28 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT
AUGUST 2021
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FOOD & DRINK INDY ENDORSEMENT This month, we’re admiring simple food that’s been elevated by talented restaurateurs By Jimmy Boegle
according to Yelp, Tripadvisor & OpenTable WE ARE ONE OF THE VERY BEST with 9,000 Sq feet keeping you safe is easy OPEN DAILY FROM 11AM - 3PM & 5PM - 9PM 849 N PALM CANYON DRIVE . PALM SPRINGS EIGHT4NINE.COM 760.325.8490 CVIndependent.com
WHAT The margherita pizza WHERE Ferro, 25840 Cedar St., Idyllwild HOW MUCH: $14 CONTACT 951-659-0700; www.ferrorestaurant.com WHY It’s one of the best pizzas I’ve had in SoCal. I was part of a group of friends who decided to splurge for a cabin in Idyllwild one recent weekend. We were celebrating a birthday, and we figured it would be lovely to escape the broiling heat for a few days. Unfortunately, the cabin wasn’t airconditioned. And temperatures rose into the mid-90s each of the days we were there. Oops. Despite the sweatiness, it was still a nice weekend—and one of the highlights didn’t even take place at the cabin. It happened a couple of miles down the hill from our non-climatecontrolled cabin, at Ferro restaurant. While we dined in for most of our meals, we decided to give ourselves a break from cooking for two dinners. Both Ferro’s dog-friendly patio and outdoor wood-fire pizza oven caught my eye during my Idyllwild-restaurant research. We initially tried to go on Friday night, sans reservations—but we were politely told there was no availability. We promptly made reservations for Sunday. We are very glad we did. From the polenta con parmigiano side ($8) to the cacio e pepe (spaghettoni and pecorino romano with black pepper, $18) to the salmone arrosto ($34), everything we had was fantastic. But my personal favorite was the oh-so-simple, oh-so-good margherita pizza. Dough, San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and garlic—that’s all there is to this pizza. But the dough was fresh and delicious; the ingredients were all high quality and perfectly proportioned; and the pizza was expertly cooked in that aforementioned woodfire oven. Our meal was so scrumptious that we’re already plotting another trip to Idyllwild— perhaps just for dinner. In my mind, that margherita pizza alone is worth making the twisty, turny drive up the mountain.
WHAT The chopped salad WHERE The Slice Pizzeria Ristorante, 72775 Dinah Shore Drive, No. 107, Rancho Mirage HOW MUCH $11 half-order (as shown), $15 entrée CONTACT 760-202-3122; www.theslicepizza.com. WHY Everything is in perfect proportions. There are few dishes more basic than a green salad. Take lettuce (usually); dice up and then add featured ingredients; put on the dressing; combine; boom, you have a salad. No heat or cooking necessary. But … raise your hand if you’ve ever had a subpar salad at a restaurant— perhaps because the greens were past their prime. Or the ingredients were improperly proportioned. Or there was too much dressing. Or there wasn’t enough. There are myriad reasons why a restaurant salad can disappoint—but none of them were to be found during my recent lunch visit to The Slice. I was feeling hungry, so I ordered three things—a cup of minestrone ($5), the stromboli (with pepperoni, Italian sausage, cheese and a side of marinara; $8) and the half chopped salad—and figured I could take whatever I didn’t eat home. The soup and the stromboli were both pretty good, but my taste buds kept wanting more of the chopped salad Slice’s menu says the chopped salad includes lettuce, red onions, black olives, salami, turkey, tomatoes, garbanzos and a Dijon vinaigrette, and is garnished with fresh basil. I didn’t taste the basil, but that’s fine, because I tasted everything else—and everything else was fantastic. The lettuce was fresh and crisp; the quality ingredients were properly proportioned with both each other and the lettuce; and there was just enough dressing. Forgive the cliché, but this salad was greater than the sum of its parts. If I had that lunch to do all over again, and I suspect I will soon, I’d forgo the soup and the stromboli, as enjoyable as they both are. Instead, I’d order a full chopped salad—and enjoy.