Dining Around The Desert

Dining Around the Desert: The Pink Cabana, Indian Wells

Created by PRG Hospitality Group, in collaboration with designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard, the Sands Hotel & Spa was conceived to be the first designer boutique hotel in the prominent and exclusive community of Indian Wells, California.

The Pink Cabana is an ingredient-driven restaurant featuring Mediterranean cuisine with a Moroccan influence. Chef Jason Niederkorn has received world renowned accolades from Condé Nast Traveler, LA Times and Forbes, amongst others.

I've had the good fortune of having cocktails and dinner at The Pink Cabana about half a dozen times since it opened a couple of months ago. Located right next door to The Nest off of Highway 111, in Indian Wells.

My friends and I have enjoyed a selection of their specialty cocktails, including the Smoked Sage Margarita, Desert Rose Mojito, Cabana Colada, and Pink Lemonade. They take a few minutes to be created, but they are worth it!

For shareable bites, we especially enjoyed the Cabana Meze, which included citrus scented olives, hummus, zaalouk, grilled yogurt naan, and the Artisan Cheeses with fig, date & harissa chutney, and grilled country bread.

For Large Plates, I return again and again to the Harissa Chicken with saffron potatoes, turmeric cipollini, Meyer lemon, and green olives. My friend Dean likes the Filet Mignon with fingerling potatoes, seasonal vegetables, and Sands steak sauce and Bob shared the Prime Ribeye with delta asparagus, truffled fries, and red wine sauce with the girls. Laura had the Wild Mushroom Tagliatelle with broccoli di Ciccio, butternut squash, Reggiano, and Leslie had the Alaskan Halibut with summer shell beans, Nicoise olives, and white corn emulsion.

We all love the atmosphere, the food, drinks and the service. It will be one of our go-to spots from now on.

Lunch Daily from 11am-3pm
Limited ‘Sunset Menu’ Daily from 3pm-5pm
Dinner Sunday-Thursday 5:30-9pm,
Friday-Saturday 5:30-10pm

LUNCH MENU DINNER MENU

Laura, Sheri & Leslie

Entrance to the hotel and restaurant

Read more about the Sands Hotel & Spa and the Pink Cabana here...

From Sheri Dettman
In Dining Around The Desert

Dining Around the Desert: Enzo’s, Old Town La Quinta

Just opened about three weeks ago at the site of the former Crab Pot, a concept that never took hold, is the latest La Quinta restaurant, Enzo's. The location was previously home to Andrew's, which was a lot of fun. Now as Enzo's, it looks like the fun has returned!

With AJ at the helm as the General Manager, it would be hard to not be good. AJ has a rich history of running the show like it should be run. The couple of times that I've been there since the opening, he is hands-on, making sure everything is just right.

The dishes that I've enjoyed with my friends have been off of the Happy Hour Menu, which runs until 7 PM daily.

Vicki and I started with the Ruby Red Citrus Martini, which we highly recommend. Bright, tart and very refreshing.

Maddie and I tried the house Chardonnay, Cabernet, and a couple of the other selections off of the well-selected wine list.

Eggplant Stack

We had an excellent Calamari Fritti, Romaine Wedge, Porchetta Sandwich, Eggplant Parmigiano Stack, Lasagna, Ravioli Con Ricotta E Spinaci, and Pappardelle Bolognese. Please note this was over the course of several visits, not all at once!

The crowning glory, however, was the incredible homemade cheesecake and cannelloni. Off the charts good. And that's coming from a couple of Italian girls who know our desserts.

They also offer a selection of Pizzas, Fish, Chicken, Pork and Veal dishes.

Enzo's

78121 Avenida La Fonda,
La Quinta, CA 92253
760-564-7333

Hours:

Bar

Sunday-Thursday
3:00pm-9:00pm

Friday-Saturday
3:00pm-10:00pm

Dining Room

Sunday-Thursday
5:00pm-9:00pm

Friday-Saturday
5:00pm-10:00pm

From Sheri Dettman
In Dining Around The Desert

Trendiest Foods in the Desert

These are the flower crowns of the foodie world.
Courtesy of TIFFANY CARTER APRIL 20, 2018

Dessert that tastes as perfect as it looks from Lala’s Waffles Crepes & Shakes in Cathedral City. Creative flavors and whimsical presentation are trends that never go out of style.

PHOTOGRAPH BY TIFFANY CARTER

Since it's festival season in the Coachella Valley, with Stagecoach starting today, I thought you might enjoy this article from Palm Springs Life:

Trendy foods are just as stylish as your Coachella wardrobe but perfect when washed down with champagne or beer. Beyoncé would approve of the vegan burger that bleeds just like real beef, and Eminem would surely lose himself in a crepe cone. Haim’s name would fit perfectly on a personalized quesadilla, and Cardi B would find foie gras macarons to be as fab as she is.

