Sheri’s Palm Springs Area Blog

Dining Around the Desert: Lavender Bistro, La Quinta

My team and I joined our friend Dean to celebrate his birthday at Lavender Bistro last week for dinner out on the gorgeous patio. It was the first time for several of the team members, so we were happy to introduce them to one of the Valley’s best restaurants, and clearly one of the most beautiful outdoor settings. In fact it’s been voted “Best Romantic Restaurant” and has been going strong for 11 years now.

Dean & Adam started out with the Wild Mushroom Soup with Truffle Oil & Chives, while Beverly & Robert started with the Wedge Salad with Baby Organic Lettuce, Point Reyes Bleu Cheese Dressing, Red and Yellow Grape Tomatoes, Chives, Candied Walnuts, Applewood Smoked Bacon and Crispy Crab Fritters.

For our main courses, I had one of my favorites, the Miso Glazed Scottish Salmon with Creme Fraiche Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus, Micro Salad, Fried Seaweed, Mango Salsa and Lemon Caviar.

Beverly had the Grilled Bistro Prime Flat Iron Steak with a Roasted Peppercorn Seasoning, Cabernet Sauce and Truffle French Fries, while Robert and Ed went with the Grilled Center Cut Black Angus Steak with Fondant Potatoes, Haricot Verts, Caramelized Onion with Blue Cheese and Cabernet Sauce.

Adam enjoyed the Maine Lobster Raviolis with Organic Baby Tomatoes, Roasted Corn, Basil and Lobster Bisque, while Dean had the Petrale Sole with Jasmine Blend Rice, Sautéed Spinach, Baby Heirloom Carrots, Mashed Purple Carrots and Lemon Chive, Caper Beurre Blanc.

For dessert, we managed to control ourselves and shared a Lemon Tart and some nice Port.

Whether it’s just for Happy Hour or a formal dinner inside or out, Lavender doesn’t disappoint. Featuring several different musicians, there is entertainment nightly.

For hours, location and more information, click here…

From Sheri Dettman
In Dining Around The Desert

Dining Around the Desert: Bobby Q’s

Okay. It's not this desert, but that other desert to the East of us...

A little background: When I moved to Newport Beach, fresh out of high school, I got a job at the coolest place in town, Bobby McGee's Conglomeration on PCH. I ended up working for the company for eight years, opening new stores all over California. The owner of Bobby McGee's is the legendary, Bob Sikora. Until this past weekend, I hadn't seen Bob in over 30 years! I was in town to help facilitate a big reunion that we are having this 4th of July weekend to honor Bob.

Aside from the extreme pleasure of getting to spend time with Bob, (since this is a dining review), I got to enjoy a lot of great food. Spit roast chicken, brisket, mac and cheese, pulled chicken, cornbread....all simply out of this world. I'll let you take a look at their website for the details, but first, a bit about Bob, who changed so many people's lives for the better, and who continues to do so.

Bob Sikora and Sheri

Courtesy of Bobby Q's

Whether you know him as Bobby Q, Bobby McGee, Mr. Lucky or even Mabel Murphy, there’s no denying that Bob Sikora is a legendary restaurateur. Long before he fired up his first slow smoker here at Bobby Q’s, this Phoenix native was palling around with the likes of Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, and opening restaurants from here to Hawaii. And to think, it all started when a 15-year-old Sikora dropped out of school to take a job as a fry cook at one of the first franchised McDonald’s in Phoenix.

At the age of 20, Sikora opened his first restaurant – Bobby’s Pancake Stand. Here, he gained the experience to open more restaurants, many of which were beer and burger joints or small coffee shops.

In 1966, Sikora opened Mr. Lucky’s, a 19,000 square foot live music venue, featuring prominent acts of the day like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Bobby McGee’s opened in 1971. The popular nightspot featured a first for the Valley, prerecorded music played by a DJ. At the time, only clubs in Los Angeles and New York were using similar technology. Bobby McGee’s became so popular Sikora eventually had to start turning people away. That led to the creation of Mabel Murphy’s in Scottsdale in 1972. It was a Euro dance club that was before its time but helped hold over the crowds from Bobby McGee’s.

Eventually, Bobby McGee’s proved so popular that Sikora expanded it to 24 units, ranging from Australia and Honolulu to Charlotte. Most recently, he scoured the United States, traveling coast to coast searching for great barbecue. From Tennessee to Kansas to California, he has tasted every possible variation and style of barbecue.

Revitalized by his trips, Sikora began a new endeavor – to bring great steaks and real BBQ to Phoenix. Bobby Q opened in 2005 at the former site of Bobby McGee’s, offering a culmination of barbeque favorites. In addition to his extensive barbecue research mixed with his culinary expertise, the secret behind Bobby Q’s barbeque lies within the slow cooking process over Almond and Mesquite wood paired with the perfect blend of spices found in the special dry rub for the meat, as executed by barbeque master, Executive Chef Mark Hittle. This results in succulent hand-pulled pork, smoky sausage links, fork-tender brisket, and ribs that fall right off the bone. Bobby Q is sure to offer barbecue fare unlike any other. The starters will whet your appetite and the desserts will satiate your sweet-tooth cravings, but the barbecue is the showstopper.

Read more about Bobby Q's here....

From Sheri Dettman
In 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