Starving Artist Cafe opened its doors at 411 Main Street on Tuesday for its first Argenta lunch crowd. I stopped in afterwards for a chat with Paula Martin Morell, one-half of the ownership team, about the decision to move to the right side of the river and what a first-timer ought to try when they come in for a meal.

Click "Read More" for the full story.

Chef Jason Morell and his wife, writer Paula Martin Morell, were looking for a way to combine their two interests when they came up with the concept for the Starving Artist Cafe three years ago.

"Jason and I were trying to find a way to merge our two worlds together," Paula told me today after their first lunch rush was over.

Jason is trained in the classical southern French style and was working in New Orleans' famed Commander's Palace when it won a James Beard Award, the pinnacle of culinary honors. Paula holds a master of fine arts in writing has worked as a teacher and English professor. They both hail from Little Rock and had been away from their home town for some years when they came back and started Starving Artist at its original location, at 416 W. Seventh Street in downtown Little Rock.

"We knew in our old space, five restaurants had failed there," said Paula, shown above with children (from left) Annaliese, Jude and Sophia. "But it was what we could afford."

The Morells had no investors when they opened Starving Artist in 2005; they were going at this on their own. But they had a vision: A way to combine their love of cooking and the arts. Thus, canvases adorned the walls, artists would be invited in to paint during meals, live music was featured from time to time, and the very tabletops sported creative images. And they attracted a lot of people who worked downtown who wanted something more than fast food for lunch.

"We did a good lunch [business] there, but didn't get dinner off the ground," said Paula.

Enter John Gaudin and Harold Tenenbaum of the Argenta Downtown Council. Paula said those two initially made contact almost two years ago, asking if the couple would be interested in bringing their eatery to the north side of the river. Paula said she and Jason were open to the idea, but since they were financing their venture out of pocket it didn't seem feasible.

But Gaudin and Tenenbaum were not to be easily dissuaded.

"They did a really good job of sweetening the deal for us," Paula said.

Now, with Gaudian and Tenenbaum as their main investors, the couple has renovated and opened the space at 411 Main. That's the McPherson Building, according to city Historian Sandra Taylor Smith. Built in 1927 by Robert W. McPherson, it was the McPherson Furniture Co. until the mid- to late 1940s. Then it was Stanford Furniture until about 1951, then Park Hill Furniture until the 1970s (which advertised "We cheat you for less!" above the door). From the mid-70s on, it was several different kind of businesses, she said.

As part of the renovation of the building, siding was stripped from above the storefront, revealing a row of windows that give a view of the fine stamped-tin ceiling inside the restaurant.

While the food is flowing from the kitchen at Starving Artist, the bar hadn't opened as of Tuesday at lunchtime. Paula said they were waiting for final approval of their license from the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, which she said might come as early as that afternoon but would certainly be in hand by the end of the week. Once that's official, they'll have a full bar to augment the kitchen creations. Everything is made fresh on-site -- the bread, the sauces, the dressings, the pasta -- under the watchful eye of Chef Jason.

So, what does Paula recommend the newcomer to Starving Artist have the first time they sit down for a meal?

"I would suggest the fish of the day or the pasta of the day," she said. "That's 75% of what we sell."

In fact, she warns, they run out of the specials every day. Should that be the case, she said first-time diners would also be pleased with either the panini or crepes at lunch. The dinner menu will expand upon the lunch offerings, said Paula, and will include filet mignon, salmon, mahi mahi and lamb.

"Jason makes a wonderful lamb shank," she advised, though she added that his specialty is fish.

Starving Artist is still hiring as they work to fill the last positions on their staff. There are openings for host or hostess, server and kitchen help. Those interested may apply within the restaurant.

Tag it:

Comments (7)

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.

Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.6
AkoComment © Copyright 2004 by Arthur Konze - www.mamboportal.com
All right reserved