Amy Nelson Hannon, owner of Springdale’s Euna Mae’s, shares her secrets for creating a weekend brunch that’s easy to prepare—and sure to be devoured—along with a few heartfelt insights on hospitality
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Red, White & Chic
Ready, Set, Spring
Designer Melissa Haynes sets a graceful table for a luncheon at her Fayetteville home
“For me, the outside is just as important as the inside,”says Melissa Haynes, who owns the Johnson-based MH Design, Inc. Case in point, the courtyard of her Fayetteville home, where terraces spill over with blooming containers, defined gathering spaces provide plenty of room for dining or relaxation, and a fully functional vegetable garden awaits just outside her kitchen. The home’s well-appointed parterre garden leads to the dining area, where the scene is set for this warm-weather gathering.
“I like to keep things simple when I entertain,” Melissa says. “I let simple flowers and small details come together to create the look and feel.” For this get-together with friends, she went with a light palette of soft whites and creams accented with a blush pink and the garden’s abundant evergreen foliage. White basket-weave-patterned dinnerware pairs with rattan chargers and bamboo flatware for an unfussy, classic look. Blush water glasses, vintage gold-and-clear-glass salt and pepper shakers, and the setting’s pièce de résistance—a tablecloth made from Timothy Corrigan’s “Cap Ferrat” Schumacher fabric—all lend a feminine charm to the garden party. The fabric features a motif of pineapples and trelliswork, which Melissa had finished out with a caramel-colored border. “I wanted something along the edge that wouldn’t show dirt or a stain since it is being used in the garden,” she says of the practical touch. For lunch, guests dined on a spring split pea soup paired with a glass of rosé. “I like to keep the food manageable, so that it’s not a chore to entertain,” Melissa adds. It’s this laidback, yet seemingly carefully curated approach that make both the garden and the designer herself a pleasure to all who encounter them.
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Life of the Party
Designer Chris H. Olsen shares tips–along with a few fond memories–that are sure to inspire you to crate your own festive New Year’s Eve fete
New Year’s Eve. It’s the one night of the year when even the timid among us have cause to celebrate, as partygoers bask in the year that was and revel in the optimism of what the future holds. For designer and entertaining expert Chris H. Olsen, a New Year’s Eve soirée is all about blending luxury with comfort and nostalgia with trends. We asked him to transform a private room at Little Rock’s Cache Restaurant into his ideal New Year’s Eve party spot. Read on to learn about the piece of his childhood that inspired the party’s theme and to glean ideas for your own lively bash.
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Welcome Friends!
Exterior designer Daniel Keeley and chef Jen Lewis come together to create a memorable Thanksgiving feast at Keeley’s Fayetteville home
Imagine for a second that you are friends with one of the most talented garden and exterior designers in the state and he’s invited you to his home for Thanksgiving. What’s more, he happens to be friends with one of the area’s top chefs and you’ll be dining on fare she has created especially for this evening. Sound too good to be true? Not if you’re friends with exterior designer Daniel Keeley of DK Design and chef Jen Lewis of Jen’s Art of Cooking. The pair chose a cool night last autumn to gather with new and old friends for an updated take on Thanksgiving traditions. Dubbing the evening a “friendsgiving,” guests took in the beauty of the garden spaces at Keeley’s personal home while enjoying an innovative and freshly made spread prepared by Lewis.
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Prep School
As they prepare to open the doors of Heights Taco & Tamale Company, the culinary geniuses behind the brand give us a glimpse into the test kitchen where a bevy of soon-to-be-well-loved recipes are under development
“Mexican food is in my blood,” says Scott McGehee, executive chef of Yellow Rocket Concepts and one of four owners of the group’s newest venture, Heights Taco & Tamale Company. “I was raised eating at Browning’s [the restaurant that previously occupied Heights Taco & Tamale Company’s soon-to-open space], so the whole experience is very meaningful to me,” he adds. McGehee had two overarching thoughts when the opportunity to open a restaurant in the historic Heights location presented itself: “First, I thought that doing anything other than Tex-Mex would be a disservice. Second, we really wanted to do something unexpected—just as Browning’s did with their original Tex-Mex concept when they opened their doors in 1946,” McGehee says. He also notes that the menu will differ from the coastal-inspired fare at Local Lime, one of Yellow Rocket Concepts’ three other ventures, which also include Central Arkansas’ ZAZA and Big Orange.
