These 20 IE Restaurants Awarded Wine Spectator’s Award Of Excellence

INLAND EMPIRE, CA — Just over 3,500 restaurants across the world won the Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence for 2023, with 20 must-try award-winning restaurants right here in Riverside County and parts of the Inland Empire.

Patch took a look at our newest Award of Excellence winners and reviewed a handful of eateries that maintained their awards for more than one year. Each Wine Spectator award winner is in the top 0.3 percent of all dining establishments in the United States, according to that organization.

To win or maintain the award, a restaurant's wine lists must offer at least 90 selections and feature a well-chosen assortment of quality wine producers that would be difficult for diners to find at local stores, according to the Wine Spectator website. Wine selections must also match the restaurant's cuisine in style and pricing and provide a well-rounded experience to guests.

Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula celebrated two awards for their restaurants in 2023. Great Oak Steakhouse, currently under renovation at the Casino resort, and Cork | Fire Kitchen at the Temecula Creek Inn each maintained Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence. Both establishments have held that title since 2020.

Though Great Oak Steak House is closed for a temporary refresh, Pamela Pinto—Vice President of Food and Beverage at Pechanga Resort Casino—dished on the award. She anticipates guests will be thrilled with the changes, including a better look at the restaurant's new exhibition-style kitchen and glass-walled, temperature-controlled wine gallery.

"Receiving this award speaks volumes about how guests feel about the Great Oak Steakhouse," she said. "Our teams work so hard to deliver the best guest experience. And providing the right selections to match our menu at the Great Oak Steakhouse illustrates the attention to detail and care our chefs, restaurant staff, and overall food and beverage management take with each aspect of guest service."

As for Cork | Fire Kitchen, located at 44501 Rainbow Canyon Road inside the Temecula Creek Inn, guests can select from 11o different wines that complement the restaurant's Californian style, farm-to-table cuisine. Cork | Fire Kitchen's wines are inexpensive at under $25 per bottle. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner, moderately priced between $40 and $65 per two-course meal ordered. Chef Matthew Steffen creates seasonal menus which complement the 11o different wines, curated by Wine Director LoriAnne Hulihan.

General Manager Diana McMann shared thoughts on the recent award. Demonstration of farm-to-table cuisine at the Cork | Fire Kitchen inside Temecula Creek Inn. (Courtesy Photo).

"Our culinary and our front-of-house restaurant teams put their hearts and souls into the food served at Cork | Fire Kitchen, ensuring the dishes pair perfectly with the exquisite wines on our list," she said. "Our guests say Cork | Fire Kitchen is a "must-dine" every time they visit Temecula. From the care we take to plant and harvest fresh ingredients on-site to the decision made to serve a wide selection of local wines to help our area remain sustainable, this award goes back to the thoughtfulness we give to each item on our menu."

Also, two restaurants earned honors in Temecula Valley Wine Country in 2023.

Bolero Restaurante at Europa Village Wineries & Resort, located at41150 Via Europa in Temecula, won its second Wine Spectator award.

Bolero is known for its Spanish stylings, with 95 different selections of moderately priced wine on the menu curated by Wine Director Alyssa Krol and Sommelier Adrien Paquette. Open for both lunch and dinner, guests can select the highly sharable menu items designed by chef Hany Ali to complement the Spanish wines.

Diners can expect to spend between $40 and $65 per person for a two-course meal. The restaurant is under the guidance of General Manager John Goldsmith and owner Dan Stephenson.

The Vineyard Rose at South Coast Winery Resort & Spa, located at 34843 Rancho California Road in Temecula, won its first Wine Spectator award for 2023. The restaurant features inexpensive wine prices with bottles under $50 each. There is a corkage fee of $25 if you bring your own bottle, though the restaurant offers 100 selections on the wine menu, curated by Wine Director Tahara Bargar. The Vineyard Rose restaurant menu offers moderately priced Californian cuisine that is seasonal in nature for both lunch and dinner all under the careful eye of owner Jeff Carter and General Manager Kurt Helm.

For 2023, Wine Spectator celebrated Cielo inside the Morongo Casino Resort again. Located at 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon, the restaurant celebrates 130 selections of quality, moderately priced wine selected by Wine Director Robert Volpe. The wine complements the menu under Chef Jerome O'Reggio, which serves seafood and steak at $66 or more per plate, according to Wine Spectator.

In Riverside, Mario's Place maintained its Wine Spectator Award of Excellence as it has since 2004. Located across the street from the Mission Inn Hotel and Spa at 3646 Mission Inn Avenue in Riverside, this restaurant is known for its California, Italian, and French wine selections curated by Wine Director Leone Palagi and Sommelier Justin Rush. Each bottle complements a menu of Italian cuisine by Chef Leone Palagi. Menu items are moderately priced, from $40 to $65 for a typical two-course meal. Prix Fixe menus range from $80 to $150 per plate.

A handful of new 2023 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winners have been brought to the table elsewhere in the Inland Empire, in Redlands and Palm Springs.

Citrone, located at 255 E. Olive Avenue in Redlands, earned its first Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for 2023. The restaurant's best wine stems from California, Italy, and France. There is a corkage fee of $25 a bottle, should you bring your favorites. Though, with 530 different varietals and blends on hand-selected by Wine Director Daniel Isham, there are plenty of choices. Citrone also features moderately priced American cuisine from Chef Erik Garduno.

In Palm Springs, a new Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner joined the table.

Melvyn's at the Ingleside Inn, located at 200 W. Ramon Road in Palm Springs, won the honor for its strengths in reasonably priced wine and moderately priced American cuisine.

Known for its Holywood glamour and timeless luxury, the chefs prepare Californian cuisine with a twist on American fare, according to the restaurant. The restaurant is open to hotel guests only for breakfast and lunch. Dinner reservations are available from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and for weekend brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. Diners can expect to spend over $65 per person for a la carte menu items if you pair them with appetizers or enhancements designed by Chef de Cuisine Robert Rando. Each offering complements the well-developed yet pricey wine list.

The restaurants that have maintained or earned this award in RivCo and the IE include:

• Bolero Restaurante, Temecula
• Cork | Fire Kitchen, Temecula
• Great Oak Steakhouse, Temecula
• The Vineyard Rose, Temecula
• Mario’s Place, Riverside
• N. Caprice Cafe, Redlands
• O. Citrone, Redlands
• The Steakhouse, Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs
• Zin American Bistro, Palm Springs
• Spencer’s Restaurant, Palm Springs
• Melvyn’s at the Ingleside Inn, Palm Springs
• The Steakhouse, Agua Caliente Casino Rancho Mirage
• Morton’s The Steakhouse, Palm Desert
• Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, Palm Desert
• Bellatrix, Palm Desert
• Mastro’s Steakhouse, Palm Desert
• J. Pacifica Seafood Restaurant, Palm Desert
• K. Mitch’s on El Paseo Prime Seafood, Palm Desert
• L. Cielo, Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, Cabazon
• M. La Quinta Cliffhouse Grill and Bar, La Quinta

Search on Wine Spectator.com for an award-winning restaurant near you, and if we missed your favorite, let us know in the comments.