Milford Track

by Amy Bowers

March 01, 2010 @ 01:25pm CST

It is not likely that you will ever just stumble upon this restaurant gem, tucked away within the Searcy Building of the Executive Center in west Little Rock. However, it is no mystery why, with no signage outside to direct your path, each lunch hour, the restaurant is packed full of diners who know where to find “gourmet food for the healthy eater.” Milford Track has built its reputation on word-of-mouth, which is the best sign of a fantastic restaurant.

Owner Kay Clark opened the restaurant — named after a wilderness trail in New Zealand where she spent some time — in the Executive Center in 1989. One of the most endearing qualities about Milford Track is its stark contrast to the corporate environment of its location. Clark chose the location because of the beautiful view from the back patio dining area, which overlooks a peaceful pond inhabited by swans in the spring and summer months. A blanket of trees provides a sense of seclusion from the busy streets surrounding the building.

“I came here and looked at the view and thought this would be a great place to come to work everyday,” Clark said. The restaurant is deli-style with a menu written on a giant chalkboard behind the counter. Two vintage, free-play jukeboxes are in the main dining area and entertain diners with tunes by artists, such as Otis Redding, The Who and Tommy James & The Shondells. The walls are nearly covered with photographs taken by Clark while traveling the world to exciting places such as the Himalayas, Africa, England, India and Treasure Island.

In addition to traveler and photographer, Clark also has the title of organic farmer under her belt. “I had an organic farm in the ‘70s called Sweet Apple Farm,” Clark said. “I raised organic fruits and vegetables and that led to a catering job, which eventually evolved into the opportunity to open this restaurant.” She has transferred many of her ideas from organic farming into the operation of the restaurant. “Everything is fresh, we don’t use any pre-prepared or fast-food type items. We make our pasta and bread fresh everyday; and I don’t know of many, if any, other restaurants that make their own pasta. Fresh pasta is so unique and different from dried pasta. It’s like the difference of fresh asparagus to canned asparagus.”

Regular menu items include: a turkey melt, chicken avocado club, garden sandwich, spinach blueberry salad, homemade pastas and a variety of breakfast dishes. Each day a different special is available. When we visited, options included the chicken Cordon Bleu; Philly chicken sandwich; Earl of Sandwich; and corn chowder as the soup of the day. We sampled two of the most popular dishes at Milford Track, and we could see why. After making a jukebox selection of “Squeezebox” by The Who, we sat down to our meals of spinach blueberry salad with grilled chicken and homemade spinach pasta with low-fat Alfredo sauce and Parmesan chicken. The spinach salad was a bed of fresh spinach leaves topped with grape tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, blueberries, feta cheese, almonds and grilled chicken and served with a side of deliciously tart fruit vinaigrette dressing. All the ingredients were fresh and delicious, and the tartness of the dressing that bordered on yogurt consistency was the perfect compliment to the fresh fruit. The salad comes plain, but you can add chicken or salmon to the dish.

The homemade spinach pasta was fresh, tender and delicious. The thin, green noodles were lightly doused in a creamy low-fat Alfredo sauce that complemented the dish, without overpowering it. We ordered our pasta topped with grilled chicken breast slices and a side of the vegetable medley of sautÉed peppers, onions, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and zucchini. Clark makes a variety of pastas and sauces that you can mix and match as you please. Pastas include cilantro, black olive, lemon pepper, chili, spinach, cous cous and rosemary. Sauce flavors are: basil pesto; low-fat Alfredo; black bean chili; red marinara; tomato pesto; parmesan parsley; pepper garlic; and cilantro pesto. Don’t leave without sampling some of Clark’s delicious baked goods. Fresh muffins in a variety of flavors are available as well as “Kay’s Magic Brownies,” cheesecake, bread pudding and cookies.

If you are looking for fresh, delicious and healthy food Milford Track is the place to be. It’s a bit off the beaten path, but well worth the journey.