The wait is finally over for restaurateur Tomas Böhm and his dedicated fans. Böhm’s second restaurant, The Pantry Crest, opened to the public this week. I had a chance to get an early look at the new space, and it’s clear that the same European food and charm that makes The Pantry a crowd favorite is right at home in Hillcrest.
If you’ve ever frequented the former House Gastropub, or even Sufficient Grounds, expect to see some major changes to the space. Böhm and his team spent the better part of a year renovating and restoring the century-old building into a true restaurant space. Gone are the upstairs rooms that made for a disjointed dining area at The House. In their place, an actual dining room that seats roughly 70 (20-30 more can sit downstairs). The kitchen has been gutted and replaced with a modern, professional cooking space. Eclectic, antique fixtures light several of the tables, a knowing nod to the unique Hillcrest neighborhood.
When you first walk in, be sure to look up. A striking mural adorns the ceiling over the front entrance, created by the talented artists at Angelfish Studios here in Little Rock. The painting features idyllic European city elements interspersed with food, wine and beer. Immediately beneath, a fully restored staircase leads to the second floor dining area. Böhm and his team had to strip at least seven layers of paint, stain and varnish off the wood to restore the stairs to their original early 1900s look.
Still, it’s the changes you can’t see that led The Pantry Crest to delay it’s grand opening by half a year. The building was in disrepair, with problems that required stripping the walls to the studs and even fixing the foundation. In all, repairs ran in excess of a quarter-million dollars just to get the building in the shape needed to open a restaurant.
Böhm and his investors are counting on the tried-and-true European comfort food menu from The Pantry to be just as popular in Hillcrest as it is on Rodney Parham. The vast majority of the menu is unchanged from the West Little Rock location. Crowd favorites, like the bacon-wrapped dates, lasagna and cheesecake are all present and just as delicious as ever. A few new menu items are also here. A Shrimp in Romesco appetizer and a sautéed Brussels sprouts dish are both excellent starters. The knockwurst, an occasional special at The Pantry, is on the permanent menu here, served with a hearty German potato salad and cornichon pickles.
Böhm is keeping his menu slightly smaller to start and will expand it in the coming months. The Pantry Crest will be open for dinner only beginning at 4:00 p.m. Monday−Saturday. For more pictures and a full audio interview with Tomas Böhm, visit our partner site Little Rock Foodcast.