Our fourth trip back in three years to this funky Palm Springs restaurant proved every bit as rewarding as the earlier ones. In between movie previews at the Annenberg, as part of our International Film Festival marathon, we’d gotten confused about where we’d made our early dinner reservations.
Zini Mediterranean has a sister restaurant called Zen American Bistro and they are within a block of each other on South Palm Canyon in Palm Springs. A frantic phone call finally clarified it.
Happy hour is a great time to try this restaurant. Even the Mimosas are only a couple of bucks. The Tapas choices were a bit skimpy for the price, but delectable none the less — great choices of gourmet cheeses, meats and olives and yummy bread. Fortunately we had the time for a leisurely repast, as we weren’t due back for our second film screening for several hours. Besides, watching the masses drift by the open cafe is always a trip! Our waiter, Greg, was a hoot and a good sport to boot. He turned out to be a Palm Springs native who is a die hard Patriots fan, so we all had one eye on the bar television.
BTW if you get as confused as we were, just remember, Zini is a couple of doors down from the Follies and around the corner from Tylers. Have the Salad Niçoise.* What else do you need to know?
*of or pertaining to Nice, France. Dishes that are served à la niçoise are characterized by ingredients common to the south of France — black olives and olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, green beans, potatoes, and anchovies.
La Bella Vita 