In the not-so-distant past, fine dining in Conway meant Western Sizzlin' or buffet catfish. The steakhouses and cafes of the '60s and early '70s were ancient history. The city's downtown area, which turned into a ghost town every evening by 6, seemed on its way to becoming history, too.
   That's all changed now.
   A special census in 2005 put the city's population at 52,262 -- seemingly a significant number for chain retailers and restaurants. Kohl's, Target, Pier 1, Old Navy, rue21 and other well-known stores have opened in a new shopping center on the east side of town, drawing residents of smaller towns such as Clinton and Vilonia and keeping Conway shoppers off the interstate to Little Rock. Weary shoppers start looking for a place to eat, and the chain restaurants, fast-food and otherwise, have sprung up to accommodate them.
   Buzz surrounding the Fayetteville Shale discovery, and sightings of gas industry executives out on the town during happy hour, are making the restaurant business seem like an investment in the future to local entrepreneurs.
   The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board's recent granting of private-club status to three restaurants, allowing them to serve alcohol in this dry county, seems to have energized the diningout scene. Two more conditional permits have been granted for restaurants set to open next year downtown, and many of our favorites are putting out feelers about going wet.
   When people ask us -- as they do much more often these days -- "Where's a good place to eat dinner in Conway?" here are a few of our most frequent answers. We've left out a description of Outback Steakhouse (2310 Sanders St., (501) 548-6220. Open 5-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday, noon-11 p.m. Saturday and noon-9 p.m. Sunday) because we think most readers are familiar with it, but it's one we usually mention because it serves alcohol.
   MIKE'S

PLACE
808 Front St., Conway, (501) 269-6453. Open 11 a.m daily; last seating 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Beer, wine, mixed drinks.
   We always start with Mike's, which serves New Orleans-style cuisine in an atmosphere that's relaxed in tone but beautiful enough in decor and menu for special occasions. Since its opening in June 2005 in a renovated building that once housed another dining icon, A Place to Eat, Mike's orange brick exterior with its flickering gas lanterns has become the unofficial logo for a downtown renaissance.
   There's actually life after sundown on Front Street these days. Other area restaurants may serve fine food and alcohol, but Mike's is the first to do both downtown and has a large and loyal membership -- the place is always jumping. Make a reservation or prepare to wait for a table, sometimes as little as 15 minutes but a lot longer on Friday and Saturday nights. But hey, you can wait at the bar now.
   Mike's Place is a private club, which is how they get around the dry-county ban on alcohol; one of your party pays a $5 membership fee on your first visit, and this person can bring as many people (adults and children) as he wants as guests on this and subsequent visits, as can all members of his household who are over 21. The membership is renewed annually, and the $5 is applied to your tab.
   The menu offerings are mostly seafood and steaks, with some pasta and chicken choices as well, and range in price from $24.99 for a 9-ounce cut of aged beef tenderloin (grilled and served with baked potato and salad), to $15.99 for a create-your-own platter of two chicken or seafood items and two lagniappes (including sweet potato French fries, smashed potatoes, red beans and rice, steamed vegetables, parmesan spinach and rice pilaf), to $6.95 for a grilled chicken sandwich or $7.95 for a burger (both come with one lagniappe ). All orders come with a basket of crusty French bread rolls.
   When asked to recommend something, we say you can't go wrong ordering anything with the word "Brantley" in it, whether it's Shrimp Brantley ($10.95), jumbo shrimp sauteed in a New Orleans-style barbecue sauce that tastes of butter and browned garlic, topped with parmesan and served with a baguette, or Pasta Brantley ($9.50), red peppers, zucchini, squash and sugar snap peas sauteed in butter and tossed with bow tie pasta and blackened chicken.
   For dessert, try Bananas Foster ($5.50) or the rich Southern Bread Pudding ($4.50) made with cinnamon, pecans and vanilla and topped with bourbon creme sauce.
   PIA'S

