Hot In Little Rock

We had not planned on spending the weekend in Hot Springs, but that is where we ended-up after the weather gods decreed we were banned from New York City.  Not in the best mood, having received this news, we looked for a place where we might satisfy our need for a good and comforting meal.  Only a few blocks from the Arlington Hotel is Central Park Fusion Cuisine, a place that turned out to be unpretentious and casual (good, we had left the suit at home) with amazingly good food.  They claim to use local produce, organics, free-range items, and fresh seafood.  After our experience, we would say the claim is absolutely true.  We ate there twice!

Matt Fuller is the chef, owner, and operator of Central Park Fusion Cuisine.   Originally from Arkadelphia, Arkansas, he spent a decade sitting in cubicles before he decided to make a radical career change trading in his computer for a set of chef knives.  Clearly this was the right choice.

That first night our spouse ordered a crab cake (from the starter menu) and a house salad.  The crab cake was mostly lump crab with a minimum of filler.  The salad was fresh and the dressing came on the side.  We couldn’t resist the Thai coconut red curried chicken, with the Caribbean Caesar salad.  (The salad was only $3 when ordered with an entrée.)  This incredibly flavorful dish consisted of  sautéed diced chicken breast served over rice & vegetables, finished with a spicy Thai coconut red curry sauce.  The salad was a classic Caesar, but the surprise was the macadamia nut banana bread croutons.

The next night (we couldn’t help ourselves, we had to go back) our spouse went for the penne vodka.  Perfectly cooked penne pasta with a spicy pink vodka sauce, prosciutto and peas was delicious, and ordered with the $3 house salad.  We couldn’t resist the description of our entrée:  Boursin® filet mignon…6 oz. Angus beef topped with Boursin® cheese, served with creamy truffle scented fresh corn polenta, vegetables, port wine reduction.  The steak was perfectly cooked and the combination of flavors was unbeatable.  We also had to have the Caesar salad again, and were not sorry in the slightest.

Also on the menu are enough vegetarian dishes to meet the needs of the non-carnivores.  The seafood was fresh (from Hawaii we were told) and there is a wonderful sounding duck.  We’ll simply have to go back.

Central Park Fusion Cuisine
200 Park Avenue
Hot Springs
(501) 623-0202
www.centralparkfusion.com