By Denise Ortuno
Delicious and delightful dishes will win you over, at Wilma & Frieda in Palm Desert and Palm Springs.
On a cold and rainy January afternoon, I met my family for lunch at the very popular El Paseo dining spot, Wilma & Frieda. The restaurant located upstairs at The Gardens shopping complex, has long been on the “hot spot” dining list in the Coachella Valley since their debut over five years ago, even appearing on the Food Networks, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives cable show. They are known for, “comfort food with a twist,” and oh so comforting it is.
It was the perfect day to go out to lunch, at least I thought so. All cozy, wet and chilly out, a perfect time to indulge in some comfort food. The layout of Wilma & Frieda has an open feel with playful accents, and a bakery case where you can salivate over what you might want for dessert.
Wilma and Frieda is open for breakfast and lunch. The Breakfast menu is served from 8-11am and gets kitschy with fun names for some of their egg dishes such as EENY, MEANY, MINEY, MO, which are all dishes that lean on each other starting with two eggs any style, and adding on from there, with the exception of the MO which is an experience all on its own. There is a plethora of other Breakfast goodies including dishes on the Sweeter Side such as Blackberry Custard French Toast (bread-pudding like French toast with house made blackberry sauce and fresh blackberries), Churro Waffle (a cinnamon sugar crusted waffle topped with Madagascar vanilla crème anglaise) and many more. Breakfast favorite’s are also available including, BJ’s-Short Rib Scramble & Mozzerella (with two eggs, mushrooms and onions), Benny’s Bennie- The Original (a take on Eggs Benedict with Duroc Pork), as well as others.
Lunch is actually called Weekday Brunch, and is served from 11am to 3pm. The menu offers all of the breakfast items, plus sandwiches, burgers, salads and melts. On my brunch visit, I went for the BLT & Avocado, because sometimes you just want a good BLTA, or at least I do. The sizeable sandwich came on my choice of sour dough bread, and a side salad which I also chose, opposed to fries, tots or fruit. The bacon was thick cut, tomato’s red and juicy, avocado creamy, and the lettuce was crisp. All the members came together and performed a perfect sandwich symphony! My family got a little more adventurous and ordered the Signature Meatloaf & Cheddar, Bernie’s Chile Verde with Pork & Brie Omelet, and the Fresh Strawberry Spinach Salad (with toasted caramelized pecans, red onion and poppy seed dressing).
All of our dishes were fantastic, and clearly made with creativity and care. We finished off our meal with a decadent chocolate brownie and lemon tart, along with a couple of hefty cappuccinos.
Wilma & Frieda is a creative comfort food treat for the palette, and now with their new location in Palm Springs, the east and west side of the Coachella Valley can enjoy all of their delicious and delightful offerings.
Wilma & Frieda is located at 73-575 El Paseo Dr., Suite #2310, Palm Desert, 92260
For more information visit www.wilmafrieda.com
