Down Home Restaurant & Catering, 9219 Stagecoach Road, Little Rock, has formed a partnership with Hot Springs' legendary McClard's Bar-B-Que that will create McClard's and Down Home Catering.

Down Home owner Tori Morehart says she expects it to take about another 30 days to complete the "merger," for staff training and getting the equipment hooked up. "We're really, really thrilled about bringing that here, and also having that available to cater," she says.

Morehart says she plans on serving McClard's full menu, including the barbecue, hand-rolled tamales and the tamale spread, while keeping her "home-cooking stuff," and adding McClard's items to her catering menu. In addition, she expects to have two catering trailers that will enable her to do more cooking on site for catering jobs. She also expects to expand the restaurant's hours — currently 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday — to add dinner on weeknights and weekends. (501) 821-3344.

McClard's, which continues to operate to full houses at 505 Albert Pike, Hot Springs, first brought its signature barbecue and tamale spread to the center of Central Arkansas via a food truck in November 2020. The status of that truck is uncertain; the last post on its Facebook page (facebook.com/McClardsTruck) was in May 2021.

Co-owner Luis Vasquez, while taking our order late last week for a Baleada at the El Sur Street Food trailer parked at Bernice Garden, told us his target was "two or three weeks" for the opening of the restaurant in the former Esters, 1214 Main St. in Little Rock's South Main neighborhood. There he and co-owner Darren Strayhorn are looking to expand the food truck menu of authentic Honduran and other Latin American food, which has focused on signature Baleadas (a sort of Honduran burrito), tacos and arepas; an alcoholic beverage permit application pending with the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Division will enable them to operate a full bar. Meanwhile, their food trailer has been mostly operating nearby, within a block or two, in SoMA, in Bernice Garden and at Rock Town Distillery. (501) 773-4311; elsurstreetfoodco.com; facebook.com/elsurstreetfoodco.

"Two weeks. Or maybe three" is also the target for the opening of Goku Ramen Bar, in the storefront at 1900 Club Manor Drive, Maumelle, says owner Oki Sutanto. He says the menu will be similar to his other restaurant, Aji Ramen Bar, 301 N. Shackleford Road, Little Rock, but expects the flavors of many of the dishes to be different. Hours will be 11 a.m.-2 or 2:30 p.m. for lunch, 4-8 or 9 p.m. for dinner, Monday-Saturday. A phone number is pending.

Owner Leo Alvarez says it's still a work in progress, but he's looking to add breakfast somewhere around the end of July at Cotija's, on the ground floor of Union Plaza, 124 W. Capitol Ave., Little Rock. The restaurant will open at 7:30 or 8 a.m., serving various Mexican egg dishes with chorizo, bacon, machaca or ham, as a taco, burrito, torta or as a plate. We'll know more details as things get closer. Alvarez says they're also looking at applying for a liquor license down the line so they can eventually start an afternoon happy hour. For now, hours are 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday. (501) 244-0733; cotijaslr.com; facebook.com/Cotijas-Mexican-Grill-178107615538610.

Owner Cherreyl Alexander is hoping to get her new location of Lea Lea's Gourmet Dogs at 3408 S. University Ave., Little Rock, open on or about July 15. The new storefront establishment, which she has moved from 215 Center St. downtown, is in what had been a hookah bar in the strip center a bit off the main drag. She has filed a permit application with the ABC to transfer her license from downtown, which, if granted, will enable her to continue to serve frozen daiquiris.

Co-owner Peter Loibner says to look toward September for the opening of Blackberry Market, a cafe and bakery at 315A Main St. in North Little Rock's Argenta District, originally targeted for this past spring. We reported last week that while they're waiting, Loibner and his wife, Whitney, are preparing and vending snacks and meals for pickup out of an Argenta ghost kitchen ("just around the corner from our space"). Find an order form at the Facebook page (facebook.com/blackberryar) or email Whitney@blackberry.cafe.

For its second annual Bastille Day observance, The Grumpy Rabbit, 105 Front St. SW, Lonoke, is offering seatings at 6:30 and 6:45 p.m. Wednesday and July 14 for a four-course, prix fixe dinner that features chilled cantaloupe-champagne soup; seared salmon with spinach in a beurre blanc; apple sorbet with calvados snapp; beef filet in puff pastry in a sauce Perigourdine, Duchess potatoes and haricot vert; and for dessert, pear tart with almonds. Cost is $76, including tax and gratuity. Make reservations by calling (501) 438-8005 or at grumpyrabbitlonoke.com/bastille2022.

    Nashville Hot (clockwise from left), Cayenne and Lemon Pepper dry-rub wings are back on the menu at Slim Chickens. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)     The Fayetteville-based Slim Chickens chain has restored to the menu of all its locations, after a two-year absence, three varieties of dry-rub wings — Lemon Pepper and Cayenne Ranch, plus new Nashville Hot — through Sept. 26. A six-wing meal goes for about $12. Visit slimchickens.com.

Two Fayetteville establishments — Bordinos Restaurant and Wine Bar, 310 W. Dickson St., and Vetro 1925, 17 E. Center St., join Camden's Postmasters Grill, 133 W. Washington St., as recipients of Wine Spectator's 2022 Restaurant Awards. Each received a one-glass Award of Excellence, the lowest of three award levels. All three have been on Wine Spectator's annual list for several years running. Visit winespectator.com/restaurants.

And the July edition of "Discover Arkansas," a digital publication from Arkansas Tourism, a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, features a culinary tour of Arkansas, including a look at winners of the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame, information about some of Arkansas' food festivals and ethnic food history and how one Arkansas restaurant survived the pandemic and is now preparing to celebrate its 45th anniversary. Visit arkansas.com/discover-arkansas.

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: eharrison@adgnewsroom.com

Print Headline: RESTAURANT TRANSITIONS: Little Rock eatery, McClard’s pairing up; El Sur’s owners see SoMA opening soon

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