lyskitsune / Lyssa

Hemet and her sister city San Jacinto deserve greater recognition for their collection of great independently owned restaurants. While most cities in SoCal have become cookie cutter food strips with the same big chains in every town, Hemet and San Jacinto have managed to skip having yet more Red Lobsters, Chili’s, and Outback Steakhouses, instead filling their hospitality row with an amazing assortment of reasonably priced, high quality, and very competitive unique dining venues. With reputations of chefs on the line, you can bet every meal is prepared with attention and pride you won’t find on the line in a big chain.

So when the husband and I went on our weekly date last Monday, we decided to try out a place we hadn’t been in before, the California Palms Restaurant. Now part of our reason for entering was a coupon for a free appetizer, but we’re also a couple of foodies and love finding new favorite dishes in local eateries. It being a Monday, we had no trouble being seated right off and put in our order for our starter, a standard classic of spinach and artichoke dip. I’ve always loved this dip, and in fact I make a fairly mean version of it for family dinners that vanishes the moment my brother-in-law gets in the door, but in restaurants I’m usually greeted with a glop of greasy melted cheese with a few green flecks to pay passing homage to the name of the dish. This time I was more than pleasantly surprised to be presented with a rich and creamy blend that was free of excess oil and tasted of spinach and artichoke, served with a selection of bread, crackers, and tortilla chips. We tucked into it with delight, along with the fabulous roasted red pepper soup priced in our entree. Now roasted red pepper soup is my absolute favorite, and this was the best red pepper soup I’ve ever had, sweet and spicy.

For my main course I had the Mediterranian Seafood Fettucini Alfredo. It was outright amazing, smooth and creamy at first with a tangy bright note to lighten the taste. My husband’s tri tip in sweet bourbon sauce with grilled shrimp was equally impressive, with all the flavor the cut is usually associated with, but with butterknife tenderness you would expect to find only in Santa Barbara’s finest restaurants for twice the price. The shrimp were tender as well and perfectly seasoned, allowing the quality of the shellfish to show through without too much salt to mask the sweetness. The portions were more than generous, especially considering the under $20 prices, so we saved enough to take home to the kids so we could manage dessert.

As if the meal hadn’t been fantastic to this point, we then hit the highlight of the evening in the caramelized banana creme brulee. Each was easily enough for two, but so delicious you might not want to share it. The brulee was expertly done, the custard smooth under a crackling of flamed sugar, and the caramelized banana drizzled in chocolate sauce provided the perfect counterpoint, cooked with just a hint of salt in the butter to balance the syrup. Honestly, it was a meal I can’t imagine Gordon Ramsey finding fault with. Coupled with friendly and attentive service, it really made the CPR a standout restaurant in a city of great casual dining, an experience you would expect in San Diego or Palm Springs for at least twice the price. If you’re anywhere in the Inland Empire and want to have a great meal at a bargain price (the whole dinner tab with drinks for two people was $75), I’d recommend you stop by the California Palms Restaurant in Hemet.

Sushi Ray looks like a little hole in the wall, but their Chinese/Korean take on sushi is fresh, original, and a complete blast. Chefs Max and Lee run the sushi bar and offer up the traditional fare and a wide selection of originals, including a specialty roll called the Hemet roll. The steamed mussels are a must-have item, better than I have ever had in any other Asian restaurant anywhere. Other personal favorites are the Avocado Castle, the Spider Roll, and the Godfather. With Lee’s beautiful and artistic dishes and Max’s great charm, it’s a guaranteed great evening. Just tell them the Ziggy-zoggy lady sent you.