Iriana’s Pizza, Little Rock, AR

No gimmicks. Just delicious pizza in Little Rock.

by Amber Hood | July 25, 2010

This week, we’re celebrating the glory of pizza, the food I could never live without. Who doesn't love pizza? I consider myself a lucky girl to live in a city with such a great selection of yummy pizza places. It’s hard to pick just one of these places to tell you about, but if forced to choose one of my favorites, I just might say Iriana’s downtown. Any pizza fan visiting Little Rock must give …

Pugh Memorial Park, North Little Rock, AR

The Old Mill in North Little Rock is a piece of cinematic history (and the perfect spot for a picnic).

by Amber Hood | July 23, 2010

If you find yourself driving around the North Little Rock area in a small neighborhood near the interstate, you would probably assume there was nothing very extraordinary to see. You’d be wrong.

 In Pugh Memorial Park, nestled in a neighborhood that doesn’t seem very unusual, you will find the Old Mill, a beautiful old building that is perhaps most famous for its appearance in the opening credits of Gone with the Wind. It remains …

Museum of Discovery, Little Rock, AR

The young (and young at heart) love the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock.

by Amber Hood | July 18, 2010

I am absolutely in love with Alice in Wonderland, the beautiful book by Lewis Carroll, so I was excited to take my niece to see Alice’s Wonderland, a summer exhibit at the Museum of Discovery. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that I enjoyed this exhibit as much as my five year old niece. We spent a wonderful morning at the museum together, and she would probably still be roaming around the …

Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, Little Rock, AR

A celebration of African American heritage in Arkansas

by Amber Hood | July 14, 2010

Okay, ready for a history lesson? In the late 19th century, two former slaves, John E. Bush and Chester Keatts, founded an organization in Little Rock called the Mosaic Templars of America. This fraternity, which included Booker T. Washington, began with the mission of providing basic services that were often denied to African Americans such as burial insurance. The organization grew internationally and went on to provide many other services. Its headquarters were built in …

Rumba Mexi-Cuban Kitchen/Revolution Music Room, Little Rock, AR

Love live music? Don’t miss Little Rock’s Rev Room.

by Amber Hood | July 11, 2010

Lovers of live music in Little Rock are all familiar with Revolution Music Room (the Rev Room). Located at the corner of Cantrell and President Clinton, it’s a vital part of the River Market District. With a great atmosphere, delicious margaritas (which always make me happy), and lots of live music, the Rev Room is just the place to go for a fun night out in Little Rock.  While there are lots of great places …

Middle Eastern Cuisine and International Pantry, Little Rock, AR

Delicious and unpretentious cuisine in Little Rock's River Market

by Amber Hood | July 07, 2010

What better way to spend a rainy summer afternoon than at the River Market, home to some of the greatest events, shopping, and food in the city? I love the atmosphere here, and it immediately cures my rainy day blues. Today, I’m camped out in the comfortable Market Hall with two good friends. Armed with our laptops, we’re enjoying  the free wifi and especially the food. The River Market Hall is a perfect lunch spot …

Lake Maumelle, Roland, AR

Lake Maumelle is a relaxing getaway just minutes from Little Rock.

by Amber Hood | July 04, 2010

According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, lakes cover more than 600,000 acres of my home state! For most Arkansans, summertime means spending hot afternoons at one of these lakes. Hot Springs, Mountain Home, and Heber Springs are all popular summer destinations for residents of and visitors to Arkansas, but you don’t have to travel far from Little Rock for a relaxing getaway from the metropolis.  Lake Maumelle near the town of Maumelle is just minutes …

Badges, Bandits, and Bars: Arkansas Law and Justice, Little Rock, AR

Little Rock’s Old State House Museum explores a more infamous past.

by Amber Hood | July 01, 2010

The Old State House Museum in downtown Little Rock aims to celebrate and preserve Arkansas history, and right now the Old State House is recognizing the darker history of my home state by teaching its patrons about gambling, moonshine, and loads of other crooked and criminal antics in the state’s tumultuous past with its new exhibit called Badges, Bandits, and Bars: Arkansas Law and Justice.

Visitors may find this exhibit wildly amusing …

Movies in the Park, Little Rock, AR

A new summer tradition in Little Rock that's fun for the whole family

by Amber Hood | June 28, 2010

There’s something about summertime in Arkansas. Trips to the lake, catching lightning bugs, and going to Travs baseball games all somehow recapture the magic I felt as a kid when school was out and starry nights were in—and one of my new favorite things about summer in Little Rock is Movies in the Park.

