The sushi menu is available throughout the restaurant and also at the sushi bar.
PHOTO BY BRANDON HARMAN
When I dine out with family for special occasions, few restaurants please every palate. That list narrows further if we consider a central location to minimize the drive for those of us on opposite ends of the valley. Mitch’s on El Paseo in Palm Desert ticks all the boxes.
If you go, reserve a table on the picturesque patio to savor the balmy evening weather. But don’t bother looking at the dinner menu. Yes, the Chilean sea bass is excellent (and the men in my family rarely stray from the surf and turf) — but you want to order from the sushi bar.
After all, this casual fine dining spot is the brainchild of local restaurateurs Mitch and Milissa Epstein and a certified sushi master — James Holder, who grew up and learned the meticulous art of fish in his native Hiyama, Japan.
You can’t go wrong with nigiri. However, if you’re in the mood for a specialty roll, the Lemon (filled with spicy snow crab, asparagus, cucumber, and avocado and topped with yellowtail, salmon, and lemon) is a personal favorite.