By Rachel Montoya
A couple weeks ago a close friend of mine from out of town was visiting and requested we do Italian and stay on the east side of the valley where he was staying. Several other friends had been recommending Chapelli’s for quite some time. Since his hotel was located close by we decided to give Chapelli’s a try. And we were glad we did.
Located in the Ralph’s shopping center on Washington and Calle Tampico in La Quinta, we were not prepared for what an upscale ambience awaited us inside. The decor was warm and beautifully designed. It is a smaller restaurant but loaded with class and charm alike.
We were seated in the most romantic secluded table in the restaurant located as you walk in the door to the right. I suggest you request this lovely table for any future romantic experiences. It was very private and most relaxing even though it was not a date, my friend and I had much to get caught up on.
Our very friendly and knowledgeable waiter recommended a lovely bottle of cabernet and brought us a nice platter of olives, peperoncinis, tomatoes and prosciutto along with delicious bread. This was a delightful start to our meal.
We then moved on to traditional Caesar salads before ordering our entrees. It was difficult to decide as there were many choices that all sounded like they would be great selections. I finally decided on the eggplant parmesan while my friend chose the clam linguini.
Let me share with you that the clam linguini was not even on the menu but when my friend asked if they had it the waiter scurried off to chat with the chef and returned saying “No problem. Chef said he will prepare it for you.” This was most impressive on its own but the actual meal itself was the winner. My friend was very pleased with the taste and consistency of the meal and felt very special that the chef made it just for him.
I hadn’t eaten eggplant parmesan in quite a while and it was prepared just the way I like; not overdone and mushy and not under cooked and crunchy…but just right. It was such a large portion that I even took some home with me for lunch the next day.
As much as we wanted to try dessert we were just too full so we decided on an after dinner drink and enjoyed the ambience of this lovely establishment.
I highly recommend Chapelli’s for the food, service and ambience. We enjoyed our dining experience so much that we simply did not want to leave.
Chapelli’s is located at 50949 Washington St. in La Quinta. Call 760-564-9835 or visit www.chapellisrestaurant.com. They are open at 5pm Wed. –Sun.
