{"id":54208,"date":"2024-01-29T12:25:56","date_gmt":"2024-01-29T18:25:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=54208"},"modified":"2026-04-05T18:39:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T00:39:19","slug":"lily-liam-bistro-rio-rancho-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=54208","title":{"rendered":"Lily & Liam Bistro – Rio Rancho, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lily & Liam Bistro at 8AM Before the Breakfast Rush<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Family owned restaurants have been called the heartbeat of a community, its pulse and its roots.\u00a0 Beyond the tintinnabulation of silver spoons on ceramic coffee mugs and over the hum of conversation, restaurants become living links to the past and storehouses of memories.\u00a0 They’re are a respite from the strife and stress of our daily vicissitudes.\u00a0 They help us unwind, relax and catch up with friends and family.\u00a0 In a sense, these beacons of comfort and repose often become family.<\/p>\n

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Near Empty Dining Room at 8AM. By the Time we Finished Breakfast, Lily & Liam was Packed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not all restaurants achieve this distinction, of course, and if they do, it usually doesn’t happen quickly.\u00a0 Restaurants have to prove themselves over time with a combination of memorable food, a homey look and feel and mostly personable, attentive service.\u00a0 To find the template for how a restaurant becomes the heartbeat of a community, you need look no further than Joe’s Pasta House<\/strong><\/a>, a paragon of service excellence and culinary deliciousness where all guests are treated like family.<\/p>\n

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Cozy, Comfy Dining in Close Quarters (Photo Courtesy of Sarita)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It may be early to know for sure, but it appears Lily and Liam Bistro in Rio Rancho has the potential to become a community heartbeat restaurant.\u00a0 It’s been open only since November, 2019, but already there are telltale signs that it’s got staying power and that it will engender loyalty from happy guests even if they might have to wait a few minutes to be seated.\u00a0 As my friend Bruce “Sr Plata” Silver and I surveyed the restaurant while waiting for a table to open up, realtor extraordinaire Sheila Parra\u00a0<\/a><\/strong> invited us to join her and her friends at a capacious table near the door.\u00a0 Four months previously, Sheila and I, who had never before met, shared the only available table at Asian Pear<\/strong><\/a> and discovered several mutual interests.\u00a0 We had a grand time reminiscing about our Air Force careers and solving the world’s problems.<\/p>\n

The type of serendipity in which you enter as strangers and leave as friends doesn’t happen every day, but your chances improve at restaurants such as Lily and Liam Bistro where close, personal space proximity seating means you’ll probably ask your neighbors about the tempting dishes delivered to their table.\u00a0 That’s an introduction to conversation.\u00a0 That’s the beginning of community.\u00a0 That’s the weaving of individual threads to form a beautiful tapestry.\u00a0 We saw a lot of that during our inaugural visit.<\/p>\n

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NM Baby (Photo Courtesy of Sarita)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Liam and Lily Bistro may not have started off expressly intending to become a place in which community forms, but that rare sense of community is developing organically.\u00a0 There are no vestiges remaining of long-time tenant Subway, its predecessor at the NM 528 location across the street from Intel.\u00a0 Where Subway was a gobble-and-go operation, Liam and Lilly Bistro has a warm and welcoming ambiance that seems to inspire lingering.\u00a0 With only 1,210 square-feet of space, it’s an intimate east-facing milieu bathed in light and sunshine–figuratively and literally.<\/p>\n

The Bistro is the brainchild of James and Megan Garrigan who named the restaurant for their children.\u00a0 James, a 20-year veteran of the rigors and rituals of the kitchen and once a cook at the legendary Joe’s Pasta House<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0 is at the helm, the creative genius behind an inspired menu.\u00a0 Megan has a more peripatetic role waiting on tables and getting to know her guests.\u00a0 A very friendly and attentive staff is at your beck and call, quick to refill your coffee (Whispering Bean<\/strong><\/a>) and deliver your food.\u00a0 In fact, it may take longer for you to decide just what to order than it will for it to be delivered to your table.<\/p>\n

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Breakfast Tacos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