Create your own festival with a three-day weekend binge-tasting and Instagram-ing these unique dishes.

Read all about it here...

From Sheri Dettman
In Dining Around The Desert

Guy Fieri’s Tasty Desert Stops

A behind-the-scenes look at the Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives host and the restaurants he visited. He even ate a vegan hot dog.

Courtesy of TIFFANY CARTER APRIL 5, 2018 RESTAURANTS, WATCH & LISTEN - RESTAURANTS

PHOTOGRAPH BY TIFFANY CARTER

The Buddha Burger is a turkey burger that wowed Guy Fieri, who called it “a gorgeous looking burger.”

Guy Fieri has traveled across America as host of the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, including several stops in the Coachella Valley.

The owners of the tasty local spots he visited have filled us in on some of the details. Among the takeaways:

• The show’s team of researchers carefully scouts the restaurants ahead of time. Restaurants need to send in their menu items (even daily specials) for Fieri to review. He personally chooses the dishes he wants to feature on the show; the restaurants have no say.
• Fieri is on-site for about three hours. The crew shuts down the restaurant for two days for pre-production.
• The first time Fieri takes a bite of the dish on the show is the first time he actually tastes it.

VIDEO: Grill-A-Burger shares how they prepare two of Guy Fieri’s favorite burgers from his visit to Palm Desert. (Video by Steven Salisbury).

Watch the video and read the rest of the article here...

From Sheri Dettman
In Dining Around The Desert

Dining Around the Desert: Arnold Palmer’s, La Quinta

This past weekend, my friend Sharon and I had dinner at Arnold Palmer's. It was the first time that either one of us had been there in quite some time. To be honest, it hadn't been so great the last couple of times, but we were looking for a nice patio and decided to give it a chance as we knew they had a new chef.

We were not disappointed. We sat outside on the patio under misters, which were appreciated as it was pretty toasty at 6 PM.

We enjoyed a nice bottle of wine along with the Herb Roasted Salmon for me. Served with roasted new potatoes, asparagus and a tzatziki sauce, it was perfect for the weather.

Sharon enjoyed the Montgomery Inn Ribs, which are slow roasted baby backs with homemade coleslaw and french fries.

Adding to the festive atmosphere was Guitarist Mark Linford who plays on the patio 7 days a week from 5pm - 9pm.

About the Restaurant

Open since 2004, Arnold Palmer's Restaurant is one of the most popular restaurants in the Coachella Valley. Featuring Arnold Palmer's favorite dishes, with a genuine and inviting atmosphere a hallmark of The King himself, the restaurant treats visitors to a massive collection of memorabilia spanning Palmer's decades-long professional golf career.

Dine indoors in the Masters Room, the British Open Room, the U.S. Open Room, the Palmer Room, or the Wine Room; each provides a unique experience and a journey through Arnold Palmer's history and triumphs, all with their signature service. The Wine Room, perfect for special events, showcases more than 2,000 bottles of wine.

The renovated patio, including the new Terrace Lounge, is a perfect place to enjoy a desert evening, dining al fresco under the stars. Heaters and misters ensure year-round comfort, and the spacious dining patio opens up to the new outdoor lounge and a cozy fire pit. Whether you're sharing a special dinner with friends after a round of golf or joining them for one of their featured afternoon wine tastings, try the patio during your next visit.

Read more about the restaurant here...

From Sheri Dettman
In Dining Around The Desert

Desert Buzz: The Best Coffee Shops in the Coachella Valley

Have some caffeine with your palm trees at these piping-hot spots.

Courtesy of TIFFANY CARTER APRIL 12, 2018 RESTAURANTS

Gré Coffehouse & Art Gallery in Palm Springs offers the Upside Down Latte, which comes iced in a mason jar.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY TIFFANY CARTER

Gotta have our coffee!!

I look forward to the early morning. Rise and shine when the desert is coolest, the traffic on Highway 111 hasn’t quite peaked, and it’s perfectly acceptable to cruise into a coffee shop sporting a messy bun and sweats with dried toothpaste on the front. No judging before 8 a.m., folks.

The aroma of just-ground, dark-roasted coffee beans is right up there with new-car scent, chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven, and freshly cut grass. Here are the best places in the Coachella Valley to get your fix.

Read all about the best coffee shops here...