I’ve recently fallen in love with this new summer tradition. Every Wednesday night at the Riverfest Amphitheater at …

Charlotte’s Eats and Sweets, Keo, AR

It's a piece of cake. Or pie.

by Amber Hood | June 23, 2010

Upon entering Charlotte’s Eats and Sweets, you’ll see more teapots and other tchotchkes than any southern grandmother should ever have, but whether the Howdy Doody dolls perched on their wooden shelves cause a cultural debate and confusion among generations in your party or not, there will be no debate and definitely no confusion about the eats and, oh yes, the sweets.

My grandparents go two places once a week: church and Charlotte’s. I’m always …

Pops on the River, Little Rock, AR

Freedom rings across the river

by Amber Hood | June 20, 2010

When I was a little girl, my parents would always take me to Pops on the River every Fourth of July. I would always hide in the car and watch from inside because the loud noises of the fireworks scared me. Now I take my niece to see go see the fireworks over the river, and she seems much braver than I was.

Sponsored by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Pops on the …

The Purple Cow, Little Rock, AR

Quirky. Delicious. Fun.

by Amber Hood | June 16, 2010

When I was little my parents would take my siblings and I to The Purple Cow because they knew that even three picky children could find something to eat that we wouldn’t fuss over, and while The Purple Cow is known for great birthday parties for kids and an extensive menu filled with all of their favorite things, I still love a trip there even now that I’m all grown up.

The …

Diamond Bear Brewery, Little Rock, AR

Diamond Bear is a source of local pride in the Diamond State

by Amber Hood | June 13, 2010

We’re celebrating dads this week, and I can’t imagine a better place to take your dad on Father’s Day than Diamond Bear Brewery. In Little Rock, it’s a place where the beer connoisseurs go to sample some of the best beer in the state and where the non-beer drinkers go to be converted. Or, more simply, it’s where my friends seem to go missing on Friday afternoons.

Ten years ago, Russ and …

Rebsamen Park Golf Course, Little Rock, AR

Golf course with stunning views in the heart of Little Rock

by Amber Hood | June 09, 2010

In some ways, my dad is a lot like other dads. He spends Saturdays watching the big game, Sundays cooking out on the grill, and the occasional day off on the fairway (or in the rough as the case may be). But whether you’re a dad or you just golf like one, you’ve got to play a round at Rebsamen Park Golf Course in Little Rock.

While there are several …

La Hacienda, Little Rock, AR

Delicious Mexican cuisine just slightly north of south of the border

by Amber Hood | June 08, 2010

While spending the past year abroad, I would sometimes have dreams (fantasies?) about La Hacienda which is exactly why I insisted my friend Ben meet me there as soon as I returned home to Little Rock. It’s the perfect lunch spot on a hot Arkansas day, and I’m not just saying that because of my undeniable weakness for an icy cold margarita.

Friendly and festive, La Hacienda is the perfect neighborhood restaurant. As soon …

Tim McGraw with Lady Antebellum, Verizon Arena, North Little Rock, AR

Tim McGraw and Lady Antebellum ride into North Little Rock for country show at Verizon Arena

by Werner Trieschmann | March 26, 2010

North Little Rock's Verizon Arena has another big country concert on the schedule. Friday, April 9 is the date for the Tim McGraw show. McGraw is certainly a big name with a long string of hits and will be a big draw. But most of the attention might fall to Nashville's hot band-of-the-moment Lady Antebellum, one of McGraw's two opening acts.

The young trio Lady Antebellum is riding quite high with its …

Little Rock Zoo, Little Rock, AR

A full day in the sun is satisfied with a visit to the Little Rock Zoo

by Werner Trieschmann | March 11, 2010

With the nice, though occasionally stormy, weather settling in, the attractions that thrive in the sunshine are worth some attention. The Little Rock Zoo has been open since the 1920s and in the last 10 years has undergone substantial changes to turn it into a place where a family can go and stay all day.

The turning of the old lion house into Cafe Africa gives visitors a place to sit and eat lunch …

Travel Guide to Little Rock, AR

Why you should visit Little Rock, AR

by Werner Trieschmann | February 19, 2010

What is so especially attractive about Little Rock is that there is no one thing that you can immediately call to mind when suggesting why a visit is in order. Little Rock retains the character of the state of which it is the capitol – that is, small, friendly and surprising. The surprising part is that Little Rock is lively with cultural life of a city at least two or three times larger. The exceptional

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Little Rock, AR

Large, talented cast tackles Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof for Arkansas Repertory Theatre

by Werner Trieschmann | February 10, 2010

Theater buffs circled the date that the Arkansas Repertory Theatre would take on Tennessee Williams' sprawling family drama, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Now that the production is underway (and continues through Feb. 21) the faith of those who have waited has been rewarded.

