Have you heard about Restaurant Week?  A local radio station, KRLD, sponsors Restaurant Week each year.  You can choose from over 125 fabulous restaurant for a $35.00 fixed price meal.  The restaurant then donates $7.00 of that price to the North Texas Food Bank or the Lena Pope Home.  It is a win/win situation.  We get to go somewhere special where we probably would not go, and money is raised for charity.

My head is still spinning over getting to eat at Lonesome Dove Western Bistro in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards.  What an experience.  I had heard of Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and its famous (As Seen on TV) Chef Tim Love, so when friends Betty and Robert picked Lonesome Dove Western Bistro as their choice for Restaurant Week, I was beyond excited.

Pardon me if I swoon too much, but I really really did enjoy dining at Lonesome Dove Western Bistro.  The salad of choice was a Butter Lettuce Salad with Chili Buttermilk Dressing. (Hope this link takes you to the recipe.)  The Applewood Bacon Lardoons (Translated – two small pieces of bacon no larger than a postage stamp) was fully cooked, but it was not crispy.  I do not think I have ever had better bacon.  We asked about it and were told that it was deep fried.  How about that?  Also garnishing the top were spiced pepitas (pumpkin seeds).  I loved my salad best.

Ever-Lovin’ had a Roasted Corn, Cucumber, and Red and Yellow Tomato Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette.  Good stuff.

Then came the entrees.  Betty, Robert and I got the Roasted Garlic Stuffed Tenderloin, Western Plaid Hash and Syrah Demi-Glace.  Sweet Mother of Pearl.  Tender, juicy, flavorful, and delicious are just some of the adjectives that comes to mind to describe this steak.  The Syrah Demi-Glace is reduced for twenty hours.  That is right – twenty hours.  The Plaid Hash was fried shoestring potatoes, with sautéed caggage and onions.

I am ashamed to show you this picture, but…  See that plate.  Do you think I liked my food?  I would have licked all that goodness off the plate if it would not have been rude.

Ever-Lovin’ was the maverick of the group and he ordered Rocky Mountain Elk Loin, Salsify (I have no idea), Hen of the Woods (mushrooms), Swiss Chard, and Candied Grapes.  At first I felt sorry for him, because it appeared we got so much more food than he did.  BUT, the elk was so tender and delicious.  Both the entrees were wonderful.

Then it was time for desserts.  I wanted the Mexican Donuts because they came with Cajeta, Chocolate, and Raspberry Sauces.  Since dear Texas Tech friends Melanie, Sunny Olive and I had made cajeta together, I wanted to see what cajeta looked like out in the real world.  Theirs was thinner than ours (We probably did not need to cook ours as long as we did.), but other than that, I think we did well.  As you can see, they were a little skimpy on the sauces, but honestly there was more than enough sauce for Mexican Donut dipping.  The deep rich chocolate sauce was yummy.

Betty, Robert, and Ever-Lovin’ won the prize for best dessert at our table.  They got Warm Ancho Chili Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream and Almond Brittle.  Be still my heart!  It was incredibly rich and delicious, and it did not taste like chili.

Lonesome Dove Western Bistro is one more reason I am planning another trip to the town “Where the West Begins.”

Blessings to you and yours,

Just want to show you one last picture.  On one of the walls of a dining room (I went looking) there was the biggest hide ( I think it was real.) I have ever seen.   Amazing!