Two Days in the Desert

I used to live in Palm Springs and go there regularly, but I no longer have the ability to drive 2 hours to have a meal with friends out there and then drive 2 hours back to Los Angeles. Road trips over 1 hour driving time now require an overnight stay:) 

It was a pleasure to go back to Cielo on the 27th floor of the Morongo Casino. Last time I went there was before Covid for happy hour, but this time I wanted to try their full menu at the restaurant.

Dinner started off with a great bread basket and delightful butter.

 

Fried calamari for $25 was delicately fried and enough to share for as appetizer.

The Kale Chopped salad for $18 with feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, cipollini onions, pecans and apple, served with a blood orange vinaigrette was enough to share or could have been a meal for one person.

The shrimp and fettuccine pasta for $44 was very buttery and loaded with plump perfectly cooked shrimp in a garlic and basil. After all the starters it was nearly impossible to eat the whole thing, but the leftovers kept well enough in the hotel fridge to eat the next day.

Since Cielo is basically a steakhouse, we also ordered the kurabota pork chop for $48 cooked medium with a marsala reduction that was a perfect for any meat lover who appreciates quality pork done with a light hand and expertly cooked.

Since my friend had an upcoming birthday, Cielo offered us a brownie, chocolate covered strawberry, whipped cream and berries dessert with extra spoons for sharing ;)

The next day, I met another friend in Palm Springs at The Farm for brunch. The most decadent dish on the menu was the bacon, chicken, sausage, and waffle with a side of potatoes for $18 so of course we had to try it! It was a rich as it looks and I recommend a giant salad for dinner if you eat this for brunch!

We got a side of crab cakes to share.

I got the eggs Florentine for $15 and enjoyed it even though I prefer the traditional English muffin bottom to the multi grain bread they used.

We ordered 2 glasses of the Bouvet Brut for $11 each and toasted the pricelessness of friendship.

French Miso Palm Springs

It's been over 2 years since I've seen most of my friends so on my trip to Palm Springs, it was nice to catch up with friends who live in the high desert after getting fully vaccinated with a booster. Champagne was the drink of choice for brunch at French Miso, which recently reopened for diners in their lovely courtyard location downtown. The Monthuy's Brut was only $56 and we could have easily drunk a second bottle! 

Booking a reservation and going as early as possible are keys to enjoying brunch here since they had already sold out of several items (including croissants!) by 1pm. 

Their menu changes constantly, but the day were went, these were the selections; we got the last order of Merguez, they were out of the Bento and Chicken Paillard, and no croissants or pain au chocolat :(

The herb omelette was nice light traditional fare with delicate herbs for $17.

Traditional eggs and bacon for $11 the purists.

I got the last order of Merguez (lamb sausage) with beautiful tender beans and a sunny side egg for $18 :)

Lovely service, a beautiful courtyard, and delicious food with friends made it the perfect way to spend a Sunday away from Los Angeles!

Food in the Desert

Going on vacation is always a pleasure, but finding mediocre food dampens my joy, and unfortunately the food on my latest trip to Palm Springs/Indian Wells was so mediocre I had to go back to my old favorite Zini Cafe to eat something that made me smile (see my previous post here).

When I lived in Palm Springs, one of my favorite places to eat was Al Dente. Their pasta and seafood were always fresh, deftly prepared, and well presented. I decided to stop there for lunch and was heartened when their tapenade arrived and was a perfect rendition of pungent olives, garlic, spicy red pepper flakes and a luxurious olive oil. I didn't want to spoil my meal by eating just tapenade and bread, so I controlled myself and only ate two servings. I would have been happier of I had made a meal of tapenade instead of my salad.

I ordered the Caesar salad with grilled shrimp. Looks can be deceiving; the shrimp were over cooked and the salad was over dressed with a bland sauce. It was sad to eat alone (I was the ONLY diner in the entire restaurant at 12:30pm), but it was even sadder to realize that one of my favorite places had changed for the worse. The glass of Pinot Grigio I had was as refreshing as the service from my waiter, who was in remarkably good humor despite the 118F weather and having only one diner. Considering lunch was under $20, I left a healthy 30% tip, hoping that would show the waiter I appreciated his work, and hoping the lunchtime chef was just having a bad day.

