Sense Restaurant opened last month in the former space occupied by the original Omri and Boni Restaurant. I’d been hearing about Sense for several months from Chef Robert Douglas and Co-owner Ben Nance (who operate the eatery along with Co-owner Andrew Dye) when my husband Bill and I kept running into them in other local eateries while Sense was under construction.
According to Chef Robert, Sense is a “from scratch” restaurant and bar. The restaurant does not have a freezer or a microwave and their menu changes daily depending on the availability of fresh, local organic ingredients. Sense’s décor is modern and the bar area is located in the rear, which makes ‘Sense’ to the owners. The Sense menu is divided into three sections: Classic, New, and Tribute, offering choices for sophisticated foodies and comfort food diners.
To sum up our opinion of this new restaurant, we like Sense so much that we dined there three times in the last two weeks. I’ve enjoyed the roasted chicken with creamed spinach and gnocchi on two occasions. Bill has been raving about the spiced pork flatiron with root vegetable pavé, creamed onions, green been casserole and jam. We topped off one evening with their classic chocolate cake, and verified first-hand that Sense does not have a freezer when our request for a side of ice cream for our wonderful classic cake was politely turned down.
Each wine selection on the moderately priced wine list is also offered by the glass, which results in a great tasting experience. Beer lovers will almost certainly appreciate the extensive selection of many popular brews, as well. In addition, Sense offers a full bar that includes some very interesting cocktails. Sense is a wonderful new edition to the desert-dining scene, offering an authentic taste of the big city right here in our desert.
Sense is located at 73675 Highway 111, Palm Desert, on the south side of the street between San Pablo and Portola. (760) 341-2900 Sense is open for lunch and dinner. Closed on Monday and Tuesday.
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