FoodieCuisine.com

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

A new chain restaurant popped up in Little Rock, Arkansas recently and the sign outside identifies it as Chuy’s.  I first heard about Chuy’s at a local pet store where they were passing out appetizer coupons to anyone who had their dog’s picture taken (to later be put around the bar area.)  It’s a nice touch and I know the buzz helped me to hear about the place at least!

Outside of Chuy’s

The interior of Chuy’s is as loud as the exterior with rooms full of hub-caps, a bar with hundreds of dog photos, and crowded spaces for the patrons.  If you are looking for a open, relaxing place to go, it may not be your ideal destination.  The food matches most Tex-Mex restaurants with the usual suspects ranging from fajitas, to enchiladas, to burritos, and well known appetizers such as cheese dip.

After a 45-minute wait at 1:30pm on a Sunday we sat down in a booth in the aforementioned hub-cap room.  One order of obligatory cheese-dip later and I perused the menu.  The menu claims the fajitas are marinated for 24 hours prior to cooking and I want to put them to the test.  All too often fajitas are bland and boring and 24 hours should be enough to inject flavor into anything.  Others at my table order the chicken quesadilla (plain with cheese only) and the chicken taco salad.  I also ask for a bowl of their hatch green-chili sauce to go with my fajitas as it is the hottest they offer.

The cheese dip is of the yellow variety and pairs well with the supplied chips.  It is not as creamy as the white variety, but is thick enough to stick.  Although it tastes okay, you would be much better off ordering queso from Local Lime down the road.

Beef Fajitas

The food eventually comes out, taking a little longer than usual, but it’s hot and looks good.  My fajitas sit atop several sizzling vegetables and the tortillas on the side are fresh and fluffy.  I pair a few slices of meat with veggies, sour cream, cheese, and the hatch-green-chili sauce on a fajita and go at it.  The meat is not tender enough to get a bite without pulling it out of the tortilla, but it tastes okay.  It is not bland, but it is not very flavorful either.  Luckily, the hatch-green-chili adds some flavor, but it is not spicy.  I am guessing they have kept their food on the “cool” side to appeal to the majority of people but I do wish they would offer spicy food, especially when their menu says it is spicy!  The owners should take a trip to Buffalo Wild Wings if they want to experience a chain restaurant with a few spicy sauces.

Overall the food is average.  It’s not the best in the world and it’s not the worst either.  I personally am not in a hurry to return but I can see it as a place to go on a lazy Saturday afternoon (before/after the crowd gets there.)

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

I am riding in the car and mention the new Mexican restaurant on Rodney Parham Road in Little Rock named Taqueria El Palenque.  From the back seat I hear, “What do you mean by finally, an authentic Mexican place in West Little Rock?”  The answer is simple, most Mexican places in the United States are not “real” Mexican restaurants.  Their food is usually very bland, their hot sauce is no hotter than ketchup with some Tobasco sauce in it, and everything is covered in mounds of cheese.  I don’t like to call out Tobasco here as they have a good sauce, but too often, it is paired with horrible “Mexican” food from these dispensaries of culinary disaster.

The competitors better catch up because places such as Taqueria El Palenque are opening more often and their food is not bland, is not covered in cheese, and they provide sauces with serious spicy-kick to them.  For my visit I order the carne asada (beef) taco, the carnitas (pork) taco, and the spinach & mushroom quesadilla.  I order the queso (cheese dip) just to see what they bring out.  Cheese dip is not something I have ever seen on my trips to Mexico so I am curious what will transpire.  I suspect they have it on the menu to appease local tastes.

The cheese dip comes out and is very thin without much flavor.  The warm homemade salsa they bring though is tasty and has a nice heat level to it.  I have had better, but it is far and above better than what you find at most competitors.

Asada and Carnitas Tacos

My tacos arrive next and look like what I expect.  They are grilled flour tortillas, laid flat (not fried,) with the meat in the center along with some grilled onions and cilantro.  And you know what is missing?  Cheese!  That’s right, not a shred of cheese in sight.  This makes me VERY happy.  The lime on the side adds some nice acidity to the tacos as well.  What really sets them apart are the two sauces they bring for you to add on your own.  The green sauce is not spicy hot but has mounds of flavor.  The red sauce is quite hot, which fits my tastes perfectly, and also has a lot of flavor.  The tacos themselves are not super amazing, but with the sauces, they are.

