CHEAP EATS: America 13-50’s menu strictly red, white and blue
By Rosemary Boggs (Contact)
LITTLE ROCK — If you’re looking for a great meal at a reasonable price, I highly recommend America 13-50, a somewhat new eatery in downtown Conway.
The restaurant is in a rather plain building but if you look closely, you’ll notice the sign, some flags and a bit of the patriotic theme (the name refers to 13 colonies, 50 states) that’s continued inside.
A friend and I visited on a recent Thursday evening after hearing about the restaurant from our hairdresser. It wasn’t hard to find since we knew where to look, but it is a bit off the beaten path in an area that has a few other restaurants and some empty buildings.
Inside you’ll find a pleasant dining area with a few more flags and other red, white and blue items scattered about. The tables are made of richlooking dark wood, and were set with cloth napkins, stainless flatware and small candles, all of which help make for a relaxed and comfortable mood.
We were the only diners at that time, but a party of 12 entered a few minutes later. Our server was very attentive.
America 13-50 has separate lunch, dinner and brunch menus, but many dishes appear on all three.
We started with glasses of sweet tea, and it wasn’t long before a plate of yeasty rolls appeared, along with some delicious herbed butter. We decided to share an appetizer, and settled on Crepes Carolina ($5.99). The dish consists of two crepes stuffed with slowcooked pork and topped with eastern Carolina-style barbecue sauce, chive sour cream and roasted corn puree. The crepes were thin and delicate, the pork was extremely tender and flavorful, and the chive sour cream and corn were a nice complement to the mildflavor of the filling.
We skipped the salads and soups and went right to the entrees. We decided to share the Kellogg’s Country Special ($11.99), Declaration of Mac and Cheese ($10.99) and the Mulberry Street Penne ($11.99).
All three entrees came out at the same time, so we started with the two pasta dishes, which were bubbling hot in heavy white bowls. The Declaration of Mac and Cheese is made with penne pasta and chicken, and topped with melted cheese. It was thick and creamy, just like macaroni and cheese should be, but was made a bit more filling with the addition of the chicken.
The Mulberry Street Penne proved a pleasant surprise, with penne pasta, choice of ham or chicken breast and Granny Smith apples tossedin a cream sauce with candied walnuts.
We chose ham, and the slightly salty pork went well with the tart crunchiness of the apple. The cream sauce didn’t have a strong flavor, so it didn’t overpower the other ingredients, and the candied walnuts on top added just the right amount of sweetness.
The Kellogg’s Country Special was a good portion of meatloaf made with beef and pork, and mixed with cornflakes. It was served on a bed of roasted garlic mashed potatoes with not quite enough savory brown sauce on top. The meatloaf was very dense, and the combination of the two meats made for a good flavor.
Some of our entrees went into to-go boxes so we wouldn’t have to be carted out in a wheelbarrow. We ordered New York Style Cheesecake($3.99) and Colonial Apple Pie ($2.99). The cheesecake had a nice custardlike texture and was accompanied by a swirl of chocolate sauce and an artfully carved strawberry.
The warm apple pie, topped with Breyers Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, was made with fresh apples and had a wonderfully flaky crust. The pie wasn’t overly sweet, so the ice cream added a nice finish to its slight tartness.
I’d like to get back for Sunday brunch. The interesting selections include Empire State Eggs Benedict ($11), the East of Eden breakfast made with scrambled eggs, chicken breast and spinach in a creamy sauce ($10), the Las Vegas Lucky Seven pancake breakfast ($7) and the Conway Lead Belly ($10) made with scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon and hash browns smothered in white gravy and served in a crock topped with melted cheese.
The restaurant has a small selection of soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch. Sandwiches I’d like to try include the Ozark BLT ($9.99) made with a blackened catfish filet, bacon, bibb lettuce, mayonnaise and pickled onion on a butter-toasted bun, and the Ninth Street Philly ($10.99) made with sliced sirloin steak, cheese, peppers and mushrooms on a hoagie bun. Both sandwiches come with fries.
America 13-50 Address: 1020 Garland St., Conway Hours: Lunch served 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; dinner served 5-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and 5-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; Sunday brunch served 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Cuisine: American Credit cards: AE, D, V, MC Alcoholic beverages: No Wheelchair accessible: Yes Carryout: Yes (501) 327-5050
This article was published Friday, September 12, 2008.
Weekend, Pages 71 on 09/12/2008
