An Italian favorite in Hurst says thanks — with a free buffet

When La Bistro opened 34 years ago, this part of Tarrant County was called the “Mid-Cities” and there was only one other white-tablecloth restaurant.

A generation later, La Bistro will throw a celebration dinner Wednesday to thank customers who have made it an old-school Italian dining classic and now, a new OpenTable.com “diners' choice.”

“We've had our ups and downs, but far more ups than downs,” said Jason Benouared, son of longtime chef, manager and now owner Sid Benouared.

La Bistro was serving fine-dining dinners in Hurst's Mayfair Village way back when Southlake only had a flashing yellow light and a Dairy Queen.

Now, it stands along with Piccolo Mondo in Arlington as the two old-time classics between Fort Worth and Dallas.

“We've gone to great lengths to keep what we know best, add a number of new dishes that you won't find at any other restaurant in this area, and bring a little bit downtown in the suburbs,” Jason Benouared said.

I almost hesitate to publish this, but La Bistro will celebrate Wednesday with a free dinner buffet to thank customers. The regular menu is available if you want something specific, but La Bistro will serve a complementary buffet starting at 5 p.m.

The menu offers pastas, steaks, lamb chops and seafood, either traditional or “on the rocks,” cooked at the table over hot lava stones.

“Think of it as a personal hibachi,” Benouared said.

His family's Algerian roots show in the attention to fine-dining detail and both French and Italian cooking. (Benoaured also used to have a French restaurant on the Airport Freeway, Bon AppetitO.)

Two years ago, the Benouareds bought La Bistro from founder Robert Pjetrovic.

La Bistro is open nightly for dinner and for lunch Tuesday through Friday at 722 Grapevine Highway; 817-281-9333, facebook.com/labistrotx.

How to beat the crowd for Easter brunch

Easter dining is tricky.

Some restaurants that usually close Sundays will be open that day.

Other restaurants that usually open Sundays will be closed (i.e., Joe T.'s).

And it's tough to find big tables for big families.

We'll keep updating another roundup listing Easter brunches, but move now if you need to book a big table:

▪ In the “beef block” of downtown Fort Worth, both Del Frisco's Double Eagle and Ruth's Chris Steak House still had room early this week for large parties.

▪ Nearby downtown, Grace opens only two Sundays a year: Easter and Mother's Day. The Easter menu includes steaks, pork shoulder, fish, rack of lamb and a steak-and-eggs-Benedict special.

▪ Other restaurants downtown with space for large families include Mercury Chophouse, a traditional prime steakhouse; Istanbul Grill, a Mediterranean and Turkish restaurant; and Meso Maya, a Mexico City-style restaurant.

▪ In the West Seventh Street area, Eddie V's Prime Seafood will open Easter (and Mother's Day) and serve shrimp-and-grits, steak-and-eggs, a lobster quiche florentine or a king crab omelet, among several brunch choices.

▪ Kona Grill and Lucile's both have good space available for big families. Cork & Pig Tavern has some later tables.

▪ Farther out, restaurants with good space for Easter include Piattello Italian Kitchen in the Waterside shops, Hunter Brothers H3 Ranch in the Stockyards Hotel, Buffalo West in west Fort Worth, Flight on Eagle Mountain Lake and the new Mesero, a flashy Tex-Mex restaurant in the Shops at Clearfork.

▪ In outlying Tarrant County, Loveria Caffe Taste of Italy in Colleyville has tables available along with La Gondola in Mansfield.

Best Easter idea: Go to brunch early

Suggestion: Go to a sunrise service and then an early brunch:

▪ Cork & Pig, Pacific Table and the Tavern open at 9 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday, along with H3 Ranch and Lucile's.

▪ Downtown, Taverna by Lombardi opens at 10 a.m. and has early tables for its Italian specials.

▪ The Capital Grille prime steakhouse is mostly booked later but has some early tables.

▪ Buffalo West, Flight and Mesero also start lunch at 10 and have good early space available.

Bud Kennedy, 817-390-7538; @EatsBeat

This story was originally published March 19, 2018 at 5:10 PM with the headline "An Italian favorite in Hurst says thanks — with a free buffet."