Spinach Quesadilla

My quesadilla arrives next and is huge.  I was expecting a thin quesadilla with questionable amount of spinach but received a stuffed quesadilla brimming with spinach, mushrooms, green peppers, and cheese instead.  It also has a lot of flavor, with the cheese really offsetting the bitterness of the peppers, and the spinach helping pull everything together.  I add copious amounts of both the green and red sauces to each bite for that extra kick of flavor.

One of the best parts of the meal is how affordable everything is.  The tacos are less than $2 each and the most expensive item I had, the quesadilla, was under $7 and could easily feed two people.  If you are close to Layla’s on Rodney Parham, swing by and at least try a taco.  Don’t forget the sauce!

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

There are only a handful of restaurants that I can go to over and over again and never tire.  Jiko in the Animal Kingdom Lodge in Disney World is one such place.  Jiko is one of a few African restaurants I have been to and the décor matches.  The tones of wood and open stoves are designed to look like the African sunset and the restaurant is complete with bird sculptures hanging from the ceiling appearing to be in-flight.

The menu changes seasonally but has a few key signature dishes that you can always find.  My favorites are the Taste of Africa appetizer and the Braised Short Rib.  Throughout the season they offer several flat breads, which area always amazing, and even though the short rib recipe changes somewhat, it is always good as well.

Taste of Africa

The Taste of Africa appetizer contains four different chutneys of sorts and each one pairs well with the special bread they supply with the appetizer.  I personally like to put them on the “normal” bread they bring out as well.  If you are familiar with Indian cuisine the chutneys should taste familiar with a spiced hummus, a roasted pepper reduction, and one that has hints of cilantro and mint.  You should order at least one for every three people at the table as the appetizer will go quickly!

Braised Short Rib

The short rib entrée changes in recipe but always features a very large boneless braised short rib that sits atop some type of sauce reduction.  In this instance it had a creamy cheese sauce with a touch of harissa.  I especially enjoyed the pearl onions and roasted root vegetables paired with it.  I am amazed how they can obtain such a large boneless cut of short-rib and even more amazed at how super tender it always is.  I cannot help but order it when I go and suggest you do the same.

I have never been hungry enough after the flat breads, appetizers, and entrees to order dessert but have been told it is good.  If you are every near Disney World you must get reservations and try out Jiko.

As I wrote about earlier, the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival now includes food specials just like their Food and Wine Festival.  The menus are completely different though which is nice and most of the dishes are lighter due to the event being in Spring as opposed to Fall.  I tried at least one item from most of the twelve booths and the following were my favorite picks.

Pan Fried Vegetable Bun

One of my favorite surprise dishes was the pan-fried vegetable bun from Lotus House – the booth in China. The bun is very soft and is filled with chopped vegetables. It is served with a sweet sauce which really enhances the overall flavor.

Carnitas Taco

The pork carnitas taco from Jardin de Fiestas – the booth in Mexico, are very flavorful and have pork rinds which add a nice amount of texture.  The carnitas were a tad dry but the flavor made up for it.

Potato, Chive and Cheddar Cheese Biscuit with Smoked Salmon Tartare and Sour Cream

My absolute favorite item comes as a complete surprise from The Cottage: Savories, Trifles and Tea – United Kingdom booth.  It is described as being a “Potato, Chive and Cheddar Cheese Biscuit with Smoked Salmon Tartare and Sour Cream.”  The biscuit is very flaky and the cheddar flavor comes through but is not overpowering.  The smoked salmon tartare is perfectly fresh and the sour cream and chives offset any fishy notes.  I cannot wait to get another one.

I will be posting some of the other good finds soon but these were my favorite.

Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

For the first time ever, the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival also includes new food and drinks from around the world! I spoke to one of the chefs and they plan to providing the food booths every year, and expanding them until the Flower and Garden Festival rivals the size of the Food and Wine Festival in scope of offers! He went on to say that this addition will turn the Epcot experience into 7 months out of the year worth of food. Needless to say I am very excited by the news and now have a reason to go to Disney World twice a year.

This year they had twelve (12) booths and each offered several food and drink items.  My favorites were The Cottage (English) and the Chinese Pavilions.

Homemade bread

It’s amazing how something so simple can taste so good but homemade bread falls into this category.   All it takes is 6.5 cups of flour, 3 cups of water at 100F, 1 tablespoon of active yeast, and one tablespoon of coarse salt to create a couple of loaves of goodness!

