Bryan and I just returned from our annual jaunt out to California, and decided to try a few new restaurants this season. One that had caught our eye- because, how could it not?!- was Bar Issi at the newly built Thompson Hotel. When some friends visited the new desert hotel earlier this summer, they had the opportunity to eat at the Moroccan restaurant Lola Rose, but Bar Issi was still under construction. At their insistence of how great Lola Rose was, they encouraged us to try Bar Issi.
I’m not usually one to want heavy meals when we visit the desert during the summer (full belly plus 110+ degree weather usually equals Yuck!), but this year, temps didn’t hit 100, so the nightly weather was pretty fantastic- high 70’s, no humidity… perfect for pasta, pizzas. Perfect for too many cocktails.
Just walking in, I was slightly overwhelmed- in the best way- by the interior design. Wallpaper, patterned curtains, wild upholstery, and thoughtful seating areas were crowned with incredible chandeliers and wrapped around a bar equipped with not only a rolling ladder to reach the high bottle storage, but surrounded by some of the most spectacularly swathed barstools I’ve ever seen.
We started with a couple of Bar Issi’s signature cocktails; L’Italiano Spritz for me (which included “magic dust” on the glass- some sort of pop rocks, maybe? Fun), and the Zingaro for Bryan- a mix of Mezcal, chili, and honey. We were given a great review of the menu by our attentive waiter and settled on shrimp cocktail and their Puccia bread with a butter trio (though the zucchini blossoms kept coming out of the kitchen to every other table, and looked amazing). The shrimp were huge, and the cocktail sauce had a smoky flavor that I wasn’t expecting. The bread was lovely, warm, and the butters- Calabrian chili, honey butter, and a lemon/basil combo- were fun to sample.
For my main, I went with one of the recommended pastas, the agnolotti. Perfectly al dente, filled with ricotta, and served on a plate of pomodoro with parmesan, the first bite made me close my eyes and take it in. Bryan felt like it was a pizza kind of night, and ordered himself their pepperoni, which included chili flake. The crust could have been a tiny bit firmer on the bottom, but the flavor was awesome, and the Detroit-style pepperoni cups were numerous and had the best kick.
Over espresso martinis, we split a tiramisu and marveled at the interior space. I overdressed, per usual, but my funky, black and white, fringed, crocheted, two-piece set from Zimmermann was pretty on point. The folks eating here- who seemed to be 75% locals- pulled out all of the stops in their attire, and I’m so glad I followed suit.
There are several restaurants in Palm Springs that we make a point to visit on every trip out, and we do our best to fit them in as much as possible. This one might have to be dropped into that rotation. If you’re around the area, we recommend that you pop in yourself. It’s worth the visit.
** this post is not sponsored in any way. all thoughts and opinions are my own **
** photos via Bar Issi’s Instagram **
