Settle down … we had eight folks in our party. But still, ordering six appetizers, plus entrees, is quite an evening of gluttonous eating. There may have been three pieces of peanut butter pie involved as well. Kudos to Maddie’s Place, one of Little Rock’s most beloved and respected restaurants, for delivering on an across-the-board great meal with excellent, attentive service.

So let’s get to it. Thanks to a tablemate who went rogue, grabbed a menu, and just started pointing at items, we ordered the:

• House Smoked Salmon Dip with Grilled Pita Bread Chips ($8.50)
• Homemade Macaroni & Cheese ($7.50)
• Truffle Parmesan Fries ($9.00)
• Fried Green Tomatoes with Crabmeat & Remoulade ($10.50)
• Chargrilled Oysters (no clue on price)
• Black-Eyed Pea Hummus (no clue on price)

Truth be told, when I’m eating with a large group and food is flying around, it’s very difficult for me to concentrate on the finer details of each dish. I usually go with a mental note of, “that was awesome…or that sucked.” And that’s exactly what I did here. While I didn’t taste the oysters, they did get a collective thumbs up from the table. My two personal favs were the insanely addictive Parm fries and the fried green tomatoes. Covering the fries with Parm and truffle oil doesn’t even seem fair and those little crispy green tomato discs are so damn good. Don’t even get me started on that decadent mac & cheese. It shouldn’t be legal for a human to take more than five bites of it in one sitting.

But here’s the thing … all of the appetizers were excellent. Heck, even the black-eyed pea hummus, which was closely guarded by the 1 1/2 vegetarians of the table, was a winner.

The only slight misstep was with my entrée of Grilled Salmon with Roasted Garlic Grits & Stewed Okra. The salmon was a tad overcooked. Not a big deal, as the fish was well-seasoned and the accompanying grits and okra were possibly the tastiness combination on the table. The server was also nice enough to let my wife and I split the entrée, and they even brought it out on two separate plates.

I washed everything down with a can of Lost 40 Pineapple Belgium Blonde served with a frosty glass. Talk about a perfect summer beer.

Talk about a perfect dinner.

Maddie’s Place
1615 Rebsamen Park Rd
Phone: (501) 660-4040
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11am-9pm; Closed Sunday and Monday

Smoked Salmon

Pineapple Belgium Blonde

Truffle Fries w/ Parm