12 February 2020<\/strong>: That’s because both breakfast and lunch menus offer so many interesting choices including a few heretofore unseen options.\u00a0\u00a0 Already the Bistro has become locally famous for its “Dutch babies,” available in sweet and savory varieties.\u00a0 My friend Sarita describes the NM Baby<\/strong><\/em> better than I could have: ” Ever had a Dutch Baby?\u00a0 The flavor and texture is a lot like Yorkshire Pudding (sans gravy), but bigger and topped however you like, sweet or savory.\u00a0 They’re pretty easy to make, but the batter has to rest for some time for maximum fluffiness.\u00a0 So, so good!\u00a0 When I saw Lily and Liam’s offered Dutch Babies, I just had to have one.\u00a0 The one I chose was topped with short-rib, muenster cheese, eggs cooked to my liking, arugula, peppers, radish, avocado and green chile.\u00a0 It also came with a side of au jus for the short-rib, but it was completely unnecessary.\u00a0 The flavors melded together so well.\u00a0 The chile wasn’t overly piquant, but it had a nice roasted flavor<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

NOTE<\/strong>: In its May, 2023 edition, Albuquerque The Magazine awarded Lily and Liam Bistro’s NM Baby<\/strong><\/em> a”Hot Plate Award.” \u00a0This award is bestowed by the editors and staff of the Magazine “for dishes, drinks, concepts, ideas or persons who are doing amazing things in our local culinary scene<\/em>.” \u00a0The innovative anytime dish was described as putting “a New Mexico twist on the Euro-turned American classic<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

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Poached Salmon and Arugula Salad<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

12 February 2020<\/strong>: Sr. Plata and I shared the breakfast tacos (eggs, potatoes, short rib, green chile, feta, house salsa) with a side of pinto beans.\u00a0 These are not your ordinary breakfast tacos<\/strong><\/em>, elements such as short rib and feta elevating them to rarefied status.\u00a0 Served three to an order, they arrive “open-faced” which means you’ll have to fold them into the conventional taco shaped envelope.\u00a0 No easy feat is this.\u00a0 The fresh corn tortillas are so generously packed with ingredients that spillage is inevitable.\u00a0 The salsa is almost redundant if salsa can ever be redundant.\u00a0 It’s a smoky salsa with nice piquancy.<\/p>\n

12 February 2020<\/strong>: In keeping with a more healthful dining discipline, Sr. Plata’s choice of entrees was a poached salmon and arugula salad <\/strong><\/em>(hard-boiled egg, olives, capers, radish with a chervil vinaigrette).\u00a0 The chervil vinaigrette is a revelation.\u00a0 Chervil, a delicate herb often used in French cuisine, hints at anise with maybe a mild tarragon or parsley reminiscence. The salmon is beautifully poached, a six-ounce filet with a light pinkish hue and tender, moist texture.\u00a0 Sr. Plata gave it the ultimate compliment in sharing that his beautiful bride Dawn would enjoy it.\u00a0 Unlike us, Dawn is more judicious about healthful dining choices.<\/p>\n

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From the French Toast Box (French Toast Almondine, scrambled eggs, bacon, fruit)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5 April 2020<\/strong>: In 2011, the Journal of Clinical Investigation<\/em> published a study explaining why comfort foods are so comforting. The study suggested that high-fat, high-carbohydrate comfort foods actually fight stress by stemming the tide of stress-related hormones released when people are acutely exposed to stress. It\u2019s unlikely the Garrigans had that study in mind when putting together their restaurant\u2019s breakfast menu for its pickup\/curbside operation during this time of social distancing. And all we knew was that we needed something satisfying and delicious for lunch. The pickup\/curbside menu offered several options.<\/p>\n

