First Friday on the Greens Returns

This great event for the area starts back up the first Friday in April (2nd). Don't miss out on the food from Chadra (veg options available), drinks and great music.

Chadra does Fort Worth South Annual Dinner

I don't normally write about weird eating experiences, especially those the reader could never duplicate, but I have to say that the veg friendly meal I was served at the Fort Worth South annual dinner last night complements of Chadra Mezza was quite tasty.

So, I haven't ever really written anything about Chadra - it's just one of our normal standbys. They have a great buffet that could put any Chinese buffet to same (they should all come and take notes). I enjoy it for the moderately prices items and the high amount of vegetarian options, hubby just likes the buffet of food on Friday nights.

Even though I don't really comment on their "ordinary" meals, this dish was just too original to pass up.

We attended the Fort Worth South Annual dinner and I of course am the odd man out at the dinner table - requiring a green table topper so they could find me the lone vegetarian in the room. The tabouleh and the dessert were just ho-hum, but I couldn't stop eating my main course. Cinnamon flavored rice topped with a marinated portobello mushroom with roasted & almost candied pistachio, almond and walnuts. I have never cooked with cinnamon outside of dessert and cinnamon & sugar toast for breakfast, but this was fantastic. It was like having a healthy dessert for dinner. The flavor was sweet, but not overpowering.

Delightful.

Spiral Diner - Mucho Grande Nacho's

So for the month of January, one of my guilty pleasures - Spiral Diner - feed us a blue plate special full of Mexican food. For those of you that don't know, Spiral Diner is a strictly Vegan restaurant. They try and buy local and organic and never feed us meat, meat-byproducts, dairy, eggs, etc.

Back to the Mexican Blue Plate Specials -

The dishes were a wide variety of quesadillas and nachos. I had a rare weekend visit with my BF, and for many weeks we had been eying the nachos. I know you are thinking, Nachos?? Who cares about Nachos?? Well need I say more than it was Mexican heaven on a plate. Their warm, "cheezy" sauce, quinoa, corn, black olives, tomatoes, jalapenos, beans, and I'm sure I'm missing something covering hearty corn tortilla chips was to die for.

The "cheezy" sauce is made from raw cashews and nutritional yeast flakes and other yummy-ness - you can't tell it's not real nacho cheese sauce. I can't explain to you how good these are. They are so good they need to be a permanent fixture on the menu. Hello Amy, please add the nachos to the menu... I'd be there all the time just to eat nachos.

I don't know about any of you all, but it's super hard to find veg-friendly mexican food. I eat their ate-layer burrito just about every time I go. Why can't I have a nice vegan nacho alternative all the time.

We never made it back to try the quesadillas - we ate nachos every time we went - but I am slightly sad, because they were trying out the new "cheese" fad in Daiya cheese. If the nachos were any sign, I am sure that Spiral had a winner in the quesadillas too.

Rating: 5 Carrots

Mamma Mia Italian Grill & Pizza

Let me start off by saying that their website is of no help. It appears that they rarely update the information.

There are two locations - the original on East Belknap & the newest on West Magnolia in the old Palermo's location.

Having Mamma Mia so close - is both a blessing and curse. We eat there at least once a week (sometimes multiple, especially if you include left overs). I know it can't be that healthy for you to eat rich Italian food every night of the week, but it's so good I can't help it.

I have tried just about every vegetarian dish on the menu - and created a few of my own. If I am in the mood for something a little lighter, I lean toward the Traditional Cheese Pizza. Fresh made dough, cornmeal on the crust, fresh red sauce and cheese overflowing... yum, it's making my mouth water just thinking about it.

The Eggplant Florentine is a great choice if you are in the mood for something to "put meat on your bones". Thinly sliced eggplant, breaded and baked, then rolled with cheese and spinach, covered in red sauce and cheese and served with a side of pasta. WOW is right!

I was in the mood for something a little different and ordered the "build your own" Stromboli - they will put anything you want in here. I had spinach, mushroom, and cheese. Oh it was so tasty... I ate the whole thing!

Of all the dishes I have ordered, my least favorite has been the Eggplant Parmesan. The Eggplant is cut super thin for the Florentine dish and it was just too mushy after it is cooked and covered in the sauce and cheese.

