Something Tried and True and Something New at the Foot of a Palm Springs Mountain

Okay, so I am hesitant to admit this to anyone, but I just enjoyed my first ever food and wine adventure at Spencer's in Palm Springs. That's right, I said first EVER. Most everyone I know has spent at least one evening there, and this beautiful dining space tucked away at the south end of Baristo Road in Palm Springs is a real pleasure. My inaugural visit was a special occassion for another reason: my parents are in town, and I wanted to help them celebrate a landmark wedding anniversary.

 

Chef Eric Wadlund was kind enough to send out an enticing appetizer tower of coconut shrimp, lobster potstickers and kung pao calamari, which all paired perfectly with the 2007 Von Kesselstatt RK Estate Riesling we ordered. This German gem of a wine was amazingly balanced with good acidity and fragrant notes of grapefruit, apple and white peach.

 

While my Dad dined on succulent short ribs and Mom enjoyed flavorful mushroom ravioli, my meal of choice was an amazing Long Island duck breast, which came with a blueberry port wine rduction, braised red cabbage and butter spaetzle. I matched it up with an Acacia Pinot Noir, a lush wine that hails from Napa's Carneros region and is rich with distinct raspberry, cherry and blueberry flavors of its own. There's even a bit of vanilla in the 2007 vintage, which mirrored the silky texture of the duck meat.

 

After a final bite of my Dad's decadent banana cream pie I was certainly done, but not with Spencer's. I won't hesitate to head back to this place in the very near future, with important milestones always in mind...

 

Spencer's Restaurant...at the Mountain: 760-327-3446 or http://www.spencersrestaurant.com/