The Heights community is unlike any other in Little Rock. The extreme closeness of the community and the long term residents give it a feeling of a completely different city within Little Rock. You walk into a restaurant or a store and it is clear that everyone knows each other and care about each other’s lives.
For many years the Terry’s Finer Foods building served as an anchor for the community. It is where people went to shop, eat, and drink. With the closing of Terry’s last year it left a big void in the Heights. Thankfully part of that void closed a few months ago with the opening of Heights Corner Market in the former Terry’s space, and now even more so that the Restaurant at the Market is open.
Stepping into the restaurant portion, which is just to the left of the market as you are facing it, you will find a lot of changes to both the look and the menu. It is a clean, open setting dominated mostly by white tablecloth tables, and a couple of large reclaimed wood pub style tables. Around are photos of family and friends of the owners Eric and Lou Anne Herget. Overall it is a welcoming environment that is great for Heights regulars and people just looking for a night out.
The menu is a strong departure from the French inspired menu from Terry’s. Instead you will find a Southern themed menu executed by chef Amanda Denys that fills a much-needed space for a sophisticated casual to high-end dining in the area.
On it you will find a strong mix of creative salads, moderately priced southern classics like shrimp and grits and rotisserie chicken, as well as more special occasion geared options like a nice 14oz rib eye and an ahi tuna. On dessert you will find a line of options from chef Amanda Ivy.
The menu items I tried were all executed well, something that makes you appreciate a small menu with around 6 entree options that can all be perfected. They also run frequent specials and rotate some of the entree items around to give extra variety. The most notable part of it all is their use of fresh, local ingredients.
“We pull a lot of our ingredients from the Heights Corner Market, so all the of the produce is fresh and local,” owner Eric Herget says. “It also gives our chef the flexibility to come up with specials using a wide range of ingredients and produce that a normal restaurant this size wouldn’t have access to.”
It shows a lot in the flexibility of the menu. If you wanted to upgrade your rib eye to a cut of their high-end Wagyu beef that is in the meat counter, it is something they absolutely can do. It also means if you have a really great cut of salmon for dinner and you want to grab some to take home with you, they can accommodate that as well. It gives the space a very unique feel that you can’t find anywhere else in town.
Herget says it is something they want to continue to leverage more by adding special menu items and unique experiences as the restaurant evolves. One thing he mentioned was adding the option for private dining inside the market itself, something that would give a very unique atmosphere. The space can also be rented out for rehearsal dinners, business meetings, and any other need for a private space. It adds private dining group space that is extremely limited and in high demand in the Heights.
They are also adding live music, including this Friday’s Burgers and a Bottle where $20 gets you a build your own premium burger, sides, and live music. They also will feature Miraval wine and Casamigos Anejo Tequila for the evening.
Overall the Restaurant at Heights Corner Market is the perfect fit for Heights, and continues to make the area one of the most unique in Little Rock.