Upon arriving at the Esmeralda in Indian Wells, the last thing I wanted to do was drive anywhere for food, so I had their bar menu of four tacos for $10, ordering two shrimp tacos and two carne asada tacos. My server suggested the Luna Pinot Grigio ($8) from Cava restaurant, and then he went out in the 118F heat to get me a glass from the restaurant! I wish the food was as good as the service. The shrimp were nicely done (thankfully not overcooked), crispy and tasty, but the carne asada tasted as if it was boiled in water, and the tortillas were obviously industrially made tasteless discs.

My friend Cindy wanted sushi, so we got a platter of Spicy tuna roll with avocado, yellowtail, white tuna, albacore, and mackerel for $40. Cindy liked it, but I thought the fish was not quite fresh enough for the price.

Our final meal in the hotel was lunch at Cava. We both chose the chopped salad with turkey, avocado, tomatoes, corn, and mixed greens for $12. It was fresh and lightly dressed, but I was disappointed that the turkey was cubes of sliced turkey and the waitress disappeared after we were served (we had to ask the hostess for our check and paid at the hostess stand because our waitress never reappeared).

Sometimes old favorites change for the worse, and new finds are mediocre, but great places like Zini Cafe that continue to excel are the reasons I love to eat in the Palm Springs area.

Renaissance Esmeralda

When I lived in Palm Springs, the Esmeralda, in Indian Wells, was always one of my favorite places to go out for drinks and music (Melvyns was my other favorite nightspot). Since the Esmeralda is now owned by the Marriott hotel chain, there are spectacular deals in the summer which include a daily $50 resort credit and a free breakfast for 2 night stays. I HATE resort fees, but their $25 daily resort fee actually pays for daily fitness classes, two bottles of water in the room, free in-room coffee and tea, and wifi (ask them how to access it) so our entire stay for two nights only cost us about $120 each! They offer Valet parking for $12 a day, but you can self park for free (in a covered lot).

They are in the middle of a renovation, but the lobby is already remodeled and very comfortable.

The only element in the lobby and terrace that remains from the former resort is the magnificent staircase connecting the two levels.

As I walked to the front desk to check in I saw these complimentary containers of cool water infused with pineapple, cucumber, and strawberry. A wonderful thoughtful touch anywhere, but especially here in the desert where outside temperatures were hovering around 118F.

The spacious rooms were clean and modern with great beds and linens.

The bathroom was fairly large and had a separate toilet area. Spa robes, soft fluffy towels, and Aveda products gave the resort an upscale feel. Thoughtful touches meant a lot, like a clothesline attached to the wall of the bathtub so you could dry your swimsuits over the tub, and the bathroom had a door to the closet so you could get dressed in the bathroom.

Rates for the summer are so low that the hotel was full of families enjoying the three pool areas; although the kids were well behaved, I still longed for an adult pool area. The poolside servers impressed me more than any other pool I have ever been to, including all the five star pools in Las Vegas; no matter what area I was seated in, someone always came by (more than once) to ask if I wanted either food or drinks! The menu is simple and the selections were reasonably priced, but it was too hot to stay outside for long or I would have ordered and enjoyed lunch by the pool. As with the in room touches, the pool area also had thoughtful touches like water containers and cups at several locations so you could serve yourself water.

The sandy "beach" area was full of small kids and fairly quiet.

The waterfall area was the loudest with screaming kids jumping in and out .

The view from the balcony of our room was tranquil and beautiful.

This view was also from our balcony but looking down instead of out. The small "river" with waterspouts alongside our building snaked around the side of the resort and is the view from the Stir Lounge as well.

Next post will be on the food, which was not as spectacular as the hotel, but the service was impeccable:)

Some Like It Hot-Two Bunch for $99

Two Bunch Palms is truly an oasis hidden in the dessert. As a former hideout for Al Capone, this retreat for the famous and the infamous offers naturally heated odorless mineral water in two pools. It is one of the few resorts in Southern California to offer body treatments that range from traditional massage to water therapy.

