues with “The Last American Freakshow” and “Seven Signs” at 6 p.m., followed by the classic, awful sci-fi cult masterpiece “Plan 9 From Outer Space” at 9 p.m., $5-$10 suggested donation.
FRIDAY 7/23
n The curtain rises this weekend on the musical “Hair” at the Weekend Theater, 7:30 p.m., $18, and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” the Community Theatre of Little Rock’s production at The Public Theater, 7:30 p.m., $12-$14. The always popular local party band, The Gettys, heads to Revolution, 9 p.m., $5. West End brings in one for the kids with emopoppers Rookie of the Year and The After Party, 9 p.m., $5. Bluegrass road warriors The Crumbs take to Flying Saucer, 9 p.m., $5. Late-night regulars Josephus and the George Jonestown Massacre play to Midtown Billiards, 12:30 p.m., $8. New Orleans act Dikki Du & the Zydeco Krewe buck jump down to Sticky Fingerz, 9 p.m., $5.
SATURDAY 7/24
n The night of totally odd, completely awesome local triple bills (see To-Dos) continues on with a last-minute show from rap god overlord 607, garage-rock supergroup Magic Hassle and witty roots chanteuse Mandy McBryde, 9 p.m., Juanita’s. Discovery lights up with DJs Bill Halliquest in the disco, Brandon Peck in the lobby and Danielle Hunter and Electra flipping the script in the theater, 9 p.m., $10. Khalil’s Pub and Grill hosts a karaoke night, 7 p.m. The regulars at the River Market do their thing with Thomas East on the ivories at Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m., and the Ted Ludwig Trio at Capital Bar & Grill, 9 p.m. www.arktimes.com • july 22, 2010 19
www.arktimes.com
afterdark
All events are in the Greater Little Rock area unless otherwise noted. To place an event in the Arkansas Times calendar, please e-mail the listing and all pertinent information, including date, time, location, price and contact information, to calendar@arktimes. com.
Music
Music
20 july 22, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
classes
“Teaching with Technology” Symposium. Social networking and intergenerational learning lead the agenda with sessions on BlackBoard, Wimba, and SoftChalk and that speak directly to software applications. University of Arkansas Medical School, July 22-23, 8 a.m., $75 one day, $100 both days for educators; $30 one day, $50 both days for students. UAMS Campus. SeniorNet Computing Classes for Seniors. Computer classes designed to teach seniors computer literacy to be held in the UAMS Institute of Aging, Room 1155. The courses include “Exploring Windows Vista,” 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.; “Quicken,” noon-2 p.m.; “Intro to Computers,” 2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Call 603-1262 for more details. University of Arkansas Medical School, through July 29:. UAMS Campus.
FRIDAY, JULY 23
THURSDAY, JULY 22 4 Elements (headliner), Andy Tanas (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. Adam Hambrick. Gusano’s, 9 p.m. 2915 Dave Ward Drive, Conway. 501-329-1100. www.gusanospizza.com. Adam Hood, Mountain Sprout. Sticky Fingerz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9:30 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz. com. Bass Drums of Death, Pink Drapes, Ace Spade and the Whores of Babylon. Vino’s, 8 p.m. 923 W. Seventh St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com/. The Big John Miller Band. Denton’s Trotline, 8 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. Brantley Gilbert. Revolution, 9 p.m., $10. 300 President Clinton Ave. 823-0090. revroom.com. Cloud 9. Electric Cowboy, 10 p.m., $5. 9515 Interstate 30. 501-562-6000. www.electriccowboy. com. D-Mite, Tho’d Studios Showcase. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 8 p.m., $5. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-3741782. cstonepub.com. Dave Williams and Company. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., $5. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Dependency, Veritas, Beyond the Veil. Soundstage, 8 p.m., $6. 1008 Oak St., Conway. Eric Somner. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www.myspace.com/ whitewatertavern. Hawthorne Heights, The Story Changes, PMtoday. All ages. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $8 adv., $10 d.o.s. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas. com. Holy Rolling Empire. Maxine’s, 9 p.m., free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com. J-One Presents: “In Too Deep.” Deep Ultra Lounge, 9 p.m. 322 President Clinton Ave. Jeremy Camp. Magic Springs-Timberwood Amphitheater, 8 p.m., $29.99-$49.99. 1701 E. Grand Ave., Hot Springs. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m., free. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Mandango Flush. Town Pump, 10 p.m., $3. 1321 Rebsamen Park Road. 501-663-9802. “Posh.” Ernie Biggs, 9 p.m., $5 early admission. 307 Clinton Ave. 501-372-4782. littlerock.erniebiggs. com. Pope County Bootleggers. The Big Chill, 9 p.m. 910 Higdon Ferry Road, Hot Springs. The Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free. 111 W. President Clinton Ave. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel.com/CBG. Zucura, Frosty, The Man Behind the Sun.
an ... ologist?” exploring jobs in the world of science; and “I didn’t mean to break it!” figure out how toys are made, both 8:30 a.m.-noon. Museum of Discovery, through July 30. 500 Clinton Ave. 396-7050. www. amod.org.
SAY IT OUT LOUD: Magic Hassle, the electric indie rock supergroup, heads to Juanita’s for a strangely terrific, terrifically strange local line-up alongside Adrian Tillman, A.K.A. Lord Six, A.K.A. 607 and the twangy, witty femme country of Mandy McBryde, 9 p.m. Downtown Music Hall, 8 p.m., $7. 215 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows.homestead.com.
coMedy
Brian Scolaro. The Loony Bin, through July 22, 8 p.m., $6. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. www. loonybincomedy.com.
FilM
HSDFI Summer Film Series: “The Last Freak Show,” “Seven Signs,” “Plan 9 From Outer Space.” Malco Theater, 6 p.m., $5-$10 suggested donation. 817 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-6236200.
sports
Arkansas Travelers vs. Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Dickey-Stephens Park, through July 22, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W Broadway St., NLR.
501-664-7559. www.travs.com.
Books
Don House. The photographer showcases photos from his new book, “Not a Good Sign.” Faulkner County Library, 7 p.m., free. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www.fcl.org. Mike McArthy. The author of “Historic Ozark Mills” will speak about his most recent publication. Boone County Library, 5 p.m. 221 West Stephenson Ave, Harrison.
caMps
Museum of Discovery summer camps. Register at 396-7061 for camps running July 26-30: “Frontier Survival,” skills needed to survive in pioneer days, and “Cyber Stuff,” activities including using Skype and MovieMaker, both 1-4:30 p.m.; “You want to be
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LITTLE ROCK’S bEST fOOd vaLuE 400 N. Bowman Road 501-224-3377 • 1619 Rebsamen Road 501-663-9734
Arkansas River Blues Society presents Ed Bowman & the Rock City Players. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 9 p.m., $5. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-3741782. cstonepub.com. Big John Miller. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Big Smith, The Nace Brothers. George’s Majestic Lounge, 6 p.m., $5. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-442-4226. Billy Dee Jones. Fox And Hound, 10 p.m., $5. 2800 Lakewood Village, NLR. 501-753-8300. A Breath Beyond Broken, Against All Odds. Soundstage, 8 p.m., $7. 1008 Oak St., Conway. Buddy Jewell. Juanita’s, 8 p.m., $15. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. The Crumbs. Flying Saucer, 9 p.m., $5. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-7468. www.beerknurd.com/stores/littlerock. Cliff. Gusano’s, 9 p.m. 2915 Dave Ward Drive, Conway. 501-329-1100. www.gusanospizza.com. The Coathangers, Predator. The Exchange, 10 p.m. 100 Exchange St., Hot Springs. www.myspace. com/theexchangevenue. Dikku Du & The Zydeco Krewe. Sticky Fingerz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz. com. Donald Lawrence and Company. Robinson Center Music Hall, 7:30 p.m., $28.70-$36.90. Markham and Broadway. www.littlerockmeetings. com/conv-centers/robinson. Elise Davis Band (headliner), Josh Green (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30pm. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. First Class Fridays. Bill St. Grill and Pub, 9 p.m. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-353-1724. The Gettys. 18 plus. Revolution, 9 p.m., $5. 300 President Clinton Ave. 823-0090. revroom.com. Johnson Crossroads. Town Pump, 10 p.m., $3. 1321 Rebsamen Park Road. 501-663-9802. Josephus and the George Jonestown Massacre. Midtown Billiards, July 24, 12:30 a.m., $8. 1316 Main Street. 501-372-9990‚Äé. midtownar. com. Katmandu. Capi’s, 8:30 p.m., free. 11525 Cantrell Suite 917. 501-225-9600. www.capisrestaurant. com. Mountain Sprout, Chris Darby. Maxine’s, 9 p.m., $5. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com. Rookie of the Year, The After Party. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, $5. 215 N. Shackleford. 501-224-7665. www.westendsmokehouse.net. Mike Shipp. Denton’s Trotline, 9 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. Steve Bates. Cregeen’s Irish Pub, 9 p.m., free. 301 Main St., NLR. 501-376-7468. www.cregeens. com. Team Lieblong. Khalil’s Pub, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub. com. The Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m. 111 W. President Clinton Ave. 501-374-7474. www.
UpcOMiNg EvENTS Concert tickets through Ticketmaster by phone at 975-7575 or online at www.ticketmaster.com unless otherwise noted. AUG. 10: Built to Spill. 8:30 p.m., $20 adv., $25 d.o.s. The Village, 3915 S. University. 570-0300, thevillagelive.com. AUG. 20: Deftones. 7 p.m., $36.60-$41.75. Robinson Center Music Hall, 7 Statehouse Plaza. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com. AUG. 21: Brooks & Dunn. 7:30 p.m., $35-$70. Verizon Arena, NLR. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com. AUG. 27-28: Mulehead. 10 p.m. White Water Tavern, 2500 W. Seventh. 375-8400, myspace.com/whitewatertavern. SEPT. 23: The Hold Steady, $18. Revolution, 300 President Clinton Ave. 523-0090, revroom. com. OCT. 10: Nickelback. 6 p.m., $55.95$80.35. Verizon Arena, NLR. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com. capitalhotel.com/CBG. Thomas East. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, July 23-24, 7 p.m., free. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom. com. Trey Johnson, Dave Almond. The Big Chill, July 23-24, 9 p.m. 910 Higdon Ferry Road, Hot Springs. Velvet Kente. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $7. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www.myspace.com/ whitewatertavern. Crankbait. Downtown Music Hall, 8 p.m., $6. 215 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows.homestead.com.
Comedy
Brian Scolaro. The Loony Bin, July 23, 8 and 10:30 p.m.; July 24, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $6-$9. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. www.loonybincomedy.com.
events
6th Annual Little Rock Black Pride Weekend. Meet and greets, luncheons and picnics for the African-American LGBT community. Clear Channel Metroplex, July 23-25. 10800 Colonel Glenn Road. LittleRockBlackPride.com.
Camps
Museum of Discovery summer camps. See July 22.
Classes
“Teaching with Technology” Symposium. See July 22.
SATURDAY, JULY 24 musiC
The Trustees. Town Pump, 10 p.m., $3. 1321 Rebsamen Park Road. 501-663-9802. B-Flats Beach Party. The Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbar.com. Benjamin del Shreve, Free Micah, Randall Shreve. Sticky Fingerz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $6. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www. stickyfingerz.com. Bill Halliquest (disco); Brandon Peck (lobby); Danielle Hunter and Electra (theater). Discovery Nightclub, 9 p.m., $10. 1021 Jessie Road. 501-6644784. www.latenightdisco.com. Charlotte Taylor Benefit. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 8:30 p.m., $5. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub.com. Fayetteville Jazz Collective. Walton Arts Center, 7:30 p.m., $15-$25. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. Ginsu Wives, Androids of Ex-Lovers, Dangerous Idiots. Revolution, 9 p.m., $6. 300 President Clinton Ave. 823-0090. revroom.com. Gorilla Productions Showcase with Samurai Lunceon, Friday Maybe Saturday, A Scarlet Night, Moment of Fierce Determination, Even Heroes, The Kashmir Complex, Around the Six, Cruxx, Shady T. Downtown Music Hall, 5 p.m., $8 adv., $10 d.o.s. 215 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows.homestead.com. Grayson Shelton. Cregeen’s Irish Pub, 9 p.m., free. 301 Main St., NLR. 501-376-7468. www.cregeens. com.
Jeff Coleman. Flying Saucer, 9 p.m., $5. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-7468. www.beerknurd.com/stores/littlerock. Wes Hart Band (headliner), Lyle Dudley (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30pm. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. John and Kenny. Gusano’s, 9 p.m. 2915 Dave Ward Drive, Conway. 501-329-1100. www.gusanospizza.com. Karaoke at Khalil’s. Khalil’s Pub, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub. com. Magic Hassle, 607, Mandy McBryde. Juanita’s, 9 p.m. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas. com The Nace Brothers. Maxine’s, 9 p.m., $7. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com. Pope County Bootleggers. Midtown Billiards, $8. 1316 Main Street. 501-372-9990‚Äé. midtownar. com. Prawn, For Tonight. Vino’s, 8 p.m., $8. 923 W. Seventh St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub. com/. Raising Grey. Fox And Hound, 10 p.m., $5. 2800 Lakewood Village, NLR. 501-753-8300. Rookie of the Year, The After Party. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, $5. 215 N. Shackleford. 501-224-7665. www.westendsmokehouse.net. The Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m. 111 W. President Clinton Ave. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG. Thomas East. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, July 23-24, 7 p.m., free. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom. com. Trey Johnson, Dave Almond. The Big Chill, July 23-24, 9 p.m. 910 Higdon Ferry Road, Hot Springs. Typhoid Mary. Denton’s Trotline, 9 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. “The Women of Mountain Music.” Ozark Folk Center State Park, 7 p.m., $10. 1032 Park Ave., Mountain View.
Comedy
Brian Scolaro. The Loony Bin, July 23, 8 and 10:30 p.m.; July 24, 7, 9 and 11 p.m., $6-$9. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. www.loonybincomedy. com.
events
6th Annual Little Rock Black Pride Weekend. See July 23. Breakfast with Primates. Breakfast and a zookeeper-led tour of the primates at the Little Rock Zoo. Little Rock Zoo, 8 a.m., $13-$22. 1 Jonesboro Dr. 501-666-2406. www.littlerockzoo.com. Certified Arkansas Farmers Market. A weekly outdoor market featuring produce, meats and other foods from Arkansas farmers. Argenta Market, 7 a.m.-12 p.m., free. 521 N. Main St., NLR. 501-3799980. www.argentamarket.com. Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free. Cantrell & Cedar Hill Roads. Farmers Market. River Market Pavilions, 7 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info.
Film
Dreamland Drive-In: “Fast and the Furious.” Dreamland Ballroom, 8:30 p.m., $5 per person, $20 per carload. 800 W. 9th St.
BeneFits
“Tale of Two Farms” Heirloom Tomato Festival. A celebration of the farm-to-table movement with live music, a home tour and a five-course meal with wine pairings to benefit Oxford American magazine and the Heritage Poultry Conservancy Garden Home Retreat, $200 individual, $300 couple. RSVP for details.
Camps
Museum of Discovery summer camps. See July 22.
Kids
Breakfast with Primates. Little Rock Zoo, 8:30 p.m., $12.85-$21.95. 1 Jonesboro Drive. 501-6662406. www.littlerockzoo.com.
SUNDAY, JULY 25 musiC
Go Fish. The Summit Church, 7 p.m., $10. 6600 Crystal Hill Road, NLR. Pack of Wolves, Kingdom Under Siege,
Something to Stand For. Downtown Music Hall, 7 p.m., $7. 215 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownshows.homestead.com. Saving Abel, We are the Fallen, American Bang, Sugar Red Drive. The Village, 7:30 p.m., $21 adv., $25 d.o.s. 3915 S. University Ave. 501-5700300. www.thevillagelive.com. Setting Sun, Quitzow. All ages. Revolution, 8 p.m. 300 President Clinton Ave. 823-0090. revroom. com. Successful Sundays with Tawanna Campbell and Dell Smith. Ernie Biggs, 8 p.m., $5 early admission. 307 Clinton Ave. 501-372-4782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Sunday Jazz Brunch with Ted Ludwig and Joe Cripps. Vieux Carre, 11 a.m. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.vieuxcarrecafe.com.
Comedy
Pulaski County Deputy Sheriff’s F.O.P. Comedy Show with John Marks, Sammy Martin. Juanita’s, 6 p.m. 1300 S. Main St. 501-3721228. www.juanitas.com.
Live Music Thursday, July 22 ERic SomNER (BoStoN, maSSacHuSEttS) Friday, July 23 VELVEt KENtE saTurday, July 24 cLoSED foR a pRiVatE EVENt. Tuesday, July 27 SaD DaDDy (auStiN, tExaS) JoE SuNDELL of tHE DamN BuLLEtS Thursday, July 29 Jim mizE StEVE HowELL
myspace.com/whitewatertavern Little Rock’s Down-Home Neighborhood Bar
7th & Thayer • Little Rock • (501) 375-8400
events
6th Annual Little Rock Black Pride Weekend. See July 23.
Camps
Museum of Discovery summer camps. See July 22.
MONDAY, JULY 26 musiC
Eyes, Jesus is Angry. The Exchange, 10 p.m. 100 Exchange St., Hot Springs. www.myspace.com/ theexchangevenue. Monday Night Jazz with Steve Struthers, Brian Wolverton, Dave Rogers. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., $5. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Richie Johnson. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m., free. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. Taddy Porter, Riverboat Crime. 18 plus. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $5. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Traditional Irish Music Session. Khalil’s Pub, Fourth and Second Monday of every month, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www. khalilspub.com.
Camps
Museum of Discovery summer camps. See July 22.
TUESDAY, JULY 27
Farm Tables old to look like new, New to look like old… We got ‘em all!
Oliver’s Antiques
501.982.0064 1101 Burman Dr. • Jacksonville Take Main St. Exit, East on Main, Right on S. Hospital & First Left to Burman Hours: TuEsday-saTurday 10-5
s cajun’ wharf presents
musiC
Brian & Nick. The Afterthought, 5:30 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Fishboy, Ezra Lbs., (clap!) Kidz Pop. The Enjoy Life, 9 p.m., $7. 805 W. 4th St., NLR. 501-414-0195. thenjoylife.com. Green Jelly, The Fabulous Ms. Wendy, Flameing Daeth Fearies. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $5 adv, $8 d.o.s. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www. juanitas.com. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m., free. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Karaoke Night. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 8 p.m. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub.com. Karaoke Tuesday. The Prost, 8 p.m., free. 120 Ottenheimer. 501-244-9550. Karaoke with Big John Miller. Denton’s Trotline, 8 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. Psycho Devilles. Maxine’s, 9 p.m., free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com. Sad Daddy, Joe Sundell. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., donations. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www.myspace.com/whitewatertavern. Saving Abel, We are the Fallen, American Bang. George’s Majestic Lounge, 8 p.m., $19. 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-442-4226. Tequila Tuesdays with DJ Hy-C. Bill St. Grill and Pub, 8:30 p.m. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-3531724. Tuesday Jam Session with Carl Mouton. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com.