Cracker Barrel Blueberry Pancakes

I rarely get out to eat breakfast but always enjoy a plate of the blueberry pancakes served at Cracker Barrel. The plate comes with three huge buttermilk pancakes that are teeming with blueberries. They serve them with a jar of blueberry syrup which is not too think but also not too runny (like some blueberry syrups.)

The service can be very slow and you can expect to have to ask for coffee refills but the food is always spot-on.  Even with the spotty service, I suggest you give them a try, just don’t be in a hurry.

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com

The 1620 Restaurant opened in 1990 to success in Little Rock and continued the trend well after Executive Chef Evette Brady bought it in 1998. Evette started cooking at a young age, attended culinary school in Fox Valley, Wisconsin, and worked at popular restaurants in Little Rock such as Alouette’s. In 2012, 1620 closed. Behind closed doors, with nothing more than a blue dumpster to give away the work being done, chefs, carpenters and designers worked to create a brand new experience. In late 2012 it reopened as 1620 Savoy with a brand new look, menu, and staff. The new owner hopes to send Savoy to new heights in the Little Rock restaurant scene, and possibly even the entire South.

According to the General Manager Rick Qualls, Savoy is named after the Savoy Ballroom that started in the 1920s on 596 Lenox Avenue, between 140th and 141st Streets in Harlem, New York City. The design loosely follows the Art Deco style of the period with a makeover of current times along with hints of what is envisioned when you think of Jazz. The blue lighting along the ceiling’s edge, the waterfall glass, and the live band which is not loud but entertaining, all help realize the intent of the design. Savoy is not casual but has a light atmosphere to it and you are never pressed to feel formal. It does not feel “stuffy” or boring and offers an energetic mood without being draining.

As well as the building, the menu from 1620 has been completely renovated and the result is a fusion of French cuisine with the flavors expected of ever-progressing American cuisine. The experience of chefs Payne Harding and John Masching shine through with dishes featuring items such as pork belly, wyagu rib-eye, kurobuta pork, and crab salad. You can tell from their attention to detail that both worked and apprenticed at famous restaurants in New York and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America.

With dinner reservations at 7pm this past Saturday for four people, we arrived at 6:50pm and were promptly seated in the corner at a nice table with half of the chairs in a booth of sorts and the other two chairs out in the open. I would have preferred the booth seats but the couple with us were celebrating their anniversary and I am not about to impede on that experience. I could not see the live band but I could hear them and most importantly, they were not loud. The last thing I want to do is dine where I have to yell to have a decent conversation and Savoy handles this perfectly. I do feel on the edge of being dressed nicely enough, with a dress shirt and jeans, but am not uncomfortable.

Our waiter, Westin, arrives quickly and takes my drink order of iced-tea while the others look at the well populated wine menu. Savoy has just hired a Sommelier named Jeff Yant and he comes by to discuss the various wine options available. Everyone orders wine (except me,) and peruse the main menu along with the tasting menu that Westin has given each of us. Each week Savoy offers a different tasting menu that is designed by one of the chefs. This week they offer a menu of a crab salad, pork cheek ravioli, wagyu rib-eye, and some other items. You can order the tasting menu with or without a predesignated wine pairing or you can order from it a la carte.

Our Amuse Bouche at Savoy

For salads we order the crab salad and the wedge salad and for appetizers (small plates) we order the lobster risotto, the pork cheek ravioli from the tasting menu, the bacon & egg, the charcuterie, and the black sesame calamari. We sample the fresh bread while we wait and our waiter cannot be more attentive. He goes the extra mile by scraping crumbs from the table and replaces cutlery after each item is completed. The service is quick and not pretentious and I plan on asking for him the next time we dine there.  While we wait, we are served an amuse-bouche to get our palettes started and it consists of a small crisp topped with herbed goat cheese and a single micro-green. The crisp is well toasted and the herbal notes of the goat cheese are not overpowering. It is tiny, as it should be, but does a good job of preparing us for the meal.

