“Island and Desert”, airs at 9 p.m. Friday on the Food Network
Compliments of the Desert Sun
It’s Wilma and Frieda’s turn to simmer in the spotlight.
The popular breakfast and lunch cafe at The Gardens on El Paseo in Palm Desert is the latest desert eatery to be featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.”
The episode, titled “Island and Desert”, airs at 9 p.m. Friday on the Food Network.
Wilma and Frieda’s Executive Chef Chad Spears will serve up the short rib melt which features local artisan baked bread, slow-braised short rib, pickled onions, sautéed arugula and melted Monterey jack cheese.
Then Pastry Chef Camilla Goetz will take over the kitchen to show Fieri how they make the W & F Breakfast tart, which owner Kelly McFall describes as “like a pop tart but with Meyer lemon blueberry, iced and with rainbow sprinkles.”
Sherman’s Deli & Bakery and Grill-A-Burger, both in Palm Desert, Frankinbun in Palm Springs, and Zobo & Meester’s in Cathedral City, all have been featured on recent episodes. They all opened their doors to Fieri and the Food Network crew in late March and early April.
READ MORE: Guy Fieri’s show features Sherman’s Deli and other desert eateries
READ MORE: Guy Fieri visited Frankinbun so we decided to check it out, too
The Desert Sun caught up with McFall via e-mail to talk about her episode. Here’s a Q and A.
Q: Why was the short rib melt and breakfast tart selected to be featured?
A: The producer selected 10 dishes, then they are presented to Guy and he chooses what he feels would be the most tasty and fun things to try.
Q: Were your chefs nervous cooking for Guy?
A: I think they both were before the show, but the production team and Guy are so fun and the nervousness soon disappeared. The production team are total professionals and prepare the team on camera very well as to what to expect.
Q: What was the experience like having Guy in the restaurant?
A: It was even better than expected. Guy is very quick and smart and he likes to joke a lot, so it easily puts you at ease, especially when on camera. He was especially sweet to my mom, Jan.
Q: Are you ready for the traffic that is expected after the episode airs?
A: Yes, we are a pretty busy cafe, so the team is excited to have new faces come in and give us a try. Plus we have a new restaurant opening in downtown Palm Springs in the fall so we will have more opportunity for guests to come and visit us. In addition our new location has a much larger kitchen that will help us increase production.
Q: What are you doing to prepare for the Guy Fieri effect?
A: We increased the amount of our orders to accommodate the demand, and have prepared the staff to talk to our guests about what Guy enjoyed eating in our cafe. We have also placed Guy’s signature and avatar in a location under glass that provides a nice photo op area for Guy’s fans.
IF YOU WATCH:
Wilma and Frieda, 73575 El Paseo, Palm Desert, will be featured on an episode of Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,” at 9 p.m. on Friday on the Food Network.
The episode is called “Island and Desert” and will feature the cafe’s short rib and nostalgic breakfast tarts.