From Sheri Dettman
In Dining Around The Desert

AC3 Now Open in Palm Desert

AC3 Restaurant + Bar, owned by well-known valley restaurateurs Tony Marchese and Andrew and Juliana Copley, opened Sunday, adjacent to Hotel Paseo in Palm Desert.

“Andrew, Tony and I have been envisioning opening a restaurant together for the past couple years,” said Juliana Copley. “We really wanted to bring together what guests and locals have come to love at our individual restaurants but all under one roof – from Tony’s hip, local, vibe at TRIO to Copley’s award-winning food and service.”

To start, the restaurant, situated just off El Paseo at 45350 Larkspur Lane, will be open for dinner only, from 5 to 10 p.m., with breakfast and lunch added sometime in March.

Marchese owns TRIO in Palm Springs while Andrew and Juliana Copley own Copley’s, also in Palm Springs.

AC3’s dinner menu highlights include Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with wasabi guacamole, sweet and sour sauce and tobiko; Berkshire Pork Schnitzel with dijonaise crushed potatoes, bacon brussels sprouts, herbed yogurt and cranberry; Striped Sea Bass with black lentils, tinker bell peppers, dinosaur kale, mushrooms and smoked citrus butter; and Citrus Icebox Cake with yuzu cream, graham crust and basil ice cream.

CHEFS: Two of the valley’s celebrated restaurateurs team up for AC3

The restaurant and bar also offers a cocktail menu created by AC3 General Manager and Beverage Director Chris Chmielak.

The restaurant’s contemporary interior was designed and decorated by Monique Lemon and Angela Paladino of Design One Eleven in Indian Wells.

WAITING: Nearby businesses anxiously await opening of Hotel Paseo

Indoor and outdoor seating at AC3 will accommodate a little more than 200 people.

Nicholas Kontaxis works on one of his paintings at his home in Rancho Mirage, December 20, 2017. His artwork will decorate the new AC3 Restaurant + Bar, opening Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018, adjacent to Hotel Paseo, on Larkspur Lane in Palm Desert. (Photo: Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun)

Dinner reservations can be made online at ac3palmdesert.com/reservations or by calling (760) 340-6069.

The 150-room luxury boutique Hotel Paseo – the first hotel for Palm Desert’s high-end shopping district – is expected to open in March, though an official date has not been set, spokeswoman Jenna Duran said.

AC3 will operate the pool bar and provide room service and banquet meals to hotel guests once it is open.

ARTIST: Works of local artist with autism decorate walls of AC3

Hotel Paseo, owned and developed by Robert Leach, is part of the Evolution Hospitality and Autograph Collection Hotels which operate under the Marriott umbrella.

The hotel was initially expected to open in November but has experienced some delays.

General Manager Gil Reyes said in January he expects the hotel to be open in time for Fashion Week El Paseo, the shopping district’s signature event, March 17-24.

Desert Sun reporter Sherry Barkas covers Tourism and Families. She can be reached at sherry(dotted)barkas(at)thedesertsun(dotted)com or (760) 778-4694. Follow her on Twitter @TDSsherry

From Sheri Dettman
In Dining Around The Desert

Best Restaurants to Take Visitors in the Palm Springs Area

These classic stops offer the quintessential Greater Palm Springs experience.

The various levels of seating at Lulu California Bistro give your guests the opportunity to take in Palm Springs dining from several points of view.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY LULU CALIFORNIA BISTRO

There are plenty of choices in the desert for good food and drinks, lively ambiance, and incredible service. However, when you have guests from out of town, you want to wow them with something more — places that also offer a bit of history, nostalgia, fun, scenic views, and adventure.

LULU CALIFORNIA BISTRO

If you haven’t added Lulu to your “I must take my out-of-town guests here list” then your ho-hum list needs a pick-me-up. Rarely will you find a quiet night at this restaurant, which is always bustling with locals and tourists alike. The tasty menu and affordable prices make it a win-win, and the happy-hour menu is all day and all night long (sing it Lionel Richie), from 11a.m. until closing.

In addition to making day drinking cost-efficient, Lulu is a pioneer at creating inventive dishes with fresh ingredients and bakes its bread and desserts in-house.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY LULU CALIFORNIA BISTRO

Alfresco dining also allows for people-watching in downtown Palm Springs.

The various levels of seating give your guests the opportunity to take in Palm Springs dining from several points of view: up high overlooking the main floor, people-watching on the patio, or catching all the good vibes from a seat at the bar.

Who to take: Your sister who always says “I’m bored,” the fun uncle with the jolly laugh, your long-lost drinking buddy, your high school/college BFF whose life revolves around brunch, that out-of-town date you just met on Tinder.

Read more here...

From Sheri Dettman
In Dining Around The Desert