A new boba and gelato shop has arrived on Fort Worth’s buzzy Magnolia Avenue: Called Bobalou, it’s a mom-and-pop at 1054 W. Magnolia Ave., in a storefront at the new Highline on Magnolia apartment complex, where it’s serving gelato, boba teas, and panini sandwiches.
Bobalou is from Lou and Rhonda Nardini, who wanted to bring something new to the Magnolia Avenue area. Lou is a longtime food & beverage veteran who has worked in management for companies such as El Fenix and Rio Mambo. The couple also owned a Mexican restaurant in Lake Worth, Dos Pericos, back in the 2000s.
“We wanted to do a business together, and looked for things that were not available on Magnolia,” Lou says. “We love the Magnolia area, everybody is walking their dogs and is so friendly. Boba tea, gelato, panini — those were three things no one was doing here.”
To learn the boba ropes, they went and trained at a boba shop in Washington DC. They offer milk teas, fruit teas, and slushies, priced from $5 to $6.
They were inspired to do gelato after an overseas cruise to Europe, and are working with Villa Dolce, an Arizona-based producer of artisanal gelato and sorbetto that was started by three brothers from Italy. At Bobalou, they offer 19 flavors, ranging from basics such as strawberry and chocolate, to rotating flavors like vanilla apple crisp and hazelnut chocolate crunch. If the flavors prove popular, they make it into permanent rotation. You can get the gelato in a cup, on a regular waffle cone, or a trendy bubble waffle.
Their third main category is their panini, for customers seeking more than dessert. They currently offer more than a dozen options, which they’ll pare down once they determine the winners.
The selection includes their signature Nardini Panini, which pays homage to Lou’s Peruvian heritage with salsa criolla, bolillo roll, and guajillo pepper sauce. Their Cubano with ham, pork, dill pickles, Swiss cheese, and dijon mustard in a bolillo roll, served with a side of chimichurri is popular, as is their Caprese.
There’s also a roast beef, chicken salad, and a robust vegan panini with Kalamata olive tapenade, Romaine, spinach, tomato, cucumber, red onion, roasted red peppers, avocado, olive oil, oregano, and vegan mozzarella on multigrain vegan bread. They source their bread from Rotella’s Italian Bakery including ciabatta and marble rye; most of the sandwiches are $13.25.
Beyond those categories, they also offer salads, hot dogs, mini pancakes served on skewers, and cake pops — with a goal to please any craving.
The space has a polished interior featuring a color scheme of black and lipstick pink, with mix-and-match tables and chairs. From menu to décor, Bobalou is full of small details that give glimpses into the life that Lou and Rhonda have built together over their 40-year marriage. The Bobalou name references Hollywood icon Desi Arnaz, whose 1939 song “Babalu” was the signature tune on one of the couple’s favorite shows, I Love Lucy.
They even created a little logo. “We found a photo of Ricky Ricardo playing a congo, and did our own version, with me playing on a cup of boba tea,” Lou says.