Rachel Montoya –
When entering the gates at Date Palm Country Club you may not be expecting what a treasure awaits you at AJ’s on the Green. What you will find when you enter this restaurant is a classy atmosphere with a cool vibe. Decorated in sage green, black & white it also boasts beautiful art hanging on the wall including a unique feature of flowers hanging in vases that are fastened to the wall.
We barely had a moment to take it all in before the hostess seated us at a table with a perfect view of the beautiful small lake filled with ducks and swans and complete with a fountain. The lush greens and trees complete this lovely landscape.
We started out with a bottle of Hess Cabernet and chose the calamari for our appetizer. We definitely made the right selection as the calamari sticks were lightly breaded, tender and meaty and some of the best in the valley.
Next we decided to try a Caesar salad for me and the wedge for my date. I must take a minute to rave about this Caesar salad as it is unlike any I have ever had. It is prepared with mint in the dressing and is so flavorful that I have been craving it ever since. This unique blend was truly delightful. The wedge also comes with high praise.
It was time to select our main course and I was undecided but our waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu and suggested the pan seared salmon for me and the braised short ribs for my date. This was a large portion of salmon perfectly prepared and not everyone gets salmon right. It was accompanied by some of the most delicious baby Brussels sprouts and carrots I’ve ever tasted. First, they actually tasted like the vegetable they were. Second, they weren’t to overdone. Third, they came in the most amazing sauce a vegetable could bath in. So much that I tried to get the secret sauce recipe along with the secret ingredients in the Caesar dressing out of co-owner and Chef Arthur Herrera, but all he said was…. ‘It’s a secret’. I don’t blame the man. With these flavors being so unique and tasty I wouldn’t share them either. It just makes a customer want to come back over and over again.
The short ribs are a similar story with my date raving up and down as they literally fell apart with his fork as he was making comments like; tender, juicy, full of flavor, melt in your mouth goodness. I tasted them for myself and I must concur. They are definitely a culinary treat and I can see why they have garnered Chef Arthur Herrera awards.
At this point we were almost too full for desert but our waiter insisted we try the Peanut Butter cup pie and I was glad he did. Now this is one decadent dessert and possibly one of my favorite desserts ever. My date ordered the crème Brule which was served warm and boasted a thick cinnamon shell and is now ranking #1 in our crème Brule’s of the desert.
Overall this was a superb dining experience from the attentive service to the excellent cuisine to the beautiful ambience and the lovely sax music playing in the background provided by Mikole Karr. Now I just need to figure out those secret recipes.
The kitchen is open Mon- Sat. until 9pm and until 2pm on Sundays.
AJ’s is located at 36-200 Date Palm Dr. in Cathedral City. You can reach them at 760-202-1111.