Crab Salad

Our salads come out first and although the wedge looks good, my crab salad from the tasting menu looks even better. It consists of a large mound of fresh crab meat, topped with baby greens, and is sided by an avocado mousse. A cheddar foam sits at the bottom of the plate and pairs very well with the crab. The mousse is very light with the right amount of fresh avocado flavor and it also pairs well with the freshly-sweet crab meat. Altogether I really enjoy my salad and the refinement of it reminds me of other great restaurants around the country. I try a bite of the wedge salad and the lettuce is cold with just the right amount of dressing. It tastes good but is not nearly as inspirational as the crab salad.

Bacon & Egg

After another round of wine for everyone but me, our small plates arrive. Everything looks wonderful but my attention is promptly drawn to the simply named Bacon & Egg appetizer which sits before me. Although simple in name, it is complex in flavor, consisting of braised pork belly served atop a Havarti cheese fondue, with a wonderfully cooked egg on top. The egg breaks apart as expected and coats the pork with savory goodness. The apple cider braising shines through with a deep of flavor with acidic hints from the vinegar. The cheese fondue adds luxurious texture to the pork and it not overpowering.  The pork belly is a bit chewy from the braising, but that does not prevent it from being my favorite part of the entire experience.

Charcuterie

Tastes vary greatly with risotto and I prefer mine to be firm. Savoy’s does not disappoint as the lobster risotto tastes of the ocean is not too creamy. The calamari appetizer has hints of pepper but is a little too soggy for my tastes. That and I am still overwhelmed from the richness of the pork belly. Lastly, the charcuterie appetizer comes with duck prosciutto and several cheeses including a vibrant blue cheese which pairs well with the prosciutto and crackers. Every appetizer is well prepared but the pork belly is by far the best item on the table followed by the lobster risotto. Given another chance I would order either one without giving it a second thought.

Duck Savoy

Another round of wine is served along with a sorbet to cleanse our palettes. It is cold and tart and does the job of preparing us for the entrees. The entree show on-time as expected and look great. I had ordered the Duck Savoy which is maple-glazed and sided with braised collards, roasted turnips, and sits atop a Huckleberry Jus. It also came with the optional foie gras pairing which is served pan-seared and on the side. The duck was perfectly crisp with a beautiful maple glaze and had the internal color you expect from a Medium-Rare preparation. It went especially well with the Huckleberry sauce and the foie gras.  The fruit flavor of the sauce helped offset the richness of the foie gras. I did not care for the tortellini served with the dish as it was a bit mealy and felt out of place but the collards made up for it. My only suggestion would be to add more sauce and get rid of the pasta.

My good friend Chris had the Pasta “Fourty-Four” which consists of shrimp, scallops, crawfish, a homemade fettuccine, and creole cream. The pasta was well cooked but not too firm and the dish had a generous amount of shellfish. I happen to really enjoy spicy food and can stand a lot of heat but found the dish to be right on the edge of too spicy for what was expected. I always tell people that if you do not cry it is not spicy enough, but given the rest of the meal I was surprised to taste just how spicy it was. Although almost too spicy, it was not and had a great amount of creole flavor and Chris finished it all. Had we been in New Orleans we would have felt right at home.

Wyagu Ribeye

My wife ordered the tasting menu special of the coffee rubbed Wyagu Rib-eye served atop mustard greens. Savoy had removed all of the “bad bits” from the rib-eye, leaving perfect medallions of beef which were crusted with coffee grounds. You could see the marbling of the Wyagu and it tasted as good as it looked with a subtle coffee aftertaste. She had ordered it Medium-Rare but given the small size of the medallions it was almost too firm. In the future I would order it Rare but other than that small textural item, it was wonderful.

For dessert we had all ordered the souffles which you must order at the start of the meal given how much time they take to prepare. I had the Jamaican Chocolate Souffle and others at the table had the Grand Marnier Souffle. Apparently the chocolate souffle had exploded in the oven but the kitchen managed to serve me a “backup” souffle which was ready before they could pour the cream over my companion’s souffle. I do not know where they found it (or took it from), but I was happy to not have to wait thirty minutes or more for one! The souffles are light but flavorful and the St. Cecilia Creme served with them is very rich and oh-so-good. I put some in my coffee for added flavor and a few too many calories.

I have been waiting for a restaurant to open in Little Rock which rivals those I find in my various business travels around the country and Savoy has managed to meet my needs. It is not the best restaurant in the country but is one of the best, if not the best, in Arkansas. It is expensive but not more so than other places “out there” and is worth it. If you are going out with good friends or taking business clients out to dinner, Savoy is a great place to go.