Even though the summer temperature in the desert may reach 115, it is a dry heat, and most of us who have lived in 80 degree heat with 80% humidity would choose the higher temperature and lower humidity any day.

They are renovating the resort from August 14-25th and offering a special summer rate of only $99 (plus $15 resort fee & taxes) for select dates throughout the summer when rooms and studios usually go for upwards of $200 a night. The $99 special also extends to select 60 and 90 minute body treatments as well, so you can have a spa mini-cation only two hours from LA for the regular price of just a room.

Nights in the desert are wonderfully balmy and starry, and with a rate like this they can be magically restorative.

Cool Zini Cafe Med

An unplanned trip to Palm Springs this week meant that I got a chance to revisit Zini Cafe Med for their delectable tapas (see my previous post here).

Since the temperature was about 108 Farenheit, I wanted something cool, so I decided to order the chilled baby octopus salad, with cherry tomato, cucumber, red onion, and a mustard vinaigrette ($5) instead of the hot octopus I had last time. I liked this version nearly as much as the hot version except I would have ordered the salad dressing on the side since the strong mustard vinaigrette was a bit strong on the tender organic greens.

The spicy lime drizzled shrimp were my favorite of all the tapas I tasted. For $6, the four medium sized shrimp were perfectly cooked and the garlic infused spicy lime sauce was good enough to drink; thankfully there was yeasty and warm sourdough bread to soak up the sauce.

If I go back for a meal twice in the same day, you know I love a place, and I did that here. For my second round of food I started with one of the same plates I chose last time, the Tuna Carpaccio, served with Citrus, Balsamic Pomegranate Drizzle, Spanish Olive Oil & Caper. The $6 plate was every bit as delightful as the one I ate last year.

The grilled calamari stuffed with Spanish chorizo, fried parsley and capers was a bit rich and salty, but a very hearty bite for $6. This was my least favorite of all the tapas I tasted, but even so, it was still good enough to recommend to people who like rich, salty sausage bites.

I don't know if I was really hungry or simply intrigued when I ordered the grilled artichoke, asparagus, fried egg egg, Serrano ham, and Machego cheese plate for $6. It was like a mini-breakfast and my idea of comfort food. The perfectly fried egg was done to perfection with enough runny yolk, yet no runny white, the Serrano and asparagus were great complimentary flavors, and the artichoke and cheese were nice highlights.

Finding places that are still wonderful a year later makes my stomach and face smile with delight. To add yet another surprise, wines average only $6 for a good selection of red, white, rose or bubbly, by the glass, and their happy hours, which begin at 4pm and go until 7pm most nights, offer specials like a pitcher of Sangria with a platter of snacks for only $21. It may be 108 outside, but it's cool inside Zini.

$99 Movie Colony

Want a last minute getaway before the end of the year? Palm Springs is only a 2 hour drive, but it feels like you've gone to another era in the deco inspired Movie Colony Hotel. Prices from now until Dec 31, 2010 are only $99 for ANY available room you book by calling them at 760-320-6340 and mentioning that you saw this email promo. Normal rates here go to $229 a night on week-ends, and they are easy walking distance to the heart of downtown Palm Springs.

They have accommodations with a pool, terrace, and fireside views, as well as a two level townhouse, so call them now if you want to end the year that could save you more than half off on a room that may save your sanity during this holiday season.

Palm Springs National Golf & Country Club

My friend Ruth is the oldest person I know, but her lively spirit keeps her young and she has trouble finding anyone her age (87) to keep up with her. I go out to see her in Palm Springs whenever I can, and we always try to go to a new place so she can have a new experience. This time we went to the Palm Springs national Golf and Country Club, near the Indian Canyons. She loves the view from the clubhouse and the staff seems to all know her by name.

Ruth is a very picky eater and the only thing she wanted was a fresh fruit salad with cottage cheese. The plate was so big (at least 12" diameter) that she could only eat about half of it before packing the rest to go.