Continued on page 22
FRIDAY, JULY 23
Elise Davis
SATURDAY, JULY 24
Wes Hart Band
THURSDAY, JULY 29
Mr. Happy
live music every night Big Swingin’ Deck Parties on Thursdays
cajunswharf.com
mon-sat from 4:30 p.m.
2400 cantrell road • on the arkansas river
375-5351
www.arktimes.com • july 22, 2010 21
brian chilson
STILL GETTIN’ IT DONE: Robert Plant hasn’t lost a step.
■ musicreview Robert Plant and Band of Joy July 15, Robinson Center Music Hall
n Robert Plant is 61. He’s been singing and touring internationally — and, presumably, enjoying the lifestyle that comes with that — for more than 40 years. But, unlike any of his contemporaries I can think of, his voice doesn’t sound depleted in the least. The Zeppelin-era Plant — the original, shrieking, shirtless rock ’n’ roll front man who spawned so many Axls — is mostly gone. He’s still got those golden locks, which, with a beard and a broader face, make him look leonine. But he wears shirts these days, and though he can still summon the caterwauls, as he did several times on Thursday night, he’s mostly graduated to a vocal approach that shows off a range that was always there, but never so nuanced. But this wasn’t a Robert Plant solo gig. It was the second date on the debut tour for a reconstituted Band of Joy, a name Plant revived from the group he 22 july 22, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
and John Bonham formed pre-Zep. This time around, Plant followed the pattern established by his winning collaboration with Alison Krauss and T-Bone Burnett and populated the band with players wellversed in Americana in all its deep-rooted rawness, many of them genre stars in their own right: guitarist/producer Buddy Miller; ethereal vocalist Patty Griffin; crack multi-instrumentalist Darrell Scott on banjo, guitar, mandolin and pedal steel; bassist Byron House and drummer Marco Giovino. The group opened with a tense, folkflecked version of Plant’s “Down by the Sea,” from his 2007 solo album, “Fate of the Nations,” which provided an early opportunity for Miller and Griffin to win over the audience — Miller, with sawing guitar work that made everyone, at least in this context, forget about Jimmy Page, and
Griffin with a thin, but immensely affecting, even chill-bump-inducing voice. A rollicking cover of Los Lobos’ “Angel Dance,” from Band of Joy’s forthcoming album, came next, followed by a slightly dissonant version of the Plant/Krauss barnburner “Please Read the Letter,” an earworm I haven’t been able to shake since I first heard it. Other songs from the upcoming album followed, including Richard Thompson’s “House of Cards” (some publications speculated before the tour started that it might be a Radiohead cover) and the Townes Van Zandt lament “Harm’s Swift Way.” The gospel medley of “Oh What A Beautiful City/Wade In The Water” offered an early, powerful showcase of the group vocally, with Plant, Griffin, Scott and Miller all taking turns singing lead. Elsewhere, three-part harmonies were the norm and four-part weren’t rare. If Plant ever held back (surely he needs to rest now and again?), Griffin and co. were always there to preserve the momentum. Zeppelin fans weren’t left in the dark. Band of Joy offered its take on “Misty Mountain Hop,” “Over the Hills and Far Away,” “Houses of the Holy” and “Rock and Roll,” usually with Scott’s pedal steel standing in for Jimmy Page’s monster riffs. Which is an awesome way to tweak your legacy if you’re Plant, though my wife did watch a couple of recalcitrant Zeppelin fans leaving in a huff in the lobby. “What’s this bluegrass and soul shit?” one of them said to the other. “Why’re they messing up the good songs?” More good songs that might’ve made traditionalists’ skin crawl: a menacing version of “Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down,” with the stage bathed in red light and Plant prancing like he’d had practice; and the closing hymn “Good Night,” another opportunity for Band of Joy to show off its vocal prowess — and sense of humor, adding nightmare-ish lyrics of children-eating monsters to the lullaby. The only misstep: A fairly close reading of Low’s dark, indie song “Monkey,” with Plant deadening his voice to mimic the original’s vocals of unease and alienation. It was the only moment where it felt like Plant was playing dress up with someone else’s material, rather than making it his own. It was a small hiccup that stood out only because otherwise Plant’s voice, augmented by an excellent supporting cast, sounded so startlingly bright and strong that, for one night at least, made the idea of a rock god not seem hyperbolic at all. — Lindsey Millar
calendar
Continued from page 21
Dance
“Latin Night.” Revolution, 7 p.m., $5 regular, $7 under 21. 300 President Clinton Ave. 823-0090. www.revroom.com.
Events
Farmers Market. River Market Pavilions, 7 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 375-2552. www.rivermarket.info.
Lectures
Temple Gradin. The autistic Colorado State University professor, TED-featured lecturer and subject of the 2010 HBO film “Temple Grandin” will speak about into animal behavior. University of Arkansas, 7 p.m., free. 800 W. Dickson, Fayetteville.
Sports
Arkansas Travelers vs. Springfield Cardinals. Dickey-Stephens Park, 7:10 p.m., $6-$12. 400 W Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-7559. www.travs. com.
Camps
Museum of Discovery summer camps. See July 22.
Classes
SeniorNet Computing Classes for Seniors. See July 22.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 28 Music
Acoustic Open Mic with Kat Hood. The Afterthought, 8 p.m. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-6631196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Andrew Belle, He Is We. All ages. Revolution, 9 p.m., $7. 300 President Clinton Ave. 823-0090. revroom.com. Chris DeClerk. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m., $5 after 8:30pm. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www. cajunswharf.com. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m., free. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Karaoke at Khalil’s. Khalil’s Pub, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub. com. Karaoke with Big John Miller. Denton’s Trotline, 8 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. Lucious Spiller Band. Sticky Fingerz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9:30 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com. Sad Daddy. Maxine’s, 9 p.m., free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. maxinespub.com. The Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free. 111 W. President Clinton Ave. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel.com/CBG. This is Hell, The Love Below, Judas, Product of Waste, Jungle Juice, Deadbeat. Downtown Music Hall, 7 p.m., $7. 215 W. Capitol. 501-3761819. downtownshows.homestead.com.
Comedy
Dale Jones. The Loony Bin, July 28-29, 8 p.m. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. www.loonybincomedy.com.
Film
Movies in the Park: “The Wizard of Oz.” Riverfest Amphitheatre, 8:30 p.m., free. 400 President Clinton Ave.
Camps
Museum of Discovery summer camps. See July 22.
THURSDAY, JULY 29 Music
Cavo, Black Sunshine, Brookroyal, Atom Smash. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $13 adv., $15 d.o.s. 1300 S. Main St. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Faril Simpson and the Lollie Bottom Boys. Faulkner County Library, 7 p.m., free. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www.fcl.org. The Hangouts, Ex-Ops. The Exchange, 10 p.m. 100 Exchange St., Hot Springs. www.myspace.com/ theexchangevenue. J-One Presents: “In Too Deep.” Deep Ultra
Continued on page 24
promoters Continued from page 17
By his estimates, Bowen regularly packed the now-defunct On the Rocks space with anywhere from 800 to 1,200 people per week for “Thirsty Thursday,” the precursor to “Posh.” The parties became so popular, entry so in demand, that Bowen began incrementally raising cover prices as the night progressed and the room filled. It wasn’t uncommon for men to happily hand over upwards of $50 or $60 to get in towards the end of the night. Ladies, of course, enjoyed a set price all night. “Downtown people weren’t ready for the business we were doing at On the Rocks,” Bowen recalled in a deep patois. “There were so many people — so, so many black people — they just weren’t ready.” J-One speaks of one day opening his own club to permanently house his parties, but keeps coy about it. “Yeah, I’m talking to a few investors; I’ve been approached by people who want to put some money behind my ideas. It’d be great to run my own place.” Bowen, on the other hand, is blunt. “The problem with opening up your own club is that Little Rock doesn’t want it,” he said, pausing momentarily. “It’s hard for an African-American to open one up in a downtown district. They want you on Asher, communities where people want to smoke weed in the club. That’s not what I’m looking for. At all.” So now, they’ve set up shop in the River Market on the same night, at the same time, across the street from each other. There’s no doubt that “Posh” meets Bowen’s sexy and sophisticated standards with ease. The open upstairs loft in Ernie Biggs, with its dark, wooden walls and mounted deer heads, is like a 1950s Ivy League study with dancier music as scratched up, blended in and hyped up by DJ Mike Fresh, who commands from a crow’s nest in the back corner. On Thursday, the party’s fashion sense was a progressivelydressed smattering of guys in ironic Stetson glasses floating through the room beside women in Balenciagas. What really sets “Posh” apart, however, is the wide-eyed, beef-free camaraderie in the night — it’s a welcome change from the alpha-male and diva-packed nightclub standard. “In Too Deep,” on the other hand, brings the formality down a notch. The chit-chat swarms around the intimate basement space’s brick walls and low ceilings on the bar side. The main party area is abuzz, with the dance floor, shook by party regular DJ Greyhound, moving in one bulky grind even though it’s shoved in a corner of the room. The space is split into two long corridors, which makes the flow a bit precarious, but getting detoured in the tide of people can end up in a few minutes of unexpected, unintended fun. Together, the two competing events brought out anywhere from 900 to 1,100
bodies last Thursday, according to the promoters, not counting those who waited in line to party and didn’t get any further than the sidewalk. But the regulars who make it inside seem to be hooked, not to mention eager to talk about the Thursday nights and their party of choice. “There’s no bullshit here,” said a “Posh” attendee, a tailor-dressed Bowen faithful who works in retail and would only give his name as Jamie. “When they say ‘come classy,’ they don’t mean just your clothes: They mean your attitude first and foremost. I like that. So when someone comes and tries to act disrespectful to the vibe that’s created, the crowd doesn’t hesitate to exclude them for acting like a jerk when we’re here to have a good, adult time, y’know?” A partygoer across the street was quick to offer up an opposing opinion. “It’s gets superficial over there,” said an “In Too Deep” regular in a figure-hugging dress. “I’m friends with a lot of people who like it. I’m riding back home with folks who are over there right now, actually. But ‘Deep’ has this great, sophisticated design and the people who come here are ready to party and dance and unwind.” The partygoers said, however, said that most people go to both venues, bouncing from “Posh” to “Deep” and back again. The nightclub and promotion businesses are known for being fiercely competitive and not very friendly. With two big personalities throwing their own signature parties at the same time, across from each other in the heart of Little Rock’s after-dark scene, it’s easy to interpret the night as an act of professional aggression between the two promoters. Are they hostile to one another? J-One and Bowen both shrug the idea off as bloated gossip, born out of easy assumptions. “We haven’t spoken since last year, but I can feel there’s some tension between us,” J-One said. “There’s definitely some animosity. I’ve heard crazy rumors, but it’s like I tell everybody, it’s not personal, it’s business. I think it’s kinda good, though.” J-One paused and continued with a chuckle, “It makes people curious, like when 50 Cent and Kanye released their albums on the same day. Bullshit sells arenas.” “Little Rock and the town’s nightlife are too small for other promoters to bash other promoters instead of coming together,” Bowen said. “If [promoters] maintain integrity in their events, the city will benefit more from it. A city, like a nation, that stands divided will fall.” Together, but separately, the two have laid down the basis for what is shaping up to be an unmatched reinvigoration of smallcity nightlife. Whether any beef between these organizers is real or perceived is beside the point. For now, it’s a symbiosis of experience and youth, insight and optimism, basements and lofts, guys and girls, gin and tonic and absolutely, positively the required bump and grind.
july 22-28
LOUIE FX 10 p.m. Tuesdays n Comedian Louis C.K. is an acquired taste. His comedy, which focuses on the harsh realities of aging, family life and the everyday grind, can be off-putting. In fact, comments the comedian made in reference to his new show “Louie” during an interview on NPR’s “Fresh Air” offended enough listeners to get Terri Gross’ talk show banned from Mississippi public radio stations (they weren’t that offensive). Coming off a stream of well-received comedy specials and rave reviews for his film “Hilarious,” C.K. is back on TV with “Louie,” a half-hour show (shown weekly in pairs) that presents the comedian at his best. That is, when he’s being himself. Like it or not, the show mirrors
C.K.’s stand-up material. It’s brutally honest. Episodes don’t follow the traditional sitcom arc, often including unrelated scenarios for our hero to stumble through, interspersed with Seinfeld-like clips of C.K.’s stand-up routine from the Comedy Cellar in New York. But that’s the way C.K. wanted it. He took way less money to make the show at FX rather than one of the big networks in order to maintain complete creative control. As a result, he’s able to toy with the idea of what a sitcom really is and push those boundaries. The show has neither laugh track nor recurring cast of quirky characters. It is, by design, simply-shot and soft-spoken. “Louie” is smart, funny, thoughtful and even sweet if you can get through the sometimes jarringly uncomfortable scenes where we see our protagonist get in a fight with his friend over politics, completely botch a first date and have a nuanced and surprisingly poignant conversation with other comics about the appropriate use of the word “faggot.” But those moments are only uncomfortable because they make you take a look at how you would behave in the same situation. And you might not like what you see. — Gerard Matthews
■ moviereview Rivers runs through it A new unglossed documentary captures Joan Rivers’ funny side. n Even if she’s not quite up your alley, Joan Rivers is a pretty funny person. Person, not necessarily comedian; she’s one of those celebrities who seem to always be in character, their public persona transcending whatever shreds of normalcy their life might contain. Presumably she’s just like the rest of us, but the documentary “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work,” which opens on Friday at Market Street, does not lift the veil of fame. It piles on higher the topsy-turvy obsession that mainstream culture has with glamour and its downsides. The movie follows a year in Rivers’ life as she struggles through a slump in her career — she is afraid of not being taken seriously, of not being wanted, of being replaced by a new generation of raunchy comedians. Lounging in her New York residence, all mirrors and chandeliers and Marie Antoinette, she expresses her fear of having an empty calendar for the week ahead of her. Surrounded by her staff, she makes a few remarks of self-pity and then fires off a succession of expletives and euphemisms for private parts. On this account, it’s hard to really feel
sorry for her. The documentary doesn’t portray her in a bad light, by any means, but it’s obvious that it isn’t trying to be sympathetic. In a way it’s just an extension of one of Rivers’ shows, carving her ups and downs into a comedic arc that resembles an E! True Hollywood Story. Regardless, she’s a humorous performer, so it’s an entertaining watch, even with its lack of non-celebrity distance. We’ve come to expect stand-up comedians to be ultimately tragic figures. No doubt Rivers is a far more sorrowful individual than she seems, although probably no documentary will be able to betray her as such. The most realistic glimpse we get of Rivers comes while she is performing in Wisconsin, when she makes a wisecrack about Helen Keller. One man in the audience yells at her that it isn’t funny — he has a deaf son. Rivers comes near to breaking down on him, calling him an idiot for not understanding what comedy is about: making fun of things that are uncomfortable and unhappy so that we can overcome them. As irreverently selfcentered as her jokes are, Rivers must be overcoming quite a bit. —Bernard Reed www.arktimes.com • july 22, 2010 23
■ media Our sweetheart
calendar
Continued from page 22
Here’s to our yodeling, voice-throwing Miss Arkansas. n Life has not been a dream for beauty pageants of late. ABC booted the pageant world’s grand dame, Miss America, from network TV in 2004. Miss USA doesn’t seem to be able to crown a winner who doesn’t have a sex tape or a pole dancing past (maybe that’s by design). The only real memorable contribution the pageant world has offered culture lately came courtesy of Miss Teen USA 2007 contestant Miss South Carolina, a bottle blonde with glistening chompers who served as a tidy encapsulation of pageant vapidness when she offered the most hilariously incoherent response to a question on national TV this side of Sarah Palin. It was about Americans’ inability to identify the US on a map: “I believe that US Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don’t have maps. I believe that our education, like such as South Africa and the Iraq, everywhere, such as …” It’s really got to be seen to be believed. But now, snarky, dark-hearted haters like me have a reason to care again (or for the first time), beyond the fact that ABC will once again air MissAmerica next year:Alyse Eady, crowned Miss Arkansas last weekend, is awesome. The 22-year-old Fort Smith native has all the requisite qualities: She’s strikingly pretty; she advocated, in the Miss Arkansas pageant, for a good cause, the Boys and Girls Club; and as a recent OBU grad, with a major in communications, she’s not likely to call Iraq “the Iraq.” But most of all, her talent is a YODELING, VENTRILIQUIST RENDITION OF “I WANT TO BE A COWBOY’S SWEETHEART.” That’s right, an African-American pageant contestant is yodeling and singing one of Arkansas’s greatest contributions to country music (the song was the first million-copy seller for a female country artist for Arkansas Ozarks native Patsy Montana in 1935) — and she’s doing it without moving her lips! And she’s actually really good at it, or at least she was in 2004, when she appeared as Miss Teen Arkansas at Miss America, in a performance you can watch on YouTube. Though Eady’s talent is sure to stand out at MissAmerica in January, there is precedent. Eady’s favorite MissAmerica,Vonda KayVan Dyke, was crowned in 1965 — incidentally by Arkansas’ only Miss America, Donna Axum — after she used ventriloquism as her talent. In the meantime, Eady will be busy kissing babies and cutting ribbons across the state. And she’s already worked up a good line about her path: “I would really love to be Miss America, 24 july 22, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
you’ve got the look photography
By Lindsey Millar
START ROOTING NOW: For Miss Arkansas Alyse Eady. but I’m just so happy to be Miss Arkansas. And whether or not that works out or not, I know I’ve got a great state to come back to and I can’t wait to travel to all corners and meet the people who live here.” n If you read the inside section of the Democrat-Gazette’s Sunday Perspectives page, you’re no stranger to wingnuttery. But last Sunday, columnist Mike Masterson took a break from cheerleading the Tea Party to delve into semantics. His column, “Running hot and cold,” opened with an Andy Rooney-style gambit, the tried-and-true, “I’m old and I don’t understand anything.” Masterson’s confusion? The way his teen-aged daughters use the word “hot” to describe boys. Kids and their lingo today! “Ask how to define a boy’s hotness,” Masterson writes, “the girls usually roll their eyes and remind me that I’m old now and can’t possibly grasp the deeper aspects of existence. But I do want to know what makes one human being hot while others apparently are only lukewarm or cold. Is it the way his nose is arranged on his face? His eye color? Perhaps the youthful definitions of his bodily mass?” More than a little doddering with extra points deducted for being completely put on, but so far, not terrible. Teen-age love and its mysteries. No matter that it’s outside Masterson’s typical scope. What makes him often so compelling is that his crazy knows no bounds. “From all I’ve seen,” he continues, “the late Theodore Bundy had an appealing face, so much so that he was able to use his apparent hotness to lure innocent young females into his Volkswagen. He killed several dozen. “I suspect there were lots of physically attractive Nazis back in the late 1930s. Were they considered hot? No doubt there are a few hot guys residing inside our national, state and local penal systems. Is Mel Gibson still hot?” Stay vigilant, girls.
