Union Restaurant; caught in a smackdown

union. the first time we drove by this place it was empty, so we opted to go elsewhere. when a favorable review hit the paper (see note at the end of this post), we joined the flock. union serves small plate servings, tapas, or in arkansas, a bunch of appetizers. my bet is; if you appreciate good food, perfectly prepared, you won’t be disappointed. my camera only came out at the beginning of the meal. so, here you get a small taste of the items that came to the table. the blue corn prawn dogs (pictured) were large, meaty, perfectly cooked, skewered & deep fried shrimp served with two dipping sauces: mango habanero and lime creme fraîche. the lime creme fraîche didn’t have much more taste than your run-of-the-mill sour cream, but overall, this was a favorite. the heirloom tomato stack (pictured) was simple, beautiful and tasty, topped with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese, sprouts and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. shrimp and garlic, (not pictured) were 6 shrimp in a garlic infused broth served with thinly sliced and toasted baguette ovals. that broth totally invited the toast to be dipped. each item ordered was beautifully presented and cooked appropriately. no complaints, except for the bread that came with cinnamon butter. sweetened butter? ick. all was well in the end, that bread mopped up the shrimp and garlic broth. try union, you’ll like it.

Union Restaurant
3421 Old Cantrell Rd
Little Rock, AR 72202
661-8311

note: WAR: restaurant vs. critic
the following letter to the editor was printed in today’s ArkDemGaz;

Comment uncalled for
As independent restaurant owners with a 23-year track record in Little Rock, we are writing to express our feelings for Jack Schnedler’s remarks about one of our restaurants in his recent review of Union Restaurant.
First of all, congrats to Union. We can’t wait to eat there and support another independent restaurant. Reviews can make or break a restaurant, especially a new restaurant. Food criticism and reviews in particular are completely subjective. Our complaint is in the way Schnedler felt compelled to compare our new restaurant, Capi’s, to Union in a less than favorable way. Let Union’s review focus on Union. Why make a negative comment about another restaurant when you are writing a review of a new restaurant? It is hard enough to make it in this business without this kind of help from a restaurant “critic.”
As a member of the Little Rock Advertising and Promotion Commission, Capi sees so many restaurants struggling, especially the small, independent restaurants, during this ongoing recession. Even in good times, restaurants have the largest failure rate amongst small businesses. Little Rock is blessed with a vibrant, diverse and progressive culinary scene. We hate to see someone wield his or her pen to cast a negative spin on any restaurant when it is not justified. It almost feels personal.
Restaurants, especially small, mom-and-pop-owned entities like ours, are working hard to stay afloat in these economic times. Don’t make it harder on us than it already is.
BRENT PETERSON
Cammack Village
CAPI PECK