I tried the daily special of blackened chicken breast on top of a romaine, tomato, red onion, and roasted corn salad, dressed in a green goddess dressing. The chicken was moist and spicy without being overbearing and the salad was nicely crisp and not overly dressed.

Both our entrees were under $15 and we had a view of green grass and fountains of water in the desert as we ate, so you could say we paid for lunch and got a priceless view.

Palm Springs Zin

To round off Palm Springs Restaurant week, Zin was our final stop.

I chose to make my lunch a raw meal, starting with the Kumamoto oysters (mkt) and choosing as my main course the beef tenderloin tartar ($12). Both were done very well, with enough accompaniments to make it interesting and not so many as to overpower the clean fresh quality of the ingredients.


Cindy chose a spinach, tomato and cheddar cheese omelet with fingerling potatoes ($12) which she also described as fresh and one of the best she has ever tasted. She said given a choice between this one and the one at Little Next Door, Little Next Door would win, but not by much (see my previous post).


Fellow foodie Phil (say that three times fast) chose the Angus Beef Stew Braised in Belgian Beer Haricots Verts & Frites($12). He said the flavor was rich and the meat was tender, but not falling apart, a good rendition of a comforting classic.


He admitted that he ordered the stew mainly because he wanted the frites which were double fried (as they should be) and served with a trio of dips which ranged from plain mayo, pimento (our favorite of the three), and aioli (garlic mayo).


For dessert we were all tempted by the espresso gelato, so we got one order with three spoons.


Like all old friends, we will meet again, restaurant week or not, this is a great find for a casual meal with very good service.

Copley's Palm Springs

I love old movies, like the ones with Clark Gable and Cary Grant, when going out to dinner meant that men wore tuxedos and women wore feather boas. It is fun to go to a place that has ties to that era, like Copley's in Palm Springs which used to be Cary Grant's Estate. It is even better when the food is excellent and the ambiance makes you want to linger on a warm desert night.

Taking full advantage of Palm Spring's Restaurant week, my friend Cindy & I went to Copley's for a delectable 3 course meal for only $36 each last week. There were many of us partaking of the specials that night including a celebrity performer from Las Vegas who was seated next to us on the terrace, and a birthday party celebration. The spacious grounds and fountain centerpiece made it seem like we were on our own private property. Service was friendly and although the hostess and bartender were very efficient, our waiter was not always attentive.

We came for the food and we were happy. Cindy chose the Roasted Beet and Warm Goat Cheese Salad, made with Micro Greens, Poached Pears, Candied Walnuts, and a Honey Mustard Dressing. She like it well enough to eat it all, but she ended up liking my appetizer more.


I chose the Hawaiian Ahi Tacos, made with Tuna Tartar, Avocado, Green Onion Tossed in Ginger Soy Dressing, Presented In A Sesame Miso Shell, and Topped with Tobiko Caviar. It was so fresh, perfectly seasoned and balanced with nuances of texture that I could have easily made a meal of a few more of these.


For our entrees, we chose specialties not on the menu (but included in the restaurant week price). I chose the New York Filet with portobello mushrooms, baby broccoli and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. I was relieved to find it actually came rare as I had ordered it and the sides were robust flavorful accompaniments, but I was disappointed to find the steak needed more oomph (I ended up adding salt).


Cindy chose the Lobster Pot Pie which was so marvelous that this time I was the one who had plate envy. The sauce was infused with a depth of shellfish stock that was rich without being too creamy or heavy, and the chunks of lobster were so tender and juicy that they literally made my mouth water. After I ate a few pieces of my steak, I ended up eating her dish!


Luckily we saved room for dessert, mainly because we chose our desserts when we ordered our meals. Cindy had the Lemon & Lavender Scented Pound Cake with Fresh Berries and Basil Ice Cream. It was light, slightly sweet and had a fresh twist with the lemon and lavender.


I went with the Warm Apple Crumble, which was served with Cinnamon Ice Cream & Caramel Sauce. I was happy with it, but honestly I was too full to finish it after a few bites.


We headed out for a long walk around town after dinner as we tried to work off at least a bit of what we had eaten before continuing our food adventure. Stay tuned for tomorrow's episode at Zin's.