Lounge, 9 p.m. 322 President Clinton Ave. Jim Mize, Steve Howell. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 2500 W. 7th. 501-375-8400. www. myspace.com/whitewatertavern. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m., free. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Justin Bieber, Sean Kingston. Verizon Arena, 7 p.m., $31.50-$51.50. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. Mr. Happy (headliner), Brent & Adam (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30pm. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www. cajunswharf.com. “Posh.” Ernie Biggs, 9 p.m., $5 early admission. 307 Clinton Ave. 501-372-4782. littlerock.erniebiggs. com. Reggae Night with Darril “Harp” Edwards. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., $5. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. The Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free. 111 W. President Clinton Ave. 501-374-7474. www.capitalhotel.com/CBG. Tiger’s Jaw, Man Overboard, The Sidekicks, So Far So Good, Dead Beat. Soundstage, 8 p.m., $7. 1008 Oak St., Conway. Willie Stradlin. Sticky Fingerz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyfingerz.com.
Comedy
Dale Jones. The Loony Bin, July 28-29, 8 p.m. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. www.loonybincomedy.com.
Film
HSDFI Summer Film Series: “Ghost Bird,” “Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages.” Malco Theater, 6 p.m., $5-$10 suggested donation. 817 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-623-6200.
Camps
Museum of Discovery summer camps. See July 22.
Classes
SeniorNet Computing Classes for Seniors. See July 22.
This Week In Theater “Barefoot in the Park.” The Neil Simon play about mismatched newlyweds playing matchmaker for their neighbor. Pocket Community Theater, through July 24, 7:30 p.m., $10. 170 Ravine Street, Hot Springs. “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.” Based on the 1988 movie of the same name, this musical adaptation follows two con men whose decision to collaborate goes awry when they both fall for the same woman, their initial target. Call the Community Theatre of Little Rock 501-410-2283 for ticket information. The Public Theater, Fri., July 23, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., July 25, 2 p.m.; Fri., July 30, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Aug. 1, 2 p.m., $12-$14. 616 Center St. 501-374-7529. www. thepublictheatre.com. “Hair.” This rock opera follows the “Tribe,” a group of politically active, long-haired youth living in New York City and rebelling against the Vietnam War, their conservative parents and a prejudiced, repressive society. The Weekend Theater, through Aug. 8: Fri, Sat, 7:30 p.m.; Sun, 2:30 p.m., $14-$18. 1001 W. 7th St. 501-374-3761. www.weekendtheater.org. “Nunsense II: The Second Coming.” A sequel to “Nunsense,” the play is set six weeks after the sisters have staged their first benefit concert. Harding University, July 22-25, 6:30 p.m.; July 29-31, 6:30 p.m. 900 E. Center Ave., Searcy.
Galleries, Museums New exhibits, upcoming events MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY, 500 President Clinton Ave.: “Alice’s Teaparty,” science and math games, July 29-31, in connection with “Alice’s Wonderland,” for ages 3 to 10, through Sept. 15; interactive science exhibits. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. Admission: $8 adults, $7 children ages 1-12 and seniors 65 and up, children under 1 free, “Pay What You Can” second Sunday of every month. 396-7050. www.museumofdiscovery.org.
NEW RIVIERA CONDOMINIUMS, 3700 Cantrell Road: “The Art Show,” work by Liz Noble, George Wittenberg, Theresa Smith, Elizabeth Weber, Emily Wood, Robert Bean, Spencer Jansen, Michelle Renee, Virmarie DePoyster, Kevin Kresse, Ray Wittenberg, Tod Crites and Kelly Edwards, 7 p.m. July 30, 6 p.m. July 31, $10, portion of proceeds to Our House shelter bus pass program. 541-5729. STEPHANO’S FINE ART GALLERY, 5501 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Bronzes by Tony Dows (Wally Cleaver on “Leave It to Beaver”), work in all media by other artists. New summer hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Wed., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thu.-Fri., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. 563-4218. n Fort Smith MILLER BRANCH LIBRARY: Tessa Freeman, photo studies of women. 479-646-3945. n Jacksonville JACKSONVILLE MUSEUM OF MILITARY HISTORY, 100 Veterans Circle: “WWII and its Veterans,” talk by historian Jeff Meek and veteran Sam Laird, 6 p.m. July 22, $2, also sneak peek at C-130 virtual tour; exhibits on D-Day; F-105, Vietnam era plane (“The Thud”); the Civil War Battle of Reed’s Bridge, Arkansas Ordnance Plant (AOP) and other military history. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $3 adults; $2 seniors, military; $1 students. 501-241-1943. n Yellville P.A.L. FINE ART GALLERY, Hwy. 62: Debut party marking release of volume one of “Art and Artisans of the Ozarks,” 4-7 p.m. July 31. 870-405-6316.
GALLERIES, ongoing exhibits.
ACAC GALLERY, 900 S. Rodney Parham: New paintings by John Kushmaul, through July. 2-6 p.m. Tue.-Fri., noon-4 p.m. Sat. 479-466-1235. ARGENTA ART MARKET, 510 Main St., NLR: Outdoor artists and crafters market, 8 a.m. to noon every Sat. ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: “The Miniature Worlds of Bruce Metcalf,” through Aug. 22; “Currents in Contemporary Art,” “Masterworks,” “Paul Signac Watercolors and Drawings,” ongoing. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 372-4000. ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER COMMUNITY GALLERY, Terry House, 7th and Rock Sts.: “V.I.T.A.L. Artists Collective Inaugural Exhibit,” work by Melverue Abraham, Rex Deloney, LaToya Hobbs, Ariston Jacks, Kalari Turner and Michael Worsham, through Aug. 28. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 372-4000. ARKANSAS STUDIES INSTITUTE, 401 President Clinton Ave.: “Luke Anguhadluq: Inuit Artist,” from the J.W. Wiggins Native American Art Collection, Mezzanine Gallery, through Oct. 9; “Mid-Southern Watercolorists 40th annual Juried Exhibition,” Main Gallery, through Aug. 28; “Arkansans in the Korean War 1950 to 1953,” through July, Atrium Gallery. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 320-5700. BOSWELL-MOUROT FINE ART, 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd.: New work by 25 national, international and Arkansas artists, highlighting mixed media on canvas work of Darlyne Chauve, through August. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 664-0030. CANTRELL GALLERY, 8206 Cantrell Road: “19th annual Mid-Southern Watercolorists Open Membership Exhibit,” through July. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 224-1335. CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 509 Scott St.: “Summer Members Show,” work by Arkansas Pastel Society members Shirley Anderson, Ruth Byrn, S. Caruthers, Gertrude Casciano, Lois Davis, Marlene Gremillion, Sheliah Halderman, Mary Nancy Henry, Susan Hurst, Melanie Johnston, Sr. Maria Liebeck, Sue F. Lopez, Anne K. Lyon, Nancy Martin, Diana L. Shearon, Cathy Spann, Mary Ann Stafford and Debbie Strobel. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 9 a.m.noon Sun. 375-2342. CHROMA GALLERY, 5707 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Work by Robert Reep and other Arkansas artists. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 664-0880. GALLERY 26, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Becki Lamascus and Katherine Strause, recent works, through Sept. 14. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 664-8996. GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR: “Roger Carlisle: Light in the Landscape.” 10 a.m.-6
Continued on page 27
t
Best Arkansas of
Do not Miss our July 29, 2010 issue! the 15th annual Arkansas Times Best of Arkansas
Friday, July 23 -Thursday, July 29
HELP WANTED ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
CELEBRATING OUR 10th YEAR!
July 23-25
Joan RiveRs: a Piece of WoRk – R 2:15 4:20 7:15 9:15 Joan Rivers, Donald Trump, Kathy Griffin Sundance Film Festival
MicMacs – R 1:45 4:15 6:45 9:00 A Film by Jean-Perre Jeunet Cesar Awards
WinteRs Bone – R 2:00 4:20 7:15 9:20 Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes Sundance Film Fest
ondine – PG13 1:45 4:00 6:45 9:00
Irish Film Awards, Colin Farrell, Tony Curran, Alicja Bachleda
the GiRl With the dRaGon tattoo – nR 1:30 4:15 7:00 European Film Awards, Palm Springs Film Fest
Shane – PG • 7Pm $5 • TueS 8/10 air condiTioninG/no rain ouTS 9 PM shoWs fRi & sat only
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LITTLE ROCK, CAN WE TALK’ ABOUT THE SUMMER’S FUNNIEST COMEDY?
‘
HIGHEST RATING!
-Peter Travers, ROLLING STONE
- Christ DALLAS opher Kelly, MOR NEWS NING
, LaSalle - Mick ANCISCO R F N A S ICLE CHRON T HIGHES ! RATING
HIGHES T RATING !
CONVULSIVELY FUNNY.”
“
-Manohla Dargis, THE NEW YORK TIMES
THOROUGHLY EXHILARATING.” “
-David Edelstein, NEW YORK MAGAZINE
movielistings All theater listings run Friday to Thursday unless otherwise noted.
Rave showings were unavailable at press time. Visit www.arktimes.com for updates. Market Street Cinema showtimes at or after 9 p.m. are for Friday and Saturday only. NEW MOVIES Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (R) — A documentary on the plastic-faced comedienne as she turns 75-years-old. Market Street 2:15, 4:20, 7:15, 9:15. Micmacs (R) — A man and his friends come up with an intricate, daring plot to destroy two major weapons manufacturers. Market Street: 1:45, 4:15, 6:45, 9:00. Ramona and Beezus (G) — Beverly Cleary’s famous Quimby sisters go through misadventures and mistakes to save their family. Breckenridge: 11:35, 2:00, 4:30, 7:00, 9:45. Chenal 9: 10:55, 1:30, 4:10, 7:10, 9:35. Lakewood: 10:55, 1:35, 4:20, 7:10, 9:40. Salt (PG-13) — A CIA officer has to go on the run after a defector accuses her of being a Russian double agent. Breckenridge: 12:05, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 10:00. Chenal 9: 11:20, 1:55, 4:45, 7:30, 10:00. Lakewood: 11:00, 1:30, 4:25, 7:25, 9:55. Riverdale: 11:00, 1:10, 3:20, 5:30, 7:45, 10:00. RETURNING THIS WEEK The A-Team (PG-13) — Four former Special Forces soldiers look to clear their name with the U.S. military after finding themselves framed and on the lam. Breckenridge: 4:10, 10:05. Animalopolis (NR) — A half-hour film of goofy animals being goofy in enormous 3D. Aerospace IMAX: 11:00, 7:00 Fri.; 1:00, 3:00, 7:00 Sat. Clash of the Titans (PG-13) — Perseus, son of Zeus, leads a band of warriors into uncharted dimensions while attempting to defeat the evil Hades, God of the Underworld. Movies 10: 9:35. Date Night (PG-13) — When a bored couple tries for a romantic evening in New York City, a case of mistaken identity sends them off into a night of danger. Movies 10: 12:10, 5:05, 10:15. Death at a Funeral (PG-13) — A funeral for a family patriarch goes haywire, being constantly disrupted by a series of accidents, missteps, idiocy and blackmail. Movies 10: 1:00, 3:10, 5:35, 7:55, 10:05. Despicable Me (PG) — A skittish criminal mastermind hiding in the suburbs plans to steal the moon, if only he can keep three orphaned girls away. Breckenridge: 2:05, 4:20, 6:50, 9:35. Chenal 9: 11:20, 1:35, 4:15, 7:05, 9:20. Lakewood: 11:05, 1:20, 4:05, 7:05, 9:30. Riverdale: 11:40, 2:00, 4:25, 6:50, 9:15. Get Him to the Greek (R) — A dopey record company intern finds himself caught in a drug-andsex-fueled caper as he tries to bring an unruly British rock star to America. Riverdale: 11:30, 1:55, 4:20, 6:45, 9:10. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (R) — When a shabby pair of investigators look into a decades-old
missing person case, they discover grotesque family secrets. Market Street: 1:30, 4:15, 7:00. Grown Ups (PG-13) — Five old basketball teammates act like kids again after their high school coach passes away. Breckenridge: 12:10, 2:35, 5:05, 7:40, 10:25. Chenal 9: 11:15, 1:40, 4:25, 7:15, 9:55. Lakewood: 11:05, 1:40, 7:20. Riverdale: 11:05, 1:15, 4:30, 7:10, 9:50. How to Train Your Dragon (PG) — A timid young Viking, raised to slay dragons by his heroic father, ends up befriending one he tried to slay. Movies 10: 12:00, 2:20, 4:40, 7:05. Inception (PG-13) — A corporate spy enters competitors’ dreams to extract company secrets in this surrealist revision of heist films. Breckenridge: 11:55, 12:25, 4:00, 4:40, 7:10, 7:50, 10:20. Chenal 9: 1:05, 4:05, 7:05, 10:05; 10:50, 1:45, 4:40, 7:35, 10:30. Lakewood: 12:00, 3:30, 7:00, 10:15. Riverdale: 12:20, 3:25, 6:30, 9:30. Iron Man 2 (PG-13) — The libertine superhero returns, facing off with an evil Russian copycat, an old rival and the government. Movies 10: 12:05, 1:30, 2:55, 4:20, 5:40, 7:10, 8:35, 9:55. Riverdale: 11:00, 1:40, 4:20, 7:00, 9:35. Jonah Hex (PG-13) — A bounty hunter on the lam is hired by the government to stop a terrorist bent on world destruction. Movies 10: 12:50, 2:50, 4:50, 7:40, 9:50. Just Wright (PG) — A physical therapist finds herself falling for the professional basketball player in her care. Movies 10: 12:20, 2:40, 5:00, 7:20, 9:40. The Karate Kid (PG) — A reboot of the 1985 classic sees the Kid as a Detroit-transplant in China, learning kung fu from the hand of his apartment maintenance man. Breckenridge: 12:15, 4:05, 7:05, 10:05. Killers (PG-13) — Years after an undercover assassin settles down in the suburbs, he and his wife discover a plot to kill him. Movies 10: 12:40, 3:00, 5:20, 7:45, 10:10. Knight and Day (PG-13) — When a spy realizes he wasn’t supposed to survive his last assignment, he teams with an unassuming stranger to escape. Breckenridge: 11:45, 2:15, 4:45, 7:25, 9:55. The Last Airbender (PG) — M. Night Shyamalan adapts the hugely successful action cartoon about four magical defenders of the elements. Breckenridge: 2:25, 7:35. Riverdale: 11:40, 2:00, 4:25, 6:50, 9:15. Letters to Juliet (PG) — An American in Italy takes it upon herself to help a number of anonymous, lovelorn women who left letters at the fictional Capulet courtyard in Verona. Movies 10: 2:35, 7:35. The Living Sea (NR) — An underwater tour of Palau, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Alaska, Nova Scotia and the Red Sea. Aerospace Imax: 10:00, 12:00, 2:00 (Thu.); 10:00, 12:00, 2:00, 7:00, 9:00 (Fri.); 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 7:00 (Sat.). Marmaduke (PG) — The funny pages’ Great Dane turns his family’s cross-country move into a neverending series of disasters. Movies 10: 12:15, 2:45, 4:55, 7:15, 9:30.
Ondine (PG-13) — An Irish fisherman and his daughter find themselves changed by a woman who may or may not be a mermaid. Market Street: 1:45, 4:00, 6:45, 9:00. Predators (R) — The newest addition to the “Predator” franchise sees a group of paramilitary experts try to outlast the ruthless, futuristic Predators. Breckenridge: 12:00, 4:55, 10:15. Lakewood: 4:35, 10:05. Robin Hood (PG-13) — The legendary marksman and people’s hero leads a gang of marauders against corrupt governmental heads. Movies 10: 12:30, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (PG) — A master sorcerer recruits an ordinary guy to help him defend New York City from his arch-rival. Breckenridge: 11:40, 2:10, 4:50, 7:20, 9:50. Chenal 9: 11:10, 1:50, 4:35, 7:20, 9:45. Lakewood: 11:10, 1:45, 4:15, 7:30, 10:05. Riverdale: 11:45, 2:10, 4:34, 7:05, 9:30. Toy Story 3 (G) — Donated to a daycare center after their owner leaves for college, the beloved gang of toys rally together for one last escape. Breckenridge: 11:30, 1:55, 4:25, 6:55, 9:40. Chenal 9: 11:00, 1:40, 4:20, 7:00, 9:25. Lakewood: 11:00, 1:25, 4:00, 7:00, 9:35. Riverdale: 11:50, 2:15, 4:50, 7:15, 9:40. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (PG-13) — The third installment of the “Twilight” series finds Bella graduating high school, torn between vampire Edward and werewolf Jacob. Breckenridge: 12:20, 4:10, 7:15, 10:10. Chenal 9: 11:05, 1:45, 4:30, 7:10, 9:40. Lakewood: 10:50, 1:30, 4:10, 7:15, 10:00. Riverdale: 11:10, 1:50, 4:30, 7:10, 9:50. Thrill Ride (NR) — This IMAX movie takes viewers on some of the fastest, scariest roller coasters on earth. Aerospace IMAX: 1:00 (Thu.); 1:00, 8:00 (Fri.); 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 8:00 (Sat.). Wildfire: Feel the Heat (NR) — Discover how firefighters all over the planet fight the biggest, hottest fires on the planet. Aerospace IMAX: 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 8:00 (Sat.). Winter’s Bone (R) — A 17-year-old girl tracks her deadbeat father through the Ozarks after he abandons his family. 2010 winner of LRFF’s Golden Rock award. Market Street: 2:00, 4:20, 7:15, 9:20. Chenal 9 IMAX Theatre: 17825 Chenal Parkway, 821-2616, www.dtmovies.com. Cinemark Movies 10: 4188 E. McCain Blvd., 945-7400, www.cinemark.com. Cinematown Riverdale 10: Riverdale Shopping Center, 296-9955, www.riverdale10.com. IMAX Theater: Aerospace Education Center, 376-4629, www.aerospaced.org. Market Street Cinema: 1521 Merrill Drive, 312-8900, www.marketstreetcinema.net. Rave Colonel Glenn 18: 18 Colonel Glenn Plaza, 687-0499, www.ravemotionpictures.com. Regal Breckenridge Village 12: 1-430 and Rodney Parham, 224-0990, www.fandango.com. Dickinson Theaters Lakewood 8: Lakewood Village, 758-5354, www.fandango.com.
Attention UALR Students! Take courses this Fall with award-winning fiction writer and film critic David Koon of The Arkansas Times. Thought-provoking, challenging discussions of cinema, fiction and poetry in a relaxed setting.
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CO-DIRECTOR ANNIE SUNDBERG
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‘INCEPTION’: Ellen Page and Leonardo DiCaprio star.