RISTORANTE ITALIANO
915 Front St., Conway (501) 513-9944. Open 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 5-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. No alcohol.
   Just about a block and a half north of Mike's Place and across Front Street is charming Pia's, where music that sounds like the soundtrack from GoodFellas wafts about, and paintings and old family photos cover the taupe walls; at twilight, that wonderful old downtown light through the front window makes you feel as if you're in an Edward Hopper painting. Owner Kate Saunders used to work for Amore's, a nowdefunct popular Italian restaurant which at one time occupied this space. When she opened Pia's -- named for her 6-year-old daughter -- a year ago this month, Saunders was ahead of her time. Soon Michelangelo's and Stefano's, both of which will be serving alcohol, will offer Italian food downtown. Is this area becoming Conway's Little Italy?
   Pia's doesn't serve alcohol yet. Saunders says the price tag of pursuing private-club status is daunting; one attorney told her the process could end up costing her as much as $30,000. But she sees the writing on the wall, and says of serving wine with meals, "I imagine it will be something we'll do sometime in the near future."
   In the meantime, Pia's distinguishes itself with a homey touch and affordable Italian food that's less about heavy sauces and more about fresh ingredients, delicately seasoned. A house specialty, Pia's Special Ravioli ($12.95) is colorful pasta stuffed with mascarpone and ricotta cheeses, served on a bed of spinach fettuccine and topped with marinara. Pasta Primavera, penne tossed with fresh vegetables and pesto sauce, is $8.75 and comes, as all entrees do, with salad and a loaf of fresh-baked Italian bread with honeyed butter. A 20-ounce grilled porterhouse steak is the most expensive item on the menu at $29.50.
   A recent order of Grilled Shrimp Roma al Fresco ($12.95) brought us a generous serving of large, flavorful shrimp grilled in their shells, along with kalamata olives, red onion, feta cheese and Roma tomatoes over penne pasta with fresh basil and garlic sauce.
   The lineup of desserts, such as Italian cream cake and various cheesecakes ($5.50), changes daily.
   

OAK STREET BISTRO
713 Oak St., Conway (from Little Rock, take the sec- ond Conway exit off I-40, turn left onto Oak Street. OSB will be on your left, in the Con-Ark shopping center just before the Harkrider Street intersection), (501) 450-9908. Open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Wednesday ; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday ; closed Sunday. Alcohol: Beer, wine, mixed drinks.
   For lunch six days a week, Oak Street Bistro is filled with the chatter of the suits and the shoppers. But on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, it becomes a quiet, romantic setting where you can linger long over delicious food and candlelight conversation. Or at least, one night it'll be quiet. The next night it might be busy, and that's why we recommend calling ahead if you have six or so in your party -- it's a smallish space.
   Whether you're there for lunch or dinner, sign in at the door, and if you're new, pay your $5 to become a member (again, only one in your party has to join, and the $5 is applied to your tab). Walls painted in rich shades of gold, avocado and orange, and oilcloth tablecloths in wild prints of paisley, lemons, cherries and olives, give the space a cheery West Coast feel during the day; at night, semidarkness and candlelight soften the walls, and white linen tablecloths replace the oilcloth. Day or night, there's always a fresh flower on the table. There's a cute little dining area outside, but you can't take alcohol out there.
   The lunch menu includes salads, sandwiches and soups. We like the White Cheddar Cheese and Dill Soup, $3.29 for a cup or $6.29 for a bowl, and the Salad Sampler, which offers an ice-cream-scoop-size serving of each of three salads (we usually choose Crunchy Asian Pea, Homestyle Sweet Broccoli and Cranberry Chicken) for $7.59. And we always order the iced Paradise Tropical Tea ($1.79) for the full ladies-who-lunch effect.
   But the dinner menu is where Oak Street Bistro really shines. Entrees include a 14-ounce ribeye served with spicy black beans and grilled asparagus and topped with chipotle mango salsa, the most expensive item on the menu at $21.99. But the Shrimp and Brie Quesadilla stuffed with artichoke, tomato and spinach is a winner, and it's only $9.50. And if we had to recommend one dish -- and it's one of our favorite dishes in town -- it would be the almond-encrusted grouper with red wine butter sauce ($16.99). Served with grilled asparagus, julienne carrots and a polenta cake, it's truly a memorable meal.
   Fresh-baked desserts ($4.99) vary daily and include an enormous slice of carrot cake with cream cheese icing.
   

