Upscale Dining in the Low Desert
By Joe Lyons
The Steakhouse at Agua Caliente is not where I left it.
It’s been moved to the other hallway, right outside the new hotel lobby and just up from the new swimming pool. In moving it they have enlarged it greatly. The quality and the atmosphere remain as good as I remembered it from the last time a couple of years ago.
The little alcove booths are bigger now, seating six. There is even a “chef's table” facing the kitchen. (This is becoming a big new thing for area restaurants.) Still it is possible to enjoy an intimate dinner there.
As it happened, we arrived on a Sunday night to get a preview of the menu for an event scheduled for Monday. Even so, Chef Marc Mederos went out of his way to prepare some special treats for us. He even selected several wines to accommodate the courses he had arranged. (Executive Chef Tim Wilcox was not in that night. He was getting ready for the invitation tasting the next night, which was to include his holiday cooking demonstration.)
Looking over the wine list I was impressed by the selections, especially the wines from the Napa Valley, along with Sonoma and the Central Valley. What are missing are Inland Empire wineries. There was nothing from Temecula, Mira Loma or Rancho Cucamonga.
Even so, the pairings were delightful.
As we were seated, we received wheat and sourdough buns, along with cheese bread and butter plus tomato/herb butter. As a starter with this was the Fess Parker 2006 Syrah. Butter with butter.
The appetizer course began with ahi poke and crisp wonton chips. Lobster brochette and kal-bi tender skewer. (Kal-bi is NOT Superman’s Kryptonian name! It is tenderloin skewers of prime tenderloin, marinated in soy and sambal and served with fresh pineapple salsa.) This was followed by lobster bisque with puff pastry and crème fraiche. The bisque was not the same as I am used to. It had a sweet cream taste. Different, but delightful. Our wine for this course was a Russian River chardonnay, 2006. It was sweet and buttery.
They prepared three entrees for our pleasure. The first was the fresh fish of the day. A light and delicious pan-seared black sea bass, served with sautéed asparagus. This was followed by a double chop of Colorado lamb, with pearl barley, oven-roasted tomatoes, spinach and baby artichokes, served with caramelized onions and wild mushrooms.
Wine for this course was a Rodney Strong pinot noir from Sonoma.
Believe it or not, rather than prepare three samples of their desserts, they brought out three full servings of each. First was an amazing crème brulee cheesecake with graham cracker crust. This might be illegal in three states. The chocolate molten cake literally oozed chocolate. The third treat was a complete surprise. It was a Grand Marnier bread pudding. It was moist and full of cinnamon. I had never heard of such a wonderful delight. The only reason I didn’t order a Grand Marnier snifter along with it was because out host had chosen a Vin 27 port to accompany our dessert and coffee.
The facility expanded when it moved. There are size adjustable rooms with or without windows for various party seatings and new handicap accommodations. Still, the general decor is not unlike the “old” Steakhouse that was adjacent to the main casino floor.
The Steakhouse has developed a regular clientele, as I noticed the help has begun to recognize their regulars. And the regulars dress better. When the Steakhouse was back down the hall, people would drift in from the slots and tables in cut-offs, tank tops and sandals. That is appropriate wear for the desert, but the Steakhouse deserved better.
By the way, the regular menu is impressive. It includes a 32-ounce rib eye steak and a surf and turf with 10 oz. filet and 12 oz. Australian lobster tail. Prime chateaubriand for two is carved tableside, as it should be.
By the time you read this, the new hotel portion of Agua Caliente should be opening. It will have some 340 rooms with a spa, pool and cabana complex. A new 2,000-seat entertainment auditorium is scheduled to open next December. I am told that an outdoor patio may allow for cigar and wine dinners. (Cigar laws can be so confining.)
This is all a logical part of the development of the Indian casino business growth here in California. Barely a decade ago they were portable rooms for slot machines and a couple of card tables. Today, as places like Morongo and Pechanga have already proven, Vegas-class getaways are just down the road. Agua Caliente’s Steakhouse joins the brotherhood. I hope to at some later date revisit the facility to enjoy the hospitality of the new hotel.
My expectations are high. I will let you know what happens. In the meantime, a visit to the California’s low desert deserves a visit to Agua Caliente’s Steakhouse.
Agua Caliente’s Steakhouse is located at 32-250 Bob Hope Drive in Rancho Mirage. The reservation number is 760-202-6008. Don’t get confused. Their sister casino, The Spa in downtown Palm Springs, has a Steakhouse as well. I haven't eaten there. Yet!
Tango Baires Cafe
By Bill Anthony
Many years ago I visited this cafe and found the Argentine food served there was good --- but not so great --- so I did not go back for some time. However, someone told me that it is now under new management and that I should return to see how it changed. I did, and I was not disappointed. Still located in the same spot, which holds a small group of tables, the restaurant appeared to be the same in design and atmosphere. What I discovered, however, the change was in the menu and the quality of the dishes offered.
The new owners are Yoly (also known as Clara) and Roger Bryenton, and Yoly’s son, Diego Degiovanni. Yoly is from Peru but owned a restaurant in Argentina. Yoly and her son, Diego, are the chefs and creators of the very tasty foods that are revered in Argentina. Yoly’s husband, Roger, is also an active owner and host of Tango Baires Cafe. All three have turned their hard work into an authentic and affordable Argentine cuisine cafe.
Now let’s get down to the real details---the food.
We tried the Parrillada which serves two people. It is the Argentine BBQ complete with Angus steak, shrimp, chicken, Argentine sausage, sweetbreads and vegetables. The cost is $29.50 and the dish is delightful. In addition, we also tasted the Empanadas which were the best I have ever had---the crust very flakey and moist. Also on my list of favorites was the Argentine-style pizza. If you haven’t tasted Argentine pizza, you are missing out on a real treat. There are about 15 toppings to select from, and from what I hear, all are fantastic. Eggs are everywhere in Argentine cuisine---and also at Tango Baires Cafe. Other specialties are Entrana (char-grilled, tender Angus beef skirt steak), Milanesa (breaded Angus beef steak), Suprema (fried-breaded chicken breast), and other delightful chicken items. Tango Baires Cafe also offers pasta dishes, salads and cold and hot sandwiches. In fact, there is a deli in the restaurant which customers come to select their take-outs.
There is a motto on their Web site that says, “If you have not eaten Argentine food, you have not lived!” Enjoy life a little better, try Tango Baires Cafe in Upland. The address is 870 East Foothill Boulevard, #2, in Upland. Their phone number is (909) 985-6800. Tango Baires Cafe is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are closed on Mondays.