Palm Desert's Finest - Castelli's

Everyone who knows me knows that the two things I love the most outside of my family and business are (1) Dining, and (2) The Desert. The Rancho Mirage/Palm Desert area is my chosen place for solitude and serenity, and I have taken much advantage of it over the years. When I am feeling really greedy and want to combine these two loves, there is no place I'd rather be in the entire Coachella Valley than Castelli's.Castelli's sits off of Highway 111 near the dividing line of Indian Wells and Palm Desert. It has been there for a long time, and the two brothers who own it are literally there every night (or at least one of them is). The walls are literally PAPERED with pictures of the celebs who have frequented the place over the years, only half of these people are REGULARS, not one-shot juanitas who the place who throws on the wall for aesthetics. It is vibey, it is old school, and it is completely my style of restaurant. The food is saucy, seasoned, and completely over-done in flavor. What else do you want? I heartily recommend starting with a trio appetizer plate, which overwhelm you with taste and seasoning. A little dijon shrimp, some canneloni, and a flawless ravioli - you will be tempted to skip the entree and just keep ordering the main course.Their signature dish is the pork chop, and you have never, ever had a pork chop like this in your life. I can only tell you that there is something about this entree that I have never experienced anywhere, but to comprehend the seriousness of how special this pork chop is would require you eating it.The osso buccu will not disappoint either In fact, I have not had an entree there I did not positively love. I confess that the ambiance of the place is as much what I love as the food itself. Either way, Castelli's is a top choice, and it only gets better that you get to go to Palm Desert to experience it ...