PASTA HOUSE
2751 Dave Ward Drive, Conway (from Little Rock, take the first Conway exit off I-40, go west), (501) 764-0032. Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-2 :30 p.m. Sunday. No alcohol.
   Anything you order at the tiny Pasta House is going to be two things. It's going to be very good. And it's going to be distinctive -- and not just because this is Italian food prepared by Hispanic chefs, though it's true that you'll find Italian Quesadilla ($6.95) and Fettuccine with Cilantro, Jalapenos and Crawfish ($9.49) on the menu. Pasta House takes cooking seriously, and it makes its dishes all its own -- you won't get the same flavor somewhere else.
   We love the Chicken Piccata ($9.09), chicken breast eggwashed, floured and sauteed with lemon, capers, onion, butter and white wine and served with your choice of angel hair pasta or mixed vegetables; and the Snapper Muniere ($11.49), a large filet sauteed in browned lemon butter sauce with parsley and served with pasta and vegetables. Our traditionalist loves Pasta House's lasagna, layers of Italian sausage, ground beef, mozzarella, fresh basil and tomato sauce between al dente lasagna noodles, for $8.49, and the pasta with meat sauce for $7.49. Orders come with chewy, fresh Italian bread; salads include a house version for $3.45 and a delicious Caesar salad for $4.25, and a bowl of the soup of the day is $3.45.
   For dessert, choose Our Award Winning To Die For ($4.99) -- layers of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries with ladyfingers soaked in rum, peach schnapps, Sprite and orange juice, mixed with a sweet cream cheese filling under a homemade almond torte -- or from an array of cakes and cheesecakes, tiramisu or tres leches. They're the best desserts in town, in our book.
   Service is warm and personal ; on your return, you'll be greeted as old friends.
   We always have to prepare people for the Pasta House, because it looks like a forlorn little truck stop, not a place where you're going to have a fine dining experience. But believe us, you are.
   JOEY'S

SEAFOOD & GRILL
755 Club Lane (just off Salem Road), Conway, (501) 329-1122. Open: 11 a.m. -9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. No alcohol.
   We come to Joey's for its beachy ambience as much as for the menu, which is deep and includes grilled or deep-fried seafood, soups, salads, steaks, pasta dishes and burgers. This big, airy-feeling space with its huge, colorful aquarium, heavy wooden tables and chairs and comfortable booths makes us feel we're vacationing on the coast instead of dining behind the Kroger store. Four months after Joey's opening, we're getting more adventurous with our orders, daring to sample oddsounding dishes like the Mahi-Mahi Taco -- two soft flour tortilla shells filled with shredded cabbage, Salsa Blanca, Pico de Gallo and shredded cheese, served with coleslaw and some very spicy red beans and rice, for $7.99 -- and, as the menu urges us, to "explore" Joey's 12 Famous Homemade Sauces (you can add four sauces to any order for 99 cents).
   On a recent visit, we ordered the day's special, Jamaican Seared Tuna, two thick, meaty and flavorful tuna steaks served on a bed of shredded cabbage (Joey's seems to like cabbage) with a mildly mouth-searing but very tasty Jamaican jerk sauce, and also sampled Tarragon Aioli sauce and Lime Mustard Sauce, both very tasty. (Joey's grills tuna the right way, medium-rare, unless otherwise requested, so if you don't like it rosy inside, speak up.) Dessert options include Cheesecake Xangoes (cheesecake rolled in pastry and fried), Key Lime Pie in a graham-cracker crust, Mud Pie (mocha ice cream drizzled in chocolate sauce and whipped cream) and Death by Chocolate (warm, gooey chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with raspberry sauce), $4.99 each. The young wait staff is knowledgeable, solicitous and efficient.
   It's a subtle thing, and maybe we imagine it, but the music in Joey's seems a little louder, the lighting a bit lower than when the place first opened in July. The slightly funkier vibe makes us wonder if we're being prepared for a move to gain privateclub status. Management is still trying to discern whether most customers want them to serve alcohol, general manager Manjeev Demel told us recently, and a decision should be made soon after the end of the year.

FUJI JAPANESE STEAK HOUSE
   & SUSHI BAR
1260 U.S. 64 (Ridge Plaza), Conway, (501) 328-5888. Open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4:30-9 :30 p.m. Monday-Thursday ; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. No alcohol.
   We think Conway needed a place like this. Sushi isn't something we're especially fond of (OK, we admit it -- we've never tried it. And we haven't felt the least bit deprived), but we know plenty of people who love good sushi, and it just seems there ought to be a variety of dining experiences in a city this size. With its white tablecloths, handsome wood walls and green plants, spacious Fuji Japanese Steakhouse is a pleasant dining experience and offers good food (though no sake). Besides, there's the hibachi menu, and there are plenty of tempura offerings. We can keep on happily avoiding sushi.
   Since the restaurant was ably reviewed recently by our colleague Melissa Tucker (who, unlike us, knows something about Japanese cuisine), we'll tell you about our recent takeout experience. Running some evening errands, we found ourselves caught in a monsoon-like downpour ; we were too sodden to sit in a restaurant, and we didn't really feel like cooking either. But we were over near Fuji, and we'd heard good things, so we decided to give it a try. We called on our cell phone, not even having a menu with us to look at. Could the pleasant woman who answered the phone suggest something good?
   She certainly could. Twenty minutes later we were at home drying off and sharing two bento boxes, one with Chicken Negimaki ($16.95) and one with Beef Teriyaki ($15.95) They come with soup, salad and white rice; we substituted fried rice for an extra $1.95 per box. The generous portion of fried rice was chock full of sesame seeds, which we really liked, and quite tasty. The tiny portions of broccoli and beans that we didn't even know we were getting were delicious; we would've liked more. We didn't think we'd like the miso soup, because we didn't think anything so watery-looking could taste so good, but we were wrong; it was very flavorful. The lean, tender pieces of beef were very good as well, and the chicken, although we liked the beef better. We're looking forward to dining inside, because it's a lovely space, and there's a lot on the extensive menu (we finally got one) that we'd like to try. We especially liked the prices on the kids menu, which includes Crispy Honey Chicken for $8.95 and, for the picky eater, Chicken Nugget and French Fries for $4.95.
   When we were picking up our order, we asked the cashier whether Fuji might be serving alcohol sometime in the future. They'd like to, but since Faulkner County is dry, "it's very hard," he said, shrugging. They'd started collecting signatures, he told us, but repeated, "it's very hard. Talk to the city of Conway" and tell them you want to be able to order wine, he urged us. "If more people say yes, then maybe."
   

