A. W. Lin's Asian Cuisine

#3 and me thought we might have lunch at YaYa's Euro Bistro the other Sunday, but man that was a silly thought since we did not have reservations and would not consider a 45 minute wait. Instead we bopped around the corner to A.W. Lin's Asian Cuisine at the Promenade in Little Rock. In fact, we were greeted and seated immediately in this beautifully decorated new restaurant. We were pleased with our wonderful server as we ordered two appetizers, two entrés, and two iced teas. But with a tab over $60 (tip included) and a not quite so great special chef's entré we will not return.

For starters we had Crab Rangoon with a tasty sweet sauce. The Crab Rangoon was OK but tasted as though it had been sitting for awhile. Would have been nice to be a tad more fresh. Next, we had Egg Flower Soup which was really colorful (how does it get so yellow) and delicious. The crunchy and fresh fried wontons served with the soup were really good, too. #3 had a Sweet and Sour Shrimp which was served with rice and was fresh and tasty. I ordered a chef's speciality of Coconut Honey Shrimp served with rice which was not as good. It was pretty and had plenty of seasoned walnuts, pineapple, cherries, and honey all over it, but the battered shrimp was cold and tough and I still don't know where the coconut was. This dish was quite pricey, and I believe it should have been better. Oh well, live and learn (and be a little more patient at restaurants with long waits)!

Lunch at the Packet House...

Di and Daughter had lunch today at the new and remodelled The Packet House on Cantrell Road overlooking the Arkansas River. Lots of hits and misses...
Misses include:
Cold Butternut Squash Soup...brrrrr!
Only slightly heated grilled bread for the Grilled Pimento Cheese
Fried Green Tomatoes and House Fries desperately needed seasoning
No salt and pepper shakers on the table (we get the gist here, but you need to season properly)

Hits include:

Excellent server (also, retrieved the salt/pepper shakers in a flash)
Beautiful modern decor
Great tasting House Fries with truffle oil
Nicely seasoned House Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette and sweetened rosemary seasoned walnuts
Delicious creamy pimento cheese filling on a very tasty bread for the Grilled Pimento Cheese 

Light and delicious Sweet Potato Chips
Scrumptious Italian Cream Cake

The hits did outnumber the misses and we will return because it just wouldn't be right if we didn't give this wonderful old establishment another shot...

Forty Two at the Clinton Presidential Center

Lunch overlooking the beautiful Arkansas River with the famous Bridge to the 21st Century towering overhead on another sun bursting day in the 60s was very special today at the Little Rock restaurant, Forty Two located in the basement of the Clinton Presidential Center. What more could you ask for...well, a darn good meal (and a lot less Democrats) for one two things and that's just what Arkansas chef, Stephen Burrow gave us, a darn good meal!

For starters we had the French Onion Soup which was the best I have ever had in the Natural State. So simple to make however, lots of others (not Chef Burrow) tend to annihilate this classic, elegant appetizer. Rich beef broth with earthy bread, lots of cheese and onions, and I especially loved the serving bowl with a tidy little round indention on the side to properly hold your cute little soup spoon.  So presidential. And, the Wedge of Romaine was simply delicious. The huge (every thing is BIG here) salad had lots of blue cheese crumbles, ripe grape tomatoes, sweet red onions (sweetened in a fabulous way) fresh Romaine lettuce, a light vinaigrette, and hunky, porky monster ham/bacon chunks. Out of the ball park! Also, the Shrimp Wrap with Homemade Potato Chips was nothing to sneeze at. Not teeny, tiny shrimp you have to look for in a sea of mayo but BIG, nicely seasoned shrimp with the freshest of greenery and spices in a tasty honey wheat wrap. Nothing was over done, just quality ingredients in a down home Southern kitchen with a lot of  presidential like stuff all around. Service and greeters were exceptionally delightful...well, what do you expect in the Natural State. Serving lunch only, check the link above for all sorts of other important info about the fabulous Forty Two!

Morning Side Bagels in Maumelle

Found another lil' hole in the wall that is loaded with freshly baked bagels, lattés, soups, and small town service. For an easy morning of relaxing (who's up for relaxing every once in a while), reading the paper, and eating a freshly baked bagel you must try this cozy place on Maumelle Blvd. The bagels are tender, scrumptious, and lovingly baked every day. I always get the Lox and Cream Cheese schmeared on an Onion Bagel with red onion, tomato, and capers.  A little pricey at $7.30 but, I'm worth it. Oh, and try the Honey Almond schmear on a Chocolate Chip Bagel...to Di for! The lattés are a bit more costly here and not as good as the competitor down the way but, hey...this is a homemade bagel joint! Will try the soups soon. Such a nice way to start the day...

Lunch and Wine at Taziki's Mediterranean Café

Had the most wonderful long lunch with a friend of mine the other day at Taziki's Mediterranean Café.  Didn't know it was a franchise, did you? We both had the Greek Salad with Lamb and shared an order of Hummus Dip w/Pita Chips and Stuffed Dolmades with Taziki (yogurt) Sauce. Delicious!

Very busy at lunch with a short wait in the service line. Order in the line, they bring food to your table and clear the table, and ask if you need any refills. Worked out great to keep the busy patrons in and out in no time. But, we had no where to go so, we stayed to talk, chat, gossip, and did I mention drink a glass of wine?? My meal with salad, hummus, and one wine came to about $20 bucks. A little pricey but, well worth it!!

Must Try David's Burgers...

This place is clean, simple, friendly, cheap, delicious, fresh, and ALL about GREAT BURGERS!! We noticed all this commotion going on the side of the interstate toward the Hooters and PetSmart stores for about a week or so. Soooooooooo, we had to check it out...

Rocky's Pub Scores A Knockout

We are constantly searching for restaurants that serve good food, at decent prices, with a friendly staff, and clean surroundings. Hit the jackpot the other night when we dropped into Rocky's Pub! This wonderful little hole in the wall (Indian Hills Shopping Center) has been around for a few years and, we did try it a couple of years ago. We just never made it back because it had more of a bar atmosphere than food service. We gave it another shot the other night and glad we did. Still pretty good Italian food and, the bar is still there but more diners than drinkers seem to have made it to Rocky's that night. A must have is the Fried Ravioli with Marinara Sauce, simply wonderful!! Also, the Spaghetti and Meatballs are enough for two and maybe three! The Grilled Chicken & Bacon Salad was huge but a little too heavy on the bacon side for me (if that can be a bad thing). A side of garlic bread completed our meal and we were totally satisfied. Price for all with two Iced Teas and tip came to around $40 bucks. Nice visit...maybe we won't take as long to return the next time!