The patio at Fig & Lily Garden in Morristown. Photo by Shelby Vittek
In April, a new Mediterranean restaurant opened quietly in Morristown in the less popular dining area around Speedwell Avenue. I’m sad I didn’t get there sooner, because Fig & Lily Garden is home to one of the town’s best kept secrets: a secluded, spacious garden patio that I could have been enjoying all summer long. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to sit and stay awhile, maybe spending an afternoon at a table snacking on a mezze platter and sipping down a bottle of wine with friends.
You have your choice of dining inside or outside, where you should sit as long as the weather allows for it. The menu encompasses a wide variety of soups, mezze, salads and Mediterranean entrées. On my first visit, we stopped in for lunch, during which there’s a special that includes one mezze or soup and an entrée for $22 (a little steep in pricing, but you’re paying for the relaxing scenery). My dining companion and I enjoyed the creamy hummus, topped with fresh parsley, as well as the avocado ganoush—an odd-sounding fusion that was rich and smoky, and great with the warm pieces of grilled pita served with it. Other mezze options include labne, stuffed grape leaves, cheese phyllo rolls and kibbeh.
For our entrées, we both opted for the manti, a Turkish-style tortellini that comes stuffed with either beef or spinach, and is served alongside a tangy yogurt sauce. I’ve returned to Fig & Lily Garden for dinner since then, and really enjoyed the juicy, grilled kofte and the tender lamb shish, each served with bulgar and a side salad. Other options include a falafel platter, grilled branzino, chicken shish, and a somewhat out of place fettuccine dish.
We didn’t stay for dessert, though I’d gladly return just for a bite of the kunefe, a crispy cheese-filled pastry dusted with pistachio bits—and, of course, to enjoy another meal on the picturesque patio. Before it gets cold again, you should do the same.
Fig and Lily Garden, 2 Cattano Avenue, Morristown; 973-539-3999. Open for lunch and dinner, daily.