MARKETPLACE GRILL
600 Skyline Drive, Conway, (501) 336-0011. Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. No alcohol.
   We have to be careful these days not to overlook this old family favorite, nestled way up on that ridge out on Skyline Drive. North used to be the hot shopping area in town, what with Hastings, Lowe's and the biggest Wal-Mart supercenter being out there. Now the stir is all about the Conway Commons shopping center in the once-neglected East end -- and there are so many new kids in town, restaurant-wise. But Marketplace was serving the best spinach dip we'd ever tasted back when most spinach-dip serving joints wouldn't give Conway the time of day, and we're still fond of this Arkansas chain that's happy to be alcohol-free. Service is efficient, and there isn't as long a wait to get seated as there used to be, although it can still get pretty crowded on the weekend.
   The attractive dining area is made to evoke an upscale farmers market; it's a big, open space with high ceilings and exposed ductwork. That means the clatter and chatter can get loud; this is not the place to go to catch up on old times or have an important personal conversation. But it's festive and fun, and the food is good.
   The aforementioned "Chicago style" Spinach Dip ($6.99) is served with chips, salsa and sour cream. Other appetizers include Pesto and Pizza Bread ($3.99), Lettuce Wraps ($7.29) with chicken, cashews, water chestnuts and carrots stir-fried in a spicy Szechwan sauce, and Grilled Queso and Chips ($7.99), "Yucatan Peninsula" cheese dip that's brought flaming to your table (this has an unusual, but not bad, taste to us -- almost like cocoa).
   Huge dinner salads (we've found it hard to finish one) include a wonderful Chicken Berry ($8.99), with mixed greens, baked chicken, cashews, bacon and strawberries topped with Blueberry Poppyseed Dressing. Specialty pizzas are wood-fired and quite good; we especially like the Chicken Florentine ($8.99) with parmesan, spinach, chicken, mozzarella and fontina cheese; add a side salad for $2.79.
   Marketplace offers several dinner combinations of two entrees and two sides for $12.99 or three entrees and two sides for $16.99, and you can choose from several chicken and seafood items including Cajun, Pepperjack or Sante Fe Chicken, and Crab Cake or Grilled or Louisiana Shrimp. A 14-ounce Cajun ribeye steak topped with Jambalaya butter will set you back $22.49; burgers, wraps and sandwiches average $8.
   The portions here are huge, and you can save money by ordering reduced portions of many menu items for about $1 less; unless you're super-hungry, you won't miss a thing.
   Desserts are heavy on the chocolate, which is fine by us. For fun, order two kids a Chocolate Mess ($5.29) to share; it's an enormously tall sundae that has actually got a chocolate-syrupy coating all down the outside of the glass. Totally worth the mess.
   

