Something that has been years in the making has taken a little less than a month since the announcement to fully realize. The new 42 Bar and Table (previously Forty Two) at the Clinton Presidential center opens officially for dinner service tomorrow.
Do not let the quick turn fool you however, if you have ever been in the space before the transformation is astonishing. Especially when given the amount of time to complete.
The space is redesigned inside and out. A new entrance allows folks to enter from the circle drive in front of the center with free valet parking for dinner. For those of you with disabilities, your valet will simply call up the elevator when you arrive and you can use the Clinton Center entrance like always.
Inside the new entrance continues to a new hostess stand. A newly crafted bar sits at the now back of the restaurant. All the seating has been redone inside and out. Outside along with the new patio seating are new firepits and lounge style seating. Expanded outdoor areas are also great for parties and receptions. They also carved out a new private dining room inside the restaurant for private parties.
What you really should care about though is the food. The first question we got when announcing is what will happen to around the world dinners. The answer is really the best of both worlds.
The culinary team looked back over the previous around the world dinners to set both the menu and wine list for the restaurant. This is set to rotate seasonally to move in new menu items from various regions that fit with the current seasonal taste and availability of ingredients.
Moving into winter you find a lot of hearty dishes on the current menu from various regions like Mole Spiced Lamb Chops, Schnitzel, and Braised Veal Osso Bucco. Think a very European flair to the winter menu as those flavors work well with the season.
It is easy to see some light Asian pacific flavors in the spring, or some Latin American flavors in the late summer.
The menu is able to take on the best of their many years of experience cooking a wide variety of cuisines. It offers a flexibility that no other place in Little Rock has. It really becomes a world cuisine destination. It is very fitting in the Clinton Center setting considering all the travelers the museum attracts every year.
42 Bar and Table will be open starting tomorrow for dinner, new dinner hours are Thursday – Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. Lunch hours remain the same, 11-2 Monday-Saturday.
