Owner sees end in sight for eatery’s expansion
Ex-burrito spot to be Japanese restaurant
The saga of Delicious Temptations, 11220 N. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock, continues through what owner Tony Niel has ruefully described as a “comedy of errors.” Niel has been in the lengthy and trouble-plagued process of expanding into a second storefront, including the consequent remodeling of his original kitchen and original dining room. Most recently, on the cusp of getting his certificate of occupancy from the fire marshal, the old motor that he installed as part of his new vent-a-hood crapped out and he’s having to replace it. He hopes to have that in place and the consequent certificate of occupancy as well by the end of this week; finishing out the fine touches on the original dining room will take another two or three weeks. (The new one, in the space formerly occupied by a salon, has been open for a couple of months; the end result will give the four-decade-old breakfast-brunch-lunch restaurant another 2,000 total square feet.) So his target to fully open with a revised, expanded menu, is now sometime the first week of March. “This is probably the most challenging thing I’ve done in my last 30 years,” Niel says with an audible shake of his head. (501) 2256893; delicioustemptations.com.
There is a sign above the door of what had briefly been Crazy King Burrito, 401 S. Bowman Road, signifying a new tenant in the strip center: Gozen Japan House. The logo is similar to, but not the same as, a restaurant of the same name at 1534 Malvern Ave., Hot Springs, where, according to the Facebook page (facebook.com/GozenJapanHouse), serves “Hibachi, Ramen, Sushi and Rice Bowl.” The young woman who answered the phone there — (501) 701-4291 — confirms that, yes, it’s the same people and the target to open here is mid-March. We’re awaiting details on the menu and operating hours.
A spokeswoman for Whataburger tells us a rumor we heard about a possible outlet in the works at 3600 Cantrell Road, in Little Rock’s Riverdale — isn’t true. Drat.
Georgia-based RRG Inc., which owns 17 outlets of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, mostly in Georgia and Florida, recently declared bankruptcy, resulting in the closure of at least three restaurants (iheart.com/content/202402-12-iconic-national-friedchicken-chain-closing-restaurants-amid-bankruptcy). The folks at Sweet “P” Enterprises, which holds the franchise on most of the Popeyes stores in Central Arkansas, confirm that it will have no impact on their operations.
And speaking of Hot Springs, the folks who run the Spa City’s Ambrosia Bakery, 307 Broadway, have taken over and reopened Angels Italian Restaurant at 600 Central Ave. Former owner JoAnn Privitello says she has passed the torch to bakery owner Troy Cremer, but has been hired as a consultant during the transition “to teach them everything I did for 25 years.” The food, she says, is the same, minus a couple of menu items while the new folks get their feet on the ground; the bakery is, according to their Facebook page (facebook.com/ambrosiabakeryco), adding “a selection of delicious Ambrosia Bakery fare as well” to the house-made desserts Privitello has previously served, including cakes, cannoli and tiramisu. Hours are currently 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; the phone number is (501)609-9323.
Through their family-run companies Relentless Restaurants LLC and Dubberly LLC, brothers Todd (chief operating officer) and Terry White (CEO) operate Newk’s Eatery locations throughout Arkansas and one in Oklahoma, including outlets in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Rogers, Benton and Fort Smith, and a new one, which opened Monday at 1500 S.E. Eagles Way, Bentonville. It’s the 98th restaurant systemwide for the Jackson, Miss.-based chain/franchise operation. Operating hours are 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. (479) 351-0578; newks.com.
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The folks at the Division of Arkansas Heritage reminds you that Feb. 29 is the nomination deadline for the 2024 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame, online at ArkFoodHOF.com. There are five categories, recognizing the state’s best restaurants, restaurateurs and chefs:
■ Arkansas Food Hall of Fame, recognizing long-standing restaurants that help create the state’s food culture.
■ Proprietor of the Year, honoring a chef, cook and/ or restaurant owner who has had significant impact on local food tastes and preferences.
■ Food-Themed Event, honoring a food-themed event or festival that preserves a community’s unique food history.
■ Gone But Not Forgotten, remembering past establishments that set the table for today’s food tastes and preferences.
■ People’s Choice, restaurants or food trucks, new or old.
The Food Hall of Fame Committee, made up of historians, chefs, foodies and food authors, includes Paul S. Austin, C.C. “Chip” Culpepper, Quantia “Key” Fletcher, Cindy Grisham, Jennifer Maune, Montine McNulty, Rex Nelson, Tim Nutt, Kat Robinson, Stephanie Wade, David Ware, Stanley Young and Division of Arkansas Heritage director Marty Ryall. (Maune, the committee’s newest member, was a finalist in the 13th season of Fox’s “MasterChef.”
Finalists will be announced in May; details on the September induction event are pending.
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And Jennifer Wallach, history department chair at the University of North Texas, discusses the influence of Black American culture on national cuisine at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 22, following a 5:30 p.m. dinner consisting of chicken spaghetti and cinnamon rolls, salad and iced tea, specialties of noted Batesville cook Rosetta Petty (1909-2002), at the Old Independence Regional Museum, 380 S. Ninth St., Batesville. Cost of the dinner is $20; admission to the talk is free. Call (870) 793-2121 to reserve a spot.
Has a restaurant opened — or closed — near you in the last week or so? Does your favorite eatery have a new menu? Is there a new chef in charge? Drop us a line. Send email to: