last night we went out to dinner with my lovely sister at lillian’s italian kitchen. while the wait was a tad long for three hungry people, the ambiance in the former site of malabar was marvelous, created by packed tables of people who were talking, laughing, and slurping pasta by candle light. as i perused the menu, i was excited to see the primavera dish, which promised fresh veggies and spinach over penne or polenta with four different sauce options (marinara, alfredo, garlic & olive oil, and pesto). i couldn’t resist getting the dish and ordering it with polenta and pesto to see how it compared to my own polenta pesto dish. while it wasn’t vegan and i didn’t have my beautiful nikon with me to do the dish justice in the picture below, the polenta was creamy and delicious, while the pesto was absolutely amazing – bright, fresh, spicy, and creamy all at once. so i suggest you head over to lillian’s – you may want to make a reservation – and enjoy this tantalizing meal asap, while basil is still in season. oh, and in case you’re wondering, my fellow two diners had fantastic dishes as well, so there are many more tasty options than just the polenta with pesto. so now you have no excuse – go and enjoy!