Dinner on New Year's Day in Little Rock, Arkansas

December 30, 2018 8:52 PM

We may be in Little Rock for the evening of January 1st. The prospective hotel isn't in walking distance of anything and doesn't have a real restaurant. I can find information on places for New Year's Day brunch or New Year's Eve dinner, but nothing about what might be open for New Year's Day dinner. Any suggestions?

I don't mind somewhere that requires reservations, but I'd like somewhere that's not too swanky. The hotel has a shuttle that can take us to places within a couple of miles of its location near I-30 and E Ninth St.

Places we've enjoyed eating at in Little Rock in the past include Cathead's Diner, Gus's Fried Chicken, the Root, 42 Bar and Table, and Boulevard Bread Company. We're up for bbq/Southern food/soul food, hipster farm-to-table whatever stuff (Wunderhaus in Conway is great, btw), and nearly anything that isn't crustacean-focused (I can't eat shrimp etc.). Asian and Mexican or Central American food would be at the bottom of my list unless you can make a good case for a place with a regional specialty or something (or, let's be honest here, a really good queso with no bell peppers). We don't really drink, so alcohol selection doesn't matter. Bonus points for a place with good chess pie, because that's nearly impossible to find where I live--unlike Asian and Mexican/Central American food, which is everywhere.

So, if you know a good place that will be open for New Year's Day dinner, please pass it on and save me from having to eat the hotel's pizza again. Thank you!

(I don't really have a sense for whether restaurants anywhere are typically open for dinner on New Year's Day, to be honest. Usually, I stay home. So if it's a moot question, let me know!)

posted by wintersweet to Food & Drink (3 answers total)

My first choice in your general category is probably South on Main. If you liked the places you mentioned, you'll almost certainly like it too. If it's not open (I know they're doing a NYD brunch, and they're normally open for Tuesday dinner), you might consider True Arkansas Eatery. The shuttle might not go as far as Maddie's Place or The Pantry, but you'd probably like them both.

While it's definitely not swanky, the best bbq in town is Sims (the Broadway location is closest to your hotel).

(Other than noting that they're generally open for Tuesday dinner, I have done nothing to verify that any of these places are open for NYD dinner, so, y'know, call first or something.)
posted by box at 5:52 AM on December 31, 2018

Best answer: I really like The Faded Rose for cajun food and Flying FIsh in the River Market. The restaurant in the Capital Hotel is also good, but might qualify as swanky.
posted by Ragged Richard at 9:38 AM on December 31, 2018

Response by poster: Went to Flying Fish because it was open and hardly anything else was (including most of the places that claimed through various apps that they'd deliver). It was pretty good, especially the "snappy" batter. Thanks!
posted by wintersweet at 6:12 PM on January 1, 2019