Lilly's Dim Sum, Then Some knows springlike weather can be unpredictable, so it's continuing to warm up visitors by cooking specials such as Vietnamese Pho Soup with Handmade Pork Meatballs, Orange Beef over Jasmine Rice (for those who want to get Vitamin C the easy way), General Tso's Chicken, and Vegetable and Pork Spring Rolls served with a Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce. Owner and chef Kathy Webb suggests you stop in for a mid-afternoon pot of hot tea and Dim Sum.

Lilly's and Vieux Carre are among local restaurants participating in a One Week, One Community UNICEF Tap Project March 21-27, in which restaurants across the United States will invite patrons to donate $1 for the tap water they usually drink for free. With $1, UNICEF can provide safe, clean water to one child for 40 days. 

On April 12, Lilly's will support Last Chance Arkansas, a rescue group that saves abandoned animals including Chester, rescued by Lilly's sommelier Nancy Tesmer eight years ago when he was a sad and undernourished dog; Lilly's regulars know he's now a happy 130-pounder.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a smoothie and sandwich chain with seven Arkansas locations, is getting us in a warm-weather frame of mind with its Tropical Exotics menu of wraps and three new papaya smoothies available through May 16:

  • Caribbean Breeze – A blend of papaya, orange and mango
  • Passion Punch – Papaya with strawberries and bananas
  • Papaya Colada – Papaya, coconut and banana

 Try them with Tropical Exotic Wraps, served within a white tortilla:

  •  Thai Chicken – A combination of chicken, wontons, carrots, sesame seeds, romaine lettuce and Thai peanut dressing.
  • Sesame Chicken – Sesame seed nestled among chicken, wontons, almonds, onions, romaine lettuce and sesame dressing.
  • Jamaican Jerk – A wrap made with chicken, low-fat mozzarella cheese, Southwestern rice with corn, black beans and asparagus, onions and Jamaican jerk sauce.

Diversion Wine & Martini Bar, 2611 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, makes almost-spring evenings special with happy hour from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday — $4 well drinks, $5 house wine, $2 beer. Call (501) 414-0409 or e-mail here.