Get Out the Pom-Poms For Pom Restaurant?

Pom Restaurant

84245 Indio Springs Road

Indio, CA 92203

Here is part two of our mini Indio adventure. At the end of the birthday weekend for Katie's dad, among others, the family gathered one last time for a re-commitment ceremony for Katie's cousin. The ceremony took place at Pom Restaurant, which is in the Fantasy Springs Resort. I had not been too impressed with the food at the resort all weekend. The buffet was not too good, and the catered food that we had for the birthday party was edible, but that is all I remember about it. I was hoping that Pom Restaurant could halt our current streak.

Rachel went for a light lunch. She got the Basket of Asiago Bread, and a bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup. The soup was a spicy tomato broth, with chicken, sour cream, tiny tortilla strips, and cilantro. I tried a spoonful of this and did not taste any spice, it tasted like tomato soup to me. Rachel thought that the soup was just okay. The bread was good, and had plenty of cheese on it.

Katie, who's been on a real Greek kick lately, ordered up the Greek Style Chicken Pita. Grilled chicken, tomatoes, feta cheese, yogurt-cucumber sauce, all on a grilled pita bread. I did not try this. Katie thought that the chicken was cooked well, and she liked the yogurt sauce. In her opinion the vegetables that came with this were a waste of space.

Kevin opted for the Half Pound Burger. He found this burger to be average. He did not even remember what he had ordered a week later. I thought that the burger looked too well done for my taste, but the buttered bun was a nice touch.

There were some other items on the menu that looked good, but I saw this sandwich and could not get away from it. The Grilled Chicken and Avocado Club is pictured here. Bacon, Swiss cheese, and herb mayo is all piled on sourdough bread. With all of these big flavors, this sandwich could not go wrong. The fries were good, but the serving size was not too big.

Sorry about the poor picture of the BLT above. It was not my food, so I could not grab the food and move it for a better shot. That would have made for an interesting family lunch. Anyways, these two dishes I did not hear a peep about, but I wanted you to see them anyways. Like the other plates, everything kind of just seemed so sterile here.

Pom Restaurant was definitely the best place we ate while we were at Fantasy Springs. But it did not have any competition either. The food is your basic coffee shop food, but spiffed up a little, and in a sleek, sterile environment.

Out of five giant tamales, (because the Tamale Festival held every December in Indio, has had the world's largest tamale at 40 feet long!), five being best to zero being worst, Pom Restaurant gets 2.5 giant tamales.

For more information on Pom Restaurant, click here: http://www.fantasyspringsresort.com/prod/dining/dining.php#pom

A Date Night in Indio

Rincon Norteno

83011 Indio Blvd.

Indio, CA. 92201

It has been a while since we have done a version of this blog away from the cozy confines of the OC. We were headed out to the desert for Dennis's birthday in Indio, so this seemed like the ideal time to shake off our boots and taste what other places have to offer. The birthday weekend was taking place at Fantasy Springs resort in Indio, so we checked Yelp for all the hot spots in Indio, (see I said hot spots, because this is the desert, okay sorry about that). Anyways, Rincon Norteno was the second highest rated restaurant in Indio, right behind In-N-Out. So, always ready to try a new Mexican place, that is where we headed.

Rincon Norteno has been in business since 1964, and at this present location since 1979. The building, like the surrounding area, has looked like its seen better days. Perched awkwardly under a freeway overpass, and on an awkward corner, we arrived to a full restaurant at seven o'clock on a Friday night. A good sign that there is good food ahead, let's see if this come to fruition.

Rincon Norteno is known for their salsa. It is served warm, and has been described as a gravy salsa. We were not sure what to make of this salsa. It had a little spice to it, and after the initial shock of the salsa had worn off, I decided I liked it. The chips were fair.

As an appetizer, we got the Guacamole, and it came with the chips and cheese above. We really liked the guacamole, I would have liked it a little more if it was a little more spicy, but it was good anyways. The chips and cheese were good as well. We polished those off, just as our entrees arrived.

Up first was Katie's combination plate. She went with the Chicken Taco and Cheese Quesadilla. The first thing I noticed when she got this plate was all the cheese. I love cheese, and was looking forward to trying all of this. The chicken taco was good, but was a little light on chicken. The chicken that I did have was not too dry, (which is what I have come to expect from Mexican restaurants). The quesadilla was okay, and not too greasy at all. Katie thought that the quesadilla had too much cheese, if there is such a thing. The beans and rice were good, and definitely made there.

My colorful plate was the Norteno Combination. Almost always on my first visit to a Mexican restaurant, I get a combination plate. It seems like the ideal way to sample as many different items in one meal, without looking like a pig. This combination included a cheese enchilada, carne asada burrito, and a pork tamale. I really liked their red sauce, which can make or break a dish. The burrito was jam packed with meat, which was not overly flavorful, but just enough. The tamale was not dry at all, (I have had that experience in Mexican restaurants as well). Decent combo plate, eating this would make me want to try their other items.

Since we were just passing through, it is hard to know if this was the best restaurant in Indio. I liked it, and if I was in the area again, and wanted some Mexican faire, I would eat here again. The place is not trying to impress people with decor, and to be honest, Katie said the restroom was a little scary, (but they were obviously working on the restrooms when we were there). If you can get past all of this, and just concentrate on the food, you can have a decent meal here, at a fair price.

Out of five dates, (because the Date Festival is held in Indio every February), five being best to zero being worst, Ricon Norteno gets three dates. 

For more information on Rincon Norteno, check them out here: http://www.rinconnorteno.com/