Review: Thirst N Howl

Located in the once Cotham's West, turned Gadwall's West, is Thirst N Howl (14710 Cantrell Rd). It's only been open for 5 weeks, according to our waitress/(obvious) business manager. The name tells you that there is a clear Gilligan's Island theme (and by clear, I mean only if you knew much about Gilligan's Island, which I didn't, because I didn't catch the connection, until Jason mentioned it.) However, even if you aren't familiar with Gilligan's Island, you will notice from the moment you pull in front of the building there is an island theme...the patio is a tiki hut, the big screen tv has a constant loop of Gilligan's Island episodes (with closed caption subtitles so that you know what's going on over the house music). There is a stage, complete with drums and guitars for live music which is offered Thursdays-Saturdays. Since the equipment is already there, maybe you can convince the owners to let YOU play on other days...maybe :) There is a gigantic bar, which I think might be the centerpiece of this place (probably the "thirst" part of the name), especially since that's where most people positioned themselves there or near it.

As far as food is concerned, they consider themselves to be a "bar food" restaurant, which means 2 things...1.) you won't find steak on the menu, and 2.) nothing is over $10 on the menu! I order the "professor" (yes, everything is named after a Gilligan's Island characters). The professor is a chili dog...covered in the BEST chili in the world...to it you can add mustard, onions and other toppings that I don't like on my chili dogs...I'm a very plain eater. It comes with chips, but you can also get fries (seasoned or sweet potatoes). Jason got the Volcano Burger (a huge burger with pepper jack cheese, some type of hot sauce and jalapenos). He got the seasoned fries...and they were amazing. He liked the burger a lot, too!

So, overall, Thirst N Howl gets an "A" in my book. They are open for lunch and dinner. Dinner starts at 4pm (which is the time that we went on a Tuesday, so it wasn't packed). They close at 1 am, so you have plenty of time! :)

Blueberry Chicken Pasta

Tonight I decided to be adventurous and healthy, and speedy! So I googled quick summer recipes and one of the first things that popped up was a recipe for blueberry chicken pasta. Now, at first the picture looked gross, and I thought to myself, "those things don't go together." However, it looked interesting. So I went to the grocery store and got the ingredients...the modified ingredients. Here is the recipe, in parentheses is my modification.


1 pound(s) boneless, skinless chicken breast (I used canned...well actually packaged...same thing without having to touch raw meat)

8 ounce(s) whole-wheat fusilli or radiatore (I already had some fusilli, but it wasn't whole wheat, so not as healthy)
3 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot (I used an onion...pretty much the same thing--once again, I already had one, why waste it?)
1/3 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup(s) crumbled feta cheese (I like my food cheesy, so I used a little more)
3 tablespoon(s) lime juice (I don't like limes so...no lime juice for me)
1 cup(s) fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh thyme (I used italian seasoning instead)
1 teaspoon(s) freshly grated lime zest (see above)
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt (I don't measure my salt, I just shake)

(after reading my modifications, I know you're thinking, you didn't follow the recipe at ALL)

Here's how you put it all together:
(you can skip step one if you do things my way)

1. Place chicken in a skillet or saucepan and add enough water to cover; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool. Shred into bite-size strips.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, about 9 minutes or according to package directions. Drain. Place in a large bowl.
3. Meanwhile, place oil and shallot in a small skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to brown, 2 to 5 minutes. Add broth, feta and lime juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the feta begins to melt, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add the chicken to the bowl with the pasta. Add the dressing, blueberries, thyme, lime zest and salt and toss until combined.

Four (or three if you're me) easy steps to what ended up not being so bad. I went light on the blueberries because I was afraid to mix fruit with my chicken, but Jason actually suggested using more next time. If you follow the recipe this dinner is only 315 calories. I paired it with a simple salad with red wine vingerette and water to follow the "healthy" theme. Dessert was a slice of watermelon. So, I'm feeling pretty good right now :)

Go ahead and try it, even if it sounds weird. You'll be pleasantly surprised! :)

(please excuse the blurry pics)

Review: Ice Flow Lemonade (Long John Silver's)