■ moviereview Sweet Dreams ‘Inception’ the best of 2010 so far. n If you’re planning on going to see writer/ director Christopher Nolan’s new film “Inception,” stop right now. With a script this intricate and delicately made, pretty much anything beyond the names of the principal actors is a spoiler. There’s just not a whole lot you can say about the movie without spilling some bit of carefully laid beans. So if you’ve already got a date set to go see it, just put the paper down. You can read my thoughts on the movie later, after Nolan’s ass-over-teakettle take on the heist flick has reduced your frontal lobe to figgy pudding. Now that’s out of the way, let’s get on with it. If you’re not planning on going to see “Inception,” do so. Play hooky from work. Go tonight. It’s that good. If you’re a fan of Nolan’s other works — most notably his debut, “Memento” — you already know that he’s a writer/director who likes to take a cleaver and pick axe to the expectations of his audience. Though he has gained quite a bit of notoriety in recent years directing the superb reboots of the Batman franchise, “Inception” really represents a return to his roots. Yes, it’s a vast and sprawling film, one that feels like it contains — just outside the reach of the camera — volumes of history that we’re never going to be privy to. At the same time, there’s the character-driven brilliance and breakneck twists that made his plot-busting “Memento” such a dark and lovely film. The story behind “Inception” sounds a bit too sci-fi for most serious cinephiles, but just go with it and you’ll be OK. In the near future (or possibly even a parallel universe), the military develops a kind of mental simulator to train sleeping soldiers:
a machine that can enter the dreams of a subject, rearrange the furniture any way the person running the simulation wants it, and then make the subject believe it’s all real. Of course, as you might imagine, this kind of thing quickly breaks out into the open market, spawning a whole new kind of crime: “extraction,” a kind of mental espionage where trained dream-thieves enter the often-bizarre world of a sleeping person’s subconscious and then steal secrets like bank account numbers, intellectual property and the like. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Cobb, one of these dream criminals. Exiled from the United States, pining to get back to his young children, Cobb ends up striking a bargain with a Japanese businessman named Saito (Ken Watanabe). The job: to break into the head of Robert Fisher (Cillian Murphy), the son of Saito’s business rival. Instead of taking away a secret, however, Saito wants Cobb to do something almost infinitely harder: to plant a memory, a process called inception, which few in Cobb’s shady underworld think can work. If Cobb can pull it off, Saito will use his powerful connections to clear his record, allowing him to go home to his children. Cobb assembles his team, including young “architect” Ariadne (Ellen Page, of “Juno” fame), whose job it is to create the incredibly complicated world of the dream. Cobb proceeds to tell his crew that to get the idea to take root in Fisher’s mind, they have to go deeper than anyone has ever gone before: a dream within a dream within a dream. One issue with the plan is that every time you go down a level, time slows down exponentially, so that a minute in the
real, waking world can seem like decades to someone wandering around a subject’s mental sub-sub-basement. Worse, Cobb tells them: If they get lost, they might never make it back out. Mind blown yet? Good. “Inception” is what science fiction — and indeed film — should be. No built-bycommittee plot baloney, no unnecessary special effects, just one deeply-imaginative twist after another. Sure, it’s an oldfashioned heist movie, complete with a ticking clock and a team of experts who are all the best at their individual skill. The difference is that Nolan turns that tired old trope straight on its head with the idea of dream theft, a wrinkle so damn cool that it’s sure to have every other screenwriter kicking himself for not thinking of it first. There is so much neat stuff going on in this movie that I could write a review 10 times this long and not get to it all. Zero gravity. Runaway trains plowing through downtown streets. The shade of Cobb’s wife, who seeps through Cobb’s guilty conscience and comes out as a really, really pissed version of Lady Macbeth. Though it looks for awhile like “Inception” is finally just going to spin off into weirdo limbo, somehow Nolan holds it through the skid and gets it straightened out on the other side. It is a beautiful thing to behold. “Inception” is not going to be everybody’s cup of tea and I don’t blame you if you hate it. It takes a fair bit of focus just to keep up. The plot is so complicated that I think I’m going to make a return engagement later this week, just to pick up everything I missed. That said, if you want to know what the action/thriller genre would look like in a perfect world, this is a good place to start. Watch for this one to be a contender at Oscar time. — David Koon In case you missed it, check out Bernard Reed’s review of “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work” on page 23.
p.m. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. 664-2787. HEARNE FINE ART, 1001 Wright Ave.: “Collaborations,” paintings and sculpture by Kevin Cole, Benny Andrews, Kennith Humphrey, Tonia Mitchell, Marjorie Williams-Smith, photographs by Ernest C. Withers, and other work. 372-6822. HEIGHTS GALLERY, 5801 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Arkansas artists. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 664-2772. KETZ GALLERY, 705 Main St., NLR: Tim Jacob, paintings, 529-6330. LOCAL COLOUR GALLERY, 5811 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Christmas in July,” jewelry by Mary Allison, other work by members of cooperative. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 265-0422. M2 GALLERY, 11525 Cantrell Road: Work by new artists Danny Broadway, Todd Williams, David Walker, Char Demoro and Morgan McMurry. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 225-5257. RED DOOR GALLERY, 3715 JFK, NLR: Work by Twin, Robin Steves, Brady Taylor, Georges Artaud, Lola, Jim Johnson, Amy Hill-Imler, James Hayes and Theresa Cates. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 753-5227. SALON UNDERGROUND, 2821 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “More Selections from the Estate of Howard S. Stern,” paintings, prints and photographs by Leonard Baskin, Carroll Cloar, Selma Blackburn, Frank Freed, Hiroyuki Tajima, Sheila Parsons, Douglas Walton, Marjorie Williams-Smith, Jason Williamson and Stern, through July. SHOWROOM, 2313 Cantrell Road. Work by area artists, including Sandy Hubler. 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 372-7373. THEA FOUNDATION, 401 Main St.: Area artists’ open studios in THEArtists Gallery (2nd floor), 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 379-9512. TOBY FAIRLEY FINE ART, 5507 Ranch Drive, Suite 103: Contemporary Arkansas artists. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Fri. or by appointment. 868-9882. UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK: “Groovy Summer Show,” 1960s rock band posters from the permanent collection, through July 20, Gallery III, 2nd floor Fine Arts Building. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 569-8977. UALR BOWEN SCHOOL OF LAW: “Law in a Land Without Justice: Nazi Germany 1933-1945,” World War II artifacts, through July. 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun. WILLIAM F. LAMAN LIBRARY, 2801 Orange St., NLR: “Draw Me a Story: A Century of Children’s Book Illustration,” 40 original illustrations by Maurice Sendak, Ralph Caldecott, Kate Greenaway, William Steig, Lois Lenski, Tomie DePaola, Chris Van Allsburg and others, through Aug. 11. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 758-1720. n Benton DIANNE ROBERTS ART STUDIO AND GALLERY, 110 N. Market St.: Area artists. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 860-7467. n Bentonville CRYSTAL BRIDGES AT THE MASSEY, 125 W. Central: “ArtBuzz: Vintage Vessels,” gallery talk, 11 a.m.-noon July 15, companion to “Transforming Tradition: Pottery from Mata Ortiz,” Field Museum exhibit, through Aug. 29. 479-418-5700. n El Dorado SOUTH ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, 110 E. Fifth ST.: “2010 Juried Art Competition,” photographs by John Bridges and John Watson, pastels by Virmarie DePoyster, linoleum cuts by Neal Harrington and LaToya Hobbs, watercolor by Nina Louton, and work by other artists, through July 29, Merkle Gallery. 870-862-5474. n Hot Springs ALISON PARSONS GALLERY, 802 Central Ave.: Paintings by Parsons. 501-625-3001. AMERICAN ART GALLERY, 724 Central Ave.: Jimmy Leach, Jamie Carter, Govinder, Marlene Gremillion, Margaret Kipp and others. 501-6240550. ARTISTS WORKSHOP GALLERY, 810 Central Ave.: Eletha Hise, Joanne Kunath, paintings, pastels, through July. 501-623-6401. ATTRACTION CENTRAL GALLERY, 264 Central Ave.: Work in all media by Hot Springs artists.
Continued on page 28 www.arktimes.com • july 22, 2010 27
calendar
Continued from page 27 501-463-4932. BLUE MOON, 718 Central Ave.: Mosaic glass artwork by Cassie Edmonds, through July. 501-3182787. CAROLE KATCHEN ART GALLERY, 618 W. Grand Ave.: Paintings, pastels, sculpture by Katchen. 501-617-4494. FINE ARTS CENTER, 626 Central Ave.: “Sea of Love” themed exhibition. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed.-Sat. 501-624-0489. FOX PASS POTTERY, 379 Fox Pass Cut-off: Pottery by Jim and Barbara Larkin. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 501-623-9906. GALLERY 726, 726 Central Ave.: Barbara Seibel, paintings, through July. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 501-624-7726. GALLERY CENTRAL, 800 Central Ave.: Sandy Hubler, paintings, and work by other Hot Springs
artists. 501-318-4278. HOT SPRINGS CONVENTION CENTER, 134 Convention Blvd.: “Hot Springs: A Journey Through History,” photos. Open daily. 501-321-2027. JUSTUS FINE ART, 827 A Central Ave.: Michael Ashley and Dolores Justus. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. 501-321-2335. LINDA PALMER GALLERY, 800 B Central Ave.: Linda Palmer, Doyle Young, Ellen Alderson, Peter Lippincott, Sara Tole and Jan Leek. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 501-620-3063. RICIANO ART GALLERY, 833 Central Ave.: Riciano, Lacey Riciano and other artists. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. 501-339-3751. TAYLOR’S CONTEMPORANEA, 204 Exchange St.: Area and regional artists. 624-0516. n Lake Village GUACHOYA CULTURAL ART CENTER, 1652 Hwy. 65 & 82 South: “Delta Ladies Exhibit,” multimedia by Kathy Davis Day, pottery by Rebecca Potter and Delta landscapes by Shelby Nunnery, through Aug. 27. 1-6 p.m. Tue., Thu., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Fri. 870-265-6077. n Springdale ARTS CENTER OF THE OZARKS, 215 S. Main St.: “Artists of Northwest Arkansas Annual Regional Exhibition,” through Aug. 6, McCuistion-Matthews and Smith galleries. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 479-751-5441. nYellville P.A.L. FINE ART GALLERY, 300 Hwy. 62 W: Pen and inks by Joe Hatcher, through July. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 870-405-6316.
MUSEUMS, ongoing ExhibitS
ARKANSAS INLAND MARITIME MUSEUM, NLR: Tours of the USS Razorback submarine. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.-Sat., 1-6 p.m. Sun. 371-8320. CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSEUM VISITOR CENTER, Bates and Park: Exhibits on the 1957 desegregation of Central and the civil rights movement. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily. 374-1957. CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER, 1200
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IN THEATRES JULY 30 28 july 22, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
President Clinton Ave.: “Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters,” interactive displays and animation on earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes and tornadoes from the Field Museum, through Sept. 6; standing exhibits about policies and White House life during the Clinton administration. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $7 adults; $5 college students, seniors, retired military; $3 ages 6-17. 370-8000. HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM, 200 E. Third St.: “You Fit into Me: Works by David Carpenter and Lindsey Maestri,” through Sept. 5; “Unprivate Mail: Arkansas Postcards and Cryptic Messages,” through Sept. 26; “John Chiaromonte and Maribeth Anders: The Responsibility of Internal Forces,” through Aug. 8. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $2.50 adults, $1.50, $1 children for tours of grounds. 324-9351. MacARTHUR MUSEUM OF ARKANSAS MILITARY HISTORY, MacArthur Park: “Warrior: Vietnam Portraits by Two Guys from Hall,” photos by Jim Guy Tucker and Bruce Wesson, through November; exhibits on Arkansas’s military history. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., 1-4 p.m. Sun. 376-4602. MOSAIC TEMPLARS CULTURAL CENTER, Ninth and Broadway: Exhibits on African-Americans in Arkansas, including one on the Ninth Street business district, Dunbar High School, entrepreneurs, the Mosaic Templars business and more. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 683–3593. OLD STATE HOUSE, 300 W. Markham St.: “Arkansas/Arkansaw: A State and Its Reputation,” the evolution of the state’s hillbilly image; “Badges, Bandits & Bars: Arkansas Law & Justice,” state’s history of crime and punishment, through March 2011. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9685. WITT STEPHENS JR. CENTRAL ARKANSAS NATURE CENTER, Riverfront Park: Exhibits on wildlife and the state Game and Fish Commission. n Calico Rock CALICO ROCK MUSEUM, Main Street: Displays on Native American cultures, steamboats, the railroad, and local history. www.calicorockmuseum. com. n England TOLTEC MOUNDS STATE PARK, State Hwy. 165: Major prehistoric Indian site with visitors’ center and museum. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun., closed Mon. $3 for adults, $2 for ages 6-12. 961-9442. n Hot Springs MID-AMERICA SCIENCE MUSEUM, 500 Mid-America Blvd.: “Be the Dinosaur,” life-like animatronic dinosaurs, through Sept. 6. 501-7673461 or 800-632-0583. MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, 425 Central Ave.: “Just a Way Out,” new photographs by Thomas Petillo, through Aug. 1, photographs by Ansel Adams, through Aug. 1. $5. $5, $4 for seniors. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thu.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun. 501-6099955. n Morrilton MUSEUM OF AUTOMOBILES, Petit Jean Mountain: Permanent exhibit of more than 50 cars from 1904-1967 depicting the evolution of the automobile. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 7 days. 501-727-5427. n Rogers ROGERS HISTORICAL MUSEUM, 322 S. 2nd St.: “Buried Dreams: “Coin Harvey and Monte Ne,” photographs; “Rogers Auto-Biography: An Automotive History of Rogers,” through 2011. 479-621-1154. n Russellville RIVER VALLEY ARTS CENTER, 1001 E. B St.: Work by sculptor Virginia Berner, artist-in-residence Winston Taylor, students Abbey Harris, Heather Beckwith, Janice Miles, Kristen Taylor, Carla Swanson, Susan Harmon, Anita Allen and Gus Sprague and Hector art teacher Carolyn Shockley. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri. 479-9682452.
Call for entries The Arkansas Pastel Society is accepting entries through Aug. 5 for its members-only juried show to be held Oct. 1-29 at the THEA Foundation, 401 Main St., North Little Rock. Cash prizes will be made. Go to www.arkpastel.com or call 664-8087 for entry forms and membership information. Membership in the APS is open to all interested pastel artists. Submissions must be at least 80 percent soft or oil pastel.
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SWim SeaSon iS here! it iS not to late to get in ShaPe! www.arktimes.com • july 22, 2010 29
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July 20 - August 29
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for more information go to argentarestaurantweek.com. sponsored by participating restaurants eight-dollar lunch twenty-five-dollar dinner argenta market 379.9980 cornerstone pub & grill 374.1782 cregeen’s irish pub 376.7468 reno’s argenta café 376.2900 starving artist café 372.7976 ump’s pub & grill 324.2255
benihana 374.8081 ristorante capeo 376.3463 riverfront steakhouse 375.7825 starving artist café 372.7976
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website news every minute 30 july 22, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
Restaurant capsules Every effort is made to keep this listing of some of the state’s more notable restaurants current, but we urge readers to call ahead to check on changes on days of operation, hours and special offerings. What follows, because of space limitations, is a partial listing of restaurants reviewed by our staff. Information herein reflects the opinions of the newspaper staff and its reviewers. The newspaper accepts no advertising or other considerations in exchange for reviews, which are conducted anonymously. We invite the opinions of readers who think we are in error. Restaurants are listed in alphabetical order by city; Little Rock-area restaurants are divided by food category. Other review symbols are: B Breakfast L Lunch D Dinner $ Inexpensive (under $8/person) $$ Moderate ($8-$20/person) $$$ Expensive (over $20/person) CC Accepts credit cards
Little Rock N. Little Rock American
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. $-$$. 501-374-4265. LD Tue.-Sat. ALLEY OOPS The restaurant at Creekwood Plaza (near the Kanis-Bowman intersection) is a neighborhood feedbag for major medical institutions with the likes of plate lunches, burgers and homemade desserts. Remarkable Chess Pie. 11900 Kanis Rd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-221-9400. LD Mon.-Sat. 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. $$. 501-554-0914. B Wed.-Fri.; BR Sat.-Sun.
Continued on page 32
River Rock Grill impresses, after a wait. n We’ve heard it asked many times: Where can you dine with wine (or your favorite alcoholic beverage) while staying atop Petit Jean Mountain? Until recently the answer had been “in your own cabin/lodge room/tent.” That was before the River Rock Grill. The grill is in the beautiful Winthrop Rockefeller Institute (on what was the late governor’s ranch) and to get there you must traverse country roads and cow fields. The only barrier to admission is that one must sign up for a free club membership to dine there. We have been a few times now, and thought we had our review in the bag after the penultimate visit back in May. We had dined on tres amigos, a selection of guacamole, salsa and cheese dip with fresh hot chips; garlic shrimp over linguini, and poached salmon with asparagus. As we left that time, the waitress invited us to come back a few weeks later for the unveiling of a new menu. We did, and what we found surprised us. The menu, once two pages encompassing sandwiches in the $6 range and several entrees and salads under $20, has been reduced to a single page. The choices have been limited. We were asked to wait more than an hour for anything other than beverages, though the restaurant was all but deserted. Indeed, we would have gone somewhere else, had we been just about anywhere else. When service did come, we were given salads right off the bat, but were told the kitchen had run out of bread. Things weren’t looking good. We placed our orders and hoped for some semblance of the previous dining experiences we had enjoyed. And as luck would have it, our persistence and wait paid off, first with the arancini ($7), fresh risotto balls stuffed with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. We were surprised that instead of several small bite-sized portions we received two fist-sized balls, very hot and, as our dining partner called them, “righteous.” They were served up with a creamy tomato soup dotted with more Parmesan and a generous bed of mixed greens. Our entrees came out post haste, before we could really dig in to our appetizer. No worries, we were plenty ready. Our companion had chosen the steak frites ($20), hoping it resembled a former star of the menu, the brown sugar-encrusted steak. It indeed was as good, cooked to a delicious medium rare, with a somewhat crunchy sweet
kat robinson
n The local mobile food cart business goes beyond taco trucks (last week’s cover feature in the Times), of course. For going on two months now, photographer Michael Juiliano has been serving up all-beef hot dogs all over town from his mobile stand. Besides your standard dog ($3) — available with chili, onion, relish, sauerkraut, slaw and all the typical condiments — Hot Dog Mike, as his business card reads, offers daily specials (usually in the $3 to $4 range) like beer brats, Polish dogs, hot links and specialty hot dogs. Lately, he’s been offering a Sriracha dog, which comes with diced cucumber and onion, mayonnaise and Sriracha (a spicy sauce). He’s also done one he called a Razorback dog, with bacon, coleslaw and BBQ sauce. Juiliano’s regular stops include Best Car Wash on Bowman, downtown near DHS and near the Fountain Bar on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, but the best way to find him is via Twitter at twitter.com/hotdog_mike. He updates daily. He can also be reached at 416-4778.