5 April 2020<\/strong>: In the \u201cFamily Style\u201d section of the menu, our eyes gravitated toward the French toast box (again, without any consideration of the physiological triggers that called for comfort food). The French toast box<\/strong><\/em>is a week\u2019s worth of diet-defeating carbohydrates, calories and fats. Three carry-out bags were brimming with French toast almondine, scrambled eggs, bacon and fruit portioned for a family of four. Thick slices of fluffy and firm French toast sprinkled with toasted almonds, strawberries and an almond-infused cream made the extra hours on the elliptical worth it. Somehow, the chef managed to create French toast that were eggy without being soggy. Scrambled eggs and bacon provided a savory contrast to the sweetness of the French toast while the fruit (sliced apples, grapes, orange slices, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries) lent a tangy twist.<\/p>\n

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Turtle Cheesecake<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5 April 2020<\/strong>: For dessert (we obviously needed a lot of comforting), we ordered a slice of cheesecake (housemade vanilla bean no-bake cheesecake with graham cracker crust) turtle style (drizzled with chocolate and caramel). To prevent a caloric overdose, we saved it until the following day when our appetites returned. If ever a cheesecake was imbued with a comforting creaminess, this would be the cheesecake. Somewhere between firm and dense and light and creamy, it was a textural delight. We discerned from its tanginess that perhaps just a tad sour cream was added to the cream cheese. Nice touch! You know a cheesecake is imbued with greatness when you mourn the last morsel.<\/p>\n

29 January 2024<\/strong>:\u00a0 There’s a section on the menu titled “Sweet and Light” in which all items are vegetarian.\u00a0 \u00a0You might just do a double-take considering some of those items are sweet, rich and absolutely delicious.\u00a0 \u00a0Take the brioche and blueberry chevre<\/strong><\/em> (crostini, blueberry goat cheese, macerated berries, lemon honey) for example.\u00a0 The tart richness of the goat cheese couples with the sweet-tangy notes of the fruit all atop a lightly toasted crostini.\u00a0 Not only are there wonderful contrasts in flavor combinations, but in textures.\u00a0 A light crunch from the crostini counterbalances the delicate richness of the creamy goat cheese.\u00a0 As with all breads at the restaurant, the brioche is baked in-house.\u00a0 It’s wonderful.<\/p>\n

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Brioche and Blueberry Chevre<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

24 January 2024<\/strong>:\u00a0 It’s hard to fathom that in the French language, the term “madame” translates to “my lady.”\u00a0 \u00a0It’s equivalent to the title “Mrs” (as in a married French woman) and is extended to older unmarried women as a sign of respect.\u00a0 Interestingly, it’s also used as a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes and manages a brothel.\u00a0 Not surprisingly, my favorite use of the term “madame” is used for a sandwich that originated in Paris around 1910.\u00a0 Legend has it that the croque monsieur originated when a French chef ran out of baguettes for his cafe\u2019s sandwich of the day. As a replacement, he sliced a loaf of white bread, assembled ham and cheese sandwiches, and toasted them until golden and crispy.\u00a0 When the sandwich features a fried egg, it\u2019s called a croque madame, as the egg resembles a woman\u2019s wide-brimmed hat.<\/p>\n

Though I’ve had dozens of croque monsieur and croque madame sandwiches over the years, I’ve always pondered just how much they would be improved with New Mexico’s sacrosanct green chile (which improves everything in which it’s used).\u00a0 \u00a0Lily & Liam Bistro did more than ponder the possibilities.\u00a0 They invented the Madame Hatch<\/strong><\/em> (grilled ham and cheese, basted egg, mornay sauce, green chile, with roasted potatoes and avocado on the side.\u00a0 This France meets New Mexico creation is magnificent, an improvement to an already superb sandwich.\u00a0 Best of all, Lily & Liam uses a green chile that actually bites back with a piquancy New Mexicans will respect.\u00a0 Both the basted egg and mornay sauce are terrific.\u00a0 The brioche bread is soft enough to cut with a fork.<\/p>\n

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New Mexico Madam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With the Cabrona Virus shutting down the world in 2020, James and Megan launched a “ghost kitchen” in the evenings and cristened their creation Upscale Burgers & Shakes<\/a><\/strong>. The name Upscale comes from their desire to provide a local, upscaled experience to typical fast food. With a completely different menu concept of burgers, shakes and hand-cut fries, Upscale grew in popularity and eventually outgrew it\u2019s space within the Bistro in the evenings. In July of 2021, Upscale Burgers & Shakes opened as a brick-and-mortar location in the Cottonwood Mall.\u00a0 Finding the capacious space not a good fit, the Garrigans relocated Upscale to the former site of Namaste<\/a><\/strong> (1520 Deborah Road, S.E.).<\/p>\n

