My days of forgetting about The Terrace, the long-time Pleasant Valley restaurant off Rodney Parham in Little Rock, are over. Why I’ve overlooked this Mediterranean cuisine marvel for the past five years (which is the approximate interval of time since my last visit) is beyond me. It’s small, discreetly hidden in an office building, and, quite frankly, I get the feeling that neighborhood folks want the restaurant all to themselves. 

 

Kitchen Sampler.

 

Well, guess what? Those days are over. The world — our entire Little Rock world, that is — needs a refresher course on The Terrace’s greatness, and I am just the man for the job.

 

Spanakopita.

 

My family’s recent outdoor dinner was filled with one delightful dish after another, starting with the Kitchen Sampler appetizer with hummus, baba ghanouj, and an insanely addicting tabouleh. And this is coming from someone who’s admittedly not a big fan of tabouleh. I am now, as evident the unabashed abandonment with which I shoveled this dish in my mouth, without any concern for my tablemates getting their fair share. The combination of bulgar (a cracked wheat) with fresh parsley, mint and tomato provided for a cool, bright meal-starter as we were serenaded by cicadas on a pleasant summer evening. My wife enjoyed a glass of rosé which our server savvily covered with a flipped-over small plate to keep the flies from landing on the rim. Nice touch.

Chicken Terrace.

 

Spanakopita, two phyllo-wrapped packages of joy filled with a chopped spinach, feta and a pinch of nutmeg, were also gobbled up within seconds. Hey, don’t judge, we had to clear table space for the entrees. Those included the Chicken Terrace, Norwegian Salmon, and Veal Piccata. Each plate included sides of braised carrots and broccoli, and while not the most exciting or innovative of items, there’s no denying their scrumptiousness. The dated sides conjured thoughts of Brave New Restaurant and immediately made me exclaim, “This is The Mediterranean Brave New!” to my cohorts. This wasn’t meant as a knock, but rather, the ultimate compliment — harkening to a Little Rock institution that keeps things simple while maintaining high standards. 

 

Norwegian Salmon.

 

My daughter’s Chicken Terrace, a breaded breast filled with cream cheese and chives, also came with a bed of Alfredo pasta to go along with the aforementioned vegetables. While it proved to be my least favorite of the three entrées, I could see why it resides at the top of the menu and is one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. The Norwegian Salmon was a little heavier than I prefer my fish dishes to be, but the creamy dill sauce was undeniably delicious. 

 

Veal Piccata.

 

That gets me to my Veal Piccata, a plate of food that excelled in both beauty and taste. An ample portion of cardboard-thin veal came slightly breaded and swimming in a lemon butter caper sauce. With a perfect balance of fat and acidity, I just couldn’t get over the simple perfection of the piccata. To me, that balance of flavors is what separates the good piccatas from the great ones. Too much lemon juice can kill this dish, and the restaurant got it right. 

 

The rosé, protected from the elements by a thoughtful server.

 

In the end, this was one of the better meals I’ve had in Little Rock these past several months, and one that puts The Terrace smack dab on my list of elite restaurants in town. 

 

After all these years, I guess I just need a little reminder. 

 

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