Sunday, April 14, 2013

Palm Springs Restaurant Week Preview: Dish Creative Cuisine (Cathedral City)

Dish was opened in October 2012 by Joane Garcia-Olson, a former trial lawyer who has loved cooking since she was a kid. Tired of the life of a trial lawyer, she threw in that towel and picked up another to serve up some of the most creative food in the Palm Springs area in a small restaurant in Cathedral City.

During my media trip, we had a preview of the menu for the upcoming Palm Springs Restaurant Week (May 31-June 16), plus a few small bites in between. Dinner at Dish typically starts with some sort of donut. We had some savory donuts with butter and sunflower seeds

Savory Donuts

Because it was a media dinner, the chef sent out quite a few amuse bouche to show off what she does, including pressed watermelon with golden tomato tartar, 18 year old balsamic, and pistachio crumble. I personally liked the Arancini made with cauliflower cooked risotto-style.

The $38 three course Restaurant Week menu starts with a choice of three "conversation starters", of which we tried .. well, all (in taster portions, though):
Mesquite smoked tomato bisque, goat cheese and white truffle oil foam
Red and green baby Romaine leaves, bacon buttermilk dressing, deep fried goat cheese
Black-eyed pea falafels, roasted garlic aioli, red rooster "caviar"
Appetizers
The falafels were perhaps the most interesting one, although I also enjoyed the bisque.

Another small bite was sent out, and this one was quite intriguing: Green grape filled with blue cheese semifreddo, port wine glaze, walnut.


There are two choices for entrees:
Their signature Coq au Vin - chicken crusted with bacon, potato spheres, cippolini onions, baby carrots, roasted mushrooms, red wine reduction
Coq au Vin
Unlike the traditional stew-like coq au vin, simmered in wine for hours, here the chicken is meatier and drizzled with a sweeter port wine reduction.

The other option were Seared jumbo scallops, shallot grapefruit reduction, avocado mousse, vanilla couscous, asparagus, crispy leeks
Scallop
The scallop was well prepared and had a nice texture. I realized I had never had scallops with couscous before until that night and I was surprised there aren't more people doing that combination. It works well!

Great palate cleanser: Lemon and basil parfait push-pops
Lemon Basil Push pops

You also get two choices for desserts:
Dark chocolate pot de creme, toasted pepita and cinnamon whipped cream
Pot de creme

Gingerbread, Meyer lemon semifreddo, lemon gel, honey lavender whipped cream
Gingerbread

Sure, Dish shouldn't be compared to LA's best restaurants, but Garcia-Olson certainly presents one of the most creative and well done menu in the Palm Springs area, even without a formal culinary training. Again, it's a tiny restaurant and the word's going around, so be sure to make your reservation to try this place out during Restaurant Week.

Dish Cathedral City
Dish Creative Cuisine
68325 Ramon Rd
Cathedral City, CA 92234
http://www.dishcreativecuisine.com/
Dish Creative Cuisine on Urbanspoon




See other Restaurant Week posts: Catalan

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