■ dining Mountain meal
WORTH THE WAIT: River Rock Grill’s steak frites (above) and Carducci grouper.
kat robinson
what’scookin’
and slightly salty crust to it. This steak alone is worth the drive up the mountain. It came on a bed of frites and with a ramekin of creamed spinach. The thick and creamy spinach was a great item in itself. The fries were just OK. We were stunned with the audacity of the chef in his selection of ingredients for the Carducci grouper ($19). The perfectly cooked grouper came with a smattering of blood orange slices on top and tucked into a little paper pouch that rested on a bed of succulent fennel and onions. The blood oranges did not do much for this reviewer, but the fish and fennel went together quite well. We were smitten with the fried risotto cakes that came along. We submitted ourselves to the only dessert on the menu, simply listed as
“cheesecake” ($5). We were expecting a n a v e r a g e N ew York-style cheesecake. What we received was a slice of creamy-yet-firmcustard cheesecake, bathed in a simple no-sugar-added raspberry coulis. So simple, so well done. And even though our time at the restaurant passed the two-hour mark, we were glad we had given in. We’re hoping the service issues aren’t repeated in the future. We will have to see about taking the trip up the mountain again soon, just to give it a shot.
River Rock Grill
Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain 1 Rockefeller Drive 501-727-5435 Quick bite
The restaurant has the only full bar we know of on the mountain.
Hours
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Other info
Credit cards accepted. Full bar. Reservations accepted. www.arktimes.com • juLY 22, 2010 31
Restaurant capsules Continued from page 31
The Prime choice for your evening ouT
Shackleford & Hermitage Road Little Rock • 501-312-2748
Come See our New DeCk! outdoor seating now available.
Just off JFk Blvd. 7311 North Hills Blvd. 834-1840 • www.gadwallsgrill.com
32 juLY 22, 2010 • ArkAnsAs Times
BAR LOUIE This chain’s first Arkansas outlet features a something-for-everybody menu so broad and varied to be almost schizophrenic. All sampled was unexceptional but not offensive in a very generic sort of way. The way-above-average aspects: friendly, attentive servers/ bartenders and broad, creative beer/cocktail selection. 11525 Cantrell Road, Suite 924. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-228-0444. LD daily. BEEF O’BRADY’S FAMILY SPORTS PUB The signature item is the wings, with a variety of sauces, plus burgers, specialty sandwiches, wraps, salads and fish dishes. 115 Audubon Drive. Maumelle. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-8039500. LD daily. BILL ST. GRILL AND PUB Massive burgers, batter dipped French fries, inventive appetizers and other pub grub. 614 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-353-1724. LD Mon.-Sat. BOBBY’S COUNTRY COOKIN’ One of the better plate lunch spots in the area, with maybe the best fried chicken and pot roast around, a changing daily casserole and wonderful homemade pies. 301 N. Shackleford Road, Suite E1. No alcohol, All CC. 501-224-9500. L Mon.-Fri. BOGIE’S BAR AND GRILL The former Bennigan’s retains a similar theme: a menu filled with burgers, salads and giant desserts, plus a few steak, fish and chicken main courses. There are big screen TVs for sports fans and lots to drink, more reason to return than the food. 120 W. Pershing Blvd. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-812-0019. BD daily. CATFISH CITY AND BBQ GRILL Basic fried fish and sides, including green tomato pickle, and now with tasty ribs and sandwiches in beef, pork and sausage. 1817 S. University Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-7224. LD Mon.-Sat. CHEERS IN THE HEIGHTS Good burgers and sandwiches, vegetarian offerings and salads at lunch and fish specials, and good steaks in the evening. 2010 N. Van Buren. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-5937. LD Mon.-Sat. 1901 Club Manor Drive. Maumelle. Full bar, All CC. 501-851-6200. LD Daily. CRACKER BARREL Chain-style home-cooking with plenty of variety, consistency and portions. Multiple locations statewide. 3101 Springhill Drive. NLR. 945-9373. BLD. DAVE AND RAY’S DOWNTOWN DINER Breakfast buffet daily featuring biscuits and gravy, home fries, sausage and made-to-order omelets. Lunch buffet with four choices of meats and eight veggies. All-you-can-eat catfish on weekend nights. 824 W. Capitol Ave. No alcohol. $. 501-372-8816. BL daily. EL NOPAL Mexican American fare. 700 W. Capitol Ave. 501-372-9999. BL Mon.-Fri. FLIGHT DECK A not-your-typical daily lunch special highlights this spot, which also features inventive sandwiches, salads and a popular burger. Central Flying Service at Adams Field. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-375-3245. BL Mon.-Sat. HEAVENLY HAM Fine hams, turkeys and other specialty meats served whole, by the pound or in sandwich form. 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-225-2136. LD Mon.-Sat. (until 6 p.m.). THE HOP DINER The downtown incarnation of the old dairy bar, with excellent burgers, onion rings, shakes and breakfast. Plus, daily specials and desserts. 201 E. Markham. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-244-0975. JASON’S DELI A huge selection of sandwiches (wraps, subs, po’ boys and pitas), salads and spuds, as well as red beans and rice and chicken pot pie. Plus a large selection of heart healthy and light dishes. 301 N. Shackleford Road. Beer, Wine. $-$$. 501-954-8700. BLD daily. JIMMY JOHN’S GOURMET SANDWICHES Illinoisbased sandwich chain that doesn’t skimp on what’s between the buns. 4120 E. McCain Blvd. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-945-9500. LD 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 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. MIMI’S CAFE Breakfast is our meal of choice here at this upscale West Coast chain. Portions are plenty to last you through the afternoon, especially if you get a muffin on the side. Middle-America comfort-style entrees make-up other meals, from pot roast to pasta dishes. 11725 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-221-3883. BLD daily. MR. BELL’S SOUL FOOD Rose City soul food spot owned by Leon and Loreta Bell serves typical meat-andtwo options: smothered pork chops, pigs feet, yams, greens. The desserts are delectable; the dinner menu includes an all-you-can eat choice (as long as advance payment is made and no doggy bags are expected). 4506 Lynch Drive. NLR. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-945-9000. LD Sun.-Fri. (closes at 6 p.m. Sun. and 7 p.m. Mon.-Fri.). RED MANGO National yogurt and smoothie chain that’s
■ update ORANGE LEAF In a time where most restaurants publish mini-novels disguised as menus, it’s refreshing to walk in a place as simple and direct as Orange Leaf, the self-serve yogurt chain that recently opened in West Little Rock’s bustling Pleasant Ridge Town Center. Really, the place couldn’t be more basic — there’s a bank of yogurt machines, followed by a bar with quite a variety of toppings and sauces and then a register to ring you up. Other than a small selection of drinks in a case, that’s it. Part of the appeal is the variety of flavors (peanut butter, mango, green apple, more) and toppings (granola, almonds, pineapples, Fruity Pebbles, Gummy Bears, more) and the clean, modern design of the small shop. The small orange and white tables are sleek and futuristic. Though the yogurt is 45 cents an ounce, the containers you put it in are big and, even if you fill up the small, you’re likely to have more yogurt than needed. This goes double if you let the kids get their own. 11525 Cantrell Road, Little Rock. 501-227-4522. CC. LD daily. appeal lies in adjectives like “all-natural,” “non-fat,” “glutenfree” and “probiotic.” 5621 Kavanaugh Blvd. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-663-2500. LD daily. RESTAURANT 1620 Steaks, chops, a broad choice of fresh seafood and meal-sized salads are just a few of the choices on a broad menu at this popular and upscale West Little Rock bistro. It’s a romantic, candlelit room, elegant without being fussy or overly formal. 1620 Market St. Full bar. $$-$$$. 501-221-1620. D Mon.-Sat., BR Sun. SADDLE CREEK WOODFIRED GRILL Upscale chain dining in Lakewood, with a menu full of appetizers, burgers, chicken, fish and other fare. It’s the smoke-kissed steaks, however, that make it a winner — even in Little Rock’s beef-heavy restaurant market. 2703 Lakewood Village. Full bar. $$-$$$. 501-812-0883. SAN FRANCISCO BREAD CO. Breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, soups and a hot cup of joe, or a iced glass of tea. Across from the Statehouse Convention Center. 101 Main St. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-372-7322. BLD daily. SAY MCINTOSH RESTAURANT Longtime political activist and restaurateur Robert “Say” McIntosh serves up big plates of soul food, plus burgers, barbecue and his famous sweet potato pie. 2801 W. 7th Street. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-664-6656. LD Mon.-Sat. L Sun. SPECTATOR’S GRILL AND PUB Burgers, soups, salads and other beer food, plus live music on weekends. 1012 W. 34th St. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-791-0990. LD Mon.-Sat. SPORTS PAGE Perhaps the largest, juiciest, most flavorful burger in town. Grilled turkey and hot cheese on sourdough gets praise, too. Now with lunch specials. 414 Louisiana St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-372-9316. L Mon.-Fri. STARVING ARTIST CAFE All kinds of crepes, served as entrees or as dessert, in this cozy multidimensional eatery with a cultural focus, hence the name. You might catch a painter discussing his work, a writer with a new book, or a guitarist playing flamenco or finger-style at lunch or dinner while you munch on delicious shrimp crepes or sip on potato and leek soup like you’d find in New York. Dinner menu changes daily, and they have an intriguing wine list. 411 N. Main St. NLR. Wine, All CC. $$. 501-3727976. LD Tue.-Sat. SUFFICIENT GROUNDS Great coffee, good bagels and pastries, and a limited lunch menu. 1401 W. Capital. No alcohol, All CC. $. 501-372-1009. BL Mon.-Fri. T.G.I. FRIDAY’S This national chain was on the verge of stale before a redo not long ago, and the update has done wonders for the food as well as the surroundings. The lunch combos are a great deal, and the steaks aren’t bad. It’s designed for the whole family, and succeeds. Appetizers and desserts are always good. 2820 Lakewood Village Drive,. $$-$$$. 501-758-2277. TROPICAL SMOOTHIE Besides the 45 different smoothies on the menu, the cafe also serves wraps and sandwiches (many of them spicy), salads and “tortizzas.” Good food, healthy drinks, long line at lunch but it moves fast. 10221 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-224-2233. BLD daily. UMP’S PUB AND GRILL American food for folks enjoying the most American pastime, with game day specials of chicken wings and buckets of beer. 400 W. Broadway inside Dickey-Stephens Park. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-324-2255. In season: LD all game days, L Mon.-Sat., D Fri.-Sat. Off season: LD Mon.-Sat. VICTORIAN GARDEN We’ve found the fare quite tasty and somewhat daring and different with its healthy, balanced entrees and crepes. 4801 North Hills Blvd. NLR. $-$$. 501-758-4299. L Tue.-Sat. WHITE WATER TAVERN Excellent, cheap pub food. With vegetarian options. 2500 W. 7th. Full bar, All CC. $. 501-375-8400. 11 a.m until close Mon.-Sat.
AsiAn BENIHANA — THE 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. 501-3748081. L Sun.-Fri., D daily. CHI’S CHINESE CUISINE 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 daily until 3 p.m. Multiple LR locations, including 5110 W. Markham St., 501-604-7777, with delivery; a Chi’s Express at 17200 Chenal Parkway, 501-821-8000, and the original: 6 Shackleford Drive. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-221-7737. LD daily. EASTERN FLAMES Maki rolls and half rolls, fresh nigiri and sashimi, katsu, lunch boxes and a nice variety of sake
grace the menu at this sushi bar. 7710 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-227-7222. LD Mon.-Sat. FU LIN Quality in the made-to-order entrees is high, as is the quantity. 200 N. Bowman Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-225-8989. LD daily. HUNAN BALCONY The owner of New Fun Ree has combined forces with the Dragon China folks to create a formidable offering with buffet or menu items. 2817 Cantrell Road. 666-8889. LD. HUNAN ORIENTAL CUISINE Old favorites such as orange beef or chicken and Hunan green beans are still prepared with care in very nice surroundings out west. 11600 Pleasant Ridge Drive. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-2239966. LD daily. IGIBON JAPANESE FOOD HOUSE It’s a complex place, where the food is almost always good and the ambiance and service never fail to please. The sushi is good, while the Bento box with tempura shrimp and California rolls and other delights stand out. 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-217-8888. LD Mon.-Sat. KOBE JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE AND SUSHI Though answering the need for more hibachis in Little Rock, Kobe stands taller in its sushi offerings than the grill. 11401 Financial Centre Parkway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-225-5999. L Mon.-Sat. D daily. P.F. CHANG’S Nuevo Chinese from the Brinker chain that has people waiting in line for hours; make a reservation instead and get seated immediately at a table and enjoy some terrific flavors and presentations. 317 S. Shackleford. Full bar. 501-225-4424. 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, All CC. $-$$. 501-224-8100. LD daily. PEI WEI Sort of a miniature P.F. Chang’s, but a lot of fun and plenty good with all the Chang favorites we like, such as the crisp honey shrimp, dan dan noodles and pad thai. You order from the cashier, get your own tea, silver ware and fortune cookies, and they bring you piping hot food to your cozy table. 205 N. University Ave. All CC. $$. 501-280-9423. LD daily. SUPER KING BUFFET Large buffet with sushi and a Mongolian grill. 4000 Springhill Plaza Ct. NLR. All CC. $-$$. LD daily. VAN LANG CUISINE Terrific Vietnamese cuisine, the best in town, particularly the way the pork dishes and the assortment of rolls are presented. Great prices, too. Massive menu, but it’s user-friendly for locals with full English descriptions and numbers for easy ordering. 3600 S. University Ave. $-$$. 501-570-7700. LD daily.
BArBecue CAPITOL SMOKEHOUSE AND GRILL Beef, pork, sausage and chicken, all smoked to melting tenderness and doused with a choice of sauces. The crusty but tender backribs star. Side dishes are top quality. 915 W. Capitol Ave. All CC. $-$$. 501-372-4227. BL Mon.-Fri. CROSS EYED PIG BBQ COMPANY Traditional barbecue favorites smoked well such as pork ribs, beef brisket and smoked chicken. Miss Mary’s famous potato salad is full of bacon and other goodness. Smoked items such as ham and turkeys available seasonally. 1701 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-265-0012. L Mon.-Sat., D Tue.-Fri. 6015 Chenonceau Blvd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-227-7247. LD daily. FATBOY’S KILLER BAR-B-Q This Landmark neighborhood strip center restaurant in the far southern reaches of Pulaski County features tender ribs and pork by a contest pitmaster. Skip the regular sauce and risk the hot variety, it’s far better. 3405 Atwood Road. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-888-4998. LD Tue.-Sat. HB’S BAR B.Q. 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. $-$$. 501-565-1930. L Mon.-Fri. SIMS BAR-B-QUE Great spare ribs, sandwiches, beef, half and whole chicken and an addictive vinegar-mustardbrown sugar sauce unique for this part of the country. Also on John Barrow and Geyer Springs. 2415 Broadway. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-372-6868. LD Mon.-Sat. 1307 John Barrow Road. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-224-2057. LD Mon.-Sat. 7601 Geyer Springs Road. Beer, All CC. 501-562-8844. LD Mon.-Sat. SMOKE SHACK BAR-B-Q Another relative of the Shack, a legendary and long-gone Little Rock barbecue place. The beef and pork sandwiches are the best bet. Interstate 40 at Maumelle/Morgan exit (Exit 142). Maumelle. 501-8034935. LD Mon.-Sat. SMOKEY JOE’S BAR-B-QUE A steady supplier of
smoked meat for many a moon. 824 Military Road. Benton. 501-315-8333. LD Mon.-Sat. L Sun. THREE SAM’S The Sams – a father-mother-son team all known as Sam – dish up impossibly huge piles of barbecue at this friendly joint in downtown Mabelvale. Everything here is homemade, including the skin-on potato salad and a stellar dessert lineup. 10508 Mann Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-407-0345. L Mon.-Fri., D Thu.-Fri.
European / Ethnic ALBASHA GRILL Mediterranean eatery that specializes in large portions of kebabs, gyros, and shawarma served up with a tasty minted Jerusalem salad and rice or hummus. More for the American palate than most. 302 N. Shackleford Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-217-3855. LD Thu.-Tue. L Wed. KHALIL’S PUB Widely varied menu with European, Mexican and American influences. Go for the Bierocks, rolls filled with onions and beef. 110 S. Shackleford Road. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-224-0224. LD daily. BR Sun. THE PANTRY Bratwurst, wienerschnitzel, Czech dumplings and a “Rustic Bowl” one-pot meal are what set this restaurant apart from the town’s regular out-to-eat offerings. The setting is more elegant than you might suppose from consulting the menu at www.littlerockpantry.com. 11401 Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-353-1875. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. 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. $$. 501-227-9900. LD daily. TAZIKI’S This sole Arkansas location of the chain offers gyros, grilled meats and veggies, hummus and pimento cheese. 8200 Cantrell Rd. All CC. $$. 501-227-8291. LD daily.
Italian 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. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-664-2239. LD daily. GUSANO’S They make the tomatoey Chicago-style deepdish pizza the way it’s done in the Windy City. It takes a little longer to come out of the oven, but it’s worth the wait. 313 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-374-1441. LD daily. 2915 Dave Ward Drive. Conway. Beer, All CC. $$. 501-329-1100. LD daily. LA BELLA LUNA Authentic Italian cuisine. 915 Front St. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. 501-205-0888. LD Mon.-Sat. LARRY’S PIZZA The buffet is the way to go — fresh, hot pizza, fully loaded with ingredients, brought hot to your table, all for a low price. Many Central Arkansas locations. 10312 Chicot Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-5656006. LD daily. 12911 Cantrell Road. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-224-8804. LD daily. LUIGI’S PIZZARIA Excellent thin-crust pizza; whopping, well-spiced calzones; ample hoagies; and pasta with tomatoey, sweet marinara sauce. 8310 Chicot Rd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-562-9863. LD Mon.-Sat. 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. 6015 Chenonceau Boulevard, Suite 1. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-868-3911. LD daily. VILLA ITALIAN RESTAURANT Hearty, inexpensive, classic southern Italian dishes. 12111 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-219-2244. LD Mon.-Sat.
Mexican BLUE COAST BURRITO You will become a lover of fish tacos here, but there are plenty of other fresh coastal Mex choices served up fast-food cafeteria style in cool surroundings. Don’t miss the Baja fruit tea. 4613 E. McCain Blvd. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-945-8033. LD Mon.-Sat. 14810 Cantrell Road. Beer, All CC. $-$$. 501-868-3770. LD Mon.-Sat, L Sun. CACTUS JACK’S This inoffensive Mexican-esque effort on McCain has everything you’ve come to expect from the average Mexican restaurant. Ample portions, if not ample seasoning. 4120 East McCain Blvd. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-945-5888. LD daily. 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. $-$$. 501-280-9888. B Sat.-Sun., LD daily. 18321 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-868-8822. B Sat.-Sun, LD daily. 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-327-6637. L Mon.-Sat. CASA MEXICANA Familiar Tex-Mex style items all shine, in ample portions, and the steak-centered dishes are uniformly excellent. 6929 JFK Blvd. NLR. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-835-7876. LD daily. COZYMEL’S A trendy Dallas-chain cantina with flaming cheese dip, cilantro pesto, mole, lamb and more. 10 Shackleford Drive. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-954-7100. LD daily. EL CHICO Hearty, standard Mex served in huge portions. 1315 Breckenridge Drive. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-2242550. LD daily. 201 Skyline Drive. Conway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. (501) 327-6553. LD daily.
