A few weekends ago I got to try a new restaurant that I have been eyeing since it opened a few months ago.
It’s South on Main in Little Rock and, oddly enough, it’s located in the old “Juanita’s”, a concert venue where I saw many a good and not-so-good band play. But I have good memories there, either way.
The restaurant is neighbors with the Oxford American magazine, famous for its Southern literature.
I found South of Main to be a breath of fresh air with its fun, folksy decor, relaxed atmosphere but high-quality, Southern-influenced food.
Everything on the small menu (presented on a cute wooden clipboard) looked fantastic. It seriously took me 20 minutes to choose my entree.
I started off with a Pisco Sour, a fun, frothy drink from their wonderful bar. We found their cocktail and wine selection to be wonderful.
Some of our starters were the Kale Salad (dressed with apple cider vinegar, fried onions and apples) and my husband’s choice of pork cheeks with gnocchi (topped with a fried egg), which was an explosion of flavor.
For my entree I went a little crazy and tried something new: Rabbit Boudin, which is a sausage (if like me, you didn’t know what boudin meant). It was even better than I could have hoped: tender, flavorful and served with grainy mustard, creamy collard greens and a piece of cornbread.
I was in fancy Southern heaven!
My husband and mom each ordered the duck breast with greens and black eyed pea mash which was fantastic and my dad had a pork chop that was topped with an onion funnel cake! How fun!
And then, the most amazing thing I happened. For dessert I got to eat the “jar” of the day which consisted of creme brulee, topped with brownie topped with locally-made peppermint chocolate ice cream!
It was undoubtedly one of the best (and most indulgent) desserts I have ever put in my mouth!
Overall, I absolutely loved the feel, food and fun of the restaurant and highly recommend it for any meal, cocktail hour or even just dessert!