On this particular day, McGehee and chef Ben Brainard, who along with John Beachboard and Russ McDonough comprise the restaurant’s four partners, were working to perfect a few much-anticipated menu items, including Delta-style, pulled-pork tamales, Arkansas heirloom tomato pico de gallo, and a Paloma cocktail for those stopping in to visit the bar. Each dish has a strong, Deep-South-meets-Texas-meets-Little Rock flair. Brand Manager and Marketing Director Amber Brewer promises the restaurant’s fully renovated space will have a similar vibe, making it a casual, comfortable place to drop in for lunch or dinner. Heights Taco & Tamale Company is set to open later this fall.
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The Stars and Stripes of Summer
There’s something both nostalgic and comfortable about dipping your toes into a cool stream, tasting the fruits of the season, and lounging on a pallet while enjoying the company of a best friend. As America celebrates 238 years of independence, we invite you to bring these easy ideas to your celebration.
Event designer Autumn Evans Beaulieu of Petal Chik Designs used a patriotic red, white, and blue palette to set the tone for a Fourth of July party for two couples, their children and children’s friends. “I wanted the picnic to have a casual and rustic feel, but also knew it needed a few formal touches, like the floral arrangements, to set it apart as a special occasion,” Beaulieu says. The rustic setting at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center not only provides a beautiful backdrop, but also an afternoon of outdoor fun for or the active families.
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A Grand Send Off
A sophisticated, yet nostalgic evening honors soon-to-be high school graduates
May is one of the busiest months of the year for many families. The school year is winding down and end of the year parties and celebrations abound. For families with high school seniors, the biggest and most-anticipated celebration of all—graduation—is about to take place.
To mark the occasion, Little Rock interior designer, Mara Malcolm, who works alongside her mother Retha Lamb, orchestrated a memorable graduation dinner for a group of Pulaski Academy seniors that are part of a special club which has evolved through the years. “‘The Forever Club,’ as they refer to it, consists of eight friends that have attended school together since preschool,” explains Malcolm.
In keeping with the grandness of the milestone, Malcolm chose an upscale dinner theme. She started with antique china from Noritake to dress up the table. “I wanted the table and the party décor to reflect how valued the kids are and how special they are. That’s why I went the extra mile and it was a little more formal than probably what they are used to,” says Malcolm.
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Garden Party of Four
Since moving in to their newly constructed West Little Rock home last fall, Donna and Jim Bottin have been looking forward to warm days when they could entertain friends outside on their back patio. While the space is equipped with all the amenities to create and serve a delectable dinner, the Bottins wanted to make this first al fresco meal a memorable occasion.
For help with the table setting and décor, they turned to Providence Design. Co-owned by sisters Talena Ray and Mona Thompson, Providence designed the interiors and selected the exterior furnishings and fixtures of the Bottin home, so a party on the patio was right up their alley. “We always use a layered approach to our designs and we like to have a continuous flow from one space to another,” says Ray of the pair’s philosophy. With this thought in mind, they chose yellow, which appears subtly throughout the Bottin’s home, as the primary color for the tabletop’s palette.
From there, they incorporated fresh reminders of the approaching season including a vibrant floral grouping accented with moss and coordinating tableware that features both birds and bees. For a collected touch, they mixed Match dinnerware from Cobblestone & Vine with woven chargers and avian-themed accent plates, both from Pottery Barn.
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Soul-Warming Soup
Chef, photographer and blogger Brian Kelley shares a nostalgic favorite family recipe–perfect for cool winter days
Growing up in Pine Bluff, Brian Kelley became accustomed to roast, cornbread and other traditional Southern recipes made by his mother and grandmothers. Following in their culinary footsteps, Kelley is now the house chef at P. Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm. Here, he has cooked for hundreds of people and mastered both Southern and French cuisine. In addition to his skills in the kitchen, he is an avid photographer and blogger—writing two local blogs, Life in SoMa Little Rock and Brian’s Style Guide.
During the winter, Kelley reverts to his roots and enjoys cooking the recipes his mother once prepared for him. One of his favorites, shared here, puts a tart and tangy spin on a classic dish and conveniently “makes good leftovers,” he says.
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