EL NOPAL Mexican American fare. 700 W. Capitol Ave. 501-372-9999. BL Mon.-Fri. EL PORTON Very good Mex for the price and a wideranging menu of dinner plates, some tasty cheese dip, and great service as well. 12111 W. Markham St. Full bar, All CC. $$. 501-223-8588. LD daily. EMMA’S TAQUERIA Try the torta hawaiiana — a pork sandwich with avocado, pineapple and onions — even more enticing. The homemade pickled cucumbers that come on the side of every order are reason enough to visit. 4318 Baseline Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-5417650. LD daily. LA HACIENDA Creative, fresh-tasting entrees and traditional favorites, all painstakingly prepared in a festive atmosphere. Great taco salad, nachos, and maybe the best fajitas around. 3024 Cantrell Road. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. 501-661-0600. LD daily. 200 Highway 65 N. Conway. All CC. $$. 501-327-6077. LD daily. LA VAQUERA The tacos at this truck are more expensive than most, but they’re still cheap eats. One of the few trucks where you can order a combination plate that comes with rice, beans and lettuce. 4720 Baseline Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-565-3108. LD Mon.-Sat. LUNCHERIA MEXICANA ALICIA The best taco truck West Little Rock. Located in the Walmart parking lot on Bowman. 620 S. Bowman. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-6121883. L Mon.-Sat. MI RANCHITO This growing Arkansas-owned chain offers great variety and super-sized meals with solid Tex-Mex, with the typical white cheese dip, only spicier, and more flavor to the regular entree fare. 1520 Market St. Full bar, All CC. $-$$. LD daily. RIVIERA MAYA Typical Mexican fare for the area, though the portions are on the large side. 801 Fair Park Blvd. Beer, Wine, All CC. $$. 501-663-4800. LD daily. SAN JOSE GROCERY STORE AND BAKERY This mercado-plus-restaurant smells and tastes like Mexico, and for good reason: Fresh flour tortillas, overstuffed burritos, sopes (moist corncakes made with masa harina), chili poblano are the real thing. 7411 Geyer Springs Road. Beer. $-$$. 501-565-4246. LD daily. SUPER 7 This Mexican grocery/video store/taqueria has great a daily buffet featuring a changing assortment of real Mexican cooking. Fresh tortillas pressed by hand and grilled, homemade salsas, beans as good as beans get. Plus soup every day. 1415 Barrow Road. No alcohol. $. 501-219-2373. LD 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 LOURDES This Chevy Step Van serves tacos, tortas, quesadillas and nachos. Colonel Glenn and 36th Street. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-612-2120. LD Mon.-Sat. TAQUERIA SAMANTHA On Friday and Saturday nights, this mobile taqueria parks outside of Jose’s Club Latino in a parking lot on the corner of Third and Broadway. 300 Broadway Ave. No alcohol, No CC. $. D Fri.-Sat. (sporadic hours beyond that).
ARound Arkansas Conway
EL ACAPULCO Tex-Mex served in hefty portions in a colorful atmosphere. 201 Highway 65 N. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-327-8445. LD Mon.-Sun. EL CHICO Tex-Mex and Ark-Mex favorites, a Central Arkansas tradition. Multiple locations statewide. 201 Skyline Drive. Conway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. (501) 327-6553. LD daily. EL HUASTECO Reasonably priced Mexican fare. 720 S. Salem Road. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-7641665. LD Mon.-Sun. EL PARIAN Traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex favorites are offered by this Arkansas restaurant chain. 2585 Donaghey. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-5131313. LD Mon.-Sun. FABY’S RESTAURANT Nuevo Mexican and Continental cuisine meet and shake hands at Faby’s. The hand-patted, housemade tortillas are worth the visit alone. 2915 Dave Ward. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-329-5151. LD Mon.-Sun. THE GREAT AMERICAN GRILL Hotel restaurant. 805 Amity Road. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-3291444. BLD Mon.-Sun. HUTCH’S COUNTRY KITCHEN Country style lunch and dinner offerings. 605 Salem Road #10. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-205-0829. L Sun.-Fri., D Wed.-Fri. LA HUERTA MEXICAN RESTAURANT Standard Mexican fare with an emphasis on family favorites. 1052 Harrison Street. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-762-0202. LD Mon.-Fri. LOS AMIGOS Authentic Mexican food where everything is as fresh and tasty as it is filling. At lunch, go for the $4.99 all-you-can-eat special. 2850 Prince St. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-329-7919. LD daily. MARKETPLACE GRILL CONWAY Big servings of steak, seafood, chicken, pasta, pizza and other rich comfort-style foods. 600 Skyline Dr. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-336-0011. LD Daily.
MIKE’S PLACE Delicious New Orleans-inspired steaks and seafood, plus wood-fired pizzas, served in a soaring, beautifully restored building in downtown Conway. 808 Front St. Conway. Full bar, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-269-6493. LD daily. NEW CHINA OF CONWAY Another buffet in the chain. 2104 Harkrider. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-7641888. LD Mon.-Sun. SLIM CHICKEN’S OF CONWAY Chicken in all shapes and sizes with sauces. 550 Salem Road. Conway. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-450-7546. LD Mon.-Sun. SOMETHING’S BREWING Coffee, pastries, sandwiches and such dot the menu of this longtime Conway favorite. 1156 Front St. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-3275517. BLD Mon.-Sun.
Hot Springs ARLINGTON HOTEL Massive seafood buffet on Friday nights, breakfast buffet daily, served in the splendor of a grand old hotel. 239 Central Ave. Hot Springs. 501-6237771. BLD. CAFE 1217 Great gourmet meals served over-thecounter. Bustling at lunch. 1217 Malvern Ave., Suite B. Hot Springs. 501-318-1094. LD. CAJUN BOILERS Expertly prepared boiled shrimp, crawfish and such, served in a fun atmosphere. 2806 Albert Pike. Hot Springs. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-767-5695. D Tue.-Sat. COY’S Hot Springs’ best-known steakhouse, and a predictable winner in our annual Readers’ Choice Awards. 300 Coy’s St. Hot Springs. 501-321-1414. D. HOT SPRINGS BRAU HAUS All the usual schnitzels are available, an inviting bar awaits as you enter, and the brick-walled place has a lot of history and coziness. 801 Central Ave. Hot Springs. 501-624-7866. LD. JASON’S BURGERS AND MORE Locals love it for filets, fried shrimp, ribs, catfish, burgers and the like at good prices. 148 Amity Road. Hot Springs. 501-525-0919. LD. LA HACIENDA Authentic Mexican food; array of entrees. 3836 Central Ave. Hot Springs. 501-525-8203. LD. MICKEY’S BAR-B-Q Tasty, meaty spare ribs, huge plates of sliced pork and beef and decent chopped meat sandwiches, served cafeteria style. 1622 Park Ave. Hot Springs. 501-624-1247. LD. ON THE BORDER Tasty Tex-Mex at reasonable prices; great margaritas too. 190 Pakis St. Hot Springs. Full bar, All CC. 501-520-5045. LD daily. ROD’S PIZZA CELLAR Terrific handmade pizzas highlighted by the Godfather, a whopper. Lunch specials are a steal, especially the buffet. 3350 Central Ave. Hot Springs. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 501-321-2313. LD Tue.-Sun.
Fayetteville Area A TASTE OF THAI Terrific Thai food, from the appetizers to the entrees to the desserts. Only the brave should venture into the “rated 5” hot sauce realm. 31 E. Center St. Fayetteville. All CC. $$-$$$. 479-251-1800. LD Mon.-Sat. AQ CHICKEN HOUSE Great chicken -- fried, grilled and rotisserie -- at great prices. 1206 N. Thompson St. Springdale. Beer, Wine, All CC. $-$$. 479-443-7555. LD. HERMAN’S RIBHOUSE Filets, not ribs, are the big seller at this classic, friendly, dumpy spot. The barbecue chicken is another winner. 2901 N. College Ave. Fayetteville. 479-442-9671. LD. MARKETPLACE GRILL Appetizers set on fire, Italian chips, funky low-fat dressings, prime rib and pasta in big ceramic bowls, the fare is a combination of old standbys and new-age twists. 1636 S. 48th St. Springdale. 479-7505200. LD 600 Skyline Dr. Conway. No alcohol, All CC. $$-$$$. 501-336-0011. LD Daily. MARY MAESTRI’S Great homemade pasta, lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, ravioli, chicken picatta and spumoni. U.S. Highway 412, Tontitown. Fayetteville. 479-361-2536. D. SILK ROAD The mom-and-pop style Thai restaurant along the cluttered U.S. Highway 71 business strip does a booming takeout business, and some of the dine-in is good, especially the vegetable pad thai. Pleasant service and a remarkable selection of imported beers (but no Thai beer, for some reason). 1200 S. Thompson. Springdale. 479-756-6227. LD. SLIM CHICKEN’S Chicken in all shapes and sizes with sauces. Also locations in Rogers, 3600 W. Walnut Street; and Conway, 550 Salem Road. 2120 N. College Ave. Fayetteville. All CC. $$-$$$. 479- 443-7546. LD 550 Salem Road. Conway. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-450-7546. LD Mon.-Sun.
Gurdon SOUTH FORK RESTAURANT This 24 hour truck stop diner is welcoming, with soft-drawled waitresses and a friendly menu that includes breakfast 24 hours a day. The hotcakes are heavy on the cornmeal and very filling. 2066 Highway 53 North. Gurdon. No alcohol, All CC. $. 870-3534363. BLD Daily.
Mayflower STROUD’S COUNTRY DINER Mismatched dinnerwear and Southern classic cooking. 558 Arkansas 365. Mayflower. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-470-9828. BL seven days, D Mon.-Fri.
Eureka Springs CAFE SANTA FE Well-prepared, generous servings of traditional and trendy Tex-Mex at this Arkansas-based
chain that is growing quickly. 179 N. Main St. Eureka Springs. 479-253-9617. LD. CAFE SOLEIL American/International Fusion restaurant focusing on innovative and tasty dishes. A great place for vegetarian fare in Eureka Springs. 3094 E. Van Buren. Eureka Springs. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 479-253-2345. LD Tue.-Sun. DE VITO’S Crisp salads, excellent entrees, good bread and casual, friendly service. Order the magnificent smoked trout. 5 Center St. Eureka Springs. 479-253-6807. D. ERMILIO’S Great mix-and-match pasta and sauces, all done with fresh ingredients and creativity. Warm service in a classy atmosphere. 26 White St. Eureka Springs. 479-253-8806. LD. GASKINS’ CABIN Solid American food highlighted by the fish specials and prime rib. Highway 23 North. Eureka Springs. 479-253-5466. D. MYRTIE MAE’S Hearty country breakfasts, sandwiches and Arkansas-style dinner plates. May be the second best fried chicken in the state. 207 W. Van Buren. Eureka Springs. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 479-253-9768. BLD. THE HORIZON A former New York-style deli, it now offers Italian continental cuisine, with fresh fish on weekends. The sunset view is fabulous. Mundell Road on Beaver Lake. Eureka Springs. 479-253-5525. D.
Greenbrier WAGON WHEEL RESTAURANT Hometown favorite specializing in plate lunches, a bevy of burgers and decadent pies. 166 S. Broadview Rd. Greenbrier. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-679-5009.
Benton BROWN’S COUNTRY STORE AND RESTAURANT The multitude of offerings on Brown’s 100-foot-long buffet range from better than adequate to pretty dadgum good. 18718 I-30 North. Benton. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 501-7785033. BLD daily. JERRY VAN DYKE’S SODA SHOPPE Large, lean-butjuicy burgers, hot dogs done several ways, kid-friendly appetizers and plenty of ice cream creations. A fun but noisy place. 107 S. Market St. Benton. 501-860-5500. LD.
Berryville 302 ON THE SQUARE Beefy dogs, thick burgers, large salads and generous sandwiches, along with unusual dessert options. 302 Public Square. Berryville. No alcohol, All CC. $$. 870-654-3952. L Mon.-Sat., D Thu.-Sat.
Bryant LAYLA’S Delicious Mediterranean fare -- gyros, falafel, shawarma, kabobs, hummus and babaganush -- that has a devoted following. All meat is slaughtered according to Islamic dietary law. 612 Office Park Drive. Bryant. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. 501-847-5455. LD Mon.-Sat.
Caddo Valley PIG PIT Possessing the right layer of soot and grease for a venerable local joint, with simple chopped meat sandwiches piled on a warm bun in good measure, moistened with a thin, sweet-sour sauce and topped with finely chopped fresh slaw. There’s an assortment of fresh, crisp fried pies. Highway 7. Caddo Valley. 870-246-6552. LD.
Devalls Bluff CRAIG’S A tiny, no-frills barbecue joint where the meat attracts people from all over, and the hot sauce means business. U.S. Highway 70 west of town. Devalls Bluff. 998-2616. LD. FAMILY PIE SHOP Mary Thomas is deservedly famous for the pies she’s been selling out of a backyard kitchen since 1977. The $6 chocolate pie we bought there lately was deeply, heart-breakingly chocolate. You can get fried pies (usually apple), coconut pie and egg custard pie regularly. If you want a pecan pie — or, in the fall, mincemeat or pumpkin — call a day ahead. U.S. Hwy. 70 West. Devalls Bluff. 870-998-2279. MS. LENA’S FRIED PIES A secret recipe for the crust is what makes the fried pies at Ms. Lena’s so amazing. They’re still just $1.75, six flavors offered every Saturday morning until they are gone. Highway 33 at Highway 70. DeValls Bluff. No alcohol, No CC. $. 870-998-1204. BL Sat.
El Dorado FAYRAY’S Elegant but unstuffy dining experience in the nicely renovated downtown. Quality and price combine to make it an excellent value. 110 E. Elm St. El Dorado. 870-863-4000. D.
Fordyce KLAPPENBACH BAKERY Famous for great breads, sweets and other baked goods, this place is a legend. 108 W. Fourth St. Fordyce. No alcohol, All CC. $-$$. (870) 352-7771. L.
Ft Smith / Van Buren NEUMEIER’S RIB ROOM They cook up Memphis-style “dry” ribs that some say compare favorably to any in the Bluff City. 817 Garrison Ave. Fort Smith. 479-494-7427. LD. THE LIGHTHOUSE INN Alaskan king crab, lobster, shrimp, oysters, snapper, scallops and more. 6000 Midland. Fort Smith. 479-783-9420. LD. www.arktimes.com • juLY 22, 2010 33
Food for Thought
a paid advertisement
To place your restaurant in Food For Thought, call the advertising department at 501-375-2985
AMERICAN
SEAFOOD rm
AT(spec ad)
Cajun’s Wharf
Food and fun for everyone when you pair Cajun’s Wharf’s succulent seafood and steak with the ever-evolving live entertainment. Enjoy the fabulous fresh seafood or aged Angus beef while listening to the rolling Arkansas River on the famously fantastic deck! They also boast an award-winning wine list.
Denton’s Trotline
Attention: Members and Guests. Denton’s Trotline is known for their award winning catfish and seafood buffet. Outstanding appetizer menu. Family owned, featuring a newly remodeled building with live music. Full service catering available.
02/01/08
DENTON’S CaTfiSh & SEafOOD BuffET — 24 Years In Business —
We Cater • Carry-Outs available hours: Tues-Thurs 4:00-8:30pm • fri-Sat 4:00-9:00pm
315-1717
2400 Cantrell Road 501-375-5351
2150 Congo Rd. Benton, 501-416-2349 Open Tues, Wed & Thurs 4-9 Fri & Sat 4-11
BISTRO Lulav
220 West 6th St. 501-374-5100 Lunch Mon-Fri 11am-2pm Dinner Tues-Sat 5-10pm V Lounge til 1am, Thurs-Sat
2150 Congo Rd. • Benton from Little Rock to Exit 118 to Congo Rd. Overpass across i-30
Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro 200 S. Commerce, Suite 150 (501) 375-3500 Tues-Thurs 11am-9pm Fri & Sat 11am-10pm
1900 N Grant St Heights 501-663-8999
ARKANSAS TIMES PRODUCTION FAX
FROM: TO: CO.: Arkansas Times CO.: Prime aged beef and Fresh seafood specials every week. PH: (501) 375-2985 ext. scrumptious dishes. Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, FAX: over 30 wines by the glass and largest vodka selection FAX: (501) 375-9565 downtown. Regular and late night happy hour, Wednesday AT to check 10/26 PUBLICATION:______________________ ISSUE DATE:____________ wine flights and Thursday is Ladies Night. Be sure out the Bistro Burger during lunch. ES ARTIST:________
For the salad lover, Dizzy’s is an absolute paradise. Its list of eleven “Ridiculously Large Entrée Salads” runs the gamut of what you can do with greens and dressing. For example Zilpphia’s Persian Lime Salad, featuring grilled turkey breast, tomato, cucumber, onion, lime and buffalo mozzarella over romaine. For another: Mary Ann’s Dream, with grilled chicken breast, baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, cranberries, mandarin oranges, bourbon pecans and bleu cheese. Don’t that sound good?
Sharing good things with good friends is the motto at Fantastic China. A Central Arkansas favorite offering the Freshest Chinese Food in town. It’s made to order with 100% Vegetable Oil. The presentation is beautiful, the menu distinctive, and the service perfect. Fantastic China is one of the heights most reliable and satisfying restaurants and a local favorite. Full bar.
mexican Casa Manana Taqueria
400 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-6637 6820 Cantrell Road • 501-280-9888 18321 Cantrell Road • 501-868-8822
Whether the Travs are at home or on the road, come enjoy the unique Dickey-Stephens Park Atmosphere at Ump’s, an upscale sports pub and restaurant, featuring sandwiches, salads, steaks, seafood, good times and more! Come treat yourself to a meal prepared by Chef’s Ball award winning sous chef Richard Lindsey. Open 6 days a week for lunch, 11am-2pm. Open nightly for all Travellers home games. Regular dinner hours Friday and Saturday only.
Capers Restaurant
Indulge in the culinary creations and intimate environment that define Capers Restaurant. Food and wine enthusiasts agree Capers’ sophisticated approach to dining is key to it’s many accolades including receiving the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for six years running.
Copper Grill & Grocery
An endless array of delicious dishes available in the Grill or grab your Gourmet-to-Go from the Grocery. Offering products by French Farm, Bella Cucina & Bittersweet Herb that promise to turn any recipe into a memorable masterpiece Copper Grill & Grocery is a wonderland for the gourmand.
