Crudo Cervicheria

Every time I visit Palm Springs, I always find myself going back to Crudo for a quick and delicious lunch. I always order the same thing, and I always enjoy myself. Crudo is on the main strip, a little further from all the bustle of downtown, but still centrally located. Oftentimes, the restaurant is not busy for lunch. There has never been a wait during any of my visits, and there usually isn't more than three other parties dining at the same time. The menu is fairly large, featuring a wide variety of drinks and all sorts of food. From ceviches to tacos to large sharable plates, there is definitely something for everyone. Despite this, I find myself always going for the "ahi poky tower". It features a heap of marinated tuna with black rice, cucumber, avocado, and mango relish. When mixed together, you get the most delicious, well-balanced bites. The dish is served with crispy and delicate chips to provide texture and also a medium to hold all of the poke. Altogether, bites are rich, citrusy, and creamy. I personally like to order this dish on its own, but it can also serve as a great sharing dish in the middle of the table. The chips make it easy for everyone to get a bite. As for the calamari, this whole dish was really disappointing. I didn't order the dish and didn't look at the description, but when it was ordered, it was really unclear to me that it would be a steak instead of smaller pieces of calamari. The huge chunk of squid threw me off, but it was also the downfall of the dish. The fry was just okay. It wasn't super crispy, but the squid itself was extremely tough. It was really unpleasant to chew and was completely flavorless. The fries suffered from similar issues, being mostly mushy and flavorless. This won't stop me from coming back to Crudo, but I would definitely advise against ordering this dish. Crudo is a very welcoming restaurant with kind staff and generally great food. The poke tower serves as a high standard for seafood and the ability to construct a balanced dish. Even though I always get the poke tower, I would bet that a lot of the seafood dishes live up to the same level of quality and standard. And despite the calamari steak not being for me, I also understand that it is a new dish, and perhaps the kitchen was still dialing in the recipe. Crudo will continue to be one of my go-to restaurants and a place I take newcomers to Palm Springs every time I visit.