By: Valerie Milano
Food Photos: THT/Ana Maria Gill
Palm Springs, CA (The Hollywood Times) 7/29/24 – A trifecta of wonderful was had during my latest dining experience there.
Three things that I appreciate most in a dining out experience all hit the mark that evening.
- Ambiance – beginning on the outside and the minute you walked thru the door “Palm Springs” is the vibe at Trio. Nice decor and wall art along with pleasant background music set a very pleasant stage.
- Service – I found friendly and attentive staff paired with a hands-on owner who was active in the dining area checking in with guests.
- Food – Which to me is the single most important factor in venturing out to eat. And, that evening’s fare did not disappoint nor did the wonderful cocktails produced by bartender Josh.
FOUNDER
Successful cuisine is very much about great pairings. Restaurateur Tony Marchese and the City of Palm Springs are just such a pairing. Marchese is a Chicago native who fell hard for his adopted city of Palm Springs and its vibrant gay community. His restaurant “Trio” is a destination for serious local and visiting foodies who also embrace fun in the sun ethos of the Uptown Design District community.
For those who want a taste of this Palm Springs, Trio’s menu sources quality local and regional ingredients. A lively bar features fine wine and designer cocktails waiting for a place at a table with you.
Marchese knows the power of community and hospitality. Trio is a family friendly space that has been thriving since its opening in 2009. Moreover, he has become a recognized pillar of the community, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to local charities – amongst them: AAP Food Samaritans, Dining Out for Life for the Desert AIDS Project, Palm Springs High Schools Arts program, and providing a scholarship fund for a Digi-Com student. Tony has received the Friends for Life Award from the Desert AIDS Project and a City of Palm Springs Human Rights Commission Community Service Award.
Of course, the success of any restaurant is heavily reliant on having an ace executive chef; and Trio is blessed with an A-lister, Chef Gladis Lizarraga.
Chef Lizarraga began her love affair with food as a child in Mazatlán Mexico where local seafood was fresh and abundant. Her mother educated her to the complexities of Mexican cuisine, and in turn she is passing on the art of cooking to her children.
She has over 15 years of experience in the restaurant industry including a recent stint as the Executive Chef at Wildest Restaurant and Bar in Palm Desert. Chef Lizarraga led that team to the title of Palm Springs Life “Best of the Best 2022” and a 2022 “Diners Choice” award from Open Table.
Prior to that triumph she could be found developing her craft in the San Diego area, working with celebrity chef Brian Malarkey at Farmer & The Seahorse in Torrey Pines, and at the award-winning restaurants within the Cohn Restaurant Group: Island Prime, C Level, Vintana Wine + Dine and Coasterra Modern Mexican.
Lizarraga’s philosophy on cuisine is a perfect fit with the vibe of Trio. She states, “Enjoying delicious food and drinking a good wine go hand in hand with enjoying life. A great chef does not just reproduce a recipe from a cookbook. It is the unique style and vision they have for a dish that makes it contemporary and special.”
Rounding out the running of Trio is operations manager Chris McElroy. I had the pleasure as he took the time to personally deliver and chat about the nice dishes, I was sampling.
I had the pleasure of trying some of Trio’s signature dishes:
AZIZ FARM DATES
Bacon – wrapped, Blue Cheese, Harissa
A divine bite of sweet and savory. A plump sweet date filled with a blue cheese cream wrapped neatly with a savory piece of bacon. All complimenting and creating what I think is a perfect bite of heaven. The dates are plated with a Harissa sauce if you want to up the heat and add another layer of flavor. If you like your bacon on the crispier side, be sure to request in advance. A must try!
JAPANESE A5 BEEF CARPACCIO
Horseradish Aioli, Fennel, Chives, Mustard Frill, Olive Crumble
A dish that rolls a lot of wonderful ingredients into a neat package. Nice marbling on the high-quality beef. Thinly sliced fennel is a smart outside the box accent when paired with the horseradish aioli (not overpowering but a creamy flavorful enhancement), along with the other ingredients.
HOUSE-MADE BISCUITS
White Cheddar, Old Bay, Compound Butter, Sea Salt
Nice golden-brown top. Light and fluffy with a soft flaky interior when pulled apart by hand. The Alabama Belle in me appreciated this fine biscuit without any addition of the savory compound butter. Call me a purist!
PORK CHOP
Yukon potatoes, Spiced carrots, Spinach, Roasted Tomatillo Sauce, Date Vinaigrette
A work in progress. Totally understand bringing some much-needed complexity to this protein. The chop was nicely charred and juicy enough while cooked to a medium. Savory as advertised; a tad sweeter taste profile would have been more to my liking even though the date vinaigrette is one of the main characteristics. All in all, fresh, tasty, and ripe for future experimentation. The roasted tomatillo sauce further lent it to the savory side.
GARLIC SHRIMP
Torchietto Pasta, Baby Heirloom Tomato, Spinach, Herbs, Lemon Garlic Sauce
Trio gets points for its commitment to preparing labor intensive fresh pasta daily. Nice gauge shrimp freshly presented with a delicious and vibrant lemon garlic sauce.
Overall, a fine dining experience that I highly recommend which has me looking forward to returning to Trio.