Yeah, the advertising worked on me. I'm a sucker. But I like lemonade. It's hot so I like things frozen. So why not? The advertisements have been going on and on about the .75 Ice Flow lemonade during their happy hour from 2-5 PM daily. It comes in two flavors, regular lemon and everyone's favorite summer flavor..strawberry lemonade. Naturally, i wanted the strawberry one. So Jason and I ventured over to the only Long John Silver's in Little Rock (off University and Col. Glenn/Asher). If I was going to try it, I was definitely going to try it at it's discounted rate of $.75 (If you need more proof check out their website). Alas, we make it to LJS only to be greeted by a sign that says you can purchase the lemonade during happy hour for $.85. I'm no math genius, but I'm sure that's a whole $.10 more than the advertisements on TV...but we've driven all the way over there AND frankly, .10 isn't enough really to argue about I guess. So we proceed to the drive-thru speaker box. I ordered Lemon for my dad and Jason, and strawberry for myself...I've had quite a day already so it was only appropriate that they were OUT of the strawberry!! Ugh! Okay, fine...the lemon is fine for everyone. When I took my first sip, I was shocked that it was frozen...I guess that's the "ice" portion of the name...I just thought they meant it was really cold. The TV commercial makes it look "liquidy" (is that a word?), but I guess not. At any rate, with a heat index of 105, frozen works for me. It's not bad. It's cold, it's icy and tastes like lemonade. So if you're hot and need to be refreshed, try it. But, beware that the Happy Hour price of $.75 obviously doesn't apply at the Little Rock location--it also doesn't come in the cool clear cups. Oh, and go early if you want strawberry. :)

Review: Five Guys (Burgers and Fries)

Ever since I found out that Five Guys was coming to the Little Rock area I was super excited! I don’t know why, because I’ve never been to one. But, everyone else that has seemed really excited. Apparently, this is an “east coast” chain of restaurants that have slowly migrated west and are also found in larger airports. At any rate, the first store in our region opened in North Little Rock in Lakewood Village. Since I live in Little Rock, I am rarely on THAT side of the river and haven’t made it over there. Then, just a month ago, the 2nd location opened on Chenal Parkway in West Little Rock (across from Old Navy—and next to Coldstone Creamery)…much closer to home! Today was my opportunity to try it. My dad, with prompting from my sister, decided that he’d pick up dinner from there and bring it home. What a great day for me to visit! ☺ My sister looked up the menu online and we gave my dad our order via phone as he ordered at the counter. So, I am unable to speak of the atmosphere of the restaurant like I usually do, because I wasn’t actually there or the prices. But after all, it’s about the food, right?
I had already been warned about the size of the “regular” sized burger (it’s a double) so I ordered the “small” cheeseburger. But it is FAR from small. It comes topped with lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, onions and mushrooms. I didn’t know about the mushrooms, because I would have said NO mushrooms. The burger itself was not very flavorful. Then all the toppings were overwhelming and messy! It was difficult to keep it together while eating it. I’m not really in to getting dirty while eating…I sometimes eat ribs with a fork! Buffalo wings are really the only thing worth getting my hands messy for…so this burger didn’t make me very happy. My sister got the hot dog with onions and relish…she too had the same problem with messiness. We also got an order of “Cajun fries.” Apparently “Cajun” to Five Guys means seasoning salt and pepper. One order of fries was large enough for my four person family. Mainly because we didn’t eat many of them.
To sum it all up, Five Guys does not get “Five Stars” in my book. But you should try it yourself to see, a few of my friends that have gone really enjoy it. But in the Robinson household, Five Guys got four thumbs down.

(sorry no pics to post of this place, either)

Review: B-Side

I awoke this morning to a text message from Amanda that read “do you wanna do breakfast or brunch?” Naturally at 8:00 a.m. the answer to that is “yes”, because I was hungry. And for some reason the first place that popped in my mind to go was the B-Side. I’ve never been, and have wanted to check it out since it opened early this year. B-side is located on Rodney Parham Rd across from Franke’s in the Market Place Shopping Center in the old Lily’s Dim Sum Then Some party room…so that would imply that they are owned by the owner of that establishment…and if you needed more proof that they share owners, all doubt is erased when you have to walk into the dim sum restaurant to use the restroom. But I digress, the restaurant itself is small and quaint. It is about the size of a…I don’t know…restaurant party room. The walls are lined with art by local artists. If you happen to fall in love with one of the pictures, you’re in luck! You can buy whatever you see. Each picture comes with a price tag, a nice hefty price tag. Our table was positioned under a $900 painting.
But again, I digress, the food. The menu is 2 pages…front and back…and includes the basic breakfast foods—pancakes, eggs, etc.; and some not so basic breakfast foods like beignets (which I sort of wished I would have tried). Aside from juice and coffee, they have a mini menu of hot teas and general brunch drinks like mimosas, Bloody Marys, screwdrivers and a bunch of other drinks that include vodka or champagne that I’ve never heard of. Breakfast foods are sort of tricky for me because I have an intolerance to eggs, and of course people always pair everything with eggs. So I usually have to order breakfast foods a la carte. Today was no different. I ordered the waffle ($5.99 for one gigantic plate size waffle divided into 4 triangles) and bacon ($2.99 for four slices). The waffle was okay—I personally thought it would have been GREAT with strawberries, whipped cream and a dusting of powdered sugar—I’m jus sayin’. My bacon was cooked perfectly.


Amanda got the eggs benedict (about $8.00) and coffee. Her dish came with these really delicious home fries that were sprinkled with sea salt and basil(?). We weren’t really sure if it was basil, but that’s what it looked like—whatever it was, it was good.



