Wally's Desert Turtle
71-775 Hwy. 111 (Rancho Las Palmas Dr.) 
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Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
760-568-9321 | Make Restaurant Reservations
Cuisine
Open
Dinner nightlyFeatures
- Heart-healthy dishes
- Romantic setting
- Kid-friendly
- Private room(s)
- Full bar
- Reservations suggested
- Entertainment
- Outdoor dining
- Parking available
- Casual dressy
Wine
Great Wine List* Click here for rating key
| Wally’s Desert Turtle is the namesake of Wally Botello, who built the restaurant in 1978. Son Michael carries on the family tradition with as much aplomb as he might carry a delicate objet d’art. Executive chef Pascal Lallemand upholds the restaurant’s tradition with a lovingly executed menu that makes choices difficult. For hors d’oeuvres, should it be the sautéed sweetbreads with polenta or the pan-seared Maine scallops with plantain fritters, mango, pepper and cilantro relish? As a main course, do you opt for the Provimi veal scaloppine with risotto and lemon caper sauce; the roasted duck breast with medjool date sauce; or the imported Dover sole, either amandine or meunière? One of the delights of the menu is the way Lallemand keeps the basics constant but plays with the accompaniments to keep the dishes vibrant. The sweets may be an easier choice if you take the recommendation of the pastry chef and try one of the six soufflés. But then you’d miss that blast from the past, the baked Alaska. Wine choices are equally challenging, as Wally’s has a list of more than 200 selections. If you're looking for buzz, then this isn't your place, but the food is impressive and that trumps everything. |
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