What’s cooking
The Plaza restaurant has moved from Rogers’ Villages at the Creeks to Bentonville’s Colonnade on Macy Road (commonly referred to by locals as “Rainbow Curve,” a high-traffic area off Walton Boulevard).
According to general manager Yoshi Yamamoto, the restaurant is awaiting transfer of its private club liquor license, and that is expected in late September. In the meantime, the restaurant is open only for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, featuring about 25 items on the menu, he said.
He’ll keep some of the favorite appetizers from the Rogers menu, such as the crab cakes, and some of the fancy entrée items, but also expects to have specialty pizzas and possibly Mexican style offerings to suit his Mexican chef. Yamamoto also plans to start Sunday brunch later in the fall with a variety of food stations. Desserts will continue to be made in house, he said. Dinner will be served from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Kathy Nelson owns the restaurant. The phone number is 479-273-7778.
The Ashley’s restaurant in the Capital Hotel will be closed for up to two months while the hotel undergoes renovation, according to general manager Joe Rantisi. The closure also has meant a temporary halt to lunch service in the Capital Bar, though the bar remains open for drinks.
J’s Place, which opened briefly at Sixth and Center streets in downtown Little Rock before having to close because of technical problems with the building, reopened Tuesday, Aug. 23, for breakfast and lunch service. Hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is 374-8606. J’s Place has an original location that serves lunch at dinner in the Market Place Shopping Center off North Rodney Parham Road.
Capsule reviews
SATELLITE CAFE Though the air conditioning could have been a little more potent, the burrito we had here on a recent Sunday noon was refreshingly good, stuffed with jasmine rice, black beans, salsa, guacamole and onions. The French omelet devoured by a friend was as tasty as it was ample. The coffee is great, as it should be. The other breakfast items were tantalizing — tart apple and cottage cheese pancakes called out, as did the eggs hollandaise — but we stuck with the burrito and were happy. Quite a scene, this place is, with quick service on this occasion. North University and Kavanaugh. CC $$-$$$ 663-6336 BL daily.
CASA MEXICANA This is Tex-Mex with an authentic boost, and one of our favorite places when we’re in the mood for hot, filling, spicy comfort food. The refried beans are so tasty we suspect they’re cooked with a touch of lard; the burritos are lathered in a good melted cheese, the rice is plump instead of sadly dry, a flaw often encountered in lesser Mexican restaurants. Chips are great, too. The menu maps out a diverse, huge selection of offerings: carne, chile, carnitas, flautas, camarones, chalupas, children’s plates and margaritas — choices plenty if you were raised at Browning’s or in Brownsville. 6929 JFK Blvd., NLR (also 4091 E. Kiehl, Sherwood). Alcohol. CC $$ 835-7876 (833-2787) LD daily.

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