California Cuisine at it’s best in Palm Desert, CA!

If you want to taste California Cuisine at it’s best in Palm Desert, California then be sure to visit the Cork Tree Restaurant. I have dined here the last three visits to the area and have been delighted each time, but this time it was over the top!

Their menu is complete, but not overwhelming.  They keep the specials to a minimum as their menu items are varied and fantastic.  Each item is well thought out, plated beautifully and sinfully delicious!

They have a full bar and serve a great martini. I ordered my fav, a Hendrick’s Martini with bleu cheese stuffed olives. If you haven’t tried it yet, you really should try Hendrick’s. It is an ultra smooth gin with a duo of delicious infusions from rose petal and cucumber. 

I am a soup lover, so I started my meal with their Demitasse Soup Tasting which was a trio of three soups drizzled with flavored oils. The three soups that night were mushroom, tomato and asparagus. They were served in cute little cups and all three were delicious! I had a difficult time assessing my favorite, but I chose the mushroom more for my personal taste than it’s superiority.

I was with a group of ladies so there was a bit of variety in our selections.  Other starters were Baby Iceberg Wedges, Corn Chowder, and Chicken Tortilla Soup. They were each full of flavor and garnished wonderfully.

The entrees were all amazing! Marinated Duck Breast and smoked wild mushroom risotto made with forest mushrooms, butternut squash and smoked arborio rice served with a side of green beans and pomegranate syrup. Another entree was a bowl of seared rare Ahi Smoked Tuna served over asian pear, mango, heart of palm-jicama salad, edamame and pickled ginger with a wasabi asian dressing. A 16 oz. Grass Fed Bone-in Ribeye with caramelized cippolini onion, red wine demi glaze, house-made onion rings, au gratin potatoes and green beans.

My entree was their Patagonian Sauteed Seabass. It was prepared with a miso ginger marinade that gave it an ever so light glaze on the outside and was cooked to perfection; moist and succulent. They served it with sweet, fresh watercress over a cake of diced yukon potatoes, a side shitake mushroom bursting with flavor and some fresh ginger. It was the best seabass I have ever eaten and each item complimented the other perfectly.

That left us with no room for anything other than one share dessert.  The vote was for their Banana Split “Cork Tree Style”.  It was served deconstructed with a chocolate hazelnut bar, banana gelato, caramelized banana and a cabernet & black cherry syrup.  It was all we could do not to lick that syrup out of the bowl, it was so yummy!

Yes, I’ll be keeping the Cork Tree on my list of  favorite restaurants and will be sure to visit again!