The Patio at Desert Hills Golf Course, Yuma – the Rest of the Story

Looks like Ed (from Yuma) is less busy today than Kirk or Cathy. That’s why you’re reading this post today.

In my last post about this restaurant, back in February, the focus was on breakfasts, but The Patio does a lot of things, most of them well.

Take for example appetizers. Recently at an event here, Tina and I really loved the crunchy deep-fried calamari and oysters Rockefeller, but I did not have my camera with me. So the only appetizer I have pictured is the pretty Quesadilla:

The red pepper flour tortilla surrounded creamy mellow cheese, shredded chicken, and chorizo. A step above most quesadillas.

The first time I ate lunch at the Patio, I chose the Reuben sandwich, which came with the house made chips:

Those chips are warm, thick, and crunchy and went well with the sandwich. The Reuben itself was marvelous:

The Rye bread was grilled perfectly and there was a generous amount of corned beef and sauerkraut. For my palate, this was a great sandwich and a great lunch.

Not quite as successful was this BLT, which I ordered with the french fries ($1.25 extra):

There was nothing really wrong with the sandwich though I should have added avocado to it for some extra creaminess. Those huge fries have a lot of potato taste, but not as much crispness as I like in french fries.

The burgers are uniformly excellent. Look at this close-up their standard burger patty topped with avocado:

What's not to love? Hand formed patty, char marks, juiciness. All those things add up to a first-class burger.  

That even applies to the very basic Basic Burger:

Sure, the burger toppings (lettuce, onion, dill slices, tomato) are standard, but the patty was so good they were all that the burger needed. I left the mustard, mayo, and ketchup untouched.

I had requested the house “kale slaw” instead of chips that day because it's a crunchy, tangy, pretty salad with an excellent balsamic dressing.

I had discovered that wonderful thing when I tried the fish and chips:

The two fish filets were outstanding. The beer batter was good and the sea bass tasted moist, succulent, and  fresh. The chips were okay, but less interesting than everything else on the plate.

Usually I don't like to include photos of things that I haven't eaten, but Evonne loved her Asian Short Rib Tacos, so here is a picture: 

She swore they were as tasty as they look. They are topped with pickled cucumber, spicy mayo, and sliced red onion. They come with the same slaw, but the deep-fried things in the back are not chips, but chicharrones. Gotta have this on my next visit.

Tina and I have also had a couple of nice dinners at the Patio. When the weather is temperate, you can sit outside:

There's even a little fire going:

While the wine list is small (though featuring Bogle wines) The Patio has a full bar and specialty drinks like the Moscow Mule:

This old time favorite features primarily ginger beer and vodka, and Tina approves.

All of the dinner entrées come with your choice of salads, both excellent. Here is the wedge:

Old-school decadence. Iceberg lettuce smothered in ranch and topped with blue cheese, real bacon pieces, and diced tomato. The drizzle of reduced balsamic adds complexity.

Here's the garden salad:

The half a heart of romaine is topped with dried cranberries, pepitos, chopped cucumber, chopped tomato, shredded carrot, and roasted corn. The sweet tang of the dressing plays well with the other ingredients. Excellent salad in both taste and plating.

The entrées also come with soft dinner rolls and balls of butter:

So far, Tina and I have tried four entrées. Here's Italian sausage meatloaf, a thick slice wrapped with bacon and stuffed with mozzarella cheese:

It lay on a pile of mashed potato and was covered with gravy and topped with crispy fried onion strips. Tina loved the Italian sausage flavor of this rich and decadent meatloaf.

That same evening, I had  short ribs:

Braised in stout, the large chunks of tender beef sat atop cheddared mashed potatoes and both were enhanced by the stout gravy. All surmounted by mini onion rings and a tangle of deep-fried carrot shreds that resemble Donald Trump's hair. Outstanding flavors, nonetheless. I'd order this again.

The next dinner we ate indoors, and Tina was looking for something  healthier, so she selected the grilled zucchini lasagna:

This tasted much better than it looks in the picture. Basically, it's slices of seriously grilled zucchini covered with cheese and tomato sauce. This close-up may give you a better idea about the entrée:

I wanted lamb chops, which turned out to be two double boned chops slathered with chimichurri sauce and set atop mashed potatoes (and again bewigged like the Donald):

This was tasty. The mildly flavored lamb was tender and not overcooked. The sauce was green and garlicky. That little bowl sitting on the back of the plate was brimming with Mexican-style yellow corn, just like you'd find out on 8th Street:

 Roasted corn kernels, charred from the grill, swimming in a rich combination of butter, crema, and Parmesan. Total yummy.

This last year has been good for us Yumans who like eating out. A lot of interesting and tasty new restaurants. The Patio, in particular, offers a great range of various foods in a nice setting. Service is first rate, and many of the dishes are out of the ordinary. That chef Alex's cuisine often reflects Yuma (like that street corn)is an added bonus.

Comments

[janfrederick]

That wedge looks like a sundae! Me, I've decided I like the "standard" burger dressing these days. Crunchy lettuce, pickle tang, sharp mustard, sweet ketchup, creamy mayo, bright tomato....all perfect with charred beef on a squishy, yet toasted bun. Mmmm.

Great post!

[Soo @ hungryones]

Mmm... I loved burgers, fried sea bass and beef short ribs. Place sounds cool.

[Ed (from Yuma)]

Well, jan, I sometimes dress up my burgers too, but I like to have one as plain as possible once in a while to focus on the flavor of the burger itself. I thought both of the salads were exceptional. Thanks for the nice words.

And yes, Soo, this is a pretty good place to eat with a lot of good choices, I think.

[jack]

Great post Ed. I love me a good reuben every now and then and that one looks great!

[Ed (from Yuma)]

It really was very good.