Usually I do intense research for a Monday-Night-Travel-Day-Quasi-Day-Off eatery prior to arriving my first night in a new city. But our travel day to Ft. Worth was a late one (we didn't even get into the hotel until 7pm,) so my two main goals were: 1) close by, and 2) lighter fare.La Perla Negra fit the bill, and how! Located a short walk from our hotel in Downtown's Flatiron District, on a slice of Houston Street that also houses a fantastic cocktail bar and a beer-palooza tap room, this brainchild of three respected Ft. Worth restauranteurs serves fresh, Latin-inspired cuisine built around ceviche, healthy salads and cocktails.
I opted for wine -- a pleasant native Texan rosé -- and my friend and I split a few dishes.
We had the shrimp ceviche with the Costa tiger's milk, and I'd beat the word "fresh" to death to describe it. The quinoa salad was swimming in fresh veg and avocado, and was a very large portion. (My friend actually felt it was a little "too" healthy for her tastes, but it was so clean and bright and exactly what I needed!) We were both sated by some warm and rich empanadas. The first one we split simply up and disappeared, so a second just HAD to be ordered.
The cocktail list and tequila offerings are extensive, although in our post-travel-day-haze, we couldn't bring ourselves to indulge. But sitting outside on the sidewalk patio sipping our wine and marveling over the simple yet delicious plates in front of us relaxed and satisfied us just as well.
La Perla Negra
910 Houston St., Fort Worth, TX
