Editorial
Front Page - Monday, June 29, 2009
The Pantry: a diverse collection of flavors
Liz Sendejo
The Pantry, a restaurant that opened just a few weeks ago in West Little Rock, doesn’t look like much from the outside. Clustered in with the Market Street shopping centers at 11401 Rodney Parham, it’s an easy one to pass up.
But passing the opportunity to sample The Pantry would be unfortunate for any foodie.
The décor inside of The Pantry gives it a cozy feel; ornate chalkboards have drink specials posted, the small (but mighty) bar faces the entrance and a small lounge with couches invites you in.
The restaurant itself is quite large, with seating outside available as well. We sat in the back corner of the restaurant, which offered us a chance to people watch a bit. Interestingly, there was a diverse group of individuals dining at The Pantry. A group of 20- somethings, a few men having a beer after a round of golf, and two or three families were relaxing and enjoying their meals.
In any case, we ordered drinks, and the waiter promptly brought back refreshing margaritas on the rocks. As we sipped our drinks and perused the menu, we munched on bread which was served with an airy whipped butter that — even still — makes my mouth water.
The menu offered a variety of options, making it hard for me to choose or categorize the restaurant itself. There are definite German influences with bratwurst and weiner schnitzels as well as goulashes. Interestingly, the menu offered fish and frites, mussels, trout and a couple of chicken recipes that obviously didn’t line up with the German flare.
The appetizers we decided on were house-cured salmon bruchetta and a cheese spaetzle with caramelized onions. The spaetzle was fantastic. Potatoes covered in cheese along with sautéed onions are pretty hard to screw up, though. The salmon bruchetta was very light, and was accompanied with a fennel and leek yogurt sauce that made it all the more interesting.
For the main course, I opted for the rainbow trout, which was pan seared whole in herb butter and came with roasted potatoes. I was a bit taken aback when the trout appeared whole (head and all), but after a little giggle I found the flavor of the fish to be delightful. The trout was wonderfully seasoned and had a bit of a kick to it. The only unfortunate thing was that it wasn’t fully de-boned, which made it hard to enjoy. The potatoes that accompanied the trout were a bit dry, but had plenty of flavor to make up for it.
My dining partner ordered the bratwurst with sauerkraut and potatoes, and I found myself lusting after her meal a little more than mine.
After dinner our waiter offered dessert and we couldn’t refuse. Keeping with the somewhat German theme of the restaurant I tried the apple strudel, which also came with ice cream. The strudel melted in my mouth, and was so delicious I ate the entire thing. My dining partner chose the house-made cheesecake. Our waiter emphasized that the crust and even the cheesecake itself was entirely made in-house from scratch, and I could taste the difference.
By the end of the night our tab came to well over $70, but because the food was so fresh and wonderfully prepared, it was worth every penny. The great thing about The Pantry is that it takes all of the guesswork out of ordering the food itself. The food is fancy, but accessible. It’s upscale food, but not overwhelmingly complicated.
If you have the chance, swing by The Pantry, open Monday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. with the kitchen closing at 12 a.m.
For more info on The Pantry check their Web site at www.littlerockpantry.com
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