FANTASTIC CHINA in LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

Seasonal flowers
welcome you
before you open
the door!

Fantastic China is 'FANTASTIC'. I had friends say they feel like they are in New York City. It is a small intimate restaurant in 'The Heights, a fashionable area in Little Rock. 

When we lived in Little Rock, that was one of our favorite go to restaurants when we didn't want to cook at home. It was about five minutes from our house. We now live about an hour from there and get to go only when we come to 'town'. We went to 'town' yesterday and were about 5 minutes from there. So we went! Same place, same good food, same good service. 

Modern decor
Lights over bar
No bar seating
Booths and Tables

My favorite is Moo Goo Gai Pan which I get every time. Chuck wants to try something new every time. This time he chose the Chinatown Special. We had enough to take home for another meal. 

Mints on the way out.

If you haven't been there, highly recommend 
you go!

ALL-L-L- A-BOARD!

OK, so you aren't boarding a train...you are going to eat at a new restaurant in Little Rock-All Aboard located in the Stein Mart Shopping Center on Cantrell.  

Main Attraction (besides the food): Your food is delivered to your table in a tray hanging from a model train engine. It travels on a track attached to the wall.and ceiling.  It stops at your table and your food tray is lowered to you.  


There is a waiter available to help you through the process.  He/She will also bring you all those things you forgot to pick up when you got your drink.  Stuff like napkins, salt, mayo, mustard, knife, fork.  Yes, we forgot all of those things and they are not on the table or in your food car.  Hence, Help was definitely appreciated.  We even forgot to tell the waiter we needed straws so we had to get up anyway.  (We, meaning the Chuck of the "We")

The menu is limited ...burgers, wraps, salads. Chuck and I got both got Cheeseburgers.  I had mine with hot pepper cheese and grilled onions. (Note: Red onions do not grill well.  They are for salads.)  Chuck had American cheese with the works.  The Angus beef had a good flavor and the patty was generous.  However, I think I can buy them in the frozen food section of Kroger.  I loved the fries...seemed fresh cut w/peeling on.  However, they were probably bought frozen in bulk.  Obviously, I couldn't tell the difference.


The atmosphere was a little sterile, but was clean.  The staff was friendly and helpful.  They seemed grateful we were there.  We weren't the only ones in the restaurant, but it wasn't full.  We both commented that the location didn't seem to be conducive to foot traffic.  If it succeeds, it will have to become a destination ...probably because of the train gimmick.


We will go back, but I think I'll try it for lunch...maybe a salad or a wrap.

Arg! Thumbs Up-Now Thumbs Down!

I just found out 
that McDonald's 
Caramel Frappé has 
590 calories...
naturally, I get one with whipped cream!  


Guess who just eliminated them from her vocabulary?

Starbuck's Caramel Frappuccino is off the list, too!  Their web site doesn't even mention their Frappuccino...probably same at McDonald's...too many!

Izzy's Thumbs Down

I am not sure why we keep going back to Izzy's.  I guess it's like a bad experience: the further you get away from it you lose sight of the experience itself.


We have never ordered any item that motivates us to come back.  Yet, we did it again Saturday night.  After I got home from work we didn't want to cook so away we went.  We wanted Pizza.  We want Pizza at least once a week and indeed, that is what we ordered.   Their menu has untraditional Pizzas; we went for the veggie instead of the "all meat"...our names...they have "Grab You" names.  


The crust and sauce were great.  However, it was as if they cooked they crust first. Then threw the veggies and cheese on top; stuck it back in the over to melt the cheese.  The rest is history.  There was a lot of uncooked spinach and a lot, and I mean a lot, of uncooked Zucchini squash.  Maybe the next time, and I mean maybe, we will build our own cheese pizza with Pepperoni.    The veggie pizza will not entice us to come back.  


Some people must like it.  The dining room was full.   I am not sure why.  There are better places to get Pizza....and Mexican...and hamburgers. Maybe they have found something that we haven't in the last 15 years.

Catfish City on University Thumbs Down!

Once upon a time there was a place to eat delicious catfish, fries/baked potato available at night, relish, slaw. On top of that it was reasonably priced!  It was convenient and our favorite place to eat catfish.  But, woe is me...that place doesn't exist any longer.  It is physically there with a new facade and great decor added a few years back.  They still serve all of the above.  but...Something happened along the way.  Things were not the same in "Catfish City" land after the renovation.  


We went last week.  The fish was as expected frozen. The crust was tough and had pulled away from the fish...ugh. The prices were too high...we did not get our money's worth.   We cannot recommend it.  We cannot speak to their catering service.  Perhaps that is their focus. 


All we know...Give us our "old" Catfish City!