Taking Taziki's on the Road

Driving west on Cantrell Road in Little Rock Friday night, I caught a glimpse of a familiar sign out of the corner of my eye - Taziki's Greek Fare. I quickly called up Ben on the cell phone.

"When did they open a Taziki's in Little Rock?" I asked.

"What are you talking about?" he replied.

After I told him about the sign I had seen and where I had seen it, he said he had to verify it for himself. Sure enough, he called to report that he and Claire had stopped, and the black tables and chairs looked very familiar. He later emailed a link to an article in Arkansas Times reporting that Taziki's would indeed open its first ever franchise in Little Rock later in September.

The first Taziki's was opened in Birmingham in 1998 by Keith and Amy Richards. Amy, incidentally, is from Waldenburg, Arkansas.

One day shortly after graduating from high school, Brent announced that a new restaurant was opening in the Colonnade Shopping Center and that his friend Jana said the owner needed help. She thought working at the restaurant would make a perfect summer job before college. Thus began our family's association with Taziki's.

Brent continued to work at the Colonnade location when he was home in the summers or for Christmas or Spring Breaks. Later Ben became a Taziki's employee and worked at both the Colonnade and Mountain Brook locations. Both boys learned to make chicken roll ups, Friday Special, pork sandwiches and other Taziki's specialties.

Soon Larry and I began eating at Taziki's regularly, and some of our friends started joining us on Friday nights. Taziki's is now a tradition, and we don't miss many Friday nights when we are in town.

I am especially fond of the Friday night fish special, which is often served over buttermilk mashed potatoes. For a long time Larry always ordered chicken roll ups, but he has now branched out to the shrimp feast, among other choices.

Ben and Claire are thrilled that Taziki's is coming to Little Rock. Look for them there on Friday nights.