Easily the best Italian food I've eaten stateside. From the bread, to the calamari. The drinks to…read morethe pasta dishes. Everything was ten plus the staff was very attentive without being seen. Definitely, definitely... recommend Castellis if you want some amazing pasta

This Italian Restaurant is off Highway 111 & Palm Desert drive…read more We got a reservation on Mother's Day last Sunday, as we enter we were warming & kindly greeted. As our host walked us back to our table. I noticed how beautiful, classy, chic, superb, super clean it was, and so wear the restrooms. This Italian restaurant is huge, Everything inside was super elegant! As we sat down, we were greeted by our waiter Jack. Jack asked us if we had any questions, he answered them all beautifully! So we ordered Bocconcini di Mozzarella Caprese, Shrimp Dijon della Casa, 2 Linguine alle Bolognese, Fresh Minestrone Zuppa, Gnocchi al Pesto, fettuccini Alfredo with chicken, Fettuccine Alfredo with sausage, Risotto Tutto Mare, Risotto con Funghi with chicken, 2 order king crab legs. Their signature Bread is so delicious!! Everything was so mouth watering & highly delicious!! Everything explodes in your mouth, the savory tastes, I wished I could have eaten more, I was full! I also want to make a note, I normally do not eat crab at all. Once I tried & tasted the king Crab I was floored it's the best crab I have ever had! On top of that, Uriel was constantly making sure are glasses of waters, sodas, alcohol were always full without us asking us he was on it ! Castelli's is now my #1 Italian place to go to! Highest quality of their food, portion size was incredible, hospitality amazing! Their price points are so spot on! I highly recommend anyone who looking a a fabulous & delicious place to eat please come here! Jack & Uriel were so polite, kind, sweet, caring, super down to earth ! These are your rare diamonds please treasure them well! I would love to Thank Castelli's & their staff for our wonderful Mother's Day Dinner, with deliciousness & awesomeness on the side! I would especially love to Thank Jack, Uriel, Juan for making sure we had everything we needed ! You guys Rock! We definitely will be back again!! Can't wait!! I'll tell all my Family & Friends to visit here! Please be kind & courteous to these hard workers

Wow, Amazing food! Very family oriented and welcoming, highly recommend!! Enjoyed a beautiful…read moredinner with great service

Best buratta salad ever. Homemade pasta delicious. Our…read moreserver Joey was perfection and deserves a very large salary increase. Highly recommended this small, quaint and tasty restaurant.

Ristorante Mamma Gina was an outstanding experience from start to finish. The restaurant has a very…read moreclassy, elegant interior with a charming ambiance that makes you feel welcome the moment you walk in. Our server, Francisco, was exceptional. He was incredibly patient, knowledgeable, and took the time to answer all of our questions and explain the dishes without ever making us feel rushed. His service was truly top-notch. The food was absolutely amazing--every dish was full of incredible flavor and perfectly prepared. A special mention goes to our son's fettuccine Alfredo, which was honestly the best I've ever tasted. It was rich, creamy, and absolutely delicious. The attention to detail throughout our meal really stood out. Our water glasses were never even close to empty, and the ice-cold water was constantly refreshed without us having to ask. From the outstanding food to the impeccable service, this was a five-star dining experience in every way. Thank you, Francisco, and the entire team at Ristorante Mamma Gina. We look forward to coming back the next time we're in Palm Desert!

The ambiance is Beautiful. The staff are friendly…read more The food is absolutely horrible. Salmon is farmed, they said it was fresh but unfortunately I have been getting diarrhea and vomiting within hours of eating this. The beet salad was delicious- can't go wrong with boiling beets and chopping it up. The pear salad was gross and wilted. The spaghetti was not al dente, sadly it was over cooked. Our entire group was not impressed by the meals, but enjoyed the ambiance! If you want to lose a few pounds- get the salmon-

Went again to the best pizza place in the desert! This time…read morewe had Ruth and she was excellent! We always get excellent customer service along with the best food! We come back every time we're in desert. Thank you!

This is a great pizza and pasta place located on El Paseo Dr. we were greeted by a friendly host…read morewho gave us a choice of seating options. The bar is located by the front entrance and there's lots of seating even in the rear of the restaurant. We enjoyed our eggplant rollatini appetizer to start. Definitely would recommend this one. The prosciutto and arugula pizza had a light and chewy crust with lots of toppings. In my opinion, it could've used a bit less arugula and would've liked a thicker crust in the middle. It got a bit soggy. The penne with bolognese was my favorite. The sauce was meaty and flavorful and the noodles had the perfect bite. The portion was huge enough to share between two people.

The food is absolutely delicious and the servers are super sweet and welcoming, we had Sabrina she…read morewas very friendly! The entire restaurant is a green desert vibe, highly recommend checking this place out .

We had a great early dinner at Porta Via and everything we ordered tasted really good. The linguini…read moreand clams were cooked perfectly with no chewy pieces at all. My youngest loved her spaghetti and meatballs and she is usually pretty picky about pasta. I had the butternut squash ravioli and they were rich, creamy, and exactly what I wanted. My wife ordered the miso glazed seabass and she loved it. I stole her bok choy and that made me very happy. The restaurant is really clean with a laid back contemporary vibe and great music. The AC at our first table was blasting cold air right on us and the staff moved us right away with no issue at all. They were also incredibly kind to my youngest whose birthday we were celebrating. They surprised her with her favorite tiramisu and a candle which completely made her night. Great food, great service, great atmosphere. We will definitely be back.

