Catalan Mediterranean Cuisine in Rancho Mirage has a new look and a new menu. Gone are the fancy white table clothes and in their places are new reclaimed-wood tables with mason jars at the center, stuffed with brightly colored silk flowers. The walls have fresh coats of paint, too. Orange and celery-green accent walls complement the hanging paintings of a local artist.
When the temperatures become a bit cooler, the outdoor space will open to include new concrete tables.
For the family-owned restaurant, all of these moves were about making the restaurant more approachable, homey and rustic, director of marketing and administration Cynthia Davis said.
"We want to make sure the experience is integrated, from the second you walk in until the moment you put a bite in your mouth," said Cynthia. "We're trying to redefine that concept within this area."
Her husband and executive chef Drew Davis has noticed an ongoing trend of fine-dining establishments removing their tablecloths and creating a more casual atmosphere.
"We want to be the restaurant that you can come to every day, as well as the special event," Drew said.
The changes are a reflection of their goal to share the simplicity of high-quality ingredients. Many of the restaurant staples are still on the menu, but they have subtle changes to keep the flavors fresh and seasonal. The menu changes up to five times a year.
"That is Spanish cuisine," Cynthia Davis added. "It is very, very simple, but you do have very subtle with the way you handle the flavors."
The Spanish meatballs are now made of Kobe beef with a sweet and spicy kick. New on the menu is a tapas of duck-fat fried potato chips with queso cabrales dressing. There is also always a kind of melon skewer on the menu, and to reflect the season, the skewer selection is watermelon with feta.
Much of the menu inspiration has come from the couple's travels to Spain
"We want you to taste the beauty of Spanish cuisine within itself," Cynthia Davis said.
There are also some new red wines on the menu.
The restaurant was closed for the month of August and will reopen Sept. 3.
"Our passion for food and wine as owners translates to everything we do here," Drew Davis said.
By Beth Roessner
View the article on the Desert Sun's website here
When the temperatures become a bit cooler, the outdoor space will open to include new concrete tables.
For the family-owned restaurant, all of these moves were about making the restaurant more approachable, homey and rustic, director of marketing and administration Cynthia Davis said.
"We want to make sure the experience is integrated, from the second you walk in until the moment you put a bite in your mouth," said Cynthia. "We're trying to redefine that concept within this area."
Her husband and executive chef Drew Davis has noticed an ongoing trend of fine-dining establishments removing their tablecloths and creating a more casual atmosphere.
"We want to be the restaurant that you can come to every day, as well as the special event," Drew said.
The changes are a reflection of their goal to share the simplicity of high-quality ingredients. Many of the restaurant staples are still on the menu, but they have subtle changes to keep the flavors fresh and seasonal. The menu changes up to five times a year.
"That is Spanish cuisine," Cynthia Davis added. "It is very, very simple, but you do have very subtle with the way you handle the flavors."
The Spanish meatballs are now made of Kobe beef with a sweet and spicy kick. New on the menu is a tapas of duck-fat fried potato chips with queso cabrales dressing. There is also always a kind of melon skewer on the menu, and to reflect the season, the skewer selection is watermelon with feta.
Much of the menu inspiration has come from the couple's travels to Spain
"We want you to taste the beauty of Spanish cuisine within itself," Cynthia Davis said.
There are also some new red wines on the menu.
The restaurant was closed for the month of August and will reopen Sept. 3.
"Our passion for food and wine as owners translates to everything we do here," Drew Davis said.
By Beth Roessner
View the article on the Desert Sun's website here
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