All the entrees come with a dinner salad (the house dressing is wonderful - spicy, oil & vinegar, red dressing). They always start you out with their garlic knot bread - and have oil & vinegar on the table. We have ordered calamari, fried mushrooms, cheese bread and all other kinds of goodie appetizers...

I can't think of a BAD thing I have had there.

I'll have hubby post another for all the meat dishes he has tried.

Rating: 5 Carrots

Paco and John Mexican Diner

Have you met Paco? I have. And he's now one of my favorite restauranteurs.

I am writing this review again after several more visits to what has become our second favorite place to eat in Fort Worth. I don't know how anyone could have doubted our choice, since our favorite is John's restaurant of Paco & John... St. Emilion.

Last weekend Hambre Esposo & his wife joined Foodie and hubby at Paco & John for what turned out to be the most exciting visit to date. Side note: We have gone to eat brunch just about every weekend for the past month - see future posting on the brunch options. Back to the surprise - the dinner menu has been updated!! Not that the menu was bad before, but for all your veg eaters out there you have more than one option.

Here are a few of the newest additions to the dinner menu - the street taco's are available, vegetable enchiladas, spinach & cheese enchiladas, and I think there are a few more - I was so excited I forgot to write them all down.

Of course I had a hard time deciding since I thought I was just going to have to have the Chile Reino again. But, I finally nailed it down to the vegetarian enchilada plate (served with a side of rice, no beans). The plate included two of their sauteed vegetable enchiladas with a spinach & cheese enchilada in the middle. What a feast. The vegetable enchiladas are fantastic. It's the same mix of veggies that they use in their vegetable & sweet potato breakfast burrito - roasted peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onion. They are all seasoned perfectly and cooked just right to be in an enchilada. The spinach & cheese was okay - but next time I will order all veggie...

Of course the same starters are available - complimentary chips & their great salsa, quesos (crab, chirizo, and a new one with roasted peppers/onion), guacamole.

If you have not had a chance to try this new jewel in the Southside - don't waste another day. Remember for now BYOB and they are closed on Monday's.

Ranking: 4 Carrots

Ellerbe Fine Foods

I know the reviews have been mixed, mine is no different.

About a month ago my mother-in-law came to town and hubby and I decided we should treat her to one of our fine establishments in our area. Since we had been dying to go to Ellerbe's we thought there couldn't be a better occasion.

We made reservations for 7:30 on a Saturday, and arrived to find a fairly full restaurant. Tables are presented with simplicity accompanied by a menu printed and posted on a wood board and attached by rubber band. Each table is topped with a vase of the herbs from their garden on site. I know what you are thinking -are you talking "country kitch"? Not quite - think simple French country.

The menu is limited, but created seasonally with high quality meats, vegetables and herbs. Each dish is paired perfectly - meat with a vegetable. Now, on to the more disappointing part of my evening. There is one salad that is prepared vegetarian right off the menu, but not one entree on the menu that is vegetarian.

Fresh french bread is served with creamed butter and Hawaiian pink sea salt. The trio is wonderful, a delightfully sweat treat to start.

The salad of choice was the Mexia Peaches and Deborah's Farmstead Chevre. The citrus vinaigrette was just delightful and paired perfectly with the peaches and Chevre.

On to the main course. I was so disappointed when the waitress gave pause to my question regarding a vegetarian dish. Almost half of their vegetable sides are created using chicken broth or cooked with a meat product, leaving me with a less than desirable option. I just couldn't believe that a restaurant located on Magnolia would find it acceptable to have a menu with no vegetarian alternative. I felt that as a restaurant who touts their fresh, local, simple - what better blank canvas than to create a masterpiece for the vegetarians that frequent the Southside.

Nonetheless, I was brought a dish of soup broth with summer vegetables topped with their fried okra. The vegetables included, squash, zucchini, green beans, asparagus and peppers. The broth was seasoned perfectly and would have been great for a soup. The vegetables were grilled and had no flavor beyond the broth. The okra was breaded and seasoned perfectly and actually cooked whole, sliced in half - which is a new way for me to eat fried okra. If this is the only option for a vegetarian - I think they will find we visit once not again. I can't imagine paying the average price of an entree for this dish more than once.

As far as the other dishes served at the table - Veal Picatta and Johnnie Fair Glazed Petite Pork Shank - all were a hit. Hubby has listed this as one of his favorites.

