Without a doubt, the Clinton Presidential Center remains one of the most important and interesting locations in the state of Arkansas. It also happens to house one of Little Rock’s finest dining opportunities, the beautiful Forty Two. Catering primarily to the lunch crowds exploring the Clinton Center or downtown business lunch brigade, Forty Two has become know for its ability to produce food that’s familiar and comfortable but simultaneously reaches above the doldrums of your average sandwich, salad, and burger joint. With specials such as bahn mi with housemade kimchi or red pepper, sweet corn, and crab bisque, this little restaurant in simply icing on the cake in relation to the already exemplary Clinton Center.
Diners anxious to get a sample of the culinary offerings from various parts of the globe will find a thrilling opportunity awaits them at Forty Two during their "Around the World Thursdays." On the third Thursday of every month, Forty Two will be offering five course dinners from countries around the world, with cuisine from several regions that are grossly underrepresented in central Arkansas. The schedule for this year has been recently posted and Forty Two promises to bring a unique dining experience to its weekly guests, a far cry from the standard barbecue and burgers so commonly consumed on a more regular basis.
The five course dinner will run you $27.50 per person...not exactly budget dining, but a heck-of-a-lot cheaper than airfare to Prague. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and dinner is served at 7 p.m. The restaurant strongly recommends reservations, due to the "extreme" popularity of these events. That does sound serious, better book 'em now. This year's dinners include a myriad of diverse international cuisine, showcasing the regional fare of areas such as Limerick, Ireland; Sapporo, Japan; Lillehammer, Norway; and Budapest, Hungary. The full line-up may be seen here. So if you've had a hankering for tørrfisk, fårikål, or smalahove that you just can't seem to shake, you may want to consider getting yourself over to Forty Two...luckily, you won't even be required to flash your hideous passport photo in anyone's face to eat there.
Forty Two is located at 1200 President Clinton Avenue. Call 501-537-0042 to make your reservations.