Service was excellent. Our server was Justin. He was very accommodating. Another server (I didn’t catch his name), kept coming to our table and chatting with us. He was very nice, and entertaining. I was even more impressed when 15 minutes to closing time, a couple came in and Justin was just as welcoming as he was earlier in the day. Whereas, in some restaurants, if you come in 15 minutes before closing they treat you as if you are inconveniencing them in some way. So, I was very impressed.

Overall, B-side gets an appropriate “B” for food (not because it was bad, it just wasn't amaaaaazing) and an “A” for service. I’d recommend it to try. But beware that the hours are a little different. They are open from 8-2 pm Wednesdays-Sundays only.

Review: Bar Louie (West Little Rock)

(Bar Louie at Night--pretty)

Yesterday, two of my friends and I went to Bar Louie--the newest restaurant in the Pleasant Ridge Shopping Center. We were there at 2 pm, so there wasn't much of a crowd, so there was no wait. The restaurant is housed in what was once "Crew," another restaurant that closed early last year. Before entering, I was expecting the same set up, but I was surprised to see that it looks as if they have completely gutted the place and started fresh. The decor is beautiful...black furniture with silver accents in the hardware (ceiling fans). Very open and airy, with a few into the kitchen (also lined in silver). The staff was very nice. Although many were sitting around chatting (but that was probably because it was very slow--but remember I went after lunch and before dinner, so I can't speak for the crowd during "peak" times)

When I picked up the menu I was overwhelmed--it's 4 pages long--although the 4th page is the "drink" menu..which I didn't need. There are PLENTY of choices! The appetizers include dips like hummus, and general appetizers like buffalo wings and sliders. There is literally something for everyone on the entree side...mac and cheese, pastas, burgers, sandwiches (grilled chicken, turkey, fried chicken). I believe there was steak, too. After browsing the menu for at least 15 minutes (no kidding), the three of us were ready to order. We all decided on sandwiches. I got the BLTT(bacon, lettuce, tomato and turkey). Every sandwich comes with fries (but you can substitute them for fruit, sweet potato fries, mac and cheese, red beans and rice, and at least 2 other options which escape me at the moment). I wasn't feeling very adventurous so I chose the regular fries. One of my friends got mac and cheese with hers...which she enjoyed. My BLTT was great...it was HUGE, but great. I still have the other half in my refrigerator. In fact, each of us had left overs. So the portions are pretty large. So large that we didn't have room to try the "dessert-tinis" which are apparently served in martini glasses. I'll have to go back just for dessert :)

I definitely will be back. They have seating for large groups (I spotted at least 3 tables that would hold at least 12 people), and booths for smaller parties. They also have a nice patio for those that prefer outdoor dining. For the sports fanatics, the restaurant is also equipped with about 5 big screen TVs that were all tuned to ESPN...two different ESPNs. I'm not a drinker, but for those that are they also have a large bar that is fully stocked, in fact on the way out I noticed a huge glass case of Grey Goose and other vodkas.

Prices are moderate--ranging from around $7 to $21 (at least that was the highest that I saw). Desserts were nicely priced, $3.95.


(Bar Louie the way I saw it--daytime)

Calzone...

Tonight I decided to make a calzone...actually the whole time I was buying ingredients I was intending to make a stromboli...but in true Renada fashion, I had a completely different picture in my head from what I was saying. The end result looked something like a stuffed pizza :) Ingredients for this lovely dish are as follows: pre-made pizza crust, pizza sauce, pizza cheese, pepperoni, one bell pepper, half of an onion, italian seasoning, and melted butter. (of course your "filling" can be any of your favorite pizza toppings.)

Step one:


Step two:


Step three (but sorta step one...sautee vegetables)


Step four (add meat toppings):


Step five (add more cheese):


Step six (fold then brush the top with melted butter..add italian seasoning and put in a 400F oven for 10 minutes)


Finished plated product:


Things I would change about this dish:
Next time I plan to use a thinner crust, or perhaps even use a box pizza crust kit to make a crust. I think that will make it easier to fold in half and even seal to keep the toppings inside.

I also plan to use the whole box of pepperoni...my slice didn't have enough!

Overall, not a bad dish for an experiment. :)

Welcome!

I love to cook and eat out...a lot...so much, that I decided to blog about it. Plus this will give me something to do to pass the time while I patiently (or not so patiently) wait for school to start again...then I'll have a job, and probably not so much free time...but we shall see.

So for this blog, I will post pictures of experiments of mine in the kitchen, (along with the recipe) as well as reviews of restaurants in LIttle Rock (keeping in mind that I am not a professional "critic".) So, unfortunately, this little piece of internet space will in no way change the world or make much of a difference in anyone's life..maybe...but who knows...maybe it will.

Anyway...here goes...eat up and enjoy! :)