Back in March we got the long-awaited answer to what will go into the OW Pizza location that was a State Capitol worker favorite on Third street. Now after a some remodeling and a good deal of cleaning Fresh Urban Eatery is looking ready to hit the open date of June 1st.
The concept behind Fresh is exactly what the name entails, a menu utilizing fresh ingredients. Initially the eatery will feature sandwiches, soups, pizza, and some grab and go sandwiches on the lunch menu.
We got a chance to sample a few sandwiches from owners Phillip Naylor and Pam Jones. The sandwiches use Arkansas Fresh breads with several varieties. We sampled the pimento cheese, chicken salad, and tuna salad. The pimento cheese a nice change of pace from the traditional pimento found around town, carrying over a lot of the flavors from a traditional chicken salad. The chicken and tuna salad sandwiches were nice takes on traditional, including a mayo-free tuna version.
“Some of what we will use will be old family recipes, others are takes on classics,” Naylor tells us. “We really hope to give people a place to come get favorites using fresh local ingredients.”
In addition to the lunch menu Fresh will offer breakfast including breakfast pizzas, cinnamon rolls, and homemade pop-tarts.
The interior structure remains from previous occupants, however a splash of bright green paint across the dining area along with tin work on the wall separating the dining and kitchen areas give it a decidedly new feel.
“We wanted everything to be fresh, which is what inspired the interior design,” Naylor says. “We designed it to feel like a vegetable stand.”
The location will feature two patio areas along with a convenient cooler from grab and go items for those on the run. Fresh also hopes to utilize their space for community partnerships with local farmers and community events.
Fresh Opens on June 1 at 1706 West 3rd St, keep up with progress and potential soft openings on their Facebook page.
