Food news and notes from around the Little Rock area…

ICYMI, the WLR Gus’s Fried Chicken closed on November 7th. Here’s the statement left on Facebook: “After much consideration, beginning November 7th, we will convert our Bowman Curve location from a restaurant to a hub for our expanding catering operations. We want to sincerely thank you for having joined us, over the last few years, for your lunches and dinners, and bringing Gus’s chicken into your homes. Unfortunately, we have not been consistently satisfied with either the level of service or high product standards we set for ourselves. We are confident consolidating back to one full service restaurant in the River Market will better equip us to offer you the best experience; every meal; every time.” Honestly, this doesn’t surprise me at all. I love Gus’s but the product coming out of this location was just missing the mark. Heck, I drove past the place at least 4 times a day and never had a desire to stop in (after the first few visits). People will blame the location, just like they always do, but the bottom line is that a quality product wasn’t coming out of the kitchen.

It’s still a little early, but keep your eyes peeled, because now is the time of year when Thanksgiving announcements start coming out from various eateries. If you’re looking for homemade pies at your holiday festivities, Honey Pies has and will continue to take orders. “Place your order today by calling (501) 613-7950 or stopping by The Colonnade Shopping Center at 315 N. Bowman Road, Suite 14.”

The Humble Crumble Bakery out in Sherwood is also taking orders until November 21st. Check out their FB page for full details.

@ the Corner is also all over your pie needs … “‘Tis the season for pies, lots of pies! Our team @ The Corner is ready to rock your holidays with our Rock Town Bourbon Pie featuring Hardin Farms Pecans & Rock Town Distillery Bourbon! To place an order please call 501.400.8458 or email atthecornerlr@gmail.com. For Thanksgiving pies place orders by the 22nd for pickup by the 3PM on the 23rd. For Christmas pies place orders by the 21st for pickup by 3PM on the 23rd.”

Also, for those looking for a restaurant to take over the duties for Thanksgiving, you may want to check out what Arthur’s  has to offer…“Arthur’s Prime Steakhouse is pleased to announce the 5th Annual Thanksgiving brunch buffet, Thursday, November 24, 2016. Dinner will be served from 10:30 a.m. till 3:30 p.m. The menu will feature: Fresh Rolled sushi by Chef Alex Guzman, Oysters and raw bar, Dijon Horseradish Crusted Prime Rib, Smoked Whole Turkey, Bourbon Peach Glazed Ham, Cream Corn, Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole, Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes, and Cornbread and Sage Dressing. Prices are $40 per adult, $19.50 for children 8-12, $12 for children 3 – 7, children under 3 eat free.”

Big news from our local distillery … “Rock Town Distillery is pleased to announce three of its whiskeys have scored the rating of “Liquid Gold” in Jim Murray’s 2017 Whisky Bible. Rock Town’s Arkansas Rye Whiskey received a “brilliant” 95.5/100, while its Barley Bourbon from the Flavor Grain Series received a “fabulous” 95/100 and its Single Barrel Bourbon received a “superb” 94/100.” Stop by the distillery to check them all out.

In late September, it was announced that Petit & Keet Bar & Grill (in the former 1620 Savoy at 1620 Market St) had hopes of a mid-November opening date. By the looks of it–from my quick drive-by–they still have some work to do. But the good news is that there does seems to be a lot going on over there.