Cupcakes on Kavanaugh

Once you've had a cupcake from Cupcakes on Kavanaugh, you'll be able to tell it from any others. It's not fluffy and light and airy — the cake is dense, rich and weighty, with a blast of buttercream on top that will give you a sugar buzz for hours. Enjoy one of these on a Saturday afternoon shopping spree and you'll be on the go for hours. Different flavors are available on various days, but no matter when you go, you'll find something you like. If the Heights isn't convenient for you, hang on — we hear a new location is planned for Pleasant Ridge Town Center. 

Some people don't like to see changes in their favorite restaurants, but there are plenty of places (like consistently reliable Buffalo Grill) that keep the menu pretty much as it's always been. That doesn't happen at The House, Hillcrest's casual gourmet eatery that incorporates lots of Arkansas and regional produce in its dishes.

The veggie burger, which had been on the original menu then disappeared, is back — a big, tasty hand-formed patty (not like those machine-pressed veggie burgers in the frozen food section of the grocery store) on a hearty bun, served with sweet potato fries that you may think you're going to share with your dining companion but you won't, because they're too tasty. And the Thai green curry bowl is incredible enough to make us stop whining that we need a Thai restaurant here.

It's been said that owner Mark Abernathy closed his Italian bistro Bene Vita because it was turning into a special-occasion restaurant, and he prefers restaurants that people go to just for the heck of it. That's what he's created with Red Door, a cheery, easygoing place that's just right for meeting friends for drinks and sandwiches or for dropping in when the chicken you took out of the freezer this morning hasn't thawed out enough and you need someone to cook for you.

An inspired menu idea: Small plates — less expensive and a lighter serving — of most of the entrees (including fish and chips, barbecue shrimp and grits,and chicken Alfredo casserole). There's a chalkboard filled with daily specials and $5 glasses of interesting wines.