Now who can eat such a meal and not have dessert? I had the Maw Maw's Bread Pudding, hubby had Mexia Peach and Prosecco Semifreddo, mother-in-law had the Schokinag Pot de Creme. I think we all should have just started with dessert. All the comments involved - "best dessert ever"... blah blah blah. I have had to Bread Pudding grow on me over the past several years - and this was by far my favorite. Simple, traditional and to the point is the only way to describe. I hate when bread pudding is like eating custard - this had just the right consistency.

For those of you that don't have room for dessert, all tables are served a complementary pastry - a single bite pastry with a vanilla sugar center topped with powdered sugar - delightful.

Reservations are recommended especially on the weekend.

Ranking: 3-4 carrots (totally in the middle)

Lili's Bistro on Magnolia

So this post has been a long time coming. Foodie husband and I went to Lili's last month for our 3rd wedding anniversary that happened to fall in the middle of the week. Yeah, I know not real extravagant, but the food was fantastic.

We have both been to Lili's several times over the couple of years that we have lived in the Southside, but I had forgotten how much I enjoy the creative dishes. Don't be scared - the dishes are little pricey, but for a special occasion or for a once in a blue moon treat - it is definitely worth it.

For an appetizer we shared the Hummus and Pita. Their pita bread is to die for. If you have a carb phobia - STAY AWAY - you can't stop eating it. I love a nice kick added to any meal and the jalapeno drizzle was just the right touch - unique & an added flavor to what can normally be a bland dip.

Hubby ordered the Lili's House Burger, which is topped with their signature Gorgonzola Cheese sauce and has a side of their mouthwatering waffle fries. As most of you know I don't eat meat, but my first comment was, "WOW, that makes me want to start eating meat again!". It looked fantastic, and must have been, because Foodie Hubby ate it all, licked the plate and went home miserable (see dessert note).

I was slightly more perplexed about what I wanted and debated about several items. I finally landed on the Tzatziki Medley which is a split dish of Tabouli and Bulgher and Berries. I have a hard time finding a Tabouli that meets my acidic/tart requirements, but this Tabouli can't be beat. The tart Tabouli paired with the sweet and warm Bulgher and Berries was a nice combination. I debated hard about eating the whole dish and not taking any home, but the following day at work it was well worth having the left overs. It made me want to go back for more that evening.

As I promised above, the stuffed Hubby ordered the Banana Upside Down Cake to go. He was so stuffed he had to save it for the following evening. But in the tradition of Lili's he warmed it up and topped it with vanilla ice cream and continued our anniversary dinner the following evening.

See their website for reservation policies. This is definitely a recommended pick!

Ranking: 5 Carrots

Paco and John Mexican Diner

For those of you that don't know, this fantastic "quaint" joint has opened almost directly on the corner of 8th & Rosedale. The owners none other than proprietor of St. Emilion's & his long time friend and chef. Am I personally excited - yes!! Why you ask? Well, reason #1 none other than my favorite restaurant of all times is St. Emilion's; #2 they took a dump of an old convenient store and transformed it into a great place to get some fantastic food.

The restaurant has been open for lunches for several weeks now, but just recently they have started a dinner flight. So, on the second Friday of dinner being served, Foodie, Foodie's husband and two other couples joined in on the trek to confirm the greatness that is Paco & John.

The prices are great, and it's BYOB (for now) - so we tried a little bit of everything. The queso - with yes both crab & chorizo - was ordered. I ordered some guacamole, salsa and chips are complimentary. Oh my gosh the feast began. The table devoured the queso - and the quac - I couldn't share. It was creamy and had a great kick!

I think we literally ordered one of everything on the menu (which is not posted on the website at this time) - fresh steamed mussels, fajitas, shrimp tacos, stuffed chicken, and two chile reino's. I don't normal do a ton of cheese, but this chile reino was fantastic. Slightly breaded, covered in a red sauce with a side of roasted veggies and rice. I couldn't stop eating!! Every plate on the table was cleaned.

One bust is the limited amount of veggie items offered at dinner. For lunch there are several items, but I don't think they have down their dinner menu just quite yet.

So following our face stuffing meal, we took home their daily made brownies, topped it with some vanilla ice cream and chilled on our back porch. What an end to a great meal.

Ranking: 3 Carrots (still getting it together and the veg option was minimal)