Palm Springs
By
Carol & Joe Davis
Dining Detectives
We
love our short trips to The Desert where we always enjoy the heat,
great food and poolside living. We normally stay at small B&Bs
but this time decided to stay in the heart of old Palm Springs
at The Riviera Resort. It can only be described
as an Ultra Chic, glamorous 1960's inspired Rat Pack swanky Hollywood
glam Resort and Hotel. The Resort opened in 1959 and recently
had a $70 million renovation. It is Palm Springs largest and most
famous resort which hosted Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and
many other celebrities in the past and still draws the "IN"
crowd today. It features the Circa 59 Restaurant,
the Starlight Bar, full service spa, two pools with poolside cabanas,
400 rooms and suites as well as lush landscaped gardens. We checked
in, unpacked and immediately headed for the pool. It was a dry
105 degrees outside which was quite comfortable as we had seen
114 degrees in previous visits.
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The
pool was quite active as guests enjoyed cocktails poolside. There
were several choices of lounges which included single, double
and private cabanas to enjoy the sun and the fun!
Around
7:30pm there were warm tropical breezes, as we walked to our dining
destination Circa 59 Restaurant which features
eco friendly fish , premium boutique farmed meats and locally
grown Coachella Valley produce. We were offered a lovely booth
by our hostess but we preferred a table on the covered patio with
chic red leather wing back chairs overlooking the pool. The atmosphere
was absolutely perfect!
There
was a nice mix of music, giant crystal chandeliers, decorative
sconces with candles and a view of the pool and outdoor fire pits.
Sparkling water and hot fresh bread was soon at our table and
we perused the menu. Beginning our meal with cocktails was the
appropriate thing to do. We enjoyed a tasty Cosmopolitan and a
Moscow Mule made with Grey Goose Vodka and Ginger Beer.
We
started out with refreshing Chilled Cucumber Gazpacho Soup
which included Dungeness crab, watermelon, jicama and mint. It
was ideal for a hot summer night. Next, we enjoyed the Warm
Summer Tart which was a puff pasty with zucchini squash,
slow roasted tomatoes and mild goat cheese. The flavor of the
slow roasted tomatoes really shined through complimenting the
other ingredients. The Watermelon and Prosciutto Salad
is a must and we were so glad we tried it. We loved the Feta cheese,
black olives, mint, chili lime vinaigrette and marvelous herbs.
Our pasta course of Potato Gnocchi with zucchini, crispy
squash blossoms, basil and parmesan was a wow! The Entrees were
fresh and delicious and we appreciated that you can get half or
full entrée portions. The fish, Onion Crusted Barramundi,
was served with white corn pudding, wild mushrooms, haricots verts
and tomato vinaigrette. A perfect choice for a warm summer night!
The Roquefort-Crusted Filet Mignon with Heirloom tomatoes,
white corn, fennel and radish salad was also delicious.
The
wines that we paired with our meal included the 2009 Cakebread
Napa Sauvignon Blanc, Craggy Range Martinborough New
Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and the 2009 Santa Barbara County
Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir.
The
Desserts were right sized and excellent. We loved the Sticky
Toffee Pudding made with salted butterscotch and candied
walnuts which went down so easy! The Crepe Crème Brule
with whipped cream and yellow peach sauce was browned and sweet
and is a great choice for peach lovers...which we are. The Iniskillian
Ice Wine was the perfect after dinner drink.
Circa
59 Restaurant is fortunate to have Executive Chef
Aaron Burns who was appointed in Feb 2011 and adds his
personal twists to many of the menu items. He has great experience
having worked in the Napa Valley at Auberge de Soliel. We loved
our dinner at Circa 59. The cuisine was excellent!
Christopher, our server, really added to our evening as he was
extremely personable, professional and knowledgeable. The atmosphere
was swanky, romantic and fun. We highly recommend Circa
59 Restaurant and the Riviera Palm Springs resort and
will most definitely return soon!
Circa
59 Restaurant
Riviera Palm Springs
1600 North Indian Canyon Drive.
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760-778-6659
www.PSRIVIERA.com