LOS AMIGOS
2850 Prince St. (right next to Blockbuster Video), Conway, (501) 329-7919. Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-9 :30 p.m. Saturday. No alcohol.
   To be honest, there are plenty of places to get good Mexican food in Conway now; Salsa's Grill in the Howard Johnson across from Waffle House, or El Mexicano right next door to the Pasta House, and of course, La Huerta on Harrison Street downtown come immediately to mind. But if someone wants to know a good place to take the kids, we always still say Los Amigos. It's a family restaurant in every sense -- family-owned, family-friendly and serving authentic Mexican food at reasonable prices with a very short wait time. It isn't just parents and children who come here -- witness the business crowd at lunch -- but kids do seem to love it.
   The complimentary salsa is of the pureed variety, and flavorful but mild enough for kids to enjoy; it's served with baskets of warm homemade tortilla chips, and both are replenished often. The usual appetizers include a tangy white cheese dip and guacamole dip ($3.15 small, $6 large) and quesadilla rellena ($5.45) or cheese quesadilla ($2.35), as well as the Queso Flameado ($5.85) -- melted monterey jack topped with chorizo and served with pico de gallo and warm tortillas.
   The extensive menu includes seafood dinners, fajitas, vegetarian combos and 10 steak and chicken dinners, plus Especialidades de la Casa, where the Special Dinner with a chalupa, a taco, a chile relleno, a tamale, an enchilada, rice and beans lists for $8.95 and the Burritos Mexicano, a flour tortilla stuffed with pork, cooked tomatoes, onions and bell peppers and topped with cheese sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and avocado slices is $6.85. We like the Enchiladas Rancheras ($7.25), two cheese enchiladas topped with pork, tomatoes, onions and bell peppers cooked in enchilada sauce. When we're not as hungry, we order from the A la Carte menu, where tamales, for example, are $2.15 for one or $6.25 for three. You can also choose from 25 different combinations of items for $7.75, and substitute cheese dip for salsa on any dish for an additional 75 cents. Kids' Plates include a taco, rice and beans for $3.65 and an enchilada, rice and beans for $3.75.
   If your little one doesn't like Mexican food, he can order chicken fingers with fries and honey mustard for $4.85 or a Los Amigos burger with fries for $4.45.
   From the moment you sit down, your food and drinks begin to arrive almost instantaneously.
   The wait staff really seems to like kids; we've seen tables get treated to a couple of magic tricks with a napkin and a quarter when business was slow.
   Dessert, if you can find room, is fried cheesecake with vanilla ice cream and Oreos ($4.85), flan with traditional Mexico Citystyle creme caramel ($2.95), or fried vanilla ice cream topped with honey, Hershey's syrup, confectioners' sugar and whipped cream ($4.35).

TOKYO JAPANESE RESTAURANT
   SEAFOOD & STEAKHOUSE
716 Oak St., Conway, (501) 327-6868. Open 11 a.m.-2 :30 p.m. Monday-Sunday ; 5-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday ; 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. No alcohol.
   Tokyo Japanese Restaurant Seafood & Steakhouse, although it has been open on the fastfood-lined section of Oak Street known as "The Strip" for awhile, has become known lately as "the other Japanese place" -- in other words, not Fuji. Tokyo doesn't serve sushi, and it isn't as large or as polished, in terms of decor or clientele, as the newer place. The tempura isn't as good.
   But we like the hominess of Tokyo, the sweetness of our server (who recently told us sorrowfully that, "of course, it's Japanese, so we would like to serve wine, but it isn't possible" ), and we like the hibachi fare, plus the fact that we often have the place mostly to ourselves.
   We also like that the chefs don't make a big deal out of the food preparation unless you want them to.
   Lunch specials, all $6.25, include Tempura or Nabeyaki Udon (both served in a hot pot topped with tempura shrimp and two fish cakes -- the first dish comes with noodles and seasoned vegetables, and the second comes with a boiled egg and shredded chicken); Una Ju, four broiled eel filets with teriyaki sauce served with white rice and yellow vegetables; and Yaki Udan, stir-fried noodles with shredded chicken and vegetables in brown sauce.
   Lunch and dinner platter specials come with soup, salad, rice, spring rolls and grilled vegetables and include Grilled Teriyaki Steak, Salmon or Chicken ($5.95 for the 5-ounce size for lunch, $8.95 7- to 8-ounce for dinner), Shrimp Tempura ($5.95 for four, $8.95 for six), Chicken Katsu strips ($5.45 for four, $8.95 for eight) and Tonkatsu Pork ($5.45 for 4-ounce, $8.75 for 8-ounce ).
   On the hibachi menu, dinner for two ($34) includes your choice of Sirloin Strip or Filet Mignon (10-ounce, add $2 each person for filet mignon), Shrimp (5-ounce ) or Chicken Breast (7-ounce ). You can get just hibachi vegetables for $8.95, or just fried rice (beef, chicken or shrimp) for $5.45. Other seafood hibachi offerings include Calamari ($13.95) and a Shrimp, Scallop and Calamari Combination for $17.95. All come with soup, salad, shrimp appetizers, vegetables and steamed rice, or fried rice for an additional $1.95.
   For dessert, there's Japanese ice cream in green tea, red bean, ginger or mango flavors, two scoops for $1.50 (and you can mix and match).

This story was published Friday, November 03, 2006