Lili Co Shutters Briefly After A Fire [Updated]

Update (September 8): Lili Co. is back open as of Friday, September 8, complete with some adorable artwork to announce the return. Hours will be as normal.

Part-offal, part-vegetable focused Mile End restaurant Lili Co. has closed its doors after suffering a fire Wednesday evening.

The restaurant on the corner of St-Laurent and Villeneuve posted the above image of firefighters tending to the building on Facebook around 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The damage wasn’t extensive enough to gut the building, and Lili Co. added the fairly lighthearted comment “we’re so hot that we’re closed tonight’’ on the picture. But the damage is bad enough for the restaurant to be forced closed for now: chef and co-owner David Pellizzari estimates that they’ll be closed for about a week.

The real hero here is co-owner of St-Henri taco spot Grumman ‘78 Gaelle Cerf and her team. Lili Co. were set to take part in this weekend’s YUL Eat festival — a tricky task when one’s kitchen is burned out. But Pellizzari says Grumman saved the day on that front.

“My tribe wants to still cook, so we will be at YUL Eat this weekend after kickass friends Gaelle and Seb loaned us some space in Grumman [Thursday].”

• All Lili Co. coverage [EMTL]