Restaurant transitions: MorningSide Bagels to reopen; DeLuca’s Pizzeria moving; new Chili's in Little Rock debuts

DeLuca’s Pizzeria owner Anthony Valinoti is moving the popular pizzeria to Hot Springs’ Central Avenue in the coming weeks.
DeLuca’s Pizzeria owner Anthony Valinoti is moving the popular pizzeria to Hot Springs’ Central Avenue in the coming weeks.

As of Saturday, Robyn Edwards of Maumelle is the new owner of MorningSide Bagels, 10848 Maumelle Blvd., North Little Rock, taking over from former co-owner Roxane Tackett and her estranged husband, David. Edwards says she has a target of late October "at the latest" to reopen, while she makes repairs (David Tackett, you will recall, was arrested after police said he did considerable damage to the equipment and the dining area over Easter weekend) and learning from Roxane Tackett, whose recipes she has acquired, how to actually make the bagels. "It's exciting and scary at the same time," says Edwards, who had been an occasional customer at the shop. She'll keep the same menu, though she is contemplating adding some specialty sandwiches once things have settled, and she's planning to install a new espresso machine. Hours will be 6 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Saturday; she'll assume the shop's former phone number, (501) 753-6960.

Chef-owner Anthony Valinoti is moving his wildly popular Hot Springs landmark DeLuca's Pizzeria. The current semi-secluded, short-of-parking and almost always mobbed location at 407 Park Ave. will close Sept. 29; he'll reopen Oct. 11 at 831 Central Ave. "We outgrew that facility and had to find a better space with access to parking and air conditioning," he said last week. The new location being on downtown Hot Springs' main drag, it puts him in proximity to historic bathhouses, shops, galleries, museums and other local eateries and drinkeries, including the recently opened Core Public House next door. Renovations are in progress; workers have already installed the new electrical wiring and plumbing and built a second story for storage. Valinoti says he'll likely keep the menu (delucashotsprings.com) and hours (4-9 p.m. Thursday, 4-10 p.m. Friday, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, noon-8 p.m. Sunday) the same through the end of the year. Beginning in January or February -- coinciding with the start of racing season at Oaklawn -- he could start staying open until midnight on the weekends with a special late-night menu. Also possible, once he gets settled: Thursday-Monday lunch. The phone number is (501) 609-9002.

And speaking of pizza, all three locations of American Pie Pizza -- 10912 Colonel Glenn Road, Little Rock, (501) 225-1900, and two in North Little Rock: 9709 Maumelle Blvd., (501) 758-8800, and 4830 North Hills Blvd., (501) 753-0081 -- are now serving a cauliflower crust to accommodate low-carb and gluten-free customers.

Something is going into the long-vacant Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que building, in the Westchase Plaza shopping center, 225 N. Shackleford Road, Little Rock: One of our eagle-eyed correspondents spotted a Dumpster out front. By deadline, the folks at the North Little Rock-based Ashley Group, which controls the building, aren't yet identifying the tenant. The Little Rock location of Minnesota-based barbecue chain quietly closed Jan. 1, 2015.

And speaking of barbecue, the owners of the Count Porkula food truck estimate it'll be two to four weeks before they open their operation in the Rail Yard, the new East Village development at 1212 E. Sixth St., Little Rock. They're also creating a Food Truck Court there. In a recent Facebook post, by the way, they joyously proclaim that the food truck was a huge hit Sept. 9 at the Main Street Food Truck Festival: "We came, we fed, we had fun, we SOLD OUT!" The phone number is (501) 804-9561.

The new location of Chili's Grill & Bar opened Monday as scheduled at 12505 W. Markham St., Little Rock, near the confluence of West Markham Street and Chenal Parkway. (The freestanding Luby's Cafeteria that used to be there was razed to make room.) The restaurant moved west from the Village at Pleasant Valley, 10700 N. Rodney Parham Road, which is set to house a central Arkansas outlet of the Northwest Arkansas-based Grub's Bar & Grille mini-chain. Hours: 10:45 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 10:45 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday. The phone number is (501) 404-9700.

As speculation continues to run rampant over the location of the pending Little Rock outlet of the Springfield, Mo.-based Hurts Donut Co. chain -- including the possibility that it could open downtown, which for some reason has been unable to heretofore sustain a viable doughnut shop -- comes word that Donuts & Deli is opening sometime in October in the space at 308 Main St., Little Rock. The space used to house the short-lived former lunchtime deli outlet of Bruno's Little Italy. A website in progress, donutslr.com, lists a range of gourmet doughnuts (including one called "Nuts for Nutella"), deli sandwiches, salads and daily soup specials. The Facebook page, facebook.com/donutslr, lists tentative hours -- 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday; want doughnuts on Monday, you're apparently out of luck, they'll be closed -- and a phone number: (501) 626-8083.

We don't yet have a target opening date, but interior work continues on the Starbucks, 2815 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, on the former site of Shogun Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, which closed in April and was demolished to make room.

Taqueria Amigos Mexican Restaurant is now open at 96 Municipal Drive, Jacksonville. Hours are 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. The phone number is (501) 983-2193; the Facebook page, facebook.com/mexicanamigosrestaurant.

And speaking of tacos, Twisted Taco opened an outlet last week on the first floor of Donaghey Hall at the University of Central Arkansas, 250 Donaghey Ave., Conway. The Tex-Mex restaurant serves made-to-order California style burritos, nachos, homemade salsas and, if it holds true to the rest of the Atlanta-based chain, "30 different versions of our famous 'Twisted Tacos,'" according to the website, twistedtaco.com. And the place has acquired a private club license that will allow it to serve, in dry Faulkner County, wine, beer and frozen margaritas. Hours are 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, likely to adjust during school breaks. The phone number is (501) 852-0254. The first floor of the residence hall also includes a Marble Slab Creamery/Great American Cookies outlet and the just-opened second campus location of Einstein Bros. Bagels; hours are 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and the phone number is (501) 852-0251. The other is in the Student Center; hours there are 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, 4-10 p.m. Sunday and the phone number there is (501) 450-3336.

When we reported the closure of Home Plate Diner, 2615 N. Prickett Road, Bryant, we noted a voicemail message left on the phone number, (501) 847-3331, suggested there was a potential buyer. Now we know who it is: India Cafe, from the people who formerly operated Desi Den. In fact, "DESI DEN is Now INDIA CAFE" is the name of their Facebook page (tinyurl.com/yabwgeae).

And Potluck Food Rescue hosts its annual fall fundraiser, "Driving Away Hunger" (formerly "Buffet on Broadway"), 6:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at Potluck's headquarters, 621 W. Broadway, North Little Rock. This fundraiser seeks to raise $25,000 toward the purchase of a new fleet vehicles. The event includes music from the Wildflower Revue and dinner, provided by the Arkansas Heart Hospital food truck, Food From the Heart. Loblolly Creamery will be scooping ice cream and Flyway Brewing and Diamond Bear will be tapping beer; wine and other refreshments will be available. Support comes from the Heart Hospital, First Financial Bank and Ben E. Keith. It'll go on rain or shine; tickets are $75. Call (501) 371-0303, email potluckfoodrescue@att.net or visit potluckfoodrescue.org.

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. Call (501) 399-3667 or (501) 378-3513, or send a note to Restaurants, Weekend Section, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203. Send email to:

eharrison@arkansasonline.com

Weekend on 09/20/2018

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