For my extended family out here in the outsize long-jump pit of Palm Desert, Sweet Basil has become…read morea go-to location for celebratory meals of late. Unlike so many other parts of trips out here - the oppressive heat, dodging careening buggies driven by seemingly lost and possibly inebriated golfers, and the discovery of sand in eyes / nose / shoes / liver - it's a tradition that sits very well with me. I'd even go as far as saying that the food here makes all of the above worthwhile. The restaurant has a car park to the rear and limited street parking in front. The interior has a lovely ambiance, quietly refined by subtle lighting and a gentle arboreal theme. I've seen it busy and our party has also had the place to ourselves on late visits, but I'd definitely recommend a reservation just in case especially with a larger party. The staff provide attentive and genuinely caring service, and the portion sizes are substantial and easily justify the more-than-reasonable cost. The food itself though is the reason this place is always a highlight reel spot for me. Every dish is a feast for the eyes as well as the palette, beautifully presented and packed with flavor. My personal go-to is the perfectly seasoned and healthy Harvest Salad, usually with an added protein (the blackened chicken adds a real flavor kick and the variety in texture that I love in great food). Fortunately my partner happily defaults to the opulent and delightful Lobster Lasagna, as I'd be loath to miss out on a bite or three of that too. Appetizer-wise, I'm yet to regret any soup-of-the-day choice. The Zucchini last night was... well... yep, perfect is no overstatement. Sweet Basil is an absolute gem, and a must-visit for any visitor here. The only even remotely negative things I can think to mention is to be aware of the rather early closing time for at least part of the year.

The naanwiches were unique and tasty. They were served grilled naan bread. The portions were…read moregenerous too. We had the Grilled Portabello Mushroom topped with melted Gruyère, roasted tomatoes, garlic aioli. Very yummy that melted on top. The Chicken Curry with cashews, dried cranberries, garlic aioli was delicious as well! The naanwiches came with orzo pasta salad which I really enjoyed. The restaurant was pretty nice and comforting. The service was pleasant and attentive.

Wow!!! Just wow We…read morecame into town and someone recommended this place All 6 of us in agreement t way before we left this is hands down one of the best pizzas and food we have had in a long time! Geez!!!! Where has this place been? We ordered lots of different appetizers all good Salads we ordered the Caesar- it's a real Caesar so if you are not aware that Caesar dressing is made with anchovies then you are aware now... So this is like a real Caesar salad with thick buttery croutons and fresh shaved Parmesan cheese and anchovies! Fantastic was it Then the pizza was ordered Pepperoni with hot honey Fig and Pig (my personal favorite) Meat lovers Vegetarian All were terrific especially the Fig and Pig I'm not going into the flavor- I'll use all the same old boring adjectives and we would still be here without the pizza So just go and order some really good food! Ooh please save room for desert They were out of a couple to try from but the damn bread pudding was fabulous! I'm kinda sad I live an hour or more from here because I don't have anything like this at home! So I'll have to come back and this place will be on my list of eateries!!!! Ooh service- great! And the place it's self is decorated with none only a black cat- and I also own one of those so the decorating is damn cute, it's quieter and charming

Bro. This spot is FIRE. I was out thrifting with my mom and…read morewe wanted to get a little lunch. Yelp helped me find Black Cat just a stone's throw from where we were at. Not easy to see it from the street and the "PIZZA" in the name is dark so you GOT. TO. KNOW. I really liked EVERY thing about our visit. The dining room is cool. Fresh flowers on the tables. Funny black cat art on the walls. The kitchen is viewable which is always a plus to me. The staff was super nice and the owner was really cool to chat with. I was totally digging the music as well. I had me a crispy cold beer appitizer and I was SET. Well here it comes. The pizza. OH the PIZZA!!! Detroit style - thick, caramelized sides oh my. And ricotta dollops on the Margharita???? Oh bro I tell you I was in heaven. We shared one pizza but I could have finished the whole thing if my MOM wasn't there!!! I bought a shirt bc it has an awesome graphic on the back and I wanted to support this amazing local business. Tell your friends!!! I don't live here so I want to be sure it's here when I get back!!!!!

I don't like pasta or Italian food....but one dinner at Mario's changed ALL of that! In fact, we…read morereturned for dinner again a month later! Pasta Primavera served with olive oil and garlic is what changed my mind-nice and light, lots of veggies and pasta that didn't make my gut hurt. You can opt for a regular size or a large size -both are generous servings. My husband had fettuccine Alfredo and loved it.... The menu is large with lots of offerings. The ambience is friendly and fun , with lots of conversation. Seating is comfortable, even at the bar. The food comes out relatively quick and the wait staff is friendly , appropriately attentive, and clearly enjoy their work!!! The second night, we met friends for dinner and we met Mario, who told us his grandson Vito, was our waiter! Vito blushed, but gave us a big smile! Highly recommend Mario's. No reservations needed, unless you have a large party to be seated...even non-pasta eaters will find something delectable on the menu!

Ordered Pizza and Sausage the small was enough to share with my Baby. We also ordered mozzarella…read moresticks, but they tasted like they had freezer burn. The wait staff was decent. Food was decent as well.