By Denise Ortuno
When I heard of a new restaurant in the depth of the transformed downtown Indio area, marked by a mysterious metal door called Italica, I was intrigued. It conjured up thoughts of classic film noir era speakeasies, where you had to have a password and some serious clout to enter. I wondered what decadence awaited behind the shiny threshold and made plans to explore.
I secured reservations for my boyfriend and myself on a Saturday night for the bar. Reservations at this swanky scene are highly recommended, as the space is intimate, and seats are coveted. I of course checked out Italica’s website before heading out on our culinary adventure, to peruse and pre-shop the menu, as well as to get a grip on the aesthetics. I was pleased by the sexy presentation, as well as the fact that they had a dress code, something that high end desert restaurants have abandoned over the years to accommodate and not rebuke the flip flop/T-shirt/shorts at dinner crowd. Thank you, Italica! But despite my peek behind the reflective door via the website, it was nothing like the real thing.
We arrived a little late, due to an UBER deficit in availability. I called to let the restaurant know, and the owner Roman answered. He was kind and understanding, as I assured him that our tardiness would not be extensive. As our UBER dropped us off, we swaggered up to the lustrous door and met our evening head on. We walked down a stylish hallway, greeted at the end by the portal to the dining room. The embellishments to the space were well executed and exceeded my expectations. The hostess sat us at the seats that I had requested, as we settled in to be dazzled.
The bartender was quick to approach us, as she offered us drinks, after providing water. We ordered our libations from their ample wine and cocktail list. As she opened the wine, and after discovering that we were first timers, she gave us some background on the restaurant, and we were on our way. She emphasized that the menu was designed to incorporate a shared experience, a tapas mentality of sorts. We were into it and decided to start with the evenings Crudo (thinly sliced raw fish of the day, radish, fried caper, micro basil, lemon basil oil), which happened to be my favorite, Hamachi. The dish came out with appropriate haste and was as delightful as the décor. The fish was flawless, and accentuated the restaurant’s commitment to fresh, high caliber ingredients. Then came the Polpette (three beef/pork meatballs, whipped ricotta, house arrabiata, pecorino Romano, and Italian parsley), which would make any pile of pasta proud.
Our meal continued with a crisp Caesar salad (romaine, ciabatta croutons, house Caesar dressing, anchovy, pecorino Romano) highlighted by a caramelized lemon wedge for added tang. For our final dish, we wrapped our mouths around the luscious Carbonara (spaghetti, egg yolk, guanciale, shallots, crushed black peppercorn, pecorino Romano, and parmesan reggiano), making us question having shared it. Italica’s menu offers many other innovative Italian dishes to choose from, as well as providing vegetarian and vegan dishes upon request.
The experience behind the mysterious door revealed a well thought out plan to arouse both the culinary and visual senses. All delivered with memorable style and taste, encouraging another trip across the threshold to Italica.
Italica is located at 82867 Miles Ave Unit 2, Indio, Ca 92201 442-400-3479 www.italica.bar
