By Raymond Bill
It is no secret that my favorite food is pizza. I can eat it morning noon and night! After learning that Stuft Pizza had won both ‘Best Pizza’ and ‘Best Family Restaurant’ from the Coachella Valley Weekly Best Of Awards, I knew it was time to visit their new location in the Westfield Shopping Mall. So this past weekend, my date and I enjoyed a superb meal and stellar service from Kenneth at the all new Stuft Pizza in Palm Desert.
The menu is slightly overwhelming but it is full of variety, providing options for everyone! Stuft Pizza offers sandwiches, pastas, fresh seafood, Certified Angus Beef prime steaks, and of course, a large selection of classic and gourmet pizzas! I have not even covered the many starters and salads available. We had hoped to try something new on this visit so we began with a couple appetizers to enjoy with our cocktails. Our server recommended the crispy Green Bean Fries with a chipotle ranch sauce for dipping. For only $4.99, this was a generous plate ideal for sharing and after one bite, you will be hooked! I could snack on those delicious tempura battered veggies all day! We also shared a dish recommended by our close friend; Korean-Style Tacos came two to an order, generously filled with Certified Angus Beef with a tangy Korean BBQ sauce and crisp cabbage and carrots. The appetizers are great to enjoy with drinks as a meal but I could not stop there, not without trying the ‘Best Pizza’ in the desert.
For entrées, we would share the Pepper Crusted Ahi Steak, seared Rare and served with broccolini and rice. The fresh tuna was seared perfectly and the pepper crust gave it a bold flavor. We also shared a pizza (of course) with a classic crust. The Four Seasons (Quattro Stagioni) Pizza was ablsolutely perfect! Topped with thin prosciutto, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and black olives, this pie had it all! The dough was delicious on its own, warm and fluffy. Toppings were evenly spread over their signature sauce and melted mozzarella cheese. We were quite full so we packaged our pizza to go, but just between us, it was finished as soon as we arrived home. I would definitely agree that this is the best pizza restaurant in the desert, but I would go on to state that they are so much more than just a pizza restaurant.
Based on previous visits, I can attest that the Baby Back Ribs are ‘fall off the bone’ incredible and the Ribeye Steak is so tender and full of flavor that there is no need to spend steakhouse prices when you can have it all at Stuft Pizza. I can also honestly say that over the years, I have tried almost all of the pizzas on their menu and I have yet to find one I did not love! We were not offered dessert, but I do not think we could have possibly found a home for it anyway if there were any. Now that we have a Palm Desert Stuft Pizza, I will have more opportunities to discover dessert during my many future visits.
Stuft Pizza in Palm Desert is a great addition to the city, let alone the mall. Open for lunch and dinner and offering one of the best happy hours in the Coachella Valley with $4 well drinks and wines by the glass, Stuft Pizza is a happening spot that will have lines out the door! See their whole menu including Happy Hour at www.stuftpizzabarandgrill.com or just check them out on the upper level of the Westfield Shopping Center.
