Welcome back happy people, my next little gem for all of you “Happy Hour” fans is Cuistots. This is an elegant room with a beautiful bar and some incredible food. I first heard about it from a local who recommended it. He raved about the ‘bar food’ which includes some smaller portions of their incredible French menu. He mentioned the price, $9.50 per item, and when he told me about the sea bass (one of my favorites) I just had to try it.
The bar is long and lushy lit with fringe shaded lamps which cast a warm glow over the room. There are a few booths (which you can reserve by calling in a reservation) and a few high tops. It’s warm and intimate, the perfect place to unwind and have a cocktail. It’s an early Happy Hour, the food menu pricing is available from 4-6 a little different than most. The drinks specials run from 4 pm to close and feature some decent prices for such an upscale restaurant. I chose the wine special which was one of two, a lovely pinot noir in a large elegant glass, which was delightful. House wines are $4.95 for chardonnay, cabernet or white zinfandel. Well drinks are $5.50 and house martinis run $5.95 each. There are daily drink specials too, and a house cosmos, appletini, or lemon drop for $6.95. This is a great price in a town where $15 cocktails are not uncommon. The bartender, Robert is delightful and sweet and pours a great drink.
Now let’s get down to business, the menu. In my humble opinion, if a Happy Hour doesn’t have entertainment then the food had better be great. Luckily, Cuistots’ food is amazing. Here’s the menu and all items are $9.50:
♦Award Winning Caesar Salad with Grana Padano
♦Seasonal Baby Field Greens with House Dressing
♦Cuistot’s “All Time Favorite” Farfalle Pasta with Fresh Tomato and Basil
♦Bar Cheese and Fruits: Gruyère, White Goat Cheese & Today’s Blue Cheese With Fresh Fruits, Candied Pecan and Quince Gelée
♦Black Truffle Pappardelle Pasta with Shaved Black Truffles, Parmesan Beurre Fondue with Chives
♦Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp, Fresh Thyme and Fresh Tomato
♦Lamb Sliders with Arugula, Feta Cheese and Mint Remoulade
♦Antipasti Pasta Salad, Campanile, Fresh Mozzarella, Olives and Salami
♦Asparagus and Lemon Risotto with Gruyère Cheese
♦Homemade Pâté with a Green Bean Salad and Cornichon and Dijon Mustard
♦Steamed Prince Edward Island Black Mussels over Spinach With Purple Shallots and Herb Jus
♦Seabass Feuilleté with Spinach and 7 Fresh Herbs Beurre Blanc Sauce
Homemade Soup of the Day 7.95
Naturally, the Seabass Feuillete with spinach and 7 fresh herbs Beurre Blanc Sauce is my favorite (pictured). It’s in a flaky pastry with a delectable sauce. Every bite is succulent and I’ll have a hard time ordering anything else. My friend Paula ordered the black truffle Pappardelle pasta (pictured) which she said was amazing. This is definitely a hearty portion for a bar menu. My friend Nadine ordered the steamed Prince Edward Island black mussels over spinach with purple shallots and herb jus. Cuistot serves you crusty french bread and sweet butter perfect for dipping into the sauce. She ate every drop of this sauce and the serving was substantial, hot and steamy. As you can see there are other delicious selections as well. This is a well-rounded menu and you get the whole experience of Cuistot without breaking the bank.
I have to admit we did break down and ordered one of their decadent deserts. We split the Floating Island with Roasted Almonds, Soft Meringue, Vanilla “Crème Anglaise” and Hard Candy Glaze for 9.50. This was a light and fluffy meringue with a sauce that was so wonderful that my friends and I wanted to order more.
Cuistot is tucked away at the far end of El Paseo the last left before hwy 111. 72-595 El Paseo.
Call for a booth reservation or sit on the beautiful covered outdoor patio. 1-760-340-1000, tell them you heard about it in Coachella Valley Weekly and enjoy!! Bon Appetit!