Gadwall’s Grill
Still serving up high-quality burgers and home-made fries. Enjoy good food in a relaxed setting. Now offering outdoor seating on the deck. Serving cheese dip, nachos, platter meals, sandwiches and fried pies. Happy hour domestic draft beer from 3-6pm.
SO
This is a first class establishment. SO has some of the best steaks and seafood in the city, including oysters from the east and west coasts. Their menu has been updated and features a fantastic selection of cheeses like port salut, stilton, murcia and pecorino. Don’t forget to check out the extensive wine list.
Butcher Shop
Tremendous steaks, excellent service, fair prices and a comfortable atmosphere make The Butcher Shop the prime choice for your evening out. In addition to tender and juicy steaks, The Butcher Shop offers fresh fish, pork chop, 24 hour slow roasted Prime Rib, char grilled marinated chicken and fresh pasta. Ideal for private parties, business meetings, and rehearsal dinners. Rooms accommodate up to 50-60 people.
Dickey-Stephens Park Broadway at the bridge North Little Rock T O (501) ❑ 324-BALL (2255) www.travs.com NP ❑
14502 Cantrell Road 501-868-7600
7311 North Hills Blvd. North Little Rock (501) 834-1840
Gadwall's Grill West
14710 Cantrell Road, Suite 1A Little Rock, AR • 868-4746
Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. • Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Open daily. 11 am - close Sunday Brunch. 11 am to 2 pm 3610 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1464
Shackleford & Hermitage Rd. (501) 312-2748
THIS AD HAS INCURRED PRODUCTION CHARGES I understand that this proof is provided so that I may correct any typographical errors. I have read and authorized this ad for publication. The Arkansas Times bears no liability. Production charges will be billed to me on my advertising invoice.
HUNKA PIE
Lilly’s Dimsum Then Some
Look no further…voted Best Asian again by the Arkansas Signature_______________________________________________________________Date__________________________ Times readers. Lilly’s serves up extraordinary dishes made PLEASE RETURN THIS SIGNED PROOF PROMPTLY! 304 N. Main St. from the freshest, premium local and organic ingredients. ARKANSAS TIMES North Little Rock P.O. Box 34010, Also enjoy warm and inviting ambiance as you dine on Little Rock AR 72203 (inside Galaxy Furniture Store) any one of the tasty house specialties. Sundays are wine 501-612-4754 day: all wine by the bottle, half off. Mon-Sat 10am-6pm
Super King Buffet
One of central Arkansas’s largest Chinese buffets, we offer all your favorites with our sushi bar and Mongolian Grill included for one low price. Our dinner and all-day Sunday buffet include your lunch favorites as well as all-you-can eat crab legs, whole steamed fish, barbecue spare ribs, crispy jumbo shrimp and grilled steaks. Take-out buffet and menu available.
11121 Rodney Parham 501-716-2700
Super King Buffet
Ump’s Pub & Grill
300 West 3rd Street 501-375-3333
Voted Best Mexican 2007. Featuring authentic fare from the Puebla region of Mexico, the selections seem endless at your choice of 3 locations in the Little Rock area. You will find an array of dishes ranging from the salient Shrimp Veracruzana at La Palapa out west to great Guacamole in the River Market Taqueria. Or try tasty Tostadas that share the name of the original Cantrell location, Casa Manana.
asian
Homemade Comfort Food Daily Specials • Monday: Spicy Shrimp Stir-fry. Tuesday: Pot Roast. Wednesday: Meatloaf. Thursday: BBQ Plate or Shepherd’s Pie. Friday & Saturday: Fried Catfish.
10907 N. Rodney Parham Mon-Sat 10:30am-9pm 501-228-7800
chinese Fantastic China
Black Angus
4000 Springhill Plaza Ct. North Little Rock (Just past Wal-Mart on McCain) 501-945-4802 Sun-Thurs 11am to 9:30pm Fri & Sat 11am to 10:30pm
Hunka Pie
Mediterranean star of india
North Shackleford Road 501-227-9900
Layla’s
9501 N. Rodney Parham 501-227-7272
Authentic North Indian Cuisine at its very best! Vegetable and Non-vegetable Buffet daily with Special. Saturday and Sunday Brunch. Mention this ad for a complimentary Indian Mango Drink.
Enjoy regional specialties such as Lentil soup, a huge serving of yummy Hummus, Baba Ghannnouj or Tabbouleh. And don’t forget about the Gyros, they’re sure to be heroes in your book!
Brazilian Café Bossa Nova 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd 501-614-6682 Tues-Sat 11am-9pm Sunday Brunch 10:30-2pm
Try something different! Café Bossa Nova serves up cozy atmosphere and unique Brazilian dishes guaranteed to satisfy and served with that special Latin flare. Don’t deny yourself one of the delectable desserts prepared fresh daily or for an A+ apertif, drink in the authentic flavor of the country in the Caipirinha~a perfect blend of lime, sugar and Brazilian sugar cane rum. Dine with them tonight!
july 22, 2010 • advertising supplement to ARKANSAS TIMES
Hunka Pie specializes in premium hand-crafted pies. We welcome all pie lovers to come share a slice today! Call ahead for whole pie orders. Join us for Retro Mondays... Slice of Strawberry Pie $2. Chocolate Peanut Butter, Velvet Lips Chocolate Cream, Strawberry Cream Cheese, Chocolate Pecan, Coconut Custard, key Lime, French Apple Pie & more.
www. hunkapie.com www.facebook.com/ hunkapie
steak Sonny Williams
If you have not been to Sonny Williams lately, get there immediately and check out the martini/wine bar. Now you can enjoy 35 wines by the glass, 335 selections of wine, 6 single barrel bourbons and all different kinds of Scotch from the many regions of Scotland. Of course, don’t miss out on the nightly entertainment by Jeff at the piano. Sonny’s is a River Market mainstay and perfect for intimate private parties; free valet parking! As always, Sonny Williams has the best steaks in town along with fresh seafood and game. No Skinny Steaks… Call ahead for reservations (501) 324-2999
Faded Rose
Featuring the Best Steaks in town with a New Orleans flair from a New Orleans native. Also featuring Seafood and Creole Specialties. As Rachel Ray says “This place is one of my best finds ever.” Back by popular demand…Soft Shell Crab and New Orleans Roast Beef Po-Boys.
500 President Clinton Avenue Suite 100 (In the River Market District) 501-324-2999 DINNER MON - SAT 5:00 - 11:00 pm PIANO BAR TUES - THU 7:00 - 11:00 pm FRI & SAT 7:00 - Late
400 N. Bowman 501-224-3377 1619 Rebsamen 501-663-9734 Open Sunday
brew pub Vino’s Pizza•Pub•Brewery 923 West 7th Street 501/375-VINO (8466)
Beer, pizza and more! Drop in to Vino’s, Little Rock’s Original Brewpub! and enjoy great New York-style pizza (whole or by-the-slice) washed down with your choice of award-winning ales or lagers brewed right on site. Or try a huge calzone, our new Muffaletta sandwich or just a salad and a slice with our homemade root beer. The deck’s always open, you don’t have to dress up and the kids are always welcome (or not). Vino’s is open 7 days, lunch and dinner. You can call ahead for carry-out and even take a gal. growler of beer to-go. And guess what?? The bathrooms have just been re-done!
REAL ESTATE B
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Modern Quapaw Tower condo has many unique features NEW PRICE $208,000
Quapaw Tower is a unique property combining history, charm, convenience and value. Unit 12J is one of the most unique condo units available in the area, maximizing space and design aesthetic. The architectural design combines a multi-purpose kitchen/dining/living room area which features sleek, modern cabinets that double as living room storage and custom stainless countertops that double as a dining table. Other kitchen features include German sink & faucet, refrigerator/freezer and dishwasher drawers plus additional multi-purpose appliances. The bedroom is a calm oasis with shoji-style sliding doors opening from two vantage points into the living room, as well as opening into a spacious walk-in closet, the bathroom and additional floor-to-ceiling closets. The bathroom features tile from Waterworks, including heated floors, and a unique toilet & sink from
The bathroom has heated floors.
Shoji-style doors separate the condo.
Simas of Italy, with a Gerberit flushing mechanism and a one-off Wenge cistern enclosure and floating vanity. Four individual flow controls manage a total of eight Kohler water tile shower heads. This unit has been featured four times in “At Home Arkansas”, including the showcase cover of a special designer’s issue. The condo was featured in an article on maximizing small spaces for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Style section. It has also been included in the Chandler & Associates School of Design class tour, the bi-annual Quapaw Tower Tour of Homes and was a particular favorite in the 2008 Downtown Little Rock Partnership tour. It is offered for sale at $208,000 or for lease at $1,200 per month and is listed with Gold Star Realty. Call Gerald White at 501-680-3640 or Mary Johnson at 501-952-4318 for pricing or a private tour. Visit WWW.LRCONDO.COM for additional information and more pictures.
The kitchen is top-of-the-line.
Enjoy a skyline view of the city. www.arktimes.com • JULY 22, 2010 35
REAL ESTATE by neighborhood TO ADVERTISE, CALL TIFFANY HOLLAND AT 375-2985 DOWNTOWN CONDO
LOTS FOR SALE - Greenbrier. 1/31/2 acres starting at $23K. Trees, all utilities. Just 8 miles from Conway. 501-472-5807
HEY, LITTLE ROCK... My goall iis to sellll 2 h M homes per week. Shouldn’t your home be one of those? For a FREE listing appointment, call me today!
Land
$208,000 / LEASE FOR $1200 mo Architectural design • Modern features • 12th Floor Skyline View Featured 4 times in At Home in Arkansas!
Call Gerald White, 680-3640 or Mary Johnson, 952-4318. Visit www.LRCONDO.com for more pictures & info. Gold Star Realty
Capitol View/ Stiffts Station 106 THAYER - $130,000. 3BR/1BA with great curb appeal including a giant front porch and granite columns. Hardwoods & high ceilings inside. Listed with Joel Tvedten of River Rock Realty. 501-612-8083 or www. LiveinLittleRock.com
APARTMENT MANAGERS
Joel Tvedten
Are first-time home buyers affecting your occupancy levels? Advertise with Hip Apartment Living. 501.375.2985
501.612.8083
REAL ESTATE by neighborhood
Buying Lake Hamilton Condos!
Search all Listings at LiveInLittleRock.com PUBLISHER’S NOTICE
All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention, to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD toll-free 1-800-669-9077. The toll-free number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.
501.664.6629
ARKANSAS TIMES PRESENTS PULASKI COUNTY REAL ESTATE SALES OVER $105,000 Mark Baker, Janet Baker to Harold L. Keys, Jr., Cynthia N. Hester, 18 Menden Ln., $655,000. Michael E. Hartje, Jr. to Jerry W. Bradshaw, Donna M. Bradshaw, 7722 Banaszak Rd., NLR, $453,000. WilliamE. Arnold, III, Kim S. Arnold to Phani S. Edala, Arpana Edala, 14 Chimney Sweep Ln., $425,000. Matthew J. Edwards, Mary Edwards to Saad Usmani, Zainab Shahid, 44 Longwell Loop, $370,000. James W. Jennings, III, Susan L. Jennings to William W. McCrary, Marla Z. McCrary, 15 Longlea Cove, $345,000. Michael T. Coney, Tina Coney to James M. Eaton, Elisa S. Eaton, 221 Epernay Loop, $340,000. Don R. Rodgers, Jr., April D. Rodgers to Zachary D. Larkin, Aimee Larkin, 41 Durance Dr., $328,000. Calvin Johnson to Javier Atilano, 2901 Woodsgate Dr., $325,000. Jon T. Rosiska, Linda J. Rosiska to Michael J. Klorer, Cynthia M. Klorer, 21 Norfork Dr., Maumelle, $320,000. Susan H. Reasoner to Blake Phillips, Jessica Phillips, L77, Forest Heights Place, $303,000. L. C. Pearson, William Pearson to Jackienel Hurd, L34R, Hunter’s Green Estates, $295,000. Cheng Wang, Chuping Gu to Ken Kolb, Diann Kolb, 15 Essay Dr., $295,000. Barrett P. Kemp, Roberta R. Kemp to Tracy C. Smith, Renee Smith, 120 Alsace Cove, $294,000. Spears Custom Homes LLC to Gary May, Deborah May, L86, Millers Valley Phase 1, $290,000. Tracy Y. Smith, Tracy Y. Hathcock, Shayne Smith to Jacob N. Butler, Julianna Butler, 5 Toulouse Ct., $275,000. Glynna K. Strode, Thomas Strode to Jason Gambrell, Amiy Gambrell, 36 JULY 22, 2010 • ARKANSAS TIMES
130 Breckenridge Ln., Maumelle, $274,000. Woodhaven Homes, Inc to David R. Hicks, 315 Corondolet Ln., NLR, $274,000. Bosley Construction, Inc to Theresa L. McReynolds, 45 Highlander Dr., $256,000. Jeffery D. Brown, Danny M. Brown to Marcal Young, 2116 Meridian Dr., Sherwood, $255,000. Philip C. Everitte, Vickie L. Everitte to Lee R. Hicks, L2R B8, Glenn Hills, $249,000. John R. White, Michelle White to Heritage Land & Timber LLC, NW SW 10-2N-14W, $248,000. Jon D. Palmer, Mendi Palmer to Charles D. Shelton, L489, St Charles, $242,000. Michael L. Roberts, Joann Roberts to HSBC Bank USA NA, 7 Thrush River Cir., NLR, $237,000. Tracy Armbruster to Richard C. Smith, 401 N. Monroe St., $233,000. Kroencke Construction, Inc to Danny Rodriguez, 111 Cabanel Dr., Maumelle, $232,000. J. Martin Homes Inc to Michael D. Edwards, Ordria D. Edwards, 35 Waters Edge Dr., $228,000. Jennifer J. Fuller, Jennifer J. Schiessler, Christopher K. Fuller to JodyE. Agnew, John T. Agnew, 119 N. Cedar St., $225,000. Kroencke Construction, Inc to Kelly B. Boothe, 164 Mountain Valley Dr., Maumelle, $220,000. Donna Willis, Phillip W. Willis, Sr. to Mary F. Beavers, Donald R. Beavers, L54 B1, Windsor Valley, $205,000. Leroy T. Williams, Marvis M. Williams to Suzanne M. Berkovits, L25 B14, Cherry Creek, $201,000. Harold L. Key, Jr., Cynthia N. Hester to Mark Baker, Janet Baker, L36, Hillsborough Phase I, $200,000.
Larry D. McGrew, Rachael F. McGrew to Ellen P. Deloney, 6705 Waverly Pl., $198,000. Daniel E. Waite, Muzical D. Waite to Phyllis J. Moore, L92, Waterside, $196,000. Katherine M. Anthony to Mary E. Faust, 2 Pleasant Place Cir., $195,000. NuAge Residential Contractors LLC to Eric C. Holloway, Bobbie L. Holloway, 13409 Faulkner Lake Rd., NLR, $195,000. Tim Clark, Sarah J. Clark to Paul D. Keller, Judy A. Keller, 17 Sugarloaf Loop, Maumelle, $195,000. Rausch Coleman Mid Ark LLC to Zacharias Nagy, 1400 Sweetgum Ln., NLR, $190,000. Steven R. Witkowski, Beckey S. Witkowski to Shannon P. Legrand, L2, Steve Witkowski Phase I, $190,000. Ann E. Bradley to Louie A. Watts, Betty S. Watts, 4419 Deer Park Dr., $188,000. Doris Hinkle to Ed McDonald, Suzanne McDonald, L213, Cambridge Place HPR, $185,000. Fuller Partners 2010 LLC to Ora L. Speed, 11 Charmante Cove, Maumelle, $185,000. Jeff Fuller Homes LLC to Ronald E. Wright, Lisa Wright, 16 Amandine Ct., Maumelle, $185,000. Russ B. Rauls, Amanda T. Rauls to Beverly R. Word, 23 Pine Breeze Ct., $185,000. James Built Homes, Inc. to Nancy A. Blacklock, 4420 Montgomery Rd., $183,000. Mehmet H. Kocoglu, Gonca Kocoglu to Gulnur Com, 12815 Arthur Ln., $180,000. Ann M. Biggers to Alison O. Beaudoin, 8 Barberry Ln., $178,000. Sarah L. Harrison, SarahE. Lindsey, Joel M. Harrison, Bruce R. Lindsey,
Hallie Lindsey to Joe H. Hilliard, Nicki N. Hilliard, 6015 Kenwood Rd., Cammack Village, $169,000. Ralph D. Shelnutt to Russell Allison, Juanebe Allison, L3 B21, Mountain Park, $167,000. F. C. Enterprises Inc to Sharron A. Davis, 34 Bentley Cir., $166,000. CarlE. Sullivan, Jr., Rebecca F. Sullivan to Stephen D. Robinson, Tiffany S. Robinson, 13604 Dove Cove, NLR, $166,000. Patrick Cowan, Iden Mehdizadegan to Phillip D. Odaniel, 11715 Shady Creek Dr., $165,000. Rausch Coleman Mid Ark LLC to Vic Williams, 1308 Sweetgum Ln., NLR, $165,000. Dean L. Denton, Julie Denton to Celeste Shatzer, 1304 Cornflower Ln., Sherwood, $165,000. Ellen J. Reese to Bank Of America, NW 2-1S-12W, $163,614. Jessica E. Parrish, Dan W. Parrish to Joseph B. Johnson, 508 N. Coolidge St., $163,000. KJ Properties Of Arkansas LLC to Shannon M. Scroggins, Sandra K. Strobel, 10 Painted Turtle Cove, $161,000. Michael D. Ibsen, Jr., Erica M. Isben, Erica M. Footio to Eric Sessions, 3 Delray Dr., $159,000. G&S Builders, Inc to Adrienne Taylor, 5701 Greenwood Acres Blvd., $155,000. Ford Properties Homes LLC to Ross W. Brown, L10 B10, Gibralter Heights, $155,000. Blake Poe to BAC Home Loans Servicing LP, Countrywide Home Loans Servicing LP, Ls25-26 B5, Elmhurst, $153,159. Rausch Coleman Mid Ark LLC to Samuel A. Yutuc, 11013 Bodarc Ln., NLR, $152,000. James Sears, Jenna C. Shanley to Federal Home Loan Mortgage
Corporation, 31 Summerland Ct., $152,000. Patricia Cogdell to Joan E. Humphries, 1400 Pickering Dr., $151,000. Keith A. Myers, Rebecca A. Myers to Wells Fargo Bank NA, L14, Stoneledge Phase I, $150,534. Paul T. Gramling to Gaylynn Taylor, 4 Stoneledge Dr., Maumelle, $150,000. Brooks Livers to Kimberly McClendon, 302 Brookside Dr., $150,000. Commissioner In Circuit to Chase Home Finance LLC, L12, Whispering Oaks, $146,553. Scott K. Darnell, Natalie C. Darnell, Natalie C. Holub to Valerie Holbert Holeman Revocable Trust, Valerie H. Holeman, 11614 Hickory Hill Rd., $146,000. Thomas A. Bolls to Krystal L. Covel, 15 Pennwood Dr., Sherwood, $140,000. Columbus L. Abrams, Jr., Virginia L. Abrams to Farrah Hammond, 3 Lakeside Dr., $138,000. Justin Reddin, Autumn Reddin to Lesa A. Hamm, 1909 Osage Dr., NLR, $136,000. Kristi L. Killingsworth to Philip E. Harris, Dee A. Harris, L308, Briarwood, $133,000. James M. Saldivar, Lisa E. Saldivar to CitiMortgage, Inc, 30 Calais Ct., $130,838. Sheila Bryant, John Bryant to Cassandra L. Fisher, 8509 Easy St., Sherwood, $129,000. Tammy J. McLain to Lisa R. Webb, Gregory E. Webb, 6817 Gingerbread Ln., $128,000. Hwy 165 Development LLC to Rausch Coleman Mid Ark LLC, Ls49-51 & 65-66, Cypress Crossing, $127,000. David A. Lambert to Larry Kuca,
1700 Stewart Rd., $126,000. Emily M. Stephen-Davis, Dennis J. Mayes, James P. Mayes, Joan Mayes to Janet L. Beck, 5200 Crescent Dr., NLR, $125,000. Providential Capital Group LLC to Elizabeth M. Michael, Daniel Roda, 820 North St., Apt. 13, $125,000. Brown & Associates, Inc to Patrice D. Gross, Brett A. Gross, 5900 Foxboro Dr., NLR, $118,000. Emory M. Labrot, Margaret D. Labrot to B&L Investment Properties LLC, 228 Markwood Dr., $118,000. Bank Of New York Mellon Trust Company, Bank Of New York Trust Company to Jonathan Culver, 13808 Chesterfield Cir., NLR, $117,000. Jimmy Edwards to Kenneth J. Baker, Naomi Baker, L286, Twin Lakes Section E, $117,000. Gordon L. Duckworth, Debora G. Duckworth to Jami L. Jones, 4912 Oaklawn Dr., NLR, $116,000. Mavis E. Plummer, Jerry L. Plummer to Francisco J. Velazquez, Sergio A. Velazquez, 505 W. L Ave., NLR, $115,000. Teresa Smith, Teresa Smith-Bush, Robbie W. Bush to Latashia L. Duncan, 1525 Northwick Ct., $115,000. Jasmine C. Leug, Yuying J. Leung to Bill H. Stovall, III, Lisa A. Stovall, 301 Kings Row Dr., #407, $114,000. Secretary Of Veterans Affairs to James A. Roberts, 11 Vantage Point, Maumelle, $111,000. Carl Jones, Natalie Jones to Jeremy R. Wright, 1115 Southedge Dr., $109,000. Norman T. Raney to Nina R. Whitley, 2113 S. Pulaski St., $109,000. Jon W. Beavers to Charles C. Cochran, 4612 Lakeview Rd., NLR, $108,000. Gregory J. Sublett, Amber Sublett to Jesse W. Stacy, Leslie R. Stacy, 1421 Nannette St., NLR, $105,000.
