State Fare Bar & Kitchen

State Fare Bar & Kitchen Restaurant Review:

State Fare Bar & Kitchen cuisine at The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage presents a fresh take on California cuisine, drawing visitors and locals alike for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The sprawling space is decorated in warm, earth tones and encompasses a bar and lounge that serves its own menu until 11 p.m., main dining area punctuated by two glassed-in private rooms, and a chef’s display kitchen. Guests can also choose to dine on the terrace, which has heat lamps and fire pits. This dog-friendly section looks out on the pool and palm trees with the mountains in the distance. Executive chef Bruno Lopez oversees both the property’s restaurants, State Fare Bar & Kitchen and The Edge, while personable chef Michael Poompan leads the kitchen here. The menu of modern comfort food features local purveyors, line-caught seafood and organic, free-range, hormone-free meat. Among the starters, you’ll find a California cheese and charcuterie plate, Tahitian squash soup, roasted beets paired with burrata, and the popular avocado fries. The State Fare Prime Burger, served on a pretzel bun and topped with cheddar, onion-bacon jam, arugula and aïoli, is in such demand that it’s even available at breakfast. Another signature is the ale-braised short rib with mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, crispy onions and horseradish. Finish on a sweet note with the floating island dessert composed of French meringue with vanilla sauce. The wine list features California producers exclusively --- same goes for the beers. Even some of the hand-crafted cocktails have a local bent, such as the Wolfskill & Pine made with TRU vodka (from Greenbar Craft Distillery in Los Angeles), lemon, rosemary and Chandon Brut.