tucked away on the second floor of an upscale shopping mall in the palm desert part of coachella valley wilma & frieda’s cafe has been serving some of the region’s best breakfasts since 2013, the café named after its owners two grandmothers promising “comfort food with a twist” like so many others, but doing it better than most with a wide variety of plates ranging from eggs with bacon to meatloaf sandwiches plus a wide range of desserts and pastries.
currently toqued by chef julian gonzales cruz, the owners themselves working as hostesses, baristas and managers alongside a youthful crew sporting big smiles even as a flood of patrons filled the indoor/outdoor space mere moments after the eight o’clock opening, it was as one of the first to enter that a choice of seats was offered and opting for an indoor two-top along the window it was not long until a young hispanic female approached with menus and water, a quick perusal of the pastry case leading to a five-item order with some for now and the rest for later.
upscale midwestern farmhouse on the outside but only minimally decorated within, sturdy metal chairs and concrete floors with simple painted walls, a neon sign and a few seasonal accents here and there, it was with current iheartradio hits playing lightly overhead that the first of several cups of good locally roasted koffi were poured before dining began with one of wilma & frieda’s signature pop-tarts, the piping-hot pastry plated with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar featuring a soft and buttery crust packed with sticky-sweet cinnamon-brown sugar jam.
tempted by the griddled meatloaf and churro waffle but unable to resist the restaurant’s most famous item, a $13 dish described as blackberry custard french toast featuring two heavily-saturated slices of brioche seared crispy with over a dozen organic blackberries and housemade blackberry syrup it was with slow bites that the bread pudding breakfast was enjoyed down to just a purple smear on the plate, the tab settled before taking a cup of koffi to go along with three additional items from the case.
wandering around the the gardens on el paseo for about twenty minutes, none of the stores yet open but the public art and elegant cactus displays nonetheless worth a look, it was after assessing the rest of the day’s agenda that the decision was made to enjoy the rest of wilma & frieda’s bounty before departing, the snickerdoodle cookie unfortunately a bit dry despite a big buttery taste while both the seasonal pumpkin bar with pecan brown sugar streusel and whiskey walnut tart fared better, though the unannounced addition of chocolate chips to the latter unfortunately blunted the bitterness of both the nuts and the liquor.