This week I went to Lili’s Bistro on Magnolia. There are a lot of really neat restaurants on Magnolia that most people don’t know about. Lili’s is located right next to the Spiral Diner, which is all vegan, and Nona Tata, a delicious family-run Italian restaurant. The area is being renovated and is quickly becoming one of Fort Worth’s hotspots for dining.
Lili’s Bistro
From the outside Lili’s is picturesque and quaint. There are tables out front where you can dine once the temperature drops. I will start off by warning you that Lili’s is very small on the inside. There are only about ten tables, so make sure to call ahead and make reservations, especially on Friday and Saturday. Also, the atmosphere was relaxed and intimate. The dim lighting and rich colors on the walls added to the cozy ambience.
I ordered the House Wedge to start with. It had crisp iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, bacon crumbles, and Gorgonzola dressing. I love simple salads and all of the flavors went to together wonderfully in this. I was worried that the Gorgonzola dressing was going to be a bit overpowering, but it had a nice creaminess to it that toned it down a notch.
My friend Erin started with the Bulgher and Berries. So, this was a unique dish made with cracked wheat, cranberries, dried cherries, banana chips, pistachios and cilantro in a citrus vinaigrette. The citrus vinaigrette was very refreshing and married all of the different ingredients together nicely. Also, overall the dish was very light and healthy.
For my entrée I ordered the Petite Fillets.
This came with two perfectly cooked tenderloin fillets prepared medium-rare, topped with grilled pears and Gorgonzola cheese, served with black pepper gnocchi on the side. I loved this dish. The meat was extremely tender and just melted in my mouth. Also, the grilled pears were a unique addition to this dish. The pears counter balanced the Gorgonzola nicely. I was hesitant to order this dish when I read that it came with black pepper gnocchi, thinking that it would have an overwhelming peppery taste to it. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the gnocchi. It was served in a creamy cheese sauce with a little bit of black pepper cracked on top. So, the creaminess of the cheese really toned down the black pepper, making the end result a perfect blend of flavors.
Erin ordered the special for her entrée. The special was seared sea scallops topped with an almond thyme pesto served over a bed of acorn squash risotto. She absolutely loved this dish. The sea scallops were cooked perfectly, not chewy or rubbery, and paired impeccably with the risotto. The risotto was rich and creamy, adding more depth to the dish while the hearty chunks of acorn squash lightened up the heaviness of the risotto.
For dessert we split a piece of the banana upside down cake. It was divine. Also, I usually don’t save room for dessert, but this was totally worth the extra calories. It was moist banana cake topped with fresh bananas and a brown sugar butter glazed.
Overall I highly recommend that you try Lili’s Bistro. We were thoroughly pleased with everything that we ordered and the service was outstanding. So, visit their website to peruse their full lunch and dinner menus: www.lilisbistro.com