Hillcrest
Chenal 20 CHALAMONT CT - $349,900. 4BR/3BA home on one of the best lots in Chenal! Extensive landscaping, tiered deck, stone patio with permanent outdoor FP. Beautiful hardwoods inside. Listed with Joel Tvedten of River Rock Realty. 501-612-8083 or www. LiveinLittleRock.com
Pleasant Valley 7 COLUMBINE COURT - Beautiful home on a cul-de-sac! 4BR, bonus room, remodeled kitchen, two living rooms & two-level decking on back. Many great neighborhood amenities! Call Stacy Johnson of Pulaski Heights Realty at 786-0024. 4101 C ST - $229,000. 3BR/2BA, 1836SF. Recently renovated! Enter MLS# 10255320 on www. PulaskiHeightsRealty.com for more photos. John Selva, Pulaski Heights Realty, 993-5442
Neighboring Communities GREERS FERRY LAKE - Spectacular view! 5 acres. Utilities, covenants, seller financing. Owner/agent. 501825-6200
Conway
4214 C STREET - $149,900. 2BR/1BA starter home, 1166 SF. Walk to UAMS or shopping on Kavanaugh. Call John Selva at Pulaski Heights Realty at 501-993-5442.
No. 0624
4 WOODFERN DR - $395,000. Lots of architectural features in this 4BR/3.5BA home. Very open floor plan with lots of room to spread out. Two screened porches to enjoy green belt. Listed with Joel Tvedten of River Rock Realty. 501-612-8083 or www. LiveinLittleRock.com
1313 SUNSET $92,000. Well kept and close to schools. Surprisingly huge backyard. Beautiful garden, covered patio. MLS# 10257183 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501-730-1100 or 501-679-1103. 1440 BYRON - $219,000. Spotless! 4BR/2BA, large family room, lots of counter space & cabinets. Awesome backsplash, gorgeous landscaping. MLS# 10252436 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501-730-1100 or 501679-1103.
Edited by Will Shortz
123 N. SUMMIT - Rare find close to ACH, UAMS, & Hillcrest. 2 BRs and a separate office, 2050 SF. Totally updated including cherry wood laminate flooring throughout, all new plumbing & electrical wiring, new kitchen counters, sink & dishwasher, new tankless H2’ 0 heater, wired for computer network, audio/video and IR remote, a deck, fenced yard and oversized 2 car garage. A 21X17.6 ft sunroom w/vaulted ceiling, tile floor, water proof walls, lots of windows and sunken Jacuzzi hot tub. Located in Union Depot next to AR School for the Blind. Call Clyde Butler of CBRPM at 240-4300.
Woodlands Edge
Across 1 Find out what s wrong 5 Squad leader, e.g.: Abbr. 8 Oft-talked of 13 Like Moses wife, per Numbers 12:1 15 Cawdor title 16 Loot in an old train robbery 17 “A great flame follows a little spark” writer 18 Monogram of 1964 s Nobel Peace laureate 20 Regards 22 Downhill 23 Sports seasons: Abbr. 24 Wind up 26 Coffin nails 28 “Huh?!” 31 ___ acting 35 Key combination
N CROSSWORD
Capitol View/ Stiffts Station
36 “Batman” sound effects 38 Ignition system expert? 39 Augur 40 Jug handle, in archaeology 41 Turn off 42 U.S.S. Enterprise crewman, to Kirk 45 Qualm 47 “Scream” actress Campbell 48 Doo-wop syllable 51 Nicks of rock 53 Blow a gasket 57 Plummet … or what this puzzle’s theme answers do? 59 Deg. held by George W. Bush 60 Senescence 61 Robert Langdon s field in “The Da Vinci Code”
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE B I B B
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E N JOY M A C B E E JOY S T I C K
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P A S O A N
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O D E T O JOY
N T H O H O JOY E D L O N E
U N E S
B Y T E
63 Period before après-midi 64 Conducts, as business 65 Milan-based fashion label 66 Sugar suffix Down 1 “Philadelphia” director Jonathan 2 “A Farewell to Arms” setting 3 “Take ___!” 4 Jazz great Evans 5 Actor in the Best Picture winners of 1975, 1983 and 2006 6 They’re sometimes upside-down 7 Without assignment 8 Old Army base on the Santa Fe Trail, briefly 9 I Kings king 10 Butch 11 Welcome word 12 Regards 14 Peppermint ___ 19 Site of Germany’s surrender in W.W. II 21 Get ahold of with effort 25 Having a permit 27 Subject in many a joke 28 Part of the U.S. arsenal 29 Onetime part of the U.S. arsenal 30 Some ’60s hipsters 32 Needle, informally 33 City near Provo
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Puzzle by John Farmer
34 Republican candidate between Bush and Bush 37 Mortgage giant founded in 1938 40 Clara and Harriet, in 1960s TV 41 Short circuit? 43 “Mangia!” dish
44 Come through slowly 46 Bugs 48 Perforation site 49 Viking in a Dik Browne strip
52 Changes course 54 Friends of Florence 55 “More colorful” sloganeer
56 Café cup 50 Dog breed Helen Keller introduced 58 Children’s author Blyton to the U.S. in 1937 62 Whisper
For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554. Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information. Online subscriptions: Today s puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.
215 CHAPEL CREEK - Energy star rated 3BR/2BA fantastic 10’ ceilings, stone fireplace, extensive trim, breakfast bar, hardwood floors, granite countertops. New Construction. $219,900 MLS# 10258240 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501-730-1100 or 501679-1103. 4924 HILLCREST AVE - $475,000. 3BR/3BA plus 3-car garage. 2600 SF. Recently renovated home on large corner lot. Call John Selva at Pulaski Heights Realty at 501-993-5442.
31 BERNARD - 3BR/2BA newly remodeled (paint, carpet, appliances, countertops, backsplash, kitchen sink & faucet, light fixtures). Huge LR with cathedral ceiling and fireplace, fenced yard. $153,000 MLS# 10253781 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501-7301100 or 501-679-1103. 730 SLOPE - $279,000. New - Must See! 4BR/3BA, gameroom, computer area, custom tile shower, granite countertops, wood & tile. MLS# 10251178 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501730-1100 or 501-679-1103.
DUPLEX - $177,700. Over 2700 total SF. Buy now & have renter offset your mortgage payment. Main level is 2BR/2BA, 1500 SF. Upstairs studio rental is approx 550 SF ($525/mo.) Also, has 700+SF walkout basement. New Paint! Owner is licensed agent. Call John, Pulaski Heights Realty, at 993-5442 for more info.
Greenbrier 26 VALMONT - 3BR/2BA with huge kitchen, lots of cabinets & counter space, walk-in pantry. Stained concrete floors, covered porch, walk kids to school. $149,900 MLS# 10254807 Linda Roster White Real Estate,501-730-1100 or 501-6791103. 37 INDIAN SPRINGS - New construction 3BR/2BA with gas FP, breakfast bar, tile backsplash, smooth top cooking surface, master jet tub, deck with view. $152,000 MLS# 10253103 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501-7301100 or 501-679-1103.
712 N. WALNUT - $169,500. 2BR/1BA in the heart of Hillcrest. Just 1/2 block of Kavanaugh. Renovated kitchen w/ custom maple cabinets, tile floors, solid surface counters. Enter MLS 10257444 at www.PulaskiHeightsRealty.com
5 COUNTRY COVE - $375,000. 5BR/4.5BA country estate. Perfect for horses! Den w/FP, granite counters in kitchen. More land available. MLS# 10238516 Linda Roster White Real Estate, 501-730-1100 or 501-6791103. www.arktimes.com • JULY22, 22, 2010 www.arktimes.com s JULY 201037 37
Wondering n We were playing the wondering game at the House of Dominoes the other day. First somebody wondered why everybody used to go fishing but now hardly anybody does. There was general agreement that it used to be an adventure but it got to be just a lot of trouble, hot and itchy and stinky and time-consuming, and almost as soon as you get there you remember something on TV that you wish you’d’ve stayed home to watch. “After catch-and-release set in,” Butt Ugly said, “I realized I could drop a jig in my downstairs commode of a morning and come just as close to filling up a stringer.” Then somebody else wondered why Arkansas gave up being the Wonder State, which was an interesting-sounding thing to be, with the hot springs, the diamonds, the watermelons, and all, in order to become, successively, the Land of Opportunity, which means nothing’s happening here but one of these days it might, and now the Natural State, just as dull, and one of the meanings of which is naked — that is, totally without any wonders to show off. Does that sound like promotional progress? “Naw, it don’t,” the Advisory Board agreed. “I used to wonder what the twelve ways was that Wonder Bread helped build strong bodies,” Mo Better said. “They said it was
Bob L ancaster twelve like the twelve apostles or the twelve steps of AA, but they never specified.” “You’ll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent,” Day Late sang, remembering the early TV jingle. “The yellow didn’t really go nowhere. It could outlast Pepsodent or Ipana or battery acid. All them old Camels and Chesterfields and Lucky Strikes. Murdering two whole generations.” I was taking notes on this and might’ve messed up some of the attribution. I’m not sure, for example, who noted that both Seabiscuit and Gene Autry’s Champion were called the Wonder Horse. Or who wondered if Jesus, on the horns of a dilemma, ever asked himself, “What would I do?” Or who wondered if birds migrate just out of habit. I’m sure, though, it was Old Priss who wondered why there’d be a restaurant called the Mammoth Orange in a place called Redfield. That makes no more sense than a Mammoth Red in Orangefield would, he said. “So what’s your point, Priss,” Day Late
said to him. “Just something I’ve wondered about,” Priss said. “I thought that would qualify. I didn’t know it had to have a point.” The Deacon said, “Why do the wicked prosper? Most everybody since Jeremiah has wondered that, and still not a good answer for it. It’s nowhere more evident than in the NFL.” “That’s pretty cryptic, Deke,” I told him, and he wondered what cryptic was. My first contribution to the wonder palaver was to share some typographical arcana with these morons. I explained the importance of avoiding transposition, with the example of how it could turn your sincere and heartrending little love song into an absurdity: “I wonder who’s nissing her cow.” That didn’t go over, so I went on to wonder why there always has to be a storyline. “In the news business these days, if it doesn’t have what they consider a good storyline, they won’t give it the time of day,” I elaborated. That’s a true fact, and a national disgrace, and a catastrophe, and I wanted to pursue the idea – the storyline, if you will – but a lot of the other domino masters in this benighted bailiwick aren’t interested in trade talk, or in any other kind of elevated discourse. They do their wondering on a baser level. “I wonder if it was Jesus hisself or somebody else that repealed the Jew law against eating ham,” one of the Brothers Parmalee said.
C
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“I’m glad whoever done it done it,” his less cerebral brother said. “Think of all the ham that’d be going to waste if they hadn’t.” “Yeah, in the modern world, they’s an awful lot of ham,” the brainier Parmalee said. “If somebody didn’t eat it, we’d be in it neck deep. It’d be like oil in the Gulf of Mexico, only meat.” It wouldn’t be anything like oil in the Gulf of Mexico, of course. I wanted to say that. And I wanted to say that religious dietary proscriptions aren’t the kind of “laws” that can be repealed. And several other things. But I held my tongue.You can’t argue with some people. You can’t argue with tea weasels or boy preachers or bully Parmalee types full of received wisdom from blowhard radio. You can’t keep them on topic, either. A passing-through Hothead or Knothead threw in uninvited with their nonsense, giving us all to know that Muslims have a law against eating ham also. Actually the same law. From the same book. “I wonder what’d happen if you took a ham steak with red-eye gravy like they used to serve at John Noah’s and set it down in front of old Obama,” he said. “My guess is a hurl bigger’n George Sr. unloaded on them Nips.” That’d tell the tale, all right, the Advisory Board reluctantly agreed, but Dollar Short annotated: “It wadn’t John Noah’s with the red-eye. That was Gray’s Restaurant, out on East Harding. I had many a good club steak there. John Noah’s drownded everthing in brown gravy.”
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The comprehensive list of everything worth doing this weekend from Times entertainment editor, Lindsey Millar. Whether it’s live music, dance, theater or an exhibit, Lindsey steers you to the best. The To-Do List email newsletter arrives in your in-box every Wednesday afternoon with an eye toward planning for your weekend. The To-Do List is a sure bet for your active life!
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ArkTimes.Com
iT’s Free! Go To cats
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ROBINSON AUDITORIUM THIS WEEKEND
FLIPSIDE
Psychic Reader & Advisor
Busy downtown salon is looking for a highly motivated, outgoing, dependable person to join our team. Duties include, but are not limited to greeting our clients, answering phones, and ordering and selling retail. Tuesday-Thursday 9-5 & some Saturdays. $ 12.00 an hour.
Looks into Past, Present, Future Specialized Reading in Tarot Card-Metal Object-Shakra call & consult for an appointment
501-223-9046
20 years public experience All major credit cards accepted $10 off your reading with this ad.
300 Third Tower • Little Rock, AR 72201• 501-221-2399
Body,Mind & Spirit Expo Alternative Practitioners, Psychics, Mediums, Reflexologists, Hypnotists, Energy Workers, Massage, Essential Oils, Acupuncture, Free Lectures and more! Door Prizes
SAT, JULY 31 • 10-6 SUN, AUGUST 1 • 11-5 DOOR FEE: $3
(Individual vendors may charge a reduced fee for his/her service.)
North Little Rock Community Center 2700 Willow Street
For More Information: 501.955.2063 or 501.351.0962 sharpump@aol.com • www.sharlettepumphrey.com
SumbleS TechnologieS
“Just a nerd looking to serve” Providing services in computer maintenance, software installation, logo design, audio and music production, web development, Flash production, and game design. Hourly Rate: $15.00 • Minimum Rate: 3 Hours Free Estimates
nick SumbleS 501-940-7261 • nsumbles@gmail.com 4616 Hawthorne Rd • Little Rock, AR 72207
Rescued Puppies need a forever home.
Male ➨ very sweet, loves to cuddle, would be a good apt dog, just needs lots of attention. ➨ Female super friendly, will be medium-sized.
Satisfaction guaranteed. cindy@movingtomac.com www.movingtomac.com (501) 681-5855
Chenal adult day Center
Back-To-School Specials! Decorate your classr a a ms in style.
We're off our rockers and loving it!
Check out our discount rugs and decor.
AladdinRugs
We're Sharing The Caring! M-F 7:30 am-5:30 pm Call Today • 501-716-9180 www.chenaladultdayservices.com
4529 JFK Blvd., NLR | 501.753.1166
The CL ASS
SmallTown
Arkansas Times Tees White or Black, Men’s & Women’s Styles
th N REUNIO
of NLRHS Class of
1970
$15 Y L N O
Will take place at ‘Next Level Events’ (The Old Train Station – in Little Rock) July 24, 2010 • 7pm - Midnight • $40 per person
T- S H I R T AVA I L A B L E AT
2616 KAVANAUGH HILLCREST 501.661.1167
• Organize your photos, music, movies and email. • Wireless internet and backup implementation. •Troubleshooting. • I can help you choose which Mac is exactly right for your needs and budget.
These two are litter-mates, and are probably around 14 weeks old. call 501-454-8927
Pick Me Up, I’m Free! Go on, you know you want it.
Learn to use a Mac in your home or office.
Or call Phyllis at 375.2985 ext 364 or e-mail phyllis@arktimes.com
Make your checks payable to: NLRHS Class of ‘70 P.O. Box 1146 • Cabot, AR 72023-1146 Heavy Hors d’oeuvres • Cash Bar/Casual Dress LIVE BAND!
For more information Email: NLRHSClassof1970@yahoo.com Arkansas Times • July 22, 2010 39
Over the river and through the woods. Standard.
Road-gripping symmetrical All-wheel Drive standard. Test-drive the All-New 2010 Outback currently cooped up at the dealership.
RIVERSIDE SUBARU 501-448-8000 • 16100 CHENAL PARKWAY • LITTLE ROCK • www.riversidesubaru.com