Directed by Rep artistic director Bob Hupp, this Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is an imaginative and sharp take on a play that is hardly easy to produce. The set …

Whole Hog Cafe, Little Rock, AR

Barbecue treasure hunters have struck dining gold with Little Rock's Whole Hog

by Werner Trieschmann | February 01, 2010

For some, finding the best barbecue is something close to a religion. Many of those people would agree that the high place of worship in Little Rock is the Whole Hog Cafe. Started by three men who called themselves the Southern Gentlemen and who made a hobby out of winning barbecue competitions, Whole Hog Cafe hasn't been around very long but it has already developed a loyal following and spawned several different outfits.

The original location on Cantrell …

Clinton Presidential Library, Little Rock, AR

A library for a president from Arkansas makes for a destination for visitors from all over the world

by Werner Trieschmann | January 27, 2010

There is no way to overestimate the impact of the Clinton Presidential Library on the city of Little Rock. Since the Library opened in November 2004, the striking steel and glass structure, designed by James Polshek and perched on the bank of the Arkansas River, has pulled in visitors from all over the world. The Library has added an exclamation point to Little Rock's River Market district, a corridor of …

Trace Adkins and Martina McBride, Verizon Arena, North Little Rock, AR

Songbird McBride comes to Verizon Arena with new show and new approach

by Werner Trieschmann | January 22, 2010

Verizon Arena in North Little Rock remains one of the Little Rock area's greatest attractions. As a venue for everything from monster truck races to big-time college baskeball games, Verizon has weathered a shaky start (the building had trouble passing inspection when it opened as Alltel Arena many years ago) to become a place that's taken advantage of by hundreds of thousands each year.

One of the mainstays has been country music concerts and tonight, …

Argenta Restaurant Week, North Little Rock, AR

Downtown North Little Rock offers great deals and prizes for eating at local restaurants

by Werner Trieschmann | January 17, 2010

For a long time the downtowns of Little Rock and North Little Rock have been separated by more than the Arkansas river. But while downtown Little Rock has been rocking with the River Market and the bustling bar and restaurant scene around it, not to mention the Clinton library, North Little Rock has lagged behind. But in the last five years or so, downtown North Little Rock has spruced itself up and turned into an inviting …

World of Pharaohs exhibit, Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR

Come in from the cold and take in Egyptian artifacts at Arkansas Arts Center

by Werner Trieschmann | January 12, 2010

In the winter (especially this winter) even Little Rock can get cold. Should you be looking for an indoor activity that you might have forgotten about or didn't consider, then you'll want to head to the Arkansas Arts Center for “World of the Pharaohs: Treasures of Egypt Revealed.” This is no small show with a couple of artifacts and dry descriptions. This blockbuster exhibit has over 200 objects coming from over 3,000 years of Egyptian …

Big Dam Bridge, Little Rock, AR

World's longest pedestrian bridge offers spectacular views and exercise paths

by Werner Trieschmann | January 06, 2010

Here is a little known fact. The longest pedestrian bridge in the world? You would think it would be in a populated hub on the East coast or in an exercise mad city in California. But the longest pedestrian bridge is 90 feet above the Arkansas River connecting Little Rock with North Little Rock. The Big Dam Bridge (yes, that is the name) was built in 2006 and, ever since it opened, has been a magnet …

Christmas Lights, Little Rock, AR

Arkansas' State Capitol is bedecked with Christmas lights

by Werner Trieschmann | December 18, 2009

There are various places in central Arkansas where you can bundle up, hop in the car and see fine Christmas light displays. If you are willing to travel outside of the Little Rock area, the state has the Trail of Lights, a nice guide to Christmas light viewing around the state. Hot Springs' Garven Gardens with its acres of bright decorated trails, is one of the stops outside of Little Rock that is …

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Little Rock, AR

A Biblical pageant that will dazzle and delight in downtown Little Rock

by Werner Trieschmann | December 07, 2009

As a regional theater and one of the two professional companies in the state, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre has a long history of producing excellent shows for the stage. The Rep's current production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is one that visitors from outside Little Rock's city limits should seek out. It's not just the simple and, yes, silly power of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's retelling of Joseph's story from the Bible. …