29 January 2024<\/strong>:\u00a0 Most restaurants in the Albuquerque\u00a0 area source their breads and pastries from food distribution and supply companies such as Cisco and Shamrock.\u00a0 \u00a0 Not so at Lily & Liam where a very talented baker creates some of the most delicious breads, pastries and even bagels.\u00a0 We first took notice of her at Upscale Burgers & Shakes<\/strong><\/a> where a Chantilly cake just blew us away.\u00a0 It didn’t surprise us therefor that a biscochito tres<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0leches<\/strong><\/em> cake would affect us similarly.\u00a0 We’re wary of tres leches cakes that don’t have three milks oozing out of them with every press of a fork.\u00a0 This one is moist and absolutely wonderful with notes of New Mexico’s official state cookie present in every bite.<\/p>\n

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Biscochito Tres Leches Cake<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Author Chris Guillebeau expressed that “no man is an island, and two people can be a partnership, but you need at least three people to have community<\/em>.”\u00a0 Even if you arrive alone at Liily and Liam Bistro, chances are pretty good that you’ll soon be part of a growing community of people united by their love of great food and good fellowship.<\/p>\n

Lily and Liam Bistro<\/strong>
\n1751 Rio Rancho Blvd. S.E., Suite 101
\nRio Rancho, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n505.340.3309
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 29 January 2024
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>: 12 February 2020
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 3
\nRATING<\/strong>: Excellent<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0\u2013 High quality dining experience; very good to excellent food, attentive service, and a well-maintained atmosphere; worth a detour.
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: NM Baby, Breakfast Tacos, Poached Salmon & Arugula Salad, Whispering Bean Coffee, French Toast Box, Turtle Cheesecake
\nREVIEW # 1148<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Family owned restaurants have been called the heartbeat of a community, its pulse and its roots.\u00a0 Beyond the tintinnabulation of silver spoons on ceramic coffee mugs and over the hum of conversation, restaurants become living links to the past and storehouses of memories.\u00a0 They’re are a respite from the strife and stress of our daily vicissitudes.\u00a0 They help us unwind, relax and catch up with friends and family.\u00a0 In a sense, these beacons of comfort and repose often become family. Not all restaurants achieve this distinction, of course, and if they do, it usually doesn’t happen quickly.\u00a0 Restaurants have to prove themselves over time with a combination of memorable food, a homey look and feel and mostly personable, attentive service.\u00a0…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":65729,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,540,112,141,563,265],"tags":[3235,3646,2044,3645,3234,3239,3241,3644,3240,3236,3237,3238,3242],"class_list":["post-54208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american","category-breakfast","category-new-mexican","category-new-mexico","category-rating-excellent","category-rio-rancho","tag-albuquerque-the-magazine","tag-biscochito-tres-leches-cake","tag-breakfast-tacos","tag-brioche-and-blueberry-chevre","tag-hot-plate","tag-james-garrigan","tag-joes-pasta-house","tag-madame-hatch","tag-megan-garrigan","tag-nm-baby","tag-poached-salmon-and-arugula-salad","tag-turtle-cheesecake","tag-whispering-bean-coffee"],"yoast_head":"\nLily & Liam Bistro - Rio Rancho, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=54208\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lily & Liam Bistro - Rio Rancho, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Family owned restaurants have been called the heartbeat of a community, its pulse and its roots.\u00a0 Beyond the tintinnabulation of silver spoons on ceramic coffee mugs and over the hum of conversation, restaurants become living links to the past and storehouses of memories.\u00a0 They’re are a respite from the strife and stress of our daily vicissitudes.\u00a0 They help us unwind, relax and catch up with friends and family.\u00a0 In a sense, these beacons of comfort and repose often become family. 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