When a friend who has lived in Italy and speaks Italian recommends a place I am not familiar with, I take the suggestion as a "must try" as soon as I am in the area. Ristorante Mama Gina in Palm Desert was my first meal upon arriving at Hotel Paseo, and it seemed fated as it was literally 1 block away!
Because of the rain and traffic that day, I wasn't sure how long it would take to get to Palm Desert, so I didn't make a reservation. It took about 3.5 hours to make the drive, so they were completely booked all night in the dining room, even at 6pm on a Thursday! The gracious host suggested putting a name on the chalkboard by the bar and trying to get a seat in that area. The entire place a jammed on both sides and in Palm Desert at the time, nearly no one was wearing masks or social distancing, so I was a bit reluctant to wait and eat there, but after the drive and seeing all the plates coming out of the kitchen, I opted to stay. It was actually only about 15 minutes later that the bar hostess sat us in the sidewalk patio part of the bar and I felt much more at ease with the spaces between the tables and some very friendly diners eating next to us who told us what they had ordered and how much they enjoyed it.
The Caesar salad for $8.50 was small and simple.
The calamari for $13 was nicely crisp and tender on the inside, and I was very relieved to find tentacles (my favorite part) on the plate.
I got the grilled shrimp skewer with spinach side for $12.75 and found both the shrimp and the spinach perfectly done with plenty of flavor and good seasoning without either being overcooked.
My friend got the veal scallopine for $19.90 with a mushroom medley, served with a side of spinach and mashed potatoes and devoured the entire plate. I managed to get a bit of the mushrooms and it was magnificent!
I'm looking forward to a return trip to the desert, to try the main dining area (WITH a reservation) and some of their pasta dishes, which tempted me every time the waiter walked by with a plate:)
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