Norma's Italian Kitchen — Restaurant in Rancho Mirage

Upon approaching the entrance, it was evident that this restaurant is a charming hole-in-the-wall eatery. Inside, the decor was quaint and the seating, though slightly aged, provided a cozy atmosphere. The ceiling, however, could benefit from some refurbishment, as it consisted of paneled drywall. While the air flow was adequate, the interior was notably humid.

The service was exemplary. Our waitress was kind and attentive, checking on us frequently. Additionally, a second waitress double-checked to see if our order had been taken, which we greatly appreciated.

Starting with the surprisingly good quality of water for such a small establishment, it’s worth noting that water quality can be indicative of the overall care in food preparation, as it is a fundamental ingredient in cooking.

We began our meal with the bread. While I appreciated the idea of having a pre-meal filler, the bread itself tasted and felt as if it were store-bought. This was confirmed by the waitress, who mentioned it was not baked in-house. Considering this, I’m relieved I didn't opt for the cheese bread, as it would have likely been a disappointment. Offering freshly baked bread could enhance the dining experience and may even be more cost-effective.

For our appetizer, we chose the Three Meatballs. The meat was soft, tender, and complemented by a delicious marinara sauce, topped with a delicate layer of mozzarella cheese. They were easy to cut and chew, which was a pleasant change from many hearty meatballs I've had before. Although the sauce could benefit from a bit more seasoning, it was a great way to start the meal.

We ordered two entrées:

Cheese Ravioli with Bolognese Sauce: The ravioli was well-cooked, with a savory, creamy, and generous cheese filling. However, the sauce was somewhat bland, resembling the marinara sauce with added meat. The meat was too soft and finely broken up; chunkier pieces would have been preferable. Traditional Bolognese sauce, made with ground meat, onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and milk, should be slow-cooked for a rich, hearty flavor. This dish lacked the depth and complexity expected from a Bolognese. Additionally, excess water around the pasta suggested it hadn't been adequately drained, slightly diluting the flavor. Despite these issues, the dish was executed well overall and tasted good with the sauce.

Spaghetti with Marinara, Bell Peppers, and Sausage: The noodles were evenly cooked, soft but not soggy. The sauce was very flavorful, allowing each ingredient to shine. However, the portion size was quite large. A smaller serving of pasta, accompanied by a decent portion of protein, could help reduce costs and improve the dining experience. Cutting the sausage and peppers into smaller pieces would also make the dish easier to eat and more enjoyable.

Overall, for such a small restaurant, the experience was surprisingly good, and I would gladly return. The restaurant shows great potential for growth in the near future.

I hope this review and critique find you in good faith....

I think I would have been able to give this place a better rating, but a few things made my first time here a bit rocky. We are all dealing with covid as best we can, so the sign on the outside of the doors saying "take out orders wait outside" was a little disheartening. As a first time visitor, it didn't make me happy to wait outside in the heat. A waitress took my order from outside. She seemed a bit short with me, even though I knew exactly what I wanted. She went back inside to place my order and get my total. When I found out the total was cheaper than online, I was happy, but I would've much preferred to place my order online if the prices weren't so different. The waitress seemed to be sorry with me again when I presented her with my card as MOP and she mumbled something that included the words "I hate" as she went back inside to run my card. When she returned, I signed my slip, left a tip and she informed me that my order would be out in 15 minutes. And I waited outside. I didn't wait too long for my order. When I got back to my hotel, I was disappointed to find that there was no cutlery in the bag for me to eat my salad with. The Cobb salad was good, but tightly packed in a tin making it hard to enjoy each elements of the salad with a bit of blue cheese dressing. Also, the amount of dressing was pretty slim. The sandwich "THE ITALIAN" had only 1 drawback, the lettuce. Shredded lettuce would've been better than the slice iceberg that came on the sandwich. But the bread.... Man, the bread was amazing! If I ever go back, I'll try to order ahead so my wait time won't be so frustrating and the wait staff won't have to come outside. That bread was just really incredible for...

Great Food, WORST EXPERIENCE!!! December 5th 3:00pm I have been to this restaurant many times for dinner. Always a wonderful experience and meal. The salmon dinner is amazing. Unfortunately, Today I had the worst experience with a very antagonistic server! The restaurant was empty I sat outside. There was one other table who came after me. I waited a long time to have my order taken! Not even greeted, just rude!!!! My soup and salad came and I asked for bread, 15 minutes later I went inside to ask for my bread and noticed another customer who arrived long after me had her bread & wine etc. I was told my bread burned! Absolutely WORST SERVICE EVER! The server was very condescending and simply could care a less! Never offered to refill my hot water, she behaved as though I was inconveniencing her . She said she would package a bowl of soup to take, I adamantly declined. I asked for my pizza to go! She stood at my table and argued over this entire event. Unbelievable

After paying my tab, ZERO TIP!! She placed the packaged of soup on top of my pizza and with a smirk on her face told me to have a nice day! Absolutely unacceptable! That’s Antagonistic period!!!!!! Thank you for ruining my...