Two more restaurants coming to the River in Rancho Mirage this year

Two new restaurants are coming to the River in Rancho Mirage this fall and winter.

“We’re excited to tell you this weekend that MidiCi, The Neoplitan Pizza Company will be opening up this winter. And Coachella Wine, which will be a great new wine bar. So two new additions coming to the river this fall and winter,” spokesperson Joe Enos said.

MidiCi is taking over the old Baja Fresh location. The national restaurant specializes in “fast-fine” quality dining, serving authentic Neapolitan pizza. Just up the way, Coachella Winery will open right next to Bath and Body Works. These two restaurants added to a growing number of restaurants calling the River home. Last week Acqua opened its doors.

“Things are going amazingly well. People are coming back, old friends of ours are coming in. They’re all so happy to have us back. The place is running like a clock,” owner Jerry Keller said.

This marks the return of the veteran restaurateur who, along with his wife Barbara, opened Acqua Pazza at the river 15 years ago.

“The new management is very forward thinking and very anxious to make this a true entertainment complex. But that’s exactly what they’re doing. Not only are they bringing in new restaurants, but they wanted us back and we wanted to come back,” Jerry Keller said.

He said their restaurant offers something unique.

“First of all we have fantastic food. We source all our food locally. We do 98 percent of the food prep in our kitchen. We bake our own bread. We bake our own pastries. We squeeze our own orange juice every morning,” Keller said.

These new additions will join The Fox & Fiddle, which opened in February.

“They’re a great Canadian brand and this is their first location here in the U.S. and we’re really happy to have them here,” Enos said.

The casual spot offers a pub experience, complete with a game room where guests can play darts, cards and even beer pong. All of the restaurants working to create a central place for people across the valley to come and enjoy themselves.