On Monday, Sheila Ueckman took over as owner of Zack's

Place
, 1400 S. University Ave., Little Rock. Ueckman, who bought out former owner Sharon Franke, says she plans some interior and exterior clean-up and minor remodeling and will work on increasing advertising, increasing the number of parties and offering more food and drink specials. The menu will pretty much stay the same; so will the hours -- 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturday -- and the telephone number -- (501) 664-6444. As Franke did, she also plans to go 21-and-over-only when the statewide smoking ban goes into effect July 21 so her customers can continue to smoke.
   Another restaurant has entered southwest Little Rock's "Mexican Mexican" competition :

La Comidilla Restaurante Mexicano
, 7500 Base Line Road, is having its "gran inauguracion." Menu offerings include tacos, tortas, gorditas, sopes, enchiladas, fajitas "y mucho mas," and weekend specials such as menudo, pozole, "7 Mares" (seafood soup) and "Cochinita Pibil" (pork in orange juice). Hours are 11 a.m.-8 :30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The telephone number is (501) 565-8880.
   

Great Wall Chinese Restaurant
is now open at 4808 John F. Kennedy Blvd., North Little Rock, in the strip center just south of McCain Boulevard. If the menu looks similar to that of

Nu Fun Ree
in Little Rock, it shouldn't be a surprise: The two establishments are affiliated. Like Nu Fun Ree, the restaurant's primary business is to-go and delivery. Unlike Nu Fun Ree, which offers seating for dine-in customers, there's just one table if you decide you absolutely, positively have to eat it there. Hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 :30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon-10 p.m. Sunday. The telephone number is (501) 753-3316.
   Elsewhere in North Little Rock, a sign on the former Cafe Lugano/Cassinelli's space at 17th and Main streets touts the grand opening of Walter's

Express Kitchen
. However, information has no telephone number, and with 17th Street closed earlier this week for utility work, we were unable to come up with additional details. We'll keep you posted.
   Still elsewhere in North Little Rock, the folks at parent restaurant Kobe in Little Rock report that they hope to open

Kanpai
, a new Japanese sushi bar-hibachi grill on McCain Boulevard at U.S. 67-167, by this weekend. However, as late as Monday, the telephone number, (501) 945-9494, was still transferring calls to affiliated Little Rock restaurant

Shogun
. We'll keep you posted.
   And still elsewhere north of the river, while we've been reporting news of other Jim's

Razorback Pizza
outlets around central Arkansas, the first one, at 7412 North Hills Blvd., Sherwood, has closed. The phone has been disconnected.
   Somewhat farther upriver, recent restaurant openings in Conway:
   

Fuji
, a Japanese restaurant, sushi bar and hibachi grill, in the Ridge Plaza Shopping Center, 1260 U.S. 64. Hours are 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4:30-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. The telephone number is (501) 328-5888.
   Joey's

Seafood and Grill
, 755 Club Lane, part of a Canadabased chain with 16 outlets up and running and another 90 planned for the eastern, Midwestern and southern United States. Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. The telephone number is (501) 329-1122. Has a restaurant opened -- or closed -- near you in the last week or so? Does your favorite eatery have a new menu? Is there a new chef in charge? Drop us a line. Call (501) 399-3667 or (501) 378-3513, or send a note to Restaurants, Weekend Section, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203. Send e-mail to:

eharrison@arkansasonline.com

This story was published Friday, June 30, 2006