What: Bennie’s Bennie
Where: Wilma and Frieda’s, 73575 El Paseo Drive, No. C2310, Palm Desert
How much: $14
Contact: 760-773-2807; www.wilmafrieda.com
Why: The pork and the perfect balance.
Over the last couple of years, creative types ranging from musicians to comedians to publishers have used crowd-funding sites like Kickstarter to turn their figurative dreams into reality.
Restaurateurs have done so as well. These fundraising efforts don’t always succeed—on a local level, Cello’s Bistro and Dish Creative Cuisine recently saw Kickstarter efforts come up short—but when they do, they can lead to great things—such as Wilma and Frieda’s, a delightful breakfast/brunch/lunch joint located in the Gardens on El Paseo shopping center.
In the summer of 2013, the owners of Wilma and Frieda’s successfully raised more than $50,000 to help them open the restaurant. And what a restaurant it is—the fare is both innovative and delicious, and Wilma and Frieda’s somehow manages to have a homey feel while not feeling out of place on ritzy El Paseo.
That’s not to say all is perfect at Wilma and Frieda’s—on a recent weekend visit, for example, the host managed to underestimate our wait time for a table by nearly a half-hour, a cardinal sin in the restaurant business. Also, the prices are decidedly El Paseo-appropriate (i.e., a bit high). However, once you dig in to a tasty treat like the Benny’s Bennie, all faults will be forgiven.
Yes, you’ve had eggs Benedict before. But have you had eggs Benedict on freshly made, house-made biscuits that are fluffy on the inside, and crunchy/crumbly on the outside? Have you had eggs Benedict with thick pieces of high-quality Duroc pork, rather than ho-hum Canadian bacon? Have you had eggs Benedict with a hollandaise sauce that neither fades behind the saltiness of the pork, nor overwhelms with salt or some cloying flavor like too much lemon—but instead, complements the meat and the biscuit?
If the answer to these questions is, “Why yes, I have, thank you,” then tell me where you’re eating, please. If the answer is no, and it probably is no, a trip to Wilma and Frieda’s for the Benny’s Bennie is highly recommended.